Each of the novels,
plays, and short stories listed below has some personal connection for
me dating from junior high through high school. Most of the literature
I read on my own, although some was assigned in school; all of it
inspired me in some way.
The
Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis
I first read the series when I
was in the 4th grade and reread the books several times over the next
few years. By the time I was in junior high, I started to recognize the
religious allegory. (I actually thought that it was a coincidence at
first.) I have now read the entire series to my children. I had to buy
a new set for them because my old one started to fall apart.
The
Black Rose
by Thomas B. Costain
Ivanhoe
by Sir Walter Scott
Jane
Eyre by
Charlotte Bronte
Wuthering
Heights
by Emily Bronte
I read The Black Rose,
Ivanhoe, Jane Eyre, and Wuthering Heights over the summer
between 7th and 8th
grade. I was looking for something to read and found them lying around
the house. All four involve a love story, but they are much more than
simple romance. All of the main characters face adversity. All of them
are commentaries on how people treat one another. The Black Rose and Ivanhoe are also epic
adventures.
"The
Rocking Horse Winner" by D.
H. Lawrence
"The
Haunted Boy" by Carson
McCullers
"The Rocking Horse Winner" and
"The Haunted Boy" are both short stories that I presented in the prose
category in forensics competitions when I was in high school. I said
them aloud so often that they were committed to memory at one point in
my life.
A
Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man by James Joyce
A
Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man was the first "lesson" I
ever taught. Each member of my AP English class was assigned a work of
literature to teach to the class. After I presented my lesson, my
teacher complimented my analysis of the work. She was the toughest
teacher I have ever had, and her compliment still rings in my ears. I
really felt as if I had accomplished something.
Hamlet
by William Shakespeare
As a high school senior, I
saw a
performance of Hamlet at the
Wisdom Bridge Theater in Chicago. Their
staging brought Shakespeare to life for me in a way that nothing else
could have. Hamlet spray painted his famous line, "To be or not to be,"
as graffiti on a wall. Then to illustrate Hamlet's inner turmoil, the
play-within-a-play scene played "Burning Down the House" by the Talking
Heads so loud that the theater shook. At the same time, red strobe
lights flashed on the stage and on the audience. It was an experience I
have never forgotten.
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The
Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown
The
Da Vinci Code
combines history, theology, and cryptology (the study of codes and
ciphers) to create a fictional suspense thriller that reinvents the
age-old quest for the holy grail. It is hard not to read this one in
one sitting.
The
Far Pavilions by M.M. Kaye
This is an epic tale about an
English boy who spends his early years believing himself to be Indian.
When his parents are killed in an uprising in India, his Indian nanny
hides him and raises him as her own son. She tells him the truth of his
heritage on her death bed. He then seeks out his English relatives, and
spends the rest of his youth in England. He returns to India as a young
man feeling torn between two cultures.
Harry
Potter
(the entire series) by J.K. Rowling
I have never read anything so
multifaceted. This is truly the only literature I have ever read that
appeals to both children and adults on an age-appropriate intellectual
level. I've read each book in the series aloud to my children (more
than once), and I was just as entertained and intrigued as they were.
The
Half-Blood Prince was absolutely amazing! I am still stunned by
the ending and can't wait for the final installment in the series.
On
Writing Well (25th Anniversary
edition) by William Zinsser
Why would I include a book about
writing in a list of my favorite literature? Because it is so well
written it is a pleasure to read. I first read On Writing Well in
college. (In fact, the 3rd edition still sits on my desk within arm's
reach.) It made a profound impression on me and on my ability to write.
This book contains wonderful advice for anyone who wants to write well.
Best of all, Zinsser practices what he preaches!
Writing
About Your Life: A Journey into the Past by William Zinsser
Why would I include two books
about writing in a list of my favorite literature? Because they are
written by the same author, and because they are entertaining as well
as informative. Whether you want to write about your life or not, this
book is worth reading. Zinsser offers advice for writers by sharing
anecdotes from his own life (most of which have been published
elsewhere at some point). Even if you have no interest in writing about
your own life, reading Zinsser’s account is worthwhile and entertaining.
The Writing
Tutor's Need-to-Read List
The
Giver by
Lois Lowry
When I taught Anthem
by Ayn Rand to a group of
students who did not like to read, they told me that the plot was very
similar to a book that they had read in junior high. Despite their
unwillingness to read, they unanimously endorsed The Giver.
The
Golden Compass by Philip
Pullman
The Hobbitt & The Lord of the Rings trilogy by J.R.R. Tolkien
I've actually never read them!!
Negotiating
with the Dead: A Writer on Writing by Margaret Atwood
On
Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King
The Redwall series by Brian
Jacques
I've heard a lot about
the series. One of my former students actually suggested it to me when
I asked them to suggest reading material for my own children. One of my
sons is reading the first book now and loves it.
Whatever
Dan Brown writes next
The
Da Vinci Code is by far Brown's best, but his other books are
also entertaining.
Zen
in the Art of Writing by Ray Bradbury
The Writing
Tutor's Favorite Authors
Charlotte
and Emily
Bronte
Dan
Brown
Thomas
B. Costain
James
Joyce
M.M.
Kaye
C.S.
Lewis
J.K.
Rowling
William Shakespeare
William Zinsser
The
Writing
ACT/SAT
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Reference Guides
Homeschool
and literature