Whether you love reading, or hate it, almost every student at Pentucket is required to read books, plays, and other pieces of writing throughout highschool, and in almost every English class. Students have read books on a variety of topics and themes, some of which may interest the reader, and others may not. 

So what are some of Pentucket’s students’ favorite and least favorite books?

Students Opinions

Out of ten responses from Pentucket students, the majority stated that To Kill a Mockingbird, a novel written by Harper Lee, was their favorite during high school. 

Set in a small town in Alabama, To Kill a Mockingbird covers a variety of themes including justice, prejudice, courage, and struggles of family life. 

The novel takes readers through the journey of the main character, Atticus Finch, and his children, Scout and Jem. Atticus, a lawyer, defends an innocent black man during times of extreme racism, in the early 1930s to be specific. This significantly affects the family’s reputation throughout the novel and makes them choose between right and wrong, intriguing readers. 

At Pentucket, many of the classes who had read the novel had watched the film after, which allowed students to visualize the characters. Many students favor this novel because of how easy it is to understand and because of how it very well aligns with the prejudice that takes place all over the world still, even today. 

On the other hand, the majority of students who took the survey reported that The Other Wes Moore, written by Wes Moore, was their least favorite. 

The Other Wes Moore is a novel that identifies the differences and parallels between two men with the same name, living two very different lives. The novel emphasizes how the characters’ decisions throughout their life drastically change their outcome. Wes Moore, was a successful businessman who was raised by a supportive family, while the Other Wes Moore struggled growing up, and ended up living life behind bars because of his early decisions. Based on a true story, this novel can teach several lessons to readers and is overall very fascinating.

Although the storyline of The Other Wes Moore is extremely interesting, the format of the novel may be confusing for some students, as it switches between the lifestyles of the two constantly. This can lead some students to become stumped if they lose track of the storyline. 

What did the teachers of each grade think?

Mr. Casey, a freshman English teacher at Pentucket, said The Glass Castle was a favorite of his students, “It’s more literal and easy to read, and the symbols are easier to figure out.”

He added that Animal Farm was not a popular book among his students, stating he believes that the students who don’t like it “don’t get past the talking animals and are stuck in the literal.” He continued to say that it would resonate more with a student who is “open to history and the symbolism behind the book”.

Ms. Ducolon, a sophomore English teacher, stated The Other Wes Moore was generally her student’s least favorite book. Surprisingly, The Kite Runner is what she thought her students most liked the book was. I thought she was going to say To Kill a Mockingbird was the favorite for her students, but she said that students “don’t love it.”

When I asked her why, she said that the book is “slow until it gets to the trial.”

Ms. Cromwell, who primarily teaches senior students, said A Separate Peace was her student’s least favorite, stating “It is too melodramatic and unbelievable.”

She said Grendel was generally the most liked among her students, stating it is “so deep, philosophically and psychologically”, adding that it covers “angst and abandonment” which makes it more relatable for teenagers.

Concluding Thoughts

The general consensus from both student and teacher opinion seems similar, with multiple books coming up more frequently than others. To Kill a Mockingbird is a student favorite, and that’s no surprise. It’s one of the greatest pieces of literature of all time, with themes of empathy that will stay relevant throughout time. The Other Wes Moore, on the other hand, seems less relatable and popular among students. One could point to the book being a very specific story without symbolizing a greater theme or message within the story. Also, as said earlier, it could be harder to digest when there are two storylines and different characters of the same name being told at the same time.