6/6/2021 4 Books That Every High School Should Include in Its Curriculum | by Anshu Kumari | May, 2021 | Books

y, 2021 | Books Are Our Superpower

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4 Books That Every High School Should Include

in Its Curriculum
These books will help teens find their voice and sense of self

Anshu Kumari Follow

May 29 · 6 min read

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6/6/2021 4 Books That Every High School Should Include in Its Curriculum | by Anshu Kumari | May, 2021 | Books Are Our Superpower

Photo by Islander Images on Unsplash

Your school must have taught you how to write essays on social issues. But have they
taught you how to take a stand for people in need?

They must have taught you how to calculate your taxes. But have they taught you how to
manage your emotions or your relationships?

They must have taught you how to work in a team. But have your school taught you how
to deal with a racist or homophobe in your group?

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The last few years that I have lived on this earth as an adult have made one thing crystal
clear. Nobody had prepared me to face this world. Many facts that my school had
presented to me as a child were outright wrong. I did not have complete information
about many members of this society. I was blind to the plights of communities like the
Muslims, Blacks, LGBTQIA+, immigrants.

I know I am in no way alone in this ignorance. A few years ago, I realized that I need to
unlearn so many things to thrive in this world. I have had to teach myself on many social
and political issues I never knew existed.

The schools need to educate us for the world. That’s what we need to survive this world.
Including books that are firm on important issues should be a part of our curriculums.
These books will provide a fairer base for our thought processes. It will help in our
mental and emotional growth.

1. I Am Malala by Malala Yousafzai

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Image courtesy by Goodreads

We do not realize how privileged we are. We get to live in our homes with our family, a
source of income, or education.

But Malala does.

Malala is a girl who wanted to study, but she had to fight for her right to education.
Taliban even shot her for it. Nobody expected her to survive a point-blank shot in the
head, but she did. She faced this and won over it all at the age of 15. Her recovery in
itself was a miracle. She has now become a global symbol of courage and peace. She has
also won the Nobel Peace Prize for her humanitarian work.

The book speaks about the cruelty she had suffered in her country, Pakistan. Malala
details the life she had before the Taliban ripped off their freedom. She was courageous
even as a child. She gave her voice to so many silenced souls. She has stood up for herself
and many others like her. And she continues doing so.

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High schools should teach this book so that the kids know the importance of education.
Reading this will humble them, making them grateful for what they have.

2. The Reluctant Fundamentalist by Mohsin Hamid

Image courtesy of Goodreads

Have you come across stories of racial profiling in your countries’ airports? Again, I
didn’t know such things happen. I don’t think your kid does too.

The main character, Changez, is a Pakistani Muslim who lives in America. Having
topped in his class at Princeton, he works in an elite firm in New York. He is living an
immigrant’s dream in America. He has a high-paying job and is in love with a beautiful
girl, Erica. He had everything, and then in a day, he lost it all. September 11 was the day
his stronghold on his present slipped. His relationship with America as well with Erica
changed. He had to start learning about himself and everything around him.

The writing in the book is unapologetic. Changez’s internal dialogues give us a pretty
honest understanding of the situation. The author has presented the book as a work of
fiction, but he has not held any views to sound correct. He has given a concise but

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accurate account of how 9/11 has changed the lives of innocent Muslims in America. He
shows the difference between terrorists and Muslims, which many need to realize.

The book has entered the shortlist of the Man Booker prize. The narration style is so
simple that it will keep the young adults invested in it, educating them on the go.

3. Moxie by Jennifer Mathieu

Image courtesy of Goodreads

Moxie is a book that all teens need to read. What the book weighs on is your voice. It
teaches you that no matter how powerless people may make you feel, you have a voice,
and it matters. You matter.

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Vivian, the story’s main character, loathes her school's sexist dress codes and
harassment. She starts a magazine — Moxie — to express herself. Through the zine, she
forges friendships with other women. The girls form a very feminist group, and they
teach themselves and each other. If one of them behaves sexist, other girls call her out on
it, and they learn and grow together. Viv develops a romantic relationship with Seth, the
new boy. And Seth is a guy who listens and learns, and supports Viv in her journey. He
cares for her and her cause. He slips up when he doesn’t understand, but Viv calls him
out on it.

Moxie isn’t a documentary that shows you a hero who knows it all. It is a book where no
one knows everything. But they are ready to figure it as they go. The book tackles the
issues from many viewpoints, which makes it more interesting. It includes a popular girl,
an ultra-feminist girl, and an always abide by the rules girl. It also features a boy who
accepts when he is wrong and learns. Every single one of them has a character arc in this
book.

There are so many call-outs in the book that readers tend to start looking at their own
cracked souls. Readers figure themselves out along the characters of the book. And
that’s what makes it such a must-read for teens.

4. The Hate You Give by Angie Thomas

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Image courtesy by Goodreads

The number of attacks, insults, shaming that Black people have to face daily is so large
that it’s shameful. Movements like Black Lives Matter need to start for people to realize
such a basic fact.

Starr is living in opposing worlds — her poor neighborhood and fancy suburban school.
Until a police officer shot her childhood friend, Khalil, her lives somehow balanced. But
now her two worlds come for each other, and she’s the only one who can answer which
of them is at fault.

This book shows Starr’s relationship with her family and her wealthy classmates. It
offers all the nuances of the complex relationships she has. We can feel the fear she
experiences as she confronts the system. She doesn’t want to, but she also knows what
happened with her friend was wrong. This book does a great job at pointing out how the
system fails its people.

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Reading this book will open many people’s eyes to the prejudices faced by their Black
friends. The book holds a very apt representation of what is happening in America today.
And it is something teens should learn about at their age.

Final Thoughts
These books paint a pretty accurate picture of the society many of us have to live in and
endure. It would be great if the future of America learned about these at an early age.
Providing them with these different points of view will aid them in their growth as
human beings. The schools should include more such books in their curriculum. Or at
least the parents could introduce their kids to these books by themselves.

Or are you afraid to expose your child to such horrors through literature? Please think of
the kids who have to face them at such an early age. Educate your kids now to change
the future.

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