TGIF at GReads! {13}

TGIF at GReads! is a weekly feature created to re-cap the week’s posts and to propose a question to followers.

This week’s question is…

Required Reading: Which book from your school days do you remember reading & enjoying? Is there a book published now that you’d like to see in today’s curriculum for kids?

Before college I really can’t remember what were required reads and what were books I read on my own. I read everything under the sun when I was a child. At least until my Sophomore year in high school, when I stopped reading anything except for those required reads and the occasional Stephen King.

And I can’t recall anything I read in high school aside from Sons and Lovers by D.H. Lawrence and Native Son by Richard Wright. Though I must have read more than those books. There might have been some poetry and Shakespeare, though I just don’t remember. High school is a bit of a blur.

But there are plenty of books I do recall from my grade school and middle school days. Though, again, I can’t separate the required books from the suggested reads or those I picked up on my own. I read hundreds and hundreds of books back then and it was a LONG time ago. I am OLD. My memory is not what it once was.

Anyway…. As reading was my passion back then, as it is now, I often read books off the school’s curriculum. I actually don’t recall too many books being required back when I was in grade school or middle school aside from The Yearling.

But way back when I was a kid there weren’t too many books for young adults so I read books that probably weren’t age appropriate.

I do recall back in the seventh grade my English teacher gave me the book Tim by Colleen McCullough. I fell in love with it. I’d already read The Thorn Birds so I suppose that’s why the teacher thought it would be an appropriate read for a seventh grader. Though I’m actually not so sure she knew that I read The Thorn Birds come to think of it….

In grade school I’d have to say Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt was a favorite and would be a great add to the curriculum. Immortality fascinated me even back then. Loved Judy Blume, too, though I accidentally stumbled upon her book for teens and her adult book which scarred me for life at the age of nine. I still shudder just thinking about it.

I fell in love with the Dune books by Frank Herbert when I was in sixth grade, as well as Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky. Anything and everything by Stephen King from seventh grade on. And I was a fan of Robert Ludlum’s books during my Freshman year in high school.

When I was younger I suppose there were the Sweet Valley High books, but I think I got tired of them when I was ten or so. Was a huge Danielle Steele and Herman Raucher fan when I was in fourth and fifth grade.

The last books I read before giving up reading for at least a decade were the Bret Easton Ellis books. I just thought his writing was fan-freaking-tastic.

But as far as books being added to the curriculum that are published now? I’d say there are a ton of books that are amazing and would get young readers excited to read. Forget about the boring required reads that only further alienate non-book lovers from reading.

Why not add those Escape from Furnace books for boys and girls who might prefer something chilling? Why not encourage readers to devour fun mysteries like Kim Harrington’s Clarity series? Why not challenge readers to dive into a longer book that’s filled with action and adventure like Veronica Roth’s Divergent or Cassandra Clare’s The Mortal Instruments? And why not invite readers to think about the tough stuff with Jackie Morse Kessler’s books?

But, I’m not really one to look to for book suggestions for young people. I honestly have no idea what is age-appropriate. I never read books geared toward my age group when I was in that age group. I suppose the same holds true now – I am not a young adult and yet those are the books I devour.

Anyway, I should stop rambling… But if you participate in this weekly meme, I’d love to see what you posted. Leave a link in the comments!

And if you don’t participate, but have some suggested books, I’d love to hear what they are!