Best Books for Gifted Children and Students by Grade Level
Discover the best books for gifted children, including fiction & picture books from K to 12 Mensa reading lists for students of all grades & toddlers.
I have received many requests to recommend some of the books ideal for gifted children and students. In response, I'm pleased to offer my expert recommendations in this article, which is based on my in-depth study and extensive research in this field.
Some notable best books about gifted and talented children's reads include Amelia Bedelia, The Cat in the Hat, Charlotte's Web, Curious George Classic Collection, and Goodnight Moon.
Below, you'll find 20 books with detailed descriptions of each of these outstanding resources.
So, when I suggest these reading materials, it's because I've read a lot and want to share the best ones with you. I'm all about making your reading experience awesome. Trust in a guide deeply immersed in the literary books and stories. I love books just like you do!
What books are genius children reading? The reading list for children given by Mensa is very meaningful.
This book is divided into 4 age groups: K-3, 4-6, 7-8, and 9-12. When you don’t know how to choose books for your children, this list of books can be a reference and inspiration for everyone.
Recommended Books for Grade K-3
Mensa recommends a total of 64 books for grades K-3. Here are some very classic books that are well-known in the United States and give you a brief introduction.
1. Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day – Judith Viorst
Alexander is an ordinary little boy. He had a very bad day. He woke up in the morning and found chewing gum on his head. Then his mother forgot to bring him lunch and dessert, and then his friends abandoned him, and...
The whole book is a monologue of Alexander. He tells one unlucky story one after another. The calm language narration, coupled with cold black line drawings, seems to contain the power to burst at any time, making the story highlight the extraordinary tension.
Aroused strong resonance among children. In the end, the calm and objective comfort of mothers is also a power to face reality, let children understand their emotions, and learn to reconcile with real life.
2. Amelia Bedelia – Parish Peggy
Amelia Bedelia is one of the most popular book images among American children. The author makes full use of the different semantics of the text to create a series of funny stories that make people laugh.
Amelia, the maid, always doesn't know what the master wants her to do. For example, the host asked her to dress the chicken, but she did a good job of dressing the chicken; the host asked her to change all the bath towels, but she changed the bath towels with scissors shape.
3. The Cat in the Hat –Dr.Seuss
Dr. Seuss's book is a common memory of several generations in the United States. It is a small fairy tale written with a vocabulary suitable for children, exaggerated and interesting.
The Cat in The Hat is very classic, and no American has ever read it since he was a child. It's about a rainy day, and a pair of siblings stay at home when the cat in the hat comes in, its juggling and magic... imaginative plot and catchy rhythm make this enduring and popular decade of masterpieces very suitable for children to learn to rhyme (rhyming).
4. Charlotte's Web – EBWhite
A fairy tale that ranks proudly among the "10 Greatest American Children's Literature Masterpieces". The story tells the friendship between a spider named Charlotte and a pig named Weber, revealing themes about love, friendship, life, and death.
Beloved by generations, Charlotte's Web and Stuart Little are two of the most cherished stories of all time. Now, for the first time ever, these treasured classics are available in lavish new collectors' editions.
In addition to the larger trim size, the original black-and-white art by Garth Williams has been lovingly colorized by renowned illustrator Rosemary Wells, adding another dimension to these two perfect books for young and old alike.
Whether you are returning once again to visit with Wilbur, Charlotte, and Stuart, or giving the gift of these treasured stories to a child, these spruced-up editions are sure to delight fans new and old.
The interior design has been slightly moderated to give the books a fresh look without changing the original, familiar, and beloved format. Garth Williams's original black-and-white line drawings for the jacket of Stuart Little have also been newly colorized by the celebrated illustrator Rosemary Wells.
These classics return with a new look, but with the same heartwarming tales that have captured readers for generations.
5. Curious George Classic Collection –by H. A. Rey
In this, the original book about the curious monkey, George is taken from the jungle by the man in the yellow hat.
Apart from Monkey King, the most famous monkey in the world is the monkey-Curious George Curious George, George is curious about life and interested in new things. He is kind and enthusiastic.
He is well-known in the United States and around the world. Many years of history. The animated series "Curious George the Monkey" adapted from the book won two Emmy Awards in 2008 and 2010.
6. Goodnight, Moon –Margaret Wise Brown
In a great green room, tucked away in bed, is a little bunny. "Goodnight room, goodnight moon." And to all the familiar things in the softly lit room--to the picture of the three little bears sitting in chairs, to the clocks and his socks, to the mittens and the kittens, to everything one by one--he says goodnight.
In this classic of modern children's literature, beloved by generations of readers and listeners, the quiet poetry of the words and the gentle, lulling illustrations combine to make a perfect book for the end of the day.
7. The Polar Express – Chris Van Allsburg
Does Santa Claus really exist? The little protagonist in the picture book has always believed in this. Finally, on Christmas Eve, a Polar Express really stopped at his door and took him and many children to Santa’s base camp "North Pole". The book won the Caddick Gold Award, is known as the best-selling Christmas gift book in the United States, and was filmed into a movie.
Is there a Santa Claus in the world? I believe there is. On Christmas Eve many years ago, the "Polar Express" stopped at my door and took me on a journey to the North Pole. There, I met Santa Claus and received my first Christmas gift from him—the silver bell on the sleigh...
In this book, the author narrates a story about "belief" in a tender tone: believing in beauty, believing in miracles...Believing that it will generate power and fill the child's mind. The book uses delicate pastel paintings to create a hazy, mysterious dream.
Reading carefully, both adults and children will be intoxicated by the innocence and beauty of innocence. Now, let us set foot on the Polar Express together to pursue dreams that may have been forgotten...
8. Where the Wild Things Are -Maurice Sendak
Classic English picture book, various awards (including Catic Gold Award, International Andersen Award, etc.) won the soft hand, is a great children's rhapsody, very understanding of children's psychology.
It tells that Max pretends to be a beast and engages in pranks, but is punished by his mother not being sent to the bedroom after eating. At this time, Max's bedroom became a jungle.
He took a boat to the land of the beasts and became the king of the beasts. Suddenly he smelled the scent of the food, he couldn't help but miss home, and he returned to the bedroom. The hot food was waiting for him!
Recommended books for grades 4-6
The bibliography for grades 4-6 includes 48 books, some of which are familiar to us, such as "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland", "Annie of the Green Gables", "The Chronicles of Narnia", "The Secret Garden", and "The Wizard of Oz".
Here we choose to introduce works that are not familiar but have a place in American culture. Almost every American has read works in their youth.
1. Bridge to Terabithia -Katherine Paterson
The novel is one of the jewels of modern classic novels in the late twentieth century. It tells a fascinating story about adventure, bravery, friendship, loss, and a life-changing fantasy journey. It tells the story of Jesse and Leslie in a race.
A secret world of their own Jess Aaron's greatest ambition is to be the fastest runner in the fifth grade. He's been practicing all summer and can't wait to see his classmates' faces when he beats them all.
But on the first day of school, a new kid, a new girl, boldly crosses over to the boy's side of the playground and outruns everyone. That's not a very promising beginning for a friendship, but Jess and Leslie Burke become inseparable.
It doesn't matter to Jess that Leslie dresses funny, or that her family has a lot of money - but no TV. Leslie has imagination. Together, she and Jess create Terabithia, a magical kingdom in the woods where the two of them reign as king and queen, and their imaginations set the only limits.
Then one morning a terrible tragedy occurs. Only when Jess can come to grips with this tragedy does he finally understand the strength and courage Leslie has given him?
2. Hatchet -Gary Paulsen
This book created a precedent for youth survival novels in the wilderness. Countless children have learned to face difficulties independently and bravely face challenges. It is the representative work of Gary Berson, a writer very popular among young readers in the United States.
It has won the Newbury Prize for Children’s Literature and The International Andersen Prize for Literature and was named one of the 50 outstanding youth books in the United States in 100 years.
ALONE Thirteen-year-old Brian Robeson is on his way to visit his father when the single-engine plane in which he is flying crashes. Suddenly, Brian finds himself alone in the Canadian wilderness with nothing but a tattered Windbreaker and the hatchet his mother gave him as a present - and the dreadful secret that has been tearing him apart since his parent's divorce.
But now Brian has no time for anger, self-pity, or despair - it will take all his know-how and determination, and more courage than he knew he possessed, to survive.
For twenty years Gary Paulsen's award-winning contemporary classic has been the survival story with which all others are compared. This new edition, with a reading group guide, will introduce a new generation of readers to this page-turning, heart-stopping adventure.
3. The Jungle Book -Rudyard Kipling
This is a classic work with a history of more than 100 years. It was adapted into the Disney cartoon "The Prince of the Forest". The story tells that Mowgli, a human boy, was adopted by wolves in the Indian jungle when he was a child. He lives happily with the loyal and honest black panther, the cheerful brown bear, and other animal friends.
Of course, there are evil tigers and deadly cobras in the jungle. Mowgli and his animal friends have launched a series of adventures. This book was also selected as the official reading by the Boy Scouts of America.
4. Mary Poppins -Pamela I.Travers
She held a big umbrella slowly falling from the air, making naughty children polite and obedient, and letting parents who are immersed in their careers learn to appreciate their children-she is the famous Mary Poppins.
This book spans 80 years and is still a must-read for American children today. In addition, the film of the same name based on this book has become Disney's most nominated and awarded film for the Oscars so far.
Mary Poppins is like no other nanny the four Banks children have ever seen. She whirls into their home and “spit-spot,” she works her inimitable brand of magic to make even the bland seem extraordinary.
An endless source of fascinating adventure, she slides up the banister, produces an array of tricks from her seemingly empty carpetbag, and ensures the Banks' lives will never be the same.
5. Tuck Everlasting -Natalie Babbitt
Is eternal life a blessing or a curse? That is what young Winnie Foster must decide when she discovers a spring on her family's property whose waters grant immortality. Members of the Tuck family, having drunk from the spring, tell Winnie of their experiences watching life go by and never growing older.
But then Winnie must decide whether or not to keep the Tucks' secret–and whether or not to join them on their never-ending journey.
Winnie, a 10-year-old girl, accidentally discovered the secret of the Tucker family. Drinking water from the Fountain of Eternal Life can gain immortality. However, the Tuckers told her that eternal life is not a blessing, but a curse.
In the infinite life, they feel that they just exist, not alive. So, in the face of the temptation of immortality, what choice will Winnie make? This is a work that instinctively inspires children to think about the philosophy of life.
Recommended Books for Grades 7-8
Mensa recommended a total of 62 classic works for grades 7-8, including the well-known "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer", "Call of the Wild", "Christmas Carol", "Earl of Monte Cristo", "Frankenstein" and "The Hobbit". "People", "Notre Dame Cathedral", "The Little Prince", "Little Women", "Robinson Crusoe", "Treasure Island", "Twenty Thousand Miles Under the Sea" and so on.
Similarly, we select some works that have a place in American culture but are not well known to Chinese readers and introduce them to everyone.
1. Fahrenheit 451 -Ray Bradbury
Ray Douglas Bradbury (August 22, 1920 – June 5, 2012) was an American author and screenwriter. He worked in a variety of genres, including fantasy, science fiction, horror, and mystery fiction.
Widely known for his dystopian novel Fahrenheit 451 (1953), and his science-fiction and horror-story collections, The Martian Chronicles (1950), The Illustrated Man (1951), and I Sing the Body Electric (1969), Bradbury was one of the most celebrated 20th- and 21st-century American writers.[2] While most of his best-known work is in speculative fiction, he also wrote in other genres, such as the coming-of-age novel Dandelion Wine (1957) and the fictionalized memoir Green Shadows, White Whale (1992).
Recipient of numerous awards, including a 2007 Pulitzer Citation, Bradbury also wrote and consulted on screenplays and television scripts, including Moby Dick and It, which Came from Outer Space. Many of his works were adapted to comic books, television, and film formats.
Upon his death in 2012, The New York Times called Bradbury "the writer most responsible for bringing modern science fiction into the literary mainstream"
This book fictionalizes a future world that suppresses freedom, and people are not allowed to read and own books. The protagonist of the novel has been a firefighter for ten years, but he never doubted his job until one day he met a peculiar girl and began to doubt his job until he challenged the world.
2. The Giver -Lois Lowry
"Teacher of Memory" is a science fiction novel popular in the United States. It won the 1994 Newbury Prize for Children's Literature. The story takes place in a utopian world. In this world, everything is under control.
People live and work in peace, with food and clothing, no wars, and no pain. The protagonist Jonas was selected as the next memory imparter.
After obtaining the sealed memory, Jonas began to understand that there had been sorrow, loss, and pain in the world, but also love, beauty, and joy.
3. The Outsiders -SE Hinton
A best-selling novel written by a 16-year-old girl 45 years ago is still enduring. The Ivy League International Award novel focuses on the topic of youth growth. The novel touches on many social issues: polarization between the rich and the poor, youth violence, alcoholism, etc.
However, neither the poor nor the rich can truly integrate into society. Two different but equally distorted environments and education make them just outsiders after all.
4. Where the Red Fern Grows -Wilson Rawls
It is also classic children's literature, telling a warm story about a little boy and two dogs fighting a raccoon in the jungle in their hometown, which touched generations of teenagers.
There are a lot of landscape descriptions in the book. Before urbanization, the life of early immigrants in the United States was calm and simple. The book was adapted into a movie of the same name and released in the United States.
5. A Wrinkle in Time -Madeleine L'Engle
"The Wrinkle in Time" is a science fiction novel popular among teenagers. It won the Newbury Prize for Children's Literature in 1963. It tells about the 15-year-old girl McGonagall who embarked on an extraordinary road to find the missing scientist's father.
Father is missing! His top-secret job as a physicist for the government has taken him away--but where?--and how? Meg and her younger brother, Charles Wallace, set out with their friend Calvin on an exciting adventure through time and space to search for him.
With the help of the mysterious Mrs. Whatsit, Mrs. Who, and Mrs. Which, the youngsters learn to expect the unexpected as they move into the fifth dimension known as the "tesseract".
With this award-winning story, Madeline L'Engle has captivated millions of readers throughout the world. Her universal themes of courage, perseverance, and love are interwoven with imagination and suspense. A Wrinkle in Time, published in 1962, won the distinguished Newbery Medal for children's literature in 1963.
Recommended Books for Grades 9-12
Mensa recommends a total of 115 books for grades 9-12. Among them are books we are more familiar with, such as "Animal Farm", "The Great Gatsby", "The Catcher in the Rye", "Doll's House", "Hamlet", " Jane Eyre, Mrs. Bovary, King Lear, Killing a Mockingbird, Uncle Tom’s Cabin, Walden Lake, Wuthering Heights, etc.
What surprised us is that these classics are actually included in the reading list of high school students. What we want to introduce here are those masterpieces that are deeply integrated into American culture and are not so familiar to us.
1. The Fountainhead -Ayn Rand
"The Source" has been a great success since its publication in 1943. Its unique philosophical connotation has made this book even more influential, and it has even become a world-famous book.
The author is not only a novelist but also a philosopher. Through the portrayal of the protagonist and architect Locke, he conveys his high respect for individualism and free will. "The Fountainhead" extols the glory of mankind and shows how great the possibility of mankind is.
People are not born to please others, but to pursue ideals and achieve self-worth. This book has therefore become inspirational literature for American teenagers.
2. The Good Earth -Pearl Buck
The author Pearl Buck has won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and the Nobel Prize for Literature for this book.
CLASSICS are more than books that have stood the test of time. They are stories that impart timeless themes, contain universal truths, and provide rich literary experiences year after year and generation after generation.
However, many classics may be inaccessible to contemporary readers. Obsolete words, outmoded expressions, difficult sentence construction, and unfamiliar settings can place classics out of the reach of many students, especially those with special needs.
Unabridged audiobook versions can help bridge the gap between works of literature and the students in your classrooms.
3. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings -Maya Angelou
This book is an African-American female writer Maya Angelou's recollection of her childhood in the South, where black discrimination was severe. From the age of three to seventeen, Maya has been fighting against a series of evil acts such as racism, sexual harassment, and rape, and this encounter has affected her life.
It is precisely because of Maya's resistance to the double oppression of race and gender through her works and her own influence that Obama awarded her the "Presidential Medal of Freedom" in 2011.
4. Night -Elie Wiesel
"Night" is based on the author's own experience, Elie Wiesel, and describes how he and his father were imprisoned in a concentration camp during World War II. In the concentration camp, facing a cruel and tragic situation, all values have been wiped out.
There is no father, no brothers, and no friends. Everyone lives and dies for themselves. In 1945, the concentration camp was liberated, and Wiesel finally left this hell on earth, but he had lost his trust in God and mankind.
The profound description of this experience made this book, like "Anne's Diary", a classic of the Holocaust.
5. Their Eyes Were Watching God -Zora Neale Hurston
This is outstanding black female literature, describing the life of Jenny who resisted the shackles of tradition and fought for her own rights. Since the 1970s, this book has become one of the classic works of American literature in American universities. It is a must-read for studying black literature and women's literature.
One of the most important works of twentieth-century American literature, Zora Neale Hurston's beloved 1937 classic, "Their Eyes Were Watching God," is an enduring Southern love story sparkling with wit, beauty, and heartfelt wisdom.
Told in the captivating voice of a woman who refuses to live in sorrow, bitterness, fear, or foolish romantic dreams, it is the story of fair-skinned, fiercely independent Janie Crawford, and her evolving selfhood through three marriages and a life marked by poverty, trials, and purpose.
A true literary wonder, Hurston's masterwork remains as relevant and affecting today as when it was first published - perhaps the most widely read and highly regarded novel in the entire canon of African-American literature.
The reading volume of Mensa's book list for students in grades K 12 is amazing. Roughly calculate: K-3 grades read 64 books a year, an average of 5-6 days a book; 4-6 grades read 48 books a year, an average of 7-8 days a book; 7-8 grades read the first year 62 books, 5-6 days on average; 115 books for grades 9-12, 1 book in 3 days on average, and they are all large books with hundreds of pages. It is true that only those who really love reading and have extremely good reading ability Only strong children can challenge themselves.
After reading this book recommendation, what kind of book plan do you have for your children?
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