Best-Loved Books: A Unique Reading List for Gifted Students in Grades 6-12

Being a public school teacher with certification in teaching gifted students (grades 7-12) for almost 20 years, teaching at summer gifted academies for many years, and also being the parent of two children (now grown) who tested as gifted in their early elementary school years, I do feel that I am an "expert" on gifted children. (I was even awarded the title of Missouri Teacher of the Year for gifted students in 1993. Woohoo!) My total years of teaching experience equal 30, and I am currently teaching both language arts and grades 7-8 gifted.

However, it doesn't take certification in gifted education to know that gifted kids need creative stimulation or they will easily become bored. One of the "easiest" ways that parents can provide this stimulation for gifted kids is by providing them with really good books. I have done this with my own two kids and have watched my students over the years get quite excited over some of the good books I have recommended to them.

Now I don't mean just any old good books. I mean the books that are so good that gifted kids talk about them, recommend them to others, and would line up to get their name on a waiting list in my classroom for their turn to read. I am talking about the books that former students now in college still want to talk about when they run in to me now and then. We're talking books that these students loved so much that they had to either buy them with their own money or talk their parents into buying, which wasn't so hard to do. (I mean, c'mon. A student asking for a book? What parent of a gifted kid is going to say no to that???)

One thing about gifted students is that their parents are "usually" readers, also. Most gifted students that I have taught over the years do not have parents that would ban books. Some of students themselves are often more mature and seek books with a bit more of an adult style, level, or content. Therefore, in my book list, I will try to provide suggested ages and/or brief content alerts. No two gifted kids are alike, so this list is not iron-clad. Many older students will enjoy dipping down into the books for "younger" readers, and vice versa. It just depends on the student.

In a perfect world, I would have listed the author's names, (and I do remember most of them), but they are easy to find if you search Amazon.com, and then just look to see that my content alert is matching the content summary provided by Amazon to make sure you have the right book if there is any question. Here are the books:

For gifted students in grades 6-12: (The books will be listed with those geared a bit more for 6^th first, 12^th last. Keep in mind that many 7^th graders have read all of these and loved them. Depends on the student's maturity.) If you have trouble finding a couple of these books, try Amazon.com and look in the used books.

A Wrinkle in Time (Beloved sci fi about time travel. Best for younger readers.)

Where the Red Fern Grows (Beautifully written book about a boy and his dogs. Tear-jerker.)

The Borrowers (Delightful story about "little" people who live in our walls.)

The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle (Historical fiction - girl on a sailing ship.)

Something Upstairs (Ghostly time travel and historical fiction about slaves.)

The Outsiders (15-yr-old author) (A classic about misunderstood teens. Kids love this book.)

The Giver (A sci-fi about a future world with many rules. Great for 6-10^th)

Knee-deep in Thunder (A fantasy about a journey into a strange world.)

House of Stairs (A sci-fi about orphans. Can't give away the plot!)

The Hobbit (A classic fantasy and first book before the Lord of the Rings.)

Eragon (17-yr-old author) (Fantasy about dragons and life in a strange world.)

Ender's Game (Sci-fi about a future world where children are trained as leaders.)

Ender's Shadow (Parallel book and even better than Ender's Game!)

Speak (A troubled teen; suspense builds as reader slowly finds out why.)

And Then There Were None (Classic mystery; Agatha Christie's best. Keeps reader guessing!)

Eyes of the Dragon (Stephen King wrote it for his 12-yr.-old; it's NO baby book! 8-12)

Roots (Classic and wonderful; almost 900 pages; author traces his roots

back to capturing of slaves. My gifted 7^th - 12^th graders loved it!)

Flowers for Algernon (Classic lit.; involves coping with enhanced intelligence. )

Catcher in the Rye (A confused young man's funny/sad account of a time in his life.)

The Forever King (Now and then/ not exactly time travel; King Arthur legend.)

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (Lit. Classic: Mental institution w/ unforgettable characters.)

The Doomsday Book (Time travel to the time of the Bubonic plague.)

Guilt by Association (All girls should read. Deals with a rape. Moms and daughters often both read and both rave about this book. 8-12)

Watchers (Involves dog w/ enhanced intelligence, a serial killer, and more.)

Swan Song (The ultimate good vs. evil after nuclear war. No one ever forgets this book. 900 pages of can't put it down. Scary but ends well.)

I edited this list several times to make sure I had named books that students truly loved and not just my personal favorites although the two do overlap much of the time! Many are not the books typically found on an English teacher's reading list although a few are. All are the books that were requested the most often, provoked the most interesting discussions, and were remembered and mentioned years after they were read. Many are from my own bookshelf that I would loan to my gifted students who wanted a really good book, and they were not part of my gifted curriculum (although I would give extra credit for students who read above and beyond the assigned books!)

Parents, I urge you to read these books, too. For some of the best bonding ever, read and discuss a great book with your kids. Gifted kids really do like to have intellectual conversations about concepts and motivations of characters in good books. Encourage them to head for the internet to read about the author, read reviews about the book on Amazon.com, or to research any new or unfamiliar concepts or terms mentioned in the book. Keep your gifted students' minds razor sharp and provide them with hours of good reading and the enjoyment and contentment that results from finishing a great book. Happy reading!