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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I love Moby Dick, but I didn't read it when I was 10.

And, really -- Of Mice and Men and Cannery Row for 10-year-olds?! My personal opinion is that there is no right age for reading Steinbeck, but if you must read Steinbeck, at least wait until high school.[/quote]

As a fan of Steinbeck -- I totally agree with this PP that I'd wait on reading his work. My DD read "Of Mice and Men" in ninth grade and that was about right for her.

OP, think about your child as a reader, and your goals with classic lit. Is your child already a big reader, or are you trying to get your child to read more if he or she is reluctant to read? Does your child currently gravitate more toward fantasy or realistic stories? You know your kid best -- is your child likely to be turned off by a huge adventure tale but might love a more intimate story focused on one kid who is similar to your child in age or interests? Those things do matter at younger ages. You don't want to turn a kid off classic literature if the kid ends up associating that term with a long, hard slog, or with books that were never finished because they seemed dull at the time, or because the child just wasn't experienced enough to relate to the characters or story.

I would really ask your school's librarian and the children's librarian at the local library for advice, and tell the librarian about your child's current "non-classic" reading interests, which can be a good guide. We parents often forget about the school librarians as a great resource. I volunteered in the elementary school library for years and really came to see that the librarian knew a vast amount about recommending the right books for kids at the right time, if she knew enough about the child's interests. And most librarians would be thrilled for a parent to come to them with your question!

An online look at "classic literature for fifth graders" turned up these titles--asked for by teachers--and they're not "classic" in the "Moby Dick" sense, but considered staples of excellent, thoughtful fiction for kids in late elementary:
My Side of the Mountain, Frindle, Hatchet, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (Roald Dahl's books appear "easy" but are pretty subversive), Island of the Blue Dolphins, The Cay, The Shakespeare Stealer, Number the Stars....Maybe think in terms of "classic" elementary/middle school lit, not just "classic" as in, famed works by adult authors for adults. Well-written books like these are kind of the gateway into the typical adult classics. Definitely talk with the school librarian....[/quote]

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