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Original poster

what books do kids in year 7 and 8 in english these days?

36 replies

iamnotaprincess · 26/12/2015 09:48

just wondering what books kids study in english at the beginning of secondary. is there a difference between comp and grammar?

OP posts:
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lljkk · 07/01/2016 09:04

DSyr7 brought home Boy Overboard this week. They are meant to read the whole volume.

DSy11 is refusing to read TKAM, his GCSE text. He'll probably get a B anyway.

RalphSteadmansEye · 07/01/2016 08:07

Non- selective, but, yes, I take your point.

In my last two (state) schools of very similar intake (academically and socially), one lets kids take reading and textbooks home, the other doesn't.

sassytheFIRST · 07/01/2016 07:22

Ralph - that will be because your top set kids in a selective independent can be trusted to (a) do the reading when it is set for homework and (b) return the school's books/pay for lost ones at the end of the unit. State teachers have to do it all in school time - homework setting is different for us!

RalphSteadmansEye · 06/01/2016 23:21

Lots of just extracts being mentioned.

In my list above, they read/studied the entire texts...

Emochild · 06/01/2016 21:42

Dd yr7 top set

Extracts from Jekyll and Hyde, frankinstein and dracular

They are just starting stay where you are and then leave
-she's hopeful they will actually get to read the actual book this time!

sassytheFIRST · 06/01/2016 21:31

An able year 8 set in my school would study a modern novel like Wonder or The Graveyard Book - both challenging and thought provoking texts. Shakespeare play - overall plot and themes/characters plus some detailed analysis of language in a key scene. Poetry from other cultures written in English to help expand their works view.

My daughter in yr 8 at a different school has done some extracts from famous gothic literature and is starting the Boy in the Striped Pyjamas this term.

Original poster
iamnotaprincess · 06/01/2016 21:25

It does seem that different books are studied at different schools which to me seems a bit weird. At one of our local schools they are doing Macbeth in year 7, 5 minutes down the road they are studying The hunger games. Both state.

OP posts:
Muskey · 02/01/2016 20:26

Dd (yr7)in small independent school has just done a Christmas carol and will be doing frankinstein next. They have also done a bit of Shakespeare

PrincePondicherry · 02/01/2016 19:45

Is there a book list available anywhere? (Just interested!)

RalphSteadmansEye · 02/01/2016 19:35

Across yr 7&8, ds studied:

Boy In The Striped Pyjamas
Tulip Touch
Animal Farm
Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde
Chaucer (can't remember which one)
Walter de la Mare
The Tempest
Boy (Roald Dahl)
Frankenstein
Grimms Fairy Tales
Oscar Wilde The Happy Prince
Another Shakespeare (can't remember)
More poetry (can't remember)

Top set, non-selective independent.

Elibean · 02/01/2016 16:50

I love Skellig!

We used it in a Y6 bookclub and they all loved it too. Lucky things doing it in Y7.

pieceofpurplesky · 02/01/2016 13:40

Top set year 9 have studied the following over three years - animal farm, a Christmas Carol, heroes, day of the triffids, boy in the striped pyjamas, othello and taming if the shrew.
Comprehensive.
A lower ability set will have studied holes, private peaceful, of mice and men, Oliver Twist, boy in striped pyjamas, Macbeth and another Shakespeare

notmynameohno · 02/01/2016 13:21

DS is in yr 7, first book was Skellig and they are now on Boy by Roald Dahl.

EvilTwins · 31/12/2015 09:53

Woman in Black in yr 7? Shock I remember reading it when I was about 15 - it scared me witless.

HearTheThunderRoar · 30/12/2015 23:41

DD did Holes in y8 and Matilda in y7.

ladydepp · 30/12/2015 22:42

Woman in black
Beowulf
Various poetry - Sylvia Plath....

NewLife4Me · 30/12/2015 12:19

My dd is y7 and is starting Lord of The Flies this term and then they go onto Of Mice and Men.
Some lovely teachers on here explained to me why they would be starting the GCSE books so early.

I think it's important for them to choose other books to read though and dd has just started Watership Down, but enjoys a wide range of material.

Mine is private and specialist boarding, so not a huge amount of time for reading at school. Have no idea about grammar, but our local high schools won't start GCSE books until next year.

Maladicta · 30/12/2015 12:14

Yr7 ds's grammar school has so far looked at Skellig, some Shakespeare sonnets and Beowulf.

theshield · 30/12/2015 12:10

My DD is in year7 and she has read Oliver Twist at school

Elibean · 29/12/2015 11:17

Y7, top set, indie. Coraline and Frankenstein - clearly a year for horror Grin

CarlaJones · 28/12/2015 14:54

Dd has been studying Beowulf recently at her comp. (First term of year 7.)

DontCallMeBaby · 28/12/2015 10:59

Wonder and Featherboy next term, apparently (they've done writing and speaking/listening so far, reading next), and Romeo & Juliet later in the year.

TheSecondOfHerName · 27/12/2015 20:11

Y7: Private Peaceful

Other Y7: The Ruby in the Smoke

Y9: Of Mice and Men, The Merchant of Venice
Last year (Y8): War of the Worlds

YeOldeTrout · 27/12/2015 11:41

ds in y7, no set text but writing essays after reading in class extracts of Canterbury Tales, Dickens or Shakespeare (7 ages of man). High set, comp.