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Books for Young Students

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Many Boards of school education are trying to inculcate the habit of reading among students. CBSE, for instance, has introduced reading-based projects in the senior secondary section. At any rate, it is of vital importance to bring back the habit of reading among our students. Here is a list of books that can be recommended to students.

1. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum: The book narrates the adventures of a young girl named Dorothy in the magical land of Oz, after she and her dog Toto are swept away from home by a cyclone. Here are some quotes from the book:

·        It is such an uncomfortable feeling to know one is a fool.

·        I think you are wrong to want a heart. It makes most people unhappy. If you only knew it, you are in luck not to have a heart.

·        A heart is not judged by how much you love; but by how much you are loved by others.

2. The Lost World by Arthur Conan Doyle: Published in 1912, this science fiction tells about an expedition to a plateau in the Amazon basin where prehistoric animals such as dinosaurs still survive. This novel was converted into many movies of the same title. A few quotes:

·        There are times, young fellah, when every one of us must make a stand for human right and justice, or you never feel clean again.

·        There are strange red depths in the soul of the most commonplace man.

3. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain: This 19th century children’s classic is a masterpiece of American literature and deserves to be read by every student. Some quotes:

·        The less there is to justify a traditional custom, the harder it is to get rid of it.

·        “Well, everybody does it that way, Huck."
"Tom, I am not everybody.” 

·        “What's your name?"
"Becky Thatcher. What's yours? Oh, I know. It's Thomas Sawyer."
"That's the name they lick me by. I'm Tom when I'm good. You call me Tom, will you?"

4. Are You There God? It’s Me Margaret by Judy Blume: A little different from the usual children’s books, this tells the story of Margaret who is born to a Christian mother and Jewish father. She wonders which religion she should be, if any. There is much talk about boys, bras, bodies and friendship. Girls are likely to enjoy this more. Let’s look at some quotes:

·        “Are you there God? It’s me, Margaret. I just told my mother I want a bra. Please help me grow God. You know where.” 

·        “I like one hair, tuna fish, the smell of rain and things that are pink. I hate pimples, baked potatoes, when my mother's mad, and religious holidays.”

5. My Name is Aram by William Saroyan: This is a collection of short stories published in 1940. One of those stories is a prescribed lesson in class 11 of CBSE. The stories detail the exploits of Aram, a boy of Armenian descent growing up in California.

Here’s a quote: “How can you talk if you don’t say anything?” I said.
“You talk without words. We are always talking without words.”
“Well, what good are words, then?”
“Not very good, most of the time. Most of the time they’re only good to keep back what you really want to say, or something you don’t want known.” 

6. The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery: One of my favourites, this small book has sold millions and millions of copies. It tells the story of a young prince who visits the earth from another planet. Every line of this novella can make students think for hours. Look at some examples:

·        And now here is my secret, a very simple secret: It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye.

·        What makes the desert beautiful … that somewhere it hides a well.

·        It is the time you have wasted for your rose that makes your rose so important.
 
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7. Jonathan Livingstone Seagull by Richard Bach: This delightful novel is the story of a seagull that refused to accept the mundane life and hence learnt the great lessons of life. This was one of my favourite books for a few years of my youth and I have recommended it to students every year. Here are some quotes:

·        You have the freedom to be yourself, your true self, here and now, and nothing can stand in your way.

·        The price of being misunderstood, he thought. They call you devil or they call you god.

·        Heaven is not a place, and it is not a time. Heaven is being perfect. -And that isn't flying a thousand miles an hour, or a million, or flying at the speed of light. Because any number is a limit, and perfection doesn't have limits.

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