PBS has a list of the top 100 favorite American books. You can vote from among them for your favorite. It's very interesting to see what has made the top 100. https://www.pbs.org/the-great-american-read/vote/#
Some lame ones on there! I voted for The Giver because I distinctly remember that book blowing my mind in 6th grade.
Confused about so many books written by non-American authors. Also, confused at the exclusion of Huckleberry Finn, which remains my favorite book I read for school ever. I voted for To Kill a Mockingbird because it's my favorite book to teach. I would have voted for Ender's Game but it wasn't a choice.
It's actually America's favorite books, not necessarily the best books, or American books. I am wondering how the base list was created, though, and I don't like that you can't add other choices, as far as I could tell!
There are going to be several PBS episodes where they narrow down the 100 titles by themes and finally come up with the top pick. Right, ms.irene, it's just people's favorites that they voted for starting back in May, and anyone could vote.
That is a cool concept -- thanks for sharing! I might have my students vote. Some of the choices are less than inspiring (50 Shades of Grey??) but it's an interesting list, overall.
I was shocked to see that one, too. Haha. No accounting for taste. My favorite, well there are many, is one that most people haven't heard of - A Prayer for Owen Meany.
Whenever my class finished a whole-class novel, the kids voted on a 5 point scale, averaged the score, and we posted the title and the average score on the wall. It helped remind them of what they had read and what they enjoyed. I would hear them talking about different titles at odd times. I also gave out little book charms (plastic) every time a student finished a book and wrote a short summary. They collected them and wore them on bracelets.
There's a Facebook page also and people discuss the books. It's really interesting to hear what people have to say!
This is part of why I love things like this. Huck Finn almost killed my love of reading in high school. I hated it with a burning passion I can't even explain and didn't read anything for months afterwards, yet it's many people's favorites. I love Catcher in The Rye, but one of my colleagues can't stand it. Regardless, I voted for Harry Potter because I've been hooked on that series since I first read it as a kid. I reread the series every year now.
I am retired now and just tutor, but I taught 3rd and 5th and middle school math over the years. I got the little charms from www.fitnessfinders.net . They originally started with awards for PE activities, but then added the book charms. They also sold the bracelets. All very inexpensive.
