This sub has often discussed the decline in reading among kids and adults. The state of Texas has recently developed a list of required reading for students across the state that focuses on reading entire books. Teachers can add to the list as they wish.
The list has come under some fire for its inclusion of several Bible passages. I do find this insidious and would like to see more religious inclusion. I don't think English lit needs to leave out religion–I buy the argument that being introduced to texts like the Bible is an important part of literacy.
My take:
(1) I think the initiative is overall good. The vast majority of choices make sense, and it is good to have students read entire books and to have some of those books be in common with their fellow students across the state.
(2) As I said above, I wish there were more religious inclusion. I surprised myself a bit because after a quick glance through, I think the Bible passages they chose are fine.
(3) I'm more upset by the Grade 3 Davy Crockett glazing *eyeroll* fucking Texas
(4) Ayn Rand and Thomas Sowell of all people you could excerpt in Grade 11 *eyeroll* (edit to add that I don't think Sowell is as bad of an inclusion as Rand)
(5) I've expressed this before in this forum, but I think the teaching of Animal Farm should be limited to university courses that will go in depth on the Soviet and European politics that led Orwell to write the book. I do not trust that the average Grade 9 teacher in Texas has the knowledge or the guts to get into a nuanced discussion about socialism, communism, and totalitarianism with WWII realpolitik with their students. Even if you have an accompanying text, like in this list. And if you want to teach allegory, well the Bible is right there.
Any thoughts?
!ping ED-POLICY
edit to add gift link: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/20/us/texas-schools-required-reading-books.html?unlocked_article_code=1.zFA.9S9_.Siy6JqcSRLyt&smid=url-share
Posted by hypsignathus
10 Comments
Ayn Rand isn’t even a good writer by any means; her work is the quality of a political vent fic, rather than having truly good characters or plot. It’s like one of those weird Soviet/Russian fantasy books but inverted in ideology.
https://preview.redd.it/aowts5wf1feh1.jpeg?width=1206&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=3b6daee82ef613be39c8ef073212c2e4398583bd
>(4) Ayn Rand and Thomas Sowell of all people you could excerpt in Grade 11 *eyeroll*
Brother, as a texan with little kids you have no fucking idea what a win Thomas Fucking Sowell is for people concerned about public school content. This sounds like the the guy who got gifted a gold house and is mad there’s so much yellow.
oh yeah leaving off To Kill a Mockingbird saddens me 🙁
I don’t understand why you wouldn’t trust a Texas 9th Grade teacher to handle Animal Farm but think they can teach The Bible.
>“Eulogy for President Reagan” by Margaret Thatcher
This really neos my liberal
Imagine picking pride and prejudice over persuasion or emma
>(3) I’m more upset by the Grade 3 Davy Crockett glazing *eyeroll* fucking Texas
We don’t need to read that. Just watch Davy Crockett, King of the Wild Frontier on Disney.
Otherwise in my experience the english teachers tended to be more liberal and would give you a liberal slant for any of these, even Ayn Rand.
>“Adventures of Don Quixote” (Dover Children’s Thrift Classics) by Argentina Palacios
Lightweights.
>In high school, there are no contemporary books, written in the last 50 years.
That’s when books began to be infected with the woke mind virus.