lewelma Posted June 16, 2014 Share Posted June 16, 2014 I need some ideas for my younger (age 10) for his next book. He has *loved* both Around the World in 80 Days and The Black Arrow (his last 2 books). He really likes adventure, but nothing too scary. I am looking for classics. My older at this point switched to classic sci fi, but my younger does not think he will like them. Maybe something like Ivanhoe or Robin Hood? See posts 4 and 6 for clarification. Thanks, Ruth in NZ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saw Posted June 16, 2014 Share Posted June 16, 2014 My now 13 yo ds enjoys Henty and has done for a couple of years now. Henty is definitely old-fashioned but the good thing is, if your ds likes the books, you aren't likely to run out of reading material since he wrote so much! Jim Weiss has a few audiobooks of Henty books as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4ofus Posted June 16, 2014 Share Posted June 16, 2014 We're reading Crispin (Avi) aloud right now. It's very adventurous :). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lewelma Posted June 16, 2014 Author Share Posted June 16, 2014 Thanks for the ideas! He has already read Crispin, and does not like Henty. So I am still a bit stuck. I was going to give him Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde next and he said no way when I told him what the story was about. I also suggested Mysterious Island by Verne but my older thought it would be too scary. This child reads at a very high level and loves deep thoughtful books, so I am looking for something out of the box for his age. To give you a feel for what I am after, here are the classics he has already read and loved. I did not include all the sequels: Children of the New Forest Nesbit Frances Hodgson Burnett Out of the Silent Planet Island of the Blue Dolphins Bridge of Terabithia Watership Down Treasure Island Swiss Family Robinson Peter pan Alice and Wonderland Through the Looking Glass The Lost World Tarzan The Mars series by Burroughs 20000 Leagues under the sea Journey to the Center of the Earth Enders game Robinson Cruseo Tom Sawyer Call of the Wild White Fang Prince and the Pauper Outlaw of Torn My Family and other animals Age of fable Jane Eyre (did not like) Eagle of the ninth Sword in the Stone Coral Island The Hobbit The Lord of the Rings War of the Worlds Around the world in 80 days The Black Arrow So perhaps you can see why I am getting a bit stumped. Looking for classic adventure that is not scary (so no Sherlock Holmes for example). Ruth in NZ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sbeverid Posted June 16, 2014 Share Posted June 16, 2014 Try the Mysterious Benedict Society - fairly large books but engaging for boy reading at a 5th grade level or up. Similar to Harry Potter without the scary stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lewelma Posted June 16, 2014 Author Share Posted June 16, 2014 Thanks for that, I will put it on his list for when he wants an easy book. We typically read books in groups of 5 - easy classic, medium classic, hard classic, easy modern, medium modern; and then back to easy classic. This approach allows me to ramp up his reading level and then give him a break. (I have not included in the above list the modern books he has read) So right now I am looking for a hard classic for him that is still appropriate. So something slightly more challenging than Black Arrow which he is reading right now. I have also considered Gulliver's Travels (the first few stories before it gets really political). Open to more suggestions! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ivey Posted June 16, 2014 Share Posted June 16, 2014 I think Robin Hood is a good choice. Ivanhoe would certainly be challenging, but maybe even frustrating? How about: Treasure Island Captains Courageous Kim A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court The Prince and the Pauper Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoJosMom Posted June 16, 2014 Share Posted June 16, 2014 Kidnapped? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lewelma Posted June 16, 2014 Author Share Posted June 16, 2014 Great idea. Just asked younger if he had read it, and he said "Big brother told me it was boring". Sigh. So I told him that there is only 1 really boring chapter in it and he could just listen to that on audio like his big brother did at a similar age. It just gets into the politics of the jacobite uprising, which is pretty confusing if you know nothing about it. So now I've got 4 Kidnapped Gulliver's Travels Ivanhoe Robin Hood Does anyone have an opinion on the appropriateness of the content in these? It think they are all ok, but been a while since I have read them. Also, can anyone rank them from easiest to hardest in terms of reading skills? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lewelma Posted June 16, 2014 Author Share Posted June 16, 2014 What about James Harriot? And if so, which one? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woodland Mist Academy Posted June 16, 2014 Share Posted June 16, 2014 Lily has read many/most of the James Herriot books. She adores them! I imagine they would be easy for your son--Lily has been reading them for years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lewelma Posted June 16, 2014 Author Share Posted June 16, 2014 Thanks for that. Will add them to his easy classic list then. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crimson Wife Posted June 17, 2014 Share Posted June 17, 2014 What about Dumas? DD read "The Three Musketeers" and "Count of Monte Cristo". He was also biracial, which helps bring a bit of diversity to our reading list. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4ofus Posted June 17, 2014 Share Posted June 17, 2014 Is Sherlock Holmes scary? I honestly had no idea. My rising 6th grader participated in a co-op class in 5th grade that read nothing but Sherlock Holmes stories for an entire semester. He didn't mention them being scary. Hmm. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cosmos Posted June 17, 2014 Share Posted June 17, 2014 Wonder Book or Tanglewood Tales by Hawthorne? Also check the Puffin Classics list. It might remind you of a few more for now or the future. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ivey Posted June 17, 2014 Share Posted June 17, 2014 Is Sherlock Holmes scary? I honestly had no idea. My rising 6th grader participated in a co-op class in 5th grade that read nothing but Sherlock Holmes stories for an entire semester. He didn't mention them being scary. Hmm. My 11-year-old is pretty sensitive, and he's never the Sherlock Holmes novels or short stories scary. The movie was a bit much for him though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barbara H Posted June 17, 2014 Share Posted June 17, 2014 Is Sherlock Holmes scary? I honestly had no idea. My rising 6th grader participated in a co-op class in 5th grade that read nothing but Sherlock Holmes stories for an entire semester. He didn't mention them being scary. Hmm. It is always interesting to me how individual it is from kid to kid. It can be tough to predict. My son was on the pretty extreme end of caution as far as not liking scary books and from age eight he didn't find Sherlock Holmes to be scary. Not exactly adventure but some other ideas... Watership Down Twain short stories Does he like humor - P.G. Wodehouse was a hit here at that age. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lewelma Posted June 17, 2014 Author Share Posted June 17, 2014 Thanks everyone! What great suggestions. My record keeping is apparently pretty poor because he has read Watership Down and Journey to the Center of the Earth and loved both. Like the ideas of PG Wodehouse, twain short stories, wonderbook, and tanglewood tales (which is actually on his list and I thought he had read it already but he has not) Not sure about Dumas. My older LOVED Count of Monte Cristo, in fact it is his all time favourite book, but he did read it at 12, not 10, so I might need to ask him. I will definitely look into Three Muskateers. I have only seen the really bad movies, and never read the books. As for Sherlock Holmes, maybe it is time to give it another try. I gave it to my ds at age 9, and it was too scary then. But 1.5 years is a long time. I do know that my older found the Hound of the Baskerville very scary at about the age of 11. Heidi Ho: Which King Arthur? Will also look at the Puffin Classic list. DS got half way through Jane Eyre and put it down. So I do need to be selective. You guys are great. This gives me lots to work with. :hurray: It will probably only keep him busy for 3 months, unless I give him Count of Monte Cristo as it is loooong. :huh: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eternalsummer Posted June 17, 2014 Share Posted June 17, 2014 I can't imagine a 10 year old boy liking Jane Eyre, hah. Could you slip in some classic sci-fi without telling him what it is? Surely he would like Asimov, Bradbury, some Heinlein (I'm thinking The Moon is a Harsh Mistress). The Twain short stories are wonderful. Some of Jean Craighead George might interest him, although it is not exactly classic and not exactly high school level. Even I like reading them when DD brings them home, though. There's one where the kid goes to live on a mountain by himself, I think. The Earthsea books? Written by a woman, but not hugely gendered (the main character is a boy/man, after all), and they've got food for thought. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lewelma Posted June 17, 2014 Author Share Posted June 17, 2014 I can't imagine a 10 year old boy liking Jane Eyre, hah. I know, I know. He is just so sensitive, I thought he would like it. Well, I was wrong. :001_rolleyes: Could you slip in some classic sci-fi without telling him what it is? Surely he would like Asimov, Bradbury, some Heinlein (I'm thinking The Moon is a Harsh Mistress). The Twain short stories are wonderful. Some of Jean Craighead George might interest him, although it is not exactly classic and not exactly high school level. Even I like reading them when DD brings them home, though. There's one where the kid goes to live on a mountain by himself, I think. The Earthsea books? Written by a woman, but not hugely gendered (the main character is a boy/man, after all), and they've got food for thought. Thanks! I always forget about short stories. I usually get things on Gutenberg and put them on his Kindle. Have Twain's short stories been bundled? It is such a pain to download them one by one. As for classic sci-fi, yes I could. But I really want to do a big chronological sci fi unit because it is just so fun to see how the ideas develop over a 100 years! So I feel like I need to wait a year or 2 for this boy. sigh. Oh, he has read the earthsea books (back to my poor record keeping again) Will look up Jean Craighead George. ETA: um WOW! He has read My Side of the Mountain when he was 7, are any of them harder? Or do you have any favourites? This woman is *very* prolific! Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lewelma Posted June 17, 2014 Author Share Posted June 17, 2014 I think Robin Hood is a good choice. Ivanhoe would certainly be challenging, but maybe even frustrating? How about: Treasure Island Captains Courageous Kim A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court The Prince and the Pauper Sorry, missed this post. He has listened to Captains Courageous and Kim and Treasure Island, and read the Prince and the Pauper. Hasn't done Conn Yankee. That would be fun! He also might like reading the other ones because it has been a year or 2 since he listened to them and he loves rereading books. Plus reading is harder than listening. My older read Ivanhoe at age 12, so might need to wait. Younger is a better reader though. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
regentrude Posted June 17, 2014 Share Posted June 17, 2014 Did not read the entire thread, so sorry if others have already mentioned: Some of my favorite classic adventure stories as a kid: Count of Monte Christo 4 Musketeers and misc smaller works by Dumas I also liked Victor Hugo's Notre Dame. (The librarian refused to let me check out Les Miserables on the grounds that I was only eleven) Has he read James Fenimore Cooper? What about the other books by RL Stevenson? Would Arthurian legend and norse mythology count? If so, what about The once and future king by White? My absolute favorite was a retelling of the Nibelung Saga. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiwik Posted June 17, 2014 Share Posted June 17, 2014 Does it have to be fiction? He could try Barry Crump (call it NZ studies - some of them are funny - try A Good Keen Man), I think I read John A Lee's children of the poor and sequels at 11 or 12 (not uplifting though but interesting), if you can find it and you are doing modern history you could add "I will not Cease" by Archibald Baxter (I think I was a bit older but I wasn't as advanced) it was on National Radio recently as well. That is all the NZ books I can come up with. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freerange Posted June 17, 2014 Share Posted June 17, 2014 I know, I know. He is just so sensitive, I thought he would like it. Well, I was wrong. :001_rolleyes: Thanks! I always forget about short stories. I usually get things on Gutenberg and put them on his Kindle. Have Twain's short stories been bundled? It is such a pain to download them one by one. How about Saki? Our favourite short story is The Lumber Room. Animal Farm, Watership Down. I'm currently reading (or at least I was, until I made the mistake of taking it in the car en route to a friend's & now DD2 is reading it!) VIII by H.M. Castor, which is written from the POV of Henry VIII as a young boy through to adulthood and on. It's very engaging. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eternalsummer Posted June 17, 2014 Share Posted June 17, 2014 No, Jean Craighead George doesn't get any harder. DD eats them up, though :) If he liked Earthsea well enough there's some more UK Leguin that might appeal, but it's generally more sci fi. Flowers for Algernon? (you can see where my reading hours went as a kid, hah. Sci fi is all I've got!) What about plays? Has he read Arthur Miller? I remember liking some of that as a kid. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eternalsummer Posted June 17, 2014 Share Posted June 17, 2014 I had a compilation of Twain's short stories that was a physical book; I have no idea about Kindles. This reminds me: Steinbeck's short novels are okay too, if he hasn't gotten to them yet. They are not difficult to read in terms of vocab/etc. (of course, it's Steinbeck), but there's substance there. The Moon is Down was one of my favorites as a kid (kind of heavy on democracy and sentimentality - I think it was originally written as conscious propaganda). Is he ready for For Whom the Bell Tolls? (the rest of Hemingway would probably be inaccessible and uninteresting, except for some short stories). Don Quixote? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
topquark Posted June 17, 2014 Share Posted June 17, 2014 When I was 10 or 11, I was library helper once or twice a week at my school. I found stacks of dust-covered, forgotten books in the storage room and spent more time reading than helping... Anyway, that was my first exposure to Shakespeare. I understand this puts me firmly into the minority, but I truly enjoyed some of those even at that age. It was as much a puzzle as a story. "What the heck does 'wherefore' mean?" *note: Probably best to avoid Othello for a bit unless you relish the idea of explaining 'making the beast with two backs'... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chiguirre Posted June 17, 2014 Share Posted June 17, 2014 For the harder classics, try James Fenimore Cooper's Leatherstocking series. He'll either love them or hate them. I'd also give Moby Dick a go (skip the natural history of the whale if it's too boring). Maybe Billy Budd? And on the nautical theme, the first couple of Horatio Hornblower might work. If he hasn't read Narnia, Harry Potter and Percy Jackson, those would be good choices for easier reading. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ravin Posted June 17, 2014 Share Posted June 17, 2014 How about the Horatio Hornblower series? And books by Lloyd Alexander, starting with the Prydain Chronicles. Some of the Norwegian and Icelandic sagas are good reads. Saga of the Volsungs for example. The Nibelungelied is good. How about Beowulf, The Iliad and Odyssey, the Epic of Gilgamesh? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crimson Wife Posted June 17, 2014 Share Posted June 17, 2014 I wouldn't recommend Flowers for Algernon for a sensitive kid. It's not scary but I found it disturbing when I was a teen, and I'm not usually fazed by books. I made the mistake of giving DD "The Heart is a Lonely Hunter" by Carson McCullers without my having read it first. DD had loved Harper Lee's "To Kill a Mockingbird" and Goodreads recommended the McCullers book to those who enjoyed TKaM. I didn't realize that it would be so dark. DD found the suicide of one of the characters pretty disturbing and she's not usually fazed by books either. She did say that she found the McCullers novel very powerful but I wish that I'd held off on it until she was a bit older. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4ofus Posted June 17, 2014 Share Posted June 17, 2014 Has he read Treasure Island or The Scarlet Pimpernel? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lewelma Posted June 17, 2014 Author Share Posted June 17, 2014 Wow! you guys got busy while I was asleep. So much to comment on.... So here is the adventure list with some humor and Shakespeare thrown in. I've sorted them by difficulty. Would love some feedback on if this is about right. Very easy Barry Crump James Harriot Newberry Award winners Easy Captains Courageous Kim Robin Hood Wonder Book Sherlock Holmes Twain short stories P.G. Wodehouse Asimov, Bradbury, some Heinlein Earthsea Saki --The Lumber Room. Animal Farm Horatio Hornblower Roughing it The Three Musketeers Never Cry Wolf Medium Tanglewood Tales A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court Kidnapped The Scarlet Pimpernel James Fenimore Cooper- Leatherstocking Voyage of the Beagle Spirit of St Lewis Sunshine Sketches of a Little Town Hard Gulliver's Travels Ivanhoe Notre Dame Don Quixote Count of Monte Cristo Shakespeare I have suggested Flowers of Algernon and younger is not interested. He has read the Prydain books, Narnia, Harry Potter, Eragon, and the Once and Future King Am waiting on the Illiad, Odyssey, Aeneid, Gilgamesh until next year when we do ancients Not Moby Dick. My older read the unabridged version last year and would be devastated if younger read it this year! I think I will wait on Steinbeck, Hemingway, and Miller Will look into John A Lee's children of the poor and "I will not Cease" by Archibald Baxter Thanks everyone! I think I got all of them, but let me know if I missed any. Ruth in NZ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lewelma Posted June 18, 2014 Author Share Posted June 18, 2014 I'm currently reading (or at least I was, until I made the mistake of taking it in the car en route to a friend's & now DD2 is reading it!) VIII by H.M. Castor, which is written from the POV of Henry VIII as a young boy through to adulthood and on. It's very engaging. Is this appropriate for a 10 year old? If so, it looks great. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
basketcase Posted June 18, 2014 Share Posted June 18, 2014 This list looks great! The Dumas books are on the easier side - fun reads, but I think of them as classic pulp fiction. I'd really keep to the first couple of Hornblower books. Maybe someone here has a better memory, but as I recall, there's some distasteful content later in the series, in terms of the main character's attitude towards women. I don't remember it being sexually explicit, but unpleasant enough that I didn't read the last couple of books. Maybe cheating on his wife? The first books were fine, very engaging. And yes, I'd consider them easy. ETA: has he read Twain's Roughing It? That one isn't read as much, but I like it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ebunny Posted June 18, 2014 Share Posted June 18, 2014 I have had great luck with the newberry medal books. Not just the award winners but also the honor books. All of the books ( the ones DD has read) from the newberry list are deeply engaging albeit a little slow paced. 'One and only Ivan'--is a deeply moving story about a Gorilla. So is "The miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane'. The illustrations make it look like a picture book, but the story is an allegory. DD loves LOVES this book. Here's the link- http://www.ala.org/alsc/awardsgrants/bookmedia/newberymedal/newberyhonors/newberymedal Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiwik Posted June 18, 2014 Share Posted June 18, 2014 Thinking about it both "Children of the Poor" and "I will not cease" are quite grueling. They are both informative in the context of NZ history in the early 20th century. I think I read them at about 13 but like I said I wasn't greatly advanced. The John A Lee stuff deals with poverty of the Dickensian type but it is an autobiography set in the country he lives in. I will not cease is also an autobiography and it is quite gently written but the subject is not so nice - there is nothing gratuitous about it and he finds the best in everyone which is nice though. It is hard to get a copy though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idnib Posted June 18, 2014 Share Posted June 18, 2014 Most of my ideas are already listed, but here are some other thoughts.... Dickens? Voyage of the Beagle (non-fiction, but adventurous) The Spirit of St Louis (ditto) The Sea Wolf (another London book not on your list) Maybe The Time Machine (Wells) but check the plot if he's sensitive. Ditto The War of the Worlds I would be careful with George's Julie of the Wolves if you decide to look into her. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woodland Mist Academy Posted June 18, 2014 Share Posted June 18, 2014 Wow! you guys got busy while I was asleep. So much to comment on.... So here is the adventure list with some humor and Shakespeare thrown in. I've sorted them by difficulty. Would love some feedback on if this is about right. Very easy Barry Crump Easy Treasure Island Captains Courageous Kim Robin Hood Wonder Book Tanglewood Tales Sherlock Holmes Twain short stories P.G. Wodehouse Asimov, Bradbury, some Heinlein Earthsea Saki --The Lumber Room. Animal Farm Horatio Hornblower - never read this is it easy? Medium A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court Kidnapped The Scarlet Pimpernel Gulliver's Travels The Three Musketeers James Fenimore Cooper- Leatherstocking Hard Ivanhoe Notre Dame Don Quixote Count of Monte Cristo Shakespeare I have suggested Flowers of Algernon and younger is not interested. He has read the Prydain books, Narnia, Harry Potter, Eragon, and the Once and Future King Am waiting on the Illiad, Odyssey, Aeneid, Gilgamesh until next year when we do ancients Not Moby Dick. My older read the unabridged version last year and would be devastated if younger read it this year! I think I will wait on Steinbeck, Hemingway, and Miller Will look into John A Lee's children of the poor and "I will not Cease" by Archibald Baxter Thanks everyone! I think I got all of them, but let me know if I missed any. Ruth in NZ I might have missed him, but I didn't see James Herriot in this list. I think he would fit in the easy category. I know we discussed him earlier, so I wanted to make sure he made it to the final list. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Five More Minutes Posted June 18, 2014 Share Posted June 18, 2014 A couple of Canadian options ... Never Cry Wolf - easy, although it's controversial because of Mowat's blurring of fact and fiction Sunshine Sketches of a Little Town - humorous; maybe medium difficulty? Love the other suggestions here! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lewelma Posted June 18, 2014 Author Share Posted June 18, 2014 I'd really keep to the first couple of Hornblower books. Maybe someone here has a better memory, but as I recall, there's some distasteful content later in the series, Thanks for the heads up, and added Roughing it. Is it easy like Tom Sawyer or harder like Huck Finn? I have had great luck with the newberry medal books. Not just the award winners but also the honor books. Do you have others that you dd specifically enjoyed because he has read through a bunch of them when he was 7 and they were pretty easy. But I might have been pulling them off a list especially for younger kids, don't know. The main problem I have is that they are not free on Gutenberg so I have to buy them (shock horror) unless they are in the library. So would love more specific recommendations of the harder ones. Thinking about it both "Children of the Poor" and "I will not cease" are quite grueling. They are both informative in the context of NZ history in the early 20th century. I think I read them at about 13 but like I said I wasn't greatly advanced. The John A Lee stuff deals with poverty of the Dickensian type but it is an autobiography set in the country he lives in. I will not cease is also an autobiography and it is quite gently written but the subject is not so nice - there is nothing gratuitous about it and he finds the best in everyone which is nice though. It is hard to get a copy though. Thanks for the heads up. I will give them to my older boy this year as we are doing the 20th C and my book list is short on NZ books. He did just read and do a literary analysis of The Luminaries, though. So I was quite pleased with that! Most of my ideas are already listed, but here are some other thoughts.... Dickens? Voyage of the Beagle (non-fiction, but adventurous) The Spirit of St Louis (ditto) The Sea Wolf (another London book not on your list) Maybe The Time Machine (Wells) but check the plot if he's sensitive. Ditto The War of the Worlds He does not like dickens. DH read them Oliver Twist this year and ds just finds him too depressing. It was his worry over The Time Machine ( I think he saw the oooold movie version of it) being too scary, that sent me on this quest. He has read the War of the Worlds, and I previewed The Sea Wolf and did not t hink he would like it. But will put the 2 non-fictions on the list. Thanks for the heads up on Julie of the Wolves. I might have missed him, but I didn't see James Herriot in this list. I think he would fit in the easy category. I know we discussed him earlier, so I wanted to make sure he made it to the final list. Yup, forgot him. Just put him in. A couple of Canadian options ... Never Cry Wolf - easy, although it's controversial because of Mowat's blurring of fact and fiction Sunshine Sketches of a Little Town - humorous; maybe medium difficulty? Love the other suggestions here! Awesome, will add these. Thanks everyone! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tanikit Posted June 18, 2014 Share Posted June 18, 2014 Some more he could try: (some have disturbing content though not particularly violent) and others are just simple good reads. The Black Stallion The Cay Middlemarch Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell Children of the New Forest Edith Nesbit books Other Dickens: Tale of Two Cities : Old Curiosity Shop Water babies The Diary of Samuel Pepys Porius Tuck Everlasting Jacob have I loved Other C.S. Lewis: Till we have faces A.A. Milne - Once on a time The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy Daddy Long legs Diary of a young girl (Anne Frank) Goodbye Mr Chips The last of the Mohicans Life of Pi Sophie's World A Christmas Story (Jostein Gaarder) The Incredible Journey Born Free (Joy Adamson) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ebunny Posted June 19, 2014 Share Posted June 19, 2014 Do you have others that you dd specifically enjoyed because he has read through a bunch of them when he was 7 and they were pretty easy. But I might have been pulling them off a list especially for younger kids, don't know. The main problem I have is that they are not free on Gutenberg so I have to buy them (shock horror) unless they are in the library. So would love more specific recommendations of the harder ones. Did he find the language easy? or the content? I agree that the language is fairly easy but the content is very rich. Some of the following books were read at 6...and now 3 years later, she still enjoys reading them and finds new insights. You could say that the 're-reading' is my benchmark for a good book :001_smile: . Her absolute favorites were and still are: Evolution of Calpurnia tate- about a girl who wants to become a scientist but is bound by the norms of the times she lives in, where she is expected to marry and have children and being a housewife is the highest ambition a woman can have. Initiated fantastic discussion on role of woman across the times, feminism, duties of a 'housewife' etc. Miraculous Journey of edward tulane- As I mentioned, this is an allegory. DD found one of the themes of 'redemption' fascinating. The idea that a person who has inherently no positive virtues can be redeemed....the message was very powerful. Where the mountain meets the moon- Beautiful and poetic fable about a girl who wants to change her family's fortune. Chinese folktale. it is incredibly descriptive and allegorical. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ebunny Posted June 19, 2014 Share Posted June 19, 2014 Sophie's World I agree. I Highly Highly recommend this book. subject is philosophy, Simplified for a pre-teen/teen, yet the nuances and complexities of the discipline have been retained. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
basketcase Posted June 19, 2014 Share Posted June 19, 2014 I'd say Roughing It is on the easier end for Twain. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lewelma Posted June 19, 2014 Author Share Posted June 19, 2014 Did he find the language easy? or the content? I don't know. It was just so long ago. Tell me, and I don't mean this in any sort of aggressive way, why should my ds read easier-language books with great content rather than difficult-language books with great content? I have used Ivanhoe and Robin Hood to discuss sexism with my older at the age of 10. I have used animal farm and A christmas carol to discuss allegories. Do you find that topics/literary techniques are easier to discuss with easier language books? My approach has always been to ramp it up. Every month I give my son ever harder books to sink his teeth into. So at this point I am looking high school level easy classics like Ivanhoe for my 10 year old, and IMHO it is a step backwards to go to Newbury award winners that are written more for children. I am not against modern books, but I have given my older boy Man Booker Prize winners not Newbury award winners. Does that make sense? But, and this is a big but, I am happy to learn from others' successes with developing the love of literature and literary analysis. So please argue with me. :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ebunny Posted June 19, 2014 Share Posted June 19, 2014 I don't know. It was just so long ago. Tell me, and I don't mean this in any sort of aggressive way, why should my ds read easier-language books with great content rather than difficult-language books with great content? I have used Ivanhoe and Robin Hood to discuss sexism with my older at the age of 10. I have used animal farm and A christmas carol to discuss allegories. Do you find that topics/literary techniques are easier to discuss with easier language books? My approach has always been to ramp it up. Every month I give my son ever harder books to sink his teeth into. So at this point I am looking high school level easy classics like Ivanhoe for my 10 year old, and IMHO it is a step backwards to go to Newbury award winners that are written more for children. I am not against modern books, but I have given my older boy Man Booker Prize winners not Newbury award winners. Does that make sense? But, and this is a big but, I am happy to learn from others' successes with developing the love of literature and literary analysis. So please argue with me. :001_smile: To answer your question, I feel I have to talk about the purpose of a book... any book. does it tell a story? introduce new ideas? new perspectives? enrich my vocabulary? expose me to different styles of writing? As long as it fulfills at least one criterion...I don't really care whether the language is easy or tough. Having said that,..I really don't look at reading as an either/or situation. I'm an avid (and some might say voracious) reader and enjoy a huge variety of reading material. It's my privilege that I can and do read War and Peace and.. say...Jodi Picoult (Not slamming JP). I read James Joyce and James Heriott. Right now I'm reading Heidegger and plan to read 'dresden Files' next. :D . I encourage my DD to do the same. Her range extends from Geronimo Stilton to Rudyard Kipling (Kim) and everything in between including dystopian fiction. The former gives her a window into the world of her peers and connects her to them. The latter gives her an opportunity to discuss themes and ideas with adults. :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cosmos Posted June 19, 2014 Share Posted June 19, 2014 Tell me, and I don't mean this in any sort of aggressive way, why should my ds read easier-language books with great content rather than difficult-language books with great content? I wouldn't presume to tell you what your ds should or should not do, but I can tell you why I did what I did for mine. Childhood is fleeting, and the chance to interact with ideas and constructs of childhood is also limited. When my ds was 10 or 11, I came to the realization that his time of reading children's literature was nearing its end. I wanted one more chance for him to live through some of those wonderful classic children's stories, when he could still identify with the children in the story. I myself like to revisit children's literature as an adult, but it isn't the same. So, I actually added children's books to his assigned reading that year, even though they were "below his level". Some were books that he had read when younger but had either not appreciated at the time or had forgotten, and some were children's classics that he had never gotten around to. I'm trying to remember what they were. I know Phantom Tollbooth and Anne of Green Gables were a couple of them. My goal was related to his life-experience, but in fact it was very interesting in a literary way for him to reread some of those books with new eyes. These weren't favorites that he had reread on his own many times, so if he remembered the book it truly was revisiting a memory from earlier childhood. And we had some lovely discussions about how he experienced them differently then vs. earlier. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alte Veste Academy Posted June 19, 2014 Share Posted June 19, 2014 Tell me, and I don't mean this in any sort of aggressive way, why should my ds read easier-language books with great content rather than difficult-language books with great content? I have used Ivanhoe and Robin Hood to discuss sexism with my older at the age of 10. I have used animal farm and A christmas carol to discuss allegories. Do you find that topics/literary techniques are easier to discuss with easier language books? My approach has always been to ramp it up. I wouldn't say that a 10yo should read easier books instead of harder books as a rule. But what I bolded is just one (relatively small, IMO) reason to read. I do not purposefully choose and assign only books of a higher level while my kids are still young. That would effectively skip some wonderful books that they will probably never take the time to read again. I know you don't do that either, as evidenced by your easy/medium/hard lists above. My kids also read way above level, but they will never be their current ages again. Of course I want to see them moving forward in reading level, but I can't say I view easy/medium books so much as intentional stepping stones to harder books. I mean, they are, of course...but I don't have the kids read them primarily for that purpose. I just don't think about progression that hard, I guess. It has just come naturally. The only reason I have for wanting my kids to read a particular book is that I consider it a great book worth reading. The reasons I consider a book worth reading vary, of course, but level is only one of many factors. I am a little LOL about the goal always being to ramp it up though, because by the time DS11 was 5, he could read virtually anything. I remember him pulling Silas Marner off the shelf and having to take it away because I had never read it and had no idea if it was appropriate or not. (I still don't. It looks really boring. LOL) But he could have read it. So I could have given him a list like the one you are putting together now, and he could have skipped Alice, Peter (Pan and Rabbit, LOL), Mole and friends, etc. But to what end? My basic feelings can be encapsulated by a C.S. Lewis quote: "No book is really worth reading at the age of ten which is not equally – and often far more – worth reading at the age of fifty and beyond.†I take this point to mean that a good book is a good book, regardless of level. At the age of 42, I still read many children's books and enjoy them. Just to be clear, if a child enjoys high level books, I still assign them. (They do, and I do.) I just don't think too much about level. Rather, I try to think more about the topics that appeal, genres I want to cover, etc, then look for great books that meet those criteria. In other words, the level of the book is a secondary consideration. I am sure you are already looking at other factors as well, and that level isn't your sole consideration, but it is the topic of this thread, so attention is called to that focus. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tanikit Posted June 19, 2014 Share Posted June 19, 2014 I am an adult who has read widely - and here I am reading children's books to my young children and enjoying them. Why should a child read easier books - because life is never a straight line - I surprised a homeschooling friend of mine by telling her my then 4 year old was reading books at grade 2 level and then an easier book and then a more challenging one - each book had a purpose (even if that purpose was just to enjoy the story). The same goes for a 10 year old. Life is not all about academics, reading is certainly not only about academics and literary devices - we read a menu at a restaurant to be able to order from it, we read signs in an airport so we can find our way around and we read advertisements (many of which have very simple language) and then we can analyse who the audience is and who the advert is aimed at and why it might have been worded as it was or we ourselves can be taken in by them and go and buy the item advertised without evaluating it at all. So when it comes to literature it is good to be exposed to difficult language devices, but it is not always necessary - wanting to accomplish many things at once with a book is a trap I very often fall into - wanting to extend vocabulary and introduce themes and literary devices (etc etc) can sometimes mean that the themes and the really important issues in the books can take a back seat to the advanced language. Some super simple picture books offer more in terms of literary analysis than do great long difficult novels. That doesn't mean the advanced novels should be forgotten - of course it is good to read them. But sometimes it is harder to really look deeper at something that initially seems so simple and plain cut when really it can be very profound. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brownie Posted June 19, 2014 Share Posted June 19, 2014 What about Shakespeare? I started reading Julius Caesar at 11 using a side-by-side modern english with the original. They are not much altered but it helps. DS hated Henty...slogged through it. I expected complaints when I handed him Julius Caesar but he read it in one day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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