Classic to Contemporary -
Great Books for the 6-12 Classroom
Mike Roberts
Rowland Hall – St. Mark’s Middle School
Salt Lake City, Utah
Seedfolks by Paul Fleishman
- A community is brought together through a garden created by a little girl. Great book for the study of different cultures.
Genre – YA fiction
Theme – Community building and service
Project – Work with local community garden / create own garden
Cross-curricular – Science and seeds, math and plotting, history and native plants, drama
Video – “Pay It Forward”
Classic – Our Town
Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli
- High-school life is put under the microscope as a boy tries to decide between love or conformity. Challenges kids to look at how they treat one another.
Genre – YA fiction
Theme – Peer pressure / challenging conformity
Project – No-name calling / hi assignment
Classic – One Flew Over the Cukoos Nest / The Scarlett Letter
Bronx Masquerade by Nikki Grimes
- Students learn to look past outer appearances and accept others through the reading of poetry. Shows there is more to a person than what is on the outside.
Genre – YA fiction (poetry)
Theme – Acceptance of others
Project – Poetry packet / masks
Cross-curricular – History and Harlem Renaissance
Video – “Finding Forrester”
Classic – Harlem Renaissance
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
- A man battles against a futuristic world where reading and individualism is prohibited. Excellent book to promote the need to read.
Genre – Sci-fi (classic)
Theme – Questioning / Thinking
Project – Daily awareness activities
Cross-curricular – History and Cold War
Video – “Pleasantville”
YA – The Giver (Lois Lowry) / Last Book in the Universe (Rodman Philbrick)
Classic to Contemporary -
Great Books for the 6-12 Classroom
The Gospel According to Larry by Janet Tashjian
- Seventeen-year-old Josh Swensen’s pursuit to end consumerism in America. Fits in nicely with a study of transcendentalism.
Genre – YA fiction
Theme – Commercialism and consumerism
Project – Study of clothing, commercials, and advertisements
Cross-curricular – American Studies / Pop Culture
Video – “The Truman Show”
Classic - Walden
Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
- George and Lennie struggle through the challenges and heartaches of the depression. Focuses on loneliness and friendship. Very powerful and sad, but the kids eat it up.
Genre – Fiction (classic)
Theme – Tough decisions / exclusion
Project – Music analysis of themes from the novel
Cross-curricular – Great Depression / railroad travelers
Video – “Of Mice and Men” (Gary Sinese and John Malkovitch)
YA – Whale Talk (Chris Crutcher)
Tuesdays With Morrie by Mitch Albom
- A student learns the value of life as he watches his former teacher slowly die of ALS. By eighth grade, the kids get it.
Genre – Non-fiction (biography)
Theme – Coping with death / friendship
Project – Interview senior citizens
Cross-curricular – Science and genetics and/or diseases
Video – “Tuesdays With Morrie”
YA – The Pigman (Paul Zindel)
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
- Scout learns about herself, her family, and society in this classic. It’s challenging for kids, but if done correctly, they love it.
Genre – Fiction (classic)
Theme – Prejudice / acceptance
Project – Neighborhood map
Cross-curricular – History and Great Depression
Video – “To Kill a Mockingbird”
YA – Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry (Mildred Taylor)
Classic to Contemporary -
Great Books for the 6-12 Classroom
Mississippi Trial, 1955 by Chris Crowe
- Gives insight into one of the lesser-known events that triggered the civil right movement.
Genre – YA fiction (historical)
Theme – Prejudice and injustice
Project – Research Emmett Till case
Cross-curricular – History and civil rights movement
Video – “The American Experience – The Murder of Emmett Till”
Classic – To Kill a Mockingbird
Holes by Louis Sachar
- Simply written, this is a great novel to introduce symbolism, irony, and foreshadowing. Most kids have read it, making it easier to focus on the literary elements.
Genre – YA fiction
Theme – Overcoming obstacles / Accepting reality
Project – Comic strip
Video – “Holes”
Classic – Glass Menagerie
Athletic Shorts by Chris Crutcher
- Six stories that hit on tough topics such as racism, sexism, homosexuality, and family issues. Great book for boys and those who enjoy sports.
Genre – YA fiction (short stories)
Theme – Overcoming obstacles / sports / prejudice
Project – Discussion of stories
Cross-curricular – Health and AIDS / homosexuality
Classic – Heart of Darkness
Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson
- After being raped, Melinda struggles to overcome the events and fallout that happens between her and her friends.
Genre – YA fiction
Theme – Overcoming obstacles / phoniness
Project – 20 truths about life
Cross-curricular – Health and sexual assault
Classic – Catcher in the Rye
Stuck in Neutral by Terry Trueman
- Told from the perspective of Shawn, a fourteen-year-old with cerebral palsy, it gives insight to everything we don’t know about the disabled.
Genre – YA fiction
Theme – Acceptance of self / treatment of disabled
Project – Sit still for ½ hour / new friend week
Cross-curricular – Science and genetics/diseases
Video – “Charly” / “Homr” (The Simpsons)
Classic – Flowers for Algernon
Classic to Contemporary -
Great Books for the 6-12 Classroom
Crazy Horse Electric Game by Chris Crutcher
- After a tragic accident, baseball star Willie Weaver sets out to find out who he is and what’s important in life.
Genre – YA fiction
Theme –Journey to find self
Project – Personal essay
Cross-curricular – American studies and civil rights
Classic – The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
The Wave by Todd Strasser
- A teacher introduces a new system to his students, igniting a movement built around discipline and action.
Genre – YA fiction
Theme –Loss of innoncence / tyranny
Project – Research project
Cross-curricular – American studies and WWII
Classic – Lord of the Flies
Running Loose by Chris Crutcher
- A football player gets kicked off the team for taking a moral stand against his coach. Great book for sports-minded students.
Genre – YA fiction
Theme – Moral choice / winning at all costs
Project – Poetry unit
Classic – The Great Gatsby
Downriver by Will Hobbs
- Eight kids embark on a journey that challenges them to work together, while at the same time establishes their own personal values.
Genre – YA fiction
Theme – Worthiness and journey
Project – Water conservation / usage
Cross-curricular – American studies / science and rivers / math and cfs
Classic – The Old Man and the Sea
Seek by Paul Fleishman
- A boy writes his senior autobiography while searching the radio for the DJ father he’s never met.
Genre – YA fiction
Theme – Loss of identity / reality vs. illusion
Project – Write a radio piece about an experience
Cross-curricular: Drama
Classic – Death of a Salesman
More Great Books for
the 6-12 Classroom
The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom
- Tells the story of Eddie and the impact he had on people in ways he didn’t even know.
Genre – Fiction
Theme – Long-term results of actions / impact on others
Project – Student-parent book club
Video – “The Five People You Meet in Heaven”
Monster by Walter Dean Myers
- Written as a movie, the plot plays itself out as the reader discovers the actual events that took place. Gives a look into the court system.
Genre – YA fiction
Theme – The justice system
Project – Research prison system / laws
Cross-curricular – History and laws, drama
What My Mother Doesn’t Know by Sonja Sones
- Told through a series of poems, Sophie deals with common teen struggles, including finding love where least expected.
Genre – YA fiction (poetry)
Theme – Growing up
Project –Poems about growing up
Tangerine by Edward Bloor
- Paul deals with problems ranging from his brother to his vision in this soccer-themed novel. Lots of symbolism and foreshadowing, plus a twist in the end that kids love.
Genre – YA fiction
Theme – Overcoming obstacles / sports
Project – Interview with one of the main characters
“Flowers for Algernon” by Daniel Keys
- Short story of mentally challenged Charlie Gordon and the science experiment that triples his intelligence. Great story for comparison about what is important.
Genre – Short story
Theme – Treatment of others
Project – New friend week
Cross-curricular: Science and genetics
Video: “Charly” / “Homr” (The Simpsons)
More Great Books for
the 6-12 Classroom
The Pigman by Paul Zindel
- John and Lorraine learn about themselves through their interaction with a lonely old man. A bit dated in content (but not in theme), the kids still enjoy it.
Genre – YA fiction (classic)
Theme – Friendship / family issues
Project – Commonality poster
The Watson Go to Birmingham -1963 by Christopher Paul Curtis
- Very funny story of Kenny and his family as they go to visit grandma in Alabama. Based around the Birmingham church bombing.
Genre – YA fiction (historical)
Theme – Family / civil rights
Project – Poems about family events
13 ed. By James Howe
- Thirteen short stories about crushes, first kisses, and peer pressure. A nice change of pace that can be read in class.
Genre – YA fiction (short stories)
Theme – Agony and ecstasy of being thirteen
Project – Oral stories about events from life
The Greatest by Walter Dean Myers
- Biography that gives insight into the significance of Muhammad Ali, both in and out of the boxing ring. Good for sports fans.
Genre – YA non-fiction (Muhammad Ali)
Theme – Overcoming obstacles / sports
Project – Researching Ali’s life
Cross-curricular – History and civil rights
Ender’s Shadow by Orson Scott Card
- Story of Bean as he goes through battle school and finds out the truth about who he is. Great for sci-fi kids.
Genre – YA sci-fi
Theme – Overcoming obstacles / working together
Project – Discussion of video games / strategy
America Street ed. By Anne Mazer
- Short stories about various cultures from authors like Langston Hughes, Robert Cormier, and Toni Cade Bambara.
Genre – YA fiction (multicultural short stories)
Theme – Different perspectives
Project – Discuss various family traditions
Other Ideas for
the 6-12 Classroom
Children’s story
What a Bad Dream by Mercer Mayer
Genre – Children’s story
Theme – Overcoming fears
Project – Write, illustrate, and present stories to young kids
Fairy tales / tall tales
“The Three Little Pigs” (and other fairy/tall tales)
Genre – Fairy tale
Theme –Work hard
Project –Write and illustrate original fairy tale
Video: “Shrek”
Student Book Club
Students read a suggested book and then get together and discuss main ideas and themes. This can be a before school, lunch, or after school activity.
Student/Parent Book Club
Students and parents read the same book, then get together and discuss main ideas and themes. This works best as an after school activity.
Author Visits
Author visits are a great way to get kids fired-up about reading and writing. Most have websites that outline what they do. Pair up with other schools in the area to offset the costs. Talk with local bookstores about upcoming author events. Prep the kids before the visit (link with book club and/or class reading).
Recommended Authors:
Chris Crutcher: Great speaker. Relates to kids. Honest and upfront.
Terry Trueman: Very funny. Kids love him.
David Lubar: Great writing workshop. Humorous and outgoing.
Chris Crowe: Very knowledgeable about civil rights. Easy to work with.
Orson Scott Card: Extremely intelligent. Great creative exercise. Tough to get.
Paul Fleischman: Great writing workshop. Good with all ages (second – twelfth)
Neal Shusterman – Funny and engaging. Talks about different types of writing.
Final Note – Before teaching any of these books, please read it for yourself and determine how comfortable both you and your school are in the teaching of the various ideas. Some of the above novels contain questionable language, while others discuss a wide range of serious issues (sex, drugs, violence, etc.). To get the most out of any novel, you have to believe in it and feel confident in teaching it.