Literature education has become an incredibly controversial topic over the years as parents and higher management in schools have changed their curriculum. With this newfound involvement, wanted or not, it makes you wonder what books our English teachers think are valuable for our learning regardless of these rules. While this is the case, it’s interesting to see past bureaucracy, and see what teachers find important regardless of book’s status on shelves.

Ms. Johnson

Just Mercy – Written by Bryan Stevenson, the book follows the injustices of the courts system through the written account of a lawyer attempting to overturn a wrongful conviction. When asked about this books importance, Mrs. Johnson stated “Mercy is a really good nonfiction book that I think DMACC handles in some of their classes. It’s all about the court system. I think it’s a really good, pairing with To Kill a Mockingbird, because it talks a little bit about differences in the court and the judicial process for minorities.”

Glass Castle – A memoir recounting her life from childhood to adulthood, Jeanette Walls’s Glass Castle gives an interesting space for readers to approach difficult topics in schools. These topics are one aspect in why Mrs. Johnson believes that the book is incredibly important, saying “It really handles tough topics well, abuse, addiction, mental health issues, are all covered. It’s a really beautiful story about family and how they deal with these problems.”

Ms. Landin

Frankenstein – Mary Shelley’s 1818 novel Frankenstein or otherwise known as “The Modern Prometheus” is the story of a man’s attempt and success in creating artificial life. As the story continues, the book begs the reader to ask the difference in what makes Dr. Frankenstein a man and not a monster like his creation. Ms. Landin read the book both in high school and college, and found “Indescribable”  meaning in its story. When speaking about this, Landin said “I think it shows a lot of the duality between man and monster as we see both Victor and the monster’s perspective in the wrongs of their life.”

While the book has been criticized for its slower pace, its place as one of the most prolific books written by women in the 19th century that would pioneer the genre of sci-fi cannot be ignored. Regarding its importance for women, Ms. Landin said “I think it’s an important topic to talk about.”

The Picture of Dorian Gray – A novel by Oscar Wilde, The Picture of Dorian Gray is a Horror novel that follows a man’s wish to remain beautiful through his use of a painting of himself that will take on his aging form. While the book was initially criticized it has met worldwide acclaim reflected by Ms. Landin saying “It’s very interesting to see the decisions you make and their effect on people other than yourself like this.”

Ms. Landin echoes the book’s message that it is important for someone to look inwards on their actions to others and themselves, saying “He begins to think about the effects of his actions in his life, that changed my life to read about.”

The Haunting of Hill House – Yet another prolific novel written by a woman, this story introduces the idea of an experiment of 4 people living in a home in which they begin to believe it is alive. Ms. Landin found this book to be an incredibly interesting book from a writing perspective, noting Shirley Jackson’s unique and captivating writing. Along with this, Ms. Landin says “I loved that book, along with being able to look at it under the lens of mental health was really interesting.”

When asked why these books are important when discussing difficult topics Ms. Landin said “I think English is a place where we can talk about those difficult topics in an atmosphere that feels safer for most kids, and it can also be a place where kids can talk from different viewpoints.”

Ms. Bedard

The Handmaid’s Tale – The Handmaid’s Tale was admittedly taken under fire this year due to the numerous difficult topics it pertains to, regardless of this, Ms. Bedard finds this to be unjust reasoning for it to be taken off of schools’ shelves. In an interview discussing the book, Bedard said “I think that a lot of the things Margaret Atwood writes about in that book, and that the main character experiences are things that we see reflected heavily in society. It’s a very scary book to read because as you’re reading it, you see some of those things mirrored in things currently happening in the country.”

Margaret Atwood’s book, written in 1985, serves as a warning to the people of the world through its messaging and dystopian setting. Throughout the book, the power of religion, government, and psychological control are all brought to the forefront, giving an eerily reasonable idea of what exactly brainwashing and the destruction of inalienable rights would look like. All of these events are described through the eyes of Offred, a women forced into the handmaid program through new governmental regulation.

These books represent things that are important to education through their themes. Whether they show ideas relating to difficult topics of substance abuse or abuse, to important ideas of questioning authority and understanding the system of the country. These books need to be here, period.