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6 Best Books Ever s/o 3 books a Year

Hunter

By Hunter,
in K-8 Curriculum Board

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Hunter

Hunter

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What if you only could have 6 literature books to teach your children for all of grades K-12. I'm not talking about phonics, comprehension, or content subjects, but just literature.

 

Books like:

 

Aesop's Fables

Complete Shakespeare

Iliad/Odyssey

Aeneid

Hobbit

Moby Dick

 

Bill, I added Moby Dick for you! :lol:

 

It's up to you whether you add the Bible as a literature book, or consider it as a given that it's another basic subject, and not read as literature.

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Hunter

Hunter

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I would pick (and hopefully you will accept me lumping some together ;)

 

The Bible

The Chronicles of Narnia (mine is a one book collection)

Iliad/Odyssey

The Lord of the Rings (mine is a one volume edition)

The Hobbit

 

Sorry for cheating :)

Not cheating at all. I was just looking at the Barnes and Nobles anthologies and was looking at lumping some myself. Especially Iliad/Odyssey.

 

I think I'm going to pick myself 6 B&N books. They have a Narnia anthology. I'm not sure about Lord of the Rings. They Have Aesop, Grimm's, the KJV Bible, Complete Shakespeare.

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/?sort=SA&store=book&sid=934942&view=grid&size=90

 

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/collectible-editions?store=allproducts&keyword=collectible+editions

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danybug

danybug

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This is the paperback Narnia collection we have. 

 

http://www.amazon.com/The-Chronicles-Narnia-C-Lewis/dp/0066238501/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1393460148&sr=8-1&keywords=the+chronicles+of+narnia

 

As for Iliad/Odyssey, I know there is a lot of debate about which version is best.  I found Lattimore to be the translation I wanted.

 

http://www.amazon.com/The-Odyssey-Homer/dp/006124418X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1393460335&sr=8-1&keywords=odyssey+lattimore

 

 

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Hunter

Hunter

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This is the paperback Narnia collection we have.

 

http://www.amazon.com/The-Chronicles-Narnia-C-Lewis/dp/0066238501/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1393460148&sr=8-1&keywords=the+chronicles+of+narnia

 

As for Iliad/Odyssey, I know there is a lot of debate about which version is best. I found Lattimore to be the translation I wanted.

 

http://www.amazon.com/The-Odyssey-Homer/dp/006124418X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1393460335&sr=8-1&keywords=odyssey+lattimore

Hmm, yes, I forgot there are different translations and sometimes they are VERY different.

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Hunter

Hunter

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I'm definitely going to choose my 6 from the B&N Collectible Editions. The hardcovers are $18.00 and the Nook Books are $3.49.

 

I want to choose 6 books, one to accompany each original 1991 What Your Grader Needs to Know book.

 

I already own the Little House Anthology, but I don't know if I want to pick just Great Books.

 

We all know I'm a bit OCD. I like things to look nice lined up. And it's not like I need to stick to my choices or anything. I just feel like making a pretty bookcase, for a least a couple weeks, until I get tired of it and decide to do something else.

 

So I can line the books up at home, and have the nook books actually with me when I have time to read.

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Hunter

Hunter

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My son had mythology books in the original Greek and Latin. Are there any nicely illustrated English version of the older authors, like Ovid and Apollodorus?

 

I don't think I want to use the bulky B&N books except for maybe the Complete Shakespeare.

 

How about a nice Pilgrim's Progress?

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Hunter

Hunter

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Okay, my 6 best books ever:

 

Metamorphoses by Ovid

Aesop's Fables

Complete Shakespeare

Pilgrim's Progress

KJV Bible

Grimm's Fairy Tales

 

If I pull the Bible out to squeeze in one more title, I'd add:

 

Classic American Short Stories

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/classic-american-short-stories-michael-kelahan/1113786971?ean=9781435129122

 

 
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Hunter

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Okay, my 6 best books ever:

 

Metamorphoses by Ovid

Aesop's Fables

Complete Shakespeare

Pilgrim's Progress

KJV Bible

Grimm's Fairy Tales

 

If I pull the Bible out to squeeze in one more title, I'd add:

 

Classic American Short Stories

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/classic-american-short-stories-michael-kelahan/1113786971?ean=9781435129122

 

If I decide to purchase books, despite thinking the above are the 6 best books, I think I might stick with the B&N Leatherbound classics and buy the following

 

1. Grimm's Fairy Tales

2. Aesop's Fables

3. KJV Bible

4. Complete Shakespeare

5. Iliad/Odyssey

6. Classic American Short Stories

 

EDIT: Removed Arabian Nights

 

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stripe

stripe

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None of the modern anthologies or books still under copyright have an accompanying nookbook anthology. That is understandable. Some books still are not available even as individual titles like Charlotte's Web and Little House.

Ah, okay, I was just curious what books you were looking for.

 

 

How many books did Jane Austen write. I see this nice and affordable looking hardcover anthology of 4 novels for $7.18.

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/jane-austen-jane-austen/1100203085?ean=9781435141803

Six published novels, and various other items. Sense and Sensibility, Pride and Prejudice, Mansfield Park, Emma, Northanger Abbey, Persuasion -- the last two published after her death. I find those giant hard cover anthologies hard to hold. The corners always seem to poke into me when reading them and my wrists get sore.  That's an advantage of an ereader, right?

 

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Hunter

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Yes, I want to mostly USE eBooks. But I have this ridiculous compulsion to line 6 literature books up next to the 6 NtK books on my bookshelf and declare those as THE official literature books. ElizaG is actually the one who got me started, by talking about the book Classical Education in Britain.

 

http://www.amazon.com/Classical-Education-Britain-1500-1900-Lowther/dp/1107622069/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=1TPK0RNM835UG&coliid=IX5DBJ2BE0W8D

 

She said students read fewer books, but better quality books, and that they usually memorized big chunks of the book. I had been trying to choose 3 books for each year, and was having trouble thinking any were all that much better than others. When ElizaG said what she did, it really hit home, that I don't think many of the 19th century books are all that important. Certainly not important enough to memorize.

 

I used Climbing Parnassus as the reading list for my younger son, when he was homeschooling. We never did all the19th century stuff. My boys read those books for pleasure but not "school". As soon as I dip my toe into the "Classics" I just get lost in the volume, and all the good but not great.

 

I think it might be easier to pick 6 books worthy of memorizing, than 18 or more good books.

 

I think I can piece together eBooks to match any of the B&N books I'm looking at, even if it's not the official matching one. A matching one would be nice, though.

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Hunter

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Okay, I have decided on my list.

 

1. Grimm's Fairy Tales

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/grimms-complete-fairy-tales-jacob-grimm/1100228772?ean=9781435141865
2. Aesop's Fables

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/aesops-illustrated-fables-aesop/1112044045?ean=9781435144835
3. KJV Bible w/Gustave illustrations

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/barnes-noble-leatherbound-classics-the-holy-bible-gustave-dore/1106658795?ean=9781435125391

4. Complete Shakespeare

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/barnes-noble-leatherbound-classics-the-complete-works-of-william-shakespeare-william-shakespeare/1106658819?ean=9780760703328

5. Iliad/Odyssey

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/barnes-noble-leatherbound-classics-the-iliad-and-the-odyssey-homer/1106658791?ean=9781435110434
6. Classic American Short Stories

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/classic-american-short-stories-michael-kelahan/1113786971?ean=9781435129122

 

For support, besides the original NtK books:

 

1. Waldorf used Grimm's in grade 1.

2. Waldorf uses Aesop in grade 2.

3. Waldorf uses the Bible in grade 3. AO starts the KJV in year 1.

4. AO introduces Shakespeare in 4th, and TWTM in 2nd and 6th.

5. TWTM does the Iliad and Odyssey in 1st and 5th and 9th. AO covers the time period at the end of 6. Waldorf also covers this time period in grade 5.

6. AO 6 and TWTM 7/8 cover the same time period as Classic American Short Stories. Public Schools do American Literature in 11th and sometimes have easy remedial type lesson plans that will work for younger students. The Great Courses also has some audio and video support.

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dsmith

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Wow, this is hard! Here's my list:

 

Classics of Children's Literature

http://www.amazon.com/Classics-Childrens-Literature-John-Griffith/dp/0131891839/ref=sr_1_8?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1393567389&sr=1-8&keywords=children%27s+anthology+of+literature

 

Aesop's Fables with Milo Winter illustrating

http://www.amazon.com/Aesops-Fables-Milo-Winter/dp/1454909811/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1393567510&sr=1-1&keywords=aesop+milo+winter

 

The Globe Illustrated Shakespeare

http://www.amazon.com/The-Globe-Illustrated-Shakespeare-Annotated/dp/0517407760/ref=sr_1_12?ie=UTF8&qid=1393567793&sr=8-12&keywords=shakespeare+complete+works

 

Iliad/Odyssey - I'd probably go with Fagles because I already have the audiobook with Derek Jacobi narrating.

 

Some kind of Sci Fi/Fantasy anthology, possibly this one:

http://www.amazon.com/Prentice-Anthology-Science-Fiction-Fantasy/dp/0130212806/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1393569078&sr=8-3&keywords=science+fiction+classics+anthology

 

Lord of The Rings in one volume. If I could get The Hobbit/ LOTR in one volume, I would be ecstatic. 

 

 

I don't feel satisfied with this list, though. I don't think I could realistically confine myself to only 6 books. I feel like I need a good poetry anthology, more American and English lit, as well as some world lit. It feels wrong leaving out Narnia, but I'm a bit tired of it. My current fave for CS Lewis is Till We Have Faces, but I wouldn't include it in my list. I didn't include a Bible, as I figured I would categorize that under religion, but in reality I think the KJV is extremely important in a literary sense although it is not the Bible I would use as a Catholic. I guess I'll cheat and include two versions in religion. :001_smile:  If I ever had to limit myself like this in reality, my head would explode trying to figure it out, lol. 

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Hunter

Hunter

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Great Expectations.

 

My old mp3 player can no longer accept input, so I have been listening to Great Expectations for 6 months to help me sleep. Over and over and over again. It is GREAT! (plus it puts me to sleep every time)

 

Ruth in NZ

 

:lol: There is nothing like malfunctioning technology to change the trajectory of our lives.

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Hunter

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Wow, this is hard! Here's my list:

 

Classics of Children's Literature

http://www.amazon.com/Classics-Childrens-Literature-John-Griffith/dp/0131891839/ref=sr_1_8?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1393567389&sr=1-8&keywords=children%27s+anthology+of+literature

 

Aesop's Fables with Milo Winter illustrating

http://www.amazon.com/Aesops-Fables-Milo-Winter/dp/1454909811/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1393567510&sr=1-1&keywords=aesop+milo+winter

 

The Globe Illustrated Shakespeare

http://www.amazon.com/The-Globe-Illustrated-Shakespeare-Annotated/dp/0517407760/ref=sr_1_12?ie=UTF8&qid=1393567793&sr=8-12&keywords=shakespeare+complete+works

 

Iliad/Odyssey - I'd probably go with Fagles because I already have the audiobook with Derek Jacobi narrating.

 

Some kind of Sci Fi/Fantasy anthology, possibly this one:

http://www.amazon.com/Prentice-Anthology-Science-Fiction-Fantasy/dp/0130212806/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1393569078&sr=8-3&keywords=science+fiction+classics+anthology

 

Lord of The Rings in one volume. If I could get The Hobbit/ LOTR in one volume, I would be ecstatic. 

 

 

I don't feel satisfied with this list, though. I don't think I could realistically confine myself to only 6 books. I feel like I need a good poetry anthology, more American and English lit, as well as some world lit. It feels wrong leaving out Narnia, but I'm a bit tired of it. My current fave for CS Lewis is Till We Have Faces, but I wouldn't include it in my list. I didn't include a Bible, as I figured I would categorize that under religion, but in reality I think the KJV is extremely important in a literary sense although it is not the Bible I would use as a Catholic. I guess I'll cheat and include two versions in religion. :001_smile:  If I ever had to limit myself like this in reality, my head would explode trying to figure it out, lol. 

 

I ordered an older edition of the Classics of Children's literature. THANKS! I had never heard of it.

 

I'm also following up on an illustrated Shakespeare. The B&N leather isn't illustrated, and the and the text appears to be a photocopy of ornate text, that isn't all the easy to read.

 

Just count the LOTR trilogy and hobbit as one volume, even if it isn't. You know it easily COULD be one, and should be one, and may be one if you could just find it.

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Hunter

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Yes to both. I think there may also be a children's edition of Aesop, but we defiantly have the large adult one.

 

My local store didn't have Aesop, so I had to special order it. I'm really looking forward to seeing it. What editor/translator is it by? I'm not sure which audios match.

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Chrysalis Academy

Chrysalis Academy

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Hmmmmmm, fun.  I think:

1. a good collection of Greek myths (maybe based on Ovid)

2. The Iliad/The Odyssey

3. the complete shakespeare

4.  Pride and Prejudice (yeah, I'll take the rest of jane austen too, if I can get it!)

5. the lord of the rings (the hobbit included).

6. To Kill a Mockingbird

 

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Meghann

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My local store didn't have Aesop, so I had to special order it. I'm really looking forward to seeing it. What editor/translator is it by? I'm not sure which audios match.

At a quick glance, I actually don't see a translator/editor listed. :-/. I will have to look again.

 

 

In regards to The Hobbit and LOTR, I wouldn't be surprised if they remained separate books from one another. The Hobbit was written as a children's story, while LOTR goes much more in depth and was written for an older audience.

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Hunter

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At a quick glance, I actually don't see a translator/editor listed. :-/. I will have to look again.

 

 

In regards to The Hobbit and LOTR, I wouldn't be surprised if they remained separate books from one another. The Hobbit was written as a children's story, while LOTR goes much more in depth and was written for an older audience.

Thank you for all this good information!

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