Early Modern literature for 9th grade

[Peaceseeker]

We will hit Early Modern in 9th grade for our history cycle. I am considering Lightning Lit packs for Early American and Early British literature. Some of the recommendations include Jane Eyre, The Scarlet Letter, Pride & Prejudice, Ivanhoe, Frankenstein, & Moby Dick. The British lit package suggests grades 10-12. American lit starts at 9th.

 

It has been a long time since I have read my classics. I am on the fence about both Jane Eyre and The Scarlett Letter in terms of readiness. I do remember disliking Moby Dick and Ivanhoe seems like the wrong time period (although it was written in 1820 it is set in the 1200's?)

 

It would be for a teen girl age 14-15, a book worm although more into contemporary YA fiction. We will be working through anything difficult together. I will probably add in some Tennyson and Poe for poetry and possibly a Shakesphere play.

 

Are any of these titles you would avoid as too difficult, or too mature in subject matter for a 9th grader? If so, do you have any recommended literature substitutions for early modern? I am willing to follow our own literature list for the year but I feel kind of overwhelmed at all the choices!

Edited January 30, 2018 by CaliforniaDreaming

[Bluegoat]

A Scarlet Letter is one I might keep - it's just such a common choice it gets referred to a lot and it isn't too long.  It also might appeal to a young woman reader if she identifies more with female characters.

[Lori D.]

I agree about Ivanhoe, if wanting the work to not only be written in but also set in the Early Modern time period.

 

What exactly is your time frame for Early Modern? Is it approximately 1600-1860? Or for literature, are you mostly thinking of sticking with 19th century (1800s) American and British literature?

 

Also, just throwing in the idea that if 9th grade will be the first year you and DD will be doing Literature more formally, or using a formal program, you might loosen up and go with choices of Lit. that would all be of high interest to DD, regardless of whether or not they match the History time frame. If open to that idea, what kinds of genres or topics would DD really love? For example, we made our own "classic works of Sci-Fi and Fantasy" Lit. year (which did loosely go along with our History focus of the 20th century that year), and DSs loved it. In contrast, the following year, we did American Lit. to match up with our American History, and we had the most "misses" of Literature that year than any other year -- DSs were NOT fond of 19th century American lit., other than the short stories we did. ;)

[Peaceseeker]

We did just an intro to literary terms in 7th (Figuratively speaking) and Lightning Lit 8 this year which has gone well. I am doing more composition next year, so not expecting much in the way of literary analysis yet, but I would like to start exposing her to some harder works. She reads a ton for pleasure already. No problems there other than prying them out of her hands to start school 😉

 

I would like to line literature up with history as much as possible. I was leaning towards having half a credit of British lit and half a credit American lit for both 9th and 10th grade as we go through Early Modern (1600-1850) in 9th and Modern (1850- present) in 10th. We started the 4 year history cycle late in 7th grade. I am looking at continuing with History Odyssey Early Modern as a spine for history next year, but most of the literature built in is below her level.

 

I could alternately give her a year of World literature and not focus as much on American/British lit. But I need book suggestions either way if anyone has any!

Edited January 30, 2018 by CaliforniaDreaming

[rzberrymom]

One idea might be to start with female writers from that era. My 13-year old and I picked several classics that are analyzed in the Madwoman in the Attic (best literary analysis that I remember from college) and then read them together and discussed them. I usually read the first few chapters out loud, and then she couldn't stand to wait for me and would finish them by herself. lol We used Pride and Prejudice, Wuthering Heights, Mansfield Park and Frankenstein, but other good ones could be Jane Eyre, Villette, anything by George Elliot, Emily Dickinson, etc..

[Farrar]

For me, this is the problem with trying to stay in a time period for a particular grade. I think typically kids are ready for some books and not others. I do get the desire to marry the history and literature though - it's a balance. I agree with Lori's suggestion that picking a theme can often work better. If you want to have literature tie in, it's still okay to do something like alternate books - a book from your time period, followed by a book that has a different purpose - such as to appeal to her as a reader but expand her horizons. Or you might pair books in various ways - read P&P and follow it up with a more modern romance to compare the two.

 

I don't think any of them are too difficult for a good reader at that age per se. But taste is individual - some may not speak to readers and that may make them harder. Frankenstein is so short and is so good for thinking about the birth of the modern world - and is an antecedent to a lot of fantasy and dystopian literature that she may know. P&P is generally appealing to female readers and still feels very readable even now. The others... Ivanhoe is less read, and as someone pointed out, The Scarlet Letter is very much still read in schools. That may be a reason to keep one and cut the other. If you're going up through the first half of the 1800's, then I think Dickens is notably absent from your titles. Just a thought. It's also all American and British... if you're tying in with history and doing a more world focus, there are other options out there...

 

I'd definitely do short stories as well - if you don't do The Scarlet Letter, Hawthorne's short stories are excellent. Melville has some shorter works. Just keep that in mind.

[Liza Q]

My oldest did Early Modern in the 9th grade and used both of those LL guides you mentioned. It was a really good year! Some of the books were more challenging than others and The Scarlet Letter was NOT a hit, but she had no trouble with the work.

 

We added several more books just to read and discuss a bit - a few more by Jane Austen, Silas Marner, a Shakespeare or 2.

 

And iirc both guides have some poetry analysis included.