Some thoughts on this. If I were a teacher, assuming anyone so foolish as to hire me, depending on the age group being taught, I'd choose from,
The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkein – loyalty, persistence, ingenuity, decency, and other admirable traits displayed in what today would pass as formal prose, but still readable. (I hope.)
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s (/Philosopher’s) Stone by J. K. Rowling – loyalty, friendship, cooperation, respect for learning, distrust of some but not complete contempt for all authority, and what for kids is a mischievous and delightful humor, much of which may be obvious for adults, but for kids word play like Diagon Alley might be quite the discovery. The other possibility, of course, is that familiarity with the movies could assist in entering the written world. The tonal qualities between this and the Tolkein would be worth exploring with a class.
Coraline by Neil Gaiman – sort of Bradbury for girls. Self-reliance, intelligence, skepticism about what strangers want from you, and courage are all traits that make for an admirable read for girls, and would be good for boys to recognize in the girls around them.
The Forever War by Joe Haldeman -- a little suspicion of what your government wants is no bad thing, encased in a well-written story showing some of the down-side of war.
The Martian Chronicles or The October Country by Ray Bradbury – I would attempt to instill an appreciation of the short story. I can’t think of any books more likely to do this than these, plus they offer different perspectives on fantasy (as in, not all fantasy is about Medieval warfare).
The Day of the Triffids by John Wyndham – let’s introduce the kids to the source of some of their favorite movies and tv shows or episodes from same. Over the past 15-20 years Smallville, The Walking Dead, 28 Days Later, Van Helsing, and I’d assume others have borrowed, appropriated or ripped-off the opening of this novel as entry into various dystopias.
With older kids, like high school seniors, I might either choose or suggest as further, outside reading (with extra credit for a written report),
The Crystal World by J. G. Ballard – paired with the Wyndham to show where the dystopias go, and maybe as an entry to discussing works like Heart of Darkness.
The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson. The ending makes this problematic for grade school age, but I think empathy for Eleanor’s condition and the themes around the need for connection make it a potentially powerful read for more mature kids.
The Ballad of Black Tom by Victor LaValle. LaValle mostly skirts didacticism and what there is is mitigated by its shortness; it’s a good example of how current social issues can be approached in sffh without losing the story-telling that appeals to readers of sffh. It could also be paired with …
Lovecraft Country by Matt Ruff. Another instance of how to merge sffh story-telling conventions with a socially aware story. Ruff indicates the time period and its attitudes and beliefs deftly while illustrating how those attitudes and beliefs affect the daily lives of a minority.
The Bloody Chamber and Other Stories by Angela Carter. From a writing perspective, a template for how to incorporate an –ism into fiction and remain entertaining, witty and relevant, in this case feminism. From a thematic perspective, wit, invention, and imagination in the cause of showing women as adventurous and resourceful. The sexual themes could be more problematic now than they would have been when I was in high school, I suppose.
If there were ways to weave in shorter works, I’d want to include,
“Bloodchild” by Octavia Butler, pairing it with either the LaValle or the Carter.
“The Beckoning Fair One” by Oliver Onions, pairing it with the Jackson
“Homecoming” by Ray Bradbury, paired with the Gaiman
I expect others will come to me the minute I send this.
Randy M.
Btw, they were selected for *variety* and survey completeness, they are not all literary equals. What do you think?
