HappyGrace Posted February 5, 2008 Share Posted February 5, 2008 If one were to teach a light intro to literature class for 3/4 grades (for Amer. Hist. thru 1820-could use books tied in to the history or not), what would be some appropriate books? I'd like to try true lit rather than historical fiction, but keep it simple. I know it seems young for this, but I know it can be done; these kids are bright, my dc alone has greatly enjoyed Shakespeare! (I'd like to keep it MUCH lighter than that for the class though!) Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hen Posted February 5, 2008 Share Posted February 5, 2008 have you looked at "Laddie" by Gene Stratton Porter? It is one of my favorites, funny, and gives you a glimpse of one room schoolhouses, McGruffey readers, social aspects. I'm reading it out loud to my kids right now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jenny in Atl Posted February 6, 2008 Share Posted February 6, 2008 I wonder if you might try poems from this time instead. They are shorter and possibly easier to discuss vs. a whole novel. Otherwise maybe try James Fenimore Cooper or Washington Irving. They have a few that are easy for that age to grasp. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lori D. Posted February 6, 2008 Share Posted February 6, 2008 "Deconstructing Penguins" is a book about learning to read/think/talk through literature with your children, through the experiences of the authors in doing a monthly book club for 2nd-5th grade students and their parents. They did books like: "Bull Run; "The Giver"; "Call of the Wild"; "Animal Farm"; and other classic works not usually introduced until jr/sr high. It's a fascinating book, with a a very nice list of book suggestions at the end. Might be worth a look to see if anything matches up with what you're doing. Just my opinion, but I think what books you choose will probably depend on whether this is just for the kids, or will be done with the adults. You can get into heavier books if the parents are reading aloud to the kids at home. If the kids are having to read on their own, I know my boys couldn't have handled anything much tougher than "Charlotte's Web"; "Trumpet of the Swan"; "Sounder"; etc. in 3rd grade for solo reading. Just our experience! Warmest regards, Lori D. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcconnellboys Posted February 6, 2008 Share Posted February 6, 2008 Okay, I'll bite. How about these? I didn't manage to seive out absolutely everything with any historical reference point. And we were heavy on folk tales for this year, too. I didn't just list chapter books, as we love books with beautiful illustrations, too. Don Quixote, Michael Harrison The Legend of El Dorado, Beatriz Vidal Three Swords for Grenada, Walter Myers Katje The Windmill Cat, Gretchen Woelfle The Boy Who Held Back the Sea, Thomas Locker Pocahontas, D'Aulaires The Broken Blade, William Durbin (VERY good!) Sword of the Samurai, Eric Kimmel (good) In the Hollow of Your Hand: Slave Lullabies, Alice McGill (with songs on CD) (Good) In the Time of the Drums, Kim Siegelson The Village that Vanished, Ann Grifalconi (good) One Riddle, One Answer, Lauren Thompson A Treasury of Turkish Folktales for Children, Barbara Walker Rapunzel, Paul Zelinsky The Pied Piper of Hamelin, Robert Browning Grimm’s Fairy Tales Shipwrecked! Rhoda Blumberg Usborne Stories from Around the World The Cat Who Went to Heaven, Elizabeth Coatsworth (longtime favorite!) The Turnip, Walter de la Mare The Three Musketeers, Great Illustrated Classics (or other version you prefer) A Farmer Boy Birthday, Laura Ingalls Wilder, adapted w/ illus. By Jody Wheeler (or any version of any Wilder book, as you prefer) The Year at Mapel Hill Farm, Alice and Martin Provensen The Boy Who Lived with the Bears and Other Iroquois Stories, Joe Bruchac (on tape) Listen to unabridged Farmer Boy, Wilder Gulliver in Lilliput, Margaret Hodges Gulliver’s Travels, Jonathan Swift (Young Readers, Usborne) A Weave of Words, Robert D. San Souci Folktales of the Amur, Dmitri Nagishkin (we both read from this) The Sea King’s Daughter, Aaron Shepard (good) Just So Stories, Kipling (Moser, illus.) Children of the Dragon, Sherry Garland (re: Vietnam) (VERY good!) Everyone Knows What a Dragon Looks Like, Jay Williams (good) Eyes of the Dragon, Margaret Leaf (good) The Last Dragon, Susan Nunes (good) The Emperor and the Nightingale, Hans Christian Anderson on tape (illus. Robert Van Nutt) The Secret Soldier: The Story of Deborah Samson, Ann McGovern (good) Great Illustrated Classics version of Last of the Mohicans (or another version) Giving Thanks, Chief Jake Swamp Skippack School, Marguerite de Angeli (good!) Watched animated video of Ben and Me, based on book by Robert Lawson Bound for Freedom, Ruth Chessman (good!) Sign of the Beaver, Elizabeth George Speare (good!) Mr. Revere and I, Robert Lawson The Mutiny on Board HMS Bounty, William Bligh, Great Illustrated Classics Kashtanka, Anton Chekhov The Tale of the Firebird, Gennady Spirin (very good) Watched I, Crocodile, Fred Marcellino, about a crocodile Napoleon brought home to France, from Egypt Read from Songs of Innocence and of Experience, Blake Read from Lyrical Ballads, Wordsworth and Coleridge, The Rhyme of the Ancient Mariner A Visit to William Blake’s Inn, Nancy Willard Pirate Diary: The Journal of Jake Carpenter, Richard Platt (very good!) The Bobbin Girl, Emily McCully - on tape The Battle for St. Michael's, Emily McCully Swamp Angel, Anne Isaacs Sarah, Plain and Tall, Patricia Maclachlan (good) Jim Bridger's Alarm Clock, Sid Fleischman Maybe this will at least give you some ideas, Regena Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ruth in NC Posted February 6, 2008 Share Posted February 6, 2008 Maybe it is because there are so many picture books we didn't get to, but I would look at some of the great books on one of these lists. At least these address literary devises. That may not be what you are looking for. In that case, oops. http://dept.houstonisd.org/curriculum/xOldCurr/larts/Recommend/literary.htm or http://library.springbranchisd.com/sbisd_library/literary_elements.htm Ruth in NC Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterPan Posted February 6, 2008 Share Posted February 6, 2008 I'd do get some of the VP lit guides and be done with it. We're doing the Alice in Wonderland guide right now and really enjoying it. Narnia is good. Our co-op class is doing Dangerous Journey together. They have a Grimm's Fairy Tales. In doing a lit guide, you get written work, activities, etc. all for just one $10 guide, a great deal. On some books, you'll be able to get annotated versions to give the teacher more background. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HappyGrace Posted February 6, 2008 Author Share Posted February 6, 2008 and I appreciate the long list of ideas! This really helps to get me started. OhElizabeth-can you tell me more about the VP guides, especially which ones have the teacher helps? I'm doing this in a class setting-would these work for that? Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LunaLee Posted February 6, 2008 Share Posted February 6, 2008 I also like the Garlic Press lit guides. For that age you could use Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nimh or maybe Island of the Blue Dolphins. Veritas Press has some good ones also. I have From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, that even comes with little museum art cards. With my 3rd grader we are just getting ready to start The Cricket in Times Square. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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