Literature: Terms 1-2 Super Pack (Full Year)

 
Purchase a discounted year (32 weeks) of classes! This includes:

The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe - C.S. Lewis (4 weeks)
This novel is a classic introduction to the battle between good and evil. It is written by an all-knowing and omnipresent narrator; thus, students are able to speculate how the characters feel and why they choose to take certain actions. It helps to introduce students to having open ethical discourse.

Frankenstein - Mary Shelley (4 weeks)
Mary Shelley's timeless gothic novel presents the epic battle between man and monster at its greatest literary pitch. In trying to create life, the young student Victor Frankenstein unleashes forces beyond his control, setting into motion a long and tragic chain of events that brings Victor to the very brink of madness. How he tries to destroy his creation, as it destroys everything Victor loves, is a powerful story of love, friendship, scientific hubris, and horror.

A Christmas Carol - Charles Dickens (4 weeks)
This novel highlights the plight of the poor. It forced an entire society to recognize and acknowledge their own wrongs and taught them that we are responsible for the well-being and condition of our fellow man. It teaches the importance of looking beyond our own comforts and life and recognizing the impact that our actions and decisions have on those around us. Through this novel, we can discover the ultimate result of our negligence of those less fortunate than ourselves.

Rebecca - Daphne Du Maurier (4 weeks)
This novel demonstrates the power of perception and the carefully concocted truths we create about the world around us. It forces the reader to see the realities of people's lives once we willingly pull back the curtain and reveal the man. This novel also brings to light the power and deception of appearances. The students will be forced to acknowledge that there are circumstances that alter our perception of absolutes. In what circumstances do our moral codes change or make exceptions?
 
The Giver - Lois Lowry (4 weeks)
This novel allows the reader to gain insight into the mind of an innocent child, vs the mind of a questioning adult, and how each of them recognizes the values of morals in every situation. The reader accompanies the narrator through his journey into adulthood. This novel allows the reader to see what truths about life and society are missed when seen through the lens of innocence. The students will be able to take a glance into a society that is free of crime and sadness. They will find out the cost of such a society and if it is worth that cost. This book also gives students the rare opportunity to decide for themselves how the book ends and why it is important.

Fahrenheit 451 - Ray Bradbury (4 weeks)
In this novel, students will gain insight into a dystopian world, where all freedom is limited because the government limits the education of its citizens. Students will be able to see a glimpse of a world that is void of the ability to learn and research the information we are given.
 
As with all dystopian fiction, the novel amplifies troubling features of the world around us and imagines the consequences of taking them to an extreme. Bradbury can take a pulp fiction book and transform it into a parable of a society gone completely awry. A society in which firemen burn books and the state suppresses learning.

Fiela's Child - Dalene Matthee (4 weeks)
Set in nineteenth-century rural Africa, Fiela's Child tells the gripping story of Fiela Komoetie and a white, three-year old child, Benjamin, whom she finds crying on her doorstep. For nine years Fiela raises Benjamin as one of her own children. But when census takers discover Benjamin, they steal him from stricken Fiela and send him to an illiterate white family of woodcutters who claim him as their son.

To Kill A Mockingbird - Harper Lee (4 weeks)
In today's cultural climate learning about racism is particularly important. In To Kill A Mockingbird, students will explore themes of racial prejudice and injustice. It teaches us all about bravery, injustice, inequality, poverty, racism, corruption, hatred, and oppression. It exhibits how we should judge people by their character and not allow their appearance or culture to affect our judgment. This novel allows students to witness the injustice that others can experience.
 
Day and Time: Wednesdays, 12:45 - 1:45 PM ET
Bundle Duration: 32 Weeks
Dates: September 18, 2024 - May 28, 2025
No class November 27, December 18, 25, January 1, April 16
Recommended for: Ages 13+ / Grades 8-9
Teacher: TTK Faculty
Required Materials:* 
The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, by C.S. Lewis
Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley
A Christmas Carol, by Charles Dickens
Rebecca, by Daphne Du Maurier
The Giver, by Lois Lowry
Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury
Felia's Child, by Dalene Matthee
To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee
 
See more literature classes: thethinkingkid.org/literature
See more classes for ages 13+ / grades 8-9: thethinkingkid.org/grades-8-9
 
*Students must have the books to participate in the course.