NINTH GRADE

Alvarez, Julia How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents F

Moving to New York after their father takes part in a failed coup, the Garcia sisters must adapt to life in New York without the maids, family, and political unrest of the Dominican Republic. The girls try to change to meet life in the city but find themselves trapped between their old world and their new. Full of humor, zest, and the joys of belonging to two cultures.

Baldwin, James Go Tell It on the Mountain F

This semi-autobiographical novel about a 14 year old black youth’s religious conversion is based on Baldwin’s experience as a young storefront preacher in Harlem. While showing the layers of the damaged lives that inhabit John Grimes’s world, Baldwin also reveals the implication of the great black migration from the rural South to the urban North.

Burns, Olive Cold Sassy Tree F

This novel, set in rural Georgia, is told by Will Tweedy, a fourteen year old whose hero is his Grandpa Rucker, owner the town’s general store. Three weeks after the death of his first wife, Grandpa Rucker scandalously marries the town milliner, Miss Loved, who is a much younger woman. Will matures as he watches the changes made in his family to the marriage, and he watches the town change too.

Carter, Forrest Education of Little Tree F

This book begins with the death of Little Tree’s mother when he was five. Taken into the mountains by his grandparents, Little Tree lives with his full Cherokee Grandma and his half Cherokee Grandpa in their mountain home during the Depression. In order to survive both the times and the barrenness of life for the Cherokee, Grandpa makes illegal whiskey. The book offers delightful descriptions of nature, of the courage of the mountain people, and the lessons Little Tree learns about life and work.

Doyle, Sir Arthur Conan Tales of Sherlock Holmes F

The greatest fictional detective ever meets Dr. Watson and assorted criminals in this collection of short stories. Among the best of the stories “Sign of the Four,” “The Redheaded League,” and “The Dancing Men.”

Frank, Anne Diary of Anne Frank NF

This autobiography of a young Jewish girl who hides from the Nazis with her family and friends in a secret room above a factory in Amsterdam is one of the most widely read books of all time. For two years the Franks are unable to move around and speak to each other only at night. Anne’s diary becomes the best friend with whom she shares her dreams, hopes, and fears.

Gibson, William The Miracle Worker (Helen Keller) Drama

This play is based on the life story of Helen Keller and her teacher Anne Sullivan. Miss Sullivan comes to Alabama to teach Helen who became deaf and blind after a childhood illness. Alternately spoiled and neglected by her parents, Helen rarely uses her sharp intelligence until Miss Sullivan shows her the power of words and language.

Golding, William Lord of the Flies F

This classic novel centers around a group of English school boys who are plane wrecked on a deserted island. At first the stranded boys cooperate in order to gather food and find shelter. As times passes, however, conflict between Jack and Ralph leads to the formation of two groups who start to battle each other. A chilling story of what happens when the trappings of civilized life fall away.

Hamill, Pete Snow in August F

In 1947, Michael Devlin forges an extraordinary bond with a Jewish refugee Rabbi Judah Hirsh. When Michael witnesses a crime, he turns to the rabbi for help in defeating the boys who are trying to kill him. This story is an excellent combination of the story of a young man accepting maturity and the coming of Jackie Robinson to the Brooklyn Dodgers.

Hamilton, Edith Mythology NF

This classic collection of Greek, Roman, and Norse mythology and legends contains the stories of how the gods were created, how man received fire, and how evil came into the world. Hamilton also offers sketches of each of the major gods, and the book contains prose accounts of both The Iliad and The Odyssey.

Hunt, Irene Across Five Aprils F

Set during the American Civil War, this novel shows how common families were trapped by duty, courage, loyalty, and honor. Living in southern Illinois, Jethro Creighton grows into manhood watching his brothers and a favorite teacher go to fight on both sides of the conflict. Hunt presents a balanced look at both sides of the war.

Lee, Marie G. If It Hadn’t Been for Yoon Jun F

Alice Larsen is a Korean-born Minnesotan. Adopted as an infant, she feels totally American and does not care to learn about her Korean background. She’s happy being a cheerleader and dating a cool athlete. When Yoon Jun arrives, however, Alice thinks he is weird, but he becomes her partner for International Day. Good study of prejudice both blatant and subtle.

LeGuin, Ursula Wizard of Earthsea F

LeGuin creates an imaginary world of Roke Island where a reckless, awkward boy named Sparrowhawk becomes a wizard’s apprentice after the wizard reveals the boy’s true name. In this realm, words have the power of magic and dragons are as real as earthquakes. Ged, Sparrowhawk’s real name, must pursue an evil force and fight the people who are evil. This book is highly recommended for readers who enjoy the Harry Potter series.

London, Jack Call of the Wild F

Buck, a young privileged dog of the south, is stolen from his home and sent to the cold north. Set during Canada’s Gold Rush, the book traces Buck’s change from pet to sled dog and from sled dog into the dominant male of his world.

Lord, Walter A Night to Remember NF

This book tells the story of the sinking of the Titanic. Based on true accounts and numerous interviews with survivors, Lord tells of the ship’s final hours and the slow deaths of the passengers trapped in the cold ocean. The book is more honest and powerful than the movie by James Cameron; it contains stories and details considered irrelevant to the movie’s writers.

Mochizuki, Ken Baseball Saved Us F

Shorty is a Japanese American during World War II. Sent to an internment camp, Shorty and his friends find that baseball provides a useful distraction from the dismal life in the camp. After creating a baseball diamond, uniforms and equipment, they play games. The author beautifully conveys the bleakness of camp life and the joy of the perfect hit.

Myers, Walter Dean Fallen Angels F

This story of four young men who go to Vietnam traces how they change from life in the world to life “ in country.” Gritty, realistic, with often graphic language, the novel describes the loss of innocence in boys who had to fight or die. Perry, the story’s narrator, volunteers for the army when he can’t attend college. In Vietnam, he becomes friends with Lobel, Johnson, Brunner, and Peewee. Together they struggle through combat and the life of an average soldier.

Orwell, George Animal Farm F

The classic satire of communism contains the pigs who lead other farm animals in a revolution against the farmer. They create a perfect government where “All animals are created equal, but some animals are more equal than others.”

Poe, Edgar Allen Tales of Edgar Allen Poe F

Poe is considered the father of detective stories and a master of supernatural tales. The stories most recommended are “The Fall of the House of Usher,” “ The Purloined Letter,” “The Cask of Amontillado,” “The Pit and the Pendulum, “ and “The Tell-Tale Heart.”

Potok, Chaim The Chosen F

Two Orthodox Jewish boys--Danny and Reuven--become friends after they meet while playing baseball. Once fierce rivals, the boys bond, and Reuven becomes involved in the conflict between Danny and his austere Hasidic rabbi father. The book contains great characterizations and a wonderful understanding of the conflict between teens and their parents’ traditions and the conflict between fathers and sons.

Rowling, J. K. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone F

(any book from this series)

What Muggle hasn’t heard of Harry Potter and his friends at Hogwarts School of Magic? Throughout the series, young Harry comes to realize the power of his magic and to discover the reasons for the deaths of his parents. Wonderful fantasy world beautifully conceived and brilliantly written.

Steinbeck, John The Pearl F

Kino, a poor Mexican pearl fisher, finds a valuable pearl. Instead of bring blessings to Kino and his family, the pearl brings them greed, treachery, and loss. The love Kino and his family share becomes tainted, and only by destroying the source of greed can they survive.

Stevenson, Robert Louis The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde F

In this classic horror novel, mild Dr. Jekyll creates a formula that turns him into the monster than is Henry Hyde. Unable to control the anger and rage of the monster, Jekyll must try to find a way to destroy this evil side of himself.

Tolkien, J. R. R. The Hobbit F

Bilbo Baggins is a quiet hobbit who enjoys good food and a good smoke. When Gandalf sends him on an adventure with the dwarves, Bilbo fights trolls, orcs, and meets a creature named Gollum. Using his magic ring, Bilbo also helps the dwarves defeat Smaug the dragon in order to regain their treasure. The prequel to Lord of the Rings, this book is lighter in tone and more humorous.

Voight, Cynthia The Homecoming F

When their mentally ill mother abandons the family, 13 year old Dicey takes on the responsibility for her younger brothers and sisters. With uncommon courage and determination, and with a great deal of struggle, she finds a home for all of them. This book is the first in a series of novels about the Tillerman family.

Wiesel, Elie Night NF

In this story of the Holocaust, Wiesel tells how his family was taken from their homes in Poland to Auschwitz. He describes the life there as well as the daily routine. This book is a good companion to Anne Frank’s Diary since it “picks up” where Frank’s story ends. Powerful emotion and an excellent read.

Yolen, Jane The Devil’s Arithmetic F

Twelve year old Hannah is tired of remembering and hearing about the Holocaust. Her grandfather, who rants and raves at the mention of the Nazis, embarrasses her. Then during a Passover Seder, Hannah is transported to a village in Poland where she assumes the identity of Chaya. When the Nazis take the people of the village to a camp, Chaya/Hannah becomes friends with Rivka who helps her fight the dehumanizing processes of the camp. While doing so, she leans why one must remember.

TENTH GRADE

Albom, Mitch Tuesdays With Morrie F

Lovely story of a young writer who begins to visit his ailing and elderly professor. During these visits--every Tuesday, of course-- Albom discovers the joy of living life to its fullest. These meetings which take place during the last days of Morrie Schwartz’s life show that human relationships and health are more important than modern gadgets. Uplifting and cheerful despite its storyline.

Angelou, Maya I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings NF

An autobiography that plunges the reader into Angelou’s life as a brilliant, never-say-die black girl growing up in Arkansas and San Francisco. Episodic chapters make the length easy to manage, and each episode traces the formation of one of America’s premier poets and speakers.

Bradbury, Ray Fahrenheit 451 F

In this futuristic novel, firemen are hired to burn books since the government has declared reading to be a “subversive” activity. A young fireman rescues one of the books he should destroy and becomes a public enemy on the run from police. What he finds, however, is a secret underground dedicated to saving the written word for all time.

Crichton, Michael The Andromeda Strain F

In this early Crichton novel, the U. S. space program has been commandeered by the military to probe Earth’s upper atmosphere for non-terrestrial bacteria for use in biological weapons. They succeed better than planned, and the tiny organisms get loose among the native life forms of earth. A team of five scientists are sealed away in an isolation facility in the southwest try to find a way to save the planet.

Deedy, Carmen Agra Growing Up Cuban in Decatur, Georgia NF

Available only on tape or CD, this collection of 12 short stories allows the Cuban author to share her memories of life after her family moved from Havana. The tone is warm, the stories great, and listeners always enjoy the author’s mother who finds life--and driving--zestful.

Dumas, Alexandre The Count of Monte Cristo F

In a great action/revenge story, an innocent Edmund Dantes is thrown into prison to protect an important elected official. After he escapes, Dantes becomes the fabulously wealthy Count of Monte Cristo who seeks to destroy those men who condemned him to living death inside the Chateau D‘If.

Flagg, Fannie Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Café F

Although Itchie Threadgood watches her beloved brother die in a railroad accident, she maintains her friendship with Ruth, her brother’s friend. The two girls’ stories are told in flashback as Itchie stands trial for the murder of Ruth’s husband. Wonderful read, excellent characters, and much richer than the movie version.

Greenburg, Jane I Never Promised You a Rose Garden F

A sixteen year old girl is diagnosed with schizophrenia, and struggles to leave behind her private fantasy world. A sympathetic psychiatrist helps her accepts the harsh, but healthy, challenges of a normal life.

Guest, Judith Ordinary People F

Seventeen year old Conrad remains emotionally fragile after his suicide attempt which occurs when his older brother drowns in a boating accident on Lake Michigan. His parents, especially his insensitive mother, fail to accept the fact that Conrad lived while his brother died. With the aid of a new friend and with the help of his doctor, Conrad accepts the truth about his relationship with his parents and his guilt about his brother.

Herriot, James All Creatures Great and Small NF

As a young veterinarian in the north of England, James Herriot enters a world complete with a quirky boss, his boss’s rascal of a brother, and a host of sick animals. Traveling around the countryside, Herriot comes to realize that man and animal are connected in the most basic of ways as he treats his patients for thrush, as he helps cows and sheep in labor, and as he meets Trickie Woo, that most pampered of beloved dogs.

Huxley, Aldous Brave New World F

In this bitter satire about the future, Huxley envisions a world where children are grown in test tubes, where they are programmed from birth for their station in life, and where the government controls the public by giving away free drugs. Into this mix comes a young savage from the New World whose dreams of the glory of civilization do not match the sordid reality he finds.

Kesey, Ken One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest F

In order to escape from the law, Randal Patrick McMurphy pretends to be insane. Placed inside a mental institution for evaluation, he begins to unite the patients against their harsh treatment by the nurses and orderlies, especially Nurse Rachett. In time, the in-mates regain their dignity, but McMurphy is punished for their acts of rebellion.

Keyes, Daniel Flowers for Algernon F

Working as a janitor, mentally challenged Charlie becomes the subject of an experiment which gives him superior intelligence. Happy with his new found power, falling in love with a wonderful woman--all these things give Charlie a joyous life. Sadly the effects of the experimental surgery begin to fade, and Charlie finds himself returning to his old life.

Lee, Harper To Kill a Mockingbird F

A great classic novel whose hero Atticus Finch was voted the greatest film hero of the 20th century by the American Film Institute. Tomboy Scout recollects the events of one Alabama summer in the 1930’s when her father defends a young black man wrongly accused of rape. Scout and her brother face racial hatred for the first time, as they witness their father’s courage in refusing to accept hatred and violence.

Mason, Bobby Ann In Country F

In the summer of 1984, the war in Vietnam comes home to Sam Hughes, whose father was killed there before she was born. In reading her father’s letters home to her mother, Sam begins to understand her Uncle Emmett whose body returned home, but whose mind still lingers in that beautiful, deadly little country. This powerful book shows that all Americans are united by one past and one history. Wonderful read.

Nemiroff, Robert Lorraine Hansberry: To Be Young, Gifted, and Black NF

Hansberry--one of America’s great playwrights (A Raisin in the Sun) shares her life story. The book combines biographic details with excerpts from the writer’s plays.

Pasternak, Boris Doctor Zhivago F

Taking place at the beginning of the Russian Revolution, Doctor Zhivago tells the story of a young doctor,/poet, the woman to whom he is engaged, and Laura who is the great love of his life. As the Communists assume control of the Soviet state, Zhivago must find a way to practice his medicine without becoming a target for the purge of Soviet intellectuals. Lovely emotional story.

Pirsig, Robert Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance F

In his combination of travelogue and philosophy, Pirsig sets his book on a road trip that he and his son Chris take from the prairies to the Pacific Ocean. Along the way the two discuss motorcycles, social concepts, sanity and insanity, and the way technology has separated humans from the real world.

Potok, Chaim My Name is Asher Lev F

As an Hassidic Jew, Asher Lev is born into a family totally dedicated to its faith and to helping create a Jewish nation in Israel. Asher, however, has no interest in becoming a rabbi as his parents wish. Instead he paints and draws with great skill and passion, but when he begins to draw scenes of the Crucifixion, his parents become angry. Remarkable story about following one’s own dreams despite parental refusal to accept who and what one is.

Remarque, Erich Maria All Quiet on the Western Front F

Set during World War I, this short novel traces a group of young men who leave their German high school and enlist in the army on the same day. Sent to France for combat on the Western Front, Paul and his classmates realize that the glory of war described to them by their teachers and elders is not the reality they face during combat.

Sams, Ferrol Run With the Horsemen F

“The Boy” grows up on a farm in Georgia during the Depression, and in these stories, Sams shares the eccentric characters and the Southern experience in a relaxed, flowing style replete with Southern slang, Southern food, and Southern churches.

Tolkien, J. R. R. Lord of the Rings (trilogy) F

In order to destroy the Ring of Power , Frodo Baggins and his hobbit friends begin a quest to Morodor along with elves, dwarves, humans, and Gandalf the Grey Wizard. Lovely long story of the courage and bravery possessed by the most insignificant of creatures and the power simple people have over good and evil.

Wilder, Thorton Our Town Drama

The Stage Manager serves as this story’s main character as he details the lives of the people in Grovers Corner. The play tells the story of two families as they experience daily life, love, marriage, and the early death of a child.

Yep, Laurence Hiroshima: A Novella F

Sachi is a twelve year old who lives in Hiroshima during World War II. On the morning of August 6, Sachi and her friends feel a deep sense of relief when an air raid warning proves to be a false alarm. Sadly the airplane that flies over the city is the weather ship for the Enola Gay. Yep describes the bombing of the city in brutal detail, but the narrative is often choppy.

ELEVENTH GRADE

Brown, Dee Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee NF

This book gives the view of the settlement of America from the point of view of the American Indians. It begins with the Long Walk of the Navajos in 1860 and ends 30 years later with the massacre of Sioux at the Wounded Knee Reservation in South Dakota. Brown is eloquent in her writing, but brutal in her description of a people destroyed by those who thought themselves superior.

Cather, Willia Death Comes to the Archbishop F

Based on the real life experiences of two French Catholic priests sent to the American Southwest in 1851, this novel attempts to capture their experiences. The land and its people become as much a part of the story as the two men. Because the book is somewhat episodic, the chapters can be easily read as a series of connected short stories.

Chopin, Kate The Awakening F

This story centers around a New Orleans woman, Edna Pontellier, who abandons her husband and children to search for love and self understanding. Unable to find acceptable outlets for her desires, Edna begins an affair with a younger man. A controversial book when first published, The Awakening explores the consequences of the main character’s extramarital affair.

Cisneros, Sandra The House on Mango Street F

The young Esperanza and her family come to own the house on Mango Street in a Spanish-speaking neighborhood of Chicago. This series of stories centers about some event or detail of Esperanza’s young life.

Crane, Stephen Red Badge of Courage F

Although Crane never fought in the Civil War, his finely crafted novel is considered one of the finest war novels ever penned. Henry Fleming joins the army full of romantic visions of battle which are shattered by the reality of combat. Crane called his novel “a psychological portrayal of fear.”

Faulkner, William The Sound and the Fury F

Centered around the fictional Compson family, this novel is told from the viewpoints of four different people, all members of the same family.. The most unique narrator is the mentally challenged Benji. Faulkner shows the effects of time and decay on the Southern family since the Compsons’ cannot accept their change of status and fortune.

Fitzgerald, F. Scott The Great Gatsby F

Jay Gatsby fulfills the American dream in his “rags to riches” story. However for the love of Daisy, Gatsby corrupts himself and destroys all his hard work in an effort to regain Daisy’s love. The novel is a classic story of love, betrayal, and the destructive power of obsession in both love and money.

Gaines, Ernest The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pitmon F

Tennessee author Ernest Gaines tells the story of Jane Pitmon who was born into slavery on a plantation in Louisiana and manages to survive the horror of the Civil War and Reconstruction. The book is told as a flashback , and it opens with a young reporter during the 1960’s civil rights movement interviewing Jane. The reader is treated to a personal eye view life for American blacks from the War to the Movement. Beautifully written and a moving, powerful story.

Gaines, Ernest A Gathering of Old Men F

Set in Louisiana, this novel exposes race relations in America. When a Cajun landowner is found dead in the weeds with his shotgun, everyone knows who killed him. To protect Mathu--the only black to stand up for his rights in the area--18 old black men gather in the yard with a shotgun, a shell similar to the one that killed the landowner, and each one of them says he killed Beau Boutan.

Haley, Alex Roots F

In this fictionalized account of his family’s history, Haley traces a young man Kunta Kinte from his capture in Africa to his slavery in America. Each section of the novel traces one of Kinte’s descendants and shows how life for black Americans ebbed and flowed with the major events of American history. This novel served as the basis for one of the most popular television mini series ever.

Hawthorn, Nathaniel The Scarlet Letter F

Hester Prym is a Puritan woman who bears a child out of wedlock. Forced by the elders of her congregation to wear a scarlet As an outward show of her sin, Hester still remains true to the father of her child and endures bias and hatred for her refusal to conform to other people’s standards.

Hemingway, Ernest A Farewell to Arms F

Set during the first World War, this semi autobiographical novel deals with Hemingway’s favorite themes of love, war, and honor. A young American lieutenant , wounded at the front, is taken to a military hospital where he fall sin love with the nurse who helps bring him back to health. The two elope, but their love cannot survive the anger and disgrace that comes with betrayal.

Hemingway, Ernest The Old Man and the Sea F

In this great, classic short novel, Juan, an old, once skilled, Cuban fisherman goes about his daily chores. However, on this day the old man catches a giant marlin and the two begin a struggle to see who is the stronger. Trapped on the vast ocean, blasted by the hot sun, the young narrator of the story realizes the enduring power of the human will.

Hurston, Nora Zeale Their Eyes Were Watching God F

Written at the height of the Harlem Renaissance in the 1930’s, this novel follows the fortunes of Janie Crawford, a woman who lives in the black town of Eaton, Florida. Married three times and often shunned by others, Janie reveals the truces, joys, and tender moments of male-female relations.

Kerouac, Jack On the Road F

Sal Paradise (a character roughly based on Kerouac himself) decides that he must live life before he can write about it. Paradise takes the train out of New York and begins a journey that expresses the restless energy and passion for freedom that so often takes the young out into the world.

King, Stephen The Green Mile F

John Coffey is a black man with the mind of a child. Arrested and sent to a southern prison’s death row for the murder of two young girls. Coffey’s unique ability to absorb evil saves the life of a prison guard, a mouse, and a woman suffering from cancer. Wonderful story of the way people manage to find dignity in difficult places, the novel was originally published as a serial novel which makes it easy to read in segments. The book also lacks King’s characteristic gore and blood

Lawrence, J. and Robert E. Lee Inherit the Wind F

Set in Dayton, Tennessee, during the Scopes trial, this play recreates the first great “Trial of the Century.” With a controversial topic, the presence of the two greatest American lawyers of the time--Clarence Darrow and William Jennings Bryant--put on trial the theory of evolution and the idea of personal freedom. The book is a classic struggle between religion and progress, between tradition and change.

Lee, Marie G. Necessary Roughness F

Chan and his sister move from Los Angles to a small Minnesota town with their parents who immigrated from Korea when the twins were small. They are the only Asians in town, and the parents old world Korean ways cause Chan to find refuge on the football field. Both teens face and overcome bigotry, but when his sister is killed in a car accident, Chan must grieve and move on with his life.

McCullers, Carson The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter F

Written when McCullers was only twenty-three, this novel centers around John Singer, a deaf-mute who becomes the friend of various misfits in his small rural town in 1930’s Georgia. Singer eventually moves into the household of the Kelly family where young Mick Kelly finds comfort in her music. The book is a wonderful study of spiritual isolation combined with a haunting story.

Malamud, Bernard The Natural F

Roy Hobbs is a natural at baseball whose career is sidetracked when he is attacked by a crazed woman trying to kill him. Roy does not play pro ball again until he is in his 30’s when he signs a contract with the NY Knights, and he takes the team from losers to winners.

Miller, Arthur Death of a Salesman F

This play has frequently been called the “great American play.” Willie Loman is a traveling salesman who “rides on a smile and a shoeshine.” Fired from his job and disillusioned by his family, realizes that his dreams can never be real. Unable to accept the failures of his life, he commits suicide.

Mitchell, Margaret Gone With the Wind F

Miss Scarlett O’Hara is the reigning belle of Clayton County, Georgia at the beginning of the War Between the States. The classic novel traces Scarlett’s love for Ashley Wilkes, her attraction to Rhett Butler, her desire to keep Tara, her family home, free of the Yankees. Wonderful story of a woman who does what has to be done in order to survive.

O’Connor Flannery Collected Works F

As a graduate of the University of Iowa’s journalism and writing program, O’Connor used her short stories as her Master’s thesis. Suffering from lupus, O’Connor produced short stories, letters, novels, and other works, most of which reflect her Southern roots and the Southern acceptance of eccentric characters. Students should especially read “A Good Man is Hard to Find,” and “Everything That Rises Must Converge.”

Plath, Sylvia The Bell Jar F

An autobiographical novel about a young woman--brilliant, beautiful, and successful--who is slowly breaking down. The book resonates since Plath herself committed suicide. Working as a junior editor of the magazine in New York in the early 1950’s, Plath writes passionately about her work, her life, and the factors which lead to her death.

Rowan, Carl Breaking Barriers NF

This autobiography traces Rowan’s life from his poor days in McMinnville, Tennessee, through college and work as one of the first black officers in the U. S. Navy. Rowan also works in Finland for the Kennedy Administration, and when he leaves government work, Rowan becomes one of America‘s premier columnists.

Salinger, J. D. Catcher in the Rye F

In one of the most controversial novels of American literature, young Houlden Caulfield escapes his elite private school to spend three days and nights in New York City. Seventeen year old Houlden cannot stand phony people, phony ideals, and all the phony things in his world. A wonderful story of a young man who finds and cherishes his own set of values.

Sparks, Nicholas A Walk to Remember F

Set in the late 1950’s, this book tells the story of Landon Carter, a shallow young man who wastes his time and who just wants to be with his friends. After acting with Jamie Sullivan, the school “do-gooder” in the Christmas play, Landon finds himself falling in love. Jamie, however, hides a secret that could tear them apart, and that will require that Landon finally accept adult responsibility.

Steinbeck, John Of Mice and Men F

This excellent short novel tells the story of Lenny and George , wanderers who seek a better life in rural California during the Depression. George watches and cares for the slower, mentally challenged Lenny and he tells him stories of the wonderful farm that the two men will someday own. Finding work on a prosperous farm, things are fine until Lenny is accused of rape, and George must find a way to save both of them.

Tan, Amy Joy Luck Club F

Secrets within secrets, lies within lies--this novel tells the stories of four young Chinese women who must leave their homes because of war, famine, and family conflict. Their stories are twined around the stories of their daughters who fight fiercely to be American. When one of the “aunts” dies, her daughter takes her place at the Maj Jong table only to discover that she has two sisters still living in Communist China. The book is a wonderful story of strong women and the sometimes loving, sometimes stormy relationship between mothers and daughters.

Thoreau, Henry D. Walden F

Leaving behind the trappings of “civilized” life, Thoreau built a cabin and lived for a year on the edge of Walden Pond. In this memoir, he explores the joy of a simple life, well lived. Thoreau’s essays and musings have delighted generations of people who search for simplicity and truth in modern life.

Twain, Mark Adventures of Huckleberry Finn F

Huck Finn remains the essential American hero--scamp, rogue, and a young man with his own set of principles. The novel follows the escape of Huck and a black slave named Jim from Hannibal, Missouri. As the two have adventures on their journey down the Mississippi, Huck finds his values challenged, and he learns the true value of a human life.

Twain, Mark Adventures of Tom Sawyer F

Twain’s other novel contains a lighter, most relaxed view of the world. Tom is a scalawag--like his best friend Huck--and the two boys drive every adult in Hannibal crazy with their antics. Things turn serious when the boys witness something they should not have seen, and they have to run away to live on the river.

Vonnegut, Kurt Slaughterhouse 5 F

Vonnegut’s semi autobiographical novel centers around the firebombing of the German city of Dresden during World War II. The novel’s hero Billy Pilgrim becomes an time traveler who finally finds peace in a future world composed of moments that are “nice.” Kidnapped after the fire bombing of Dresden in World War II, Billy and the aliens from the planet Tralfamadore “fashion the author’s experiences in the Second World War into a plea against butchery in the service of authority.”

Welty, Eudora The Collected Stories F

Southern writer Welty provides a South filled with eccentrics, rebels, and the unusual people that compose the region. This collection of stories shows her range, her love of the South, and her joy in people who live life on their own terms. Highly recommend are the short stories “Why I Live at the P.O.” and “The Worn Path.” which allow the reader to enjoy complex characters whose lives are both humorous and dramatic.

Williams, Tennessee The Glass Menagerie Drama

The mother in this play is a vain, aging beauty, Amanda Wingfield, who finds her daughter’s lack of suitors an insult to her. Laura would rather listen to music and play with her glass animals than attend secretarial school or date. Amanda nags her son to bring home the Gentleman Caller who woo her daughter, but the girl, shy and crippled, withdraws into her world of glass animals.

Williams, Tennessee Streetcar Named Desire Drama

When Stella DuBois moves into the New Orleans apartment of her sister and brother-in law, she upsets the delicate balance in their marriage. Herself an angry, aging beauty, Stella seeks only her own gratification, and Stanley Kalwalski becomes her instrument of revenge. Williams’ play also points out economic differences and the often hidden drama in human relationships.

TWELTH GRADE

Adams, Douglass Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy F

What’s a man to do when aliens blow up the Earth to make way for a new bypass? The answer is simple--go journey around the universe to find another home. Arthur and his friend Ford (himself an alien) rove around the galaxy meeting species, planets, and characters straight from Monty Python. Adams’s romp of a novel is funny and satirical too.

Atwood, Margaret The Handmaid’s Tale F

In this futuristic novel, the United States has become the Republic of Gilead whose churches have become restricted to only one faith. Women are strictly controlled, unable to acquire jobs or money, and assigned to classes. Handmaids are fertile women whose job requires them to bear children who are given to “morally fit” Wives. Offred, the story’s narrator, must become the legal mistress of a man she despises or face death and/or exile.

Austen, Jane Pride and Prejudice F

Miss Elizabeth Bennett is the second daughter in a family of five girls. Their pleasant life changes when two young rich men move into their quiet rural neighborhood, and Mrs. Bennett begins to plan weddings. Although attracted to the wealthy Mr. Darcy, Elizabeth finds him prideful and callous, and her anger continues until he becomes the man who saves her family from social and financial ruin.

Austen, Jane Sense and Sensibility F

When Elinor Dashwood’s father dies suddenly, she, her mother, and two younger sisters find themselves cast out their family home by her brother and his social climbing wife. Living in rural Dorset, Elinor and Marianne must adjust to their new life and to the two men whom they come to love. Returning to London for a brief visit, the two discover that they have been betrayed by love, but when Marianne nearly dies, Elinor and she both find comfort, and yes, love, all around them.

Bronte, Charlotte, Jane Eyre F

Raised in an orphanage, Jane leaves to become a governess to the daughter of the mysterious Mr. Rochester with whom she falls in love. Her plans for a serene future are destroyed when her love’s secrets--and the mad woman in the tower room--burn along with the Rochester estate. Jane is an intelligent, passionate, and not especially attractive young woman who has the courage to shape her own destiny.

Bronte, Emily Wuthering Heights F

In this novel of English romanticism, Bronte creates a tortured young couple in Heathcliff and Catherine who are torn apart by social status and time. Embittered by his separation from the often callous Catherine, Heathcliff destroys his beloved, her family, and ultimately himself. The moors of Yorkshire form a wonderful backdrop to this tale of love and revenge.

Burgess, Anthony A Clockwork Orange F

This novel is a violent, often brutal, story of a young man whose love for Beethoven lurks behind the face of a monster who can stomp a man to death after he has raped the man’s wife. Alex and his “droggie mates” are captured and reconditioned. When Alex is released back into his unchanged society, he can no longer cope. The book is an excellent read, but Burgess invents a “future speak” language that is often difficult to decode. The book is also extremely violent and sexually explicit.

Christie, Agatha And Then There Were None F

The great lady of British fiction creates a masterpiece in this revenge story. Ten people are invited to a lonely island off the southwestern coast of Britain. Once on the island, however, their plans for relaxation are destroyed as someone begins to murder them one by one. Since no one is on the island but the ten guests, who is the murderer?

Dickens, Charles David Copperfield F

Sent to boarding school after his mother remarries, David is gradually separated from his mother’s love by his stepfather. David makes friends at school, works in a bottling warehouse, and meets some of Dickens’ most famous characters: Uriah Heep, Mr. Micawaber, and of course David himself. This novel is Dickens at his best.

Dickens, Charles A Tale of Two Cities F

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times…” Almost everyone can quote the opening lines of this great novel. Sydney Caron is a rouge, a wastrel, and indifferent to the sufferings going on in France during the French Revolution. Despite the danger, he goes to Paris to rescue the husband of the woman he loves by substituting himself on the chopping block.

DuMaurier, Daphne Rebecca F

Rebecca is the first wife of the widowed Max de Winter. When Max escapes to the French Riveria after Rebecca’s death, he meets and marries a young, shy English girl. After the couple returns to Manderling, Max’s ancestral home in Cornwall, the young wife finds that Rebecca was murdered, and that Max remains the major suspect. Then, strange accidents begin to happen to the new lady of the manor.

Godden, Rumer Peacock Spring F

Young Uma and her sister Hal attend an exclusive girls’ school where Uma studies advanced mathematics. Their father serves as a diplomat in India, and their mother lives in America with her new husband. Without warning the girls are pulled out of school and moved to India to live with their dad. They discover that their father has moved them home in order to hide an affair with a young Indian woman. In revenge Uma, angry and betrayed, falls in love with Ravi, the gardener who is also wanted by the Indian police and their elopement tears the scab off several old wounds.

Graves, Robert I, Claudius F

Graves’s fictional account of the rise to power of Claudius combines modern day soap opera ( no one did it better than the ancient Romans) with superb historical background. Claudius, born with a bad leg and a lisp, survives the Rome of Tiberius and Caligula to rule the largest empire in the ancient world. He can’t however, manage to rule his own family, and the betrayals, the double lives, the power brokers seem more a part of the Sopranos than history.

Guevara, Ernesto “Che” The Motorcycle Diaries NF

As a 23 year old medical student, famed revolutionary Che Guevara and a friend took a trip by motorcycle across most of South America. While the two young men enjoy fights, parties, and serious drinking, they also break away from their life of money and privilege. A record of Che Guevara’s thoughts during this time as he is exposed to the poverty and helplessness of the majority of the men and women of South America, the book contains the anger and the prejudice of the time. It is interesting, however, to watch Che change from a smug young man into the soldier of the Revolution.

Hardy, Thomas Tess of the D’Urbervilles F

Set in England, the book’s main character is the lovely Tess, daughter of a cottager with pretensions to nobility; Tess goes to work for her wealthy relations only to be assaulted by Alec D’Urberville. Later she falls in love with a young farmer and marries him only to be rejected when she tells him the truth about Alec. Tess is then torn between an honorable life and the reality of surviving in a world where “used” women are rejected. The book covers most of Tess’s life and is a beautiful novel of passion and reality.

Heller, Joseph Catch-22 F

Long recognized as a classic work of satire on war, Catch-22 is set during World War II, but it became a famous book of the ‘60’s counterculture. Yossarian, a bombardier stationed in Europe, realizes that he has become surrounded by the military complex. He realizes that he will never go home, and he can never escape from his job. The book’s humor comes from the circular logic and insane orders issued by the higher ranks in the army. Although the book can occasionally be difficult to read, the characters and the story line make the struggle worthwhile.

Kafka, Franz The Metamorphosis F

What do you do when one morning you wake as a cockroach? In this Absurdist novel, Gregor suffers from just such an affliction. The sole support of his family after his father’s business fails, Gregor finds no love or comfort from anyone except his sister. As the day passes, he watches the family go about their business, but his death causes them only minor pain and trouble.

LeCarre, John The Spy Who Came in From the Cold F

Often called “the finest spy story ever written,” The Spy Whom Came in From the Cold centers around Alec Leamas , a British agent in early Cold War Berlin. When his agents begin to die, Alec goes undercover as a disgraced British officer. Sent deep into Communist East Germany, Alec must find the bad-guy spies while surviving in a gray no-man’s land of lies and deception.

Lewis, C. S. The Screwtape Letters F

Young Screwtape must capture a human soul for his uncle “The Devil.” Time and time again the Christian manages to escape the toils of this inexperienced tempter. The book is a series of letters from the Devil to Screwtape describing the best ways to entangle a human into sin. Warm, funny and insightful, the book uses a reverse theology which gives readers a look at how and why people are tempted.

Markham, Beryl West With the Night NF

A British native, Markham and her family moved to Africa when she was two. A famed pilot, Markham was raised on her father’s farm, and she evokes the light, the mood, the richness of the continent she loves so much. As the first woman in Africa to have a pilot’s license, she worked as a free lance pilot in Kenya, and became the first person to fly solo non-stop across the Atlantic Ocean East-to West (the book’s tile).

A rich, powerful, story, but it does deal with the racism of its time.

McCullough, Colleen Thornbirds F

Maggie Cleary and her family move from their home in New Zealand to Australia so that her father can manage the cattle station of a wealthy relative. Maggie comes to love the harsh acrid land that surrounds the station’s houses and barns, and she also comes to love Father Ralph, a handsome and mysterious priest who lives near the ranch. The book centers around the love story between Maggie and Ralph while painting a wonderful, vivid picture of the Australian Outback.

Orwell, George 1984 F

Orwell creates a grim, terrifying country where Big Brother watches you and the Thought Police almost read your mind. London is now part of Oceania, a nation eternally at war with either Eurasia or Eastasia. Winston Smith works at the Ministry of Truth changing records to show that the current war has always been the same. Smith is a dangerous man since his mind and memory still function, and he becomes part of a group that tries to end this destructive cycle.

Shute, Nevil A Town Like Alice F

Trapped by the Japanese in Singapore during the Second World War, Jane, along with other British women and their children, are forced to march up and down the Malay Peninsula while their captors find a camp for them. Since Jane speaks Malay, she becomes the leader of the band of women. Death and sickness take their toll on the group until two young Australian POW’s try to help. When Joe is crucified by the Japanese for helping the women, Jane believes he is dead until she returns to Malaysia after the war. Based on true events, this novel shows that love and life flourish in the most unlikely places.

Sparks, Nicholas The Notebook F

In 1932, two North Carolina teenagers from opposite sides of the tracks fall in love. After a brief summer together, the two do not meet until 14 years later when Noah returns to New Bern, North Carolina, and Allie rushes to visit him three weeks before her wedding to another man. The story also includes the older Noah who lives in a nursing home and reads poetry to the residents. But down the hall resides a special lady.

Stein, J. (adaptor) Fiddler on the Roof Drama

Based on the stories of Russian author Sholom Aleichem, Fiddler tells the story of a humble milkman Tevye, his wife, and his daughters during the time of the Russian persecution of the Jews. As Tevye and his wife try to find suitable husbands for their daughters, their small village echoes with wonderful, characters from the local butcher to the Matchmaker. Be sure to watch the film after reading the book.

Tey, Josephine Daughter of Time F

Inspector Alan Grant of Scotland Yard, while confined to a hospital bed, becomes fascinated by a portrait of King Richard III--the same Richard who was accused of murdering his young nephews. Grant finds it difficult to believe that the man in the picture could have committed such a horrible crime. With a young American researcher’s help, Grant dives into history to discover who really did murder the young princes.

White, T. H. Once and Future King F

One of the best and most original books about King Arthur and the court at Camelot, this is book is made up of four smaller novels including The Sword and the Stone. White retells the Arthurian legend from the boy’s birth to the King’s last battle. While the first part of the book is more humorous, the last chapters contain more serious issues: loyalty, bravery, moral courage. The book is a joy and delight to anyone who loves King Arthur, although the ending is dark.

Woolfe, Virginia Mrs. Dalloway F

As Mrs. Dalloway prepares for a party she is giving in the evening, a series of events shake her composure. Her husband is invited to lunch without her, and an old friend Peter Walsh arrives to visit. Mrs. Dalloway revisits her youth where she marries a wealthy politician rather than the man she loves. Woolfe’s stream of consciousness style may make the book difficult to read.

Woolfe, Virginia To The Lighthouse F

This beautiful, somber story takes place in three parts. Part I concerns a large family on summer vacation before World War I begins. Part II tells what happens to them, and to England, during the war. Part III reunites the remaining characters at the same lighthouse vacation spot the family visited in Part I. The book is a story about everyday life, about the tragedy of time passing and about ordinary people who live that life.