SUGGESTED READING LEVEL I
(Entering ninth and tenth graders, choose at least one as required reading)

Alvarez, Julia How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents
This book looks back on the lives of the four Garcia girls and their parents who immigrated to America in the 1960s with all the hope of becoming “real Americans.” (F)

Anderson, Eric Trailblazing: The True Story of America’s First Openly Gay Track Coach
Anderson shares with the reader what it is like to be openly gay in the world of track coaching. The disappointment and discrimination he faces are made easier by his honesty and triumphs.

Arana, Marie American Chica: Two Worlds, One Childhood
This is both a “coming of age” and a “coming to terms” story about growing up in America and Peru and finding out what it is like to don the mantle of Latino culture (NF)

Asimov, Isaac Asimov on Physics
A collection of short essays on physics topics. (NF)

Barrett, Andrea Servants of the Map
In stories of explorers, naturalists, scientists all, the protagonists are driven to know the world around as well as the world within. (NF)

Benard, Cheryl Veiled Courage: Inside the Afghan Women’s Resistance
A timely and inspiring account of the bravery of Afghan women who formed an underground movement to fight for their rights. (NF)

Berkow, Ira Minority Quarterback and Other Lives in Sports
In stories about athletes, their prowess and their problems, the journalist-author provides information both personal and professional. (NF)

Berry, James Ajeemah and His Sons
Without warning, two Africans are ripped away from their family and shipped slaves to plantations in Jamaica. This searing novel captures the emotional truth of the experience of slavery and the heartless dehumanization of its victims. (F)

Boyne, Daniel J. The Red Rose Crew: A True Story of Women, Winning, and the Water
In 1972, Title IX passed requiring colleges to spend equal amounts of money on sports for men and women. Who were the women who formed that first team in Boston? (NF)

Bradbury, Ray Fahrenheit 451
A science fiction story of a time in which firefighters rule and spend their time burning books. With all the power of 1984, Bradbury takes us through fear and intrigue as he examines the chance an individual has to change a totalitarian state. (F)

Bradley, Marion Priestess of Avalon
This is a prequel to the Mists of Avalon. As in its successor, this novel is about the women initiated into the mysteries of Avalon who empower their men to rule with undisputed authority. (F)

Bronte, Charlotte Jane Eyre
In this powerful story of Victorian values and thinking, Bronte creates a spirited, soul-searching young woman who questions her position in the patriarchal society. When she meets Edward Rochester, Jane finds her match and solves the great mystery of “the madwomen in the attic.” (F)

Card, Orson Scott Shadow of the Hegemon
What happens on earth after the war with the Buggers? Can the war heroes fit into society after being gone for a decade? (F)

Chevalier, Tracy Girl with a Pearl Earring
Griet, a young maid in Dutch painter Vermeer’s household, develops a fascination for the master and his work and even becomes one of this models. (F)

Colton, Larry Counting Coup: A True Story of Basketball and Honor on The Little Big Horn
Basketball is Sharon’s ticket out of the poverty of the “Rez” or Crow Reservation. Is she able to break the chain and begin a new life? (NF)

Comen, Carolyn Many Stones
After Berry Morgan’s older sister is murdered in South Africa, her father insists that she go with him to Cape Town for a memorial service. It is the last thing that Berry wants to do. (F)

Cordinay, Bryce The Power of One
Set in South Africa during and after World War II, Peekay, and English boy in an Afrikaaner boarding school, learns to survive the system by relying only on himself for strength, and by apprenticing to become a professional boxer. (F)

Crighton, Michael Timeline
Historians in 1999 are sent back in time to Feudal France, 1357, to find artifacts for a theme park. (F)

Drye, Willie Storm of the Century: The Labor Day Hurricane of 1935
First person accounts of what individuals were doing when this horrendous storm hit. (NF)

Durham, David A. Gabriel’s Story
Gabriel journeys West with a band of cowboys, an adventure that becomes a nightmare as he encounters the harsh realities of prejudice. (F)

Farrell, Jeanette Invisible Enemies: Stories of Infectious Disease
Episodes about seven killer diseases, among them cholera, smallpox, and AIDS, are described in separate chapters. The writer shows us the human side of disease. (NF)

Gaskins, Pearl (ed.) What Are You: Voices of Mixed-Race Young People
Poems and essays by young people, ages 15 to 28, who share their stories. The many resources listed should help readers connect with others who live in mixed-race families. (NF)

Herrera, Juan Felipe crash boom love: A Novel in Verse
Drawn from this own life, Herrera, a poet, shows us what it is like to be a teen, a migrant worker, and a boy looking for his father. (F)

Hoffman, Alice At Risk
A family deals with AIDS in the powerful story. (F)

Jackson, Monica & Elizabeth Stark Tents in the Clouds
Three Scotswomen travel to Nepal on the first female Himalayan climbing expedition. (NF)

Junger, Sebastian The Perfect Storm: A True Story of Men Against the Sea
Junger recounts the harrowing tale of the Andrea Gail, her six-man fishing crew, and their disappearance during the most powerful nor’easter of this century. (NF)

Kinsella, William Shoeless Joe
This magical tale of baseball, fathers and sons, creativity and reconciliation is the source of the movie “Field of Dreams.” (F)

Krisher, Trudy Spite Fences
It is the summer of 1960 in Kinship, Georgia, and living is not so easy for thirteen-year-old Maggie after the civil rights movement comes to town. (F)

Lasky, Kathryn Trace of Life: The Origins of Mankind
This clear, easy-to-follow explanation of the theory of evolution according to scientists such as Lamarck, Darwin, and Gould includes excellent illustrations showing the techniques used by paleontologists to dig up, preserve, and interpret fossil remains of humanoid creatures, while describing significant finds in Africa. A very readable book. (NF)

LeGuin, Ursula K. The Dispossessed
A utopian novel set in the future on a distant planet, this splendid read focuses on what kinds of societies can, and should, exist, and how they might come into existence. (F)

MacDonald, Michael All Souls: A Family Story from Southie
This is the story of a poor, Irish Catholic family living and growing up in South Boston during the anti-busing riots of the 1970s. Local places and familiar names make this a particularly “Boston” experience. (AB/B)

Marley, Louise The Glass Harmonica
The lives of an orphan living in London in 1761 and a musical prodigy living in Seattle in 2018 intersect through their experience playing the glass harmonica. (F)

Mayharduk, Linda The Dancer Who Flew: A Memoir of Rudolf Nureyev
“Rudolf Nereyev was literally born in motion.” If you love dance or if you are interested in the life of an artist in the Soviet Union, this is the book for you. (AB/B)

McDonlad, Joyce Swallowing Stones
Michael, who never wanted to hurt anyone, shoots his new rifle, and a mile away, a man drops down dead from a bullet wound. From this moment on, Michael’s life and the lives of those around him can never be the same. (F)

Mrazek, Robert Stonewall’s Gold: A Novel
During his search for Confederate gold, Jamie Lockhart, 15, finds himself embroiled in some wild adventures. (F)

Na, An Step from Heaven
Soaring through the sky from Korea to America, Young Ju cannot know how difficult it will be to live in America. (F)

Potok, Chaim Zebra and Other Stories
This short collection reveals the passionate voices of six ordinary young people who begin their journeys to adulthood after transforming experiences. A wonderful bridge to the author’s previous classics, The Chosen and The Promise. (F)

Prejean, Helen Dead Man Walking: An Eyewitness Account of the Death Penalty in the United States
Sister Prejean write eloquently about her friendship with two death row inmates and how she came to oppose the death penalty, even in the most heinous of crimes. (NF)

Rinaldi, Ann Hang a Thousand Trees with Ribbons
Kidnapped in Senegal in 1761 and sold into slavery in America, Phillis Wheatley becomes educated and well known for her poetry, only to face a struggle to fit into a white man’s world. (F)

Schweger, Tina, et. al. Gutsy Girls: Young Women Who Dare
There are twenty-eight stories told by different individuals who accomplished acts of daring or courage. (NF)

Senna, Danzy Caucasia
Birdie tells us the story of her biracial family living in Boston in the 1970s and the loss of her close relationship with her sister when they are forced to separate based on their different skin colors. (F)

Shange, Ntozake Betsey Brown
The protagonist grows up in the black community of St. Louis in 1959, the year school integration disrupted everybody’s lives. This is not only a story of a young girl’s struggle to discover who she is, it is also a compelling account of class conflict and struggle within the black community. (F)

Shaara, Michael The Killer Angels
Full accurate historical detail, this is an account of three pivotal days in the Battle of Gettysburg during the Civil War. (F)

Silverberg, Robert Far Horizons: All New Tales from the Greatest Worlds of Science (ed.) Fiction
Fantastic worlds created by writers such as Orson Scott Card, Anne McCaffrey, Ursula LeGuin, and Frederick Pohl will be a favorite of sci-fi buffs. (F)

Silverman, Al It’s Not Over Til It’s Over: The Stories Behind the Most Magnificent, Heart-Stopping Sports Miracles of Our Time
The title tells all, whether it is the “Sudden Death” play of Johnny Unitas in the football game between the Giants and the Colts or it is the victory of the American Women’s Soccer team that put female athletes on the map. (NF)

Simon, Rachel Riding the Bus with My Sister: A True Life Journey
As a birthday present, Simon, a teacher and writer, takes some time out of her busy schedule to ride the bus with her adult, retarded sister. What she learns is the stuff of dreams. (NF)

Sobel, Dava Longitude: The True Story of a Lone Genius Who Solved the Greatest Problem of His Time
In the 1800s, many lives were lost at sea because there was no reliable way to determine the east-west orientation of the ship. This story traces the search for a solution to this problem. (NF)

Spagnoli, Cathy Asian Tales and Tellers: Stories from Japan, Indonesia, China, Vietnam, India, Korea
Age-old tales and classic myths from around Asia unfold in this wonderful collection, clearly illustrated with blockprints of the heroes and villains. (F)

Velmans, Edith Edith’s Story: The True Story of a Young Girl’s Courage and Survival During World War II
Edith tells us the story of her growing up Jewish in Holland and how she survived the dark days of World War II. (AB/B)

Vollers, Maryanne Ghosts of Mississippi
This is the story of the attempt by courageous people to bring the killer of Medgar Evans to justice. It chronicles the struggle for justice in Mississippi. (NF)

Walker, Alice The Color Purple
This novel, written in the form of letters, tells the story of the survival of Celie. After a difficult childhood, Celie, through her close friendship with a flamboyant blues singer, gains the courage to love and succeed. (F)

Woodson, Jacquelyn If You Come Softly
Apart, Ellie and Jeremiah felt like they never fit in. When they meet each other in their new private school, they for one feel comfortable only to realize they don’t fit in with the rest of the world. (F)