| I recently picked up a high school textbook called | | | | When my sons got to college, and began the |
| "American Literature" to see what public school | | | | University Scholars Honors Program, studying the |
| kids were reading these days. | | | | great books, they did have one complaint. |
| First of all, it was HUGE - much bigger than the | | | | Excerpts. In our homeschool, we actually read |
| dictionary. Yikes! No wonder kids have back | | | | BOOKS. From beginning to end! (I am not |
| pain! When I looked inside, I had fond feelings | | | | making this up!) |
| for my own high school honors English teacher. I | | | | It's fine to include book excerpts on your reading |
| remember her reading aloud, and how fun she | | | | list. You can include the word "Excerpt" by the |
| made everything. I remembered reading | | | | book if you like. It's Ok to have a book list of 6 |
| Shakespeare plays as a lass, each student | | | | books a year. It's ok to have a book list with 60 |
| taking a part. | | | | books per semester. Some parents choose to |
| Then I remembered reading only one or two | | | | include textbooks as well as literature. You can |
| books a semester. Wow - really?? Can that | | | | include all reading: for school, for pleasure, |
| really be all that was required? | | | | magazines, newspapers, current books, great |
| The American Literature book I was looking at | | | | books, classics, and "fluff." |
| seemed very fun, but it did NOT contain whole | | | | Including a variety of books on your book list is |
| books. There were multiple books mentioned | | | | helpful. I have had colleges say they want |
| and discussed, but the textbook only provided | | | | homeschoolers to show they have read at least |
| selections and excerpts from the book. | | | | some current books, to show they aren't too |
| Interesting. | | | | sequestered. |