School (in this country, anyway) is like taxes; there is absolutely no getting out of it without breaking the law. So it makes sense that so many authors have set novels in a classroom — they were all there at some point.
School is a near universal experience, and yet each child reacts differently to the rigor of academic life and the pressure of being jammed together with one's peers for eight hours a day. Books about school are as varied as authors themselves; some depict those years as a warm, halcyon time of friendship and camaraderie; others equate high school to a torture chamber. Either way, it's always worth traveling back in time via a book when classes begin anew; it will help you empathize and prepare the students in your life. Here are five of our favorite stories set in schools — tell us yours in the comments.
Copyright 2024 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.