Anyone else's child got a summer reading list? [grin]

[seeker]

dd has a list of books she has to read over the summer before starting A level English. Given that she is an incredibly down to earth and practical person, who thinks Juliet was a twit, Marianne was incredibly annoying and who couldn't even finish Jane Eyre because "I just want to slap them all", how do you think she's going to get on with Mrs Dalloway, The Great Gatsby, The Picture of Dorian Grey, Emily Dickinson and Yeats? I think she'll be OK with The Turn of the Screw and Frankenstein.....

This was intended to be a light hearted thread about teenagers reactions to literature- honestly, dd is fine, she will read them- she's on book number 2, actually! And she is happily bending my ear aout them too- I pity her 6th form teachers!

I think they'll be delighted with her seeker - I teach English Lit at A level and I know I would. I had a tortuous year once with 6 students and only one who opened her mouth. It was AWFUL.

I remember students by what they fell in love with or hated and the way they talked about it.

And pointything - the AQA course that we teach is very much as you described. There are two set texts - the rest relies on the students' wider reading which is guided largely by us. It's hard, but it's brilliant at the same time. We direct them to the broadsheet's top ten lists as well as the Orange and Booker Prize nominations.

The kind of student who deals with it best is the student seeker describes in her op. But I'm guessing seeker that your dd is doing AQA Spec B. Probably totally wrong.

I'd like to see set books replaced ... the Dutch language A-level equivalent was set up very much in this way. And if you found a book you thought would be interesting but wasn't on the list, it could be negotiated with the individual teacher in collaboration with the department.

DS is doing the combined Lit&Lang A Level for this reason. He didn't fancy the books on the Lit syllabus (lots of females you would want to slap) but has enjoyed picking his own choice of books to analyse and explore instead.
Discovering a suitable book, rather than having it plonked in your lap, involves more effort too.

I had to read Crow by Ted Hughes for English Lit, it damn near ruined all poetry for me and I still get twitchy if I see a bird of the same name.

Frankenstein, otoh, was ace.

I like your daughter's style seeker, and am in awe of her getting stuck in already. The teenage me would not have gone near them until the week before school started!

I had to read Crow by Ted Hughes for English Lit, it damn near ruined all poetry for me

Me too