ScoutTN Posted May 17, 2021 Share Posted May 17, 2021 For an academically strong class. What are your top three picks? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lori D. Posted May 17, 2021 Share Posted May 17, 2021 Do you mean 3 textbooks/resourses for teaching the LA (literature/writing/grammar) aspects of 8th grade English? Or do you mean 3 works of literature? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScoutTN Posted May 17, 2021 Author Share Posted May 17, 2021 29 minutes ago, Lori D. said: Do you mean 3 textbooks/resourses for teaching the LA (literature/writing/grammar) aspects of 8th grade English? Or do you mean 3 works of literature? Lit books 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted May 17, 2021 Share Posted May 17, 2021 This is hard because I would choose different books for different kids. Like, for a kid who reads a ton, I'd go with challenging classics appropriate for the age. For a kid who loves science or history but not literature, I'd include at least one solid nonfiction book. For a kid who doesn't like to read, I'd pick a high interest, but well-written YA book and two starter classics if the goal was still to have a really strong English class (as opposed to just encouraging them to enjoy literature more). 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScoutTN Posted May 17, 2021 Author Share Posted May 17, 2021 For school, not homeschool, so a mixed group. Academically strong, but perhaps with less exposure to classic lit than many homeschoolers. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lori D. Posted May 17, 2021 Share Posted May 17, 2021 (edited) 2 hours ago, ScoutTN said: For school, not homeschool, so a mixed group. Academically strong, but perhaps with less exposure to classic lit than many homeschoolers. That helps a lot, as I was composing various lists depending on what the specific student's need or interest was, as Farrar was mentioning. 😉 So in that case, if looking for traditional classics, I would select 3 from the following traditional classics that are frequently done in 8th grade: American - The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (Twain) -- novel - To Kill a Mockingbird (Lee) -- novel - The Outsiders (Hinton) -- short novel - Call of the Wild (London) -- novella - The Old Man and the Sea (Hemingway) -- novella - Fahrenheit 451 (Bradbury) -- longer novella British - A Christmas Carol (Dickens) -- longer novella - Jane Eyre (Bronte) -- novel - Animal Farm (Orwell) -- short novella - something by HG Wells (The Invisible Man, The Time Machine, War of the Worlds) -- longer novella to shorter novel - something by Shakespeare -- play And if strong readers/discussers, then maybe expand to include 1 or more traditional classics done by 9th graders: - The Odyssey (Homer) -- long epic in translation - Beowulf (anonymous) -- novella-length epic poem in translation - Great Expectations (Dickens) -- novel - Frankenstein (Shelley), paired with Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde (Stevenson) -- shorter novel + longer novella - Things Fall Apart (Achebe) -- novel Other works to consider including: - a unit of classic short stories (very useful for building literary analysis and discussion skills) - a highly discussion-able contemporary YA book - a highly discussion-able contemporary nonfiction book - middle-school level good lit. from World authors Edited May 17, 2021 by Lori D. 5 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Momto6inIN Posted May 19, 2021 Share Posted May 19, 2021 The Outsiders, The Yearling, The Giver 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eilonwy Posted May 27, 2021 Share Posted May 27, 2021 Maybe Watership Down, Anne of Green Gables, and Twelfth Night? 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RenaInTexas Posted June 18, 2021 Share Posted June 18, 2021 I also encourage including a selection from a different culture like: - A Long Walk to Water - Refugee - Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScoutTN Posted July 1, 2021 Author Share Posted July 1, 2021 Thanks, all! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freesia Posted July 1, 2021 Share Posted July 1, 2021 On 5/17/2021 at 1:17 AM, Lori D. said: That helps a lot, as I was composing various lists depending on what the specific student's need or interest was, as Farrar was mentioning. 😉 So in that case, if looking for traditional classics, I would select 3 from the following traditional classics that are frequently done in 8th grade: American - The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (Twain) -- novel - To Kill a Mockingbird (Lee) -- novel - The Outsiders (Hinton) -- short novel - Call of the Wild (London) -- novella - The Old Man and the Sea (Hemingway) -- novella - Fahrenheit 451 (Bradbury) -- longer novella British - A Christmas Carol (Dickens) -- longer novella - Jane Eyre (Bronte) -- novel - Animal Farm (Orwell) -- short novella - something by HG Wells (The Invisible Man, The Time Machine, War of the Worlds) -- longer novella to shorter novel - something by Shakespeare -- play And if strong readers/discussers, then maybe expand to include 1 or more traditional classics done by 9th graders: - The Odyssey (Homer) -- long epic in translation - Beowulf (anonymous) -- novella-length epic poem in translation - Great Expectations (Dickens) -- novel - Frankenstein (Shelley), paired with Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde (Stevenson) -- shorter novel + longer novella - Things Fall Apart (Achebe) -- novel Other works to consider including: - a unit of classic short stories (very useful for building literary analysis and discussion skills) - a highly discussion-able contemporary YA book - a highly discussion-able contemporary nonfiction book - middle-school level good lit. from World authors This contains my list and I agree with all of them. Which I chose would depend on the group. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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