Anderson Windows Bay Windows
Suggested reading nonfiction for advanced students
Last year, I worked with a student with skills applicable to Hunter College High School (She came in, by the way). He was only 11 years old, but had a fully adult level reading comprehension and a desire to meet interesting, sophisticated, and a major challenge. At the same time, it was still a child and books written about the experiences of some adults and emotions, simply had no interest for her. Working with this girl made me started thinking about books that might interest a child or young person while being a challenge even for more advanced students.
It is a crime to think of great literature in terms of preparation of the test. And yet, as a teacher, I sometimes find myself reading development in those terms. Instead, let me just say that reading the literature at this level makes the reading comprehension in a test like the SAT SHSAT or even apparently child's play. It is also probably the only way for a child to have a real opportunity for a school like Hunter College High School and The Anderson School.
My basic criterion for the choice of these books is that it must be interesting for me, contain rich vocabulary and complex thoughts, and not be sexually explicit or wantonly violent. They also had to have something in them that I think would be interesting for many young people, for example, many of these books young protagonists. To join this list in particular, the book had to be non-fiction, at a later date, I will write a similar list of recommended fiction for advanced readers. Obviously, this list is very idiosyncratic and far from complete. The books range from moderate to extremely challenging.
Non-fiction
Wild Swans by Jung Chang
In Wild Swans, the author tells the story of modern China through the story of his own family, especially his grandmother, his mother, and herself. This book is emotionally difficult and technically difficult: it is long and complex, and deals with some of the darker aspects of the human nature. Moreover, it is richly informative and exciting. It also shows that some people are better than humans can be.
I think Many classic novels often read in middle school and high school (1984, The Lord of the Flies, Deliverance), are popular at least in part because they encourage an exploration of society has gone wrong. In my personal opinion, a flaw of many of these books (and all those just listed) is that it is too easy to dismiss the errors because the characters are real and, ultimately, not quite convincing. Wild Swans by contrast, paints portraits of people doing very bad, and as exceptionally heroic things that are much harder to dismiss, because it is actually real, because the author is able to make their characters' motivations understandable.
Uncle Tungsten: Story of a Young Chemistry, Oliver Sacks
In this book the author tells her story of childhood love chemistry. It takes place in England at the time of the Second World War, and perhaps the most immediately striking of the story is the most free children were at that time. His parents are clearly loving and responsible, but nevertheless carried out a wide range of chemistry experiments that put the hairs that would never allow today. In fact, many of the materials that he bought as indifferently as a child are now almost impossible for an individual of any age to buy legally.
The writing style of this book is relatively difficult, but most of the content should be easy for young people to identify themselves. As Oliver Sacks was certainly an unusual boy, his enthusiasm when he finds something new to him or when an explosion occurs particularly good is contagious. Similarly, emotions negative events surrounding caused by World War II are easy to identify.
The canyon by Natalie Angier
When I think science books, do not usually think of books filled with word play business, cultural references, and the delicious prose that reads almost like poetry. And yet that is exactly Canyon has to offer. This book is written by a New York Times, science, and it is the biggest, the most important ideas in science, as defined by a wide range of scientists working. Science is clearly intended for a non-scientific public and sophisticated. I think that many students would get a real lack of reading about what they are learning in science class, but in a much more sophisticated and artistic than any textbook has been written.
There is nothing simple about the style of writing of this book, in fact I would say that a large part of the tragedy of low levels of understanding reading is that people who have never be able to enjoy a book like this. Moreover, this book is really a reward for those skilled enough to enjoy it.
The Narrative of Olaudah Equiano interest
The title of this book is not is an extremely interesting story! Olaudah Equiano was born around 1745 in what is now Nigeria, was abducted as he was about ten years, and was sold into slavery. As a slave, he was a Navy officer British and later as an employee, worker, sailor, sea captain and even private landowners. Eventually, he bought his freedom. As a free man had a surprisingly wide range of experiences that included working as a foreman of the slaves, trying to sail to the North Pole, with an intense religious conversion, marry an Englishwoman, and working hard to end slavery.
The story of interest was written as part of efforts to combat Olaudah Equiano slavery. This book is complex, difficult to summarize. It is not easy reading, is a very different time, and both the language and concepts are somewhat different from what we used. However, it is also a very vivid, rewarding read that opens a window to a world that no longer exists.
The Last Algonquin by Theodore L. Kazimiroff
In 1924, a 12-year-old was studying for one badge boy merit scout Joe found two trees, a man who believed he was the last living member of the Algonquin tribe. Joe Two Trees, who lived a traditional hunter-gather life and had not spoken with another human being regularly for decades, decided to tell his life story of that boy. This did not happen in a remote wilderness area, occurred in New York. Specifically, it happened in Pelham Bay Park, a very large park in the Bronx.
The story said Joe Two Trees is exciting, moving and sometimes very sad. It is also a reminder that amazingly drastic change can occur during the life of a person. The child told to Theodore Kazimiroff, Sr, and The Last Algonquin was written by his son.
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