Treasure Island is a book written for Victorian era boys, so it's stodgy, the prose is odd, and it has something to do with challenging (now) antiquated social mores. Yes, it's an adventure story written toward younger readers, but it is not easy despite its genre and purpose. Kids now are really far removed from both Stevenson's target demographic and time period, which can pose a real challenge to teachers these days.

Plus, while Treasure Island was pretty shocking and thrilling when it came out, pirate stories have only gotten more epic and sexier since the book's original release—so Treasure Island just doesn't pack the same wallop it once did. While we imagine Victorian teachers were stoked to have something so new and engaging to share with students, you're going to have to really foreground the pirates to keep your kids paying attention. The plot just doesn't careen along in the way kids these days are used to.