Episode · The Book Review · 2025-10-03
Books mentioned on The Sunday Special: The Books We Read in School
Lewis Sacher recommended The Giver by Lois Lowry, BRIDGE TO TERABITHIA, and The Great Gilly Hopkins (M Books) by Katherine Paterson, discussed Charlotte's Web by E. B. White, Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton, The Firm by John Grisham, Interview With the Vampire by Anne Rice, and Nine Stories by J. D. Salinger, and criticized The Sound and the Fury by William Faulkner. Gilbert Cruz recommended The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster, The dot & the line by Norton Juster, and Small Spaces by Katherine Arden, and discussed Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell, The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett, Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, and The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. Sadie Stein recommended Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark by Alvin Schwartz, Ramona the Pest by Beverly Cleary, and Miss Nelson is missing! by Harry Allard and others, discussed From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsburg, Betsy-Tacy (Betsy-Tacy #1) by Maud Hart Lovelace and others, Macbeth by William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare, The Pearl by John Steinbeck, The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger, The Idiot by Фёдор Михайлович Достоевский, Beloved by Toni Morrison, and Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison, and criticized A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway and As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner.
Books mentioned, in the order they came up
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Charlotte's Web
Charlotte's Web by E.B.
Discussed“The one the one book that stands out was actually our teacher read to us out loud when I was in fourth grade... she read uh Charlotte's Web.”
Where to get it
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Island of the Blue Dolphins
Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell is a classic children's survival novel inspired by the true story of a Nicoleño woman stranded alone for years on an island off the coast of California.
Discussed“I think I remember a teacher reading maybe Island of the Lost, Island of the Lost, Blue Dolphins, Island of the Blue Dolphins, or The Secret Garden.”
Where to get it
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The Secret Garden
The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett is a classic children's novel about an orphaned girl who discovers a hidden, neglected garden on a Yorkshire estate and helps restore it to life alongside her cousin.
Discussed“I think I remember a teacher reading maybe Island of the Lost, Island of the Lost, Blue Dolphins, Island of the Blue Dolphins, or The Secret Garden.”
Where to get it
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From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler
From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs.
Discussed“And I remember she read from the mixed up files of Mrs. Basily Frankeiler and um she read a lot to us every day...”
Where to get it
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Betsy-Tacy (Betsy-Tacy #1)
Betsy-Tacy (Betsy-Tacy #1) by Maud Hart Lovelace and Lois Lenski is a beloved children's classic that chronicles the enduring friendship of its young protagonists.
Discussed“I should say I was not an early reader and I think what really started me loving it was um the first Betsy Tacy book.”
Where to get it
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Jurassic Park
Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton is a sci-fi thriller novel about a theme park populated by genetically resurrected dinosaurs.
Discussed“And so Stephen King who I continued to maintain an obsession with Tom Clansancy, John Gisham, Michael Kiteon, Anne Rice, all these people, I would see Jurassic Park or Interview with the Vampire or The Firm and I would read the book...”
Where to get it
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The Firm
The Firm by John Grisham is a gripping legal thriller published in 1991 that follows a young lawyer who joins a prestigious firm, only to discover it is a front for the mafia.
Discussed“And so Stephen King who I continued to maintain an obsession with Tom Clansancy, John Gisham, Michael Kiteon, Anne Rice, all these people, I would see Jurassic Park or Interview with the Vampire or The Firm and I would read the book...”
Where to get it
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Interview With the Vampire
Interview With the Vampire by Anne Rice is a seminal horror novel exploring themes of immortality, grief, and the dark allure of vampirism through the framing of a sweeping journalistic confession.
Discussed“And so Stephen King who I continued to maintain an obsession with Tom Clansancy, John Gisham, Michael Kiteon, Anne Rice, all these people, I would see Jurassic Park or Interview with the Vampire or The Firm and I would read the book...”
Where to get it
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Nine Stories
Nine Stories is a celebrated collection of short fiction by J.D.
Discussed“I remember a friend of mine and I I don't remember how we started on this but we each had a copy of Nine Stories by JD Salinger.”
Where to get it
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Macbeth
Macbeth by William Shakespeare is a classic tragedy exploring unchecked ambition, guilt, and the devastating moral consequences of treachery.
Discussed“whether that be the Zepharelli or the Roman Palansky McBth or So, they showed you the most inappropriate versions of these stories.”
Where to get it
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Romeo and Juliet
Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare is a timeless tragedy about two young lovers from feuding families whose deaths ultimately reconcile their households.
Discussed“especially Romeo and Juliet being a a way that, you know, first of all, we acted them out.”
Where to get it
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Of Mice and Men
Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck is a classic American novella chronicling the tragic journey of two displaced migrant ranch workers, George and Lennie, as they desperately pursue their shared dream during the Great Depression.
Discussed“You know, John Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men, for example, you have I remember reading Grapes of Wrath, but I feel like Of Mice and Men is one that is so commonly read...”
Where to get it
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The Pearl
The Pearl by John Steinbeck is a dark and compelling parable that examines the corrupting nature of wealth and greed through the story of a poor Mexican pearl diver who finds a magnificent gem that ultimately brings misfortune to his family.
Discussed“We read that and The Pearl, and I found them so incredibly upsetting that that I have never read them again.”
Where to get it
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A Farewell to Arms
A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway is a celebrated novel that chronicles a tragic wartime romance and the brutal realities of combat, known for its spare prose and poignant explorations of human resilience.
Critiqued“And I'm thinking here of a farewell to arms, which which was a particular dud in my freshman English class.”
Where to get it
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The Catcher in the Rye
The Catcher in the Rye by J.
Discussed“Oh um seventh grade we read Catcher in the Eye and I absolutely loved it.”
Where to get it
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The Great Gatsby
The Great Gatsby by F.
Discussed“The book was The Great Gatsby uh by Fitzgerald, which I have read possibly more than any other book.”
Where to get it
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The Sound and the Fury
The Sound and the Fury is a modernist novel by William Faulkner that employs stream-of-consciousness techniques to chronicle the decline of the Compson family.
Critiqued“One of the books I remembered not liking was sound the sound in the fury by William.”
Where to get it
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As I Lay Dying
As I Lay Dying is a classic 1930 novel by American author William Faulkner that presents the harrowing journey of the Bundren family as they attempt to fulfill their matriarch's dying wish for burial.
Critiqued“Um, being made to read it in a high school English class as I lay dying as well. Um, and just it I was like, I I I have no idea what's happening.”
Where to get it
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The Idiot
The Idiot by Fyodor Dostoevsky is a profound 19th-century Russian novel that follows the compassionate, innocent, and deeply misunderstood Prince Myshkin as he navigates the cynical and corrupt high society of St.
Discussed“we read The Idiot in high school by Doski, which is this, you know, difficult Russian literature, but he I just remember loving it.”
Where to get it
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Beloved
Beloved by Toni Morrison is a powerful historical fiction novel that tells the harrowing story of Sethe, an escaped enslaved woman haunted by the trauma of her past and the literal ghost of her daughter.
Discussed“I remember reading um we read quite a bit of it was Beloved that we first read in high school Tony Morrison and that was such a good high school book.”
Where to get it
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Song of Solomon
Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison is a celebrated novel that follows the life of Macon Dead III, known as Milkman, as he embarks on a journey of self-discovery and ancestral unravelling.
Discussed“And so we also had um the audio book of I think Song of Solomon in his case. And that was fantastic.”
Where to get it
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The Giver
The Giver is a dystopian young adult novel by Lois Lowry set in a tightly controlled society that has eliminated pain, fear, and deep emotional experiences.
Recommended“And the ones I really liked were um Lois Lowry who did The Giver and Katherine Patterson um Bridge to Terabithia.”
Where to get it
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BRIDGE TO TERABITHIA
Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson is a touching children's novel about friendship, imagination, and coping with sudden grief and loss.
Recommended“And the ones I really liked were um Lois Lowry who did The Giver and Katherine Patterson um Bridge to Terabithia.”
Where to get it
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The Great Gilly Hopkins (M Books)
The Great Gilly Hopkins by Katherine Paterson is a children's novel about a fiercely independent foster child navigating a new temporary home.
Recommended“Terabithia and also also great um the great Gilly Hopkins. Both those books I found very moving.”
Where to get it
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Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark
Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark by Alvin Schwartz is a classic, widely read children's horror anthology that compiles terrifying American folklore and urban legends, accompanied by famously unsettling illustrations by Stephen Gammell.
Recommended“But if I had to give it to one, it has got to be Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark by Alan Schwarz, which is a book I know Gilbert also enjoyed as a child.”
Where to get it
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The Phantom Tollbooth
The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster is a classic children's adventure novel featuring illustrations by Jules Feiffer, following a bored boy named Milo who receives a magical tollbooth and drives his toy car into a whimsical kingdom.
Recommended“This is The Phantom Toll Booth by Norton Jester. And the reason I bring this up is because I had never read it before.”
Where to get it
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The dot & the line
The dot & the line by Norton Juster is a whimsical illustrated fable about a lovelorn straight line that attempts to win the affection of a chaotic, free-spirited squiggle.
Recommended“And he has another book that's very fun called just called The Dot and the Line.”
Where to get it
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Small Spaces
Small Spaces by Katherine Arden is a middle-grade horror fantasy novel that follows a young girl who encounters a sinister mystery involving a spooky local farm and scarecrows.
Recommended“This is for kids that are slightly older. Uh, it is a series written by Katherine Ardan that begins with a book called Small Spaces.”
Where to get it
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Ramona the Pest
Ramona the Pest by Beverly Cleary is a beloved middle-grade children's novel that captures the trials, tribulations, and humorous misunderstandings of starting kindergarten through the eyes of the irrepressible Ramona Quimby.
Recommended“And we're starting kindergarten, so we just read Ramona the Pest to him and he loved it.”
Where to get it
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Miss Nelson is missing!
Miss Nelson is Missing! by Harry Allard and James Marshall is a humorous children's picture book about a well-behaved classroom whose sweet teacher disappears and is replaced by a strict substitute.
Recommended“And um another good back to school pick is um Miss Nelson is Missing with the iconic James Marshall illustrations.”
Where to get it
Other mentions in this episode (12) — ad reads, self-promotion and passing references, never counted
“So, let me go through all 10 here. Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare.”
“The Great Gatsby by Fcott Fitzgerald.”
“The Crucible by Arthur Miller.”
“McBth by William Shakespeare.”
“of Men by John Steinbeck.”
“Tilla Mockingbird by Harper Lee.”
“Knight by Ellie Visel.”
“and Hamlet by Shakespeare, Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradberry, and Frankenstein by Mary Shelley.”
“and Hamlet by Shakespeare, Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradberry, and Frankenstein by Mary Shelley.”
“and Hamlet by Shakespeare, Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradberry, and Frankenstein by Mary Shelley.”
“I remember reading Grapes of Wrath, but I feel like Of Mice and Men is one that is so commonly read...”
“Grapes of Wrath, East of Eden. Yeah.”