READING LIST
This page is a working list of what I think is good for my kids to read. By “good” I mean to further these goals:
- Build the habit and love of reading
- Strengthen their reading by reading harder and harder works.
- Acquaint them with the ideas that have shaped our world.
The starting point for the list is the Plan of Graded Reading from the Gateway to the Great Books and the 10-year reading plan from the Great Books of the Western World. The editors did an good job of laying it out so that a beginner can comfortably dip their toe in the water and go from there.
As I said, those lists are only a starting point. The most glaring omissions from my eye are those dealing with race in America. To that end I’ve added works from Douglass, Du Bois, and MLK. Another omission is any eastern works. I’ve got a placeholder section below (copied from St. John’s Eastern Classics Reading List) but am only superficially familiar with them and so will need to deal with them later. I also add new books to the list as I come across them and they feel right for my boys.
The format is: AUTHOR, Title word-count. The marks to the left are to keep track of kids have read the books.
The word-count is approximate, but its probably accurate to within a 10%. Some works are fast reads, others slower. For 7th and 8th grade the total word count is approximately 1.15M. That sounds like a lot but is only about 11.5k words per week, which is about 20-25 “normal” pages per week.
As I write this in May 2021 my oldest son is 12, and so naturally my focus is on the 7th and 8th grade section. I’ll refine as I go.
Lastly, I just want to say that before making this page I hadn’t read many of these works, and so have only started to do it now… firmly in my thirties. I’ve still found it worthwhile, and much more so than had I taken random books from the Young Adult section at the bookstore.
Kindergarten grade
c---LOBEL, Frog and Toad Togetherc---COLE, Hungry, Hungry, Sharksc-egWILLEMS, Elephant and PiggieclegGRIMM, Hansel and Gretel
1st grade
clegSEUSS, Fox in Socks
2nd grade
clegMCCLOSKEY, Make Way for Ducklingsc-e-ANDERSEN, The Emperor’s New Clothes2kc-e-DE SAINT-EXUPERY, The Little Princec---{FOLK}, The Gingerbread Man1kc---{FOLK}, The Three Little Pigsc---SOUTHEY, Goldilocks and the Three Bearsc---WILLIAMS, The Velveteen Rabbit
3rd grade
c---BARRIE, Peter Pan----BOND, Paddingtonc-e-COLLODI, Pinocchio42kc---DAHL, Charlie and the Chocolate Factorycle-RIORDAN, Percy Jacksonc-e-KIPLING, The Jungle Book51kcle-WATTERSON, Calvin & Hobbesc---WHITE, Charlotte’s Webc-e-WHITE, Stuart Little----WILDE, Angry Giant
4th grade
c---CARROLL, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderlandc-e-SEWELL, Black Beautyc---THAYER, Casey at the Batc---VERNE, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea----WHITE, The Trumpet of the Swan
5th grade
----DICKENS, Oliver Twist----LEWIS, The Silver Chair----LEWIS, The Voyage of the Dawn Treadercle-ORWELL, Animal Farmcle-STEVENSON, Treasure Island----VERNE, Around the World in Eighty Days----WYSS, Swiss Family Robinson
6th grade
----ADAMS, Watership Down----BALZAC, At the Sign of the Cat and Racket----CRANE, The Red Badge of Courage----DICKENS, A Christmas Carol----DOYLE, Sherlock Holmesc---IRVING, Rip Van Winkle----IRVING, The Legend of Sleepy Hollowcl--SENECA, Moral Letters to Lucilius----TWAIN, The Prince and the Pauper----WELLS, The War of the Worlds
7th and 8th grade
Imaginative literature
cle-CRANE, The Open Boat11kcl--DEFOE, Robinson Crusoe58kcl--FLAUBERT, The Legend of St. Julian the Hospitaller11kcl--HEMINGWAY, The Killers4kcl--HUGO, The Battle with the Cannon4kcl--HUXLEY, Brave New World4kcle-KIPLING, Mowgli’s Brothers8kcl--LAWRENCE, The Rocking-Horse Winner7kcl--LEE, To Kill a Mockingbirdcle-MAUPASSANT, Two Friends3kcl--MELVILLE, Billy Budd34k----MOLIÈRE, The Doctor in Spite of Himself15kcl--POE, The Tell-Tale Heart2kcl--POE, The Masque of the Red Death3kcl--SCOTT, The Two Drovers11kc---STEVENSON, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde27kcl--TOLSTOY, The Three Hermits3kcl--TOLSTOY, What Men Live By25kcl--TWAIN, The Man That Corrupted Hadleyburg20k----SHAW, The Man of Destiny19kcl--TWAIN, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn107kcl--WILDE, The Happy Prince4kcl--HOMER, The Odyssey69k----VIRGIL, The Aeneid, Books II-III21k----SHAKESPEARE, The Taming of the Shrew15kc---SHAKESPEARE, Julius Caesar14k----SHAKESPEARE, The Tempest12kcl--SWIFT, Gulliver’s Travels90k
Critical Essays
----ADAMS, Letter On Thomas Jeffersoncl--ADLER, How to Read A Book----CHURCHILL, Blood, Toil, Tears And Sweat: Address To Parliament On May 13th, 1940cl--DOUGLASS, A Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slavec---EMERSON, Society And Solitudec---HAZLITT, Of Persons One Would Wish to Have Seenc---HENRY, Speech To The Second Virginia Conventionc---KING, JR., Letter From Birmingham Jail----LAMB, My First Play----LAMB, Dream Children, a Reveriecl--MONTAIGNE, Of the Education of Childrencl--ORWELL, Politics And The English Languagec---PAINE, Common Sense----ROOSEVELT, State Of The Union Address----PETRY, Harriet Tubman: Conductor On The Underground Railroad----STEINBECK, Travels With Charley: In Search Of America----WASHINGTON, Farewell Address----WIESEL , Hope, Despair And Memorycl--WOOLF, How Should One Read a Book
History and Social Science
cl--CRÈVECOEUR, The Making of Americansc---Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizencl--HAWTHORNE, Sketch of Abraham Lincoln----JEFFERSON, Biographical Sketches-l--LINCOLN, Letter to Horace Greeleycl--LINCOLN, The Gettysburg Addresscl--LINCOLN, Second Inaugural Addresscl--LINCOLN, Last Public Address-l--PAINE, A Call to Patriots—December 23, 1776cl--PLINY THE YOUNGER, The Eruption of Vesuviuscl--PRESCOTT, The Land of Montezumacl--The English Bills of Rightscl--The Virginia Declaration of Rights----TWAIN, Learning the Rivercl--WHITMAN, Death of Abraham Lincolncl--XENOPHON, The March to the Seacl--HUME, Of the Study of Historycl--STEVENSON, The Lantern-Bearersc---HERODOTUS, History, Books I- IIc---AMERICAN STATE PAPERS, Declaration of Independence, The Constitution
Mathematics and Natural Science
----BOEKE, Cosmic Viewcl--CURIE, The Discovery of Radium----FABRE, The Sacred Beetle----HALDANE, On Being the Right Size----TYNDALL, Michael Faraday----DANTZIG, Fingerprints----DANTZIG, The Empty Column----HOGBEN, Mathematics, the Mirror of Civilization----KASNER AND NEWMAN, New Names for Old----KASNER AND NEWMAN, Beyond the Googol----EUCLID, Elements, Book I
Philosophy and Theology
cl--ERSKINE, The Moral Obligation to Be Intelligentcl--BIBLE, Genesiscl--BIBLE, Exodus----BIBLE, Proverbsc---BIBLE, Lukec---PLATO, Menocl--PLATO, The Republic Books I, VI-VIIc---ARISTOTLE, Politics, Book I
9th and 10th grade
Imaginative literature
----ANDERSON, I’m a Fool----ANONYMOUS, Aucassin and Nicolettecl--BRADBURY, Fahrenheit 451----BUTLER, Customs and Opinions of the Erewhonians----CONRAD, Youth----DICKENS, A Full and Faithful Report of the Memorable Trial of Bardell against Pickwick----GOGOL, The Overcoat----VOLTAIRE, Micromégas----APULEIUS, Cupid and Psyche----BALZAC, A Passion in the Desert----CHEKHOV, The Darling----DOSTOEVSKY, White Nights----ELIOT, G., The Lifted Veil----GALSWORTHY, The Apple-Tree----HAWTHORNE, Rappaccini’s Daughter----PUSHKIN, The Queen of Spades----CHEKHOV, The Cherry Orchard----IBSEN, An Enemy of the People----O’NEILL, The Emperor Jonescl--ORWELL, 1984----SHERIDAN, The School for Scandal----SYNGE, Riders to the Seacl--HOMER, The Iliad----SOPHOCLES, Antigone----EURIPIDES, Alcestisc---ARISTOPHANES, The Clouds----VIRGIL, The Aeneid
Critical Essays
----ARNOLD, The Study of Poetry----ARNOLD, Sweetness and Lightc---BACON, Of Beautyc---BACON, Of Discoursecl--BACON, Of Studies----DE QUINCEY, Literature of Knowledge and Literature of Power----BACON, On the Knocking at the Gate in Macbeth----DU BOIS, The Souls of Black Folk----HAZLITT, My First Aquaintance with Poetsc---KING JR, Where Do We Go From Here: Chaos or Community?----LAMB, Sanity of True Geniusc---SAINTE-BEUVE, What Is a Classic?----SCHOPENHAUER, On Some Forms of Literaturec---THOREAU, Civil Disobediencecl--WHITE, Goodbye to 48th streetcl--WHITEHEAD, The Place of Classics in Educationc---WHITMAN, Preface to Leaves of Grass----WRIGHT, Black Boy
History and Social Science
----ADAMS, The United States in 1800----CARLYLE, The Hero as King Charter of the United Nationsc---EMERSON, Thoreau----FRANKLIN, A Proposal for Promoting Useful Knowledge among the British Plantations in Americac---FRANKLIN, Proposals Relating to the Education of Youth in Pennsylvania----JEFFERSON, The Virginia Constitution----JEFFERSON, First Inaugural Address----LA BRUYÈRE, Characters----LINCOLN, Address at Cooper Institutec---LINCOLN, First Inaugural Address----LINCOLN, Meditation on the Divine Will----LONG, The Power within Us----LUCIAN, The Way to Write History----MILL, J. S., Childhood and Youth----TACITUS, The Life of Gnaeus Julius Agricolac---THOREAU, A Plea for Captain John Brown----THOREAU, Universal Declaration of Human Rights----WASHINGTON, G., Circular Letter to the Governors of All the States on Disbanding the Army----WASHINGTON, G., Farewell Address----WOOLF, The Art of Biography----XENOPHON, The Character of Socratesc---BACON, Of Youth and Agec---BACON, Of Parents and Childrenc---BACON, Of Marriage and Single Lifec---BACON, Of Great Placec---BACON, Of Seditions and Troublesc---BACON, Of Custom and Educationc---BACON, Of Followers and Friendsc---BACON, Of Usuryc---BACON, Of Riches----BURKE, Letter to the Sheriffs of Bristolc---CLAUSEWITZ, What Is War?----FARADAY, Observations on Mental Education----JAMES, W., The Energies of Men----JAMES, W., Great Men and Their Environmentc---KING JR., I Have a Dreamc---PLUTARCH, Of Bashfulness----SCHOPENHAUER, On Education----SWIFT, Resolutions When I Come to Be Old----SWIFT, An Essay on Modern Education----SWIFT, A Meditation Upon a Broomstickcle-SWIFT, A Modest Proposalc-e-THUCYDIDES, The History of the Peloponnesian War, Books I-II, V
Mathematics and Natural Science
----BACON, The Sphinx----CARSON, The Sunless Sea (maybe remove for something more modern)c---CARSON, Silent Spring----DARWIN, Autobiography----EDDINGTON, The Running-down of the Universe----EISELEY, On Time----FABRE, A Laboratory of the Open Fields----FARADAY, The Chemical History of a Candle----GALILEO, The Starry Messenger----HUXLEY, On a Piece of Chalk----JEANS, Beginnings and Endings----FORSYTH, Mathematics, in Life and Thought----POINCARÉ, Mathematical Creation----WHITEHEAD, On Mathematical Method----HIPPOCRATES, The Oath----EUCLID, Elements Books II-V----ARCHIMEDES, The Sand-Reckoner
Philosophy and Theology
c---BACON, Of Truthc---BACON, Of Deathc---BACON, Of Adversityc---BACON, Of Lovec---BACON, Of Friendshipc---BACON, Of Anger----CICERO, On Friendship----CICERO, On Old Agecl--EMERSON, Self-Reliancec---THOREAU, Life Without Principlec---EPICTETUS, The Enchiridion----HAZLITT, On the Feeling of Immortality in Youth----PATER, The Art of Life----BIBLE, Psalms----BIBLE, Ecclesiastescl--BIBLE, Matthewc---BIBLE, Actscl--PLATO, Apologyc---PLATO, Critoc---PLATO, Phaedocl--ARISTOTLE, Nicomachean Ethics, Book I
11th grade
Imaginative Literature
----BUNIN, The Gentleman from San Francisco----DINESEN, Sorrow-Acre----FITZGERALD, The Diamond as Big as the Ritz----JAMES, The Pupil----MANN, Mario and the Magiciancl--DOSTOEVSKY, The Brothers Karamazov----SINGER, The Spinoza of Market Street----TOLSTOY, The Death of Ivan Illyitch----TURGENEV, First Love
Critical Essays
----ELIOT, Tradition and the Individual Talent----HAZLITT, On Swiftcl--HUME, Of the Standard of Tastecl--MONTAIGNE, Of the Education of Children (again)cl--PLUTARCH, On the Control of Angercl--PLUTARCH, On Tranquility of Mindcl--PLUTARCH, The Education of Childrencl--PLUTARCH, Concerning Talkativeness----SAINTE-BEAUVE, Montaigne----SCHOPENHAUER, On Style----SHELLEY, A Defence of Poetry
History and Social Science
----BURY, Herodotus----CALOUN, The Concurrent Majority----GUITZOT, Civilization----HUME, Of Money----HUME, Of Refinement in the Arts----HUME, Of Taxes----HUME, Of the Balance of Trade----JAMES, On a Certain Blindness in Human Beings----MACAULAY, Machiavelli----MALTHUS, The Principle of Population----ROUSSEAU, A Lasting Peace through the Federation of Europe----RUSKIN, An Idealist’s Arraignment of the Age----TOCQUEVILLE, Observation on American Life and Government----VOLTAIRE, English Men and Ideas
Mathematics and Natural Science
----CAMPANELLA, Arguments for and Against Galileo----CAMPBELL, Measurement----CAMPBELL, Numerical Laws and the Use of Mathematics in Science----EISNTEIN and INFELD, The Rise and Decline of Classical Physics----EULER, The Seven Bridges of Konigsberg----GALTON, The Classification of HUman Ability----HELMHOLTZ, On the Conservation of Force----HUXLEY, On the Relations of Man to the Lower Animals----LAPLACE, Probability----LYELL, Geological Evolution----POINCARE, Chance----RUSSELL, The Study of Mathematics'----WOHLER, On the Artificial Production of Urea
Philosophy and Theology
----BROWNE, Immortality----CLIFFORD, The Ethics of Belief----DEWEY, The Process of Thoughtc---EMERSON, Naturec---EMERSON, Montaigne; or, the Skepticc---EPICURUS, Letter to Menoeceus----JAMES, The Will to Believe----JAMES, The Sentiment of Rationality----MILL, Naturec---PLUTARCH, Contentment----SANTAYANA, Lucretius----SANTAYANA, Goethe’s Faust----VOLTAIRE, The Philosophy of Common Sense
TODO: Eastern Classics
Pulled from St. John’s Eastern Classics reading list
TODO: sprinkle these across the grades above
Week One
----Confucius, Analects----Mo Tzu----Mengzi----Xunzi----Zhuangzi----Laozi----Han Feizi----The Rig Veda?----Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad----Kaṭha Upaniṣad----The Nyāya Sūtra----The Vaiśeṣika Sūtra----Tattva-Kaumudî----The Yoga Philosophy of Patañjali----The Bhagavadgītā in the Mahābhārata