I need 1 good book....

[Jann in TX]

I need to find 1 good book for dd to read this summer. She just completed 9th grade at the local PS--and is begging to come back home again (LONG story here).

 

In July we will be doing a 'trial run' of homeschooling. One of the subjects will be Lit--and I need to find a 'good' book for her. She is an honor's student--but a VERY reluctant reader--she has eye-tracking problems and reading can sometimes be painful (especially on the computer).

 

I was not impressed with her PS Honor's English class this past year. If I remember correctly they read Romeo and Juliet, Odyssey and Animal Farm.

 

What suggestions do you have for 1 good book for our study?

 

Thanks!

[LisaNY]

My dd, who is a reluctant reader, really, REALLY enjoyed 'Til We Have Faces' by C.S. Lewis. She also really loved 'Mara, Daughter of the Nile', but it would be on the 'lite' side for a 9th gr. She also really, really liked 'To Kill a Mockingbird', which she read for English this year. (11th gr.)

 

One book that reallly captivated me was 'Song of Solomon' by Toni Morrison.

My 9th gr. Honor's English teacher recommended that I read it. I would look into that one as well.

 

Hope that helps! :001_smile:

[FloridaLisa]

Are you trying to match her interests? Is she a science fiction kinda gal or does she like romance, historical fiction or pure fiction? That may help narrow down the suggestions.

 

Without those parameters, I'd second LisaNY's suggestion for To Kill A Mockingbird followed by movie night. Alternatively, what about Pride and Prejudice again followed by movie night? My rising 9th grader is reading that right now and she tends to read only because she has to. :001_smile:

 

HTH,

Lisa

[April in CA]

Hi Jann,

I would second the suggestion of Pride and Prejudice - this is such a great book and grand fun to do with a group! (even a family group!) Perhaps you could pick passages to read aloud in character voice - we did this, and a good time ws had by all. It is impossible not to laugh when a teenage boy reads Mrs Bennett in a high voice! Plus, as mentioned, you can follow up with comparing various movie versions to the real thimg. the Scarlett Pimpernel is also a fun book to read aloud. Perhaps your daughter would enjoy the stories more if the reading load were shared.

Blessings,

April

[merylvdm]

I'm not sure most reluctant readers would enjoy Till we have faces. I enjoyed it, but neither my avid reader, nor my less interested one liked it.

 

My dd's favorite book is All quiet on the western front. She also loves The importance of being Ernest and that is short - as it is a play - and the movie version is great.

 

Meryl

[Kim in Appalachia]

To Kill a Mockingbird. That book is very interesting, but not a hard read. We recently enjoyed A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court, by Twain. That was a bit depressing at the end, but a very interesting book. It is by Twain, so it is filled with lots of colloquial expressions. But they are funny and add to the humor of the story. Scott O'Dell books are also good. They usually not long, but are good stories.

 

I would avoid Jane Austin, or Victorian writers (such as Dickens). I enjoy them, but they are so wordy, and the language can be an obstacle. If you are struggling to read because of a physical problem I would not want to make it more difficult with wordy book.

[whisperam]

Has she read Anne of Green Gables? This is such a good series.

[Michelle in MO]

Veritas Press's Omnibus III literature recommendations. Some of them might work.

 

I love Pride and Prejudice, but I would tend to agree with the person who said to possibly avoid Jane Austen. The writing styles of the 1800's and 1900's were very different. However, your daughter might enjoy a larger-print version of a Jane Austen book. Along those lines, the particular edition you would buy might make a big difference for your daughter as to whether or not she would enjoy it.

 

Here are a few selections from Omnibus III that might work:

 

Little Women

 

Pride and Prejudice (possibly)

 

The Chosen or The Promise

 

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer

 

Would she like any of John Steinbeck's novels, such as The Old Man and the Sea or The Pearl?

 

I know one author my girls really enjoyed was Christopher Paul Curtis, who wrote Bud, Not Buddy and The Watsons Go to Birmingham - 1963, but they might be more for enjoyment, not really for study.

 

Many of the ones listed above have SparkNotes or Cliff Notes accompanying the books.

 

I hope you find what you're looking for! I have a reluctant reader, too, and I'm always trying to entice her!

[DollyM]

So if none of the aforementioned titles float her boat - consider something by Willa Cather. My Antonia was one of DD's favorite-est (yep, it's a :lol:word ) books.

[April in CA]

Hello again,

Michelle had a great idea about getting larger-print books for your dd. As one with visual issues myself, I can attest that larger print and uncrowded pages make a huge differnece in reading pleasure and speed. The Barnes & Noble classics editions (the bigger sized ones, not the dinky ones) are generally confortable for me to read in good light; the other inexpensive versions (signet, penguin, etc) are typically too small (both print and book size) for comfort.

Michelle also suggested Little Women - another great book! does your dd enjoy audio books or reader's theater productions? Focus on the Family reader's theater productions are WONDERFUL, and they have Little Women and Anne of Green Gables. My guys love to listen to Chronicles of Narnia, etc from F on F. Giving your dd access to good books in a different format could help give her eyes a break.

Blessings,

April (in serious need of new bifocals!)

[Maura in NY]

Another vote for To Kill A Mockingbird. When my book loving son read this the summer between 8th & 9th, his comment was "Why can't all so-called classics be like this?"

[Kareni]

What suggestions do you have for 1 good book for our study?

 

A couple of books that my daughter particularly enjoyed were The Scarlet Pimpernel and Frankenstein. She said that Frankenstein was very unlike what she had expected based on movies and clichés. My suggestion would be to offer her a chance to select her one book from a pile of your choices; then build your literature study.

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Liza Q]

My suggestion would be to offer her a chance to select her one book from a pile of your choices; then build your literature study.

 

 

Very good idea!

[Jane in NC]

Jann,

 

I think that this is one of the hardest questions that has surfaced in recent weeks on this board. One book to inspire a reluctant reader--quite a task.

 

As opposed to suggesting the book, I was wondering if I could suggest a novella over a novel. (The suggestion of The Importance of Being Earnest led me to this. I adore Earnest, it is not a long read, but I don't know if you want a play for your daughter.) With a novella, you are reducing the amount of time reading so that you can focus on analysis--that way the eye tracking problem may also be minimized.

 

But what novella? There is the Henry James classic, The Turn of the Screw. You could have fun with the interpretation issue--is the narrator reporting the facts as she witnesses them or is she neurotic?

 

Michelle suggested two novellas: The Pearl and The Old Man and the Sea. If you were looking for something for a person who loves the outdoors, I would go with Hemingway's short story, Big Two-Hearted River. It is the story of a wounded soldier on a camping trip, home from the war and in need of physical and mental healing.

 

Of course, the latter may be too heavy for July--would comedy be more in order? Would the two of you enjoy reading and laughing aloud together? Twain certainly wrote a number of short stories, but I am unable to remember which ones might be great for a hot summer's evening.

 

Good luck.

Jane

[Jann in TX]

I have NO idea what inspires this girl. Getting her to read is like pulling teeth. She prefers a good audio book--but she still needs to practice her 'book reading'. Her best friend reads 1-2 books A DAY! (I was similar--but reading was NOT physically painful). This dd wants to go to college--Pre-Med or Pre-Dental. She needs to find a solution soon!

 

DD will also be doing another round of eye-therapy this summer--combined with speed reading. Hopefully this will help some.

[LisaCA]

I was surprised when my reluctant reader enjoyed To Kill a Mockingbird.

We read it together and while the reading itself it not difficult it has many deeper themes woven into it. There are many wonderful internet sites to choose from and I was surprised to learn a few things too. There is also a wealth of historical themes that can be taken from.

Have fun and I hope returning to homeschooling works out for the two of you.

Best wishes, Lisa

[SallyMac]

JannTX...your dd might be better off reading a drama/play because the print is separated by more white space and you definitely want the print to be a larger font size. I grew up with eye muscle problems (they also call this saccadic dyslexia, but I don't know if they were accurate back in the 60's). I would read horizontally across a line to about the half way point, then drop straight down and finish reading across the line under that (over and over and over again). Very frustrating. The good news is that eye muscle exercises do work as I no longer have that problem.

 

My ds is not the most enthusiastic reader, but he loved Old Man and the Sea and To Kill a Mockingbird. He gives the impression of being a reluctant reader, but that is because he likes to read different types of books (biographies, contemporary and science fiction) that do not necessarily fall within the realm of required school reading. If your dd would prefer reading a biography and is thinking of pre-med, she might want to read The Miracle Worker (this is the only one that comes to mind). If she likes mystery, find an Agatha Christie novel. Or, to give her a summer break, let her read something more contemporary (and girlie) such as The Sisterhood of Travelling Pants. I know someone here mentioned the play... The Importance of Being Earnest...we are reading that now and a little humor helps a reluctant reader. Then we are finishing up the junior yr with another play...Our Town. Hope this is helping to give you some ideas.

 

Lynn

[Michelle in GA]

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn? It is a modern classic and is easy to read. My dd and I read it together and LOVED it!