Here is the list.
Below is the book choice permission slip that will need to be signed in order for a student to read the book.
If a small group of students would like to choose the same book, that would be fine. In fact, I would encourage it.
Parents and students, feel free to e-mail if you have questions about a book.
Book Choice for
Independent Novel Study: Sections 2 and 3
Dear Parents,
As you
know, I have been pushing the honors classes this whole year, and they have
been meeting every challenge head-on.
For the novel unit, I would like to challenge the students to choose a
classic book. I know most of the
students in the class read book that are high interest like The Hunger Games, Divergent, Twilight, Percy
Jackson, Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit, and other more modern novels. While those books are entertaining, they are
also modern. I would like students to
pick a book that they might not have thought to read for pleasure, a classic
that has been studied/read for decades.
The list I
have provided starts with The College Board: 101
Great Books Recommended for College-bound Readers. (College Board is the
SAT and AP test company.) These are the classics. However, not all of these books are approved
by our district. And not all of those
books are accessible to 8th grade students. The lists that follow the College Board list are
the district-approved books. You will see that some of the College Board books
are on the district list.
I would
like students to choose a book from the list I have provided. I am requiring a
parental signature regardless of which list the book is on. However, just because the book is on the
district-approved list, I cannot be the one to determine what you find
appropriate in your household. I have
not read every book on this list.
Finally,
the district has “core” and “extended” books.
The “core” books are reserved, which means I cannot teach that book in
my grade because it will be covered in a later grade. However, since a student is choosing this
book independently, I feel it would be fine to choose a “core” book. I have
bolded books that I am familiar with.
I am asking that students buy a paperback
copy of the book. I want to teach
them how to mark-up a book as they read.
It is a very important skill that most students do not do because they
have not been taught to or do not own the book.
(If a student cannot afford a book, one will be provided for him/her.)
I give (my child)
__________________________ permission to read (book title) _______________________________ by (author)
________________________. If the book is
not on the district-approved book list, I understand that even though the book
is a “classic,” some of the content might be more appropriate for a high
school student. (If you are unsure, read
the reviews of the book on Amazon or Barnes and Noble.)
Parent Signature _______________________________________ Date ___________
