Rachael... you may well be right, however I did qualify my recommendation by stating that it was recommended for intermediate English leanrers. Actually, I found that the moral lessons in the story were quite enlightening. I have not read the other Steinbeck books, so they may be ideal for English learners. Thanks for your comments and recommendations.

I was going to teach this book to Junior High school students but it is very depressing and I didn't think that the moral of the book was suited for children.  Maybe for adult learners it would be ok.  There are better books by John Steinbeck, the Red Pony, The Grapes of Wrath and of course for adults East of Eden, which is a bit long but very readable.