melmichigan Posted April 30, 2011 Share Posted April 30, 2011 (edited) A few are grouped together by author, only unabridged selections. Little Women Hans Christian Andersen Fairy Tales (398.2) National Velvet Peter Pan The Wizard of Oz Blubber; Are you There God, It's Me Margaret? (This should not be in the Classics list but since it created a stir I will leave it for reference. We read Blubber as a class when I was in 4th grade, I read Are You There God, It's Me Margaret? before I was in 7th grade. The path you choose for your child may be different. :) ) Caddie Woodlawn; Baby Island The Little Princess; The Secret Garden The Incredible Journey Alice's Adventure in Wonderland Pinocchio Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Hans Brinker 21 Balloons The Young Black Stallion; The Black Stallion Calico Bush Harriet the Spy Julies of the Wolves Cheaper by the Dozen Old Yeller King of the Wind; Misty of Chincoteague The Legend of Sleepy Hollow The Phantom Tollbooth The Story of My Life The Jungle Book Big Red Lassie Come Home From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler A Wrinkle in Time Ben and Me; Rabbit Hill The Chronicle of Narnia series Pippi Longstocking White Fang: Call of the Wild Winnie the Pooh Anne of Green Gables The Railway Children; Five Children and It Rascal The Borrowers Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nimh Island of the Blue Dolphins Pollyana The Westing Game The Yearling Where the Red Fern Grows Bambi Black Beauty The Rescuers The Egypt Game The Sign of the Beaver; The Witch of Blackbird Pond Call It Courage Heidi The Red Pony Treasure Island Lad: A Dog The Hobbit; The Lord of the Rings series; The Silmarrillion Mary Poppins Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court; The Prince and the Pauper 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea Charlotte's Web The Sword in the Stone Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm The Little House on the Prairie Shadow of a Bull Swiss Family Robinson Edited May 1, 2011 by melmichigan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mmasmommy Posted April 30, 2011 Share Posted April 30, 2011 Thanks Mel! This will be great for summer reading. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gingersmom Posted April 30, 2011 Share Posted April 30, 2011 I love your list! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RootAnn Posted April 30, 2011 Share Posted April 30, 2011 Blubber, Are you There God, It's Me Margaret? ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ I've read most of the books on that list, including the above. These are the two I'm most against being on the list without having the parents pre-read them. Before you include these two, preread them. I personally would not include them on a recommended list for my kids. I have a feeling many others would not want them on the list. For those that don't mind your kids reading Judy Blume's books, it won't do you any harm to read (or reread) them first. There were a handful of others on the OP's list I haven't read. It never hurts if you haven't read something to at least skim it before putting it on your kid's summer reading list. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ann@thebeach Posted April 30, 2011 Share Posted April 30, 2011 I guess we better get reading! ;) We've only read about 20 of those (some via CD)....that's what happens when your son gets stuck on a huge series like Hardy Boys! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xander Posted May 1, 2011 Share Posted May 1, 2011 These are the two I'm most against being on the list without having the parents pre-read them. I don't think the fact that they're on one person's list in any way suggests that other people should use them without pre-reading. Everyone has different standards and concerns and everyone's kids are different in terms of reading level, maturity, sensitivity, interests and so on, so people should always use their own judgement about what to use with their own kids. I was a tad surprised to see them on a list of "classics" myself, but everyone has their own ideas about literature and it's the OP's list of what she wants her kids to read. If she wants to include them, that's up to her. Same goes for The Silmarillion - not something I'd generally expect to see required of 10-11 year olds, but clearly the OP's kids are way more advanced than most. Doesn't mean that anyone else should expect their kids to read it at that age (or at all). It's not on any required lists here, but there's a copy available if anyone wants to use it for free reading. It never hurts if you haven't read something to at least skim it before putting it on your kid's summer reading list. Definitely. There are a few on the OP's other list (for rising 7th/8th/9th graders) that she's clearly fine with but that we wouldn't choose to use at that level (including Stranger, BNW, HoD, Passage, Remarque, Gatsby and C22). The only way it would be a problem would be if I just copied her list and didn't use my own judgement about which books to use at middle school level and which to save for high school or beyond. Apart from anything else, I think people get more out of those books if they come to them with more maturity. I found it interesting to read someone else's lists and see where they overlap with mine and where they differ, but I don't see them as a prescriptive list of what anyone's kids (other than the OP's) should read. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RootAnn Posted May 1, 2011 Share Posted May 1, 2011 I don't think the fact that they're on one person's list in any way suggests that other people should use them without pre-reading. Everyone has different standards and concerns and everyone's kids are different in terms of reading level, maturity, sensitivity, interests and so on, so people should always use their own judgement about what to use with their own kids. :iagree: I just wanted to throw out there that the Judy Blume books, IMO, didn't "fit" with the others. Perhaps it is what you pointed out here: I was a tad surprised to see them on a list of "classics" myself I know some people IRL (not necessarily on this board) that would just make a copy of that post & give it to their kid without even looking at the titles just because someone recommended them. I was throwing out my big red flag & suggesting pre-reading if you hadn't read them before or re-reading/skimming if you'd read them previously but couldn't remember much about them. Same goes for The Silmarillion - not something I'd generally expect to see required of 10-11 year olds, but clearly the OP's kids are way more advanced than most. I was amazed at the reading level of some of the books because my oldest is a pretty good reader, but I'm not sure she could get through some of the books listed at the age(s) suggested. I've read the other LOR/Hobbit-type books, but never seen the Silmarillion. (I didn't read LOR/Hobbit until I was an adult.) There are a few on the OP's other list (for rising 7th/8th/9th graders) that she's clearly fine with but that we wouldn't choose to use at that level (including Stranger, BNW, HoD, Passage, Remarque, Gatsby and C22). I haven't even glanced at the other post. In my head, I'm so far from that age group that I have time to burn. :tongue_smilie: Must-focus-on-now. I'm working on my two oldest's list for this summer, so this list was timely for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melmichigan Posted May 1, 2011 Author Share Posted May 1, 2011 I found one of the links I mentioned in the main thread. The CTY list I have is here for 5th and 6th grade reading. This would be advanced level reading so middle school for many. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xander Posted May 1, 2011 Share Posted May 1, 2011 I know some people IRL (not necessarily on this board) that would just make a copy of that post & give it to their kid without even looking at the titles just because someone recommended them. That's quite scary! The problem with anyone else's list is that you can't be sure that they would make exactly the same judgement calls that you would yourself. And even if they would, their list will still be tailored towards the interests, gender and reading-level of their kids, not yours. I enjoy reading other lists and sometimes I'll see something on one and think "How did I forget to include that?!". Or I'll spot something I've never even heard of that seems to merit further investigation. But wholesale copying, especially if you're not familiar with the books, seems like a bad idea to me. It's not just lists compiled by individuals that should be approached with caution. Even the Carnegie Medal lists can throw up some surprises (e.g. the 1996 winner). I was throwing out my big red flag & suggesting pre-reading if you hadn't read them before or re-reading/skimming if you'd read them previously but couldn't remember much about them. That's always a sensible course of action. I was amazed at the reading level of some of the books because my oldest is a pretty good reader, but I'm not sure she could get through some of the books listed at the age(s) suggested. I've read the other LOR/Hobbit-type books, but never seen the Silmarillion. (I didn't read LOR/Hobbit until I was an adult.) I read The Hobbit at 11 and The Lord of the Rings when I was 11 and a half, but didn't get hold of The Silmarillion until almost a year later and found it very heavy going. I think it was another year or so before I read it properly and it wasn't exactly fun even then. It's the sort of book that's bearable if you're reading it by choice (and are free to set aside if you find it too difficult), but that most kids would probably balk at as assigned reading. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chez J Posted May 2, 2011 Share Posted May 2, 2011 I would also encourage pre-reading Julie of the Wolves. I was quite upset to find attempted rape in there. :eek: I gave it to my 9 year old because we loved so many of her other books. It's sold as a newberry winner book for 9-12 year olds. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TKDmom Posted May 2, 2011 Share Posted May 2, 2011 I would also encourage pre-reading Julie of the Wolves. I was quite upset to find attempted rape in there. :eek: I gave it to my 9 year old because we loved so many of her other books. It's sold as a newberry winner book for 9-12 year olds. I was going to post if someone else didn't. I think I read it in 5th grade, and I was pretty traumatized. The scene stuck with me, and I have a vivid memory of reading it, long after the rest of the book has faded from memory. But thanks for the list! I love having resources like these all in one place! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freerange Posted May 2, 2011 Share Posted May 2, 2011 Geraldine McCaughrean, A Pack of Lies Roald Dahl, Danny Champion of the World Michelle Paver, Wolf Brother Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nmoira Posted May 14, 2011 Share Posted May 14, 2011 Michelle Paver, Wolf BrotherI'd passed over this series for no better reason than the covers put me off. :tongue_smilie: However, after seeing a couple articles on Guardian website (here's one), picked the first up for DD the Elder (the others soon after). She inhaled them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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