Students and teachers reveal their favorite books from English class
What was the best book you have had to read in your English class? I know my favorite: The Catcher in the Rye. I loved Holden’s personality and sense of humor. I found him relatable and overall he was a character who made the assignment fun. But what about the rest of Aurora students? Do they feel the same? What novel did they love and what novel did they hate?
Another student agreed with me that The Catcher in the Rye was a fantastic read, commenting “I thoroughly enjoyed Holden's character and I related to his mindset.”
A common trend in students’ opinions on what made a good book had to do with the relatability of the characters and their situations. Students have an easier and more enjoyable time reading when they can connect with a story. English teacher, Toni Taylor, believes this is the reason why The Alchemist is so loved by the senior class.
“The Alchemist is motivational and provides encouragement to seniors, who, like the main character, are on a journey to find what they're meant to do in this world.”
Books viewed not to be relatable to an audience can even disappoint teachers. English teacher, Kate White, revealed this about A Northern Light:
“It took me three reads before I really appreciated A Northern Light, which my male students found hard to connect to.”
It may surprise students to know that there are some books that even English teachers are not fans of. For White, A Separate Peace was not an enjoyable book to teach.
Other books ranking low on the popularity scale include To Kill a Mockingbird and, overwhelmingly, Great Expectations. One student described this Dickens classic as being “the equivalent of reading 544 pages of filler.”
While not every student will enjoy each book assigned to them, the books that resonate with students are notable. Again, students enjoy relatability in a novel but also the opportunity to view the world from different perspectives. Taylor explains why The Kite Runner is one of her favorite books:
“The Kite Runner is one of my favorites because it opens our eyes to another world and culture, and the story is one where readers truly are invested and despise certain characters and love others; it's a great story of loyalty and friendship.”
A student who read The Book Thief shares a similar sentiment as Taylor:
“The Book Thief was my favorite because it was very deep and emotional. It really showed how people in Germany lived during World War II. It had very important messages and it left a lasting impact on me.”
Other favorites included The Great Gatsby and even books from middle school such as The Giver and Blood Red Horse. On Blood Red Horse, one student said this:
“Blood Red Horse because it got you to side with one character before the perspective changed, and now those with prejudice views of one side got to see the truth of the other side. We are torn between two sides and two protagonists. On top of that, there is amazing character development and characters that you deeply attach to.”
Many responses from students revealed that their favorite books they read during English class was their self select. White detailed how, when she wrote her Master’s thesis on reading motivation, she found that choice is one of the “biggest intrinsic motivators.”
There is not one single book that every student at Aurora High School will love. As White says, “everyone's taste is different.”
No, not everyone liked Great Expectations. And no, not everyone was a fan of The Scarlet Letter. What matters in a book is how it impacts the individual student rather than every student in school. From December Stillness (which one student “never wanted to stop reading”) to The Way of the Peaceful Warrior (which was found to be “very boring and didn't always really make sense”), students at Aurora High School have a variety of interests when it comes to reading material.
