Top Ten Tuesday: Required Reading for High School

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted at The Broke and the Bookish. Every week a new topic is chosen, and I love answering questions so I'm going to try and post regularly. :)

Books I would include as Required Reading for High School

I cheated (again). Here are 12 books I would include in the curriculum if I had le power as a high school teacher. I've broken it up into categories - let me know if there are any others you would include in your list! :D

For the love of books

• Out of the Easy || Ruta Sepetys
• A Tree Grows in Brooklyn || Betty Smith
• The Book Thief || Markus Zusak

All three of these books feature young girls in less-than-ideal circumstances, but through the power of books they manage to keep their heads up above it all. Highly recommended for reluctant readers, maybe these will make them believe.

For the history nerds

• The Things We Promise || J.C. Burke
  Set in Sydney, Australia during the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the 90s, very important for school kids who would know nothing about all of that stuff.
• The Agony of Bun O'Keefe || Heather SmithThis isn't too history-heavy, but it's got a great vibe and voice, set in 1980s Newfoundland, Canada.
• Between Shades of Gray || Ruta Sepetys
  Set in 1941, Lithuania, during WWII and fills in an unknown piece of history. It is simply beautiful and heart-wrenching and super accessible.

Bullying/social media PSA

• Thirteen Reasons Why || Jay Asher
• My Life as a Hashtag || Gabrielle Williams
• Before I Fall || Lauren Oliver

What I like about these books is it didn't feel preachy to me, the characters learn important lessons along the way and they have resonated deeply with countless amounts of readers. There are so many more books I could include, but these are possibly the most accessible due to their popularity? (Also, yay Aussie pride for Gabrielle!)

Life essentials

• A Monster Calls || Patrick Ness
• Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking || Susan Cain
• They Both Die at the End || Adam Silvera

It almost goes without saying that I adore these books, each for different reasons. I do think that Quiet (probably the teenager equivalent title is better, but I haven't read it yet!) is one of the most important books that an introverted teen could read during their high school years. I always felt so odd and awkward and like I didn't belong as much as I wanted. This book basically celebrates the merits of introverts the world over, the underlying message: "Introverts like being alone sometimes, and that's okay." It's incredibly validating.