Sponsored - Discussion Books

Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt (Memoir)
Frank McCourt grew up in great poverty in Limerick, Ireland.  He writes of his growing up years with imagination and a sense of humor.

Black and Blue by Anna Quindlen (Fiction)
Fran Benedetto, an abused wife and mother, begins a new life with a new identity after she escapes her abusive relationship with her domineering husband.

The Christmas Box by Richard Paul Evans (Fiction)
A widow and the young family who moves in with her discover the first gift of Christmas and learn what Chrismas is all about.

Devine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood by Rebecca Wells (Fiction)
The story of the powerful lifelong friendship of four Southern women is told by Siddalee Walker, the daughter of one of the "Ya-Ya's".  The "diveine secrets" include letters and mementos from teh scrapbook of Siddalee's mother.

Farewell to Manzanar by Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston & James D. Houston (Non-fiction)
This is the true story of a Japanese American family's experiences during World War II when they were confined to live at the internment camp Manzanar.  If you were born an American, how would you feel if you had to grow up behind barbed wire?

Gather Together in My Name by Maya Angelou (Autobiography)
The second of a five-part series of Maya Angelou's story begins with Maya as a 17-year-old with a newborn son.

Girl Interrupted by Susanna Kaysen (Non-fiction)
Susanna Kaysen writes of her experiences at McLean Psychiatric Hospital in Belmont, Massachusetts where she spent almost two years as an 18-year-old on a ward for "disturbed" teenage girls.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling (Fiction-fantasy)
Rescued from the outrageous neglect of his aunt and uncle, a young orphan with a great destiny proves his worth while attending Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Pigs in Heaven by Barbara Kingsolver (Fiction)
Six-year-old Turtle and her adoptive mother Taylor are at the Hoover Dam when Turtle witnesses a freak accident which leads to a dramatic resue.  However, the fame that follows causes major problems for this young family.  What will be the outcome?

River, Cross My Heart by Breena Clarke (Fiction)
Set in the 1920's in Washington D.C. this is the story of a girl who must confront and deal with the role she had in her little sister's tragic drowning.  It is also the sotry of a community dealing with the issue of race.  (An Oprah Winfrey Book Club selection)

*The Selling of the President, 1968 by Joe McGinniss (Non-fiction)
What is it like to be part of a presidential campaign?  This book gives the behind-the-scene story of what really happens.  Does a voter select a candidate based on a good media campaign or how the candidate stands on an issue? *(Special essay question for this book)

Something Beautiful for God by Malcolm Muggeridge (Non-fiction)
Could you live a life devoted to helping the poor the way Mother Teresa has?  This book tells the story of the Sisters of Charity and their great work in India.

Non-Sponsored

There will be no discussion of these books.  You must write reports on these books.

*All the President's Men by Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward (Non-fiction)
The true story of the Watergate break-in, investigated and reported by two reporters from the Washington Post newspaper, brings about the resignation of President Nixon in 1974.   This book has been called "the most devastating detective story of the century." *(Special essay question for this book)

Children of the River by Linda Crew (Fiction)
Having fled Cambodial four years earlier to escape the Khmer Rouge Army, a 17-year-old girl is torn between remaining faithful to her own people and enjoying life in the U.S. as an American.

Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury (Science Fiction)
In this future society firemen actually set fires to burn houses which contain books.   Thinking and reading are both crimes.  Would you be a fireman or would you secretly hide books?

Saint Joan by George Bernard Shaw (Play)
Joan of Arc, born in 1412, and canonized a saint in 1920, showed innocence in political and religious matters and great genius in military affairs.

The Snow Goose by Paul Gallico (Fiction)
During World War II, a friendship develops between a lonely crippled artist and a shy village child when they take care of an ailing snow goose.

The Story of My Life by Helen Adams Keller (Autobiography)
Even though her sight and hearing were destroyed by a childhood illness before the age of two, Helen Keller proved that she could still live a very productive and successful life.