Looking for good American novels to teach

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I have been asigned to teach language Arts 11 at my public school next year and it’s been a LONG time since I’ve read any American novels. The good news is I’ve been given pretty much free reign as to what books to teach. I’m looking for American novels from any era that will interest today’s 17 year olds, contain solid (maybe even Catholic?) values and build character in youth. Any suggestions?
 
I suggest ‘A Tree Grows in Brooklyn’ . It describes turn of the century life of a poor Catholic girl in Brooklyn NY. It’s excellent, and has many references to Catholicism. Good for teenagers.
 
I thought it was Walker Percy. . . 😃 Too much I think for high school, better for college.

I would emphatically discourage: Lord of the Flies, Catcher in the Rye, and A Separate Peace–all of which were offered in MY 11th grade class. (Shudder). If those were meant to instill anything in a 16-17 year old’s mind other than cynicism, nastiness, pruience, and the feeling that all adults were hypocritical goons, neither I nor the dozens of people I have discussed the books etc. with discovered it.

I WISH that I could have read Carl Sandburg’s Lincoln, or Willa Cather’s Death Comes for the Archbishop, or Helen Hunt Jackson’s Ramona, or Anne Morrow Lindburgh’s works. Louis L’Amour’s Sackett novels could be done as a duo or trio; Zane Grey’s Riders of the Purple Sage is a classic.
 
When i was in grade 11 one of the many books we did was catcher in the rye. I know its REALLY cliche but it really engages teenagers. Its not catholic, but the characher does realize that the way he has been livng is wrong and there is a redemption of sorts.
Oh! how about Henry Morton Robinson’s, “The Cardinal.”

oh… and For the love of all that is holy and good, aviod Steinbeck HE IS PURE LITTERARY EVIL!!!
 
I’m guessing they already read Harper Lee, but I recommend “To Kill a Mockingbird” anyway. Cliche’, yes, but full of great discussion material.

You know, some of Stephen King’s works may be good, also, but do your research. I read an article once which said that he could be listed among the great American authors…he has this great ability to capture certain periods of American history and really bring it to life.

The downside, though, is that even in his books which are not filled with horror, the language isn’t great. “The Body” was one book that came to mind here, (Stand By Me- the movie from this story), but I can’t remember if he withheld any profanity or not.

How about “Seabiscuit”? Maybe too recent, but well written, historical and bound to become a classic.

Please, please, please avoid…uh…the author whose name I just forgot…Hemmingway. PLEASE PLEASE DON’T PUNISH YOUR STUDENTS WITH HIS WORK! Thank you. I had a teacher obsessed with the man and I HATED those books. This, coming from an avid reader.

I’m not sure who wrote “The Jesuit”…was than an American author? Might be a good one if so.
 
Tantum ergo:
I thought it was Walker Percy. . . 😃 Too much I think for high school, better for college.

I would emphatically discourage: Lord of the Flies, Catcher in the Rye, and A Separate Peace–all of which were offered in MY 11th grade class. (Shudder). If those were meant to instill anything in a 16-17 year old’s mind other than cynicism, nastiness, pruience, and the feeling that all adults were hypocritical goons, neither I nor the dozens of people I have discussed the books etc. with discovered it.

I.
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According to the writer of the Lord of the Flies, The moral is that the shape of a society must depend on the ethical nature of the individual and not on any political system however apparently logical or respectable. " I think with guidance this would be an excellent book to read. The key is that the teacher must understand what the novel is about and not merely toss it at the students. Is Lord of the Flies dark? Yes, but it can lead to greater discussion about the moral choices that we make.
 
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deb1:
According to the writer of the Lord of the Flies, The moral is that the shape of a society must depend on the ethical nature of the individual and not on any political system however apparently logical or respectable. " I think with guidance this would be an excellent book to read. The key is that the teacher must understand what the novel is about and not merely toss it at the students. Is Lord of the Flies dark? Yes, but it can lead to greater discussion about the moral choices that we make.
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I actually had an awesome teacher for this class in highschool.

At the end of the book, she asked us all to tell the story from the eyes of one of the characters.

Boy, was that interesting!
 
Ok, to be serious, it’s difficult to offer suggestions, but I did a google search to jog my memory, so here goes:

Alice Walker’s “The Color Purple”.

Mark Twain- he actually did a GREAT book about Joan of Arc, and from what I understand, the most faithful to her life. That may be PERFECT for your class. I read it in high school and it remains one of my favorites.

Upton Sinclair’s “The Jungle”

Frank McCourt’s “Angela’s Ashes” - this has bitter Catholicism in it, so could provide quite the teachable moment…AND you’d have the movie to show.

Jack London “The Call of the Wild”

Maya Angelou “I know why the Caged Bird Sings” and her other works. Her books are actually in an autobiographical series.

Check this link out for more ideas:

h-net.msu.edu/~teach/assrd/novels/us.html
 
Huckleberry Finn-one book that should be read by every American who claims to be well educated. it is NOT a children’s book
Some of Louisa May Alcott’s later books, especially An Old Fashioned Girl or Rose in Bloom, which show girls in that era faced the same challenges and decisions we do now–drinking, abusive relationships, how to combine work and marriage
Native Son-Richard Wright
Carson McCullers-anything she wrote
Willa Cather–anything she wrote, especially My Antonia and Death comes to the Archbishop
Sinclair Lewis-Babbit, more and more relvevant today as it points up the banality of contemporary consumerist culture.
Catcher in the Rye is excellent but be prepared for class discussions that bring out disturbing comments on death and suicide.
Holes is one of the best recent young adult books I have seen.
 
I know you are looking specifically for novels, but I bet these books of poetry would be inspirational for young people

mattieonline.com/
They are the poems of young Mattie Stepanek, who died recently at the age of 14 of a rare form of muscular dystrophy. His poems come in several versions called HEART SONGS.
 
Well I have an English Lit degree and I read a lot of stuff in my courses that I would recommend. One of em would be Tom Jones. It is very funny and entertaining, and plus it’s one of the first novels ever written. Wuthering Heights is very good. I’d recommend highly, Moby Dick, which is rightly called the best novel ever written by a lot of people. None of these are too complicated for 11th graders imo. Lord of the Rings would be a good choice, esp for the morality and character and how popular it is with people.
 
Suggestions::
Angela’s Ashes by Frank McCourt
An American Tragedy by Theodore Dreiser
My Brother’s Keeper by Marcia Davenport
The Answer by Philip Wylie

The last 3 were given to me to read by my father when I was a teenager. I have re read them often and get something more from them each time.
Books like these also teach a young person to think and draw conclusions that will make excellent discussion.
 
How about Gatsby?

I like All the King’s Men, but it might be a bit much for American high school students. For Whom the Bell Tolls? It’s one of the best American novels, but I don’t think it’s widely taught.

If you’re looking for ideas, Time recently ran a list of the 100 best novels of the last 100 years. Not complete by any means, and certainly arguable (White Noise? Please.), but you might get some ideas from it.

time.com/time/2005/100books/the_complete_list.html

Has anyone read Appointment in Samarra? I’ve heard it mentioned in several different contexts lately, but I’ve never read it.

Oh. NO FAULKNER.
 
This discussion has been moved from Spirituality to Popular Media.
 
I would like to see more first-hand accounts being read. Native American diaries, accounts of the early Americans, Asian immigrants are highly overlooked, accounts of living through the 60s, etc. I think it really helps to bring history to life and help the children actually experience what it was like to live through that point in time. Ideally, two pieces from opposing views would be read. It would reinforce the history lessons, teach critical thinking and discernment, and take them through very human experiences. The key, though, is in finding two books which show the conflicts and struggles of the characters without demonizing one side or the other. You want the kids to make that judgment call so that they can continue doing so in their own lives.

I love fiction, don’t get me wrong. But I don’t think most high schoolers today appreciate it in the least. Many don’t remember the last chapter they read, much less the last book. Non-fiction will stick with them and might have a lasting impact if chosen well.

PS: If possible, I would choose books without any sort of Cliff’s Notes available. If not, I would make sure that the test questions were not answered in the Cliff’s Notes (or other such comparables). But then, I’m mean like that. I’d be the kind of teacher that would make them write all their essays in class so that I knew they weren’t downloaded or written by parents.

That said, some suggestions:

**Black Like Me by John Howard Griffin

The Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane

The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman by Ernest Gaines

The Chosen by Chaim Potok

The Tell-Tale Heart (and other mysteries) by Edgar Allen Poe

Letters from an American Farmer by St. Jean De Crevecoeur

**Here are some short lists of American Lit books you might also like to check out:

1607-1830
1830-1865
1865-1920
1920-1940
1940-Present

PS: I echo the No Faulkner request. I am an avid reader, and I remember being assigned As I Lay Dying. I didn’t understand it in the least until I got the Cliff’s Notes. There was no point in that at all! There were only 3 books I never made it through: Billy Budd, Moby Dick, and As I Lay Dying.

PPS: If someone could recommend a book showcasing sexual promiscuity and the subsequent consequences, 11th graders would be a prime target for such a reading.
 
PPS: If someone could recommend a book showcasing sexual promiscuity and the subsequent consequences, 11th graders would be a prime target for such a reading.
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An American Tragedy by Theodore Dreiser
Further, it’s based on an actual event.
 
2 books on sexual promiscuity:

“Just Like Ice Cream”
and
I never promised you a rose garden

I don’t remember the authors, but I read both in jr high or high school
 
I taught 9th and 10th grade English. I loved teaching Lord of the Flies, there is so much you can do with that Novel. Another one to consider is Corrie Ten Boom’s *The Hiding Place. *We taught this one in 9th grade, but I loved it and I was 23 when I read it for the first time. It is about a family who hides Jews during the Holocaust. The family end up in a concentration camp. It deals with Corrie’s journey, the loss of her father and sister, and her faith in God. This was probably my favorite book to teach. I believe that there are also audio and video of Corrie Ten Boom who traveled all over the world telling her story.
 
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