Today, more than ever enduring masterpieces must be read and understood by those concerned with preserving the human spirit.
Classroom censorship laws, like the ones in many states, mean teachers live in fear of crossing an “invisible line” in their classrooms.
As a result, many educators are removing books from their libraries, not engaging in classroom discussion with students—or simply walking away from the profession they love.
But the fight is on. Just last week, an Education Association filed suit, challenging the constitutionality of that state’s classroom censorship law. And many educators and community members are involved in read-alouds and other protests.
Before the powers that be decide to ban all of these books, here’s a start.
10 Classics That Everyone Should Read
- The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger
- To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
- The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas
- Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell
- Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
- Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë
- The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien
- Dracula by Bram Stoker
- Lord of the Flies by William Golding
- Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
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