Summer Reading List – 2009
This year we are trying something a little different. We asked teachers to submit favorite books that they feel students will enjoy. Here are some of their responses:
Alexie, Sherman. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian. 2007.
Arnold Spirit was born with more than one strike against him. He has water on his brain, is small, his parents are alcoholics, he lives on the reservation and to top it all off, he is smart. This is an amazingly well written book about the curves life throws, the pain of growing up, and how not all is like it seems.
Recommended by Jan Muller, “This book speaks to every teenage boy who feels like he belongs somewhere other than within his family on the reservation. Although the main character loves his extended family he is aware that his future lies elsewhere.”
Alexie Sherman. Flight. 2007.
“Zits”, the son of an Irish mother and a Native American father gets himself kicked out of yet another foster home, tossed into juvie, then living on the streets where he meets another kid named “Justice”. Justice convinces him to shoot people in a bank and upon being shot himself, Zits finds himself in a time-travel journey where he inhabits bodies of people who are part of his Native American/Irish history. Each “visit” changes his perspective in some way. Alexie makes you laugh and cry in this gutsy story of self-realization.
Recommended by Cynthia Posada, “This book is so super awesome, you’ll wonder how you ever lived your life without it. I must caution that there is lots of strong language & some violence; however, none of it is gratuitous. With his use of graphic detail & coarse language Mr. Alexie successfully interconnects reality & fantasy. Additionally, the author does a very good job of showing that there is more than one way to look at every situation and, given that, even history is fallible.”
Coelho, Paulo. The Alchemist. 1988.
This parable follows the life of a man who decides to be a shepherd because he loves to travel, but decides to take a different path to his life's treasure and learns what life beholds.
Flesher's Take: This book was actually recommended by Barbara Keirstead and I slipped it in after the reading list was done. It is a great book to read before going off on a new adventure - like going to college. Coelho has other books as well, and more reading on his website: http://www.paulocoelho.com/engl/
Gibran, Kahlil. The Prophet. 1923.
The Prophet contains 26 essays concerning different aspects of life such as love, work, friendship and more. Read this book slowly, an essay at a time then reflect on what you have read. Think about how you agree, disagree, or could incorporate some of Kahlil’s ideas into your life.
Recommended by Barbara Lambert, “My brother gave me the book when I graduated from high school. It brought such a sense of new spirituality and beginnings to my life that it still sits on my bookshelf 30 years later.”
Hosseini, Khaled. A Thousand Splendid Suns. 2007.
Walk in the shoes of two Afghan women, Miriam and then Laila as their lives intersect and they live with the daily punishment inherent to living as women in Afghanistan during the last 30 years. While death, arranged marriage, and starvation play a meaningful role in this story; so does recognizing the beauty and hope that keep people moving forward in even the hardest of times.
Recommended by Susan Rourke, “The book is beautiful, disturbing, and ultimately redemptive.”
Kingsolver, Barbara. Poisonwood Bible: A Novel. 1998.
A minister takes his wife and 4 daughters to the Belgian Congo in 1958. They carry into Africa seeds, clothing, hammers and all they feel that they need, but over time they discover that the jungles of Africa cannot be bent to man's will and find that Africa impacts them more than they impact Africa.
Recommended by Lisa Yates, “If I ever completely lose my mind, this is a book I would want to read again from start to finish.”
McCarthy, Cormac. The Road. 2006.
In a post-apocalyptic world reduced to ash, corpses, and cold; a boy and his father survive starvation, illness, injury, and bad people as they travel together to find the ocean. This is a story of survival at its most basic level, and the only beauty left is that connection between father and son.
Recommended by Nathan Mazerolle, “As my students know all-too-well, I am a big fan of social commentary in literature – this is a great example. It may be bleak, but it ends with a glimmer of hope…”
Obama, Barack. Dreams from my Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance. 2004.
Obama shares his experiences growing up bi-racial and his search for a place in black America.
Recommended by Flesher, “I found it enlightening to walk a few miles in Obama’s shoes and experience his life as a boy and young man.”
Picoult, Jodi. Nineteen Minutes: A Novel. 2007.
A compelling story of a school shooting in a small New Hampshire town that forever changes the lives of the people who live there. One of the main witnesses is the daughter of the judge who presides over the trial , who tries to remain unbiased even though she is acquainted with the shooter.
Recommended by Kim Carrozza, “I think all students should read it.”
Temple-Raston, Dina. The Jihad Next Door: The Lackawanna Six and Rough Justice in the Age of Terror. 2007.
How has justice changed in the United States post September 11th? NPR’s FBI correspondant Temple-Raston shares the story of the Lackawanna Six and other people who have been arrested or detained for various “crimes” and the “justice” that has been served.
Recommended by Bob Torpey, “It was interesting to see how a group of American-born Muslim youths were temporarily swayed by radical Islamic teachings. It was equally interesting to see how a post-9/11 American government handled the aftermath.”
Wroblewski, David. The Story of Edgar Sawtelle. 2008
Edgar Sawtelle, born mute but not deaf, was raised on a companion dog farm in the midst of his family and protected by his dog Almondine. His Uncle Claude resurfaces after an absence shortly before Edgar's father dies and Edgar determines that Claude has something to do with his father's death. This book has a little of everything - animals, ghosts, family, survival, mystery.
Recommended by Simonne Perry, “This is a great novel about joy, fear, and risk taking. It’s about growing up and forming your own ideas. I loved it.”
New Hampshire Teen Reader books are nominated by teens to be considered for NH’s Flume award. These are the selections for the 2009/2010 school year:
Asher, Jay. Thirteen Reasons Why. 2007.
High school student Clay Jenkins receives a box in the mail containing seven cassette tapes recorded by his crush, Hannah Baker, who committed suicide, and spends a bewildering and heartbreaking night crisscrossing their town, listening to Hannah's voice recounting the events leading up to her death.
Flesher's Take: It is amazing to read this story that shows how the decisions that we make today can make such an impact on another person's life.
Recommended by Ms. Shea, “All students should read this book about how a seemingly harmless prank snowballed …”
Cashore, Kristin. Graceling. 2008.
In a world where some people are born with extreme and often-feared skills called Graces, Katsa struggles for redemption from her own horrifying Grace of killing and teams up with another young fighter to save their land from a corrupt king.
Flesher's Take: OK people, I tend to dislike fantasy - but this one is pretty good. It is the story of good vs. evil, of romance, and of overcoming diversity. Throw in some adventure and a survival tale and there you have it.
Collins, Suzanne. Hunger Games. 2008.
Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen accidentally becomes a contender in the annual Hunger Games, a grave competition hosted by the Capitol where young boys and girls are pitted against one another in a televised fight to the death.
Flesher's Take: Romance, violence, relationships, family, survival... this story has it all.
Crutcher, Chris. Deadline. 2007.
Given the medical diagnosis of one year to live, high school senior Ben Wolf decides to fulfill his greatest fantasies, ponders his life's purpose and legacy, and converses through dreams with a spiritual guide known as "Hey-Soos." ">
Flesher's Take: If you had one year of life left, how would you live it? This story shares one guys process of dealing with impending death by living life to the fullest and not sharing with anyone that he is going to die AND the consequences of those choices. This book could be a real downer, but it isn't - rather it offers food for thought.
Doctorow, Cory. Little Brother. 2008.
Interrogated for days by the Department of Homeland Security in the aftermath of a major terrorist attack on San Francisco, California, 17-year-old Marcus is released into what is now a police state, and decides to use his expertise in computer hacking to set things right.
Flesher's Take: This book makes you think about issues such as privacy and when is it OK to invade someone's privacy to keep them safe. There is a lot here about many aspects of security and you will never send an email, drive through a tollboth, or walk through the mall the same again.
Dogar, Sharon. Waves. 2007.
While on summer vacation with his family in Brackinton, fifteen-year-old Hal begins to hear thoughts his sister is having, even though she is in a comatose state in a hospital back home, and discovers the truth behind the accident that put her there.
Flesher's Take: Weird
Ferguson, Alane. The Christopher Killer: A Forensic Mystery. 2006.
On the payroll as an assistant to her coroner father, seventeen-year-old Cameryn Mahoney uses her knowledge of forensic medicine to catch the killer of a friend while putting herself in terrible danger.
Flesher's Take: Ummmmmmmmmmmm!!!
Hopkins, Ellen. Identical. 2008.
Sixteen-year-old identical twin daughters of a district court judge and a candidate for the United States House of Representatives, Kaeleigh and Raeanne Gardella desperately struggle with secrets that have already torn them and their family apart. Check out her website: www.ellenhopkins.com
Flesher's Take: This novel shares how sexual abuse can fracture an individual and a family. Hopkin's writing is amazing, it is all done in prose, but the content is extremely sad.
McCormick, Patricia. Sold. 2006.
A novel in vignettes, in which Lakshmi, a thirteen-year-old girl from Nepal, is sold into prostitution in India.
Flesher's Take: In an author's note at the back of the book McCormick shares that 12,000 girls are sold from Nepal into a life of sexual slavery each year. This is the terrible story of one such girl - I can't even imagine!
Patterson, James. The Dangerous Days of Daniel X. 2008.
Fifteen-year-old Daniel has followed in his parents' footsteps as the Alien Hunter, exterminating beings on The List of Alien Outlaws on Terra Firma, but when he faces his first of the top ten outlaws, the very existence of Earth and another planet are at stake.
Flesher's Take: If you like alien hunters and have ADHD, this is the book for you. Check out this fast read with tiny chapters and enjoy a rollicking fun time in which a quick brain triumphs over brawns. When you finish this book, there are two more in The Daniel X series.
Pausch, Randy. The Last Lecture. 2008.
Computer science professor Randy Pausch, who has been diagnosed with terminal cancer, discusses how to overcome obstacles in one's life and achieve one's dreams.
Flesher's Take: If you don't have time to read any other book this summer, pick this one. Pausch offers short stories from his life to illustrate life lessons about a variety of topics from being a great family member, to how to be a good learner or teacher. The stories are enjoyable and short enough to read in a few moments.
Schroeder, Lisa. I Heart You, You Haunt Me. 2008.
A verse novel in which fifteen-year-old Ava, feeling guilty over the role she believes she played in her boyfriend Jackson's death, experiences a whole new range of emotions when she realizes he is back from the dead.
Flesher's Take: This quick read really shares the loss we feel when we loose a loved one and lets up know we need to reach out to friends for support.
Shreve, Anita. Testimony. 2008.
Mike Bordwin, the headmaster of a prestigious New England boarding school, struggles to contain a sex scandal that threatens to destroy the school, but as the story gets out, countless lives are forever transformed by the events of one night.
Flesher's Take: Drama, drama, and more drama. This is like a Lifetime movie and many of you know how I feel about those. Anyway, this is an example of how one event can spiral out of control and hurt many. Arghhhhhhh!
Vaughan, Brian. Pride of Baghdad. 2006.
A pride of lions escapes from the Baghdad Zoo during the Iraq War and question the meaning of freedom. Presented as a graphic novel.
Flesher's Take: This is a graphic representation of a story that actually happened in Baghdad from the point of view of the lions. This happened in 2003. This is beautifully illustrated and while graphic novels aren't my favorite - this was an enjoyable read - although with another unhappy ending.
Note: All annotations for NH Teen Reader books taken from Follett’s Titlewave listings