4.18 avg rating — 14,245 ratings

"I read this book out of interest but it should've been required reading in high school. Miss Jane Pittman lived to be 110 and lived through slavery, the end of the Civil War, and the Civil Rights Movement. Her life story is amazing and should be read by everyone. "

3.61 avg rating — 167,903 ratings

"This dystopian novella reminds us that individuality and freedom are a luxury and something we have to fight for. Some people forget that and therefore I'm glad I had to read this in high school, even though I didn't particularly like it back then."

4.13 avg rating — 136,169 ratings

"Similar to Miss Jane Pittman, this book gives readers a vision into the life of a slave. This book follows his childhood as a slave to his adulthood as a free man who became an abolitionist that started a black newspaper."

3.78 avg rating — 155,450 ratings

"Before reading this book, I had never thought about the harsh conditions of those that are in working class poverty, especially immigrants. This novel gives a vivid picture of the hardships and inequalities people can and have experienced in the US."

3.98 avg rating — 126,065 ratings

"I read this in 9th grade and it has stuck with me all this time. This book follows the experience of one ordinary prisoner going about his day in a Soviet labor camp in the 1950's. It really gives readers a good look of what it's like to be a POW and everything from the painful punishments to the bug-ridden beds that the prisoners have to survive. "

4.26 avg rating — 6,942,325 ratings

"A classic favorite, I feel this book should always be read in high school. It deals with heavy issues like rape and racial inequality in a way that anyone should be able to read comfortably while still making sure the message is remembered."