Book Recommendations for 11th Grade English Lit

[aduidarnenye]

I'm going to tutor a 16 year old boy who is going into 11th grade in September. His mother wants him to be able to write academic essays for university. He really likes math and science but finds English really dull. She'd like him to do some literary criticism but he finds reading really dull. He, surprisingly, is not into fantasy or scifi. He does like Shockwave by Clive Cussler.

I'm wondering if anyone has some suggestions for decent novels to read that aren't slow, boring, but literary enough to pass in an English course. That a boy would like.

[Dryr]

Lost Horizon is a short classic that popularized the concept of Shangri-La, kind of an adventure story.
On the Beach is another shorter classic, a bit slow but it hits you at the end, nuclear apocalypse story.
Ender's Game is technically Sci-Fi but a bit of a classic as well.

A starting point at least, definitely acceptable for 11th grade and still considered literary in college/university.

[ikariiiii]

seconded ender's game

[Talus]

Maybe more Clive Cussler? Not very literary per se, but at least it gets him reading.

I'd suggest different genres other than just literature/fiction. Some nonfiction on an interesting subject (interesting to him, maybe not as interesting to you) could be useful. Reading in a more broader focus will definitely do several things for him and help with his critical thinking, which in turn should help with his writing for academic purposes.

What about short stories? Try the complete works of Edgar Allan Poe, "The Lottery" by Shirley Jackson. The Ripley series by Patricia Highsmith if he likes thrillers, the Bourne books by Robert Ludlum if he likes spy stuff, Fight Club or Survivor or Choke by Chuck Palahniuk...

[Zeb]

Maybe some John Grisham books? Or Shogun. Yeah, Shogun.

[TacoTaru]

The early Chuck Palahniuk books (Fight Club, Survivor, Invisible Monsters specifically; Haunted and Rant are good later ones)are short and good quick reads, although depending on the parents they may not be appropriate. The Contortionist Handbook by Craig Clevenger is also really good.

I'd also recommend seeing if he liked the first Harry Potter, then subsequently the rest of the series. I know you said he doesn't like fantasy, but I don't care for fantasy novels either and found the HP series wonderful.

[Kerberoz]

http://www.goodreads.com/review/list..._page=infinite

should have something appropriate listed there

[Bweigelt]

The Road by Cormack McCarthy could be a good one for this.

[Baelorn]

Desperation by Stephen King. Loved that book and I read it in the 11th grade I think.

[Jaybar]

Robinson Crusoe. A novel he might end up reading in an upper level division english class, and an easy book to critique and write an essay. Plus it might keep him interested. Although he may find it slow, I'm not sure. The constant adventure/discovery kept me reading.

[Pringles]

Michael Crichton books are a good choice for a fiction. For non-fiction Erik Larson's Devil in the White City is a good historical pseudo nonfiction book about the Chicago's world fair in the 1890's that can keep a person interested pretty easily (reads like a fiction book, and explains how the fair was constructed and such and parallel to that story is the story of H.H.Holmes and how he became americas first serial killer). Larson's new book In the Garden of the Beast is also a pretty good read, though not as easy to get into as his other books.

[aduidarnenye]

Thanks for all of the suggestions! I'm going to compile a list and suggest it to him.

[Tyche]

Anna Karenina.

[Talus]

Now I'm trying to remember what I read in 11th grade. One that sticks out is "One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich" by Alexander Solzhenitsyn. "Brave New World" by Aldous Huxley, "The Once and Future King" by T. H. White (you said he doesn't like fantasy but who doesn't like Arthurian shit? Okay, some people don't...). Does he like rabbits? There's always "Watership Down" by Richard Adams.

[Tyche]

We had to read "A Tale of Two Cities" and "Anna Karenina". Anna Karenina was the longest and most boring novel I'd ever read and I didn't want to look at another book for the rest of my high school days.

[Odesseiron]

I always liked The Outsiders, and read it when I was around 16 years old. It's not terribly boring, and I think any kid can relate to it somehow.

[Correction]

Give him the best of Stephen King: Misery, Salem's Lot and the first 3 Dark Tower books.

[Intrinsic]

If Ender's Game passes in an 11th grade English Lit class, then the world is in big trouble. In 11th grade English Lit I read Grendel, Jane Eyre, A Clockwork Orange, Animal Farm and 1 or 2 others I can't remember off the top of my head.

Dracula (Bram Stoker version only) is my call, it's a classic, holds literary merit, can be found on booklists in high schools throughout the US and Canada and has a subject that might pique his interest.

[Greedouw]

The Catcher in the Rye ~ J. D. Salinger

I think I read that my junior year in high school, anyways, great book

[Sol-Blackguy]

The Color of Water: James McBride

Had the opportunity to read it twice since I read it in 11th grade and again senior year when I changed schools. Even though it's an autobiography that parallels with the author's mother's life between chapters it's easy to relate to and deep enough to make you want to read more.