By: Isabelle Foley
Sentry Staff Reporter
Think about all of the books that one will read during their high school career. Some of the books that students will read in English class will stay with the them for the rest of their lives. A poll of The Sentry staff revealed what the best books from high school have been so far. The staff is comprised of 32 students, a mixture of freshman, sophomores, juniors and seniors. The freshmen were unable to participate due to the fact that they have only read one book since they have started high school. However, because of the varying grades, there was a diverse list of preferences.
Topping the list of The Sentry’s favorite books is Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, an amazing story that most students study their freshman year. A close second is Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World, which most sophomore students read. Amazingly, these two books are completely different, but both are very popular. To Kill a Mockingbird takes the reader back in time, to southern America in 1923. Brave New World, on the other hand, takes a look at the dystopian future of 2540. There are options for those who like science fiction and for those who prefer historical fiction.
Photo by Annabel Hungate
Several other books received honorable mentions among the staff: William Golding’s Lord of the Flies, J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye and Khaled Hosseini’s The Kite Runner. These are usually a part of the freshman, sophomore and senior year curriculum, respectively.
Next time, while reading a book in English class, think twice before relying on Sparknotes. One never knows when the book that is supposed to be “boring” and “read for school” will become a cherished novel.
Complete list of Sentry favorites:
Freshman Year
Lord of the Flies, William Golding
Romeo and Juliet, William Shakespeare
To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee
King Leopold’s Ghost, Adam Hochschild
Sophomore Year
The Catcher in the Rye, J.D. Salinger
Brave New World, Aldous Huxley
Great Expectations, Charles Dickens
Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen
Alive, Piers Paul Read
Atonement, Ian McEwan
Ender’s Game, Orson Scott Card
Jurassic Park, Michael Crichton
Angela’s Ashes, Frank McCourt
Junior Year
The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald
Into the Wild, Jon Krakauer
Senior Year
The Kite Runner, Khaled Hosseini
