You’ve probably never heard of the most popular books Maine high school students are reading

The most read book among high school students in Maine is not of this world. Veronica Roth’s “Divergent,” the first in a dystopian series set in a futuristic Chicago, topped the list for the most popular book in this state, found researchers from Learnalytics. The company collects data on what students know and like, and how they learn.

The second most read book among high school students is a popular one nationwide: John Green’s “The Fault in Our Stars,” which shares the love story of a girl with cancer.

The top 10 most popular books in Maine high schools are full of rebellion, intrigue, darkness and hope. Some have become movies. There’s one famous standby — Elie Wiesel’s “Night” about his survival of Nazi concentration camps. And there is the late 1960s coming-of-age novel, “The Outsiders” by S.E. Hinton, and a 1993 young adult novel called “Freak the Mighty” by Rodman Philbrick.

But the rest are recent fiction releases. They are:

1. “Divergent,” by Veronica Roth

2. “The Fault in Our Stars,” by John Green

3. “The Maze Runner,” by James Dashner

4. “Insurgent,” by Veronica Roth

5. “The Outsiders,” by S.E. Hinton

6. “If I Stay,” by Gayle Forman

7. “Freak the Mighty,” by Rodman Philbrick

8. “The Scorch Trials,” by James Dashner

9. “Allegiant,” by Veronica Roth

10. “Night,” by Elie Wiesel

Students are still reading the classics, but they’re not the most popular. Harper Lee’s “To Kill a Mockingbird” is 15th most popular; William Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet” is 16th most popular; and John Steinbeck’s “Of Mice and Men” ranks 17th.

Learnalytics gathered the data by surveying 9.8 million students in 31,327 schools across the country.

(Stock photo)

(Stock photo)

Whether they’re classics or new release, what is important is that students want to read and actually do so — again and again. As Donalyn Miller, a teacher and author of “The Book Whisperer: Awakening the Inner Reader in Every Child,” wrote:

The more students read, the better readers they become. By dedicating reading time, recommending books, exposing students to a variety of texts and authors, and validating their reading choices, I’ve seen students’ interest and motivation to read increase. Students’ background knowledge, understanding of text structure and features, vocabulary usage, appreciation for authors’ craft, and performance on a wide array of assessments improve tremendously because of the reading they do. For it is only through volumes and volumes of reading that many students internalize the comprehension skills and gain the reading experience they must acquire for academic success.

Of course, hours and hours spent reading and the freedom to choose their own books also leads many children to discover a love of books and reading—a path to enjoyment and learning that lasts long after schooling ends. This is an immeasurable gift.

What were your favorite books in high school?