12 Books for young people

[fabrisse]

Slate online magazine has a fascinating segment called "The Vault" where it pulls documents or artifacts from the past. Sometimes, they have a direct bearing on today's politics or ideas. Sometimes, they're just interesting pieces of a vanished world.

Today's article has a list of book recommendations for young people by Samuel Clemens. He was

Comments

[undauntra]

What's your goal with the list? It seems rather heavily slanted towards Western fiction written in English, and particularly the sort of books traditionally taught in school.

I'd want to include at least one "How-To" book, appropriate to tech level and materials availability for the generation. (1940s Boy Scout Handbooks weren't bad for their day, but these days I'd lean towards The Dangerous Book For Boys or somesuch.) And actually *do* some of the projects; don't just read about them. Hands-on experience is good for dispelling learned helplessness.

If you're going for English stuff, toss in a good Kipling collection. His stuff is snappy, snarky, and not too mawkish for teenagers.

I want to suggest a good translation of Journey to the West - and quite possibly well before high school level. (I brought my well-loved copy to show and tell in grade school one year. Though I may be an outlier - the other kids laughed at me.)

Lord Of Light by Zelazny. Zelazny was one of the best word-crafters of the 20th century, and Lord of Light was one of his best novels. It asks useful questions about authority and power and religion and progress and human dignity and virtue.

Gödel, Escher, Bach by Hofstadter. Because mathematics and art and philosophy are rightfully delightful.

...it's a bit tricky just at this moment because I'm packing to move and all my own books are boxed up. And I haven't read everything anyway, so there's always going to be some better choice that accomplishes my goals even better, but I'm just not familiar with it.

[fabrisse]

I was thinking mostly of English-language literature. I was also thinking of books that could either illuminate history, show stylistic differences in speech, and could grab imaginations. How could I have omitted Kipling?!?

Now I think I may do a post on what non-fiction books everyone should be exposed to by age 20. I certainly like your suggestions.

Possibly, there should be a separate world literature one as well.