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Recommended by Jennifer Webb @FunkyPedagogy
Author: J. D. Salinger
Form: Prose Novel
Length: 234 pages
Brief synopsis: This novel details two days in the life of 16 year old Holden Caulfield. He is expelled from prep school and spends the rest of his time confused and angry with the so called ‘phoniness’ of the adult world.
Age recommendation and challenging content: I would recommend this for students in Y10 upwards, but be aware of some challenging content, including: underage alcohol consumption, depression, suicide ideation, homophobia, prostitution, violent fantasies, some racist terms, sexual harassment.
Notable reasons for recommending this book: It’s a classic. Brilliantly written. Really compelling narrative perspective – the story is told from Holden’s perspective after the fact. He is a really good example of a compelling unreliable narrator.