In
our time the television and the video game console have a stranglehold
on the imaginations of our children. We all know it, we all lament it,
and we all do nothing about it. Plus, our American cultural existence is
being hijacked by movie studios and Hollywood writers who are often far
removed from reality. We are all guilty of sitting by as our children
develop with an often diluted sense of American values and a superficial
understanding of self and society. Not good.
Promoting engaging and relevant literature in our homes and schools
is a relatively simple means to address this problem. Much of what is
made available for children to read these days is uninspired and
ornamented with silly graphics as a way to compete with TV and video
games. It stinks and it pales in comparison to what children were
reading and enjoying in previous generations. By reading aloud to our
children, by making great literature accessible to our children and by
modeling the importance of reading to our children at home and at school
we can turn around the trend.
That brings us to this list of books for young, school-age readers.
Any list necessarily reflects value judgments and biases of the
listmaker, and this list is no different. These twenty five books are
included here because they touch on human nature, the American
experience or on universal principals of society. In addition, these are
great pieces of literature likely to engage young readers. Some are
required reading in school anyway, but others are not on the radar
screen today. The list might well be longer or slightly different. It is
a starting point. The list progresses from young elementary age to high
school age.
E. B. White, Charlotte’s Web: The meaning of
friendship and the sometimes harsh reality of life are made clear in
this classic story for young elementary readers.
Kenneth Grahame, Wind In the Willows: This book is
great read-aloud material and it helps young elementary children
learn about the meaning of friendship while they build mental
pictures based on wonderful descriptive language.
Rudyard Kipling, Just So Stories: This collection
of stories is often neglected today but they are essential
read-aloud material for younger elementary children and great
reading for older kids. They are outstanding for vocabulary
building, they are fanciful and real at the same time, and they
illustrate the full range of the English language.
Howard Fast, April Morning: While sometimes
controversial as to the literary value, this historical novel about
24 hours in time during the American Revolution is still an
excellent introduction to the subject for older elementary children.
Esther Forbes, Johnny Tremain: This is adventure,
drama and personal courage in the setting of the American
Revolution. This Newbery Award winner has stood the test of time but
is not as well known today as it used to be. Well worth the effort
for older elementary children.
James and Chris Collier, My Brother Sam is Dead:
The complexity and hard choices of the American revolution brought
to life. It is excellent for showing the loyalist versus rebel
dilemma of the time to older elementary students.
Fred Gipson, Old Yeller: A rite of passage, this
is the first book to make many children cry when they read it. The
vicissitudes of American frontier life are made clear in this
classic book.
Mark Twain, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and The
Adventures of Tom Sawyer: These are well deserved classics
of American literature that are likely the first introduction
children have to reading between the lines. The originals should be
offered to children over the tamed down versions introduced later.
These stories are also excellent jumping off points for discussing
race and class.
Robert Louis Stevenson, Treasure Island: This is
the classic pirate adventure story for older elementary readers on
up and it demands concentration to understand the sometimes dense
language. It pays off with vivid descriptions and a riveting plot.
The plot begs questions about loyalty and deception in the pursuit
of a goal.
George Orwell, Animal Farm: This is a good story
to establish with children the dangers of statist society. While the
communist world is in decline today, lessons learned the hard way by
previous generations should not be lost on a new generation. This is
an excellent book for older elementary children.
William Golding, Lord Of The Flies: This is a well
known account of human nature and the threads of civilization by way
of English schoolchildren stranded on an island. This book is
usually introduced in late elementary years.
Jack London, The Call of The Wild: Spirit,
strength, the harshness of nature, and making adjustments to one’s
environment are themes explored in a book appropriate for older
elementary readers.
Anne Frank, Diary of a Young Girl: A narrative set
during one of the darkest periods of humanity which presents the
meaning of family and friends and the struggle of growing up all in
one book. This is real human drama that should not go unread by any
child before adulthood.
Ray Bradbury, Fahrenheit 451: This is a book about
the meaning of freedom and the responsibility to protect it. The
consequences of ignorance and censorship are made clear for older
elementary students and early high school students.
Ernest Hemingway, The Old Man and The Sea: Man and
his place in nature, individual struggle and honor are themes
explored here in a short novel appropriate for older children.
Louisa M. Alcott, Little Women: Set during the
Civil War this story touches on the meaning of family and friendship
in overcoming suffering and it gives insight into the hardships of
the era. Best for older children.
Stephen Crane, The Red Badge of Courage: A story
of individual bravery, honor, conscience, and the ultimate meaning
of human conflict set during the Civil War. Best for older children.
Aldous Huxley, Brave New World: This is a
mesmerizing introduction to the meaning of society and to the
facades that can cover the truth. Appropriate for older elementary
and high school students.
Ayn Rand, Anthem: This is a short novel about
individuality and society. It makes the evils of socialism
abundantly clear for older children and young adults in high school.
George Orwell, 1984: Though young adult readers
were not yet born in 1984, it is still important that they
understand the meaning of totalitarianism and freedom. This novel is
part of the American culture and is a must-read.
Richard Bach, Jonathon Livingston Seagull:
Themes of individuality, conformity, and fulfilling dreams in a
short book appropriate for older children and young adults.
Carson McCullers, The Heart is a Lonely Hunter:
This is an unusual and spare story of loneliness and isolation that
often rings true for young adults in high school trying to make
sense of themselves.
Richard Henry Dana, Two Years Before The Mast:
This narrative is a forgotten classic that can help older children
and young adults understand life at sea in the 1800s, the cultural
differences present in early America and the hardships they might
have faced themselves during that period.
O. Henry, The Gift of the Magi: These are
fantastic short stories that will engage older children and young
adults with surprise, humor and interesting characters often missing
from modern writing. This is highly original and uniquely American
literature.
