Books are a treasure trove of information. They not only help you to gain knowledge but also help you escape by making you experience different emotions, meet different characters with unique personalities, they help you relax and unwind. Some books help you gain a different perspective towards life and everything around you.
Why Reading is a good habit?
You may think that we can get knowledge even by watching documentaries and even watching movies make us experience new places and feelings. That is true to an extent and it is good if you like to watch good quality cinema. However, books have an edge over movies and that is while reading a book, a reader uses his / her own imagination in creating a picture of the characters, the location and the overall feel of the story, whereas in movies it’s all given. Therefore you are a passive spectator.
Reading is a good habit because-
- It helps build patience and concentration.
- It exposes you to a vast array of words and helps contribute to your vocabulary.
- It makes you more articulate and helps you express better.
- It provides information.
Now let’s take a look at some of the books that you must read based on your grade-
Grades 1 and 2- Below are the list of books. You may need to help or assist your child in reading some of them, but these books create a good impression on kids-
- Panchatantra books
- Jataka tales and Aesop’s Fables
- Goodnight Stories for Rebel Girls by Elena Favilli
- Stories for Boys who Dare to be different by Ben Brooks
- About the Bee, the Butterfly and a Bunny by Rumjhum Sengupta
- Once There was a boy and other books by Olliver Jeffers
Grades 3 and 4- This is the time when children are forming relationships, they start understanding friendships and their imagination is at its peak-
- Famous Five, the Secret Seven and similar series by Enid Blyton
- Harry Potter and similar series
- Beastly Tales from Here and There by Vikram Seth
- Mahabharata for Children by Sudha Gupta
- Ramayana for Children by Arshia Sattar
Grades 5 and 6- This is the time when they are experiencing changes about their bodies, they are getting to know themselves and their emotions better. It’s the age of Self-discovery-
- Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom
- Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank
- The Period Book – A Girl’s Guide to growing up by Karen Gravelle
- Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens
- Wise and Otherwise by Sudha Murthy
- Malgudi days by RK Narayan
- Short stories by Ruskin Bond
- Haroun and the Sea of Stories by Salman Rushdie
Grades 7 and 8- This is the time to boost their self- confidence and help them answer deep questions. Motivational and positive books help during this time-
- The Secret by Rhonda Bryne
- The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
- Lust for Life by Irving Stone
- The Music Room by Namita Devidayal
- Many Lives Many Masters by Dr. Brian Weiss
- To Kill a mocking bird by Harper Lee
Grades 9 and 10- This is a time when children want to expand their knowledge, improve their personalities and also get a deep sense of themselves and people around them-
- Nine Lives by William Dalrymple
- The Shiva Trilogy by Amish Tripathi
- How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie
- The Power of Your subconscious mind by Joseph Murthy
- I am Malala by Malala Yousafzai
- Ignited Minds by APJ Abdul Kalam
We hope the above list of books helps you and your child enjoy the habit of reading. At St. Mary’s school we always encourage our children to read. St. Mary’s, the best budget school in Kalyan is equipped with a well-stocked library that our students can avail of. They can read or borrow books by renowned authors from the Library. Some of these books have been donated by our current and ex-students because we encourage in not just gaining but also sharing knowledge.