pineapplehorse Posted May 25, 2013 Share Posted May 25, 2013 I am trying to set my lit study reading list for DS12 (reading at college level; ADORES fantasy novels) at 15 books for next year. For the first third of the year, we are focusing on Greek Myths & Arthurian Legends and I have scheduled... D'Aulaire's Book of Greek Myths Black Ships Before Troy The Once & Future King Black Horses for the King The Story of King Arthur & His Knights For the last two thirds of the year, we are focusing on adventure novels with various themes and I have scheduled... Robinson Crusoe Gulliver's Travels Swiss Family Robinson Call of the Wild OR White Fang The Wind in the Willows Peter Pan Treasure Island A Wrinkle in Time One of Jules Verne's Voyages Extraordinaires So....which one of Verne's novels would be YOUR pick to go on this list AND what 1 book would you add to list 1 or 2? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted May 25, 2013 Share Posted May 25, 2013 I am trying to set my lit study reading list for DS12 (reading at college level; ADORES fantasy novels) at 15 books for next year. For the first third of the year, we are focusing on Greek Myths & Arthurian Legends and I have scheduled... D'Aulaire's Book of Greek Myths Black Ships Before Troy The Once & Future King Black Horses for the King The Story of King Arthur & His Knights For the last two thirds of the year, we are focusing on adventure novels with various themes and I have scheduled... Robinson Crusoe Gulliver's Travels Swiss Family Robinson Call of the Wild OR White Fang The Wind in the Willows Peter Pan Treasure Island A Wrinkle in Time One of Jules Verne's Voyages Extraordinaires So....which one of Verne's novels would be YOUR pick to go on this list AND what 1 book would you add to list 1 or 2? Don't read The Mysterious Island. :ack2: I confess that I've never heard of Jules Verne's "Voyages Extraordinaire." :leaving: But I did enjoy Journey to the Center of the Earth. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lori D. Posted May 25, 2013 Share Posted May 25, 2013 Okay, not trying to divert your thread away from your original question, or stick my nose it where it wasn't invited (lol), BUT... I don't recommend The Once and Future King (OaFK) for two reasons -- first, you already have a TWO other King Arthur works (Black Horses for the King and Story of King Arthur and His Knights); three seems a bit like overkill... Instead, what about the Canterbury Tales by Geraldine McCaughrean? Or her book of Roman Myths? Or Alfred Church's The Aeneid for Boys and Girls -- or Penelope Lively's In Search of a Homeland -- both are retellings of the Roman epic The Aeneid, which tells what happens to the Greeks when Troy fell at the end of The Iliad (Black Ships Before Troy). Those are all grand adventures, and will help flesh out your Greek myths and choice of epic... :) Also, OaFK is comprised of 4 books; the first, The Sword in the Stone, is probably fine for a 12yo (although there are a few sections in which young Arthur is transformed into an animal and the animals talking to him are really conversations about political systems and forms of government that may go over a 12yo's head)... BUT, the next three books contain adult themes that you may not feel comfortable with a pre-teen reading. Examples: nasty black magic rituals -- skin of a dead man cut into a ribbon and used to deceive Arthur into seeing his half sister as his wife, and relations ensue; boiling up a black cat for its bones for use in magic -- and violence (brutal slaying and beheading of a unicorn). And then the moral fall of King Arthur's court upon Lancelot & Guinevere's affair and betrayal of Arthur... :ohmy: While it's not graphically written, the concepts are all quite clear. Since your DS adores fantasy, why not a fantasy adventure for that last book? You have 3 selections with older vocabulary/sentence structure (Robinson Crusoe, Gulliver's Travels, and Treasure Island) to challenge him at his higher reading level, but how about something a little more modern and in his "sweet spot" to finish up the year? Ideas: - Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH (O'Brien) - The Great and Terrible Quest (Lovett) - The Never Ending Story (Ende) - Enchantress from the Stars (Engdahl) - The Book of Three (Alexander) - A Wizard of Earthsea (LeGuin) - The Hobbit (Tolkien) -- and the Garlic Press Publishers Discovering Literature guide - Redwall (Jacques) -- and the Garlic Press Publishers Discovering Literature guide - Farmer Giles of Ham and Smith of Wooton Major (Tolkien) -- two short stories/novellas Or, how about Ivanhoe (Sir Walter Scott), and then read the very fun Knight's Castle (Edward Eager) that lightly spins of of Ivanhoe and Robin Hood characters? I understand that your DS is reading at college level, BUT, he's just now at the age where his brain is developing those critical thinking/reasoning skills to be able to begin learning literary elements and to do some very gentle literary analysis -- and it helps to start that process of with works that are much closer to his emotional/mental age than at his reading age. The Garlic Press guides are a great springboard into beginning to "go deeper". :) Just a few very unsolicited thoughts ;). Please use, or discard, whatever works best for your family! Wishing you the very BEST of luck in your reading adventures next year, whatever you decide on! Warmly, Lori D. PS For Jules Verne, I have not read any of the newer more complete translations that nmoira referred to, but Around the World in 80 Days, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, and Journey to the Center of the Earth have all been repeatedly adapted in book and film versions, so I'd say they are all worthwhile. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nmoira Posted May 25, 2013 Share Posted May 25, 2013 Don't read The Mysterious Island. :ack2: Unless you've read one of two new translations released in the last few years, you're basing your opinion on a poorly written, unfaithful, and abridged translation. (ETA: One should read 20,000 Leagues before Mysterious Island in any case.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arcadia Posted May 25, 2013 Share Posted May 25, 2013 A bit young but "Around the world in 80 days" is a fun, light read. "Journey to the center of the earth" and "20,000 leagues under the sea" are good reads. Gutenberg has them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IrishMum Posted May 25, 2013 Share Posted May 25, 2013 - Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH (O'Brien) - The Great and Terrible Quest (Lovett) - The Never Ending Story (Ende) - Enchantress from the Stars (Engdahl) - The Book of Three (Alexander) - A Wizard of Earthsea (LeGuin) - The Hobbit (Tolkien) -- and the Garlic Press Publishers Discovering Literature guide - Redwall (Jacques) -- and the Garlic Press Publishers Discovering Literature guide - Farmer Giles of Ham and Smith of Wooton Major (Tolkien) -- two short stories/novellas My ds read all of these a couple of years ago, on Lori D's recommendation. Favourites were The Hobbit, Redwall, and the first 3 books in the Wizard of Earthsea series. He also liked Around the World in 80 Days the best form Jules Verne. Edit to add: My boys preferred White Fang over Call of the Wild, as not so many dogs die. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Penguin Posted May 25, 2013 Share Posted May 25, 2013 I love your list. My DS has similar taste and has enjoyed several that are on your list. Some of your others we will use next year. I also have The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery on my list. I think it is nice to have a couple of short ones. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pineapplehorse Posted May 25, 2013 Author Share Posted May 25, 2013 Thanks everyone!! Don't read The Mysterious Island. :ack2: I confess that I've never heard of Jules Verne's "Voyages Extraordinaire." :leaving: But I did enjoy Journey to the Center of the Earth. Noted :) Voyages Extraordinaire is the name for the collection of novels Journey to the Center of the Earth, From the Earth to the Moon, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea & Around the World in 80 Days. Okay, not trying to divert your thread away from your original question, or stick my nose it where it wasn't invited (lol), BUT... I don't recommend The Once and Future King (OaFK) for two reasons ...... I appreciate your thoughts but I have no problem with him reading The Once & Future King. He has read The Hobbit (dozens of times), the complete Lord of the Rings, The Simarillion, The Odessey, The entire Inheritance series (multiple times), the entire Narnia series, His Dark Materials, much of The Canterbury Tales, Romeo & Juliet (OMG - that one has to have been the worst for explicitness), and MidSummer Nights' Dream. He is exceeding mature, and I know that he can handle TOFK with no problems. I really want our first 12 weeks to focus on mythology so that is why I am heavier on those genres. Since your DS adores fantasy, why not a fantasy adventure for that last book? You have 3 selections with older vocabulary/sentence structure (Robinson Crusoe, Gulliver's Travels, and Treasure Island) to challenge him at his higher reading level, but how about something a little more modern and in his "sweet spot" to finish up the year? Ideas: - Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH (O'Brien) - The Great and Terrible Quest (Lovett) - The Never Ending Story (Ende) - Enchantress from the Stars (Engdahl) - The Book of Three (Alexander) - A Wizard of Earthsea (LeGuin) - The Hobbit (Tolkien) -- and the Garlic Press Publishers Discovering Literature guide - Redwall (Jacques) -- and the Garlic Press Publishers Discovering Literature guide - Farmer Giles of Ham and Smith of Wooton Major (Tolkien) -- two short stories/novellas Or, how about Ivanhoe (Sir Walter Scott), and then read the very fun Knight's Castle (Edward Eager) that lightly spins of of Ivanhoe and Robin Hood characters? I understand that your DS is reading at college level, BUT, he's just now at the age where his brain is developing those critical thinking/reasoning skills to be able to begin learning literary elements and to do some very gentle literary analysis -- and it helps to start that process of with works that are much closer to his emotional/mental age than at his reading age. The Garlic Press guides are a great springboard into beginning to "go deeper". :) Just a few very unsolicited thoughts ;). Please use, or discard, whatever works best for your family! Wishing you the very BEST of luck in your reading adventures next year, whatever you decide on! Warmly, Lori D. I had not considered Ivanhoe or Robin Hood!! Thanks...going to add those for consideration. I have The Rats of NIMH on my short list...it was one of my favorites at his age. Not familiar with some of the others, so I will take a look. Also, we have been doing MBTP for 4 years as well, so he is very familiar with Lit Studies. First off, love this thread because I have a similar almost 13yo and I'm always looking for book lists. I might add to Black Ships Before Troy with The Trojan War or possibly change out for The Odyssey and The Aeneid. I think I would add to the second list The Time Machine - HG Wells Captain's Courageous - Rudyard Kipling 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea will always be my favorite. Thanks! I have read 20,000 Leagues but that is the only one. If no one just jumps up and down for the others, I will go with that one :) He has read the Odessey but not the Aenied.... Never considered Wells or Kipling...they are now on my short list :) A bit young but "Around the world in 80 days" is a fun, light read. "Journey to the center of the earth" and "20,000 leagues under the sea" are good reads. Gutenberg has them. My ds read all of these a couple of years ago, on Lori D's recommendation. Favourites were The Hobbit, Redwall, and the first 3 books in the Wizard of Earthsea series. He also liked Around the World in 80 Days the best form Jules Verne. Edit to add: My boys preferred White Fang over Call of the Wild, as not so many dogs die. Thanks! Going to look up The Wizard of Earthsea series.... Great info for White Fang vs Call of the Wild...it's been a while since I have read either and my Jack London loving DH was no help in jogging my memories. I love your list. My DS has similar taste and has enjoyed several that are on your list. Some of your others we will use next year. I also have The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery on my list. I think it is nice to have a couple of short ones. We read The Little Prince this year as a read-aloud. All of mine (11, 8 & 7) ADORED it. THANK YOU EVERYONE....off to look up books....anyone else? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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