TracyP Posted May 12, 2018 Share Posted May 12, 2018 (edited) I have put together a list of books for my rising 10th grade daughter. These are just for fun at her request, so I tried to make a varied list. Any thoughts? Any books on here you wouldn't want your 14 yo reading? Any books you'd add? Emma Something Wicked This Way Comes Childhood Ends The Tale of Two Cities Andromeda Strain The Invisible Man (Wells) Kon Tiki The Life of Pi The Outsiders (Hinton) The Scarlet Pimpernel Ender’s Game A Tree Grows in Brooklyn Of Mice and Men The Curious Incident of a Dog in the Night Black Rain Bless Me Ultima Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee The Crucible Fahrenheit 451 Flowers for Algernon (short story) Great Expectations The Great Gatsby Slaughterhouse-Five The Perks of Being a Wallflower The List The Crossover This One Summer Goodbye, Stranger Edited May 13, 2018 by TracyP updating list 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garga Posted May 12, 2018 Share Posted May 12, 2018 For Ender’s Game, there’s a short story, and there’s a novella. Card wrote the short story first, then expanded it into the novella. I don’t like the novella as much as the original short story. There’s a bunch of stuff about Ender’s brother and sister that just muddies the story. Then again, there are probably people who are opposite from me and like the novella more than the short story. I’m just tossing it out there that there are two versions, in case you didn’t know. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TracyP Posted May 12, 2018 Author Share Posted May 12, 2018 I didn't know that. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matryoshka Posted May 12, 2018 Share Posted May 12, 2018 Gah, get rid of Ragtime. I had to read it about that age and there was a scene in there that was so inappropriate I couldn't believe they'd assigned it. Maybe I was young for my age, but that was not an image I needed in my head. I literally remember nothing about that book or the characters, but I remember that scene. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TracyP Posted May 12, 2018 Author Share Posted May 12, 2018 Thanks for the suggestions, Heigh Ho. Adding some sci-fi is a great idea. Ok, I removed The Bean Trees and Ragtime. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RootAnn Posted May 13, 2018 Share Posted May 13, 2018 The stuff with the brother & sister in Ender's Game are key to understanding Ender's personality & decisions, IMO. I liked the longer story. I also loved pairing it with Ender's Shadow because Card wrote Shadow years & years later, but the two stories overlap and it gives you a lot to think & talk about. My girls are pretty sheltered at 14, so I don't know about some of those books (Flowers for Algernon, Great Gatsby, Mice & Men) because they can be disturbing. Other kids would probably be fine with them at 12. I think my dd#1 read Great Gatsby when she was 15 - and she didn't like it. I read it around that same age & didn't like it. I reread it last year & while I still didn't like it, I sure understood it better. I tend to be one of those people who dislike stories that everyone else loves (like how I really, really dislike Johnny Tremain - UGH). 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TracyP Posted May 13, 2018 Author Share Posted May 13, 2018 LOL, I can't stand Johnny Tremain, either. I assigned it to dd a couple years ago since "everybody" loves it, and she disliked it too. My dd isn't very sheltered (unfortunately, sometimes...) but I don't want lots of dark stuff. Real life has enough of that. I'll research those books a bit more. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
klmama Posted May 13, 2018 Share Posted May 13, 2018 The one that jumped out at me was Catcher in the Rye. IIRC, the main character is a foul-mouthed, s*x-crazed jerk. (Someone please correct me if I'm wrong!) 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Junie Posted May 13, 2018 Share Posted May 13, 2018 (edited) 8 hours ago, TracyP said: I have put together a list of books for my rising 10th grade daughter. These are just for fun at her request, so I tried to make a varied list. Any thoughts? Any books on here you wouldn't want your 14 yo reading? Any books you'd add? Emma -- my dd15 read this. I don't think she liked it much, though. The Tale of Two Cities -- one of my all-time favorite novels The Invisible Man -- ds17 read this; I found it disturbing Kon Tiki -- I tried to read this and couldn't finish it Of Mice and Men -- I read this in 10th grade and really hated it The Catcher in the Rye -- I have not read this; know that this is usually near the top of "challenged books" lists Fahrenheit 451 -- I tried to read this, but found it was too dark for my liking The Great Gatsby -- not one of my favorites; I won't let my dd14 read it (but I tend to shelter quite a bit) I put my comments in green in the text above. Many of the books on your list I'm not familiar with. I'm wondering what kinds of books your dd usually enjoys. Many of these titles seem dark. Edited May 13, 2018 by Junie edited to correct my daughter's age :) 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Junie Posted May 13, 2018 Share Posted May 13, 2018 I asked about what she likes to read so that I could make some suggestions, but my brain is getting fuzzy over here so I'll just post a few before I forget them. My Antonia -- maybe my favorite novel ever Jane Eyre The Three Musketeers The Lord of the Rings trilogy Murder on the Orient Express Pudd'nhead Wilson Animal Farm short stories by O. Henry 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lori D. Posted May 13, 2018 Share Posted May 13, 2018 11 hours ago, TracyP said: I have put together a list of books for my rising 10th grade daughter. These are just for fun at her request, so I tried to make a varied list. Any thoughts? Any books on here you wouldn't want your 14 yo reading? Any books you'd add? Emma -- I preferred Northanger Abbey, and then Pride and Prejudice; just me -- JMMV Something Wicked This Way Comes -- very enjoyable! Childhood Ends The Tale of Two Cities -- very enjoyable, but it is long, and high school aged DSs needed a lot of help as they struggled to get past the first 10 chapters; after that they got into it Andromeda Strain The Invisible Man -- if you mean the HG Wells novella, my 8th/9th graders enjoyed discussing this one this year Kon Tiki -- a bit slow/dry, but we did it as a read-aloud, and then enjoyed watching the film they made and that they talk about filming in the book -- it's on Netflix! The Life of Pi -- I was an adult, and found parts of it intense and distressing, but a teen may see it just as a survival story The Outsiders (Hinton) -- I still haven't had the chance to get to this one, but from hearing comments from others on this board, your DD is at a perfect age for this one The Scarlet Pimpernel The Joy Luck Club -- I read it and enjoyed it as an adult; I have no idea if a 14yo will connect with it at all -- there are the childhood memories of 3 generation of women, but all the characters are adult women and more of the focus is on their adult thoughts and decisions, some having to do with (non-graphically described) relationships with partners or husbands; there are some very painful and difficult choices made -- one woman's mother commit suicide when she was a child, and another drowned her infant rather than let it suffer the horrors and hardships that were coming, and another had to abandon her toddler twin daughters while fleeing the Revolution -- that said, overall, I felt it was an affirming book and that it ends positively, but definitely: suffering is a real part of these women's lives Ender’s Game -- I did this one with a class of 7th-12th graders, and it went over pretty well A Tree Grows in Brooklyn Of Mice and Men -- ug. not a fan at all The Curious Incident of a Dog in the Night -- a lot of swearing and focus on pooping at the beginning, but it was not bad by the end The Awakening (Chopin) -- I could not get into this one at all; I think I am partly too pragmatic, and also I AM very fulfilled in being a wife/mother/homeschooler (as well as other roles in the community) -- so I just get darn annoyed at people who make a commitment to a relationship and have children, and then abandon them because they "have to go find themselves" ... I do get that this was written/set at the very end of the 19th century when the lives and opportunities of women was all very different and very restricted, and one always needs to read with the times of the author or the setting in mind, but... I personally couldn't jump the hurdle for this one Black Rain Bless Me Ultima Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee The Catcher in the Rye -- I think this might be a young person's book (late teens?) -- I was an adult and I think I was too old when I read it, and didn't "get it" as there was absolutely no resonance for me to "need to rebel", nor was I struggling to "find my place in the world" -- I walked away thinking "meh" The Crucible -- this one's pretty meaty for discussion, so you may not want to miss out on that by making it a "just for fun summer read"... just a thought Fahrenheit 451 -- people either really like or hate Bradbury's still; DSs and I really enjoyed this one Flowers for Algernon -- go for the short story version; see my note below Great Expectations -- not a favorite for me; I like other Dickens' works before this one -- again, JMMV The Great Gatsby -- lovely writing, and an unexpected high point in our American Lit. year for DSs and I -- BUT, it's one that people either love or hate (and a lot fall in that second category ; ) -- so I'd save it and do it as part of formal lit to discuss it, rather than a "just for fun" summer read, never to be seen again... (lol) Slaughterhouse-Five -- I really enjoyed this, but it's pretty surreal and crazy, and there are definitely some disturbing and intense images that pretty much came straight out of author Vonnegut's own experiences in WW2, and they may be a too much, unless your DD is a strong and mature reader -- I'd suggest previewing, since you know your DD best : ) The Ugly American The Perks of Being a Wallflower The List The Crossover Speak -- not read it yet, but isn't this one about a teen who experienced r*pe, and as a result is traumatized into silence?? or am I mixing it up with something else? This One Summer Goodbye, Stranger Wow -- a lot of big classics for a just-for-fun summer reading list! (:D What will be left to do for lit. for the English credit next year?! (;D Or is this just the basket to choose from, with no expectations of getting through it all? Thinking back, when I was 14yo, I was still in that stage of reading a mix of things -- YA works, re-reading childhood favorites, and starting to explore a few classics, but especially digging into the mystery and sci-fi books in the adult shelves at the library. Perhaps your DD would still like a mix, and this summer might be a last opportunity to enjoy some YA works that she hasn't read before? I'm thinking of things like: True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle Evolution of Calpurnia Tate The Mighty Miss Malloy Esperanza Rising The War That Saved My Life Star Girl A Long Way from Chicago Totally just me, but since it's summer "just for fun" reads, I'd probably swap a number of heavier or more intense works for some lighter and humorous works, or just straight-up interesting nonfiction. Here are a few random ideas: All Creatures Great and Small (and/or sequels) (Herriot) something by PG Wodehouse a mystery or three by Agatha Christie or Dorothy Sayers some books out of the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency series (Smith) a graphic novel -- perhaps something like American Born Chinese (Yang) The Graveyard Book (Gaiman) something by Terry Pratchett -- perhaps the Tiffany Aching series something by Bill Bryson Code Talker (Bruchac) -- nonfiction The Boy Who Harnessed The Wind (Kamkwamba) -- nonfiction Bomb: Race to Build—and Steal—the World's Most Dangerous Weapon (Sheinkin) -- nonfiction Rhythm Ride: A Trip Through the Motown Sound (Pinkney) -- nonfiction Hidden Figures (Shetterly) -- nonfiction -- book that was made into the recent movie Soul Surfer (Hamilton) -- autobiography Leviathan; Behemoth; Goliath (Westerfeld) -- rollicking Steam-punk alternative WW1 fun His Majesty's Dragon (Novik) -- fun alternative Napoleonic Wars with dragons Cinder (Meyer) -- fun, futuristic sci-fi fluff The Princess Bride (Goldman) -- and then enjoy the movie adaptation Howl's Moving Castle (Jones) -- and the enjoy the VERY different interpretation by animation film great Miyasaki The Queen's Thief series (Turner) -- books #1, 2, and 5 are terrific; #3 & 4 are weak Farmer Giles of Ham (Tolkien) -- so cleverly written and laugh-out loud funny; it is Tolkien's mock epic, and very fun I have only read the novel version of Ender's Game, and went in-depth with it a few years back with one of my Lit. & Comp. classes for gr. 7-12. I was worried that a few of the child-on-child fight scenes would be too brutal for the middle schoolers, but they didn't seem too bothered by it. Unless your 14yo is really sensitive, she'll probably be fine with it. I do have to agree with RootAnn that the inclusion of Ender's 2 siblings provides the contrast to give depth to the character and make sense of his choices. (Sorry Garga! ; ) ) Flowers for Algernon is another one that has both a short story version and a longer short novel version. I've read both. The longer version doesn't add anything to the concept or character -- mostly it adds scenes of s*xuality of different sorts. Which Invisible Man did you mean? THE Invisible Man, the speculative fiction novella by HG Wells? Or Invisible Man (no article "the" in the title) by Ralph Ellison? The former is a fun one that allows you to consider ethics of science; the latter is pretty rough-going -- a very important book, but not a light summer read for a 14yo teen girl. JMO. ETA -- Oo! Oo! Thought of a few more that are well-written and good for that age: Friendly Persuasion (West) True Grit (Portis) Shane (Schafer) The Thirteen Clocks (Thurber) 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Governess Posted May 13, 2018 Share Posted May 13, 2018 If she hasn't read them yet: The Chosen The Book Thief 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TracyP Posted May 13, 2018 Author Share Posted May 13, 2018 7 hours ago, Junie said: I put my comments in green in the text above. Many of the books on your list I'm not familiar with. I'm wondering what kinds of books your dd usually enjoys. Many of these titles seem dark. Well, her favorite book this year was 1984, so she does like dark books. But I agree that this list is leaning too heavily toward the dark. She has commented that she rarely reads a book she doesn't like. A couple other favorites lately were The Fault in our Stars and anything Rick Riordan. Thanks for your comments and suggestions! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TracyP Posted May 13, 2018 Author Share Posted May 13, 2018 8 hours ago, Lori D. said: Wow -- a lot of big classics for a just-for-fun summer reading list! (:D What will be left to do for lit. for the English credit next year?! (;D Or is this just the basket to choose from, with no expectations of getting through it all? This is just a basket to choose from! She definitely will not get through them all. ?I'd like a mix of classics along with some lighter YA stuff. Your list is great! She is a voracious reader, but she has not read the majority of the books you listed. Thank you! Quote Which Invisible Man did you mean? THE Invisible Man, the speculative fiction novella by HG Wells? Or Invisible Man (no article "the" in the title) by Ralph Ellison? The former is a fun one that allows you to consider ethics of science; the latter is pretty rough-going -- a very important book, but not a light summer read for a 14yo teen girl. JMO. Haha, I'm not sure which one I meant. I also was making lists for my other kids. I'm pretty sure I meant the Wells one, a quick read of the description of Invisible Man doesn't sound familiar. I'll clarify that on my list. On Speak, yes it is about a rape. I think my dd can handle the topic, but with so many other books to choose from I think I'll hold off on that one for now. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted May 13, 2018 Share Posted May 13, 2018 Well, I really liked The Bean Trees as an adolescent - it came out when I was a teen and I took it from my mother's shelf, as I did many books. Though I like some of her other books more. And I liked Mice and Men. And Catcher in the Rye is not my favorite, but it's a classic for a reason and it does resonate with many kids. Yeah, Haulden is not a perfect kid and there's some rough language, but it's appropriate to high school for sure. For a kid who loves 1984, please don't remove Fahrenheit 451 - she'll probably really like that too. This is a book basket for reading suggestions, not a required list. It's supposed to be a mix of books, right? I think your list is fine, honestly. I usually like Lori's lists a lot, but I think some of her first set of "YA" suggestions are really middle grades books and are much too young for a rising 10th grader who enjoys solidly YA books and adult literature. Like, as much as I loved The War That Saved My Life, I think it's really a book for 10 yos, not high schoolers, unless they're reading behind grade level or specifically enjoy children's books. I really do think your list is fine and I wouldn't overly tweak it. You picked your books. Just go with it. But if you're missing any category of books... I think you could stand to add some more scifi, especially since you said she liked 1984 and Rick Riordon books. So how about one or two of these... Station Eleven - an adult dystopian that's being read by a lot of teens now, some violence and references to sex and assault, but mostly just a very well-crafted book about ideas The Night Circus - another adult, historical fantasy about a magical circus - a very fun, entrancing book with a bit of sadness - nothing inappropriate Stardust - Gaiman's most fun straight up fantasy novel The Power - very popular right now, book about a world where teenage girls get special powers The Raven Boys - YA urban fantasy - very classicly YAish with a good mix of romance and fantasy An Ember in the Ashes - YA classic style fantasy - also very YAish, but well-written fantasy with a well-built world The Thief - great YA fantasy with a really intricate plot I would also just toss in a few more YA books in general, especially since she liked Fault in Our Stars. So how about one or two of these... The Hate U Give The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe To All the Boys I've Loved Before All the Bright Places 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TracyP Posted May 13, 2018 Author Share Posted May 13, 2018 19 minutes ago, Farrar said: Well, I really liked The Bean Trees as an adolescent - it came out when I was a teen and I took it from my mother's shelf, as I did many books. Though I like some of her other books more. And I liked Mice and Men. And Catcher in the Rye is not my favorite, but it's a classic for a reason and it does resonate with many kids. Yeah, Haulden is not a perfect kid and there's some rough language, but it's appropriate to high school for sure. For a kid who loves 1984, please don't remove Fahrenheit 451 - she'll probably really like that too. This is good info. I'll reconsider The Bean Trees; I read so many book summaries yesterday that they are all running together. I'm definitely leaving the other two (Mice and Men, 451) on the list. I've wanted to read The Catcher in the Rye; I'll give it a go and see what I think. Your book suggestions look great. Thank you! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madteaparty Posted May 13, 2018 Share Posted May 13, 2018 I also love Of Mice and Men and DS loved it too. Catcher in the rye is very much a young people book, this teen age might be the perfect time, I read it too late. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lori D. Posted May 13, 2018 Share Posted May 13, 2018 2 hours ago, Farrar said: ...For a kid who loves 1984, please don't remove Fahrenheit 451 - she'll probably really like that too... Totally agree! Although I will add that it's also a good one to as part of "formal" Literature because it's meaty for discussion -- we'll be doing it this year again in my high school Lit. class. (:D 2 hours ago, Farrar said: I usually like Lori's lists a lot, but I think some of her first set of "YA" suggestions are really middle grades books and are much too young for a rising 10th grader who enjoys solidly YA books and adult literature. Like, as much as I loved The War That Saved My Life, I think it's really a book for 10 yos, not high schoolers, unless they're reading behind grade level or specifically enjoy children's books... Yes, I tried to preface that list with my OWN past reading, that at 14, I still was swinging between younger tween books and adult books. :) Guess I just wanted to give Tracy and her DD "permission" to include some younger books if her DD still enjoyed curling up with an old favorite, or wanted to "relive childhood" (LOL) the way I did, and sometimes some other kids do. (And, sometimes it's fun to blow through 2 books in a day during the summer. ; ) ) But Tracy: by all means, skip on by if that's not a fit for your DD. : ) ETA: -- thought of a few more that I read and enjoyed as a young teen: Earthsea trilogy: Wizard of Earthsea; Tombs of Atuan; The Farthest Shore (LeGuin) The Martian Chronicles (Bradbury) -- series of loosely connected short stories Alas Babylon (Frank) -- nuclear war survival story Foundation (Asimov) I, Robot (Asimov) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tanaqui Posted May 13, 2018 Share Posted May 13, 2018 Quote The Curious Incident of a Dog in the Nighttime As an autistic individual, I don't recommend this. Indeed, as a general rule of thumb, if it's about a member of $GROUP but not written by a member of $GROUP you should proceed carefully. Try Rogue, I've heard good things about that. Quote Childhood's End I hate this book with the passion of a burning sun. OMG SO MUCH. The only book I like less than this is Cry, the Beloved Country. Maybe Code Talkers as a replacement? I dunno, just not this. As a critique of the list, I'll recommend some alternatives for specific books I'm not that fond of. These aren't one-to-one correspondences, just my own preferences. Andromeda Strain: Try Parable of the Sower and Parable of the Talents (I never can remember which comes first) or maybe Dawn Ender’s Game: Try Salvage Of Mice and Men: Never liked Steinbeck. Try Their Eyes Were Watching God The Crucible: Not Arthur Miller's best work. I don't know what I'd recommend here, but.... Maybe switch this up with some selected poems and short stories. I can make a list of those too. Fahrenheit 451: I am so over the male gaze in my dystopias. Try The Dispossessed or maybe Lathe of Heaven. Flowers for Algernon (short story): Kinda feel this is a little ablist. Try A Time to Dance. Great Expectations: Two Dickens offerings? I'd rather read Frankenstein. I will say, this is a lot of books - and a lot of heavy duty books! - for nine weeks of summer vacation. I'd probably pick one or two of these and fill the rest with some high quality YA - and not so many of those either! I like to read, and I read for hours every day, but I'd still have trouble running through this whole list. But if this suits your kid, go for it. Quote Yes, I tried to preface that list with my OWN past reading, that at 14, I still was swinging between younger tween books and adult books. Hey, I still read lots of YA and kidlit today! I love children's literature, sometimes a heck of a lot more than my favorite grown-up genre literature and definitely a lot more than the hi-falutin' "literary fiction". If it's about adults and doesn't involve dragons or spaceships or the occasional murder (bonus points for all three), honestly, I just can't relate! Those books don't seem to have anything to do with my real life at all...! 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hsmom08 Posted May 14, 2018 Share Posted May 14, 2018 Bury my heart at wounded knee. I don't remember too much of this, except that it was vey sad. It was part of studying for a decathalon and the history section focused on Indians and what happened to them. I felt like I learned a lot about the hardships experienced by the Indians. Someone mentioned Joy Luck Club. I am Korean and I could relate to many of the things that were in the book so I enjoyed 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hsmom08 Posted May 14, 2018 Share Posted May 14, 2018 Just now, hsmom08 said: Bury my heart at wounded knee. I don't remember too much of this, except that it was vey sad. It was part of studying for a decathalon and the history section focused on Indians and what happened to them. I felt like I learned a lot about the hardships experienced by the Indians. Someone mentioned Joy Luck Club. I am Korean and I could relate to many of the things that were in the book so I enjoyed it. (accidently submitted it before I was ready. :-) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kendall Posted May 14, 2018 Share Posted May 14, 2018 I agree that if this is her first Jane Austen, I wouldn't start with Emma. Though maybe there is something to be said for saving the best for last... but not at the risk of her not wanting to read any others. A few other ideas The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins (contemporary of Dickens I think) To Say Nothing of the Dog (read the Moonstone first or this one could give the who done it away) author Connie Willis Hero of the Empire (non-fiction, reads like fiction at times) The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax The 39 steps (and others by Buchan if she likes this one) I wouldn't consider the Great Gatsby fun. I haven't read Ray Bradbury's Dandelion Wine, but I've heard it should be read during the summer. I also agree with reading children's fiction for fun and though I haven't found much YA that I like, summer would be the time for that, too. The Wednesday Wars by Schmidt is great. Reading the following and comparing them would be fun. I did these aloud to my 9-18 year old girls and they loved them all. On the Wings of Heroes, Clementine, and The Wednesday Wars. Different authors, different eras, different reading levels but all have a teacher element. You could leave Clementine out as it is less similar, but we surprisingly really enjoyed this intermediate fiction. My kids (5 so far) have liked A Tale of Two Cities a lot, but fun is not probably the best word to describe it. Editing to add my 2nd son's favorite books - short jeeves stories by Wodehouse(such as Leave it to Jeeves). Three Men and a Boat by Jerome K. Jerome 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DocMom Posted May 21, 2018 Share Posted May 21, 2018 On 5/12/2018 at 2:25 PM, TracyP said: I have put together a list of books for my rising 10th grade daughter. These are just for fun at her request, so I tried to make a varied list. Any thoughts? Any books on here you wouldn't want your 14 yo reading? Any books you'd add? Emma Something Wicked This Way Comes Childhood Ends The Tale of Two Cities Andromeda Strain The Invisible Man (Wells) Kon Tiki The Life of Pi The Outsiders (Hinton) The Scarlet Pimpernel Ender’s Game A Tree Grows in Brooklyn Of Mice and Men The Curious Incident of a Dog in the Night Black Rain Bless Me Ultima Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee The Crucible Fahrenheit 451 Flowers for Algernon (short story) Great Expectations The Great Gatsby Slaughterhouse-Five The Perks of Being a Wallflower The List The Crossover This One Summer Goodbye, Stranger What is the secret to getting your DS to read ALL these books in a summer. Please share - I am lucky if I get through a quarter of this! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TracyP Posted May 21, 2018 Author Share Posted May 21, 2018 5 hours ago, DocMom said: What is the secret to getting your DS to read ALL these books in a summer. Please share - I am lucky if I get through a quarter of this! Well, I mentioned earlier in the thread that she won't read all of them. This is just a "book basket" of sorts to give her lots of options. But she probably will read 20+ books this summer; she is a voracious and fast reader. Not all my kids love to read, so I'm afraid I can't take the credit. One thing I will mention though, there is a direct correlation in my house between screen time and reading. When screen time goes up, reading time goes down. Conversely, when screen time is limited, their time spent reading goes up. That holds true for every one of my kids, no matter how much they enjoy reading. I know that isn't groundbreaking information.... I mention it because I am getting rid of screens for the summer this year (for unrelated reasons), and I already see much more time spent reading. Thus the need for many book choices. ? 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RootAnn Posted May 21, 2018 Share Posted May 21, 2018 On a related, but interesting note: my ds#1 has taken off with his pleasure reading since he fixed my broken Kindle paperwhite (after I'd ordered a new one) and started to read on there. He has two books he is reading on the Kindle (one grade level, one harder one but interesting) plus one hardback book (difficult, interesting, DH gave him). He likes the Kindle because he can look up the meaning of a word he doesn't understand right away and figure it out. He tries to figure out the ones in the hardback book, but often just skips them - hoping the next time he sees them that he'll figure out what the word is/means. However, there's no videos, games, or internet on the Paperwhite, so I get the general screen thing. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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