I had to read Zinn's book last year for my 11th grade history class and I couldn't take it. Everyone else in the class lapped it up because they were in love with our commie of a teacher. He lived in East Germany for a while!
Portrait Of the Artist - Augh!!!! At least we didn't have to read Ulysses!!!
Johnny Got His Gun - our teacher did tell us about Dalton Trumbo before we started that one, so we had the whole Black List background.
Bless the Beasts and the Children - hero kid dies freeing buffalo that are going to be hunted.
Lord of the Flies - Sorry, just too gross for me.
In college - Chaucer - while I liked the author, I absolutely hated the instructor. He was Jewish and hated anyone who was Christain. He later got stabbed in the men's room at the college by the husband of the PR woman he was having an affair with. What goes around...
I went to a private High School, - most of the English teachers were pretty liberal , but they didn't try to force their views on us. And I remember doing a book report on Fear of Flying in 10th grade. Well, it was alot more interesting than Moby Dick. :-)
By contrast, the BEST book I have read this season is Uncivil War. Using the author's thesis of New Elites versus the Have-Not's, the 2004 election was predictable. It's a read much worth the paper it's printed on!