I’ve been a reviewer of inspirational fiction for Publishers Weekly for ten years. As one of their reviewers, I was sent a survey yesterday to nominate books for a list of essential American literature from 1776 to now in honor of our country’s 250th anniversary. I was only allowed to nominate three books, an almost impossible task.
My mind has been racing since I received that email. What would I choose to put on the list? They could be from any genre and for any audience. I looked up a list of top 100 American books to get some ideas. Interestingly, their number one was To Kill a Mockingbird, which I am currently reading with my ninth-grade daughter.
I decided to go with some choices that I thought might be overlooked.
Common Sense - Thomas Paine
Published on January 10, 1776, this pamphlet just makes the cut-off date, but it was the first American bestseller, and without it, we might not have a country at all. It changed how colonists viewed themselves and set the stage for the American Revolution.
Little House on the Prairie - Laura Ingalls Wilder
Published on September 19, 1935, this is the third book in the Little House series but the most well-known due to the television program by the same name. While they have fallen out of favor a bit due to the depiction of Native Americans, Wilder's books were essential reading for generations of American children and provided a portrait of life on the western frontier, emphasizing American self-reliance in spite of hardships.
The Cat in the Hat - Dr. Suess (Theodor Seuss Geisel)
Published on March 12, 1957, The Cat in the Hat revolutionized how children learned to read. With its 236 words, fun rhymes, and innovative illustrations, it replaced earlier primers and changed children's literature forever.
Obviously, a case can be made for so many books. My runner-up was Little Women by Louisa May Alcott. What would you have chosen if you were limited to only three?
No comments:
Post a Comment