Genius Denied:  How To Stop Wasting Our Brightest Young Minds.  This site is an extension of the book Genius Denied containing excerpts, reviews and a searchable database of resources, including state gifted education policies, articles and forums, relevant to the gifted and talented community.
 
 
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Gifted Students' Favorite Books and Authors

This is a "best of the best" list compiled by members of the Davidson Institute for Talent Development’s Young Scholars program.  Young Scholars range in age from 4 - 18.  As such, not all books may be appropriate for all audiences. Additionally, the appearance of specific books does not imply an endorsement from the Davidson Institute for Talent Development. Additional suggestions can be searched for in Davidson Gifted Database.


Abbot, Edwin A.
Flatland

Asimov, Isaac
The Complete Robot

Bach, Richard
Illusions

Bakker, Robert T.
Raptor Red

Beagle, Peter S.
Tamsin 
The Unicorn Sonata

Bujold, Lois McMaster 
Falling Free
Shards of Honor
Barrayar
The Warrior’s Apprentice
The Vor Game
Cetaganda
Ethan of Athos
Brothers in Arms
The Borders of Infinity
Mirror Dance
Memory
Komarr
A Civil Campaign

Card, Orson Scott   
Ender’s Game 
Speaker for the Dead  
Xenocide 
Children of the Mind
Ender’s Shadow
Shadow of the Hegemon
Shadow Puppets

Christopher, John  
The White Mountains series

Colfer, Eoin    
Artemis Fowl series

Collodi, Carlo   
Pinocchio

Cooper, Susan 
The Dark is Rising series
   
D’Aulaire, Ingrid & D’Aulaire
Edgar Parin D’Aulaire’s Book of Greek Myths

Dickens, Charles 
A Christmas Carol
Oliver Twist

Duane, Diane  
Young Wizards series

Eager, Edward Half Magic
Magic by the Lake

Fletcher, Susan  
Shadow Spinner

Gardner, James Finn
Politically Correct Bedtime Stories

Golden, Arthur  
Memoirs of a Geisha

Grandin, Temple
Emergence: Labeled Autistic
 
Heinlein, Robert A.  
The Moon is a Harsh Mistress
Stranger in a Strange Land

Henderson, Zenna  
The Anything Box

Hesse, Herman  
Siddartha

Ibbotson, Eva  
Which Witch
Secret of Platform 13
Island of the Aunts

Juster, Norton  
The Phantom Tollbooth

Keyes, Daniel   
Flowers for Algernon

L’Engle, Madeleine   
The Wrinkle in Time series

Levi, Primo  
The Periodic Table

Levine, Gail Carson 
Ella Enchanted

Lewis, C.S.   
Chronicles of Narnia

Lightman, Alan  
Einstein’s Dreams

Lofting, Hugh  
Doctor Dolittle series

Milne, A.A. & Shepard. E.  
The House at Pooh Corner
Winnie the Pooh
The Complete Poems of Winnie the Pooh

Morgenstern, S. (really William Goldman)
The Princess Bride "Good Parts Version
Nix, Garth  Sabriel
Lirael

Orwell, George  
1984

Pullman, Philip  
The Golden Compass
The Subtle Knife 
The Amber Spyglass
Clockwork

Pratchett, Terry 
Discworld series

Rand, Ayn  
Anthem

Rawlings, Marjorie Kinnan  
The Yearling

Rowling, J.K.  
The Harry Potter series
   
Sachar, Louis  
Holes

Sagan, Carl  
Contact

Shelley, Mary   
Frankenstein

Shinn, Sharon  
Archangel

Smith, Dodie  
101 Dalmations

Snicket, Lemony  
A Series of Unfortunate Events books

Spyri, Johanna   
Heidi

Steinbeck, John  
Of Mice and Men

Stroud, Jonathan 
Bartimaeus Trilogy, book one

Tolkien, J.R.R. 
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
Lord of the Rings: Return of the King

Twain, Mark  
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court’

Wrede, Patricia 
Dealing with Dragons series

Zahn, Timothy   
Manta’s Gift

Looking for more?  The Davidson Gifted Database has hundreds more Fiction and Non-Fiction recommendations! If you have a favorite book not listed, please complete our suggest a resource form.

Favorite Authors

Douglas Adams
Scott Adams
Lloyd Alexander
Isaac Asimov
Dave Barry
Orson Scott Card
Bruce Coville
Peter David
Stephen Jay Gould
Robert A. Heinlein
Tamora Pierce
Daniel Pinkwater
Robert J. Sawyer
Dr. Seuss
William Shakespeare
Patricia C. Wrede
Jane Yolen

 

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Site last updated: Wednesday, September 08, 2010 5:30 AM