Assigned reading is one of the most universal aspects of high school. It’s not uncommon to walk the halls and catch sight of students holding bedraggled copies of books such as The Great Gatsby, Animal Farm, or To Kill a Mockingbird, and students often read three or more novels or plays per year. They write essays, create projects, and hold class discussions on selections that deal with a range of subjects, from communism to war to racism. But how much do students enjoy these texts, and how do teachers feel about them?

“I think they’re generally good,” junior Jada Antoine said when asked what she thinks about the selections, adding that the past several books she’s been assigned “were actually really good.” She named a few of her favorites, including Black Boy and Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass. She did add, however, that many of the books are “really traditional.” “There are plenty of really good books out there that aren’t ancient,” Antoine commented.

Freshman Camille Lorente said, “I think they’re fine so far,” but also stated that she believes that “we should have a mix of classics and recent” books.

Junior Natalie Kallas also commented on classics, pointing out that “we wouldn’t necessarily read the classics if we weren’t assigned it,” and stated that she doesn’t believe there should be any changes made to assigned reading, “because we’re reading stuff we wouldn’t read” otherwise.

Ms. Michelle McGee, one of ERHS’s English teachers, described the process by which the books for assigned reading are chosen. She said that English teachers come together as a department to decide which books are appropriate for which grades, and that they also discuss whether books should be added. “I think there are enough options for teachers,” she said, adding that “all the books we teach… have valuable lessons.” She also commented on how teachers have the freedom to choose new books for a class, but in those cases students have to obtain their own copies of the text.

If there was one book she would add to the list, it would be Slaughterhouse-Five. “I think it’s interesting to look at,” said Ms. McGee.

However, there are also times when students don’t enjoy the books they are assigned, and dislike what they are reading. But can this be a good thing?

“Absolutely,” said Mr. Brendan Holleran, who teaches English to ninth and eleventh grade students, adding that it “challenges you to empathize with that viewpoint or opinion.” Lorente believes that it can be good also, but “in small amounts,” and that it can teach “how not to write.”

Ms. McGee said that she thinks it can be beneficial as well, describing how when she began teaching at ERHS, she hated Richard Wright’s writing, including the book Black Boy. However, she said, teaching it to students changed her mind. “Teaching it got me to love the book.”