5 Classic Books Every Teenager Should Read
Encouraging the next generation to read.
As a teacher who goes into a range of schools, I am always bemused that most of them pick the same three books to teach at GCSE level: A Christmas Carol, Macbeth, and An Inspector Calls.
None of these are bad books, and anyone who knows me will know that A Christmas Carol is one of my favourite books ever. I even collect copies of it!
However, what is disappointing is the expansive list they could pick from. This list contains several books that all teenagers would relate to. So, here are five books I believe all teenagers should read.
1984 - George Orwell
1984 is the story of Winston Smith, a man living in the totalitarian future state of Oceania, which is completely controlled by the Party and its dictator, Big Brother. The Party maintains power through constant surveillance (telescreens) and the manipulation of truth, language (Newspeak), and history.
Winston attempts a secret rebellion by starting a diary and pursuing a forbidden love with Julia. They are eventually caught, tortured, and brainwashed by the Party’s agents, the Thought Police.
There are so many similarities in this novel to life at the moment. The constant surveillance we are all under with CCTV, the rise of fake news, and even the text-speak used in the book similar to teenage texting. Apart from all this, it is the ultimate book of rebellion, and what teenager doesn’t enjoy rebellion?
To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee
To Kill a Mockingbird is set in the fictional, racially tense town of Maycomb, Alabama, during the 1930s. The story is told through the eyes of a young girl named Scout Finch.
The main plot follows Scout’s father, Atticus Finch, a morally upright lawyer who defends Tom Robinson, a Black man falsely accused of raping a poor white woman. Atticus faces intense prejudice from the community but attempts to teach Scout and her brother, Jem, vital lessons about courage, compassion, and justice.
As well as being a lesson in the racial undertones of history, it is a classic coming-of-age story. We see Scout progress from an innocent girl to a young person who comes to understand the unfairness of life. The book is a classic for a reason and will spark many conversations amongst teenagers.
Fahrenheit 451 - Ray Bradbury
Guy Montag is a fireman whose job is to burn books in a future society where reading is forbidden, and critical thought is suppressed for the sake of forced happiness.
After meeting a free-spirited neighbour and witnessing an act of martyrdom for books, Montag begins secretly reading and rebelling against the government’s strict censorship.
Within one of the opening pages, we see Montag go home to his wife who is sitting in front of a giant screen where she gets all her information. The parallels with television and virtual reality are quite scary. This is also a book about the love of reading, which all teenagers could do with a little more of.
Frankenstein - Mary Shelley
This is one of the most misunderstood books ever. Most people think they know what it is about, but few truly do. Victor Frankenstein, an ambitious and obsessed student of science, discovers the secret to animating non-living matter. He constructs a creature from various human and animal parts but is immediately horrified by its monstrous appearance and abandons it.
The intelligent, sensitive, and lonely Creature is rejected by society and seeks revenge on its creator for bringing it into the world and then deserting it.
This is a book about acceptance and fitting in as much as it is about science. It has strong messages that all teenagers can relate to.
The Sign of Four - Arthur Conan Doyle
This is a fun addition to the list. Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson are hired by Mary Morstan, whose father mysteriously disappeared ten years earlier. Since his disappearance, she has anonymously received a valuable pearl every year.
The investigation into the pearls and her father’s fate leads them to the Sholto family and a hidden treasure from India, known as the Agra treasure. The trail involves betrayal, greed, and a murder at Pondicherry Lodge.
The ending of this book will enthral any teenager who is a fan of escape rooms, it is the ultimate escape.
What Have I Missed?
So, these are the five books I believe most teenagers will take something away from if they only give themselves the chance. A couple of honourable mentions: both are on the GCSE reading list. Although, not popular choices, Lord of the Flies and Of Mice and Men are both brilliant, quick reads.
So, what have I missed? Which book do you think all teenagers should read?
About the Creator
Sam H Arnold
Fiction and parenting writer exploring the dynamics of family life, supporting children with additional needs. I also delve into the darker narratives that shape our world, specialising in history and crime.
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Comments (8)
Since high school, I've reread To Kill a Mockingbird several different times. It gets better and better with age.
While I agree that teens should read and read a lot, I think sometimes we're pressuring them to read things that today's teens cannot connect with. While those books are classics, teens today do not always have the background that we had as teens. I think books like The Hate U Give are perfect for teens today, but I would also like to see them read more of the classics.
I feel woefully unqualified to respond to this, but love your enthusiasm so can't help but throw my thoughts in. I have yet to read 1984 (It's waiting to be read, yeah, I'm way behind on that), To Kill a Mockingbird (yep, again, just something I never got round to but will when I next buy a selection of books, after getting through my TBR) and same for Fahrenheit 451. I have, however, read and love Frankenstein, The Lord of the Flies and Of Mice and Men. I believe those should definitely still be considered. I'd find it hard finding 5. Although Of Mice and Men might seem a little outdated to many people, I get that, I read it in high school in the 90s and it's stuck with me ever since. I feel that shows how important it is, despite the times changing etc. It was the first book I read as a child that felt "grown-up" and despite it being different to my urban Glasgow suburban upbringing, I connected with it. Frankenstein is one of my favourite books of all time (I get rather angry at the wide variety of mess-ups when it comes to adaptions. Similarly to the ire I have for Dracula adaptions.That's an aside, but I do stand by the book.) Even from a content view, it's not graphic by modern standards, so think it should be used. I'd have loved it if we had done Frankenstein in school. It's funny you mentioned A Christmas Carol - it's one of my favouritres too and the only book by Dickens I've been able to consume without feeling annoyed. As for additions. I actually feel The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde should be considered and covered more. It is dark, but like Frankenstein, not so much that it's too graphic and although it's quite a deep book, it's also quite short - novella length, so perfect for quick reads and deeper analysis. I'd include Animal Farm too, because I believe the themes have never stopped being relevant and with fake news nonsense and all that, probably even more relevant. Orwell was way ahead of his time in many ways, given his two most acclaimed books still stand and are relevant. So for me. and sorry for long-ass comment. It'd be The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr Hyde (a personal favourite but incredibly insightful read, that is also quick) Animal Farm Of Mice and Men (I stand by that.) Frankenstein, I agree with you for the reasons you outlined. I'm struggling for the number 5 spot. Though Lord of the Flies I believe is still a good option. Some of the books I am thinking of are starting to get into the more adult reading range and would likely caused problems lol. Well done on Top Story, I've subscribed to you as this was a very interesting read. And while both my kids were homeschooled and no longer of schooling age, and I am not an educator, as a writer I find this subject endlessly fascinating and important.
Interesting concept and not sure I could narrow it down to five. I suspect the best books for young people have yet to be written. If you think young people should read more books then write better books. Congrats on the TS. Oh and my choice of top five would include The Godfather
A great reminder that classic literature still has so much to teach the younger generation beautifully written.
Thank you for making this so accessible. It's perfectly structured and effortlessly clear. Your explanation is spot-on and authoritative. I trust the information completely.
OOOOO a topic I feel very strongly about. I'm also not an educator so I don't have the insanely difficult job of getting kids to engage with books in the smartphone era... I think sign of the four is a really great shout. I've actually never read to kill a mockingbird lol I need to. Added an inspector calls to my list as well. Agree wholeheartedly on 1984 and Fahrenheit 451 (actually think I'm going to give both a reread in 2026). I do wonder if you'd have more success teaching Animal Farm over 1984 just because I think it's a little more accessible. I would move of mice and men and Lord of the Flies over Frankenstein. In my humble opinion there's a fine line between archaic and educational and I fear especially at that age you can drive people away from reading, sadly, by presenting things that are too "academic". I'm reading a tale of two cities right now and one of my takeaways is that if I had to read this as a 16 year old who didn't have parents who forced them into reading from a young age, I'd never pick up a book again thinking they were all that dense and difficult. I also do owe Frankenstein a reread because it's been awhile so take that with a grain of salt. two more modern ones I'd recommend are Exit West by Moshin Hamid and A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers. Both are relatively quick modern reads that left me thinking "these would be great books to teach"
I'm going to find copy of The Sign of Four.