10 Contemporary Books I’d Love to See on School Curriculums

Books I'd Love to See on School Curriculums

 

I hate to admit it, but I remember very few books I was required to read in high school and college. On the bright side though, I’ve read so many books over the past few years that I’d love to see on school curriculums! Books that address important issues, but are also just straight-up awesome books that readers can effortlessly become engrossed in.

I would’ve killed for books that fit schools’ definitions of curriculum-worthy literature, but that I also loved reading when I was in school!

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Linking up with Top Ten Tuesday hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl

10 Contemporary Books I’d Love to See on School Curriculums

An American Marriage by Tayari Jones (my review)
Because it deals with a mind-blowing number of important “issues” (i.e. marriage, race, class, incarceration, love, friendship, family, grief, fidelity, recovery) in a totally organic way…wrapped in a straight-up, engrossing story.

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Dear Fang, With Love by Rufi Thorpe (my review)
Because it shines on mental illness through a teenage character that high school age children will be able to relate to.

Affiliate Link: Buy from Amazon

Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng (my review)
Because it portrays the experience of a partially immigrant family living in a predominantly white community…and the tensions that introduces to the family dynamics. Plus, school age children dealing with the death of a sibling, sibling dynamics, parents projecting their own ambitions onto their children, and women trying to balance family and career dreams.

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Grit by Angela Duckworth
To show that people have far more control over their own destinies than they think…and reinforce the most important ingredient for success.

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The Heart’s Invisible Furies by John Boyne (my review)
To show the range of emotions a single novel can evoke. Plus, a background on the Catholic Church and homosexuality in Ireland and the experience of homosexuals in general.

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The Mothers by Brit Bennett (my review)
Because, like An American Marriage, it tackles a number of important topics (grief, losing a parent, faith, friendship, race, trauma, and teen pregnancy), but this time through the eyes characters that school age children can relate to.

Affiliate Link: Buy from Amazon

The Wife by Meg Wolitzer (my review)
Because it explores the power dynamics in a marriage and women balancing career and family (probably better suited to college age students).

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Tiny Beautiful Things by Cheryl Strayed
Because Strayed is warm, relatable, and non-judgmental in her counsel and most people will find something in this book that pertains to their own life. This is the book I always wish had been around when I was in high school.

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We Were the Lucky Ones by Georgia Hunter (my review)
Because it’s one of the rare books about World War II that is hopeful…and it’s based on a remarkable true story.

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What Made Maddy Run by Kate Fagan
Because it’s a cautionary tale about immense pressure at a young age, depression, high achievement, social media, and teen suicide. 

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What contemporary books would you like to see on school curriculums?

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19 Comments

  1. I’d add People Kill People by Ellen Hopkins.

    Posted 8.28.18 Reply
  2. These are such great choices! Unfortunately, public schools always seem to err on the side of being too cautious/conservative and I think that would eliminate a few of these form high school curriculums….THIF, An American Marriage, The Mothers. It’s too bad because what amazing conversations they’d elicit.

    Posted 8.28.18 Reply
    • Sarah Dickinson wrote:

      Agreed!

      Posted 8.31.18 Reply
  3. Raysa wrote:

    I agree with you, these books should be required to read in High School. Great List! Adding a couple to my TBR list, thank you for sharing.

    Posted 8.28.18 Reply
    • Sarah Dickinson wrote:

      You’re welcome!

      Posted 8.31.18 Reply
  4. SE White wrote:

    It really is time to update some required reading lists! Great choices. Sadly, the predominant current is super conservative right now so the updates might take a while and be a hard battle 🙁

    Posted 8.28.18 Reply
    • Sarah Dickinson wrote:

      I know…sad 🙁 I feel like kids would enjoy reading more if they could choose from some edgier books!

      Posted 8.31.18 Reply
  5. renee wrote:

    Fun post idea! These would make great high school curriculum choices…so much better than what they make kids read now

    Posted 8.28.18 Reply
  6. Shealea wrote:

    Ooh, I think it’s interesting that you decided to suggest contemporary books for required reading. This is a wonderful list.

    * TTT: 10 spreadsheet hacks to step up your blogging game

    Posted 8.28.18 Reply
    • Sarah Dickinson wrote:

      Thank you!

      Posted 8.31.18 Reply
  7. AMEN to Everything I Never Told You! What an incredible read. (I’m haven’t read the others, so I can’t sing their praises… LOL!)

    Visiting from TTT

    Posted 8.28.18 Reply
  8. This month one of my reading groups read Turtles All the Way Down by John Green. The group’s leader has a 14 year old daughter who was required to read the book by her school, an all-school summer reading assignment. She attended our discussion and it was great to get the views of a young adult. Her school however is private, not public. Here is my review: http://keepthewisdom.blogspot.com/2018/08/turtles-all-way-down.html

    Posted 8.29.18 Reply
    • Sarah Dickinson wrote:

      Oh that would be so interesting to hear!

      Posted 8.31.18 Reply
  9. Very interesting post! I’ve been out of the Top Ten Tuesday loop (not really feeling their topic choices for a while) but this week’s is definitely an interesting subject. I wholeheartedly agree with all of your choices for the books out of these I’ve read (except maybe The Heart’s Invisible Furies lol).

    Posted 8.29.18 Reply
    • Sarah Dickinson wrote:

      Well it was technically a back to school freebie topic, but I agree with you on the recent TTT topics. They seem very geared to YA and I haven’t participated nearly as much as I used to.

      Posted 8.31.18 Reply
  10. Madeline wrote:

    There is a new genre in town … Vic Lit. Of course we know “Chick Lit” and some have dubbed men stuff “Dick Lit.” But Vic (Victim) Lit has me perplexed, disturbed and finally POd at the failures that are being highly touted.

    The Mothers and American Marriage snugly fit in this category. They are like biting into a mealy apple; nasty and unsubstantiated.

    If you want to move into the American Indian sub-category there is Heartberries and There There. I am speechless at the failure of these two (way over) hyped attempts. Their stories are important but in the end so poorly told that they end up in the Vic Lit pile.

    Posted 8.29.18 Reply
  11. I love this list! Who do we talk to about getting these into the curriculum?!

    Posted 8.31.18 Reply
  12. Oh my bad! Well then very nice spin!

    Posted 9.1.18 Reply
  13. As a nonfiction pick, I think everyone could benefit from reading Bryan Stevenson’s Just Mercy. I read it last year, but think about it a lot. It’s such a powerful book, dealing with mass incarceration, criminal justice reform, race, and class issues.

    I also agree with your picks of An American Marriage, Everything I Never Told You, and The Mothers. Hopefully some schools will adopt some of these books!

    Posted 9.10.18 Reply

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