Reading and Writing about Literature

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.

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
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
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
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
Lupita Manana 4 and 5|Beatty, Patricia| 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
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
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
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 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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