In honor of Back to School season, we're drafting our teams of our favorite fictional schools from literature, discussing what makes these educational settings compelling, terrifying, and gossip-worthy.
 

Team Emily 

• One-room schoolhouse from The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah 
• Shiz from Wicked by Gregory Maguire 
• Hawkings Independent School from The Cadence of Part-Time Poets by mostwolo 
• Elligham Academy from the Truly Devious Series by Maureen Johnson 

Team Abigail 

• Forks High School from the Twilight Saga by Stephenie Meyer 
• Catenan Academy from The Will of the Many by James Islington 
• Basgiath War College from Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros 
• Crunchem Hall Elementary from Matilda by Roald Dahl 

Recent Reads 

• Love is a War Song by Danica Nava 
• Our Wives Under the Sea by Julia Armfield 
• Margo’s Got Money Troubles by Rufi Thorpe 
• Wolfsong by TJ Klune 

We'd love to hear which fictional school you'd want to attend! Comment on our Instagram or Bluesky @readirectpodcast, or leave us a note on Spotify!