NationStates Jolt Archive

I search for summer reading, and didn't find any as far as September 2006, so I don't believe I am repeating anything.

If you were is charge of selecting books for summer reading (for any grade, but please specify which), which books would you choose? To help you decide, please follow this guidelines, which are somewhat arbitrary but, hey, lot's of summer reading is too.
1. The book must be over 100 pages.
2. The book should be well-written (I'm keeping this vague intentionally).
3. The book should be something students would enjoy reading (again, intentionally vague).
4. The book should be something that students can "get" (in other words, no Finnegans Wake for fifth-graders)

The Count of Monte Cristo is usually a decent choice, maybe over the heads of younger students though.

Starship Troopers is interesting, if short.

I highly recommend The Once and Future King for about 9th or 10th grade. I would recommend Animal Farm or 1984 for about 8th grade.

More as I think of them.

Cue for Treason - grade 6
Generation X - Douglas Copeland - grade 7
The Chrysalids by John Windham for grade 8
Oriental Express by Agatha Christie for grade 9
Complete Sherlock Holes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle for grade 10
Lord of the Flies by William Golding for grade 11
Handmaid's Tale by Margret Atwood for grade 12

I guess I should answer my own question:
6th grade--The Giver by Lois Lowry (Easy enough read, but engaging, intelligent, and has a clear message without using flashing lights to point it out)
7th grade--To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee (Beautiful writing, good story, just a really good book)
8th grade--Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt (An optimistic description of a truly miserable childhood)
9th grade--Great Expectations by Charles Dickens (It's Dickens, everyone has to read at least one of his books. This one just happens to be one I read in the 9th grade and enjoyed)
10th grade-Black Boy by Richard Wright (Perhaps of more historical significance than literary, but still a good book that gives an excellent picture of not only black life in the South but an individual)
11th grade-Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky (Wonderful writing, and gives the best analysis of human thought I have ever read)
12th grade-Moby Dick by Herman Melville (A strange, romantic style of writing, that is good to read on many different levels)

Jennifer Government?

Jennifer Government?
I haven't read that, how is it?

I recommend The Little Prince (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Little_Prince). I think everyone should read it.

I haven't read that, how is it?

I hate reading, but I enjoyed it.

Translation: It's good.

Since I love fantasy books...

6th grade- The Frog Princess
7th grade- All the Harry Potter books, Inkheart, Inkspell by Cornelia Funke
8th grade- Eragon, Eldest (by Christpher Paolini), Magyk, Flyte, Physik (the author's name I can't remember at the moment...)
9th grade- Twilight, New Moon, and Eclipse by Stephanie Meyer (the third one isn't out yet but the first two are just so awesome...)

i just bought a few books to read over the summer, already finished one of them though. they are:

Witches Abroad by Terry Pratchett (cuz i like his books).
The Satanic Verses by Salman Rushdie (to see what all the fuss was about).
Buddha of Suburbia by Hanif Kureishi (recommended to me by a friend, and i liked the film of my beautiful laudrette).
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time by Mark Haddon (recommended by a friend as an easy read).
i was also recommended 100 Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia, but i haven't found it yet. i will probably also get my hands on a copy of the new Harry Potter book whenever that's out.

other books i've enjoyed recently are, Tokyo Doesn't Love Us Anymore by Ray Loriga, and The Unbearable Lightness of Being by Milan Kundera, but they might not be books that kids woulg 'get'. then also my usual fare of Terry Pratchett, Jasper Fforde, Isaac Asimov, Arthur C. Clarke, J.G. Ballard etc. that i read over and over.

I search for summer reading, and didn't find any as far as September 2006, so I don't believe I am repeating anything.

If you were is charge of selecting books for summer reading (for any grade, but please specify which), which books would you choose? To help you decide, please follow this guidelines, which are somewhat arbitrary but, hey, lot's of summer reading is too.
1. The book must be over 100 pages.
2. The book should be well-written (I'm keeping this vague intentionally).
3. The book should be something students would enjoy reading (again, intentionally vague).
4. The book should be something that students can "get" (in other words, no Finnegans Wake for fifth-graders)

The Dark Tower series.

i just bought a few books to read over the summer, already finished one of them though. they are:

Witches Abroad by Terry Pratchett (cuz i like his books).
The Satanic Verses by Salman Rushdie (to see what all the fuss was about).
Buddha of Suburbia by Hanif Kureishi (recommended to me by a friend, and i liked the film of my beautiful laudrette).
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time by Mark Haddon (recommended by a friend as an easy read).
i was also recommended 100 Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia, but i haven't found it yet. i will probably also get my hands on a copy of the new Harry Potter book whenever that's out.

other books i've enjoyed recently are, Tokyo Doesn't Love Us Anymore by Ray Loriga, and The Unbearable Lightness of Being by Milan Kundera, but they might not be books that kids woulg 'get'. then also my usual fare of Terry Pratchett, Jasper Fforde, Isaac Asimov, Arthur C. Clarke, J.G. Ballard etc. that i read over and over.

i also want to read the His Dark Materials series agan before the film comes out, and there's a series a bit like it but not quite as good that i forget the name of or the author but i think it's about a girl who is the daughter of some powerful wizard or necromancer or something who has to go into a magical realm and make sure evil forces don't take over or something.

The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood is another good one. my sister had to read that for her GCSE english course and she enjoyed it.

Since I love fantasy books...

6th grade- The Frog Princess
7th grade- All the Harry Potter books, Inkheart, Inkspell by Cornelia Funke
8th grade- Eragon, Eldest (by Christpher Paolini), Magyk, Flyte, Physik (the author's name I can't remember at the moment...)
9th grade- Twilight, New Moon, and Eclipse by Stephanie Meyer (the third one isn't out yet but the first two are just so awesome...)

Eragon and Eldest are not worth the paper they're printed on.

The Dark Tower series.

Ohh I just finished them. That King fella, wot a ****! Just didn't see that ending, should have expected summit like but!

i just bought a few books to read over the summer, already finished one of them though. they are:

Witches Abroad by Terry Pratchett (cuz i like his books).
The Satanic Verses by Salman Rushdie (to see what all the fuss was about).
Buddha of Suburbia by Hanif Kureishi (recommended to me by a friend, and i liked the film of my beautiful laudrette).
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time by Mark Haddon (recommended by a friend as an easy read).
i was also recommended 100 Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia, but i haven't found it yet. i will probably also get my hands on a copy of the new Harry Potter book whenever that's out.

other books i've enjoyed recently are, Tokyo Doesn't Love Us Anymore by Ray Loriga, and The Unbearable Lightness of Being by Milan Kundera, but they might not be books that kids woulg 'get'. then also my usual fare of Terry Pratchett, Jasper Fforde, Isaac Asimov, Arthur C. Clarke, J.G. Ballard etc. that i read over and over.

Ummm anybody read 'The boy who kicked pigs' by Tom Baker(yep that one)

I highly recommend The Once and Future King for about 9th or 10th grade. I would recommend Animal Farm or 1984 for about 8th grade.

More as I think of them.

I definately agree with going with one of Orwell's novels, if not both.

I recommend The Little Prince (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Little_Prince). I think everyone should read it.

Ooh, I read that in French. I'd reccomend doing so for anybody who knows the language, even a little-- it's a fairly simple read, but very, very good.

Running with Scissors by Augusten Burroughs is quite the good read, as are much of his other works, but RWS is my favorite.

Count of Monte Cristo is a good shot for summer reading.

Oh, yes, I almost forgot.

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. Truly a great American novel.

The Monk, Moby Dick, Gravity's Rainbow, Glass Bead Game - 12th grade
Neuromancer, 1984, Box Man, Catch 22 - 11th grade

Breakfast of Champions, by Kurt Vonnegut. I don't know, probably high-schoolish grade.

We get to pick our own books now.

Ummm anybody read 'The boy who kicked pigs' by Tom Baker(yep that one)

err, no, not heard of it.

...did you mean to quote me there? :confused:

I definately agree with going with one of Orwell's novels, if not both.

or indeed any.

i was also recommended 100 Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia, but i haven't found it yet.
That's a good one for summer reading, I didn't think about it. It moves quickly, and I can see it the subject of an essay, or analysis.

or indeed any.

or indeed all.

considering I made my own list this year and am two hundred pages into this (http://www.amazon.com/Iron-Kingdom-Downfall-Prussia-1600-1947/dp/0674023854/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/104-9170218-9142344?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1181853035&sr=8-1) --

I don't think I can talk.

Apart from the standard set of "classic" books that get read in classrooms (Moby Dick, To Kill a Mockingbird), a really good book that doesn't seem to get much attention is 100 Years of Solitude. It won a Nobel Prize!

or indeed all.

quite ;)

Apart from the standard set of "classic" books that get read in classrooms (Moby Dick, To Kill a Mockingbird), a really good book that doesn't seem to get much attention is 100 Years of Solitude. It won a Nobel Prize!

yeah, i can't find it. well, i only looked in a couple of shops. i could get it online, but for some reason i have an aversion to getting books online. can't deal with the incongruety of traditional media with high tech amazons. or something.

Stephen Fry - "The Hippopotamus".

This book is amongst the most well written, humerous yet pertinent texts ever.

I guess I should answer my own question:
6th grade--The Giver by Lois Lowry (Easy enough read, but engaging, intelligent, and has a clear message without using flashing lights to point it out)
7th grade--To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee (Beautiful writing, good story, just a really good book)
8th grade--Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt (An optimistic description of a truly miserable childhood)
9th grade--Great Expectations by Charles Dickens (It's Dickens, everyone has to read at least one of his books. This one just happens to be one I read in the 9th grade and enjoyed)
10th grade-Black Boy by Richard Wright (Perhaps of more historical significance than literary, but still a good book that gives an excellent picture of not only black life in the South but an individual)
11th grade-Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky (Wonderful writing, and gives the best analysis of human thought I have ever read)
12th grade-Moby Dick by Herman Melville (A strange, romantic style of writing, that is good to read on many different levels)

I wouldn't recommend Great Expectations for the average 98th grader. I am an avid reader who enjoys classics, but given Great Expectations as an 11th grade read, I couldn't get through more than half of it.

The Giver... good book but creepy as hell for young kids. Read it in 7th grade and I'm sure it scarred me in several ways. XD

Stephen Fry - "The Hippopotamus".

This book is amongst the most well written, humerous yet pertinent texts ever.

I'm a big fan of Stephen Fry. The Hippopotamus certainly takes you by surprise with a couple of its more, how shall we say, graphic moments.

I'm a big fan of Stephen Fry. The Hippopotamus certainly takes you by surprise with a couple of its more, how shall we say, graphic moments.

Just a little.:p

You must admire Ted as well.There is an undeniable allure to his whisky swilling cynicism.

I'm a big fan of Stephen Fry. The Hippopotamus certainly takes you by surprise with a couple of its more, how shall we say, graphic moments.
There were plenty of graphic moments seeing QI live.

I wouldn't recommend Great Expectations for the average 98th grader. I am an avid reader who enjoys classics, but given Great Expectations as an 11th grade read, I couldn't get through more than half of it.

The Giver... good book but creepy as hell for young kids. Read it in 7th grade and I'm sure it scarred me in several ways. XD

how old is 9th grade?

There were plenty of graphic moments seeing QI live.

*jealous*

how old is 9th grade?

eh, depends on the state. Shall we say 13-15?

*jealous*
Tickets are free if you can get there, you know.

*jealous*

There were plenty of graphic moments seeing QI live.

Well played sir....

How on earth did you get tickets?

eh, depends on the state. Shall we say 13-15?

ah ok, i was thinking 14-15 would be a reasonable age to get through it. but for me at 13 i wouldn't have read it. i got through Moonfleet at 12/13 but i remember that being something of a ripping yarn as it were. at that time i was reading the hardy boys and pratchett mostly i think.

Tickets are free if you can get there, you know.

where's it filmed at though?

Anywhere from 8th to 11th grade the novels 1984 and Animal Farm. Also for the same age group, A Stranger in a Strange Land and Glory Road. I don't know the author's name's, but I've read all four. Excellent books.