User:Kingturtle/Reading List Two

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At the High School where I teach (in California, U.S.) there is a school-wide program that allows me to assign outside reading to students. I am amassing a reading list. Last semester I focused on the 11th grade U.S. History students. I asked Wikipedians to make suggestions, and they were compiled here.

This semester, I will focus on the 10th grade World Cultures students. I ask you Wikipedians again for some recommendations. There are a few things to keep in mind:

  • Nothing higher than a 10th grade reading level (15 or 16 year olds)
  • Can be either fiction or non-fiction.
  • Must be written in English.
  • Preferably, the book is in print.
  • Subject matter should give the reader insight into another culture (other than the United States) and possibly another time period. The idea is to give U.S. fifteen year olds a chance to read about places outside the U.S.

Please use the following format when adding a title to this list:

  • Name of Book, name of author. A two to four sentence summary. Name/Date stamp.
  • Night, by Elie Wiesel. The story of a fifteen-year old Jew imprisoned in the Auschwitz concentration camp during World War II. Kingturtle 07:24, 12 Jan 2004 (UTC)

(places suggestions under this line)

  • Three Kingdoms: A Historical Novel by Luo Guanzhong, translated and abridged by Moss Roberts. The great Han Empire perished. Now, three intelligent and courageous kings contend for power, but there is only room for one new emperor. Who will win? This book is a bit macho (some death, but no pointless "horror-movie" gruesome violence AFAIK), but it also features some female characters like a patriotic beauty who plots against her vicious husband. This novel can give the students some praised qualities of China, such as loyalty of brotherhood and filial piety for your parents. There are also cunning, deception, honour, and respect. But it's 400 pages, maybe a bit too long for kids? --Menchi (Talk)â 07:45, 12 Jan 2004 (UTC)
  • Cry, the Beloved Country, Alan Paton. A story showcasing the social transformations in 20th century South Africa, and more generally those in the "third world". Urbanisation, loss of cultural identity, and racism are prominent themes. --snoyes 07:53, 12 Jan 2004 (UTC) (Let me just note that I do not consider myself a good judge of the reading abilities of 15 or 16 yearolds, but I believe the prose and vocabulary is not too difficult)
  • The Song of Roland, by Anon. (Glyn Burgess trans). The epic poem telling the story of Charlemagne's army's rear guard, under the command of his nephew Roland, being attacked while leaving Spain to return to France. Roland chooses to fight the overwhelming enemy alone rather than call the main force for help so that they can escape. The whole story is about the battle, so it can get a bit violent. Gentgeen 08:23, 12 Jan 2004 (UTC)
  • Coming of Age in Samoa by Margaret Mead. (See the article on Mead for a description). --→Raul654 10:57, Jan 12, 2004 (UTC)
  • Motel of the Mysteries by David Macaulay. My anthropology professor gave me a copy (she had 6!). It's about a guy from the distant future who stumbles upon a perfectly preserved 1980s motel, and the theories they make about people from the 1980s. It's a really short read (20 minutes), mostly large illustrated pictures, but very interesting. ISBN 0-395-28424-4 →Raul654 10:57, Jan 12, 2004 (UTC)
  • Indian Tales by Jaime de Angulo. Beautiful retellings/recreations of California Indian folk tales. Bmills 11:39, 12 Jan 2004 (UTC)
  • Shogun by James Clavell - an excellent depiction of Japanese feudal society around 1600 as seen through the eyes of English navigator John Blackthorne. Blackthorne is initially confused and repelled by almost every aspect of the Japanese samurai culture in which he finds himself, but he eventually begins to understand and accept it, and is accepted by it in turn. This is by far the best of Clavell's novels in my opinion - perhaps one drawback for your purposes is that it is a long novel - over 1,000 pages. Gandalf61 12:08, Jan 12, 2004 (UTC)
You would really recommend this to a 15-year-old? -- Jmabel 08:20, 13 Jan 2004 (UTC)
Yes, to an intelligent 15-year-old. Can you explain why you think not ? The first-person style is subtle and bears re-reading, but I don't think it would be beyond the grasp of a 15-year-old. Gandalf61 10:27, Jan 13, 2004 (UTC)
  • The Islandman by Tomás Ó Crohan. An evocation of life on the Blasket Islands off the coast of Kerry. The islands were finally abandoned in 1954. Bmills 12:11, 12 Jan 2004 (UTC)
  • The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy. An exquisitely written tale of an Indian family in the late 20th Century. Covers class and caste, communism and government, love and child-abuse. Although the setting will be a contrast for your students, the characters will all seem quite familiar (everyone's got a letcherous uncle, a crazy auntie, a yuppie cousin, and a somewhat damaged brother). The writing style will be fine for your audience, although the novel contains one scene of child abuse, on love/sex scene, and one violent assault - they're delicately handled, so I leave it to you to judge whether they're appropriate. -- Finlay McWalter 17:16, 12 Jan 2004 (UTC)