Students read a variety of different books throughout high school in their English classes. Some books resonate with students more than others. Depending on what English classes they take, they will read varying books.
Amanda Elkins (9), who just finished reading Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck in Honors English I, says, “I thought it was really good. It was interesting and easy to read and [kind of] made me sad at the end.”
Victoria Vasquez (9) said, “I thought Of Mice and Men was good and I liked the friendship between Lennie and George and it had a good twist at the end of the book. I liked to see how their friendship evolved…the book kept me interested because I really wanted to see if they achieved their dreams by the end.”
Freshman in Honors English I are now reading To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee.
“So far I think it’s good but it’s a little slow and you have to read it very closely to understand it well,” says Vasquez.
Sophomores who took English I last year seem to have contrasting opinions about what books they liked from last year.
Kaylee Albrecht (10), says her favorite book from English 1 was Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury because “It was really descriptive and it was interesting how [Montag] burned books as a fireman [because] he liked them when he wasn’t supposed to.”
Albrecht also says, “Romeo and Juliet was my least favorite book because it was Shakespeare, like I didn’t understand it…I mean it was a good book, if you understood Shakespeare you would like it.”
Ridima Kazi (10), who was in Honors English I freshman year says, “I really enjoyed The Odyssey because the plot was very complex and it has been passed down from generation to generation and I like the aspect of mythical creatures in the book.”
Tiger Lilee Flores (10), says her favorite book from last year was To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee because “It was cool to hear Atticus’ speech on…serving justice…and I felt like it was important to learn about the injustices people of color dealt with during that time.”
Brooklyn Liragreenwood (11), who was in English II last year says, “Lord of the Flies was my favorite because it had a good concept behind it so I really enjoyed it.”
Liragreenwood says her least favorite book she read last year was Animal Farm by George Orwell because “I didn’t really like it and the history behind it was kind of wack.”
Junior year, students have the option of taking AP Lang, which many students do.
Camden Funy (12) who took AP Lang junior year, says his favorite book was The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien because “it was the most interesting compared to the other ones we read.”
Overall, students read a large variety of books in their English classes throughout their highschool years, and their opinions on them vary drastically.
