Imagine this: you've met one of the wisest men in American history, and he wants nothing more than to share every good idea he's ever had about life, people, love, morals, and more with you. What are you going to do about it? Listen carefully and take notes, most likely, savoring the chance to learn from such a sage.

As you've probably guessed, we're totally talking about the experience of reading East of Eden, one of Steinbeck's most masterful masterpieces done at a point in his career when he was nothing short of a master himself.The problem? Your students might not yet have the patience or foresight to sit tight and really soak up Steinbeck's words. So it often goes with teens and books written by dead guys.