Tuesday 3 September 2013

Top Ten Tuesday: Books that you wish were taught in schools

Top Ten Tuesday is a bookish meme run by The Broke and The Bookish. Each week they give us a title for a list and we give them some answers!


Check out this week's Top Ten after the jump!


This week's Top Ten is...

 Top Ten Books That You Wish Were Taught in Schools


1. Wonder by R. J. Palacio
A brilliant book about bullying and how we reject what we don't know. Hang on for Caroline's review coming later this week! A little bit of a cheat as well because there's a school in London where they have actually used this book to target bullying. It's got short chapters and different POVs so it would work well for loads of different age groups too.

2. Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli
Another one about celebrating our differences, this time told from the perspective of a boy who is simultaneously captivated and embarassed by Stargirl, a new girl at his school. Amazing read for all ages that makes you think differently from page 1.  

3. LOTR by J.R.R. Tolkien
Caroline still hasn't read this and thinks that it's such a classic that it should be taught in schools. Throw out Wuthering Heights or Of Mice and Men and throw in some classic fantasy instead. Seriously though, wouldn't it be great if genre fiction were honoured as much as literary fiction?

4. Code Name Verity & Rose Under Fire by Elizabeth Wein
A new way of looking at WW2, these meticulously researched novels would fit perfectly into any history lesson, and would probably have meant that Caroline wouldn't have given up History in year 9. 

5. Falling Leaves by Adeline Yen Mah
There should be more books about other cultures taught in British schools. Caroline has said it so it must be true. Falling Leaves is a heart-breaking but informative autobiography that gives one perspective of a childhood in China in the twentieth-century.


6. Noughts & Crosses by Malorie Blackman
Racism is bad! There's only so many times you can say it but before people stop listening, so instead of shouting at them, make them read this book.

7. The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness
Amazing dystopian novel that we never stop going on about, but that's because it's SO GOOD. Gender differences, racism, dictatorships, it's all in there guys!

8. The Dark Room by Rachel Seiffert
Telling the story of WW2 from the losing side, one of the three stories that make up this book, Lore, was made into a beautiful and bleak film last year. 

9. Saving Francesca by Melina Marchetta
An amazing story of a young girl struggling with depression, told so beautifully that it'll make your heart ache. 

10. After Dark by Haruki Murakami
Feli is a Murakami addict, whereas Caroline is yet to fall under his spell - maybe if she'd got the chance to read this at school things would be different. 

So what was on your top 10? Leave us a link in the comments!

7 comments:

  1. Second time I've seen Noughts and Crosses on someone's list this morning and it's entirely new to me. Thank you!

    Here are my thoughts on the Best Required Reading!

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  2. I'm loving this list. I haven't read all of the books you mentioned, but Knife of Never Letting Go would make a good addition - although the 3rd book in the series was my fave :-) Wonder is also on my reading list already. Will have to check the others out.

    Tanya Patrice
    Girlxoxo.com

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  3. I 100% agree with you about teaching classic fantasy the same way we teach literary fiction. There are so many wonderful literary elements in LoTR AND if they teach books like that first then it might help kids love reading enough to pick up some of the classics that they'll end up reading later in school/college.
    Great list.

    Thanks for visiting our TTT.

    Kat @ Books Are Bread

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  4. I chose Wonder too - it is such a wonderful (get it?) book, and I honestly think teens can benefit from reading it.

    Happy Tuesday!
    My TTT

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  5. I was trying to think about a book about bullying, haven't read Wonder but it sounds interesting. I remember reading Stargirl in elementary school and I loved it so much!

    Rose Under Fire is my next read *sobs* I'm starting it tonight *prepares tissues*.

    Great list! Thanks for stopping by my TTT post earlier! Have a great day :)

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  6. I considered putting Lord Of The Rings on my own list, but decided against it. It's would be a great book to teach for so many reasons, and there are a few on your list I've been wanting to read. Great list!

    Nicole @ WCW

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  7. Great choices, I think Code Name Verity and Rose Under Fire (which I'm starting today but I'm just going to assume is great) should definitely be taught in schools. And Murakami is a good choice, too, I didn't even think of him! Thanks for visiting my TTT!

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