I Love to Read Month is over now, but it doesn’t mean you have to stop turning the pages.

Once in a while, it’s a good idea to travel down memory lane and re-read some of the books you grew up reading in school.

And since there’s no crotchety old English teacher forcing you to write a book report anymore, maybe you’ll enjoy these stories even more now.

Hatchet by Gary Paulsen (1987)

This novel tells the story of 13-year-old Brian Robeson and his struggle for survival in the wilderness after his plane crashed in a lake on the way to visit his father.

Why you read it the first time: This classic coming-of-age story was an ideal read for a bunch of middle school kids whose teachers just wanted them to grow up already. Hatchet taught important lessons about maturity, overcoming obstacles and the futility of self-pity.

Why you should re-read it: Although it is commonly considered to be a children’s adventure novel, Hatchet deals with some pretty mature subject matter that you can appreciate more if you’re not a hormonal 13-year-old. In the beginning of the novel, the reader learns that Brian’s mother is having an affair and later, Brian makes a suicide attempt – not so after-school-special.

Animal Farm by George Orwell (1946)

As a satirical critique of Stalin and the Russian Revolution, Animal Farm tells the story of three little piggies who take a wise boar’s dream of a world in which animals live freely, without human oppression, out of context and turn it into the even more oppressive regime of Animalism.

Why you read it the first time: Animal Farm is a great introduction to learning about politics because it gives a tangible and intriguing context to material that most high school kids wouldn’t normally give a damn about unless there was free beer involved.

Why you should re-read it: Animal Farm becomes more poignant with age. The novella explores important topics, such as how the rhetorical use of language plays a key role in the success of oppressive regimes by keeping the working class uninformed, that are more important to understand in the real world than in high school when the only oppressive forces you recognize are your parents.

“ Once in a while, it’s a good idea to travel down memory lane and re-read some of the books you grew up reading in school. And since there’s no crotchety old English teacher forcing you to write a book report anymore, maybe you’ll enjoy these stories even more now.

Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck (1937)

George and Lenny are two best friends working together during the Great Depression, trying to achieve their dream of owning their own farm.

Why you read it the first time: Of Mice and Men addresses issues of friendship, loneliness, mental illness, euthanasia and racism, allowing young students an opportunity to talk about these issues and understand them.

Why you should re-read it: Sometimes when you’re forced to read something it’s difficult to understand anything of contextual or symbolic significance, usually because a teacher is shoving these symbols down your throat. By re-reading Steinbeck’s novel, without the pressure of grades and deadlines, his beautiful writing can be appreciated and enjoyed.

The Hardy Boys Mysteries by Franklin W. Dixon / Nancy Drew Mystery Stories by Carolyn Keene

Why you read them the first time You probably didn’t read these for school, but no childhood is complete without a mystery novel series, and Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys did it better than anybody. These suspense-filled stories inspired all those play date mysteries you created and then pretended to solve in your dad’s trench coat.

Why you should re-read them: Re-reading a mystery book when you already know the ending brings together the perfect combination of nostalgia and comfort. You don’t have to rush to the end to find out what happens, which means you can just sit there and mindlessly read for pleasure, and all the little details will come delightfully flooding back as you go.

The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton (1967)

The Greasers and the Socs are rival gangs, split by social status and viscosity of hair gel. When Johnny stabs a Soc to defend Ponyboy, unintentionally killing him, the two Greasers are forced to skip town and hide.

Why you read it the first time: The Outsiders works with themes of socioeconomic inequality, bridging the gap between the rich and the poor, stereotypes, coming-of-age and friendship, but presents them in a relatable and humourous way, making The Outsiders one of those books that the entire class likes.

Why you should re-read it: It’s one of those stories whose characters grow on you and stay with you for years after reading it. Even though the ending is tragic and left many of us in tears for weeks, The Outsiders is ultimately a hopeful novel, not to mention a quotable one: “Stay gold, Ponyboy. Stay gold.”

Published in Volume 65, Number 21 of The Uniter (March 3, 2011)