In my classes at Lehigh University and the Wescoe School of Muhlenberg College, I sometimes do something I call — Doc Chuck’s recommended readings. I suggest a book for the students to read at another point in the future. I ask the students to write the title and author and then tell them that what they do with that information is entirely up to them. Some of these works I consider to be among the best and most important books ever written, and some I simply found to be wonderful and entertaining.
Now, the list:
Doc Chuck’s Recommended Readings:
Agee, James and Walker Evans. Let Us Now Praise Famous Men.
Allende, Isabel. The House of the Spirits.
Bradbury, Ray. Fahrenheit 451.
Brown, Larry. Fay.
Cervantes, Miguel De. Don Quixote.
Delaney, Frank. Ireland.
Dickens, Charles. A Tale of Two Cities.
Doyle, Roddy. A Star Called Henry.
Eco, Umberto. The Name of the Rose.
Gaiman, Neil. American Gods.
Grass, Günter. The Tin Drum.
Helprin, Mark. A Soldier of the Great War.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . The Pacific and Other Stories.
Hemingway, Ernest. For Whom The Bell Tolls.
Homer. The Iliad.
. . . . . . . The Odyssey.
King, Stephen. Hearts In Atlantis.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . The Stand.
Lee, Harper. To Kill A Mockingbird.
Poe, Edgar Allan. Complete Works.
Rice, Anne. Interview With the Vampire.
Rowling, J. K. The entire Harry Potter series.
Shakespeare, William. The Collected Works.
Shelley, Mary. Frankenstein.
Steinbeck, John. The Grapes of Wrath.
Stoker, Bram. Dracula.
Tolkien, J. R. R. The Lord of the Rings.
Twain, Mark. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.
Zafon, Carlos Ruiz. The Shadow of the Wind.
Zusak, Markus. The Book Thief.
I am certain there are many books I have forgotten to mention. This is neither intended to be all-inclusive, nor is it meant to be authoritarian. I hope that someone may find a book or books from this list, read them, and enjoy them.
What books would you add to this kind of list?
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I’d add Beowulf (I’m partial to Seamus Heaney’s version) and REH’s The Hour of the Dragon.
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Yes, and I have taught the Seamus Heaney translation!
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As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner!
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A remarkable and difficult book!
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Outstanding collection of books, Charles!
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Thank you!
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You are welcome! BTW, do you practice SSR in your classroom? Or is that pretty much just in high school? I feel so strongly that if every school, at every age, allowed children and teachers to read silently for 10 or 15 minutes every day, education (well, true learning) would multiply exponentially. I would like to know if you do this, and your thoughts. Can you tell this is my next blog post? Best to you, Charles.
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I think it is mainly in high school. Most of my classes are intense discussions. And I look forward to your next post, Jennie!
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I appreciate your feedback, Charles. I think it’s mostly in high school, too. A parent in my class teaches senior English at Lawrence Academy here in Groton. We talk often about reading, and he has started to do some of the things I do in my classroom. Here I am reading aloud Charlotte’s Web, and there he is reading aloud Slaughterhouse Five, and the common thread is the same. I just love that!
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That is wonderful, and I think reading aloud is valuable!
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Thank you, Charles. I’ll let you know when the post is up.
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Jennie, you are welcome, and I look forward to it.
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Thank you!
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You are welcome.
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Reading silently when I was at home after school got me through some really tough situations at school. Not all children are nice and wonderful, and where I grew up on the Texas/Mexico border, there was a lot of bullying, and yes, even of girls, as long ago as that was. I used to have to hide in the bushes at lunchtime to stay safe. So when I got home, I would go into my bedroom and read something and it would help me to stay sane through those tough times. Reading was my best friend. I could always count on a book to keep me going.
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Reading is a wonderful friend!
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I was trying to think of a book I would call my favorite, and I have to say it would likely be Les Miserables by Victor Hugo. Thank you very kindly.
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You are very welcome.
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