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Reading and Writing about Literature
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Course Highlights
- One hundred critically acclaimed books available to choose from.
- Students boost their literacy skills and reading comprehension as they read books and answer questions about the books.
- Writing exercises encourage further reflection and develop writing skills.
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Designed for gifted students who are reading at a third through
sixth grade level, the Reading and Writing about Literature course
develops students' abilities to read critically and to think about
what they have read. Using literature from around the globe and from
a variety of genres, the course presents students with exercises
designed to increase their comprehension, fluency, and vocabulary
skills, as well as develop stronger analytical thinking skills. These
exercises have been carefully designed for each book to assess and
monitor students' ability to understand and retain what they have
read. The exercises use many presentation formats to assess a
student's literacy skills in areas such as vocabulary, word analysis,
literal and inferential comprehension, and higher-level thinking.
For many books, students will also practice their writing skills by
composing responses based on a series of questions designed to help
students think about what they have read. The books in the course
span grade levels from three through eight and are suitable for gifted
students as young as six years old.
As with the Language Arts and Writing (LAW) course, students will have the
opportunity to interact with their course instructor by email and in
the EPGY virtual classroom. Special discussion sections for
particular titles will also be available when ten or more students are
reading the same book at the same time.
The course is not graded.
Students registering for Reading and Writing about Literature (RWL)
are eligible to register for the Language Arts and Writing course (LAW) concurrently without paying
additional tuition.
Books
The following list shows the books available to students in the
Reading and Writing About Literature course and provides information
about readability levels, together with a link to learn more about the
books. Specific titles from the list may be selected by the student,
parent, or may be recommended by the course instructor. When
selecting books keep in mind that the grade levels given are for
students of average ability and that gifted students will typically be
ready for books two to three years beyond their chronological grades.
These books are readily available at a local library or bookstore or
may be purchased online.
| Title | Suggested grades | Ordering Information |
| ...And Now Miguel | 4 and 5|Krumgold, Joseph| | Amazon Barnes and Noble |
| A Girl Called Boy | 5 and 6|Hurmence, Belinda| | Amazon Barnes and Noble |
| A Jar of Dreams | 6 and 7|Uchida, Yoshiko| | Amazon Barnes and Noble |
| A Sunburned Prayer | 5 and 6|Talbert, Marc| | Amazon Barnes and Noble |
| A Wrinkle in Time | 4|L'Engle, Madeleine| | Amazon Barnes and Noble |
| Across the Lines | 6, 7 & 8|Reeder, Carolyn| | Amazon Barnes and Noble |
| Alexander Fleming: Discoverer of Penicillin | 6, 7 & 8|Gottfried, Tec | Amazon Barnes and Noble |
| Alice's Adventures in Wonderland | 5 and 6|Carroll, Lewis| | Amazon Barnes and Noble |
| Alvin Ailey | 5 and 6|Pinkney, Andrea Davis| | Amazon Barnes and Noble |
| Amos Fortune, Free Man | 7, 8 & 9|Yates, Elizabeth| | Amazon Barnes and Noble |
| Any Small Goodness: A Novel of the Barrio | 3|Johnston, Tony| | Amazon Barnes and Noble |
| Aunt Clara Brown: Official Pioneer | 2|Lowery, Linda| | Amazon Barnes and Noble |
| Bandit's Moon | 3 and 4|Fleischman, Sid| | Amazon Barnes and Noble |
| Baseball Saved Us | 3|Mochizuki, Ken| | Amazon Barnes and Noble |
| Before We Were Free | 5 and 6|Alvarez, Julia| | Amazon Barnes and Noble |
| Ben and Me: An Astonishing Life of Benjamin Franklin | 6, 7 & 8|Lawson, Robert| | Amazon Barnes and Noble |
| Breaking Through | 4 and 5|Jimenez, Francisco| | Amazon Barnes and Noble |
| Bud, Not Buddy | 6 and 7|Curtis, Christopher Paul| | Amazon Barnes and Noble |
| Bunnicula: A Rabbit Tale of Mystery | 4|Howe, Deborah and James| | Amazon Barnes and Noble |
| Butterfly House | 2 and 3|Bunting, Eve | Amazon Barnes and Noble |
| Call of the Wild | 7, 8 & 9|London, Jack | Amazon Barnes and Noble |
| Cam Jansen and the Ghostly Mystery | 1 and 2|Adler, David A.| | Amazon Barnes and Noble |
| Catwings | 4|Le Guin, Ursula K.| | Amazon Barnes and Noble |
| Chang's Paper Pony | 2|Coerr, Eleanor| | Amazon Barnes and Noble |
| Charlie Pippin | 3 and 4|Boyd, Candy Dawson| | Amazon Barnes and Noble |
| Charlie and the Chocolate Factory | 4 and 5|Dahl, Roald| | Amazon Barnes and Noble |
| Charlotte's Web | 3 and 4|White, E.B.| | Amazon Barnes and Noble |
| Christmas in the Big House: Christmas in the Quarters | 6 and 7|McKissack, Patricia C. and Fredrick L.| | Amazon Barnes and Noble |
| Class Clown | 3 and 4|Hurwitz, Johanna| | Amazon Barnes and Noble |
| Color Me Dark | 3 and 4|McKissack, Patricia C.| | Amazon Barnes and Noble |
| Cousins | 3|Hamilton, Virginia| | Amazon Barnes and Noble |
| Crazy Weekend | 4|Soto, Gary| | Amazon Barnes and Noble |
| Dave at Night | 2|Levine, Gail Carson| | Amazon Barnes and Noble |
| Digging Up Dinosaurs | 2|Aliki | Amazon Barnes and Noble |
| Double Helix | 8 thru 12|Werlin, Nancy|Advisory | Amazon Barnes and Noble |
| Duke Ellington: The Piano Prince and His Orchestra | 5 and 6|Pinkney, Andrea Davis| | Amazon Barnes and Noble |
| Einstein - Visionary Scientist | 6, 7, & 8|Severance, John B| | Amazon Barnes and Noble |
| Esperanza Rising | 4 and 5|Ryan, Pam Munoz| | Amazon Barnes and Noble |
| Faith and the Electric Dogs | 4|Jennings, Patrick| | Amazon Barnes and Noble |
| Fantastic Mr. Fox | 3|Dahl, Roald| | Amazon Barnes and Noble |
| Francie | 3 and 4|English, Karen| | Amazon Barnes and Noble |
| Gloria's Way (Puffin Chapter Series) | 2|Cameron, Ann| | Amazon Barnes and Noble |
| Go Fish | 4 and 5|Stolz, Mary| | Amazon Barnes and Noble |
| Godless | 8 thru 12|Hautman, Pete|Advisory | Amazon Barnes and Noble |
| Good Luck, Mrs. K.! | 2|Borden, Louise| | Amazon Barnes and Noble |
| Gooseberry Park | 4 and 5|Rylant, Cynthia| | Amazon Barnes and Noble |
| Guests | 4 and 5|Dorris, Michael| | Amazon Barnes and Noble |
| Harriet the Spy | 4 and 5|Fitzhugh, Louise| | Amazon Barnes and Noble |
| Hatchet | 6, 7 & 8|Paulsen, Gary| | Amazon Barnes and Noble |
| Heaven | 4 and 5|Johnson, Angela| | Amazon Barnes and Noble |
| Heidi | 6 and 7|Spyri, Hohanna| | Amazon Barnes and Noble |
| Hill of Fire | 1 and 2|Lewis, Thomas, P.| | Amazon Barnes and Noble |
| Homesick: My Own Story | 5 and 6|Fritz, Jean| | Amazon Barnes and Noble |
| Hoot | 4 and 5|Hiassen, Carl| | Amazon Barnes and Noble |
| Jackson Jones and the Puddle of Thorns | 3|Quattlebaum, Mary| | Amazon Barnes and Noble |
| James and the Giant Peach | 5 and 6|Dahl, Roald| | Amazon Barnes and Noble |
| Jazmin's Notebook | 6 and 7|Grimes, Nikki| | Amazon Barnes and Noble |
| Jim Ugly | 4|Fleischman, Sid| | Amazon Barnes and Noble |
| Journey of the Sparrows | 4 and 5|Buss, Fran Leeper| | Amazon Barnes and Noble |
| Junebug | 3|Mean, Alice| | Amazon Barnes and Noble |
| Justin and the Best Biscuits in the World | 3|Walter, Mildred Pitts| | Amazon Barnes and Noble |
| Knights of the Kitchen Table (Time Warp Trio) | 3|Scieszka, Jon| | Amazon Barnes and Noble |
| Leonardo da Vinci | 6, 7 & 8|Stanley, Diane| | Amazon Barnes and Noble |
| Lily's Crossing | 4|Giff, Patricia Reilly| | Amazon Barnes and Noble |
| Little House on the Prairie | 4 and 5|Wilder, Laura Ingalls| | Amazon Barnes and Noble |
| Lon Po Po: A Red-Riding Hood Story from China | 3 and 4|Young, Ed| | Amazon Barnes and Noble |
| Lord of the Flies | 8 thru 12|Golding, William | Amazon Barnes and Noble |
| Love That Dog | 7, 8 & 9|Creech, Sharon | Amazon Barnes and Noble |
| Love to Langston | 5 and 6|Medina, Tony | Amazon Barnes and Noble |
| Lupita Manana | 4 and 5|Beatty, Patricia| | Amazon Barnes and Noble |
| Michelangelo | 5 and 6|Stanley, Diane | Amazon Barnes and Noble |
| Mississippi Bridge | 4 and 5|Taylor, Mildred D.| | Amazon Barnes and Noble |
| Molly's Pilgrim | 2|Cohen, Barbara| | Amazon Barnes and Noble |
| Morning Girl | 6 and 7|Dorris, Michael| | Amazon Barnes and Noble |
| Mountain Dance | 5 and 6|Locker, Thomas | Amazon Barnes and Noble |
| Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH | 4 and 5|O'brien, Robert C.| | Amazon Barnes and Noble |
| Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters | 4|Steptoe, John| | Amazon Barnes and Noble |
| My Name Is Maria Isabel | 5 and 6|Alda, Alma Flor| | Amazon Barnes and Noble |
| My Name is Georgia | 3|Winter, Jeanette | Amazon Barnes and Noble |
| Nate the Great (Nate the Great Series) | 1|Sharmat, Marjorie Weinman| | Amazon Barnes and Noble |
| North by Night: A Story of the Underground Railroad | 4 and 5|Ayres, Katherine| | Amazon Barnes and Noble |
| Number the Stars | 3 and 4|Lowry, Lois| | Amazon Barnes and Noble |
| Old Yeller | 5 and 6|Gipson, Fred| | Amazon Barnes and Noble |
| Over Jordan | 4|Johnston, Norma| | Amazon Barnes and Noble |
| Parrot in the Oven: Mi Vida | 6, 7 & 8|Martinez, Victor| | Amazon Barnes and Noble |
| Pink and Say | 3|Polacco, Patricia| | Amazon Barnes and Noble |
| Pippi Longstocking | 5 and 6|Lindgren, Astrid| | Amazon Barnes and Noble |
| Poppy | 3 and 4|Avi| | Amazon Barnes and Noble |
| Promises to the Dead | 5 and 6|Hahn, Mary Downing| | Amazon Barnes and Noble |
| Ramona Forever | 4 and 5|Cleary, Beverly| | Amazon Barnes and Noble |
| Ramona and Her Father | 4 and 5|Cleary, Beverly| | Amazon Barnes and Noble |
| Roll of Thunder, Hear my Cry | 5 and 6|Taylor, Mildred D.| | Amazon Barnes and Noble |
| Run Away Home | 4 and 5|McKissack, Patricia C.| | Amazon Barnes and Noble |
| Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes | 3|Coerr, Eleanor| | Amazon Barnes and Noble |
| Samir and Yonatan | 4 and 5|Carmi, Daniella| | Amazon Barnes and Noble |
| Sarah, Plain and Tall | 3|MacLachlan, Patricia| | Amazon Barnes and Noble |
| Save Queen of Sheba | 7, 8 & 9|Moeri, Louise| | Amazon Barnes and Noble |
| Secret Letters from 0 to 10 | 4 and 5|Morgenstern, Susie| | Amazon Barnes and Noble |
| Shades of Gray | 4 and 5|Reeder, Carolyn| | Amazon Barnes and Noble |
| Shadow Spinner | 4|Fletcher, Susan| | Amazon Barnes and Noble |
| Shadow of a Bull | 4|Wojciechowska, Maia| | Amazon Barnes and Noble |
| Shiloh | 5 and 6|Naylor, Phyllis Reynolds| | Amazon Barnes and Noble |
| Shoeshine Girl | 1 and 2|Bulla, Clyde Robert| | Amazon Barnes and Noble |
| Silent Thunder | 5 and 6|Pinkney, Andrea Davis| | Amazon Barnes and Noble |
| So You Want to be President | 4|St. George, Judith | Amazon Barnes and Noble |
| Soup | 4|Peck, Robert Newton| | Amazon Barnes and Noble |
| Stuart Little | 5 and 6|White, E.B.| | Amazon Barnes and Noble |
| Sweet Clara and the Freedom Quilt | 3 and 4|Hopkinson, Deborah| | Amazon Barnes and Noble |
| Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing | 2|Blume, Judy| | Amazon Barnes and Noble |
| Thank You, Jackie Robinson | 4|Cohen, Barbara| | Amazon Barnes and Noble |
| The BFG | 4|Dahl, Roald| | Amazon Barnes and Noble |
| The Best Christmas Pageant Ever | 5 and 6|Robinson, Barbara| | Amazon Barnes and Noble |
| The Birch Bark House | 3|Erdrich, Louise| | Amazon Barnes and Noble |
| The Black Pearl | 4|O'Dell, Scott| | Amazon Barnes and Noble |
| The Drinking Gourd: A Story of the Underground Railroad | 4|Monjo, F.N.| | Amazon Barnes and Noble |
| The Ear, The Eye, and The Arm | 4 and 5|Farmer, Nancy| | Amazon Barnes and Noble |
| The Fortune-Tellers | 4 and 5|Alexander, Lloyd| | Amazon Barnes and Noble |
| The Friendship | 4 and 5|Taylor, Mildred D.| | Amazon Barnes and Noble |
| The Gold Cadillac | 3 and 4|Taylor, Mildred D.| | Amazon Barnes and Noble |
| The Good, the Bad, and the Goofy (Time Warp Trio) | 3|Scieszka, Joh| | Amazon Barnes and Noble |
| The Great Gilly Hopkins | 4 and 5|Paterson, Katherine| | Amazon Barnes and Noble |
| The House of Dies Drear | 3 and 4|Hamilton, Virginia| | Amazon Barnes and Noble |
| The Hundred-Penny Box | 4|Mathis, Sharon Bell| | Amazon Barnes and Noble |
| The Korean Cinderella | 4|Climo, Shirley| | Amazon Barnes and Noble |
| The Lady of Guadalupe | 4 and 5|De Paola, Tomie| | Amazon Barnes and Noble |
| The Land | 4 and 5|Taylor, Mildred D.| | Amazon Barnes and Noble |
| The Legend of Jimmy Spoon | 4 and 5|Gregory, Kristiana| | Amazon Barnes and Noble |
| The Legend of the Bluebonnet | 4|De Paola, Tomie| | Amazon Barnes and Noble |
| The Little Prince | 4|de Saint-Exupery, Antoine| | Amazon Barnes and Noble |
| The Magic School Bus Explores the Senses | 2 and 3|Cole, Joanna | Amazon Barnes and Noble |
| The Mouse and the Motorcycle | 5 and 6|Cleary, Beverly| | Amazon Barnes and Noble |
| The Not-So-Jolly Roger (Time Warp Trio) | 3 and 4|Scieszka, Jon| | Amazon Barnes and Noble |
| The Pearl | 7 thru 12|Steinbeck, John|Advisory | Amazon Barnes and Noble |
| The Phantom Tollbooth | 6, 7 & 8|Juster, Norton| | Amazon Barnes and Noble |
| The Pinballs | 3|Byars, Betsy| | Amazon Barnes and Noble |
| The Rough-Face Girl | 3|Martin, Rafe| | Amazon Barnes and Noble |
| The Shakespeare Stealer | 5 and 6|Blackwood, Gary L.| | Amazon Barnes and Noble |
| The Sign of the Beaver | 4 and 5|Speare, Elizabeth George| | Amazon Barnes and Noble |
| The Silver Balloon | 3|Bonners, Susan| | Amazon Barnes and Noble |
| The Skin I'm In | 3 and 4|Flake, Sharon G.| | Amazon Barnes and Noble |
| The Skirt | 3|Soto, Gary| | Amazon Barnes and Noble |
| The Stories Julian Tells | 3|Cameron, Ann| | Amazon Barnes and Noble |
| The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle | 4|Avi| | Amazon Barnes and Noble |
| The Watsons Go to Birmingham -- 1963 | 6, 7 & 8|Curits, Christopher Paul| | Amazon Barnes and Noble |
| The Well: David's Story | 2|Taylor, Mildred D.| | Amazon Barnes and Noble |
| The Westing Game | 4 and 5|Raskin, Ellen| | Amazon Barnes and Noble |
| The Whipping Boy | 3|Fleischman, Sid| | Amazon Barnes and Noble |
| To Kill a Mockingbird | 7 thru 12|Lee, Harper|Advisory | Amazon Barnes and Noble |
| Trapped Between the Lash and the Gun | 3|Whitmore, Arvella| | Amazon Barnes and Noble |
| Trouble Don't Last | 4|Pearsall, Shelley| | Amazon Barnes and Noble |
| Tuck Everlasting | 4 and 5|Babbitt, Natalie| | Amazon Barnes and Noble |
| Under the Royal Palms: A Childhood in Cuba | 7, 8 & 9|Ada, Alma Flor| | Amazon Barnes and Noble |
| Wagon Wheels | 1 and 2|Brenner, Barbara| | Amazon Barnes and Noble |
| Walk Two Moons | 4 and 5|Creech, Sharon| | Amazon Barnes and Noble |
| Wayside School is Falling Down | 2|Sachar, Louis| | Amazon Barnes and Noble |
| Weasel | 5 and 6|DeFelice, Cynthia C.| | Amazon Barnes and Noble |
| When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit | 5 and 6|Kerr, Judith| | Amazon Barnes and Noble |
| White Lilacs | 6 and 7|Meyer, Carolyn| | Amazon Barnes and Noble |
| Words by Heart | 4 and 5|Sebestyen, Quida| | Amazon Barnes and Noble |
| Yang the Youngest and his Terrible Ear | 4|Namioka, Lensey| | Amazon Barnes and Noble |
| Zack | 6 and 7|Bell, William| | Amazon Barnes and Noble |
| Zeely | 3 and 4|Hamilton, Virgina| | Amazon Barnes and Noble |
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