Expecting Too Much: Or, Why I Have an Issue with College Board's 101 Books to Read Before College

Earlier this morning, I discovered a list made by the College Board of 101 books that college-bound freshmen should have read before attending their first day of school. I went through the list, thinking that it wouldn't be too bad - especially since, as an English major, I would most likely have read a majority, if not all of, the list.

I was wrong.

Of the 101 books, I have only read 52. And of those 52, 11 were books that I did not read until college - and I attended an incredibly progressive high school and read outside of class. So that was an issue for me. 

Other issues were their selections. No high school student is going to willingly pick up War and Peace or Moby-Dick, even for class. I read both of them - the former in high school and the latter over the summer between my freshman and sophomore year of college - because I enjoy pushing myself. Even then, War and Peace still took me a year and a half to complete with my other reading, because I read it outside of class. And I only finished Moby-Dick because I was halfway through and didn't want to give up on it.

I also have yet to see a high school student who has picked up Faulkner for fun, much less two of his novels (and there are very few English student who would do so, as well).

Many of the books on this list are supposed to promote diversity and open up readers' eyes to the world around them. I don't have an issue with that - I think that's a wonderful idea. What I do take issue with is that not a single book on this list has been published recently. There are certain books that have been published in the last 15-20 years that are considered modern classics - and yet the most recent work on the list is probably from the 1970s or 1980s. It would be amazing to see the addition of a novel such as The Secret History or American Gods to this list. It certainly isn't one that shies from difficult topics - it includes books on slavery, femininity, and war, among other topics. These books all raise questions that make readers think - so why not include thinking questions from modern authors, too?

I have no issue with the concept of recommended reading lists for incoming college students - in fact,there is one on this blog that I have composed. But I think, for the sake of those students, they should be composed with the student in mind - with keeping them engaged in their reading and focusing on the world around the student, and making the pedigree of the reading list to a minimum. 

You can find the College Board's list here: http://www.uhlibrary.net/pdf/college_board_recommended_books.pdf

You can find my post about recommended summer reading here: http://wateryink.blogspot.com/2015/07/a-summer-reading-list-for-rising.html