Books That Shaped People Early in Their Lives          

For many people, they get into reading young and that love for books stays with them forever. That is why we will be looking at books that shaped people early in their lives!

High school is when I fell in love with reading and it is easy to see why when looking back. High school English teachers tend to care about the books they choose for their classes and are passionate about it. And their love for the classics is contagious.

Many people hate being told to read and will do anything to avoid it. But if they actually gave the books a chance, they would realize like many people have that books are magical and there is nothing else like it. And there are some books that have had a long lasting effect on students and started their lifelong love affair with books.

There are some classics that will stay with us forever and others that we won’t think about after finishing the assigned book. For me, it was To Kill a Mockingbird that made me really get into reading for fun. Before that, I didn’t think that reading was something people did in their spare time.

But that was one of the many books that piqued my interest. Books like 1984 by George Orwell, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou, The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger, and The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck showed me the different kinds of books out there.

These are some of many amazing classics that students are taught in high school or even junior high that gets them into reading. Depending on where you live and what your school’s curriculum is, you might be exposed to some different books but for the most part, this list looks the same for many people. You can see the full list below!

Books That Shaped People Early in Their Lives          

• To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
• 1984 by George Orwell
• The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger
• Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury  
• The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck 
• The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
• A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith
• Animal Farm by George Orwell 
• Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut
• I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
• The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien
• The Outsiders by S. E. Hinton  
• The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
• The Autobiography of Malcolm X by Alex Haley and Malcolm X
• Johnny Got His Gun by Dalton Trumbo
• Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse
• The Dairy of Anne Frank by Anne Frank
• Beloved by Toni Morrison
• Brave New World by Aldous Huxley  
• The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck
• The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne
• The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien
• Walden by Henry David Thoreau

High school is a memorable time and many of these novels have become associated with many students. Classics such as The Great Gatsby and Animal Farm are books that many people, especially young students won’t be seeking out for themselves. It is only because they are assigned by a teacher that these students open the first page and give these novels a chance.

It is important not to forget that teachers are instrumental in helping students fall in love with reading. We all have had teachers that hate their jobs and that energy is palpable. But we also have had teachers that are passionate and care about their students and that makes all the difference.

Conclusion

Over the years, I have revisited classics I read in school as well as reading classics I wasn’t introduced to back then. And like many people, my love for reading started with the classics in high school. Without that, this blog would never have existed.

We need teachers who are passionate about their students and about books. So many people still remember their high school teachers that got them into reading. Small acts like these go a long way and keep people’s interest in classics strong and start fuel their passion for reading.  

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