11 Plus Exams Forum

Do different schools, gs and comps, all study the same reading books in year 7?

My ds now in year 10 and dd now in year 9, both did Holes, and Henry Sugar in year 7. They are in non selective streams for English.

What books do other schools do - my dd is going to a gs and I wondered if different schools read different books - also, of course, what year 7 study now.

I know there are recommendations all over the place, but any in particular for year 7?

Thanks.

DS1 (GS) did "Holes" in yr7; I am fairly certain that DD (top stream in semi-selective) said that she was going to be doing it as well, but this may have been a hallucination based on the impression that everyone seems to do it in yr7. Does this make Louis Sachar a very rich man?

My memory is that we "did" rather more books when I was at school, but since one of them was "The Mill on the Floss", I am more than happy for our DC to get through fewer at school (they all read loads at home anyway) if it means that their schools are never tempted to make them read that...

My DS is in year 7 GS, and "doing" Skellig, tying in therefore with a bit of William Blake! Loving both!

Coraline-y7
Chinese Cinderella- y8

DS currently doing "The Other Side of the Truth" by Beverley Naidoo.

My Year 7 is doing Beowulf. Everyone seems to do Mallory Blackman and yes, the ubiquitous 'Holes' and 'Skellig'. One thing parents of GS children soon discover is that the curriculum is exactly the same as for anyone else.

Amber,

There was I thinking my very clever dd would be at a gs next year reading, oh I don't know, the entire works of Shakespeare first term, I don't know what the second term ... gs students being so much cleverer than any other .... of course they are not. A friend was telling me her dd in year 8 gs is doing exactly the same as my dd in year 8 at comp .... the awful Lord of the Flies and Of Mice and Men. Neither of which I have read, both of which I must. Lord of the Flies sounds very gory.

I am sure all the schools do the same books. I didn't know there actually was a book called Coraline; I haven't seen it but my kids say the film is good.

Amber,

There was I thinking my very clever dd would be at a gs next year reading, oh I don't know, the entire works of Shakespeare first term, I don't know what the second term ... gs students being so much cleverer than any other .... of course they are not. A friend was telling me her dd in year 8 gs is doing exactly the same as my dd in year 8 at comp .... the awful Lord of the Flies and Of Mice and Men. Neither of which I have read, both of which I must. Lord of the Flies sounds very gory.

I am sure all the schools do the same books. I didn't know there actually was a book called Coraline; I haven't seen it but my kids say the film is good.

Coraline terrified my rather sensitive DD when she was 12, she had nightmares for weeks after reading it!

I think mine read "The boy in the striped pyjamas" in year 7, as possibly "Treasure Island". It's hard to remember what was read when! I'm not sure that my current year 7 has actually studied any book yet this term, I must ask him! (Ah, the joys of the neglected 3rd child!).