The full title should be: The Book You Should Have Read in Middle School—But Probably Didn’t. Let’s face it, we were supposed to read a lot of books in grade school as part of the required reading curriculum, but few of us actually did. I didn’t get into reading until High School and really missed out by not reading some of the best classics in American literature.
But it is never too late to go back and read the assigned books you should have read decades ago. Not reading these books really leaves a hole in one’s ability to appreciate American culture and the large impact these books have had on millions of Americans. So, if you were like me—a rebellious youth prone to skipping reading assignments—then here is the short-list of the best books you missed out on during your more formative years. Leave a comment below if we missed a good one! Enjoy.
The Outsiders
“Stay Golden, Ponyboy!”
We all saw the movie with the great cast of future stars, but few of us actually read the book while in middle school.
This book was assigned reading when I was in eighth grade and I was too cool to give it much attention back then. I didn’t have an interest in it until I saw the movie in my 20’s and recognized all of the actors.
It finally dawned on me why this was an assigned book in middle school. It touches on some very interesting subjects, such as peer pressure at a young age and gang violence, not to mention class warfare! Think Socials vs Greasers.
But unlike the gang violence we are used to today, most of the violence centered around physical altercations with fists and blunt weapons.
The character development of the young boys is excellent and the plot is simple and entertaining. It makes for an easy, fast and enjoyable read and most adults could finish this in a couple of sittings.
The dynamic of the boys in this book is also very insightful and it is interesting to me that the book was written by a woman, as it is not an insight or subject matter you’d necessarily associate with a woman having about young boys. But Hinton got it right on.
I highly doubt that this book would be allowed to be assigned reading to students nowadays, but that doesn’t mean you can’t pick-up a copy for Tween kids to read. There is violent themes, but nothing compared to what you’d see in any modern TV show episode.
And, of course, if you skipped out on this reading assignment when in middle or high school, then you owe it to yourself to read this classic American novel. You won’t be disappointed.
Top Reader’s Comment: “I first read this book when I was about 12 years old and have reread this novel at least ten times over the last thirty plus years. I decided to get the kindle version so that I would not need my physical copy any longer. I will say I have always identified with Johnny and I can’t explain why. Ponyboy was a great character that I identified with because he had a choice between being a lower-class or that he could use his mind to improve his future and make something of himself, but to do this he’d need to leave his town and friends behind. There are gangs in the book and gang violence, if you look back into the past you will realize that young gangs did exist. The major difference between the gangs of the 50s to about the 1990s is that young males mostly use their fists and not guns to settle quarrels. I loved this story and I will read it every year for the rest of my life because I had a choice to make and ended up getting out and doing well.” ”