Not to miss books for American Literature - opinions please

[Chris in PA]

Hi all,
I am planning 10th grade for my dd. I was hoping to get recommendations for American Literature. What are some "not to miss" titles?

Blessings

[Jane in NC]

Hi all,
I am planning 10th grade for my dd. I was hoping to get recommendations for American Literature. What are some "not to miss" titles?

Blessings

Hi Chris,

The obvious first pick for me would The Great Gatsby.

I would also want to include the poetry of Dickinson, Whitman, Wallace Stevens and Langston Hughes.

Part of the problem that I have in forming lists is choosing which work. For Fitzgerald, the choice is easy (Gatsby). But take Steinbeck. Grapes of Wrath is the usual suspect, but The Red Pony is often assigned.

Fahrenheit 451.

Then there is Arthur Miller. Do you choose Death of a Salesman or The Crucible?

I would need to consult my well thumbed WTM for advice!

Jane

[HollyinNNV]

Hi all,
I am planning 10th grade for my dd. I was hoping to get recommendations for American Literature. What are some "not to miss" titles?

Blessings
I am teaching Am Lit at a co-op. The books on our list include:
Narrative and Life of Frederick Douglas
The Trees
Our Town
Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
F451
To Kill a Mockingbird
Red Badge of Courage

Essays:
Civil Disobedience
Self Reliance

Short Stories (that I remember)
The Yellow Wallpaper (a hit with my students)
The Wife of My Youth
Young Goodman Brown
An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge
Gift of the Magi
The Ransom of Red Chief (another hit)
Celebrated Jumping Frog/Calaveras County


May add a couple in this last category by more contemporary authors.

[Samuel]

Not all 10th graders are created alike; Melville may or may be a good choice.
I also don't know how much time is earmarked for literature, and what would be considered too mature in your home school.

Speaking of Melville, Moby-Dick is a classic, and can also be slimmed down-about 1/3 of it can be safely omitted. But if your 10th grader is not that enthusiastic about lit, Billy Bud is a better choice.

Here are some other authors to consider. My list is a bit biased away from contemporary, which is prehaps bad

Hawthorne, Scarlet Letter or House of the Seven Gables
Falkner, "The Bear" or long work with this included name escapes me, prehaps Sound and Fury
Hemingway, Old Man and the Sea or for a more mature reader A Farewell to Arms
Cather My Antonina or Oh Pioneers
Twain either Huck Finn or Tom Sawyer
Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird
Williams, A Streetcar Named Desire or The Glass Menagerie
Salinger, A Catcher in the Rye

Some consider Nabakov American--Pale Fire is interesting, and dosen't have the baggage of Lolita
Perhaps Vonnegut
Jack Schaffer's Shane or Van Tillberg Clark's The Ox-Box Incident are literarilly interesting westernsAs far as contemparory authors, Pat Conroy might be interesting

Poetry is not my strongest suit, but I would think that ee cummings should be in.