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Wow, I can't believe that no one has mentioned Animal Farm. I read it in 6th grade and still remember the lessons re: government that I learned from reading that book. And even though the point of it is very advanced, the writing and metaphor make it very accessible to younger students (not to mention, it gives teachers a great opportunity to talk about metaphor with their students). There is also a cartoon movie version that can be shown in addition to the book. The only drawback is that it is a very sad story ):
There is also Mrs. Mike, which incorporates elements of Native American cultures.
Our kids read Animal Farm in 8th grade as part of the Civics curriculum. It is definitely accessible for middle school kids.
So as I'm preparing my curriculum for this coming year, I was kind of disappointed in the limited selection of reading material for students in my classroom. The Literature anthology lacks imaginative or diverse texts, and the books available- Diary of Anne Frank, The Pearl, Huckleberry Finn, The Outsiders--are the same old same old.
While I don't discount the classics, per se, the idea of just teaching literature by "old dead white guys" to junior high students doesn't seem to open up the diversity and depth that is out there.
I've had a couple suggestions from friends- The Birchbark House, by Louise Erdrich, and Parvana's Journey- by Deborah Ellis, The Hobbit, by Tolkien ... I'd like to hear what you are teaching in the middle school (7-8th grade level).
They are the same old, same old to US. To the kids, they are likely completely new.
When our school was doing sustained silent reading, I got permission to have our class read aloud. We chose Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde because 1) most of the students were juniors, and it was on the senior summer reading list, 2) it was very short, and 3) there was a class set in the library. I read to the students using my best British accent (my mother is English), and soon one of the students wanted to take a turn reading. She also read in an English accent, and it was entrancing to listen to her. It was much more engaging than the classes when you're having to stand over the students who have to sit there for half and hour holding a book and pretending to read.
Because we were reading out loud, I was able to define words and provide explanations for passages that would otherwise have been quite opaque. If you are having your students read the same book, which I think is a good experience to share, you might want to choose one a level or two above their typical ability. Then you and the stronger students can take turns reading aloud, as the other students have the benefit of coming along with the guidance that will help them develop proficiency in making meaning of complicated text at a rate that will push them. Many students lose patience with reading because they can't read and process as quickly as they can think, so they just quit. If they can read silently while someone reads aloud, and read a story that is fascinating, they they can quickly build proficiency.
Personally, I like the Harry Potter books. (I'm currently almost through re-reading the series--Ron's just left Harry and Hermione in the woods. ) I noticed when I first read them to my son years ago, that each chapter ends in such a way as to make you just about have to keep reading to find out what happens next. I know that there are communities where they are not allowed, but personally, I think they teach the values of loyalty and resourcefulness, among others, and they don't talk down to kids. The vocabulary is expansive and the invented terms are heavily based on Latin terms that will also help students build their word power. Teaching students the derivations for incantations such as Expecto patronum or Legilimens helps prepare them for foreign language study in high school, if they don't have it available now.
I think it is in students' best interests to be exposed to a wide variety of texts. I was pleased to see Profiles in Courage mentioned. I also think students can benefit from reading biographies. I went through a series of them in about the fifth grade. That was where I first learned about Marie Curie, Jenner, Lister, and others.
I also have to recommend The Hobbit. I think Lord of the Flies is too dark for middle school. I read it then, and it was more than I could handle. I don't know why the literature that you read at school always had to be so depressing--Silas Marner, The Red Badge of Courage, and Jude the Obscure were all so gloomy that I couldn't force myself through them.
Personally, I think it is very important to wean students at the earliest possible date from books that have been written for sub-adult readers. By the time a kid gets to middle school, he is already coping quite well with movies made for adults and the adult-dominated internet, and it is an insult to expect them to keep reading the Bobbsey Twins.
I'm not saying books that have R-rated content, but books that have been written by adult authors for an adult audience, and there are hundreds of excellent titles that contain no offensive content at all. Virtually everything written before about 1940 is completely inoffensive, but there is also a lot of contemporary work that is fine, and a lot more relevant to what the student can relate to.
The Wednesday Wars by Gary Schmidt is really good. My soon to be 6th grader devoured it this summer.
Have you thought about asking a local librarian? In my experience, they are pretty tuned to what kids like to read.
Personally, I think it is very important to wean students at the earliest possible date from books that have been written for sub-adult readers. By the time a kid gets to middle school, he is already coping quite well with movies made for adults and the adult-dominated internet, and it is an insult to expect them to keep reading the Bobbsey Twins.
I'm not saying books that have R-rated content, but books that have been written by adult authors for an adult audience, and there are hundreds of excellent titles that contain no offensive content at all. Virtually everything written before about 1940 is completely inoffensive, but there is also a lot of contemporary work that is fine, and a lot more relevant to what the student can relate to.
I very much disagree with this. There are thousand's of excellent books for kids in middle school that are just wonderful. I'm not sure why you would think that the only choices are young children or adult books. Harry Potter is an excellent example of a YA book that is good for middle school students but also enjoyable for adults.
I didn't read Jane Eyre until college, and was literally the "first" classic I had ever read willingly...took me 6 months! But I did enjoy it, though I can't say that junior high level students would likely enjoy it.
Maybe it's because I'm older (50's) but this wasn't an unrealistic expectation for MS or HS in those days. My 8th grade class was given a list of books to choose from and that was one of the harder ones, and for the life of me, I don't remember if anyone else chose it or not. It did totally appeal to me at that age though, mainly b/c the character was younger. I went back and read it years later and my understanding was much firmer, but I was glad that I read it both times b/c I had two completely different perspectives. Both of my daughters read Jane Eyre in MS and didn't like it as much as I did.
I will say that I think that one of the biggest mistakes that we make these days with kids is that we have much lower expectations for their reading abilities. This is not a personal attack b/c it's an attitude that is all pervasive in society and there are too many other things pulling on their attention, but the fact is that by the time a student hits 8th grade, they should be reading at practically an adult level, but most of the reading materials that are aimed at them are dumbed down. When I go back and read some of the books that I was exposed to growing up, I'm always a little shocked at the complexity of the language as compared to what is being promoted to them now. Examples: Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle--it used to be that 1st and 2nd graders could read these--now most 4-6th graders couldn't tackle them. Heidi--my favorite book in 4th grade--many college kids would have trouble with it. I might add that I'm no genius and have ADD besides, but I'm a very good reader, and that's mainly due to the fact that I was exposed to such great lit from an early age. Again, this is not said to be mean or a know-it-all, but b/c I wanted to add a different perspective.
Another view that I have about books for kids is that I don't like these series books. Let's take Goosebumps for example. I don't remember how many of those are out there, and they've been falling from popularity in the past few years, but there are a bunch of them and some kids wanted to read them all. They are written in really basic language with few words that would stretch the kids' abilities, and the biggest problem I see with them is that a student could spend several years trying to read them all and end up with no higher of a reading ability than they had when they started. Some mothers and teachers would wring their hands and say, "But at least he's reading!" Sorry, but I think he'd be better off watching The Simpsons. At least there is some educational content there. One exception is maybe Harry Potter. It seems like they did get longer and more complex as they got into the series and a lot of the made up words were based on Latin and Greek roots.
Maybe it's because I'm older (50's) but this wasn't an unrealistic expectation for MS or HS in those days. My 8th grade class was given a list of books to choose from and that was one of the harder ones, and for the life of me, I don't remember if anyone else chose it or not. It did totally appeal to me at that age though, mainly b/c the character was younger. I went back and read it years later and my understanding was much firmer, but I was glad that I read it both times b/c I had two completely different perspectives. Both of my daughters read Jane Eyre in MS and didn't like it as much as I did.
I will say that I think that one of the biggest mistakes that we make these days with kids is that we have much lower expectations for their reading abilities. This is not a personal attack b/c it's an attitude that is all pervasive in society and there are too many other things pulling on their attention, but the fact is that by the time a student hits 8th grade, they should be reading at practically an adult level, but most of the reading materials that are aimed at them are dumbed down. When I go back and read some of the books that I was exposed to growing up, I'm always a little shocked at the complexity of the language as compared to what is being promoted to them now. Examples: Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle--it used to be that 1st and 2nd graders could read these--now most 4-6th graders couldn't tackle them. Heidi--my favorite book in 4th grade--many college kids would have trouble with it. I might add that I'm no genius and have ADD besides, but I'm a very good reader, and that's mainly due to the fact that I was exposed to such great lit from an early age. Again, this is not said to be mean or a know-it-all, but b/c I wanted to add a different perspective.
Another view that I have about books for kids is that I don't like these series books. Let's take Goosebumps for example. I don't remember how many of those are out there, and they've been falling from popularity in the past few years, but there are a bunch of them and some kids wanted to read them all. They are written in really basic language with few words that would stretch the kids' abilities, and the biggest problem I see with them is that a student could spend several years trying to read them all and end up with no higher of a reading ability than they had when they started. Some mothers and teachers would wring their hands and say, "But at least he's reading!" Sorry, but I think he'd be better off watching The Simpsons. At least there is some educational content there. One exception is maybe Harry Potter. It seems like they did get longer and more complex as they got into the series and a lot of the made up words were based on Latin and Greek roots.
I agree with this some of the books being suggested we read much earlier in school, and my schools had a very high number of English learners. One example is "Island of the Blue Dolphins." My fourth grade class read that. Unfortunately, kids that are already in junior high in most cases won't be able to read the higher level books. They've been in the system with lowered expectations for too long.
For the most part, if a middle-schooler can't understand a book or doesn't like a book, the middle-schooler does not read the book. I'm not saying it should be that way - I'm saying it is that way.
Expose the kids to books that are enjoyable and worthwhile, and the kids may also find other enjoyable and worthwhile books to read. Force the kids to read (or pretend to read, because that's what they will do) something far out of their grasp, and their dislike of reading will be reinforced.
There are many books that are both enjoyable and worthwhile for middle-schoolers. I enjoy them too!
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) I noticed when I first read them to my son years ago, that each chapter ends in such a way as to make you just about have to keep reading to find out what happens next. I know that there are communities where they are not allowed, but personally, I think they teach the values of loyalty and resourcefulness, among others, and they don't talk down to kids. The vocabulary is expansive and the invented terms are heavily based on Latin terms that will also help students build their word power. Teaching students the derivations for incantations such as Expecto patronum or Legilimens helps prepare them for foreign language study in high school, if they don't have it available now.
