Are all kids everywhere required to read To Kill a Mockingbird, Lord of the Flies and Huck Finn?

Question

You think maybe Answers should just automatically redirect all questions on these books to sparknotes and save the rest of us the hassle of wading through them?

To everyone who answered so far: I admit the question is intended facetiously.

Yes, folks, they are all truly great books, no question. Anyone who hasn't read them should drop everything and do so NOW. I'm serious!

It's just that all these students are posting their homework problems for the rest of us to do because they're too lazy to read the book or even go to sparknotes. It's irritating.

I'd love to see REAL conversation/questions about these truly life-changing books.

Answer 1

AMEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I too am sick of homework questions.

Although, we must remember that If children don't learn to read before school, where many of them are taught whole word, or have phonetics spoon fed to them in a boring drone (instead of figuring them out for themselves as they begin to read), they really have a difficult time acquiring the skill to actually read. Unfortunately, though I won't say that there are not lazy people who'd rather just skip the homework, it may not be their fault.

Answer 2

In the US, a lot of kids are required--but it also depends on your county, and your kind of English class (AP, Honors, etc, etc, etc). Some of these books are banned in some places, don't forget! And also, sometimes certain books are required only for higher-placed English classes, and some are only for lower English classes. For example, there are a lot of questions about "The Crucible", but I never had to read that in Honors English! In my school, only the lower classes read that--Honor students read "The Scarlet Letter" instead.

The reason it's basically the same is because there's statewide/nationwide requirements as to what must be learnt--and usually, in English classes, this learning requires certain genres of books to be read as well. We read "The Scarlet Letter" when we were dealing with religious works and literature, "Huck Finn" and "To Kill a Mockingbird" when we were reading controversial literature about racism, and "Lord of the Flies" when we were doing British literature, I think. It's been so long ago, though!

Answer 3

Yeah, you'd think these kids could at least learn how to _skim_ when lacking the time to _read_ word-for-word. To even skim a Wikipedia entry takes two minutes. Graduate students would perish without this technique.

_Huck Finn_ I've read; but as a (college) English instructor, I don't think I would assign any of these to my freshmen. Anyway, it is utterly annoying that these titles come up about 80 times a day in the 'Books & Authors' forum. And stupid _Harry Potter_ and _Da Vinci Code_ questions. People need to learn to differentiate between worthwhile classic literature and worthless popular literature.

Answer 4

First of all, not everyone has to read them. However it has been a growing trend in American high schools to include these classics as required reading.
Also, reading notes on Sparknotes is in no way the same as reading the book. I will admit I use it a lot, but it's more important to read the book first so you can understand the style and tone.

Answer 5

I WISH!

I had to read "Silas Marner" in 7th grade; then I got to high school and "Silas Marner" was required reading for everyone. Then, off to college - and guess what I had to read, AGAIN? I hate that book!

I have no intention of doing someone else's homework; I just ignore those questions. I am amused at all the wrong answers that are posted here - I hope they're turned in as homework.

Answer 6

Going to read To Kill a Mockingbird, going to read Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer, but I'm not going to read Lord of the Flies though. Weird right?

Answer 7

Yes, I have read all but Huck Finn-we read Tom Sawyer instead. I really loved TO kill a Mockingbird though, that's an all time classic.

Answer 8

All kids, everywhere? Hardly, since those books are mostly assigned reading in some USA high schools, and there's one heck of a lot of kids in the world who have never heard - and will never hear - of any of them.
But heck no - don't redirect those questions. It's an easy way for me to pile up the points.

Answer 9

I've never heard of Lord of the Flies, but I had to read the other two. I have no clue why they're required. To Kill a Mocking Bird was pretty good though.

Answer 10

I think it varies a lot by the school, but I sure no kid goes through school with out reading one of those three. Lord of the Flies was the only one I had to read in school.