Best and Worst Books You Read in School

As I mentioned in my post a few months ago about school reading, I find it interesting that in my kids' school district, at least through middle school, there seem to be less specifically required texts that kids read and discuss as an entire class than there was in my day.  There are definite pros to being able to pick your own books, but my opinion is that there are also definite pros to being assigned to read certain texts - not just because you can get more out of a book when discussing it with teachers and fellow students, but also to expose you to books you might not otherwise pick up for yourself.

Some commonly assigned HS books

Anyway, it got me thinking about some of the most memorable books I read in my own school days, both those I loved and those I hated.

Books I Loved

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee  - I actually can't remember whether I read this in middle school or high school, but I absolutely loved it.  My daughter Allison was assigned to read it this past spring for 8th grade, and so I re-read it at the same time, reading it for the first time as an adult.  I was thrilled to find that it was still just as wonderful as I remembered it being.

And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie - Why this dark mystery was assigned to my 6th grade English class, I don't know.  However, I totally loved it, and then went on to spend the next several years of my life reading literally every single book Agatha Christie wrote.  So that definitely was a successful school assignment in terms of encouraging further reading!

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte - I was assigned to read this in high school, and I was assigned to read it again in at least one class in college, possibly two.  I loved it all those times.  I'm interested to see whether Allison will like it if she is assigned to read it in high school, and if so how I will feel about it if I read it again.  I have heard that in the modern era, Rochester comes off creepier and less romantic.

The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger - I've heard this one may not have aged well either, but I loved it when I read it high school.  Holden Caufield just had such an interesting and authentic voice to me.  I read it at least one more time on my own after that as well.

Books I Hated

Cry, the Beloved Country by Alan Paton - Interestingly, I don't really remember the plot of this book at all, or even exactly why I hated it so much.  But I strongly associate the title with a searing feeling of hatred.

Beowulf - I doubt anyone would attempt to read this on their own, it being hundreds of years old and written in nearly incomprehensible old English.  I had to read this junior year of high school, and I hated it with a burning passion.

The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne - I read this one sophomore year of high school, and I hated it.  I hated the writing, and I hated the plot such as there was.  On the other hand, I do feel like this is one where I'm somewhat glad I was forced to read it, just because it is both explicitly and implicitly referred to in so many other books and works of pop culture.

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley - If you've never read this one, you might be surprised to find out that Frankenstein is the name of the creator, not the monster, and it is also more boring than it is a horror book.  What I remember the most about this book is that it was the genesis of the most BS essay I ever wrote in my life, as I had accidentally left the book in my locker at school the day before an essay was due, and as this was in the days before the internet, I had to basically make things up from my memory since I didn't have the book in front of me.  I still got an A- I believe.  Don't tell my 11th grade English teacher.


What do you remember as your favorite and least favorite books that you read in school?