“ Reading Maketh A Full Man “
These words by Francis Bacon were always way too much relevant in any era if you consider. However the absurdly observant being in me also raises this question that why only reading helps a man to reap its benefits? Reading is actually free of any biases of any kind, it helps a man to escape from his reality to the beautiful world of words in the same way as it helps a woman to do so, then why only a man?? Well well these very connotations indicates us to us living under the roof of the P word , ” PATRIARCHY ”
So after being diverted from our topic , lets now dive back into it, reading is actually that vehicle which helps one to transport themselves to the beautiful world of imagination. One reads not only to have a wider intellect but also to taste the pitcher full of imagination and savor the taste forever. Reading is for everyone, be it little toddlers to teenagers with adrenal rush to almost adults i.e. the 17-18 years old teenagers of should I put it this way the more adrenal rush group of youth , reading caters to everyone’s needs , its that friend which never asks for anything in return for rendering its joyful company.
Now the question arises , why is it necessary to provide a recommendation for reading as per the grade of the students ??
It may sound very convenient to just go to your school library , pick up the book whose cover intrigues you and start reading…. Well its not that pleasant as it sounds, you may pick up a book as per its glittery cover but the chances are very high that you would not like the story inside , it is so because , everyone likes different modes to travel , some likes cars , some likes bikes similarly , in order to fly to the world of imagination , one may require different genre of book , so one needs to first seek at least some recommendation as to which genre or book suits your age group so that you can kindle the fire of imagination inside you.
So here is a list of reading recommendations which I have curated for each grade. Also these recommendations are tried and tested by myself so it may help you dear reader to some extent but remember no recommendation is the ultimate one , seek for them but also explore and go for books which excites you the most not the books which is hyped the most.
Recommendations For Grade 1 – 5 ( Children’s Books )
The students in this grade are actually like wet clay , one can give them shape in whatever way they want. So its actually important to have a keen eye on what is your little one reading. Also , its that stage of the child where he or she is having their very first encounter with the reading habit so books which attracts them , stories which intrigues them is actually the best for them .
Few names which I would definitely recommend would be
- Ruskin Bond
- Sudha Murthy ( her works in children’s book is a must read )
- Panchatantra ( the best way to make kids love moral stories )
- Arabian Nights ( the beautiful world of imagination and Arabic culture blended together )
- A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens ( a beautiful story of festivities and love blended beautifully with moral values for the little ones )
- Mulla Nasiruddin ( a comic who satirically represents the middle eastern society blended with a pinch of comedy and moral values , its a joyful read )
Recommendations For Grade 6-8 ( Teenage Reads)
This group is actually bubbling with energy , its a good stage to channelize their energy into reading. But the question is , will they continue to enjoy the moral value based stories ?? I doubt so…so its time we need to help them pick up something which intrigues them and compels them to think more creatively , explore the creative domain more , genres like mystery , thriller , fantasy will actually serve their purpose.
Few names in these genres which I would definitely recommend :-
- Harry Potter by J.K Rowling ( A world of imagination flying high on broomsticks )
- Famous Five by Enid Blyton ( a group of mystery solvers who happen to be teens actually resonates beautifully with the teenagers )
- Nancy drew ( again a teenage girl detective who helps young minds think creatively )
- Goose bumps ( A horror series which will compel the teens to get their goosebumps )
- That Calcutta – Those Bongs by Dipanwita Mukherjee ( A specific recommendation as this book is a mirror reflection of the city Calcutta and Bengalis )
- Sherlock Holmes ( a addictive mystery series which no teen would regret picking up )
Recommendations for Grade 9-12 ( Almost Adult Reads )
Reason why they are almost adults because the 12th graders are only 18 which is the threshold of being an adult so a lot many fresh perspective this group holds , so its important to intervene and recommend them which book to pick up that would actually help them to grow.
Few of my recommendations would be :-
- Paulo Cohelo ( a magician of words , who weaves words beautifully together. Few of his masterpieces were The Alchemist , Brida )
- Shidney Sheldon ( a pot boiler writer whose books are a package of love , mystery and thriller )
- Agatha Christie ( the queen of murder mysteries who would make your heart skip a beat )
- Adventures of Feluda By Satyajit Ray ( its an absolute journey of mystery tales along with a big doze of information which nowhere to be found )
- Sudha Murthy ( a versatile writer who aces children’s book genre as well as the young adults works )
Few more in the romantic genre would be :-
- Chetan Bhagat
- Sudeep nagarkar
- Durjoy dutta
- Ravinder singh
Reading recommendations are a guide book to start your own jouney of reading. These few are my recommendations. Do tell if you find it useful.
