Portsmouth Christian Academy at Dover Upper School Recommended Summer Reading June 2013

Home , Burning (short story), Dandelion Crater, Guy Montag

Portsmouth Christian Academy’s Upper School library recommends the following books for your summer reading enjoyment and to keep your reading skills sharp for the coming year!

You’ll find various genres represented here: current popular titles and classic works, fiction and nonfiction, Christian and secular titles: in other words, something for every reading interest, so enjoy! Note: Different books are appropriate for and appeal to different ages, reading levels, personalities, interests, beliefs and lifestyles. As always, please use both your own discretion and your parents’ guidance in choosing what to read.

NOTE: In this year’s reading list, articles on dystopian fiction and on the author Ray Bradbury are followed by the general reading list.

Dystopian Fiction: I want a book like The Hunger Games!

Suggestions: Card, Orson Scott. Ender’s Game and Ender in Exile. Cashore, Kristen. Graceling and Bitterblue. Condie, Ally. Matched, Crossed, Reached. Dashner, James. The Maze Runner, The Scorch Trials, Death Cure, The Kill Order. Lowry, Lois. The Giver, Gathering Blue, Messenger, Son. Lu, Marie. Legend, Prodigy. Roth, Veronica. Divergent, Insurgent.

Suzanne Collins’ runaway bestseller trilogy The Hunger Games was a product of the author’s love for military history and also her fascination with the gladiators of ancient Rome. The admittedly horrifying idea of children being forced to fight to the death, or otherwise manipulated in a dystopian society, finds echoes in other books published before and since, such as Ender’s Game and Ender in Exile by Orson Scott Card. Katsa, the heroine of Kristen Cashore’s Graceling, is at least as tough and as conflicted as Katniss (the sequel, Bitterblue, was just released) .

In the same vein, James Dashner’s The Maze Runner series begins when Thomas wakes to find himself in an elevator, recalling nothing but his name. The elevator opens to a strange world of teenage boys who have learned to survive in “the glade,” an enclosed space surrounded by a dangerous and ever-changing maze. They have begin to give up hope – until Thomas and then a comatose girl arrives, bringing with her a strange note. The series continues with The Scorch Trials, Death Cure and the prequel, The Kill Order.

Veronica Roth’s Divergent and its sequel Insurgent clearly appeal to Hunger Games fans. Set in a bleak future Chicago, society has recovered from a devastating conflict by dividing into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue: Candor (honesty); Abnegation (selflessness); Dauntless (bravery); Amity (peace-loving); and Erudite (wisdom and knowledge). All sixteen-year-olds must choose the faction in which they will spend the rest of their lives. The main character, Beatrice, raised in Abnegation, makes a surprising choice. At the initiation that follows, Beatrice, now called Tris, struggles to make it past extreme physical and psychological endurance tests. If that’s not enough, she must also sort out friends from enemies, figure out what to do about her feelings for a certain off-limits boy – AND hide a deadly secret. All this and more awaits the reader as Tris also becomes aware of a growing conflict in this ‘perfect’ society – and finds out that her secret can either save or destroy her and those she loves. Allegiant, the third book in the trilogy, is due out this fall!

Another great choice for lovers of dystopian fiction is the Matched trilogy, by Ally Condie (Matched, Crossed, Reached). For Cassia, everything is planned for her –what she eats, the work she will do, the man she will marry. In Matched, the Society Officials make all these decisions for individuals, completely removing the “burden” of choice. When Cassia’s best friend Xander is identified as her ideal Match, it confirms her belief that Society indeed knows best, until she plugs in her Match microchip and a different boy’s face flashes across the screen – Ky. This improbable error exposes cracks in her supposedly perfect Society, and the series continues through Cassia’s collision course with the unthinkable – rebellion against the predetermined life Society has planned for her.

In Marie Lu’s Legend, the former western United States is now the Republic, a nation perpetually at war with its neighbors. Fifteen-year-old June, born into an elite and wealthy family, is a superachiever headed for sure success in the Republic's military.

Born into the slums, fifteen-year-old Day is the country's most wanted criminal, but his motives may not be as criminal as they seem. June and Day have no reason to meet - until the day June's brother, Metias, is murdered and Day is the prime suspect. Caught in a game of cat and mouse, Day is in a race for survival, while June seeks to avenge Metias's death. The two uncover the

2 truth of what has really brought them together, and the extent to which their country will go to keep its secrets. Full of nonstop action and suspense (beware: a fair bit of violence) and surprise surprise,, an improbable but budding romance. The action continues with the sequel, Prodigy, and soon, Champion.

Many of these works find echoes in George Orwell’s 1984, and Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World. Also, see the description of Kazuo Ishiguro’s book Never Let Me Go. So there are plenty of possibilities for lovers of dystopian fiction!

FOCUS ON: RAY BRADBURY

Ray Bradbury died June 5, 2012. Over his lifetime, he wrote more than 30 books and around 600 short stories, plus numerous poems, essays, plays and screenplays. He received honor upon honor, including having a crater of the moon named for one of his books (that would be Dandelion Crater, for Dandelion Wine.) He wrote mystery, fantasy, creepy/horror and what we now called ‘dystopian’ fiction, but resisted the label of ‘sci-fi writer.’ He influenced hundreds of writers. This summer, celebrate the life of this amazing author by reading some of his work! Among them…

The Martian Chronicles. These connected stories describe man’s attempt to explore and settle Mars during the 21st century. Considering that’s here and now, it makes for interesting reading.

Something Wicked This Way Comes. Two best friends learn that of all the terrors in the Cooger & Dark’s Pandemonium Shadow Show, the greatest threat exists within themselves.

Fahrenheit 451. It is a time when books are banished and the written word is forbidden. Fireman Guy Montag loves his job, which is to burn any books that are discovered along with the houses where they are found. When he meets a young girl who tells him of a time when the written word was legal, Montag begins to rescue books rather than burn them …and then must run for his life.

Or contrast the semi-autobiographical coming-of-age story Dandelion Wine with the out- and-out creepiness of The October Country, and you get some idea of the depth and breadth of Bradbury’s work. Enjoy!

OTHER GREAT BOOKS (All Genres)

Achebe, Chinua. Things Fall Apart. Set in the Igbo community of Umuofia in eastern Nigeria in the late 1800s and early 1900s, as the British Empire is expanding into Nigeria, Things Fall Apart is the tragic story of both the protagonist, Okonkwo, and the Igbo culture itself. Curriculum Connection – World History, World Literature.

Anderson, Laurie Halse. Wintergirls. Laurie Halse Anderson is a popular teen author who never shies away from a tough topic. Wintergirls is about more than anorexia; it’s about the complex, competitive relationship between Lia and her friend Cassie, her parents, and her own guilt over lost opportunities and over not being the girl others want her to be. In the end, it’s about self-acceptance and conquering her own demons. Like most of her books, it’s tough, painful, and, for many teens, all too real.

Applegate, Katherine. The One and Only Ivan. 2013 Newbery Award winner. While this is not written for a high school audience, it’s still a very sweet feel-good read! It’s based on the true story of Ivan the Shopping Mall gorilla. If it seems strange to read a point written from the point of view of a gorilla, it won’t after you read it. This is a heart-tugging, heart-warming novel of courage and friendship. Indulge your inner kid for a few minutes, and read it.

Asimov, Isaac. Foundation. A classic science fiction trilogy! For twelve thousand years, the Galactic Empire has ruled in peace, but it is now dying. Hari Seldon, creator of the science of psychohistory, can see the Dark Age that will follow, lasting 30,000 years. To preserve knowledge and save mankind, Seldon gathers the best scientific and scholarly minds in the Empire and brings them to a bleak planet at the edge of the Galaxy – a sanctuary he calls the Foundation. But soon the Foundation finds itself at the mercy of corrupt warlords and must choose between living as slaves to the barbarians – or defying them and risking total destruction.

Austen, Jane. Sense and Sensibility. If you’re a Pride and Prejudice fan, you’ll love the story of how sensible Elinor and passionate Marianne navigate the ups and downs of love. Curriculum Connection – AP Literature, British Literature.

Batson, Wayne. The Door Within series. Down in the basement of his grandfather’s house, Aidan Thomas discovers three ancient scrolls and an invitation to another world, where he encounters knights, warriors, kings, and mysterious Glimpses who can travel between two worlds. Aidan joins them in the struggle between good and evil, but it means risking everything and trusting the unseen hand of the one true King.

Billerbeck, Kristin. Billerbeck writes light, fun Christian romance novels about young career women and their jobs, love lives, bad hair days and horrible fashion sense. Enjoy A Billion Reasons Why, She’s Out of Control, Perfectly Ridiculous (new), and many others.

Bronte, Charlotte. Jane Eyre. Starts off rather slowly, with Jane’s unhappy childhood, and then picks up steam! Jane Eyre is full of drama (ok, make that melodrama) including creepy houses, fires, storms, murders, romance and insanity. It’s also about Jane’s stubborn independent streak, definitely a problem for a 19th century Englishwoman. Curriculum Connection – British Literature. If you enjoy Charlotte Bronte’s classic, check out her sister Emily’s famous work Wuthering Heights.

Card, Orson Scott. Ender’s Game. Hugo and Nebula Award-winning science fiction! Aliens have attacked earth twice and have almost destroyed humanity. To make sure humans win the next encounter, the world government is training children to be military geniuses. At Battle School, Ender is a genius among geniuses. He is smart enough to know time is running out – but is he smart enough to save the planet? And is battle training robbing the children of the very thing they are trying to save – their humanity? Direct sequel: Ender in Exile.

Carlson, Melody. Carlson is one of the Christian publishing world’s most popular writers for teens, with several series, including I Heart Bloomberg, Carter House Girls, Chloe, Caitlin, Maya and Color Me series, and many stand-alone novels such as A Mile in My Flip-flops, Anything but Normal, and Finding Alice.

Cather, Willa. Death Comes for the Archbishop. An American classic, this fictional story is based on the life of Bishop Lamy of Santa Fe. In Cather’s novel, it is 1851, and Bishop Latour and his friend Father Valliant travel through the wild frontier land of New Mexico and Arizona to revitalize the residents’ faltering Catholicism. Latour never stops sharing his gentle faith, even as he copes with loneliness, the harsh landscape, a flock of indifferent-to-rebellious priests, and the struggle of introducing Christianity to the Native American population. Over nearly 40 years of hardship and adventure, they make their mark on the people of this unforgiving land. Curriculum Connection: Honors American Literature.

Cisneros, Sandra. The House on Mango Street. Written as a series of "vignettes" or short descriptive literary sketches, each vignette contributes to the story of Esperanza, a young girl growing up poor in the Hispanic section of Chicago. Through these vignettes, we understand Esperanza’s thoughts, feelings, memories, her dreams of escaping her oppressive world, and, as she gets older, the fears and challenges of growing up. Curriculum Connection – Spanish.

Davis, Katie. Kisses from Katie. “What would cause an eighteen-year-old senior class president and homecoming queen from Nashville, Tennessee, to disobey and disappoint her parents by forgoing college, break her little brother’s heart, lose all but a handful of her friends (because they think she has gone off the deep end), and break up with the love of her life, all so she could move to Uganda, where she knew only one person and didn’t even speak the language? A passion to follow Jesus. Katie Davis left

5 over Christmas break of her senior year for a short mission trip to Uganda and her life was turned completely inside out. She found herself so moved by the people of Uganda and the needs she saw that she knew her calling was to return and care for them. Katie is in the process of adopting thirteen children in Uganda and has established a ministry, Amazima, that feeds and sends hundreds more to school while teaching them the Word of Jesus Christ. You’ll laugh and cry with Katie as she follows Jesus into the impossible and finds joy and beauty beneath the dust. Katie and her children delight in saying yes to the people God places in front of them and challenge readers to do the same, changing the world one person at a time.”

Dekker, Ted. Ted Dekker is popular with fans of thrillers, psychological thrillers, mystery, horror/suspense, and fantasy. He is probably best known for the Books of History Chronicles, which comprises the Circle series (Black , Red , White , Green ), The Lost Books series (Chosen , Infidel , Renegade , Chaos , Lunatic ,Elyon ), and the Paradise series (Showdown , Saint , and Sinner ), as well as several other books, including House (with fellow author, Frank Peretti).

Dekker, Ted, and Medearis, Carl. Tea with Hezbollah – Sitting at the Enemies’ Table: Our Journey Through the Middle East. Nonfiction with some fictional elements, this book asks if it is really possible to love one’s enemies. Dekker and Medearis began their journey in Egypt in 2008, moving on to Damascus, Saudi Arabia and Beirut before ending in Jerusalem. They met with Osama bin Laden’s brothers, with leaders of Hamas and Hezbollah, and with sheiks and ayatollahs, providing new insights into those we call our enemies and into the teaching that dares us to love them. Curriculum Connection – Missions and World Religions, Modern U.S. History.

De Rosnay, Tatiana. Sarah’s Key. The little-known story of the collaboration of Paris police with the Nazis, in arresting more than 13,000 Jewish men, women, and children in July 1942. The story jumps forward and backward in time between Sarah, a young Parisian Jewish girl caught in the roundup, and American journalist Julia Jarmond, who is writing an article on the event for its 60-year commemoration. Julia is haunted by the discovery that her own home once belonged to one of the arrested Jewish families – Sarah’s family – and by the tragedy that happened within its very walls. She is obsessed with the need to find out what happened to Sarah and her family – and why her own husband’s family will not talk about it.

Dickens, Charles. A Tale of Two Cities. Covering the period in English and French history from the Seven Years War (1756-1763) to the French Revolution, this story depicts political corruption and social discontent on both sides of the English Channel, and the cruelty and evil in human nature. Along the same theme, try Baroness Emmuska Orczy’s novel The Scarlet Pimpernel.

Doyle, Sir Arthur Conan. The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. Holmes is just one of those perennially fascinating characters and whether or not you see the movies, be sure to read the book. Did you know that when Holmes retired, he became, of all things, a beekeeper?

Dumas, Alexandre. The Three Musketeers. All for one and one for all! This is the classic story of the four adventurous 17th –century Frenchmen Porthos, Athos, Aramis and the dashing would-be musketeer, D’Artagnan.

Eastham, Chad. Guys are Waffles, Girls are Spaghetti. Well, of course they are, and if you need further explanation, read this funny-but-true discussion of guys, girls, relationships, and communication.

Fisher, Catherine. Incarceron. Finn is a 17-year-old prisoner of Incarceron, a self-sustaining prison created centuries ago. Prisoners now spend their entire lives there, and it is said that only one man, Sapphique, has ever escaped. Young Finn is determined to be the second, and is joined in his quest by Claudia, the warden’s daughter. Sequel: Sapphique.

Goldman, William. The Princess Bride. It’s “inconceivable” that you wouldn’t want to enter the land of Florin and encounter those wonderful characters and “beasts of all natures and descriptions. Pain. Death. Brave men. Coward men. Strongest men. Chases. Escapes. Lies. Truths. Passions.”

Gott, Richard. Time Travel in Einstein’s Universe. If you could travel anywhere in time, where would you go? For would-be chrononauts everywhere, Princeton astrophysicist Gott examines both imagined (Star Trek, Back to the Future) and real-world theories of time travel, based on Einstein’s theories. Clear, easy- to-understand, entertaining and thought-provoking! Curriculum Connection – Physics.

Haddix, Margaret Peterson. Don’t You Dare Read This, Mrs. Dunphrey. Everyone in Mrs. Dunphrey’s Lit class has to keep a journal, but the teacher has promised not to read any entries marked “Do Not Read.” Tish Bonner hates the assignment, but right now her life is so desperate that she needs someone, even if it’s just a notebook, to talk to. Haddix is known for suspense novels with unusual plots, but this is gritty realistic writing through the eyes of a teenage girl carrying way too much of a burden.

Haddix, Margaret Peterson. Escape From Memory. While playing around with hypnotism at a party, Kira remembers fleeing a war-torn country with her mother and speaking a language she doesn’t know. Just a few days later, her mother disappears, and a woman calling herself Aunt Memory takes Kira to Crythe, a country that doesn’t officially exist, in order to rescue her – so she says. But Aunt Memory is not who she says she is, and both Kira and her mother are in great danger. The memories locked in Kira’s mind could save them – or get them both killed.

Hale, Shannon. The Books of Bayern series. If you haven’t read them yet, they’re a perfect summer read – or re-read. Goose Girl, Enna Burning , River Secrets and Forest Born are great reads for anyone from junior high through high school. In Goose Girl, Princess Ani can whisper to horses and communicate with birds, but doesn’t fit into her family and soon, must fight for her life and her birthright. In Enna Burning, Enna's life changes forever when she learns she has the power to burn anything at will. She wants to use her ability to fight the enemies of Bayern but is taken captive, and must fight both her enemies and her need to burn. In River Secrets, Enna and Isi's friend Razo is thrilled to be chosen as a soldier guarding an ambassador on a peacekeeping mission to the defeated Tiran capital. On the journey, Razo befriends the daughter of the ambassador who was sent in exchange to Bayern. Like Enna and Isi, she too has elemental powers. Razo and Dasha must solve the mystery of the ever increasing murders they encounter, before Bayern is blamed and war flares again. And in Forest Born, Razo's sister, Rin struggles to accept her talent of persuasion and her connection to the forest she calls home. Rin encounters Isi, Enna, and Dasha from the previous Bayern stories and finds hope that what makes her different could

7 be a blessing, if she can balance her gifts and use them in the service of peace. Hale’s popular book Princess Academy finally has a sequel: Palace of Stone.

Hamilton, Bethany. Soul Surfer: A True Story of Faith, Family, and Fighting to Get Back on the Board. Bethany Hamilton’s passion for surfing has survived even a horrifying attack by a great white shark. Against the odds, she survived the attack, survived the loss of her arm and fought hard to get back on the board and into competition. Hers is a story of courage and faith; girl power and grit.

Harris, Alex and Brett. Do Hard Things – A Teenage Rebellion Against Low Expectations. “Most people don’t expect you to understand what we’re going to tell you in this book. And even if you understand, they don’t expect you to care. And even if you do something about it, they don’t expect it to last. We do.” – Alex and Brett.

Hemingway, Ernest. The Old Man and the Sea. This short but powerful novel follows the epic battle between one man and one fish – but what a fish! Curriculum Connection – Honors American Literature.

Henderson, Dee. O’Malley series. The O’Malleys were once orphans who ‘adopted’ each other and formed a family. We meet them as adults, each one in cutting-edge careers - there’s a hostage negotiator, a forensic pathologist, and so on. Mystery, suspense, romance and an underlying faith message – these are exciting reads!

Hillenbrand, Laura. Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption. This is the true story of Louis Zamperini – juvenile delinquent, 1930s Olympic track and field contender and, with the outbreak of WW II, member of an Air Force bomber crew. Zamperini’s story is one of sheer grit and determination to survive the horrific challenges that befell him. This book is so riveting you’ll think you’re reading a work of fiction. Curriculum Connection: Honors History of World War II, Modern American History.

Hinton, S.E. The Outsiders. S.E. Hinton was only 16 when she wrote The Outsiders, but it remains a much-loved classic today – this relatively short novel packs a wallop! In Ponyboy’s world, there are two kinds of people -greasers and socs (short for ‘social’ - think ‘preppy’.) Socs have money, and think they can get away with just about anything. A greaser is an outsider and needs to watch his back. Ponyboy is a greaser and proud of it – he’s even willing to fight a gang of socs for the sake of his fellow greasers-- until one terrible night when he finds out that pain feels the same no matter who you are.

Hugo, Victor. Les Miserables. Soon to be made into yet another movie and already a much-loved musical – that’s an indication of the power of Hugo’s story of the trials of Jean Valjean – a man unjustly imprisoned, haunted and hunted by the police detective Javert. Another Hugo classic – The Hunchback of Notre Dame. Curriculum Connection - Honors European History.

Ishiguro, Kazuo. Never Let Me Go. Ishiguro is Mr. Beal’s favorite writer. Never Let Me Go might qualify as science fiction or dystopian fiction but on the surface, it looks like a story of three childhood friends. Set in the 1990's, Kazuo Ishiguro's tale is intended to question the ethics of science even though the topic never directly comes up. The narrator is Kathy H., a woman who introduces herself as a "carer" who is

8 about to become a "donor," although at the time we don’t know what these terms mean. Kathy is reminiscing about Hailsham, the school in the English countryside where she grew up with her two closest friends: headstrong, imaginative Ruth and Tommy, who has an uncontrollable temper. Don’t expect an action-packed plot; Kathy is the calm observer of human behavior and her even, matter-of- fact voice sets the tone of the book. She never questions the strange language and conversations that indicate that something more sinister lurks under the surface. The characters never question the course of their lives. No one runs, or asks why they are the ones to make the ultimate sacrifice. But the truth is told out in the small details, over the course of the entire novel, and readers need to be alert to understand the shocking truth that is implied. For lovers of Downton Abbey: Remains of the Day.

Lawhead, Stephen. King Raven Trilogy (Hood, Scarlet, Tuck). A new take on the legend of Robin Hood and his band of thieves – starting with a relocation of the setting to the dark forest of Wales. Hunted by Norman invaders, Bran ap Brychan, heir to Elfael’s throne, is forced to flee his father's kingdom for the Welsh border forests. Danger is everywhere -- for this woodland is alive with mysterious powers and secrets. Bran (Robin) must conquer the secrets of the forest if he is to survive and become King Raven. Bran, Will Scarlet, and Friar Tuck band together with an audacious plan to take back the kingdom, knowing that failure means death-- for them and for the hopes of freedom for the people of Wales.

Lewis, C.S. Out of the Silent Planet. C.S. Lewis, a science fiction writer? You bet! A professor (who strongly resembles both Lewis himself and his friend, the one and only J.R.R. Tolkien) is kidnapped by a physicist and is taken from England to Mars in the first volume of a trilogy that continues with Perelandra and That Hideous Strength.

Liparulo, Robert. Dreamhouse Kings series. Book One: House of Dark Shadows. The King family has from from L.A. to a small town. For 15-year-old Xander, Pinedale is the last place a movie buff and future filmmaker wants to live! He and his siblings are soon fascinated by their mysterious Victorian house, and the action ramps up when they find a hidden hallway with portals leading to far-off places and long ago times…

Liparulo, Robert. The 13th Tribe: An Immortal Files novel. You’ve heard of the Twelve Tribes of Israel – Liparulo imagines a 13th tribe. A tribe condemned to immortality for disobedience and idolatry back at the foot of Mt. Sinai. The 13th Tribe has used their immortality to their benefit, trying to earn their way into heaven. They have unbelievable resources and technology, millennia of experience, and they plan on unleashing destruction of...well...biblical proportions. Jagger Baird is the hired head of security for an archaeological dig near Sinai. It's one man against a tribe of Immortals, and by the time the dust settles, nothing will be the same.

Martinusen-Coloma, Cindy. Beautiful. Ellie is beautiful, she’s senior class president, she’s busy with all sorts of cool activities. Most of the students at her high school think she’s perfect. But it only takes a few minutes for the loose string in Ellie’s life to completely unravel. Forever changed, she must face herself and discover what it really means to be beautiful. You might also enjoy a modern Romeo and Juliet story from this author: Caleb and Kate.

Mitchell, Margaret. Gone with the Wind. This book won the Pulitzer Prize in 1937 and remains a much- loved American classic love story and Civil War epic, unabashedly sympathetic to the Confederate cause. Scarlett and Rhett remain two of the most memorable characters in literature. Curriculum Connection: Modern US History.

Orwell, George. Animal Farm. This satire-told-as-a-fable presents a frightening view of society. The farm animals revolt against the cruelty of their owners – but will their society turn out to be the just and equal community they envision?

Peterson, Andrew. On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness: Adventure, Peril, Lost Jewels, and the Fearsome Toothy Cows of Skree. Okay, like The Princess Bride, this fantasy doesn’t take itself too seriously. When the three Igiby siblings find a mysterious map, their adventure leads them to discover secrets about the father they never knew and a hidden treasure that many have long desired to find. Leeli, the youngest, can captivate dragons with her singing voice. Tink, the middle child, has the makings of a king and Janner is brave enough to protect them all. But the children’s curiosity gets the entire Igiby family into trouble with the Fangs of Dang – frightening, scaly-skinned, lizard creatures that drip venom – who have ruled the land of Skree since the Great War – and now they are running for their lives. Sequel: North or Be Eaten!

Polmar, Norman. The Death of the USS Thresher: The Story behind History’s Deadliest Submarine Disaster. The dramatic circumstances behind the implosion of the nuclear submarine USS Thresher just off the New England coast, resulting in the loss of 129 lives. If submarines fascinate you, don’t forget about Tom Clancy’s The Hunt for Red October and the true story which may have been its inspiration: David Hagberg’s Mutiny: The True Events that Inspired The Hunt for Red October.

Pratchett, Terry.Dodger. The main character may sound somewhat familiar…17-year-old Dodger is a tosher who makes his living scrabbling for items of value in the sewers of Victorian London. One stormy night he rescues a girl who leaps from a horse-drawn carriage in an attempt to escape her captors – and from then on, Dodger and the girl are targets. Along the way, Dodger encounters a writer named Charlie Dickens and a politician named Benjamin Disraeli, among other historical figures, in this totally awesome, absorbing story of adventure and mystery.

Remarque, Erich Maria. All Quiet on the Western Front. The horror and destructiveness of war cause a group of naïve young German soldiers to lose their illusions and more. Curriculum Connection – Modern American History, Honors History of World War II.

Riggs, Ransom. Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. As a kid, Jacob and his grandfather bonded over his bizarre tales and strange photos (which appear in the book) of levitating girls and invisible boys. Now at 16, he is reeling from the old man's horrific death. Then Jacob is given a mysterious letter that sends him to the remote Welsh island where his grandfather grew up. There, he finds the children from the photographs--alive and well--despite the islanders’ assertion that all were killed decades ago. As Jacob begins to unravel more about his grandfather’s childhood, he suspects he is being trailed by a monster only he can see. This book has history, mystery, creepiness, time travel, adventure and friendship. Great story, and the sequel, Hollow City, comes out next January.

Shaara, Michael. Killer Angels. The Battle of Gettysburg comes to life in Shaara’s Pulitzer-Prize-winning novel. Curriculum Connection – Modern American History.

Skloot, Rebecca. The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks. Henrietta Lacks, know as HeLa by scientists, was a poor black tobacco farmer whose cells – taken without her knowledge in 1951 – became one of the most important tools in medicine, vital for developing the polio vaccine, cloning, gene mapping, and more. Henrietta’s cells have been bought and sold by the billions, yet she remains virtually unknown, and her family remained ignorant of the cell removal and subsequent use for many years. Read this and think about the collision between ethics, race, and medicine. Curriculum Connection: Biology.

Smith, Dodie. I Capture the Castle. 17-year-old Cassandra Mortmain lives in a falling-down English castle. Through the honesty and wry humor of her journal, we share her experiences with first love, her efforts to become an author, and her family’s struggles with “genteel” poverty.

Steinbeck, John. The Red Pony. This short book of connected stories seems at first glance to be extremely sad, but actually, it is long on affirming the power of life and love to make sense out of death. One review puts it like this: “Out of death, and love, springs life's potential: When life has a purpose, however big or small--from caring for a pony to returning to one's birthplace to die, from being a leader of the people to making lemonade for a loved one--we not only live but thrive. The Red Pony is a sensitive affirmation of life--recommended reading for anyone willing to experience a little darkness before seeing light.”

Stiefvater, Maggie. The Scorpio Races. On a small Irish island, there is a special race every November. Many men and boys ride the capaill uisce (pronounced "copple ooshka") -- the swift, beautiful, bloodthirsty water horses, which want to either drown their riders or eat their flesh. Puck is the first girl to ever enter the race, but terrible memories make her reluctant to accept a capall uisce, so she decides to ride her land mare, Dove. If she doesn't win, she and her brothers will lose their home. Sean Kendrick has a special knack with the capaill uisce. He catches, trains and sometimes kills the water horses, and no one knows their ways better than he does. But as the race approaches, both the young riders are confronted by terrible problems -- the entire village is opposed to Puck racing, and Sean clashes with his cold, cruel employer over a prize stallion..The Scorpio Races is a story rich with Irish atmosphere -- salt spray, grey stones, ancient rituals and a tradition reaching back further than memory. Stiefvater alternates between Sean and Puck's perspectives-- -- Puck is a fierce, strong-willed young woman hurt by the loss of her family, and unwilling to let anyone tell her what she can't do. And Sean is a near-silent young man who has an innate touch with all horses, and a passionate connection to the stallion Corr. Puck and Sean begin to fall in love – but the romance is slightly complicated by the fact that they both desperately need to win the race --but only one can.

Stockett, Kathryn. The Help. Aibileen is a black maid in 1962 Jackson, Mississippi, who's always taken orders quietly, but lately she's feeling more and more bitter. Her friend Minny has never held her tongue but now must somehow keep secrets about her employer. White socialite Skeeter just graduated college. She's full of ambition to become a writer, but without a husband, she's considered a failure. Together, these seemingly different women join together to write a tell-all book about work as a

11 black maid in the South, that could forever alter their destinies and the life of a small town...The book is amazing, and if you haven’t seen the movie, it’s also excellent!

Strasser, Todd. The Wave: The Classroom Experiment That Went Too Far. Based on a chilling but true story! Frustrated at his inability to adequately explain to students the reason why the German people accepted Hitler and all he stood for, a high school teacher creates a classroom social experiment that at first seems positive and successful, but began to spiral out of control. Read the book and check out the true story online too. http://libcom.org/history/the-third-wave-1967-account-ron-jones

Tan, Amy. The Joy Luck Club. For almost 40 years, the women of the Joy Luck Club have met to play mah jongg, eat Chinese delicacies, and brag about their children. Now one of the women has died, and it is up to her daughter to take her place, where she learns about her mother’s secret story, and those of the other women around the table as well.

Verne, Jules. 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. Kidnapped by Captain Nemo, master of the powerful submarine Nautilus, a French professor embarks on a fantastic undersea voyage and disputes the captain’s hatred for a flawed humanity. Don’t forget Verne’s other great novels: Around the World in Eighty Days and Journey to the Center of the Earth!

Wells, H.G. The Invisible Man. With his face swathed in bandages and his eyes concealed behind dark glasses, Griffin is presumed to be an accident victim. The truth is – he’s invisible, and is struggling to reverse the process that caused it. He is driven to the edge of sanity, however, and when his friend Kemo refuses to help, Griffin vows revenge.

Wells, H.G. The Time Machine. The amazing novel of the Victorian scientist whose time machine launches him far into the future. What kind of world does he find, and will he be able to locate his missing time machine and return to his own time again?

Westerfield, Scott. Leviathan. For steampunk fans! If you remember your modern world history, you know that the 1914 assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife ultimately plunges the world into a great war. In the alternate history of Leviathan, however, the conflict is between the Germanic Clankers, who put their faith in machines, and the British Darwinists, with their crossbred animals, including the flying whale ship Leviathan. Leviathan is the backdrop for a pivotal meeting between Aleksander Ferdinand, a prince on the run, and Deryn, who must disguise the fact she is a girl in order to serve on the ship. Followed by Behemoth and Goliath.

Zindel, Paul. The Pigman. As a result of a phone prank, high school sophomores John and Lorraine become friends with Mr. Pignati (the Pigman), an elderly widower. Nothing much matters to these alienated, conflicted teens, but the Pigman's enthusiasm for life soon spills over onto them. This bittersweet story is still powerful and relevant some 40 years after first publication.