Sometimes a great book comes along and must be read.  These are some of those books.  You will notice that a few have been through a lot of controversy, yet there is no denying how rich and needed these books are in our lives today. So, turn off your satellite tv, and start reading!

The Catcher in the Rye – J.D. Salinger

This novel was originally intended for an adult audience, but because of the themes laced throughout the story, it appealed to younger readers.  Teen readers will be able to relate to the tale thanks to the incorporation of teenage angst and all that goes along with it.  The main character, Holden Caulfield, is a popular symbol for rebellious teens.  The book has not had an easy life, it has been banned from schools and towns over and over since 1951 due to Holden’s vulgarity, rebellion, and lack of morals.  While controversial, The Catcher in the Rye is also considered one of the best books ever.

To Kill A Mockingbird – Harper Lee

In 1960 this book was published and it was instantly well accepted and won Harper Lee the Pulitzer Prize.  To Kill A Mockingbird is a true American classic novel.  It deals with injustices and issues surrounding inequality of race and rape, but it does so while still keeping a lighter tone.  Because of the racial slurs and other issues in the book, it has experienced its own amount of controversy.  It was been banned and unbanned countless times, but the fact is that the book is truly a classic and a must read.

The Great Gatsby – F. Scott Fitzgerald

“The Great American Novel” is a familiar name for this novel.  The Great Gatsby was published in 1925.  It takes us into a world during the Roaring 20s, a time of war, prohibition, and millionaire bootleggers.  It follows the live’s of a group of people all interconnected in Long Island, New York.  The book is now a requirement for most high school students, and most of them will probably go back and read it again just for fun.

The Grapes of Wrath – John Steinbeck

This novel was published in 1939.  John Steinbeck received the Pulitzer Prize in 1940 and in 1962, the Nobel Prize for Literature.  The book follows the lives’ of the Joads family from Oklahoma during the Great Depression.  The story shows the hardships suffered by many, and it has become another classic that is expected on reading lists for high school and college courses because of the historical significance.

Adventures of Huckleberry Finn – Mark Twain

Another “Great American Novel” is Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain.  In 1885 it was published in the United States.  It was one of the very first novels to use the local dialect or vernacular to tell the story.  Because of the use of vernacular, the book often includes colorful language to describe things.  The book strongly discusses racism, and because of that, many high schools have banned the novel, and to this day people want to change some of the words so that students can read it without seeing the colorful words.