High school English class is an exciting time, even if it might not feel like that in the moment. You get to read lots of books that, after graduation, you might not have time for anymore. So, try to enjoy your reading as much as you can! These books often prove pivotal for many people, either in the moment or in hindsight. The books chosen for English class typically explore big ideas like freedom, justice, morality, and identity, and provide new perspectives. This article covers 25 of the most timeless books typically found on an English class reading list and the reasons why teachers love to use them.
| Title | Author | Year Published | Genre |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hamlet | William Shakespeare | c.1600 | Tragedy / Drama (Play) |
| The Scarlet Letter | Nathaniel Hawthorne | 1850 | Historical novel / Gothic |
| The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn | Mark Twain | 1884 | Adventure / Picaresque / Satire |
| The Importance of Being Earnest | Oscar Wilde | 1895 | Comedy / Satire (Play) |
| The Great Gatsby | F. Scott Fitzgerald | 1925 | Literary fiction / Novel |
| Of Mice and Men | John Steinbeck | 1937 | Novella / Social realism |
| Their Eyes Were Watching God | Zora Neale Hurston | 1937 | Novel / Bildungsroman |
| The Grapes of Wrath | John Steinbeck | 1939 | Novel / Social realism |
| A Tree Grows in Brooklyn | Betty Smith | 1943 | Coming-of-age / Realist novel |
| Animal Farm | George Orwell | 1945 | Political satire / Allegory |
| Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl | Anne Frank | 1947 | Diary / Memoir |
| 1984 (Nineteen Eighty-Four) | George Orwell | 1949 | Dystopian / Political fiction |
| Fahrenheit 451 | Ray Bradbury | 1953 | Dystopian / Science fiction |
| The Crucible | Arthur Miller | 1953 | Drama / Historical allegory (Play) |
| Lord of the Flies | William Golding | 1954 | Allegorical novel / Social psychology |
| To Kill a Mockingbird | Harper Lee | 1960 | Southern Gothic / Legal & social novel |
| I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings | Maya Angelou | 1969 | Autobiography / Memoir |
| Slaughterhouse-Five | Kurt Vonnegut | 1969 | Satirical anti-war novel / Science fiction elements |
| The Bluest Eye | Toni Morrison | 1970 | Novel / Racial & social issues |
| The Handmaid’s Tale | Margaret Atwood | 1985 | Dystopian / Speculative fiction |
| The Things They Carried | Tim O’Brien | 1990 | Short story collection / War literature |
| The Giver | Lois Lowry | 1993 | Young-adult / Dystopian |
| A Thousand Splendid Suns | Khaled Hosseini | 2007 | Historical Fiction / Contemporary literature |
| The Fault in Our Stars | John Green | 2012 | Young-adult / Contemporary romance |
| James | Percival Everett | 2024 | Novel / Historical re-imagining |
Books Taught in High School English Literature Class
Prepare for your English class or refresh your memory about some of the most classic books frequently taught in high school! These books cover a wide array of topics and themes, helping high school students learn more about the world around them. Even though reading a book for class and completing tests and assignments about them can feel tedious, most people feel that reading books in high school ultimately helped them in personal development and in making sense of the world.
To refresh your knowledge, here are the top books with a quick synopsis and helpful information, sorted by publication year.
"Hamlet" by William Shakespeare
Shakespeare’s Hamlet is a timeless tragedy about revenge, madness, and moral conflict. It follows Prince Hamlet as he seeks justice for his father’s murder. It’s a great work for learning Shakespeare because, even though the language can be confusing (as usual for Shakespeare), it’s also an interesting story that can maintain your interest. It’s also open to lots of different interpretations, creating interesting class discussions.
Students study it to explore themes like indecision, betrayal, morality and philosophy, and human psychology. The play’s language, soliloquies, and universal questions about life and death make it one of the most studied works in English literature ever.
Hamlet is usually considered the greatest play in the English language since it has been consistently performed and analyzed since its publication. So, for over 400 years, the famous Shakespeare play has been read and enjoyed without interruption! That's why this title is one of the classics.
"The Scarlet Letter" by Nathaniel Hawthorne
Set in Puritan New England, The Scarlet Letter tells the story of Hester Prynne, who is made to raise her child alone because she is an adulterer (which was a one-way ticket to becoming a social pariah in Puritanical society).
The novel explores sin, guilt, and hypocrisy in a deeply religious society. It’s taught for its symbolism and its early critique of moral judgment and conformity. Such a novel asking these types of questions in the 1850s was extremely progressive for the times, and many of the ideas still hold up today. It offers students insight into early American culture.
"The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" by Mark Twain
Mark Twain’s classic, and often-banned, book follows Huck Finn and an escaped slave, Jim, as they travel down the Mississippi River.
Students read it for its clear portrayal of friendship, freedom, and a glimpse of the moral struggles in a divided America.
The book is often heavily criticized for many things, but the key is that Huck/Twain is using the language of the times and not using it in a hateful way.
It teaches students more about the historical context of the word and why it’s important to be aware of the implications.
The story also provides many other insights about the history of racial prejudice in the country.
The satirical nature of the book is an excellent way to allow students to have conversations about race and language.
"The Importance of Being Earnest" by Oscar Wilde
This witty play by Oscar Wilde pokes fun at Victorian society’s frivolous and contradictory obsession with appearances. Some students find it a bit dry, but since it’s pretty short to read, it’s a great way to get a taste of this type of writing without drowning in it.
Through mistaken identities and sharp humor, Wilde questions class, marriage, and honesty. It’s taught to show students how satire can be used to point out serious truths beneath comedy, and how language can shape social critique. The title ends up being a pun with many layers.
"The Great Gatsby" by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Set in the Jazz Age of the Roaring Twenties, The Great Gatsby examines wealth, ambition, and illusion through the tragic story of Jay Gatsby and his pursuit of the American Dream. It’s one of the most quintessential American novels for high school English classes, but that doesn’t mean it’s boring! There is actually a lot to consider in the relatively short novel, including different interpretations and theories. The clear, surface-level messages give way to deeper, sometimes opposing ideas when examined a little further. It's a quick read that you can revisit many times and find new meaning on each read.
Teachers use it to discuss themes like materialism, love (or the illusion of it, in this case), and social class.
In my younger and more vulnerable years my father gave me some advice that I've been turning over in my mind ever since. ‘Whenever you feel like criticizing any one...just remember that all the people in this world haven't had the advantages that you've had.’
Nick Carraway in "The Great Gatsby"
"Of Mice and Men" by John Steinbeck
Steinbeck’s classic novella tells the story of two displaced workers during the Great Depression.
George and Lennie’s friendship is both tender and tragic.
Their relationship and interactions with others show the human need for companionship and community. Yet, they and the other characters can't seem to help but push each other away rather than be vulnerable.
Students read it for its themes of loneliness, dreams, dignity, and for how it captures the struggles of everyday people.
Many a Steinbeck title can be found on high school book lists. His clear prose is easy to understand while still conveying important themes. He was a well-established writer who had been published 30 times.
"Their Eyes Were Watching God" by Zora Neale Hurston
Zora Neale Hurston’s novel follows Janie Crawford’s search for independence and love in the early 20th-century South. It explores race, gender, and self-expression. The book uses lyrical, poetic language and vivid storytelling that invokes a lot of emotion in the reader. The moving story offers a different perspective than most other books on a class reading list.
The novel is taught for its celebration of Black womanhood and its place in the Harlem Renaissance. The title means that the characters look to a higher power to understand fate and meaning.
They were there with their tongues cocked and loaded, the only real weapon left to weak folks. The only killing tool they are allowed to use in the presence of white folks.
Their Eyes Were Watching God
"The Grapes of Wrath" by John Steinbeck
This powerful novel tells the story of the Joad family’s journey from the Dust Bowl to California during the Great Depression. The length and language put off a lot of readers, but the story gives such a realistic context about America’s past that it’s worth it to read.
Students learn about resilience, injustice, and hope, as well as history, through fiction. It’s an essential text for understanding economic hardship, the human cost of migration, and the collective trauma Americans faced in the 1930s.
The title is a reference to "The Battle Hymn of the Republic" (a patriotic American song), which, in the song, references God's wrath on the Day of Judgment.
In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage.
The Grapes of Wrath
"A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" by Betty Smith
This semi-autobiographical coming-of-age story follows Francie Nolan, a young girl growing up in poverty in early 20th-century Brooklyn. Students benefit from reading the book for its honesty about hardship and education, as well as the power of resilience and having dreams. It offers a look at difficult topics like immigration, prejudice, and alcoholism. The book captures everyday life with compassion and shows how determination can overcome struggle.
The title references a "Tree of Heaven," a real type of tree that is hardy and resilient.
"Animal Farm" by George Orwell
Orwell’s short novel uses a group of farm animals as a clear critique of the rise of totalitarian regimes. It’s a direct critique of the Soviet Union, which was extremely timely when the book was written and published. Through allegory, it examines how power corrupts and how revolutions can become oppressive if the general population isn’t informed or empowered. Teachers use it to introduce political satire and critical thinking about authority and propaganda.
You'll find that many titles on high school reading lists were published in the era around WWII. This is because the war greatly impacted many people who also had more access to writing and publishing services than others before them, plus their writing style is more contemporary and easier for us to read.
Orwell's real name was Eric Arthur Blair. He created the pseudonym as a way to publish without embarrassing his family for writing about poverty. It also served to distance himself from his upper-class background, making his works more credible.
"Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl" by Anne Frank
Anne Frank’s diary records her life in hiding during the Holocaust.
Students can connect deeply with her courage, optimism, and honesty.
This title taught not only as a historical document, showing what life was like in the times of WWII, but also as a reflection on hope, fear, and the resilience of the human spirit in times of darkness.
The memoir helps students develop an understanding of history and empathy.
"1984" ("Nineteen Eighty-Four") by George Orwell
This dystopian novel explores surveillance, censorship, and the manipulation of truth. The depiction of an oppressive totalitarian state that erases individuality and the things that make humans human under the watch of “Big Brother” has an eerie resonance with many of the things we experience today. The main character, Winston Smith, must hide his private thoughts from everyone and the government. Orwell's distressing ending serves to remind readers that the important thing is to prevent the government from reaching authoritarianism in the first place.
Students read the book to discuss freedom, privacy, technology and the importance of independent thought in society. The everlasting messages remain apt in modern times.
"Fahrenheit 451" by Ray Bradbury
Bradbury proposes a look at a future where books are illegal and intellect is shunned. Firemen are a policing force that burns books instead of preventing fires. Pervasive technology serves to distract and bombard the population with programming that makes them docile and unable to think for themselves. It’s another title that is very applicable to our modern-day lives.
Guy Montag is the main character who transitions from an obedient fireman who takes pride in upholding the repressive societal rules to a revolutionary character who learns the value of books.
The novel teaches students about censorship, conformity, and the power of knowledge.
There must be something in books, things we can’t imagine, to make a woman stay in a burning house; there must be something there. You don’t stay for nothing.
Fahrenheit 451
"The Crucible" by Arthur Miller
Set during the Salem witch trials, The Crucible blends real events that happened with real people with elements of fiction. All the characters in the play were real people in Salem who were involved in this particular event. The story explores hysteria and unjust persecution, reflecting the events happening in the US at the time, known as the McCarthyism era. It warns against the dangers of fear, false accusations, and mob mentality. Students study it for its themes of integrity, mass paranoia, and the consequences of dishonesty.
"Lord of the Flies" by William Golding
Lord of the Flies is about a group of boys stranded on an island who try to govern themselves, but they quickly become feral and chaotic. The "proper" English schoolboys find themselves ruled by a collective, imagined threat and resort to violence in response, not realizing that the real evil was within them the whole time.
Golding’s novel offers one perspective regarding civilization, human nature, morality, and fear. Teachers use it to discuss themes about leadership, violence, and the thin line between order and savagery. It's a clear chance to think about savagery in civilization and society, especially regarding war and bullying.
Lord of the Flies is an extremely pessimistic view of the fragility of humanity because Golding himself was extremely pessimistic about human nature and was very negatively influenced by the war. But, it's also important to remember the story is an allegory, not a theory about how real schoolboys would behave in this situation.
"To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee
Set in the racially divided South during the Jim Crow era, Harper Lee’s novel To Kill a Mockingbird follows Scout Finch as she witnesses her father (a white man) defend a Black man falsely accused of a crime. It explores justice, empathy, and doing what is right even when it goes against the crowd. A historical fiction, the novel reflects several real-life events, reminding readers that such stories really did happen to people, even if the details were different.
The title conveys the sentiment that mockingbirds (like many people) are totally harmless and fragile, and if anything, they only offer good things to the world.
"I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" by Maya Angelou
Maya Angelou’s autobiography tells of her childhood struggles and self-discovery in her teenage years. It’s well-known for its prose, since Angelou was a very talented writer who made reading very compelling. Angelou conveys her personal story while imparting lots of life lessons and wisdom to the reader. It describes her experience with horrible things like racism, poverty, and abuse, as well as hopeful things like resilience.
Angelou is celebrated for her ability to give a clear, truthful message in a poetic and poignant way. She has been published many times in her life, providing us with numerous powerful works.
Oh, Black known and unknown poets, how often have your auctioned pains sustained us? Who will compute the lonely nights made less lonely by your songs[?]
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
"Slaughterhouse-Five" by Kurt Vonnegut
Vonnegut wrote this book as a rally for anti-war sentiment. It blends science fiction and dark humor to convey the main character, Billy Pilgrim’s, mental breakdown. The title references the real slaughterhouse Vonnegut hid inside during the bombing of Dresden in WWII.
Vonnegut is known for his witticisms and unserious-sounding prose covering serious topics, giving many quotable lines that stand out to readers.
The nonlinear structure helps convey the confusion and chaos experienced by a person with trauma. The book critiques war while exploring the human condition.
"The Bluest Eye" by Toni Morrison
Toni Morrison’s first novel examines beauty standards and racial identity through the story of Pecola Breedlove, a young Black girl who prays for blue eyes. It’s an extremely challenging read in terms of content and topics, and it’s not for everyone. However, the writing style and important messages make it worth reading for high school students if you can handle the subject matter. It’s an emotional book that tackles classism and racism, society, poverty, and abuse, but also imparts to readers inspiring messages about self-worth and the importance of empathy.
It had occurred to Pecola some time ago that if her eyes, those eyes that held the pictures, and knew the sights—if those eyes of hers were different, that is to say, beautiful, she herself would be different.
The Bluest Eye
"The Handmaid’s Tale" by Margaret Atwood
Watching the series doesn’t give you the whole view of the story and messages in The Handmaid’s Tale. Atwood’s dystopian novel imagines a theocratic regime where women are stripped of rights and used for reproduction.
She wrote it to explore a speculative future where all the progress from feminist movements has been completely reversed, resulting in even worse conditions.
It’s studied for its commentary on gender, power, language, and control.
Students learn how fiction can mirror real-world fears about freedom and equality.
Notably, Atwood has said that everything that happens to the women in the book has already happened (or was/was attempted) to women somewhere at some point in history.
The title is a reference to The Canterbury Tales, which was published around the start of the 15th century.
"The Things They Carried" by Tim O’Brien
O’Brien, who was a war veteran himself, weaves together the linked stories of soldiers in the Vietnam War, including elements of truth and fiction. He tells the story partly in first person, making it seem like a memoir, and through that lens, he is able to make the reader feel more involved. He writes with the intention of making the reader feel a visceral reaction in some way.
It explores the emotional burden of being in war, including the fear and confusion that comes with being tasked to put your life on the line, especially for something you don’t even want to do. High schoolers learn more about the qualities of memory and the impacts of war with this title.
"The Giver" by Lois Lowry
Some might think The Giver is a book for middle school audiences, and it is.
However, its themes and messages can be looked at more closely for high school readers, making it a worthy addition to the list.
In a controlled, seemingly perfect society, one boy discovers the vastness of the human experience that had been purposely hidden from him (and everyone else) from birth.
The book covers ideas of individuality, loss, innocence and ignorance, memory, morality, and choice.
"A Thousand Splendid Suns" by Khaled Hosseini
Hosseini's novel is deeply emotional and heartbreaking. It follows two Afghan women, Mariam and Laila, whose lives become intertwined through war, oppression, and societal expectations. Their story explores themes of resilience, gender, sacrifice, relationships and family, and the strength of women under extreme hardship. Hosseini paints a vivid story so readers can gain insight into Afghan history, including the human cost of conflict. It offers a viewpoint that is often underrepresented in American media.
The subject matter can be difficult, so it might not be appropriate for all high schoolers.
The title is a reference to a real 17th-century poem by Persian poet Saib-e-Tabrizi, which is used as a reference to the beauty and strength of Afghan women.
And yet she was leaving the world as a woman who had loved and been loved back. She was leaving it as a friend, a companion, a guardian. A mother. A person of consequence at last. No. It was not so bad, Mariam thought, that she should die this way. Not so bad. This was a legitimate end to a life of illegitimate beginnings.
A Thousand Spendid Suns
"The Fault in Our Stars" by John Green
John Green’s novel The Fault in Our Stars follows Hazel and Gus, two teens with cancer who fall in love while facing mortality.
Readers like how relatable the characters are, especially compared to many of the other characters in other novels on this list.
The characters are modern, so their mundane experiences are easier to envision, even if some of them are now a little dated.
The heartbreaking story portrays messages about the meaning of life, loving someone who you know won’t be there forever, and navigating youth while dealing with a debilitating condition.
Green mentions that the title references the fact that sometimes bad things are not due to a fault in our behavior, but are simply fated in a way we can't explain. It's an intentional ironic twist on the famous Shakespeare quote "The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, but in ourselves, that we are underlings," from Julius Caesar.
"James" by Percival Everett
A new title for many schools' list of books, James is a reimagining of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn from Jim’s point of view. It expands on Jim in Twain’s novel, fleshing out his story and character in a way Twain couldn’t have ever done with the tools available to him. Everett uses the story as an opportunity to write a satirical commentary about racism (both historic and modern) and the power of language. Students get the opportunity to examine the implications of perspective, power dynamics, and who gets to tell the story. It's a great reimagining of the title published over 140 years ago for modern times.
The books chosen for high school English classes are typically selected to help students address complex issues in a low-pressure space. By learning about things like racism, the power of language, corruption, morality, and all the other complicated ideas in these books, students can develop their own opinions about these things and build their own moral and ethical compass. Since the messages are always about things that can and do pertain to real life, there’s a good chance that someday you’ll encounter something you once learned about in a book. Then, you can be better informed to make a level-headed, compassionate, courageous, or otherwise effective choice.
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