The paper discusses the role and importance of required reading in the teaching of the Croatian language since the 1950s, when required reading became prescribed. Through the viewpoints of various authors, it is attempted to reveal the purpose of reading class and to define the concept of reading. Also, a brief historical overview of the reading material in Croatian language teaching is presented based on curricula. In addition to the above, an overview of the types of reading classes is given, and attention is paid to methodical approaches to reading. In the paper is considered required reading in both primary and secondary schools. The paper focuses on the works of German authors that are prescribed as reading titles in the teaching of the Croatian language. A list of authors and works is provided, and the representation of reading works written in German in different periods is analyzed. The central part of the paper is dedicated to a creative approach to literature. It also provides a description of approaches and activities that deviate from the established approaches in the processing of school book reports. It presents possibilities of creative approach to reading, the influence of modern media on teaching and their use in teaching reading. Suggestions are also made on how to put an end to boring reading lessons and organize them to be more appealing to students. Examples of creative ideas in processing reading are provided based on selected works by German authors. Through Goethe's novel "The Sorrows of Young Werther" and Bruckner's novel "Sadako Wants to Live," one gets an insight into the possibilities of processing the reading that the creative approach provides. The paper provides an analysis of literature teaching from the German corpus but also introduces new approaches and possibilities for creative teaching.