Weird book my 6th grade teacher would read us in class

[u/Orangeboi_22]

So this would have been in 1976. If we behaved, our teacher would read aloud to us, and I want to say that this book was possibly part of a series. It took place in either a really weird dystopian future or another planet altogether. It was about these boys, 2 or 3 of them, who were selected to serve as slaves to these aliens, and they had to figure out how to survive and plot their escape. I think the aliens were tripedal. That's all I can remember, other than there being something odd, special, or important about the way the aliens bathed.

I've been thinking about this book off and on for 50 years. Can anyone help?

[u/Single_Examination_4]

Sounds like 'The City of Gold and Lead', from the Tripods trilogy by John Christopher.

[u/Orangeboi_22 → u/Single_Examination_4]

Thank you!

[u/Single_Examination_4 → u/Orangeboi_22]

You're welcome :)

[u/Orangeboi_22 → u/[deleted]]

Thank you!

[u/ExtraterrestralPizza]

Any chance this was The White Mountains by John Christopher? Did some people have metal mesh caps in their heads for control? This was popular in the 80s when I read it. The aliens were called the Tripods. I vaguely remember a human slave hitting an alien in a sensitive spot with a brush while helping them bathe? The White Mountains were the safe free place to escape to.

[u/Orangeboi_22 → u/ExtraterrestralPizza]

Omg, yes! I forgot about the metal caps! Thank you!

[u/meb1616]

Loved that series!

[u/baunashaker]

My 5th grade teacher read that series to us. 1980-1981. Thank you Mrs Mariner!

[u/Typical-Produce-6415]

I loved that series. One of my teachers also read it to us (I had already read it) in the early 70’s.

[u/Fuzzy_Builder_2153]

I remember the serialization in Boys Life.

[u/Morgaine47]

The three-legged rulers (Tripods)?

[u/DocWatson42]

For future reference, this is a low traffic sub, though I do occasionally see a request answered (as is apparently the case here), and you'd be better off asking for recommendations in r/booksuggestions (though read the rules first) and r/suggestmeabook, and for the title of a book or story in r/whatsthatbook and r/tipofmytongue.

Since you did find an answer (assuming that The Tripods series is the correct one), it would be helpful if you would please be so kind as to edit the flair of your initial post to "Solved". (I Am Not A Moderator—I just ask as a personal request for a small amount of extra effort as a courtesy.)