You need to come up with your own list first then see what you make of the list at the link.
The 10 books every child should read before they leave school https://t.co/7Z8XOOYzBe pic.twitter.com/oSwxtvL2nZ
— The Independent (@Independent) January 28, 2016
That’s a fine list. I think Harry Potter isn’t necessary to be “educated”. Its fluff, but fun and culturally significant fluff. Great Expectations is not my favorite Dickens book–I’d personally pick “A Tale of Two Cities” or “David Copperfield”. And I could leave Jane Austen off altogether. The good thing about her is all of her books have the same plot, so you only need to read one! I’d add “A Separate Peace”.
I think there is a trend to always dismiss as “fluff” books that are recent and popular. I came to respect Harry Potter a lot more after having to read the series aloud repeatedly to 4 boys. The stories are beautifully crafted and written, and I appreciated them more and more as I read them over and over. I have done the same with some of the other books in the list … and they did not all stack up nearly as well.
Margaret
I forgot to add “Huckleberry Finn”. The Bible would also be a nice addition. Even if you don’t believe it, it is nearly impossible to understand Western literature from the Canterbury Tales to at least the 1990s without a basic understanding of it. #2–OK. I didn’t think my understanding of Harry Potter was controversial. I thought my statement about Jane Austen would be, but not HP.