School reading books for 7th grade girls

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Forum -> Chinuch, Education & Schooling

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amother

Tue, Jun 28 2022, 1:19 am

Can you please share what books your 7th grade girls are assigned for reading?

Looking for ideas for my DD, and also trying to assess if the books she was assigned for next year are within the norm.

Thanks!

Jello

Tue, Jun 28 2022, 8:59 am

What books was she assigned? It's going to vary a lot depending on the type of school. If you post what the books are, I can tell you if their within the norm (former middle school teacher).

amother

Tue, Jun 28 2022, 9:55 am

She was assigned a young readers' version of I Am Malala by Malala Yousafzai.

I thought it was an odd choice for a Jewish school.

Jello

Tue, Jun 28 2022, 10:01 am

It's actually a nice book. I'll admit that it does seem an odd choice, but I don't know anything about your daughter's school. If it's somewhat to the left of yeshivish, it makes sense.
The values espoused are solid -- Malala firmly believed that girls deserved and needed an education. There's no anti Jew or anti Israel material in either the adult version nor the young reader version. In general, it's free of religious references.

amother

Impatiens

Tue, Jun 28 2022, 10:04 am

personally find that book choice very strange for a jewish school
there are plenty jewish books to choose from

#BestBubby

Tue, Jun 28 2022, 10:05 am

Lots of schools assign "the giver" and
"Tuck Everlasting"

Jello

Tue, Jun 28 2022, 10:06 am

The school I used to teach in did not like The Giver. Tuck Everlasting is 5/6 grade IMO.

BrisketBoss

Tue, Jun 28 2022, 12:30 pm

I got Lord of the Flies in eighth, To Kill A Mockingbird in seventh, The Giver in sixth. But I noticed other schools seemed to assign books a year later than my schools did.

#BestBubby

Tue, Jun 28 2022, 12:34 pm

I think "To Kill a Mockingbird" is no longer PC.

Because a White Male is the "savior" of a Black Male.

#BestBubby

Tue, Jun 28 2022, 12:35 pm

Bridge to Tarabitha (it is very sad).

#BestBubby

Tue, Jun 28 2022, 12:36 pm

OP, I am curious.

Please share which books your DD was assigned.

Chayalle

Tue, Jun 28 2022, 1:11 pm

The Wave is a popular choice in upper elementary school.

OP I read that book, I don't think it's inappropriate. I think it provides a view into radical Islam and how it took hold, and was an informative, but sad, read.

amother

Amber

Tue, Jun 28 2022, 1:22 pm

The Kay is a good book. My daughter is going into 7th and is supposed to read Fish in a Tree over the summer, OOT yeshivish BY type school. Behind the Bedroom Wall is good, but might be too easy.

The Giver has some sections that aren't at all appropriate, but it is taught widely because over all it's a great book for this age group. I taught it in 6th grade. The Wave is also good, I taught that in 8th grade. I also taught The Pearl by John Steinbeck in 8th grade, and Animal Farm in 7th. Animal Farm can be taught in higher grades as well. I taught all of these books in a modern school.

amother

Navyblue

Tue, Jun 28 2022, 2:07 pm

You all really think The Wave is appropriate?
DS was assigned it in 8th grade and I read it at the same time and was not thrilled. There is a subplot relationship going on throughout the whole book between a girl and a boy. I found it very unfit for that age.

amother

Tue, Jun 28 2022, 2:51 pm

#BestBubby wrote:

OP, I am curious.

Please share which books your DD was assigned.

So far, just the Malala book and The Giver. They said they would assign others during the course of the schoolyear, depending on the level of the girls' reading.

This is in a DL school in Israel, a special English class for English-speakers.

BrisketBoss

Tue, Jun 28 2022, 3:13 pm

amother [ Navyblue ] wrote:

What age would it be fit for? Eighth graders do notice the opposite s-x and are aware that romantic relationships are a thing. The book doesn't have anything explicit happening between Laurie and David.

Maybe in insular communities it's different but then, I don't understand why it would change for somewhat older students.

amother

Molasses

Tue, Jun 28 2022, 3:16 pm

#BestBubby wrote:

Bridge to Tarabitha (it is very sad).

The public school I worked in assigned it for 4th grade. (However, parents complained about the language, so they removed that book from the curriculum.)

amother

Amber

Tue, Jun 28 2022, 4:00 pm

amother [ Navyblue ] wrote:

I'm the amother who taught it in 8th grade. I wouldn't necessarily let my own kids read it, I'd have to re-read it to remind myself! The school I taught in was modern and very open so it worked for them. Yes, there is a subplot of a relationship, but if I remember correctly, no description of anything happening. Kids in 8th grade know that ppl in secular world have boyfriend/girlfriends.

amother

Navyblue

Tue, Jun 28 2022, 4:09 pm

Quote:

I myself read it in school (I think 9th or 10th grade) but I went to a pretty modern high school.
DS is in a yeshiva day school OOT, that's why I was a little shocked. Whether the kids know about these things or not isn't the point. Do we need them to be reading about it in a school-assigned book?

I would be fine if frum boys schools got rid of novels and just worked with short stories. I don't really see much value nowadays when I'd guess 85% of the kids in the room don't even bother reading the book

BrisketBoss

Tue, Jun 28 2022, 4:28 pm

amother [ Navyblue ] wrote:

Quote:

Yes, because that's an important part of life and it's what people write about in books. Frum people have yet to produce great novels.

Also, I love short stories but it speaks very poorly of the education system if it's true that so few students are reading the books.

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