Being accessible is kind of The Pearl's thing—parables don't work very well if people can't easily read them, after all. That said, there's plenty to dig into below the surface, too, making this book an interesting and engaging read for more advanced readers as well. This is classic Steinbeck, and as such, manages to be straightforward without becoming trite.

Speaking of classic Steinbeck, dude's a pretty big deal in the literary world. And while we'd wager that with a little support, everything the guy wrote is readily readable, The Pearl comes in a lovely little bite-sized package (yes, the technical term for this is novella). Because of this, it's a great book to use as an introduction to Steinbeck, one of the titans of American lit. And if your students love it, you'll have plenty more books to send their way after—Steinbeck didn't exactly sit on his laurels. Or, if he did, it was to write.