HS Freshman English Book suggestion needed

[tbb113]

My son just came home with the following request:

He needs a book that:
1) has been made into a movie
2) is not part of a series
3) is not one of the required readings (Of Mice and Men, Romeo and Juliet, How To Kill Mockingbird, A Separate Peace, Inherit the Wind)
4) must be fiction
5) must be grade appropriate

He likes fantasy, some sci-fi. Has a suggested list that he isn't thrilled with so we are looking for other ideas.

THANKS!

[Curiosity Hears]

Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep (Blade Runner is the movie)
2001 (or is a trilogy what you mean by part of a series?)
Brave New World
Something Wicked This Way Comes
Cannery Row

[Robyn1007]

Cool Hand Luke

[Beth Y]

I would read "....Electric Sheep" very cool.

And do they REALLY still make HS kids read "A Separate Peace". For goodness sakes that is a sappy book.

[stefania4]

The Outsiders (S.E. Hinton)

[ccooney]

I suspect a male freshman would consider these "girly" books, but what about Emma, Pride & Prejudice (there's like 8 movies or adaptations of that), Wuthering Heights, Jane Eyre, Babbette's Feast, or Out of Africa (not sure if that's the book title, but it is the movie)? I've also seen the movie of the novella Ethan Fromme with Liam Neeson.

If he likes sci-fi/fantasy, he might like Howard Frank Mosher's Disappearances. It was just released by Vermont filmaker Jay Craven, starring Kris Kristofferson. Jay has also made movies of Mosher's Where the Rivers Flow North , and I think possibly A Stranger In the Kingdom .

[Robyncz]

The Princess Bride
Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (although my husband says the book is part of a series. . .)
About a Boy (really anything by Nick Hornby)

Here's a link to a database of novels, short stories, and plays that have been made into movies:

http://www.mcpl.lib.mo.us/readers/movies/

[LakeMartinGal]

Clan of the Cave Bear... granted, the movie wasn't very good, but the book was...

[Terri_A]

What about Ordinary People by Judith Guest? I think I read that as a freshman and it made a big impact on me.

[slawrence]

Old Man and the Sea?

[summer02]

Starship Troopers by Heinlein?
It's not the best of his books, but it is good SF (very different from the movie).

I like the Princess Bride suggestion :)

If it has to be something more literature-ish, what about Catch-22 or Farhenheit-451?

[tbb113]

Robyn - thanks for that link.


Beth - It depends on the teacher. They have a bunch of books they can choose from and A Separate Peace is one of them. I don't remember my older son reading that though.

Keep the suggestions coming. Right now I think he is leaning towards
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep

[MNGirlTX]

I was going to suggest The Outsiders, too.

And, if they have to watch the movie - the 20th anniversary director's cut is better than the original. Almost exactly the same as the book.

[avariell]

my vote(s) belong to "the outsiders" and "the princess bride"
:)

[tbb113]

I'm back from the library with The Outsiders (which was my original suggestion as well) and Do Andriods Dream of Electric Sheep. He can look them over and then get which ever one he choses approves (since it wasn't on her suggested list).

[erin elizabeth]

I am sorry to be late to this list, but in case he didn't go for one of the choices, you might consider A Scanner Darkly based on a book by Philip K. Dick. It is a new movie, sci-fi, and seems to fit perfectly into the categories!

[tbb113]

He is going to read Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep (it was approved yesterday).

Thanks for all the great ideas :)

[tamawrite]

The Giver (I *think* this has been made into a movie -- not sure)

FWIW, I'd contend that Clan of the Cave Bear is NOT grade-appropriate for freshmen in highschool.


ETA Oops, just saw he's already found a book. :rolleyes: :)

[Curiosity Hears]

He is going to read Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep (it was approved yesterday).

Thanks for all the great ideas :)


Thanks for the update. Would love to hear how he likes the book when he is done with it.

[tbb113]

Thanks for the update. Would love to hear how he likes the book when he is done with it.

Might be a while...it is supposed to last him the WHOLE quarter :rolleyes: Mind you...he can read a book in a weekend. He told me that he is only planning on reading it the 15 minutes on the weekends and in-class in the hopes it takes him that long to finish it. My guess is that if he likes it...he will plow through it in a day or so ;)

[Gracie]

How are they stretching an individually-read book for a whole quarter? I can see having discussions if the entire class is reading the book. Are there generic questions applying to everyone's book they have to answer?

Loren

[tbb113]

yep...I don't know what he needs to do with the book....but the individual reading lasts a quarter.

[LakeMartinGal]

FWIW, I'd contend that Clan of the Cave Bear is NOT grade-appropriate for freshmen in highschool.I'm sure you're right, now that I think on it some more... it's been a long time since I read it, but I'm sure there are some 'too-educational" passages... :o

[LakeMartinGal]

FWIW, I'd contend that Clan of the Cave Bear is NOT grade-appropriate for freshmen in highschool.I'm sure you're right, now that I think on it some more... it's been a long time since I read it, but I'm sure there are some 'too-educational" passages... :o I was thinking more about the historical side of it, and some of the social ramifications and conclusions that could be drawn.

[tbb113]

He's a pretty smart and savvy kid. I don't think that Clan of the Cave Bear would shock him...but I don't think it is his kind of book. He would skip past all of the historical/anthropological stuff, be bored with the main story and be mildly embarrassed about the sexual descriptions :) (if I remember the book correctly). I read it when it first came out so my memories might be hazy

[tbb113]

It has to last 4 weeks (not the whole quarter). He thinks he has to keep a journal but the project hasn't been completely assigned yet. He also has to keep a reading log.

[AdGirl]

I'm sure you're right, now that I think on it some more... it's been a long time since I read it, but I'm sure there are some 'too-educational" passages... :o I was thinking more about the historical side of it, and some of the social ramifications and conclusions that could be drawn.

i actually read this as a freshman!

[aggie94]

LOL, I just watched The Outsiders this morning as I was getting ready for work. :eek: :o