Summer Reading List
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This document provides a summer reading list for 2010-2011 that includes 18 books across a variety of genres. The books cover topics like racism, secret societies, zombies in schools, steroid use, gang violence, missing friends, vampires, saving a hotel, foster care, organ harvesting, reality TV survival games, rural living, government surveillance, social rankings, shark attacks, survival at sea with a tiger, and human relationships with plants.
Summer Reading List
- 1. Summer Reading List 2010 – 2011 The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie Arnold Spirit, aka Junior, humorously looks back on his freshman year when he transferred from the reservation school to a nearby all-white school and dealt with racism, was viewed as a traitor to his community, lost his best friend, and coped with family deaths. The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks: a novel by E. Lockhart Former ugly duckling Frankie Landau-Banks returns to her elite boarding school tired of being underestimated. She infiltrates her boyfriend's all-male secret society and begins to orchestrate their elaborate pranks. The unexpected consequences could change her life forever. Generation Dead by Daniel Waters Goth-girl Phoebe, her best friend Margi, childhood buddy Adam, and few others face opposition when they join an Undead Study to understand the zombies or “differently biotic” students who have begun attending their school; but when Phoebe begins to date one of the living impaired, the real trouble begins. Gym Candy by Carl Deuker Mick Johnson lives and breathes football. But when lifting weights and taking vitamin supplements do not give him the edge he wants, he turns to steroids. Along with becoming bigger, faster and stronger, Mick must also deal with „roid rage, acne, and depression. When he realizes he's cheated his way to stardom, he tries to quit but with dangerous results. Homeboyz by Alan Sitomer (mature themes) Instead of prison, Teddy Anderson, who was arrested while trying to avenge his sister's accidental death from a gangrelated drive-by shooting, is sentenced to community service where he must mentor Micah, a 12-year-old gangsta wannabe. Shift by Jennifer Bradbury When buddies Chris and Win go on a cross-country bike trip after graduation and only Chris returns, pressure from Win's powerful father separately fuels the FBI's and Chris's private investigation into Win’s disappearance. Suck It Up by Brian Meehl When skinny, geeky, 16-year-old Morning McCobb graduates from the International Vampire League, he reluctantly becomes the spokesvamp for vampires, telling the world they really exist. But, he discovers that coming out isn't easy as he tries to convince humans that bloodsubstitute- drinking vampires can peacefully co-exist with humans. 1
- 2. Suite Scarlett by Maureen Johnson When Scarlett Martin turns 15, she becomes responsible for a room in her family's run-down hotel and its flamboyant occupant, Mrs. Ambrose, who hatches wacky schemes to save the family business, help Scarlett's love life, and jumpstart Scarlett's brother's acting career. Three Little Words: a memoir by Ashley Rhodes-Courter Taken from her irresponsible mother when she is 4 years old, Ashley spends the next nine years in Florida's foster care system where she is shuffled between 13 state facilities and foster homes, some of which are horrifyingly abusive, before being adopted by a loving family. Unwind by Neal Shusterman In the future, parents have the option of having their teenagers “unwound” or “retroactively aborted” where all their body parts and organs are transplanted into needy recipients. Connor, Risa, and Lev narrowly escape being unwound and search for a safe haven amid betrayal, political intrigue, and harrowing, non-stop flights and fights. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins In a futuristic America, a boy and a girl from each of twelve provinces are chosen lottery style each year to participate in the Hunger Games, a televised reality show where only one will emerge alive to earn wealth and extra food for their province. When 17-year-old Katniss Everdeen's little sister is selected, Katniss volunteers to go in her place. Will she survive? The Last Exit to Normal by Michael Harmon Since his father came out and his mother left, spiky-haired skateboarder Ben Campbell has gotten into trouble. In order to put him on the right path, his two dads move the family to rural Montana where city- born Ben finds animal carcasses, trucks, a tough country grandma, a cute farm girl, a town villain, and a troubled kid. Little Brother by Cory Doctorow While skipping school, Markus is caught near the site of a terrorist attack on San Francisco and is intensely interrogated for six days. After his release and the disappearance of his best friend, Markus vows to use his formidable technical skills to network teenagers and fight back against the government's increasingly frightening surveillance system. The Market by J.M. Steele Kate Winthop has always accepted her role as a smart but geeky girl with a good heart, but when she finds out she was ranked 71 out of 140 girls in the Millbank Social Stockmarket game, she enlists the help of her two best friends to transform her from “junk bond” to “blue chip” and win some money in the process. Shark Girl by Kelly Bingham After a shark attack, promising artist 15-year-old Jane Arrowood has her arm amputated. In this free verse novel, she struggles to cope with her loss and the changes it makes on her everyday life and future. Life of Pi by Yann Martel A 16-year old Indian boy is adrift at sea for 227 days with only a dangerous Bengal tiger for a companion. Pi Patel's journey, and survival through the use of his wits and sheer determination, is one that grabs you and never lets go. It's a story that seems both too real and surreal at the same time. The Botany of Desire by Michael Pollan "What existential difference is there between the human being's role in this (or any) garden and the bumblebees?" "Did I choose to plant these potatoes, or did the potato make me do it? With profound questions like these, Michael Pollan pollinates your mind with a new world view of our relationships with plants, one in which humans are not at the center. The book focuses on four primary examples of how plants provide benefits to humans that lead humans to benefit the plants. 2