Tuesday, September 9, 2008

Letter to An Editor

Labels: ,
Here is a recent letter I wrote to the editor, Nancy, of the Nome Nugget.

Hi Nancy (or Dear Editor)!

Monday, September 8 denotes an incredible day in our great nation, National Literacy Day. In a fun activity for my friend and family, I asked everyone to send me a list of books they believe every high school student should read prior to college. In honor of National Literacy Day, I compared and contrasted lists to create the Top 50 Books A High School Student Should Read Prior to College. It is my belief that instead of spending money on silly SAT prep books or listening to a college professor lecture about "Utopians" and wondering what the heck the man (or woman) is talking about - each high school student should invest in a library card and a canvas book bag. After preparing the list, I thought I might send it to you in hopes that you can pass it along. This list is not finite. It is only a suggestion of books created from super smart people who know books, high school, and college classes :). Enjoy!
  1. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
  2. Leaves of Grass
  3. The Good Earth
  4. Diary of a Young Girl (Anne Frank)
  5. Grapes of Wrath
  6. The Invisible Man
  7. The Autobiography of Malcolm X
  8. Macbeth
  9. The Odyssey
  10. Juliet and Romeo
  11. The Crucible
  12. The Yellow Wallpaper
  13. Paradise Lost
  14. Stranger in A Strange Land
  15. To Kill A Mockingbird
  16. The Iliad
  17. The Old Man and the Sea
  18. Moby Dick
  19. One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich
  20. On the Road
  21. I know Why the Caged Bird Sings
  22. 1984
  23. Animal Farm
  24. Of Mice and Men
  25. Lord of the Flies
  26. Uncle Tom's Cabin
  27. The Scarlett Letter
  28. As I Lay Dying
  29. Mayor of Casterbridge
  30. The Painted Veil
  31. The Giver
  32. Brave New World
  33. Fahrenheit 451
  34. Pygmalion (My Fair Lady)
  35. Jane Eyre
  36. The Color Purple
  37. The Great Gatsby
  38. The Chocolate War
  39. The Handmaid's Tale
  40. Crime and Punishment
  41. The House on Mango Street
  42. Catch-22
  43. Farewell to Arms
  44. Siddhartha
  45. Black Like Me
  46. Raisin in the Sun
  47. Death of a Salesman
  48. Waiting for Godot
  49. The Jungle
  50. Schindler's List

By the by - the books I have read or own are in bold. If you are so inclined, the un-bold books are probably ones that would be neat to include in a "care package".