That's so interesting - I was forced to read Steinbeck (not that I didn't enjoy his writing). But my English teacher this year stated he felt many books (specifically in my school district) are introduced too early. I read Song of Solomon my sophomore year, and he said he believed this was too early to grasp the book fully. I wonder if my school system is an outlier in the books they choose for us to read. Maybe they just love Toni Morrison.