Louisiana’s new mandate requiring public school students to read at least one state-approved work of classic literature each year was scheduled to become permanent yesterday, with education officials having released a list of 100 books from which schools can select.
Although the rule is scheduled to take effect Oct. 20, schools will not be required to implement the mandate until the 2027-28 academic year.
The regulation, approved by the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education earlier this year, requires students in kindergarten through high school to read at least one fulllength literary selection annually with teacher guidance.
The Louisiana Department of Education’s newly released Classic Literature List includes works ranging from children’s books such as “Where the Wild Things Are” and “Charlotte’s Web” to novels such as “Animal Farm,” “A Tale of Two Cities” and “The Odyssey.”
The seven-page document identifies 10 selections for each grade from kindergarten through eighth grade and another 10 for high school students.
Eighth graders, for example, could read George Orwell’s “Animal Farm,” Jane Austen’s “Emma” or Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s “Evangeline.” High school selections include Louisa May Alcott’s “Little Women,” Frederick Douglass’ autobiography and Homer’s “The Odyssey.” Third graders could read “Charlotte’s Web,” “The Jungle Book” or “The Wind in the Willows,” while fifth graders could choose from “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe,” “The Secret Garden” and “The Phantom Tollbooth.”
Lawmakers have already appropriated $2 million for classroom library support, funding that a fiscal statement accompanying the regulation identifies as helping finance the initiative.
The department’s new guidance identifies American Reading Company’s Louisiana Classic Literature portal as one option for purchasing the books, although school districts are permitted to purchase materials from other vendors.
