As the authors of the NEA study observe: In 1980, students were commonly assigned books by Ernest Hemingway or John Steinbeck. Today, students are more likely to be assigned books by Toni Morrison or Julia Alvarez. But "For Whom the Bell Tolls" is a boy-friendly book in a way that "Beloved" is not.
During visits to predominantly African-American public schools around the nation, I've learned that many black boys would rather read "For Whom the Bell Tolls" -- a book without any major black characters -- than anything by Morrison.
I've heard of Toni Morrison because she was given the Nobel Prize (but haven't read anything she wrote)...but who is Julia Alvarez? Never heard of her.
I'd rather read the state building code than anything by Morrison. My daughter had to read "The Bluest Eye" - what a depressing piece!