This summer, we asked you to tell us about the books you read in high school that profoundly affected you. It turns out you had a lot to share. More than 1,100 of you wrote back to tell us about the formative texts you were assigned as teens.
You told us about books that broadened your perspectives and stuck with you as you got older. These dog-eared volumes got packed and unpacked every time you moved homes. They led you to become English majors, librarians, writers, teachers and editors. They inspired tattoos, pet names and baby names. Many of you shouted out the English teachers who, decades ago, pressed these texts into your hands, your heads and your hearts.
We're sharing your thoughts here. This list reflects a time when fewer female authors and writers of color were being published and assigned in high schools — and many of you expressed hope that today's syllabuses are more varied and diverse.
So, at the start of a new school year, with gratitude to English teachers past, present and future, here's what you told us about the books that shaped you.
Readers' responses have been lightly edited for length and clarity.
Two books came up far more often than any of the others:
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
Reading about racism from the perspective of a child — 6-year-old narrator Scout Finch in Harper Lee's Pulitzer Prize-winning 1960 novel — was an eye-opening experience for many who responded. Steve Kennebeck, 65, of Ranchos de Taos, N.M., was in seventh grade when his family moved from San Diego to Memphis, Tenn. "Not long after I arrived, my English teacher, sensing I was having difficulty adjusting, asked how I was doing. … I told her I didn't like the humidity and that I didn't understand why all the Black kids seemed so angry. She reached for the bookshelf and handed me a copy of To Kill a Mockingbird and said: 'Read this — it will help you understand.'" Christopher Anderson, 60, of Gloucester, Mass., felt such a connection to Scout's lawyer father that he named his first child Atticus. Nathaniel Hardman, 41, of Midvale, Utah, acknowledges: "I know some object to the 'white savior' narrative. That's fine. Let that be part of the discussion."
1984 by George Orwell
Whitney Todaro, 44, of Louisville, Colo., remembers being so upset by the ending of 1984 that she threw the book across the room. Many of you told us that George Orwell's dystopian novel encouraged you to think critically, question authority and be wary of state surveillance. There was a strong consensus that high schoolers should still be reading the book today. "More important than ever — but retitle it to 2025," writes Thom Haynes, 65, of Apex, N.C. Rayson Lorrey, 73, of Rochester, Minn., says, "Teens live in a world partly Orwellian — fish need to understand all they can about water.
Then there were the books in the middle of the pack:
The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
Holden Caulfield gave voice to the angst and alienation many readers felt in their teen years. His disdain for "phonies" resonated with Jennifer Morrison, 56, of Buffalo, N.Y., and she admired the way Holden described his calling — catching kids at the edge of a rye field, just before a cliff. "Much to my surprise, that's what I ended up doing for my career: I work at colleges, helping students who are failing, or who have failed out, to get back in the game. I love my work, which has never felt like work, and I owe it in part to Holden Caulfield," Morrison writes. Gene Kahane, 66, Alameda, Calif., remembers "getting" Holden as a teen — and he grew up to become a high school teacher himself. Kahane says now, more than ever, it's "so powerful, so poignant, so real" for young people to read stories about characters struggling with mental health. (And PS: Kahane now has a tattoo of a skate key on his forearm. IYKYK.)
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
Lauren Gradowski, 35, of Glen Burnie, Md., has taught Ray Bradbury's 1953 novel for a decade. It takes place in a future America where books are prohibited. "With every passing year, I become more and more alarmed at how quickly our society has begun to mimic the dystopia it depicts," Gradowski writes. "The book shows us how easily a society slips into apathy and contempt for critical thinking. … Our kids need to understand the risks, the price that we pay if we let this sort of world become normalized. … They already live in the early stages of Bradbury's dystopia. They at least deserve the chance to realize where things will end if they lean into it without question."
The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
"I never looked at a hot meal the same," says Colleen Johnson, 55, of Granbury, Texas. "I vividly remember finishing a chapter about the starving families traveling to California, then sitting down to eat dinner with my family. I stared at my plate of food, so grateful for what I had." John Steinbeck's 1939 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel about tenant farmers in the Great Depression was a perspective shift for many of our readers. "Class consciousness, baby," writes Eric Garneau, 41, of Chicago. "That part of Steinbeck's story, although wildly obvious, somewhat glanced off me when I was younger — but, did it? Maybe it just burrowed itself into me, helping to foster empathy for migrants and the exploited even at an age when I could barely articulate what 'privilege' was." We also got a lot of votes for East of Eden and Of Mice and Men.
Beyond these top 5 titles, there were dozens of books that you told us about again and again:
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
"Think what's going on with the rich and celebrated is new? Ha! Fitzgerald wrote the blueprint," writes Jen Matthews, 56, of Black Hawk, Colo. F. Scott Fitzgerald's 1925 novel about the American dream marked its centennial this year. "It was my first introduction to literature where characters were garbage people — no redemptive arcs, no happy endings, just human beings making terrible decisions," says Sarah Aungst, 38, of East Jordan, Mich. "Nobody is innocent, and each is complicit in their own undoing," writes Ernie Gamonal, 57, of Merced, Calif. "If that don't get a high school kid ready for the rest of their life, not much will." (Oh, and Sarah White, of Dallas, named her cat Gatsby, aka The Great Catsby.)
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith
Many readers saw themselves in Betty Smith's 1943 story of the Nolan family. "Francie was me," writes Rebekah Sidzyik, 52, of Bellevue, Neb. "I didn't know other people were poor and hungry. I didn't know other people had dads who were drunk — lost souls who were despicable yet loved, hopeless yet endearing." Reading Francie's story helped Lila Goddard, 66, of Toms River, N.J., feel less alone: "There are many kids who have parents with addiction issues. Maybe this book would help them like it did me," Goddard writes. Sophie Shaw, 31, of Greensboro, N.C., appreciated the care that Smith took to create rich inner lives for every character in the book: "The book taught me that everyone is intelligent and complicated and fearful and loving."
Animal Farm by George Orwell
George Orwell's 1945 satirical allegory "was a real awakening to realize that I couldn't just trust government to do the right thing," says Catherine Stone, 69, of Sonoma, Calif. Many readers say the fable inspired their activism. "I have often thought about Animal Farm as I read the news," says Janalee Stock, 71, of Athens, Ohio. "I can see the barnyard right in D.C." She says that Orwell's book gave "a dose of courage to speak up against anything smelling of authoritarian rule. That lesson has stayed with me throughout my life, and, yes, this gray-haired granny is still carrying protest signs!"
Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut
Patrick Walker, 44, of Los Angeles estimates selling "about a kabillion" copies of Slaughterhouse-Five over nearly 20 years working at a Pasadena, Calif., bookstore. "My brain exploded open," reading Kurt Vonnegut's 1969 anti-war, science-fiction novel for the first time as a teen, Walker recalls. "I was introduced to the idea that adult books could be wild and fun and hilarious and also very serious and important all at the same time. I have been chasing that literary dragon ever since." Jennifer Bailey Williams, 40, of Alexandria, Va., found Slaughterhouse-Five "profoundly funny and deeply sad" and learned from it that it was "OK to feel conflicting emotions — and that most days we will feel them all at once."
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
Maya Angelou's 1969 autobiography gave Martha Bryant hope. Bryant, 66, of Bronx, N.Y., writes that as a "low-income Black woman whose humanity and personhood was under daily attack, I could dream of another way of being while staying rooted in the joys of the day." For Anna Little, 39, of Ukiah, Calif., Angelou offered a brand-new perspective: "As a white teenager, this was the first time in my life I really saw and understood hypocrisy and privilege," Little recalls. Laura Kinney, 63, of Edgewood, Ky., says Angelou's words encourage adults and teens alike: "We are stronger and braver than we think. … Maya gives us a road map in trying times."
The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien
J.R.R. Tolkien's fantasy novel, published in three volumes in the mid-1950s, has something for everyone — "adventure, romance, humor, fantasy" — says Kathryn Connolly, 46, of Lisbon, Conn. Tolkien's work "opened my mind to a vast new (and very old!) world of depth, imagination, magic, history, languages, cultures, peoples and possibilities," writes Keith Heiberg, 65, of Minneapolis. Many readers came away feeling inspired that even a single individual can fight for good. "It's not an exaggeration to say The Lord of the Rings saved my life and gave meaning to it," writes Jackie Swift, 63, of Ithaca, N.Y.
The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton
Many readers said S.E. Hinton's 1967 coming-of-age novel helped them navigate issues of identity and belonging as teens. Meredith Reynolds, 48, of Overland Park, Kan., read the book in junior high. "I couldn't put it down and was sobbing by the end," Reynolds recalls. "Hinton spoke directly to the adolescent." Hinton wrote the book as a teenager herself, which was inspiring to Denise Horton, 64, of Athens, Ga.: "It showed me that a young person could write a compelling book set in their own neighborhood … [and] gave me hope that I could pursue a career as a writer."
Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
Growing up in Georgia, Ashley Crain, 41, of Athens, says no one really wanted to discuss the South's past. Mark Twain's Tom Sawyer sequel, published in the U.S. in 1885, "showed me the history that helped me better understand the present. It gave me perspective," Crain writes. "To know it's on banned reading lists across the nation breaks my heart. No one ever said the truth was going to be beautiful." Crain says novels rooted in the nation's history "teach us what we did wrong, sometimes what we did right, and how we can do better moving forward." Many readers suggested pairing Huck Finn on high school reading lists with James, Percival Everett's 2024 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, which retells Twain's story from the perspective of Jim, Huck's friend who is escaping slavery. Everett says he considers James to be "in discourse with Twain."
The Autobiography of Malcolm X by Alex Haley and Malcolm X
"As a Black American kid growing up amidst the BLM movement," Bilal Wurie, 26, of San Francisco says, The Autobiography of Malcolm X "opened my eyes to the transformative impact Malcolm X had on the Civil Rights Movement. … As a Muslim, it opened my eyes to the deep roots of Muslims in America." Latrice Martin, 43, of Houston, said the autobiography offered a very different perspective on Malcolm X than what was presented in the news. "I was able to see why it is important to learn things for yourself as it relates to American history," Martin says. These lessons are more important now than ever, says Erin Worthington, 42, of Cleveland, Tenn.: In the "world where we are now living, when DEI measures are being stripped away, this is a must-read for a junior or high school senior."
Johnny Got His Gun by Dalton Trumbo
Dalton Trumbo's 1939 novel about a gravely wounded World War I soldier helped make the tragedy of war less abstract for many readers. "While I could not have voiced this when I was 17, Johnny Got His Gun created a feeling of empathy in me that I did not expect nor really want at the time but that led to my pacifist, humanist beliefs as an adult," writes Robert King, 43, of Pittsburgh. "I couldn't avoid synthesizing the main character's feelings as my own. It was damaging to my psyche but ultimately taught me the idea that everyone has an inner life — sometimes a struggle, sometimes sadness, sometimes elation — and all people have dignity, ally and foe alike."
Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse
Erin Robertson, 52, of Louisville, Colo., wasn't assigned Siddhartha in school — Robertson was led to the 1922 novel about spiritual discovery by Seventeen magazine. There was an article about "what book to read to attract/understand each type of boy," Robertson recalls. "One of the types was Ecoboy, and River Phoenix was the example. Yes, please. … My mind was blown — it was my first introduction to Eastern philosophy. ... I felt such relief to find so many of my feelings and beliefs finally put into words. I wasn't wrong — I just believed different things than most of the people around me, and here was someone who believed in them too." Amy Kilduff, 58, of Brooklyn, Conn., was assigned Siddhartha as a high school senior. The book "made me question materialism and how 'important' having 'things' actually was for my happiness. … Hesse's stories are all 'journeys of self' and really resonated with me, as a teenager, trying to figure out what truly mattered to me and what I stood for."
Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank
Eighty years after Anne Frank died at 15 in the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp, her teenage diary, which she kept for two years while her family was in hiding from the Nazis, is still an entry point for many students to learn about the Holocaust. "It's a history lesson from a girl, not a book," recalls Therese Gerhauser, 39, of Melbourne, Fla. Patricia Lee Como of San Diego, remembers taking the lessons of the diary to heart: "My best friend was Jewish and I kept wondering: Would I have helped her? Would I have risked my safety to protect my beautiful friend and her family? I hoped so. I still hope so."
Beloved by Toni Morrison
Twenty-five years ago, Toni Morrison's words "jumped off the pages and breathed life into my teenage brain," writes Meg Baier, 39, of Brooklyn, N.Y. Beloved, which won the 1988 Pulitzer Prize for fiction, helped many young readers comprehend slavery in a way that went beyond what they were reading in their textbooks. "I never understood the amount of sorrow this book held until I was much older, but it always gave me a reference point, a place to look when other people talked about their hurt," says Kaitlin Macke, 32, of Newcastle, Wyo. "Books like this teach empathy in a way that cannot be taught anywhere else."
Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
Aldous Huxley's 1932 dystopian novel challenged many of our readers to question the status quo. "Reading it as a teenager who was trying to figure out the future and where I fit in society was hugely impactful," writes Nic Maldonado, of Chatsworth, Calif., who read it in the early 2000s. "Discussions of technology, societal roles, class hierarchy, etc. helped me to understand that conformity and acceptance of systems is not the only answer." Autumn Gonzales, 47, of Portland, Ore., read the book in high school. "We are veering closer to the future depicted there than ever before," Gonzales writes. "It was ripe for discussion then, and it still holds weight, even more so now."
The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck
Pearl S. Buck, the daughter of American missionaries, won a Pulitzer Prize for her 1931 depiction of life in a Chinese village at the turn of the century. She won the Nobel Prize in literature several years later. "Growing up as a white, middle-class Southern California kid in the '60s and '70s, I led a comfortable, insulated life," writes Dan Decker, 66, of El Cajon, Calif. The Good Earth "exposed me to a very different culture and time and made me realize that the things I took for granted, such as food, clothing and shelter, are not — and have never been — a given for much of the rest of the world."
The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne
Barbara Haas, 59, of Richmond, Va., remembers being "floored" reading The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne's 1850 novel about a woman in Puritan times punished for having a child out of wedlock. "I felt as if I was being let in on the secret life of grown-ups. It completely rocked my world," Hass writes. "I'm now a school librarian and live for those moments where I can introduce stories to young people!" Elizabeth Johnson, 50, of Fort Smith, Ark., says the book tackles themes of hypocrisy and accountability that are still at the forefront for high schoolers today. "The Scarlet Letter opened my eyes to how quick we, as communities, can be to judge the vulnerable people among us with the obvious 'sins' and take swift action to punish them, while often those in power, who commit 'sins' of equal or even greater impact, often go unseen."
The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien
Tim O'Brien's linked short-story collection about a platoon of soldiers fighting in Vietnam opened readers' eyes to the horrors of war. "Many of these young men were our age or slightly older. And it really touched me," says Charlotte Moody, 48, of Plano, Texas. "I began to start seeing and understanding that the world wasn't so absolute." Reading the book in the 10th grade, Gates Palissery, now 30, of Roanoke, Va., wasn't entirely clear on what was fiction and what was nonfiction. But "the themes stayed with me," Palissery writes. "I still have my copy — it's one of the books that travels with me every time I move."
Walden by Henry David Thoreau
Many of you wrote in to tell us about how Walden's messages of self-reliance, solitude, critical thinking and appreciation of nature resonated with you in your teen years. Oliver Odenbaugh, 75, of Seymour, Tenn., read Walden as a senior in high school. "The book revealed to me that there was more to life than sports and girlfriends," Odenbaugh writes. "It awakened a curiosity and a search for my own Walden, and a new thoughtful vocabulary to express my innermost feelings. … For many years afterward, I read Walden annually and never grew tired of examining the thoughts and challenges presented. It wasn't the final destination, but it became the starting point of a life examined and reexamined."
We also asked what you think high schoolers should be reading today. The list looked very similar to the one above — but you had some additional recommendations as well. Here are three that came up a lot:
James by Percival Everett
Lots of you told us that this Pulitzer Prize-winning novel should be taught alongside — or instead of — Mark Twain's Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, as noted above.
The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
Margaret Atwood's 1985 dystopian novel should be required reading, according to many who responded. "Considering the dire situation women's rights are in, every single young person should read this book and make sure it stays on the fiction shelf," writes Bronwyn Coltrane, of Takoma Park, Md.
Night by Elie Wiesel
Elie Wiesel's 1960 memoir about surviving the Holocaust "brought me to my knees as an early teen," writes Meghan Bathgate, 41, Wallingford, Conn. "This work put words to fear and the fragility of being alive. It communicated to me the importance of witnessing, documenting and retelling."
Many of you told us that — no matter the book — the most important thing was for high schoolers to embrace reading, to broaden their horizons and challenge their perspectives. If you are looking for more contemporary reads for teens, check out hundreds of YA recommendations from NPR staff and book critics in Books We Love, our annual best-books guide.
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