Summer 2009

Reading List

	House of the Scorpion—Nancy Farmer In the near future, 14-year-old Matteo Alacran (Matt) lives in a buffer region of North America where the governments of the United States and Mexico have agreed to let drug lords grow opium poppies as long as the resultant product is exported to other parts of the world, and not to Mexico or the United States. Matt is a favored member of the drug lord's family, but as he grows up, secrets are revealed that turn Matt's somewhat idyllic world upside down.
	The True Meaning of Smekday - Adam Rex Gratuity "Tip" Tucci writes an essay for school and the National Time Capsule Contest about what happened when the aliens invaded, and the other aliens invaded. It began one Christmas Eve when huge, bizarre spaceships carrying the Boov arrived to "discover" Earth. Gratuity finds her way to Florida only to find out that as Florida has an abundance of oranges which the Boov prize greatly, she must continue her journey into Arizona which the Boov have chosen as the reservation site instead.
	Artemis Fowl: The Graphic Novel—Adapted by Eoin Colfer and Andrew Donkin Twelve-year-old Artemis Fowl is a genius … and a criminal mastermind. Artemis plots to re-gain his family’s fortune, but as his plan unfolds, some believe that the successful execution of his plan could mean that civilizations as they are known will topple and that the planet will be “plunged into a cross-species war.”
	Armageddon Summer - Jane Yolen and Bruce Coville The end of the world is near—July 2. At least that is what the Reverend Raymond Beelson predicts. The Reverend and his flock of 144 "believers" head up to the top of Mount Weupcut in Massachussetts to camp out, prepare, and await the coming of his predicted Armageddon. Jed and Marina, two teenagers who until heading up to the mountain had never met, tell the tale of their Armageddon Summer.
	Bleachers--John Grisham In the small town of Messina, the Messina High Spartan Football team is legendary. For over 30 years, legendary coach Eddie Rake led his players through one winning season after another. As the now elderly Coach Rake verges on death from cancer, former players come from far and wide to remember and honor the man who changed their lives.
	Keeping Corner—Kashmira Sheth Set in a small Indian village during the fight for Indian Independence from British rule, Keeping Corner chronicles Leela’s year as a widow in mourning when she is expected to “keep corner,” never leaving her home, wearing the clothing of mourning, and living with her head shaved. As the fight for Indian Independence, led by Mahatma Gandhi, marches on, so does Leela’s battle to break free from the bonds of societal traditions and attitudes that could doom her to a life Keeping Corner.
	Life as We Knew It – Pfeffer, Sarah Beth Have you ever looked forward to a big cultural event that’s even bigger than the Superbowl or the NCAA Final Four? A big event like that is on the horizon for Miranda. Told in the form of Miranda’s personal diary entries, Life as We Knew It is intense and a completely engrossing read that you will not be able to put down!
	The Dead and the Gone—Susan Beth Pfeffer In this companion to Life As We Knew it, 17-year old Alex Morales is living in New York City when an asteroid crashes into the moon. The moon’s new orbit causes worldwide eruptions and chaos force huge amounts of ash into the atmosphere blocking out the sun and causing the onset of a prolonged winter and the loss of the crops and livestock around the world. Through it all, Alex does all that he can and all that he must in order to survive and to care for his two younger sisters.
	Life is so Good -- George Dawson and Richard Glaubman This is the autobiography George Dawson, the grandson of a slave who was freed by Abraham Lincoln and the Emancipation Proclamation. When George was twelve, hard times forced his family to send him (as the oldest child) to live and work on a neighboring farm. His poverty prevented George from going to school to get an education. In spite of these handicaps, George went on to live an incredible life in which he traveled across the United States, to Mexico and Canada, helped build levees along the Mississippi River, learned a number of different trades, and ultimately returned to school and learned to read at the age of 98.
	Looks—Madeline George Meghan and Aimee look as different as possible - Meghan is a girl so big she has a hard time getting in and out of certain desks at school, and Aimee is so small that you might think a gust of wind would blow her away. But they do have one thing in common: both of these girls use food as a crutch to get through their hard times. Meghan sees that Aimee, new in school, is getting involved with a girl who betrayed Meghan not so long ago. When Aimee finds herself in over her head with her new friend, it's the fat girl, Meghan, who offers a plan to shed some light on this girl's true colors.
	The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian - Sherman Alexie Budding Cartoonist, Junior, lives on the Spokane Indian Reservation and attends the Reservation school. Upon receiving his math textbook for the year, Junior realizes that the book has his mother's maiden name in it and that it is the very same text book that his mother used some 30 years before. Outraged at the ancient textbook and realizing that staying on the Reservation means a life short on opportunity, Junior decides that he needs to leave the Res and attend school with White kids in a distant town outside of the Reservation.
	Perfect Chemistry – Simone Elkeles Brittany Ellis is the perfect girl. Alejandro “Alex” Fuentes is a not-so perfect boy. How can these two be lab partners? It’s their senior year and things are not turning out the way they “should” be. But remember, things are not always what they seem. Packed with romance, violence and the unexpected and a perfect read for summer.
	The Last Olympian – Rick Riordan The last book of the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series is just as action packed and fast-paced as the previous 4 books. The final quest for Percy Jackson – does he defeat Kronos? What happens to his friends? What happens to Olympus? To find you, you need to read it!
	Wintergirls – Laurie Halse Anderson An intense, provocative novel dealing with anorexia, cutting and death. Lia is sick but she is not ready to acknowledge it. Her family does not know how to help her. Her best friend committed suicide. She thinks she’s dealing with things but then they start to spiral out of control. Dark, disturbing and graphic at points, but an extremely good book to read if you think you can handle it.
	Graceling – Kristin Cashore Katsa is graced. While some people are graced with mind-reading or being a good swimmer, Katsa is graced with killing. She killed a cousin when she was 8. Her king saw that she would be a powerful tool and started her training after her first death. However, she is not only a tool for the king. She has more to discover and she does not want to be a killer. Full of action, adventure, suspense and even a little romance, this fantasy novel is an amazing read.
	Starclimber – Kenneth Oppel A rich world of fantasy and flight in this breathtaking sequel to Airborn and Skybreaker
	The Possibilities of Sainthood - Donna Freitas Antonia wants to be the first living saint but she wants her first kiss, too---can she do both? Top Shelf Pick
	The Red Necklace – Sally Gardner Yann the gypsy must learn how to use his telekinetic power to save his love, Sio in this tension-filled adventure set during the French revolution Top Shelf Pick
	The Other Side of the Island – Allegra Goodman Issues of conformity and independent identity collide in this futuristic thriller Top Shelf Pick
	Ten Things I Hate About Me – Randa Abdel-Fattah Jamilah, know as Jamie in school, tries to hide her Muslim heritage in this poignant and funny coming of age tale. Top Shelf Pick
	Ender In Exile – Orson Scott Card Direct sequel to Ender’s Game.