South High School Summer Reading 2017 Menu of Books Choose one book from the following options. You will read the book, complete the “Summer Reading Form”, and be prepared to discuss your book in September! Please note: Titles were added daily through Wednesday, June 7th, so be sure to check out the updated list! Grendel, by John Gardner ​ Book Chat Facilitator: Akin ​ Best for Grades: 10-12 ​ The Beowulf story retold from the monster's point of view reveals the darker side of human nature and values. The Kite Runner, Khaled Hosseini ​ Book Chat Facilitator: Aloteibi ​ Best for Grades: 9-12 ​ The unforgettable, heartbreaking story of the unlikely friendship between a wealthy boy and the son of his father’s servant, caught in the tragic sweep of history, The Kite Runner transports readers to Afghanistan at a tense and crucial moment of change and destruction. A powerful story of friendship, it is also about the power of reading, the price of betrayal, and the possibility of redemption; and an exploration of the power of fathers over sons—their love, their sacrifices, their lies. Warning: strong thematic material...including sexual assault on a child The Little Prince, by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry ​ Book Chat Facilitator: Alvarez ​ Best for Grades: 9-12 ​ "One sees clearly only with the heart. The essential is invisible to the eye." de Saint-Exupéry's classic novella explores the negotiation of adulthood, underscoring the blindnesses of those who inhabit that world. Childlike in its structural simplicity, but complex in its reflection of philosophical perspectives, The Little Prince resonates with young and old, reminding all that "Grown-ups never understand anything by themselves, and it is tiresome for children to be always and forever explaining things to them." Orphan Train, by Christina Baker Kline ​ Book Chat Facilitator: Baez ​ Best for Grades: 9-12 ​ Orphan Train is a story about a teenager named Molly who has spent the majority of her life in foster care. Molly finds herself in and out of trouble with the law. As punishment for her misbehavior, Molly must help an elderly woman as retribution for her crime. While serving her community service, Molly realizes that she and Vivian, although vastly different in age, have a great deal in common. With Vivian's help, Molly soon realizes the importance of unexpected friendship and second chances. Camino Island, by John Grisham ​ Book Chat Facilitator: Bernal ​ Best for Grades: 9-12 ​ A gang of thieves stage a daring heist from a secure vault deep below Princeton University’s Firestone Library. Their loot is priceless, but Princeton has insured it for twenty-five million dollars. Bruce Cable owns a popular bookstore in the sleepy resort town of Santa Rosa on Camino Island in Florida. He makes his real money, though, as a prominent dealer in rare books. Very few people know that he occasionally dabbles in the black market of stolen books and manuscripts. Mercer Mann is a young novelist with a severe case of writer’s block who has recently been laid off from her teaching position. She is approached by an elegant, mysterious woman working for an even more mysterious company. A generous offer of money convinces Mercer to go undercover and infiltrate Bruce Cable’s circle of literary friends, ideally getting close enough to him to learn his secrets. But eventually Mercer learns far too much, and there’s trouble in paradise as only John Grisham can deliver it. Crenshaw, by Katherine Applegate ​ Book Chat Facilitator: Beyer ​ Best for Grades: 9-12 ​ It's about a boy named Jackson whose family is going through hardships and living in a van. Crenshaw the imaginary cat comes to help Jackson. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows ​ ​ Book Chat Facilitator: Bonn ​ Best for Grades: 9-12 ​ This book is about the island of Guernsey (small island) in English Channel during world war two when it was occupied by the Nazis and how a group of people band together to help each other get through the occupation. Check out the weblink: http://www.randomhouse.com/rhpg/guernsey/book/ for a short video on the book. It's a powerful and fun book to read! I can't wait to read it again and share it with you! The Boys in the Boat, by Daniel James Brown ​ ​ Book Chat Facilitator: Calbi ​ Best for Grades: 10-12 ​ "A story of the University of Washington’s 1936 eight-oar crew and their epic quest for an Olympic gold medal which transformed the sport of rowing and grabbed the attention of millions of Americans." "The emotional heart of the story lies with one rower, Joe Rantz, a teenager without family or prospects, who rows not for glory, but to regain his shattered self-regard and to find a place he can call home." Killing the Rising Sun, by Bill O’Reilly ​ ​ Book Chat Facilitator: Campbell ​ Best for Grades: 10-12 ​ WW2 in the Pacific Theater--1st person stories from all sides of the conflict The Racketeer, by John Grisham ​ ​ Book Chat Facilitator: Cardenas ​ Best for Grades: 9-12 ​ In the history of the United States, only four active federal judges have been murdered. Judge Raymond Fawcett has just become number five. His body is found in his remote lakeside cabin. There is no sign of forced entry or struggle. Just two dead bodies: Judge Fawcett and his young secretary. And one large, state-of-the-art, extremely secure safe, opened and emptied. One man, a former attorney, knows who killed Judge Fawcett, and why. But that man, Malcolm Bannister, is currently residing in the Federal Prison Camp near Frostburg, Maryland. Though serving time, Malcolm has an ace up his sleeve. He has information the FBI would love to know. Malcolm would love to tell them. But everything has a price—and the man known as the Racketeer wasn’t born yesterday. Uncle Tungsten, Memories of a Chemical Boyhood, by Oliver Sacks ​ ​ Book Chat Facilitator: Carothers ​ Best for Grades: 11-12 ​ A story of Oliver Sacks as a young boy who grows up in a household whose mother was a surgeon and father a family doctor. As a young boy Oliver Sacks was fascinated with chemical reactions and explosions. The louder and smellier, the better. There is much talk about his uncle who's factory produced tungsten-filament lightbulbs (his Uncle Tungsten) and also much talk about his fascination with metals in general. Quite a different book and definitely worth reading. Think and Grow Rich, by Napoleon Hill ​ ​ Book Chat Facilitator: Cascio ​ Best for Grades: 11-12 ​ It is a personal development and self-improvement book. The author studied successful people and evolved 13 principles for success. The book talks a lot about monetary success but the philosophies can be applied to any line of work. "The book asserts that desire, faith and persistence can propel one to great heights if one can suppress negative thoughts and focus on long-term goals." Going After Cacciato, by Tim O’Brien ​ ​ Book Chat Facilitator: Chandler ​ Best for Grades: 11-12 ​ Winner of the National Book Award, this novel combines fantasy and reality in its depiction of a soldier who walks away from the Vietnam War and the squad that pursues him. The Boy Detective Fails, by Joe Meno ​ ​ Book Chat Facilitator: Chavez ​ Best for Grades: 9-12 ​ Kind of like if Encyclopedia Brown grew up and had an unpleasant, absurd adulthood. The book synopsis mentions the protagonist's sister has commit suicide, so that may be uncomfortable for some readers. Where’d You Go Bernadette, by Maria Semple ​ ​ Book Chat Facilitator: Chiamulon ​ Best for Grades: 11-12 ​ Bernadette has been hiding a secret past for decades while living the Seattle life she never wanted. Her daughter Bee attends a private school filled with wealthy parents who do not like Bernadette, and try their best to get her kicked out of the PTA and make her look bad. Her husband works long hours at Microsoft and is becoming more and more concerned about his eccentric wife. The family is planning a trip to Antarctica to celebrate Bee's perfect grades when Bernadette disappears. Shanghai Girls, by Lisa Lee ​ ​ Book Chat Facilitator: Chuang ​ Best for Grades: 9-12 ​ "Compulsively readable... an enlightening journey [that] examines the Chinese immigrant experience through the lens of two sisters' lives." - The Denver Post The Boy Detective Fails, by Joe Meno ​ ​ Book Chat Facilitator: Coe ​ Best for Grades: 9-12 ​ The main character is like an Encyclopedia Brown all grown up, but he is unsuccessful. A Whole New Engineer - The Coming Revolution in Engineering Education, by David E. ​ ​ Goldberg, Mark Somerville, and Catherine Whitney Book Chat Facilitator: Denisiu ​ Best for Grades: 9-12 ​ This amazing book is about how joy, trust, openness and connection are the key to unleashing young, courageous minds and how emotion and culture are the crucial elements of change, not content, curriculum and pedagogy (shocking, I know ). A series of engaging stories of real-life effective change in education. A remarkable book - a call to action and a blueprint to reinventing all education for the 21st century. Students can be those agents of change not just educators. It is also about how a couple of engineers have nailed the importance of love, empathy, and caring as crucial in rethinking education. Will you be a part of this needed change? All the Light We Cannot See, by Anthony Doerr ​ ​ Book Chat Facilitator: Drehs ​ Best for Grades: 11-12 ​ Pulitzer prize winning novel of a French girl and German boy who cross paths in France during World War II.