Comments on: This girl needs a summer reading list — and fast!

By: Katy Murphy

Katy Murphy — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 21:34:26 +0000

Thanks to everyone who submitted suggestions for the summer reading list. I’ve passed them along to my cousin, whose thank-you reply included multiple exclamation points.

If you think of other titles, I’ll ship them her way as well.

By: Marijke Conklin

Marijke Conklin — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 21:33:14 +0000

This is a great idea Kate. I recently reread “The Wizard of Earthsea.” I think a 5th grader could enjoy it. Another shorter Le Guin is “Jane on Her Own.” I like books by Tolkien and Beverly Cleary. Other titles that come to mind are “Watership Down,” “Mrs. Frisby and The Rats of NIMH,” and “Sophie’s World.”

For the pre-k through first grade crowd, find and read everything by Dr. Seuss and Todd Parr. Other favs: “The Giving Tree;” “Dr. Doolittle;” “Abiyoyo;” “Down by the Bay;” “Growing Vegetable Soup;” “Happy to be Nappy;” “Llama, Llama, Red Pajama;” “Seeds, Seeds, Seeds;” “The Great Kapok Tree.”

Subscribing to a magazine is also a good way to reinforce literacy this summer. Its like getting a present in the mail every month. How awesome is that? I’ve discovered they are pretty inexpensive.

By: John

John — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 08:55:16 +0000

Stick to the basics! An insect book and collecting net is her best option for the lazy days of summer.

Regarding the killing jar: Acquire a large fruit jar. Install a layer of turpentine soaked cotton on the bottom.. Cover cotton with a layer of cardboard. Insert insect and screw lid on tight. DO NOT poke holes in lid.

DO NOT use killing jars for butterflies. They’ll flit around and lose significant amounts of wing color. Better to pincer squeeze the abdomen. It only takes a second! Mounting is another subject. Anyway, it’s all in the book!

By: Nextset

Nextset — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 22:49:16 +0000

A long time ago I lent Modesty Blaise (action/adventure/spy) paperbacks to a student. I don’t think the family appreciated it. I’m glad I got the recovered each paperback because they are unusually expensive used – if you can find them. I considered them somewhat adult but no more than James Bond novels, with a more action, travel and a lot more moralizing in them. More ethnically diverse, evil and shades of gray in the characters. I thought them valuable for the moralizing actually..

I’d prefer teen reading to have a high dose of moral fiber. Heinlein & the Blaise books fit the bill. They are fun to read but the protagonists take life as they find it and make their own destiny.

By: Emily

Emily — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 22:16:52 +0000

For age 13 and up:
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night–by Mark Haddon–about an autistic 15-year-old boy in London.

About a Boy–by Nick Hornsby

Slam–by Nick Hornsby–16-year-old protagonist–classic young adult fiction

Me Talk Pretty One Day–David Sedaris–funny!!

For maybe 11 and up:

The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants books
Esperanza Rising
The Skin I’m In

Happy reading!!!

By: Sue

Sue — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 22:08:07 +0000

I love Heinlein, too. I think he probably deserves the title “greatest sci fi author of all time.” He was so far ahead of his time with regard to gender roles and relations, and he correctly predicting so many of the changes American society and culture have been going through since: The Roads Must Roll predicting the interstate highway system, for example.

Both my kids have read a *lot* of his works, including some of his adult novels. And the older one almost never picks up a book unless he’s explicitely told, “Here, read this book, you’ll like it”.

I’d just feel terrible for everyone concerned if an 11-y-o girl picked up To Sail Beyond the Sunset or Friday, and afterwards the kid’s parents found out what was in those books. Odds are they’d be really mad, and they might even think someone was trying to turn their little girl into an amoral sl*t!

Hmmm. I’m not that conservative myself, and would let my boys read any of those books – with a LOT of discussion.

I think I may be running into one of my knee-jerk reactions from growing up in a conservative Catholic household. If the responsible adults read it first and decide it’s okay for their kid, I’m comfortable. I just want to give a heads-up that some of Heinlein’s works are likely to be considered inappropriate by some parents.

So, here’s a short list of Heinlein’s adult works that should pass muster with almost any parent:
The Moon is a Harsh Mistress
The Man Who Sold the Moon
Magic and Waldo Inc.
Farnham’s Freehold
Revolt in 2100
Job: A Comedy of Justice (likely to offend devout Christians, though)
The Puppet Masters
The Green Hills of Earth
Tramp Royale (non-fiction account of his trip around the world)

A very incomplete list…

By: Nextset

Nextset — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 21:02:50 +0000

Sue: Heinlien’s adult novels are a harder read as well as having sexuality. The juvenile series of books were commissioned by the publisher for juvenile buyers in the 1940s on. It’s amazing how well they have held up over time. I believe when he wrote “Starship Troopers” he and that earlier publisher permanently parted company as they were horrified such a book would be offered for impressionable teenagers – back in the 1950s?

Even his adult novels continued his unusually competent & capable portrayal of women (and minorities).

By: Katy Murphy

Katy Murphy — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 20:50:54 +0000

And, of course, there is the library, where I spent many a muggy Chicago afternoon as a kid (partly, because of the air conditioning). As one teacher wrote in:

“All of the Oakland Public Library branches have reading lists for children and special summer programs. They also have a reading incentive program. Hopefully you can encourage parents to take their children to the library. We have some great Children’s Librarians in Oakland!”

By: Sue

Sue — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 20:27:27 +0000

Definitely not for the kids, but Katy if you liked Le Guin try Octavia Butler.

By: Katy Murphy

Katy Murphy — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 19:57:11 +0000

I actually discovered Le Guin as an adult. I never thought I was the science fiction/fantasy genre type, but someone gave me the Left Hand of Darkness for my birthday one year, and I was completely engrossed (to my surprise).

I agree that it might be a little deep for a sixth-grader, but I’ll definitely pass along the Earthsea series suggestion.

These suggestions are great, by the way. Keep ‘em coming…