There are some books that you will almost always see in a classroom. These classic   novels may change up from time to time, but they all have great lessons within them. 

1. The Great Gatsby: This not only taught an era but a way of life as well. This book is a classic and just as much for the dialogue and the storyline as for the era and time period that it taught. It is a classic and one of those that is practically a rite of passage for students in the novels that they learn from. This can be taught through English class or history class or even Social Studies as it has views that are appropriate for all of them.

2. To Kill a Mockingbird: This showed how racism existed and evolved and the way that life used to be during this time period. It was as much about the trial, the relationships, and the dialogue as it was about the characters and the plot. This was set in a time period and a geography that perhaps few will understand now but yet we learn something from them as this is a classic that every student must read at some point in time.

3. Who Stole My Cheese: This is a newer entry to the list but nonetheless important in its place. This shows how individuals and corporations fight for their place from the simplistic view of a mouse. The lessons within this book are very important and helpful for students to learn early on before they enter the real world and have to find their own place.

4. The Grapes of Wrath: This classic tale follows a family during the Great Depression as they search for a better life. This seemed to capture the American dream at the time as this family went from being homeless to searching for a better means of making a living and caring for their own. This was so true to form at the time as families lived like this to make it through.

5. 1984: This takes a look at the future that many believed would be reality at the time. This followed a man as he made his way through a fantasy world full of twists and turns. He set out to change history and to make the world somehow easier for him and his own to live in, and it was a tale that many clinged to in belief that this is how the future would be.

6. The Kite Runner: This follows a man as he makes it through war like conditions and flees his home country for a better life. This teaches history and interpersonal relationships as he tries to live as a refugee depending on the kindness of others around him.

7. The Lord of the Rings: This came out as a movie but most students will agree that the book was far better. In this book you see the evolution of man and how he fought for his place amongst his peers. It is a tale that involves science fiction and lots of bells and whistles but at the heart it’s about a boy going through his journey to become man.

8. The Time Traveler’s Wife: Admittedly this is a love story but it has a very historic turn to it. Perhaps the characters and the historical undertones are what make this such a popular choice. In this epic love story you see a man and a woman who have been in love throughout all of time and this follows their story through it all.

9. The Color Purple: Though this has been around for some time, it is always a classic. This tells the tale of a young black woman in the Deep South as she lived through abuse in her youth. It shows how she survived through this and through much torment her entire life and prevails. Perhaps the underlying message of survival is what makes it such a classic in the classroom.

10. Water for Elephants: This tale takes a man through his entire life by time period and stage so it makes for an interesting read. He is now as he writes the memoirs in a nursing home but it shows how his life unfolded in front of him and there are great lessons for students within.

Though not all books are appropriate for all students, these are pure classics. Some are newer and some have been around for years, but they all have their place in teaching.  

Mary M.M. Frederick ordinarily writes about the costs associated with earning an MAT degree online.

Posted, by admin in General Education.