4.06 avg rating — 147,309 ratings

3.99 avg rating — 119,754 ratings

"Classic Southern Gothic novel - a contemporary of To Kill a Mockingbird - that was once held in high regard and on school required reading lists, but has since fallen out of favor likely because To Kill a Mockingbird has replaced it as the go-to representative of the genre. No less a great work. Excellent choice for those who enjoyed To Kill a Mockingbird."

3.68 avg rating — 235,574 ratings

"Still required reading in some high school literature or creative writing classes, but more often limited to alternative or optional reading lists,"

4.11 avg rating — 103,895 ratings

"Old Yeller was once a required reading in elementary and possibly middle school, but has since been replaced with more contemporary selections. Old Yeller is timeless in many ways, though its setting is distinctly the first half of the 20th century. This is a tremendous story to develop empathy in the reader."

3.60 avg rating — 232,696 ratings

3.80 avg rating — 452,309 ratings

"Well loved and often still assigned reading in middle school. Definitely worth a re-read."

4.02 avg rating — 241,337 ratings

"Often considered a children's book due to the characters being anthropomorphized animals, but offers a deeper story that is often lost on children."

4.05 avg rating — 986,916 ratings

"Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice is often favored on required reading lists, even though Emma might prove to be more relevant to high school students."

3.92 avg rating — 474,116 ratings

"On school reading lists for decades, and truly one of the great American stories of its time, The Call of the Wild no longer appears on required reading lists for middle school or high school, but still reference frequently enough that the modern reader should read it at least once."

4.03 avg rating — 374,339 ratings

"Due to the Disney-fication of the story, Peter Pan is most often considered a children's story. On the contrary, the story has deeper tones that seem to be relevant to the more mature reader."

3.97 avg rating — 2,852,105 ratings

"This was once required reading in Junior High School, but it is now often optional reading. Along with George Orwell and H.G. Wells, Ray Bradbury made a significant mark on the dystopian genre, influencing generations of writers."

3.94 avg rating — 2,529,708 ratings

"While this might be pushing the limits for many to qualify as written before they were born (published in 2003), this is one of those novels that was read en masse when it was first published but has since faded from the "to read" list. Younger readers (teens, young adults) might be fascinated by the mystery and thrill of exposing the underworld of the illuminati."

3.70 avg rating — 3,210,545 ratings

"An exhilarating read that captures the essence of the conflict between our animal nature and our moral nurture. This was once a required read in Junior High School, but has since moved to some required reading lists in High School. A great read for those pondering whether morals are a construct of civilization, or if civilization was born of morality. Timeless."

4.31 avg rating — 1,476,439 ratings

3.49 avg rating — 47,027 ratings

"Robert Cormier has written a few great teen novels that were once regularly assigned as required reading. While some of the details are distinctly 20th century, the human story is timeless."

3.83 avg rating — 350,772 ratings

"The War of the Worlds is one of the great science fiction stories that should not be overlooked."

3.78 avg rating — 154,955 ratings

"This was high school required reading 30 years ago, and it seems that snippets of the novel are still being read in many high school literature classes. Interestingly, the author's social commentary is just as relevant today as it was at the time of its publication. Technology has changed how we laypersons operate in our day to day world, further distancing us from the source of our food and the people who process it, but the questions posed by Sinclair haven't changed and definitely deserve consideration from new generations."

4.12 avg rating — 2,817,270 ratings

"The Giver is often required reading for middle schoolers, but is definitely not lost on older students. Great paired with other dystopian novels, and also the first in a trilogy by Lois Lowry."