Susan in TN Posted July 10, 2009 Share Posted July 10, 2009 (edited) At the end of every school year we give our kids some nice quality, hardcover books to start them in building their own libraries. Usually 3, or sometimes more in a set (like The Chronicles of Narnia, or the Hobbit and LoTR). We usually buy fiction, but a non-fiction here or there won't hurt. So, what literature would you want to make sure your kids won't leave home (graduate) without? eta: these are what we've given so far to 7th gr. ds, 4th gr. dd, & K dd A Bad Beginning (Lemony Snicket #1) The Reptile Room (Lemony Snicket #2) The Hobbit The Lord of the Rings The Chronicless of Narnia At the Back of the North Wind (MacDonald) The Princess and the Goblin (MacDonald) Five Children and It Watership Down Tales of Beedle the Bard In Freedom's Cause (Henty) Tales from the Perilous Realm (Tolkien) Black Beauty Light Princess (MacDonald) Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats Wind in the Willows Little House in the Big Woods Little House on the Prairie Anne of Green Gables (100th anniv. Ed.) A Little Princess Betsy & Tacy Treasury A Hole is to Dig (what's with the font?) Edited July 10, 2009 by Susan in TN Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TeacherZee Posted July 10, 2009 Share Posted July 10, 2009 Anne of Greengables. I still re-read it about once a year Little Women The Bible (I'm not Christian but having a bible handy is always a good thing I have found) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dirtroad Posted July 10, 2009 Share Posted July 10, 2009 Little House on the Prairie series Pilgrim's Progress Mark Twain Books Pride & Prejudice... and other Jane Austen books for a girl Jane Eyre & Wuthering Heights for a girl Robinson Crusoe Three Musketeers Federalist Papers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jenL Posted July 10, 2009 Share Posted July 10, 2009 The Bible Night by Elie Weisel Chronicles of Narnia Pride and Prejudice The Grapes of Wrath (or anything by Steinbeck) The Jungle by Upton Sinclair Tom Sawyer & Huck Finn Trumpet of the Swan, Charlotte's Web, and Stuart Little ... gosh, I feel like I could go on and on... I'll save some for the rest of you. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HollyDay Posted July 10, 2009 Share Posted July 10, 2009 Wartime Letters of Robert E Lee Cookwise On Food and Cooking by McGee Norton's Anthology of Poetry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gingersmom Posted July 10, 2009 Share Posted July 10, 2009 Pinocchio Mary Poppins Trumpet of the Swan Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Tom Sawyer Great Expectations Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shiloh Posted July 10, 2009 Share Posted July 10, 2009 (edited) I think no child should go off to college without reading: "1984" - Orwell "Brave New World" - Huxley "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" - Adams "Atlas Shrugged" - Rand "Schindler's List" - Keneally "Band of Brothers" Ambrose Plato's "Republic" - hmm can't recall the editor/translation Some tough reading there but nothing like the steady feed of nihilistic, life is worthless/meaningless/absurd that your child would get in advanced Lit classes at your local high school. I'm just sayin' Edited July 10, 2009 by shiloh editing is a good thing Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted July 10, 2009 Share Posted July 10, 2009 The Little White Horse (Elizabeth Goudge), The Chestry Oak (Kate Seredy), and Understood Betsy (Dorothy Canfield). Everything else follows these three. :-) Daddy Longlegs, Dear Enemy (do not EVER watch the movie Daddy Longlegs. Please.) Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm The Borrowers (series, Mary Norton) 101 Dalmations (Dody Smith, NOT Disney) Lassie Come-Home All-of-a-Kind Family (series, Sidney Taylor) Little Women, Little Men, Jo's Boys; Eight Cousins, Rose in Bloom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elise1mds Posted July 10, 2009 Share Posted July 10, 2009 Poe's complete works Anything by Jack London Anything by Daniel Defoe Anything by Jules Verne I'm sure I'll think of more, but it's late, so that'll do for now ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom-ninja. Posted July 10, 2009 Share Posted July 10, 2009 What an awesome idea. I think I may have to borrow your tradition. Anything Dickens. I love Dickens. Uncle Tom's Cabin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unsinkable Posted July 10, 2009 Share Posted July 10, 2009 I think no child should go off to college without reading: "1984" - Orwell "Brave New World" - Huxley "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" - Adams "Atlas Shrugged" - Rand "Schindler's List" - Keneally "Band of Brothers" Ambrose Plato's "Republic" - hmm can't recall the editor/translation Some tough reading there but nothing like the steady feed of nihilistic, life is worthless/meaningless/absurd that your child would get in advanced Lit classes at your local high school. I'm just sayin' Great list, Shiloh! Welcome! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom-ninja. Posted July 10, 2009 Share Posted July 10, 2009 Oh, Dumas. Three Musketeers and The Count of Monte Cristo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sagira Posted July 10, 2009 Share Posted July 10, 2009 In addition to the above titles I also liked: Lord of the Flies The Little Prince Animal Farm Farewell to Arms and other Hemingway works At least one story of magical realism from Gabriel Garcia Marquez Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skaterbabs Posted July 10, 2009 Share Posted July 10, 2009 Great Expectations, Little Women, the Wrinking In Time series, the Narnia series, Jane Eyre, Alice In Wonderland, A Little Princess and The Secret Garden. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karen sn Posted July 10, 2009 Share Posted July 10, 2009 I think no child should go off to college without reading: "1984" - Orwell "Brave New World" - Huxley "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" - Adams "Atlas Shrugged" - Rand "Schindler's List" - Keneally "Band of Brothers" Ambrose Plato's "Republic" - hmm can't recall the editor/translation Some tough reading there but nothing like the steady feed of nihilistic, life is worthless/meaningless/absurd that your child would get in advanced Lit classes at your local high school. I'm just sayin' I LOVE Brave New World. See it coming to fruition every day though.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susan in TN Posted July 10, 2009 Author Share Posted July 10, 2009 What an awesome idea. I think I may have to borrow your tradition. Please do...I'm sure I borrowed it from someone else here at one time or another :). My oldest proudly arranges and displays his "library" in his room. It CAN get a little pricey, but it's money well spent, imo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susan in TN Posted July 10, 2009 Author Share Posted July 10, 2009 In addition to the above titles I also liked: At least one story of magical realism from Gabriel Garcia Marquez Wow - the only magical realism I've ever heard of is from Tim Powers and James Blaylock. I'll have to look into Marquez. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BarbaraL in OK Posted July 10, 2009 Share Posted July 10, 2009 For our kids' birthdays, we do a theme for 3-5 books. We started this with our older ds's 11th birthday, and his theme was Mom & Dad's very favorite childhood books -- Escape from Warsaw (Ian Serrailler, siblings escape the Nazis), Johnny Tremain, The Book of Three (Lloyd Alexander, #1 of Prydain Chronicles). His 12th birthday, I think it was adventure & exploration stories, like The Sign of the Beaver. Last winter ds13 received an intro to classic science fiction & fantasy -- Asimov's I, Robot (with the Will Smith cover ;) ), an Arthur C. Clarke (Time's Eye), an Earthsea book that turned out to need the trilogy first, and Heinlein's Starship Troopers (crossing fingers...). This theme came about because he reads a lot of (current) fantasy & sees lots of (modern) sci-fi. For his 9th birthday, ds9 received his first themed books gift. The theme was childhood not-to-be-missed books -- Heidi (huge hit once he got around to reading it!), the first Bobssey Twins book, a one-volume Hardy Boys #1 & #2, and Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH. The boys are getting used to the idea, though they don't always know what to think about particular books ("just read the first 2 chapters..."). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unsinkable Posted July 11, 2009 Share Posted July 11, 2009 For our kids' birthdays, we do a theme for 3-5 books. We started this with our older ds's 11th birthday, and his theme was Mom & Dad's very favorite childhood books -- Escape from Warsaw (Ian Serrailler, siblings escape the Nazis), Johnny Tremain, The Book of Three (Lloyd Alexander, #1 of Prydain Chronicles). His 12th birthday, I think it was adventure & exploration stories, like The Sign of the Beaver. Last winter ds13 received an intro to classic science fiction & fantasy -- Asimov's I, Robot (with the Will Smith cover ;) ), an Arthur C. Clarke (Time's Eye), an Earthsea book that turned out to need the trilogy first, and Heinlein's Starship Troopers (crossing fingers...). This theme came about because he reads a lot of (current) fantasy & sees lots of (modern) sci-fi. For his 9th birthday, ds9 received his first themed books gift. The theme was childhood not-to-be-missed books -- Heidi (huge hit once he got around to reading it!), the first Bobssey Twins book, a one-volume Hardy Boys #1 & #2, and Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH. The boys are getting used to the idea, though they don't always know what to think about particular books ("just read the first 2 chapters..."). This is wonderful, too! I love this idea! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tnmomofboys Posted July 11, 2009 Share Posted July 11, 2009 I have a ds(12) who loves to buy the occasional hardback. His most treasured book is Robinhood. My other ds(14) loves King Arthur. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted July 11, 2009 Share Posted July 11, 2009 Wow - the only magical realism I've ever heard of is from Tim Powers and James Blaylock. I'll have to look into Marquez. You might want to also check out Isabel Allende & Jonathan Carroll if you like magical realism. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OnTheBrink Posted July 11, 2009 Share Posted July 11, 2009 To Kill a Mockingbird Bullfinch's Mythology Anything by Howard Pyle (Robin Hood, King Arthur, etc.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sharon H in IL Posted July 12, 2009 Share Posted July 12, 2009 We started this for the boys' Christmas a couple of years ago, after reading about another member who did this. 9yo got Peter Pan 12 yo got Sherlock Holmes Next, they'll receive Swiss Family Robinson and ?? (undecided). [sharon takes notes from the other posts] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ginger Posted July 12, 2009 Share Posted July 12, 2009 Robinson Crusoe (just finished this yesterday...great book!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carol in Cal. Posted July 13, 2009 Share Posted July 13, 2009 "The Egypt Game" and "Black and Blue Magic" and "The Red Velvet Room" all by Zilpha Keatley Snyder "The Diamond in the Window" by Langdon (my favorite book until I read LOTR) "The Swiss Family Robinson" "Black Ships Before Troy" and "The Wanderings of Odysseus" "Johnny Tremain" "Amos Fortune, Free Man" "Number the Stars" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sebastian (a lady) Posted July 14, 2009 Share Posted July 14, 2009 The Mad Scientists' Club Hercules (out of print book by Hardie Gramatky, author of Little Toot) - we buy old copies, I have six on the shelf at the moment, so there's one to stay at our house, one for each kid and two more. Huge family favorite, and I've even swapped emails with the author's daughter. That totally made my day. Various classic picture books like Make Way for Ducklings, The Little Red Caboose, Sector 7, The Secret Knowledge of Grownups. Homer Price Maybe The Way Things Work A really lush Atlas A how to do basic home repairs book (this was one of the first newlywed items we bought) A basic cookbook that you'd worked through with them (or a binder with family recipes) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shiloh Posted August 28, 2011 Share Posted August 28, 2011 I think no child should go off to college without reading: "1984" - Orwell "Brave New World" - Huxley "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" - Adams "Atlas Shrugged" - Rand "Schindler's List" - Keneally "Band of Brothers" Ambrose Plato's "Republic" - hmm can't recall the editor/translation Some tough reading there but nothing like the steady feed of nihilistic, life is worthless/meaningless/absurd that your child would get in advanced Lit classes at your local high school. I'm just sayin' I just revisited this list and I am adding "The Road" by Cormac McCarthy. It's a dystopian masterpiece. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tntgoodwin Posted August 28, 2011 Share Posted August 28, 2011 I think no child should go off to college without reading: "1984" - Orwell "Brave New World" - Huxley "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" - Adams "Atlas Shrugged" - Rand "Schindler's List" - Keneally "Band of Brothers" Ambrose Plato's "Republic" - hmm can't recall the editor/translation Some tough reading there but nothing like the steady feed of nihilistic, life is worthless/meaningless/absurd that your child would get in advanced Lit classes at your local high school. I'm just sayin' I love your list. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.