Thanks to the help of teachers and readers all across the country, we've compiled a list of American Fiction books your kids should be reading that goes above and beyond.
Every school district works with its teachers to compose lesson plans and reading lists designed to expose kids to the same basic works of fiction. The schools want to build a base of common knowledge, things "everyone should know" to function in and relate to society.
School book lists are great, but often leave out works of fiction that have merit. Sometimes the work of fiction is considered politically incorrect. Occasionally, a work is passed over for the list because of concerns that not every kid in the class will be able to comprehend it. Books are even overlooked sometimes because a teacher's life is busy, and she may not have had a chance to read it yet.
Whatever the reason, following are books that are often overlooked in the regular school curriculum that we feel should be read by kids everywhere. If you are lucky enough to have them on your syllabus, excellent! If we overlooked your favorites, please Email Us and let us know what they are so we can do a feature on them for you.
This list of recommendations was created with the teen age-group in mind, or any kid reading at or above the teen level. It is in no particular order. Enjoy!
The Moviegoer, Walker Percy
A Pilgrim At Tinker Creek, Annie Dillard
My Brother Sam is Dead, James Collier
Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry, Mildred Taylor
Have Spacesuit, Will Travel, Robert Heinlein
The Illustrated Man, Ray Bradbury
A Canticle for Liebowitz, Walter Miller
Ella Enchanted, Gail Carson Levine
Jacob Have I Loved, Katherine Paterson
Connecticut Yankee In King Arthur's Court, Mark Twain
From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, E.L. Konigsberg
The Chronicles of Prydain, Lloyd Alexander
Catherine, Called Birdy, Karen Cushman
The Great Gilly Hopkins and Bridge to Terabithia, Katherine Paterson
Letters from Rifka and Out of the Dust, Karen Hesse
The Egypt Game and The Gypsy Game, Zilpha Keatley Snyder
The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle and Crispin: Cross of Lead, Avi
The Moorchild, Eloise McGraw
The Ear, the Eye, and the Arm, Nancy Farmer
The Cricket in Times Square, George Selden
Nightbirds on Nantucket, Joan Aiken
Freckles, Gene Porter
The Girl Who Owned A City, O. T. Nelson
Pink and Say, Patricia Polacco
Neuromancer, William Gibson
Bless the Beasts and the Children, Glendon Swarthout
Some books suggested were excluded (The Scarlet Letter, for example) not because we think they aren't worthy of recommendation, but because they already have a firmly entrenched place on the standard recommendation lists.
Tags: back to school reading
One of the many teachers who helped make this list has written a lovely review of books recommended byfifth grade students for fifth grade students. You can read her review here.
Another of the people who helped make this list writes reviews of adult books that can be found here.
Many thanks to the folks at EA, teachers and readers alike, for helping compile this list!
