Favorite Literature Classics Everyone Should Read

When it comes to reading, there are a lot of favorite literature classics that everyone should read. Many of these date back to the 1800s and still hold such significance today. For the young and old reader, you’ll find many of these books a perfect match for your home library collection. Even if you think classic literature isn’t your style, these are still worth checking out.

Why read literature classics?

In a nutshell, reading literature classics opens up a new perspective to discover other worlds, especially historically speaking. Many stories surround a particular event that happened during a specific time and use the basis of overcoming trials to depict the story.

Reading literature classics can also help you build a family reading time. Some homeschoolers choose to include these types of stories in their morning baskets and set aside 15 to 20 minutes to read them as a family every day.

Regardless of how you choose to include literature classics in your homeschool, consider the following 10 titles that everyone should read.

10 Favorite Literature Classics

Lord of the Flies by William Golding
Considered an unforgettable classic for children of any age, this story tells of a group of boys who once enjoyed their freedom far from civilization… that is until natural instincts of supremacy kick in.
Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson
Written back in 1881, this story is set in a time of sailing ships and pirates. The adventurer, Jim Hawkins, is on a search for buried treasure of an evil pirate, Captain Flint.
The Call of the Wild by Jack London
Especially for the dog lovers, this is a story about a dog named Buck who was stolen from his home and sold into service as a sled dog. Forced to fight other dogs to survive, Buck shows his ability to rise and overcome.
Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White
This classic story combines friendship with danger to show just how much can happen in the life of a pig. Saved from being slaughtered, it was a message written in Charlotte’s spider web that helped save Wilbur’s life.
Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens
Written with the theme good versus evil in mind, the story of Oliver Twist is centered on an orphan sold into apprenticeship who then joins a not-so-good group of boys. One of his ill-intentions lands him into the hands of someone who actually cares and offers him a good chance in life.
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
Highlighting past racial injustice in the South, this story is one based on the attempts to prove the innocence of Tom Robinson, a black man who has been wrongly accused of raping a white woman in 1930s Alabama.
Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery
Set in the late 19th century, this story is about an 11-year-old orphan girl who is mistakenly sent to help them on a farm in the fictional town of Avonlea on Prince Edward Island and struggles to be accepted by the locals.
Never Cry Wolf by Farley Mowat
Based on a true account, Mowat shares his experience observing wolves in subarctic Canada and why the local caribou population is declining, believed due to indiscriminate wolf-pack attacks.
Travels with a Donkey in the Cevennes by Robert Louis Stevenson
This non-fiction classic recounts Stevenson’s 12-day, 120 mile solo hiking journey through the barely populated and impoverished areas of the Cévennes mountains in south-central France in 1878.
Homage to Catalonia by George Orwell
Homage to Catalonia is George Orwell’s personal account of his experiences and observations fighting for the Republican army during the Spanish Civil War.