The Hobbit by J.R.R. TolkienThe Hobbit is a traditional fantasy novel that is intended for grades 6-12, and it won the Keith Barker Millennium Book Award in 2000. The book tells the story of Bilbo Baggins, a hobbit who lives in a cellar and rarely leaves. Suddenly, Gandalf and a swarm of dwarves invite him on an adventure to gain the treasure of a large dragon, an adventure that includes a great amount of danger and fighting. This story of adventure highlights the themes of courage, ambition, adventure, and the fight between good and evil, as Gandalf, Bilbo and the dwarves eventually gain the treasure they fought so hard for. This book could be great for a creative writing assignment on adventure. The students could be asked to write a fiction short story in which they themselves are a character, and they complete a journey or adventure in order to gain something good or win in a struggle of good versus evil. This assignment would be great not only for exploring the themes of the Hobbit, but also for practicing writing in the short story format.
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Animal Farm by George OrwellAnimal farm is a traditional fantasy and a satirical work which is intended for grades 9-12. The book received the Prometheus Hall of Fame Award and the Retro Hugo Award for Best Novella. In this book, a group of animals take over a farm after they are mistreated by their farmer. The animals set up their own committee and even withstand the attack of neighboring farmers. This book is a satire against the rule of Stalin, and highlights some of the dangers of a dictatorship and the negative effects it can have on a nation or place. This book would serve as a great introduction to a lesson in government, a class which is commonly taken in high school. The students would study the different types of government, including a dictatorship, and after completing research on these governments, the students would pick their "favorite" or ideal form of government and explain their reasoning for this choice.
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