Re: Booklist help needed

[Mary Dovey <mgdovey@comcast.net>]

I'm too tired tonight to think more creatively but these would be my five if
I was trying to help kids into classic text, or trying to give them a
touchstone text to use to draw from in writing. (I rarely see much value
when I try to teach whole class novels; I do better with lit circles and
independent reading.)
Mary 

Top Group:
1. Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
2. Night by Eli Wiesel
3. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
4. The Things They Carried by Tim O'Reilly
5. The Primrose Way by Jackie French Koller
6. Briar Rose by Jane Yolan
7. The Devil's Arithmetic by Jane Yolan
8. Soldier Boys by Dean Hughes
9. Chinese Handcuffs by Chris Crutcher
10. Crispin by Avi

Reluctant Group:
1. The Pearl by John Steinbeck
2. Monster by Walter Dean Myers
3. Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson
4. No More Dead Dogs by Gordon Korman
5. Holes-Crash-Maniac Magee-Because of Winn Dixie-Freak the Mighty....


On 3/10/08 5:30 PM, "Heather Brumbaugh"
<hbrumbaugh@learningcommunity202.org> wrote:

> Oooh, Cari . . . great question.  I actually have both situations in my own
> classroom this year, so I've been thinking a lot about this.  Incidentally,
> the first scenario is giving me much more trouble than the second; guess I
> already spend a lot of time trying to find out what that less-motivated group
> would want to read . . .
> 
> Scenario #1:  With my voracious group of readers this year, it's a constant
> struggle to find things that they haven't read already either on their own or
> in elementary school.  This year, I've gone with really, really NEW books or
> ones that are a bit older that they may not have come across.  One great thing
> about them, though, is since they are so motivated to read, the length of the
> book usually isn't as daunting.  Off the top of my head, I'd go with:
> 
> 1.  Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech
> 2.  The Uglies series
> 3.  Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card
> 4.  The Misfits by James Howe
> 5.  The Wish List by Eoin Colfer
> 6.  Code Orange by Caroline B. Cooney
> 7.  Life of Pi by Yann Martel
> 8.  The Princess Bride by William Goldman
> 9.  Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie by Jordan Sonnablick
> 10.  Skellig by David Almond
> 
> Scenario #2:  Here I went for some mostly shorter, more immediately engaging
> books.  I find that either really funny or potentially gross/shocking books
> are great hooks for these kiddos:
> 
> 1.  Coraline by Neil Gaiman
> 2.  Phineas Gage:  a true story of brain science
> 3.  Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli
> 4.  Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World
> 5.  Freak the Mighty by Rodman Philbrick
> 6.  The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick
> 7.  Holes by Louis Sachar
> 8.  Harris and Me by Gary Paulsen
> 9.  Monster or The Greatest by Walter Dean Myers
> 10.  The Underland Chronicles by Suzanne Collins
> 11.  Of course, all the girls love Twilight, but I wouldn't put my poor
> 12-year-old boys through that.  Imagine going through your whole adolescent
> life knowing you'll never be as perfect as Edward Cullen.  *sigh*
> 
> Wow.  That felt good.  Although I really felt like adding about 20 or so
> "Honorable Mentions", I will refrain.  :)  I've been meaning to come up with
> my own list of all the books that have been important in my life but that my
> kids just aren't quite ready for yet.  I want to seal them and hand them out,
> saying "Don't open until 20th birthday" . . .
> 
> Heather
> 6th/IL
> 
> "When they tell you to grow up, they mean stop growing."  - T.R.
> 
> 
>>>> Cari Spitz Ashford <minnashford@yahoo.com> 03/10/08 1:0
> 
>>>> Cari Spitz Ashford <minnashford@yahoo.com> 03/10/08 1:01 PM >>>
> Hi everyone!  Thought I'd throw this out there to get some conversation going.
> 
> Scenario #1:  You have a middle school class (you chose the grade) of very
> avid readers.  Avid meaning they like to read. Some may be advanced readers,
> but not necessarily.  You have been asked to teach at least 2 high quality
> whole class novels to this group.  What would be your top 10 choices?
> 
> Scenario #2:  You have a middle school class of reluctant readers.  Reluctant
> meaning they don't like to read.  Some may be struggling readers, but not
> necessarily. You have been asked to teach at least 2 high quality whole class
> novels to this group.  What would be your top 10 choices?
> 
> (Please note:  these are not actual scenarios.   I certainly realize that it
> would be great to provide choice and do lit circles, etc.  But I'm just
> generating booklists right now, and these scenarios seem to work for what I'm
> looking for).
> 
> THANKS SO MUCH FOR ANY HELP YOU CAN PROVIDE!!
> 
> Cari 
> Minnesota
> www.undomestic.blogspot.com
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
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