Assigned Reading...

So really soon, in my English class (I have the same teacher as last year... *sob*), we are getting an assigned novel for assignment. ANOTHER thing to hate about that class. Last year, our two assigned reads were "The Great Gilly Hopkins", and "M.C. Higgins the Great", both of which were nothing but torture! I can only wonder what it is this year. I think Holes. I hope not! I'll just have to off my education if I will be forced through THAT torture!

Don't get me wrong, I love classics and all- but I resent the fact that just because it's a reeeeallly old book it's called a "classic" and thusly forced upon us until we claim to lovelovelove it. In truth, I think we should be able to read more contemporary teen fiction- something teens in these classes can relate to. A really great benifit of that is the fact that, by reading something we can relate to (let's be honest- Jane Austen is a lovely author, but can we really relate to the various social -isms and rules of conduct of the 1700's? Not me!)- say, maybe something by Sarah Dessen?- it might give students of today a love of reading, and maybe they won't resent it so much when they're older, having bad memories of The Bell Jar or Jane Eyre being forced upon them.

Do you have anything assigned to you to read? Do you like it so far? What would you rather have as an assignment, and how do you feel about required reading?

P.S. World, I think I just found my essay topic.