Condoms, Drug Dealers, Drunk Fathers – Are these good books for 6th graders?

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:Obviously the only book that it is ever necessary for anyone to read is the Bible. No violence, no rape, no genocide...oh, wait.

You've never read the Bible, sweetheart.

+1

NP. I would never want to.

I have and Cain killed his brother, Joseph’s brothers tried to kill him, Abraham raped Hagar.

And all of that is just in the first couple books of the Old Testament!

The Old Testament is way more dramatic than the New Testament, IMO.

Massacre of the Innocents is murder
Cleansing of the Temple is violent
The crucifixion ... Nailing Jesus to a cross, tying others
Stoning
Revelations? War, murder, the collapse of society

Revelations is pretty crazy, I’ll give you that. It’s just that the Old Testament God is super vengeful.

Matthew mark luke and john are 100% about a friend betraying Jesus, he carries his own cross is whipped and tortured and hanged to die with nails through his hands while his mother cried at his feat.

Come on ... it’s violent.
Also they talk about killing tax men and adulterers.

I’m really talking about the difference in how God is depicted in the Old Testament vs the New Testament.

The difference is really overstated imo. In the Old Testament God is consistently described as merciful and the New Testament also shows God's judgment and even anger (Jesus gets angry and he is God). You might see those aspects as inconsistent with each other, but they're in both parts of the Bible, and Marcionism has been considered a heresy for 1800 years for a reason.

I mean, we just read the Torah and God is pretty vengeful in that part of the Old Testament.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Obviously the only book that it is ever necessary for anyone to read is the Bible. No violence, no rape, no genocide...oh, wait.

You've never read the Bible, sweetheart.

+1

NP. I would never want to.

I have and Cain killed his brother, Joseph’s brothers tried to kill him, Abraham raped Hagar.

And all of that is just in the first couple books of the Old Testament!

The Old Testament is way more dramatic than the New Testament, IMO.

Which is why folks pretend like it doesn’t exist or matter when reminded that God isn’t always merciful and benevolent.

Glad my kids are atheists.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Would you rather they read the Odyssey? Maybe Cstcher in the Rye? Huckleberry Finn? Jane Eyre? Macbeth?

Good literature has always dealt with dramatic themes. Even fairy tales have cannibalism and rampant child abuse throughout—youre just used to it so it seems “innocent.”

DP but yes I would.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Would you rather they read the Odyssey? Maybe Cstcher in the Rye? Huckleberry Finn? Jane Eyre? Macbeth?

Good literature has always dealt with dramatic themes. Even fairy tales have cannibalism and rampant child abuse throughout—youre just used to it so it seems “innocent.”

DP but yes I would.

Same here. Anything where the writing is better quality, the characters are fleshed out in detail and the story is worth analyzing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’d love to know what books the OP and some others think should be read in English.

I’m certain some titles that will get thrown out are the “classics” that many have read and would gladly never read again and wish they hadn’t been forced to endure initially.

But let’s see....

In high school in 1950, my father had to read two Walter Scott novels and a narrative poem that has this as the first stanza:

And the first grey of morning fill'd the east,
And the fog rose out of the Oxus stream.
But all the Tartar camp along the stream
Was hush'd, and still the men were plunged in sleep;
Sohrab alone, he slept not; all night long
He had lain wakeful, tossing on his bed;
But when the grey dawn stole into his tent,
He rose, and clad himself, and girt his sword,
And took his horseman's cloak, and left his tent,
And went abroad into the cold wet fog,
Through the dim camp to Peran-Wisa's tent.

At that time, Catcher in the Rye was a "contemporary novel," and Catch-22 hadn't even been written. Newfangled trash, all of it!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’d love to know what books the OP and some others think should be read in English.

I’m certain some titles that will get thrown out are the “classics” that many have read and would gladly never read again and wish they hadn’t been forced to endure initially.

But let’s see....

In high school in 1950, my father had to read two Walter Scott novels and a narrative poem that has this as the first stanza:

And the first grey of morning fill'd the east,
And the fog rose out of the Oxus stream.
But all the Tartar camp along the stream
Was hush'd, and still the men were plunged in sleep;
Sohrab alone, he slept not; all night long
He had lain wakeful, tossing on his bed;
But when the grey dawn stole into his tent,
He rose, and clad himself, and girt his sword,
And took his horseman's cloak, and left his tent,
And went abroad into the cold wet fog,
Through the dim camp to Peran-Wisa's tent.

At that time, Catcher in the Rye was a "contemporary novel," and Catch-22 hadn't even been written. Newfangled trash, all of it!

You realize that we are talking 6th graders, not high school, right?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’d love to know what books the OP and some others think should be read in English.

I’m certain some titles that will get thrown out are the “classics” that many have read and would gladly never read again and wish they hadn’t been forced to endure initially.

But let’s see....

In high school in 1950, my father had to read two Walter Scott novels and a narrative poem that has this as the first stanza:

And the first grey of morning fill'd the east,
And the fog rose out of the Oxus stream.
But all the Tartar camp along the stream
Was hush'd, and still the men were plunged in sleep;
Sohrab alone, he slept not; all night long
He had lain wakeful, tossing on his bed;
But when the grey dawn stole into his tent,
He rose, and clad himself, and girt his sword,
And took his horseman's cloak, and left his tent,
And went abroad into the cold wet fog,
Through the dim camp to Peran-Wisa's tent.

At that time, Catcher in the Rye was a "contemporary novel," and Catch-22 hadn't even been written. Newfangled trash, all of it!

You realize that we are talking 6th graders, not high school, right?

PP you're responding to, and for what it's worth, this was a ridiculously old-fashioned reading list even in 1950. I apologize that my tone didn't come across properly.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’d love to know what books the OP and some others think should be read in English.

I’m certain some titles that will get thrown out are the “classics” that many have read and would gladly never read again and wish they hadn’t been forced to endure initially.

But let’s see....

How about Inkling by Oppel?
Or The Benefits of Being an Octopus by Braden.

I love reading books with my kids, so I’ll have to give it some thought. But I am sure there are books better than some of the trash my kid has brought home.

[Anonymous]

I haven’t read these particular books. I have worked in communities directly impacted by violence, drug abuse, physical, abuse, sexual abuse, and other issues. Many of these neighborhoods and schools are not within walking distance of either a bookst

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:I have no issues with the topics at all or the books. But I think that reading the classics gives you a good background for understanding references in the future. So many people constantly reference shakespeare, a tree grows in brooklyn, catch-22, wuthering heights, etc.

You realize reading the classics and reading contemporary novels is not mutually exclusive, right?

They can read contemporary novels for fun at home, literature during English class

This is what I would prefer too. My 5th grader is going to read The Lightning Thief next year. It’s not controversial afaik but why?!!! He has read it in like 2nd grade.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I haven’t read these particular books. I have worked in communities directly impacted by violence, drug abuse, physical, abuse, sexual abuse, and other issues. Many of these neighborhoods and schools are not within walking distance of either a bookst

Bookstore or a public library. I think a “good book” is one that a particular reader can relate to — that, at the same time, enlarges their world. If a book can make a kid feel understood or suggest problem solving strategies, I’m all for it.

Sorry about the prior incomplete post.

[Anonymous]

I think part of the problem is the lack of differentiation in MS English.

My 6th grader had a wide range of students in her Advanced English class. Kids who had come from the regional CES and kids who were not strong readers.

How can a teacher pick a book that is accessible to someone at a 4th grade reading level, but that is engaging enough for a more advanced reader?

They have to teach to the lowest level of ability in the class. Which leads to choosing some terribly written books.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm just impressed they are recommending or offering books. We are in 6th and we haven't seen a book all year.

Our sixth graders are reading about Black Panthers in '68.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm just impressed they are recommending or offering books. We are in 6th and we haven't seen a book all year.

Our sixth graders are reading about Black Panthers in '68.

So what?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm just impressed they are recommending or offering books. We are in 6th and we haven't seen a book all year.

Our sixth graders are reading about Black Panthers in '68.

Are they reading One Crazy Summer? That's a good book.