College Board List - hmmmmm?

[Myra]

What does everyone think about this book list found on college board website that lists the books college-bound students should have read?

 

http://www.collegeboard.com/parents/plan/hs-steps/21276.html

[Jane in NC]

...will be able to check off a considerable number of these books from the list. My 10th grade son has already read quite a few which I would certainly call Great Books.

 

But why, oh why, is The Aeneid not on the list? One wonders...

 

Jane

[ereks mom]

that he has read that didn't make the list, and there are some on the list that I don't really want him to read.

[Hilary]

I'm pleasantly surprised. This list isn't as politically correct as I would have imagined.

[Anne/Ankara]

Actually I think it is a very good list, and definitely college-preparatory (meaning that by the end of twelth grade, a student should be familiar with a majority of the titles). At least, that's my interpretation! Really I didn't see any that were objectionable to a student graduating from high school... nice list!

[LisaNY]

Great List! I'm pleasantly surprised.

 

I have to laugh, though. The local ps gr. 9-12 summer reading list is abysmal at best. Lots of pop-culture fiction, with maybe 4 books from the college board list.

 

I emailed the person who is in charge of the summer reading program to ask if I could substitute some of the books with a few Great Books. She told me that I could not do that. Memory escapes me as to the reason, but I remember it being quite lame. :glare:

[Guest PamDinTN]

I have also been looking at this book list. I am wondering, how many books do you think most children will get read off this list over 4 years?

[Mama Lynx]

I have a degree. In literature. I've read 38 of those titles, over the course of my entire life, several *since* leaving college.

 

Make of that what you will.

 

Edited to say: On the other hand, I see I have read all of the poetry.

[LisaCA]

It will be helpful to "see" the gaps in our dd's high school reading and will give us some direction with our junior high dd.

:)

[manylilblessings]

I'm not sure a college-bound student is expected to have finished that list. I've read 22 (all in High School or before). At least half of those were on my father's bookshelf. When I was grounded, I had a choice between a week, or a great book. I was a good reader... I chose the books and read in all my spare time to get off being grounded.

 

The others were from my PS high school. But, 95%+ went to college from my HS, so I'd say it was definitely college prep designed.

 

What a great list. Too bad my oldest is 10. Maybe he can read Call of the Wild and Huck Finn this year. Not much else I saw he's ready for... maybe some Shakespeare.

[Robin in DFW]

she has read 10 from this list during 9th plus a bunch that should be on the list!!! And there are quite a few she will be covering in 10th, 11th & 12th.

 

We are doing better than I thought. :D

 

Thanks for posting the list.

 

Robin

[SheWhoWaits]

Well. as of today, I've read 46 of those books, but as of the end of high school 2 or 3. And I was considered a gifted student and got accepted to every college I applied to. I've also read 4 of the historical/cultural books and 3 of the poems. I think I might just use the poetry list for my 9th grader's poetry unit next year. We'll probably skip the T.S. Elliot, though. I think he's a little difficult for a 9th grader.

[Michelle in MO]

I'm printing it out for future reference.

 

Many of the books listed are Great Books, and we've read probably 20-25 of them (a guess) from looking at the list. I hope my dd's will read more next year; they're going to a private school next year.

 

I would have to say that I doubt very much that our local p.s. reads anywhere close to all of those. I've heard they have a Classics course that only a handful of students take. I think most kids on these boards will be well-prepared, however.

 

The list is kind of strange, though, isn't it? I wouldn't have chosen some on the list and they omitted others that I would think would be more essential.

 

Thanks for sharing this!

[tristangrace]

None of these lists are definitive . . . but they're fun reference points. I have a BA in English Lit (or I AM a BA in English Lit, I forget which is proper!) also--I've read about 35 of them, many of them during high school (plain old public high school, but AP English classes).

[6packofun]

I'm not one who believes that there are that many pieces of literature that MUST! BE! READ! by most people, though. I'm into *uniquely* well-read kiddos. There are some great books and plays and poems and short stories out there--hundreds and hundreds!--and we hope to read plenty of them.

 

If we asked 100 great thinkers for a book list of what they read between the ages of, oh, 14 and 21, and which ones have truly influenced them for good, I'd bet there would be 100 amazingly different and wonderful lists. :) Yay for diverse reading! LOL!!

 

Hope this didn't sound snarky. :tongue_smilie: I'm one of those people who could very easily get caught up on reading strictly from a list and I don't wanna be! (Which is why the 888 thing has been fun but very loosey goosey for me. heehee!)