Early Modern Literature list

[LNC]

Early modern whole works list for 9th and 7th - I have tons of poetry and excerpts from Scott Foresman texts as well.  These are the titles I am concerned about for my 7th grader. Advice?

1. Robinson Crusoe (ok for both?)
2. Scarlet Letter (James Fenimore Cooper for 7th?)
3. A Tale of Two Cities (Scarlet Pimpernel for 7th?)
4. Frankenstein (I don't think he would be ready for this, what would be good for 7th?)
5. Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (he liked Tom Sawyer, so ok even though big step up)
6. The Red Badge of Courage (ok)

So, I definately need replacements for #2, 3, 4. Any advice?
Thanks!

[klmama]

I think replacements will depend on why you think these aren't going to work.  Is it the topics or the writing style?

 

FWIW,  I might replace Scarlett Letter with short stories by Hawthorne.  Then you could cover the same historical background with both, but they could read different works including some of the same themes. 

 

A Tale of Two Cities is a great story - what if he listened to it on audiobook from the library instead of reading it?  Scarlett Pimpernel might be okay, too.

 

Not knowing why you want to replace Frankenstein, it's hard to offer an alternative, but what about Treasure Island?  The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde? Short stories by Washington Irving?

 

 

[MicheleinMN]

My son just finished 8th grade and the only book he would say to take off the list is Robinson Crusoe.  (I don't know why, but he just completely disliked that book.)  Now, this particular child is my *read anything* kid, but I don't think the others are out of bounds for a good/advanced 7th grader.  (We did Tale of Two Cities as a follow along audio book.)

 

HTH

[jhschool]

Robinson Crusoe is a wonderful book in many ways, but it has a lot of nonsense in it.

For example, they are minding their own business on the beach, and a huge leopard

or something comes out and wants to kill people.

It's just very silly sometimes.

But it's very fun reading how he builds his little complex and all.

 

Re:  Tale of Two Cities, Frankenstein, and Scarlet Letter--do you not like them for the

7th grader because of all the nastiness?  Huck Finn gets kind of heavy with the dad too.

 

Let us know what it is about them that you don't like, and we'll steer you in the right

direction.

 

Also, why don't you have 7th grader read some Sherlock Holmes?  It is very

fun, beautifully written, and there is plenty of it!  We did a huge amount of it last year, and

it was great.

 

If you don't mind scary and troubling,

I agree with PP about Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde.  It is very well written and

explores all that duality stuff.

 

 

[Candid]

For what it is worth I think both Cooper novels and The Scarlet Letter are probably too difficult for the 7th grader if he is age appropriate. I think they might even be tough for your ninth grader. Not just the themes but how subtle the ideas are presented, the level of the language usage. Huck Finn also shows this big step up from Tom Sawyer. To be able to pick out the theme of the shore vs. the river will take some guidance. 

 

Frankenstein can be dull in the middle, the monster reads Paradise Lost and ruminates on it. A seventh grade might be able to read and enjoy this. 

 

Personally I'd look around for some short stories. Hawthorne has them in spades, but you can also I think find some Cooper ones (or maybe annotations from the novels) and Poe stories and maybe a Melville story. 

[LNC]

I have many short stories, poems, and excerpts scheduled, but we need some novels as well. We read Dr. Jekyll this summer.

 

Maybe a Tale of Two Cities is ok.

 

I will keep looking for substitutes for Scarlet Letter and Frankenstein.

 

Thanks!

[LNC]

The replacements are bc of reading & comprehension level. We don't have time for read alouds, just discussion.

 

I think I will replace Scarlet Letter and Frankenstein with Kidnapped and Treasure Island for my 7th grader. He can read the rest, including Tale of Two Cities. I checked lexiles to be sure. Thanks!

[Sebastian (a lady)]

Early modern whole works list for 9th and 7th - I have tons of poetry and excerpts from Scott Foresman texts as well. These are the titles I am concerned about for my 7th grader. Advice?

1. Robinson Crusoe (ok for both?)

2. Scarlet Letter (James Fenimore Cooper for 7th?)

3. A Tale of Two Cities (Scarlet Pimpernel for 7th?)

4. Frankenstein (I don't think he would be ready for this, what would be good for 7th?)

5. Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (he liked Tom Sawyer, so ok even though big step up)

6. The Red Badge of Courage (ok)

 

So, I definately need replacements for #2, 3, 4. Any advice?

Thanks!

There is a great audio version of Robinson Crusoe by Jim Weiss. He recorded it for one of the big audio companies like Recorded Books. My older sons read RC in 7/8th grade and the 4th grader listened.

An alternative to Frankenstein might be The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde by Stevenson.

[flyingiguana]

Frankenstein really is quite the slog. However, my husband apparently read some abridged version when he was in high school and loved it. When we read it together with our kids, he couldn't figure out why he now hated it so much.

 

So I wouldn't put aside the idea of a decent abridged version. It would get at the themes without the dreadfully boring bits. I've always thought Frankenstein would have made a great short story, but as a book it's kind of weak.

 

If you just want a "thriller" from that general time period, I found Dracula a much easier read. Things actually happen. There's a bit of implied sexuality, so that might be a downside for a middle schooler, but it really isn't much. It also has its silly bits. (For some reason, whenever Americans show up in novels from that time period, they mostly run around shooting at things.)

 

I kind of liked Robinson Crusoe, though. It's long, and there are lots of non-PC bits, but they just make for more discussion topics. We also did Gulliver's Travels as an audio book (with Hugh Laurie). There were still sloggy bits, but Frankenstein was a whole lot harder to get through.

[flyingiguana]

How about Ivanhoe?

 

I liked The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. It's short, and actually rather funny. There's also a Disney animated version that's worth watching, believe it not.

 

Huck Finn isn't that hard to read, but there are heavy bits all through it. Lots of death and mayhem. And the irony might be hard for a 7th grader to really appreciate. Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court isn't quite as heavy -- but, well, just about everyone dies in the end.

 

There are lesser known Twain books. I haven't read them, but they might be worth looking into. I think the chapter on Huck Finn in 25 Books that Shaped America might mention some of them.

 

There's also The House of the Seven Gables if you want to replace The Scarlet letter.

 

The only Melville I've read is Moby Dick and Billy Budd, neither of which I would recommend for that age -- but did he write some earlier adventure novels that might be good?

 

Man Without a Country was kind of interesting -- and really short.

 

The Moonstone is also fun, although it might be a bit long.

[Candid]

On Melville, I read "Benito Cereno" in college. It's a bit of a mystery about a slave rebellion aboard a ship. All Melville is dark though, pre-read.