Ms. B's suggested reading list, started in Summer 2014
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Brick Lane: A Novel by Monica Ali
A Bangladeshi immigrant in London is torn between the kind, tedious older husband with whom she has an arranged marriage (and children) and the fiery political activist she lusts after. A novel that’s multi-continental, richly detailed and elegantly crafted.
Summer reading book suggested by FHS
House of Cards by Michael Dobbs
House of Cards is a chilling cautionary tale about greed, arrogance, and stupidity in the financial world, and the consequences for all of us. (Yes, this is the inspiration for the Netflix series.)
Summer reading book suggested by FHS
The Ministry of Fear: An Entertainment by Graham Greene, Alan Furst
A dark tale of greed, corruption, and unquenchable ambition, House of Cards reveals that no matter the country, politics, intrigue and passion reign in the corridors of power. (Yes, this inspired the Netflix series.)
Summer reading book suggested by FHS
The Razor's Edge by W. Somerset Maugham
Larry Darrell is a young American in search of the absolute. The progress of his spiritual odyssey involves him with some of Maugham's most brilliant characters - his fiancée Isabel whose choice between love and wealth have lifelong repercussions, and Elliott Templeton, her uncle, a classic expatriate American snob. Maugham himself wanders in and out of the story, to observe his characters struggling with their fates.
Summer reading book suggested by FHS
The Lost City of Z: A Tale of Deadly Obsession in the Amazon by David Grann
David Grann re-covers this ground in The Lost City of Z. Grann, a staff writer for The New Yorker, is both more thorough and more reliable than most of Fawcett's chroniclers; he follows the explorer from his childhood in England through his military service in Ceylon, his years as a spy in the Middle East, an Amazon explorer, a soldier, and, finally, the victim of his own need to find the aptly named Z, the last letter in the alphabet of his travels.
Summer reading book suggested by FHS
Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro
It is almost literally a novel about humanity: what constitutes it, what it means, how it can be honored or denied. These little children, and the adults they eventually become, are brought up to serve humanity in the most astonishing and selfless ways, and the humanity they achieve in so doing makes us realize that in a new world the word must be redefined.
Summer reading book suggested by FHS
The Good Soldier by Ford Madox Ford
Dowell narrates the story of his loveless marriage to his hypochondriac wife,Florence, and their meeting in Nauheim with the Ashburnhams;they equally sharing a loveless marriage.Telling the tale in non-chronological flashbacks,that lack consistency or are deliberately vague,the tragedy of the Dowell's and Ashburnhams finally unfolds.
Summer reading book suggested by FHS
Acceptance: A Novel by Susan Coll
Acceptance is a satire of America's overachievers, a novel set over one year in the college application process, when students and parents surrender their evenings, their weekends, and their sanity to the race for admission.
Summer reading book suggested by FHS
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
Join Douglas Adams's hapless hero Arthur Dent as he travels the galaxy with his intrepid pal Ford Prefect, getting into horrible messes and generally wreaking hilarious havoc. Dent is grabbed from Earth moments before a cosmic construction team obliterates the planet to build a freeway.
Summer reading book suggested by FHS
1984 by George Orwell
1984 presents a startling and haunting vision of the world, so powerful that it is completely convincing from start to finish. No one can deny the power of this novel, its hold on the imaginations of multiple generations of readers, or the resiliency of its admonitions—a legacy that seems only to grow with the passage of time.
Summer reading book suggested by FHS
Ms. B read this and loved this
Born Confused by Tanuja Desai Hidier
This is a book about an Indian girl from New Jersey named Dimple who wants to be seen as an all-American girl, but everyone else just sees her as Indian.
Ms. B read this and loved this
On the Road by Jack Kerouac
On the Road chronicles Jack Kerouac's years traveling the North American continent with his friend Neal Cassady, "a sideburned hero of the snowy West." As "Sal Paradise" and "Dean Moriarty," the two roam the country in a quest for self-knowledge and experience. Kerouac's love of America, his compassion for humanity, and his sense of language as jazz combine to make On the Road an inspirational work of lasting importance.
Ms. B read this and loved this
The Art of Racing in the Rain: A Novel by Garth Stein
A heart-wrenching but deeply funny and ultimately uplifting story of family, love, loyalty, and hope--a captivating look at the wonders and absurdities of human life . . . as only a dog could tell it.
Ms. B will be reading this book this summer
One Hundred Years of Solitude (P.S.) by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Gregory Rabassa
One Hundred Years of Solitude tells the story of the rise and fall, birth and death of the mythical town of Macondo through the history of the Buenda family. Inventive, amusing, magnetic, sad, and alive with unforgettable men and women -- brimming with truth, compassion, and a lyrical magic that strikes the soul -- this novel is a masterpiece in the art of fiction.
Ms. B has heard amazing things about this
Bossypants by Tina Fey
Before Liz Lemon, before "Weekend Update," before "Sarah Palin," Tina Fey was just a young girl with a dream: a recurring stress dream that she was being chased through a local airport by her middle-school gym teacher. She also had a dream that one day she would be a comedian on TV. She has seen both these dreams come true. At last, Tina Fey's story can be told.
Ms. B read this and loved this
This is a memoir by Tina Fey.
Let's Pretend This Never Happened by Jenny Lawson
When Jenny Lawson was little, all she ever wanted was to fit in. That dream was cut short by her fantastically unbalanced father and a morbidly eccentric childhood. It did, however, open up an opportunity for Lawson to find the humor in the strange shame-spiral that is her life, and we are all the better for it.
Ms. B read this and loved this
This is a memoir about a blogger, TheBloggess.com. Look at her (very quirky) blog before deciding if you want to read this.
Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris
A recent transplant to Paris, humorist David Sedaris, bestselling author of "Naked", presents a collection of his strongest work yet, including the title story about his hilarious attempt to learn French. A number one national bestseller now in paperback.
Ms. B will be reading this book this summer
The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown
As millions of readers around the globe have already discovered, The Da Vinci Code is a reading experience unlike any other. Simultaneously lightning-paced, intelligent, and intricately layered with remarkable research and detail, Dan Brown's novel is a thrilling masterpiece—from its opening pages to its stunning conclusion.
Ms. B read this and loved this
Are You My Mother?: A Comic Drama by Alison Bechdel
Alison Bechdel’s Fun Home was a pop culture and literary phenomenon. Now, a second thrilling tale of filial sleuthery, this time about her mother: voracious reader, music lover, passionate amateur actor. Also a woman, unhappily married to a closeted gay man, whose artistic aspirations simmered under the surface of Bechdel's childhood . . . and who stopped touching or kissing her daughter good night, forever, when she was seven. Poignantly, hilariously, Bechdel embarks on a quest for answers.
Ms. B read this and loved this
This is a graphic novel that gets slightly graphic when discussing relationships.
Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic by Alison Bechdel
Distant and exacting, Bruce Bechdel was an English teacher and director of the town funeral home, which Alison and her family referred to as the "Fun Home." It was not until college that Alison, who had recently come out as a lesbian, discovered that her father was also gay. A few weeks after this revelation, he was dead, leaving a legacy of mystery for his daughter to resolve.
Ms. B read this and loved this
This is a graphic novel that gets quite graphic as Alison discovers her sexuality.
How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents by Julia Alvarez
The Garcías—Dr. Carlos (Papi), his wife Laura (Mami), and their four daughters, Carla, Sandra, Yolanda, and Sofía—belong to the uppermost echelon of Spanish Caribbean society, descended from the conquistadores. Their family compound adjoins the palacio of the dictator’s daughter. So when Dr. García’s part in a coup attempt is discovered, the family must flee. They arrive in New York City in 1960 to a life far removed from their existence in the Dominican Republic.
Ms. B will be re-reading this book this summer
This is a fabulous book by the author of In the Time of the Butterflies. (You can’t read that book for summer reading because it’s on 11th grade curriculum… but I definitely suggest it!!)
The Pact: Three Young Men Make a Promise and Fulfill a Dream by Sampson Davis, George Jenkins, Rameck Hunt
The three doctors grew up in the streets of Newark, facing city life’s temptations, pitfalls, even jail. But one day these three young men made a pact. They promised each other they would all become doctors, and stick it out together through the long, difficult journey to attaining that dream. Sampson Davis, George Jenkins, and Rameck Hunt are not only friends to this day—they are all doctors.
Ms. B read this and LOVED this
READ IT.
Feeling Sorry for Celia: A Novel by Jaclyn Moriarty
Life is pretty complicated for Elizabeth Clarry. Her best friend Celia keeps disappearing, her absent father suddenly reappears, and her communication with her mother consists entirely of wacky notes left on the fridge. On top of everything else, because her English teacher wants to rekindle the "Joy of the Envelope," a Complete and Utter Stranger knows more about Elizabeth than anyone else.
Ms. B read this and loved this
I read this in high school when it first came out. I remember loving it!
The Road by Cormac McCarthy
McCarthy's latest novel, a frightening apocalyptic vision, is narrated by a nameless man, one of the few survivors of an unspecified civilization-ending catastrophe. He and his young son are trekking along a treacherous highway, starving and freezing, trying to avoid roving cannibal armies. The tale, and their lives, are saved from teetering over the edge of bleakness thanks to the man's fierce belief that they are "the good guys" who are preserving the light of humanity.
Others have suggested this book to Ms. B
Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell
Fangirl is a coming-of-age novel that is smart, funny, and genuine. Fangirl takes place during Cather Avery's first year of college, learning who she is when stripped down to just Cath--not the twins Cath & Wren and not Magicath, her fan fiction pen name. Through all the changes, both difficult and thrilling, one part of her old life still makes as much sense in her dorm room as it did in her childhood bedroom--the Emergency Kanye Party.
Ms. B will be reading this book this summer
Whale Talk by Chris Crutcher
A varsity letter jacket: it's exclusive, nearly unattainable, revered . . . and everything that's screwed up about Cutter High, as far as T. J. Jones is concerned. That's why T. J. is determined to have the Cutter All Night Mermen—the unlikeliest swim team a high school has ever seen—earn letter jackets of their own. It won't be easy. For one thing, they don't even have a pool. They will fight for their dignity, they will fight with each other, and sometimes they will just fight.
Others have suggested this book to Ms. B
In the Country of Men by Hisham Matar
Libya, 1979. Nine-year-old Suleiman’s days are circumscribed by the narrow rituals of childhood: outings to the ruins surrounding Tripoli, games with friends played under the burning sun, exotic gifts from his father’s constant business trips abroad. But his nights have come to revolve around his mother’s increasingly disturbing bedside stories full of old family bitterness.
Others have suggested this book to Ms. B
The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
The unforgettable, heartbreaking story of the unlikely friendship between a wealthy boy and the son of his father's servant, The Kite Runner is a beautifully crafted novel set in a country that is in the process of being destroyed. It is 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.
Ms. B read this and loved this
This book can be very heavy and graphic at times.
A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini
Born a generation apart and with very different ideas about love and family, Mariam and Laila are two women brought jarringly together by war, by loss and by fate. As they endure the ever escalating dangers around them-in their home as well as in the streets of Kabul-they come to form a bond that makes them both sisters and mother-daughter to each other, and that will ultimately alter the course not just of their own lives but of the next generation.
Ms. B will be reading this book this summer
Water for Elephants: A Novel by Sara Gruen
Though he may not speak of them, the memories still dwell inside Jacob Jankowski's 90 -something-year-old mind. Memories of himself as a young man, tossed by fate onto a rickety train that was home to the Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth. Memories of a world filled with freaks and clowns, with wonder and pain and anger and passion; a world with its own narrow, irrational rules, its own way of life, and its own way of death.
Ms. B read this and loved this
To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf
The serene and maternal Mrs. Ramsay, the tragic yet absurd Mr. Ramsay, and their children and assorted guests are on vacation on the Isle of Skye. From the seemingly trivial postponement of a visit to a nearby lighthouse, a remarkable, moving examination of the complex tensions and allegiances of family life and the conflict between men and women is created.
Ms. B read this and loved this
The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz
Oscar is a sweet but disastrously overweight ghetto nerd who—from the New Jersey home he shares with his old world mother and rebellious sister—dreams of becoming the Dominican J.R.R. Tolkien and, most of all, finding love. But Oscar may never get what he wants. Blame the fukú—a curse that has haunted Oscar’s family for generations, following them on their epic journey from Santo Domingo to the USA.
Ms. B read this and loved this
The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison
Pecola Breedlove, a young black girl, prays every day for beauty. Mocked by other children for the dark skin, curly hair, and brown eyes that set her apart, she yearns for normalcy, for the blond hair and blue eyes that she believes will allow her to finally fit in.Yet as her dream grows more fervent, her life slowly starts to disintegrate in the face of adversity and strife.
Ms. B read this and loved this
Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston
This tells a Southern love story with the wit and pathos found only in the writing of Zora Neale Hurston. Out of print for almost thirty years—due largely to initial audiences’ rejection of its strong black female protagonist—Hurston’s classic has since its 1978 reissue become perhaps the most widely read and highly acclaimed novel in the canon of African-American literature.
Ms. B read this and loved this
Beloved by Toni Morrison
Sethe, its protagonist, was born a slave and escaped to Ohio, but eighteen years later she is still not free. She has too many memories of Sweet Home, the beautiful farm where so many hideous things happened. And Sethe’s new home is haunted by the ghost of her baby, who died nameless and whose tombstone is engraved with a single word: Beloved.
Ms. B read this and loved this
If I Stay by Gayle Forman
In the blink of an eye everything changes. Seventeen year-old Mia has no memory of the accident; she can only recall what happened afterwards, watching her own damaged body being taken from the wreck. Little by little she struggles to put together the pieces- to figure out what she has lost, what she has left, and the very difficult choice she must make. Heartwrenchingly beautiful, this will change the way you look at life, love, and family.
Ms. B will be reading this book this summer
Mrs. Dalloway / A Room of One's Own by Virginia Woolf
In Mrs. Dalloway, Virginia Woolf details Clarissa Dalloway’s preparations for a party of which she is to be hostess, exploring the hidden springs of thought and action in one day of a woman’s life. Paired here with A Room of One’s Own, a masterful and provocative essay on women’s role in society, this beautiful hardcover edition will be a welcome addition to the library of any Woolf scholar or fan.
Ms. B read this and loved this
The Hours: A Novel by Michael Cunningham
This is the story of a group of contemporary characters struggling with the conflicting claims of love and inheritance, hope and despair. The narrative of Woolf's last days before her suicide early in World War II counterpoints the fictional stories of Samuel, a famous poet whose life has been shadowed by his talented and troubled mother, and his lifelong friend Clarissa, who strives to forge a balanced and rewarding life in spite of the demands of friends, lovers, and family.
Ms. B read this and loved this
I loved, loved, LOVED this. If you’ve read and enjoyed Mrs. Dalloway or anything else by Virginia Woolf, you’ll love this too.
The Complete Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi
This is a wonderful graphic novel, the story of Satrapi's unforgettable childhood and coming of age within a large and loving family in Tehran during the Islamic Revolution; of the contradictions between private life and public life in a country plagued by political upheaval; of her high school years in Vienna facing the trials of adolescence far from her family; of her homecoming--both sweet and terrible; and, finally, of her self-imposed exile from her beloved homeland.
Ms. B read this and loved this
This is an awesome graphic novel that discusses the revolution in Iran. It’s read in the Graphic Novels & Anime course.
A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier by Ishmael Beah
What is war like through the eyes of a child soldier? How does one become a killer? How does one stop? Child soldiers have been profiled by journalists, and novelists have struggled to imagine their lives. But until now, there has not been a first-person account from someone who survived.
Others have suggested this book to Ms. B
I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban by Malala Yousafzai, Christina Lamb
When the Taliban took control of the Swat Valley in Pakistan, one girl spoke out. Malala Yousafzai refused to be silenced and fought for her right to an education. On Tuesday, October 9, 2012, when she was fifteen, she almost paid the ultimate price. She was shot in the head at point-blank range while riding the bus home from school, and few expected her to survive. Instead, Malala's miraculous recovery has taken her on an extraordinary journey.
Ms. B will be reading this book this summer
Monster by Walter Dean Myers
Walter Dean Myers tells the story of Steve Harmon, a teenage boy in juvenile detention and on trial. Presented as a screenplay of Steve's own imagination, and peppered with journal entries, the book shows how one single decision can change our whole lives.
Ms. B read this and loved this
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie, Ellen Forney
Sherman Alexie tells the story of Junior, a budding cartoonist growing up on the Spokane Indian Reservation. Determined to take his future into his own hands, Junior leaves his troubled school on the rez to attend an all-white farm town high school where the only other Indian is the school mascot. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, which is based on the author's own experiences, coupled with poignant drawings, is heartbreaking, funny, and beautifully written.
Ms. B read this and loved this
This book is REALLY good and makes you think, but it also is very blunt, to the point, and deals with some very adult/ mature issues.
The First Part Last by Angela Johnson
Bobby is your classic urban teenaged boy -- impulsive, eager, restless. On his sixteenth birthday he gets some news from his girlfriend, Nia, that changes his life forever. She's pregnant. Bobby's going to be a father. Suddenly things like school and house parties and hanging with friends no longer seem important as they're replaced by visits to Nia's obstetrician and a social worker who says that the only way for Nia and Bobby to lead a normal life is to put their baby up for adoption.
Ms. B read this and loved this
This is a fairly easy read that discusses teen pregnancy from the view point of a father. It’s the first in a trilogy.
Fallout (Crank Trilogy #3) by Ellen Hopkins
Hunter, Autumn, and Summer—three of Kristina Snow’s five children—live in different homes, with different guardians and different last names. They share only a predisposition for addiction and a host of troubled feelings toward the mother who barely knows them, a mother who has been riding with the monster, crank, for twenty years.
Ms. B read this and loved this
This deals with drugs and a lot of heavy issues.
Glass (Crank Trilogy #2) by Ellen Hopkins
Crank. Glass. Ice. Crystal. Whatever you call it, it’s all the same: a monster. Kristina thinks she can control it. Now with a baby to care for, she is determined to be the one deciding when and how much, the one calling the shots. But the monster is strong, and before she knows it, Kristina is back in its grip…and it won’t let go.
Ms. B read this and loved this
This deals with drugs and a lot of heavy issues.
Crank (Crank Trilogy #1) by Ellen Hopkins
Kristina Snow is the perfect daughter: gifted high school junior, quiet, never any trouble. Then, Kristina meets the monster: crank. And what begins as a wild, ecstatic ride turns into a struggle through hell for her mind, her soul—her life.
Ms. B read this and loved this
This deals with drugs and a lot of heavy issues.
Marcelo In The Real World by Francisco X. Stork (Paperback)
Marcelo Sandoval hears music no one else can hear--part of the autism-like impairment no doctor has been able to identify--and he's always attended a special school where his differences have been protected. But the summer after his junior year, his father demands that Marcelo work in his law firm's mailroom in order to experience "the real world."
Ms. B read this and loved this
This is a wonderful book that offers insight to individuals who fall under the Autism spectrum.
Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes
In poignant diary entries, Charlie, a mentally disabled man, tells how a brain operation increases his IQ and changes his life. As the experimental procedure takes effect, Charlie's intelligence expands until it surpasses that of the doctors who engineered his metamorphosis. The experiment seems to be a scientific breakthrough of paramount importance--until Algernon begins his sudden, unexpected deterioration. Will the same happen to Charlie?
Ms. B read this and loved this
This is a classic text that deals with a lot of different issues, and can be a bit graphic at times.
Word Warriors: 35 Women Leaders in the Spoken Word Revolution by Alix Olson, Eve Ensler
Female spoken word artists have become the spokeswomen for a new generation. This demanding oral poetry of the early 21st century has defined a vanguard of lithely muscled voices; women who think and act decisively to create their distinctive and desperately earned realities. The combination of the eminent slam movement and the upsurge of bold underground feminism has created a unique pool of women who verbally challenge society on all fronts.
Ms. B will be reading this book this summer
Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life by Anne Lamott
Think you've got a book inside of you? Anne Lamott isn't afraid to help you let it out. She'll help you find your passion and your voice, beginning from the first really crummy draft to the peculiar letdown of publication. Readers will be seduced by Lamott's witty take on the reality of a writer's life, which has little to do with literary parties and a lot to do with jealousy, writer's block and going for broke with each paragraph. Marvelously wise and best of all, great reading.
Ms. B read this and loved this
On Writing: 10th Anniversary Edition: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King
Part memoir, part master class by one of the bestselling authors of all time, this superb volume is a revealing and practical view of the writer’s craft, comprising the basic tools of the trade every writer must have. King’s advice is grounded in his vivid memories from childhood through his emergence as a writer, from his struggling early career to his widely reported, near-fatal accident in 1999—and how the inextricable link between writing and living spurred his recovery.
Ms. B read this and loved this
Bone Black: Memories of Girlhood by bell hooks
A memoir of ideas and perceptions, Bone Black shows the unfolding of female creativity and one strong-spirited child’s journey toward becoming a writer. She learns early on the roles women and men play in society, as well as the emotional vulnerability of children. She sheds new light on a society that beholds the joys of marriage for men and condemns anything more than silence for women.
Ms. B read this and loved this
We The Animals by Justin Torres
In this groundbreaking debut, Justin Torres plunges us into the chaotic heart of one family, the intense bonds of three brothers, and the mythic effects of this fierce love on the people we must become.
Ms. B read this and loved this
Gingerbread by Rachel Cohn
After getting tossed from her posh boarding school, wild, willful, and coffee addicted Cyd Charisse returns to San Francisco to live with her parents. But there's no way Cyd can survive in her parents' pristine house. Lucky for Cyd she's got Gingerbread, her childhood rag doll and confidante, and her new surfer boyfriend. When Cyd's rebelliousness gets out of hand, her parents ship her off to New York City to spend the summer with "Frank real-dad," her biological father.
Ms. B read this and loved this
I read this in high school when it came out, and I really enjoyed it. Cyd is snarky, wonderful, and a loveable character dealing with a lot of issues.
Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell
Set over the course of one school year in 1986, this is the story of two star-crossed misfits—smart enough to know that first love almost never lasts, but brave and desperate enough to try. When Eleanor meets Park, you’ll remember your own first love—and just how hard it pulled you under.
Ms. B will be reading this book this summer
Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher
Clay Jensen returns home from school to find a strange package with several cassette tapes recorded by Hannah Baker - his classmate and crush - who committed suicide two weeks earlier. Hannah's voice tells him that there are thirteen reasons why she decided to end her life. Clay is one of them. If he listens, he'll find out why. Clay spends the night crisscrossing his town with Hannah as his guide. He becomes a firsthand witness to Hannah's pain, and learns the truth about himself.
Ms. B’s sister read this and loved this
Trigger warning for anyone impacted by suicide
It's Kind of a Funny Story by Ned Vizzini
Like many ambitious New York City teenagers, Craig Gilner sees entry into Manhattan's Executive Pre-Professional High School as the ticket to his future. Determined to succeed at life-which means getting into the right high school to get into the right college to get the right job-Craig studies night and day to ace the entrance exam, and does. That's when things start to get crazy.
Ms. B will be reading this book this summer
Trigger warning for anyone affected by depression/ mental health issues
The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
The Perks of Being a Wallflower is a story about what it’s like to travel that strange course through the uncharted territory of high school. The world of first dates, family dramas, and new friends. Of sex, drugs, and The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Of those wild and poignant roller-coaster days known as growing up.
Ms. B read this and loved loved loved this
This is an amazing book! It deals with a lot of different issues.
Looking for Alaska by John Green
Sixteen-year-old Miles Halter's adolescence has been one long nonevent - no challenge, no girls, no mischief, and no real friends. Seeking what Rabelais called the "Great Perhaps," he leaves Florida for a boarding school in Birmingham, AL. His roommate, Chip, is a dirt-poor genius scholarship student with a Napoleon complex who lives to one-up the school's rich preppies. Chip's best friend is Alaska Young, with whom Miles and every other male in her orbit falls instantly in love.
Ms. B will be reading this book this summer
The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
Despite the tumor-shrinking medical miracle that has bought her a few years, Hazel has never been anything but terminal, her final chapter inscribed upon diagnosis. But when a gorgeous plot twist named Augustus Waters suddenly appears at Cancer Kid Support Group, Hazel’s story is about to be completely rewritten.
Ms. B read this, loved this, and cried
Trigger warning—you WILL cry, no matter what.
This Is How You Lose Her by Junot Diaz
This is a beautifully written collection of stories that explores romantic love, familial love, and loves waiting to be explored.
Ms. B read this and loved this
Drown by Junot Diaz
This is a really good collection of short stories by Junot Diaz, a Dominican born author who grew up in New Jersey and eventually graduated from Rutgers. This collection of 10 short stories deals with poverty, drugs, and crime.
Ms. B read this and loved this
A Bangladeshi immigrant in London is torn between the kind, tedious older husband with whom she has an arranged marriage (and children) and the fiery political activist she lusts after. A novel that’s multi-continental, richly detailed and elegantly crafted.
Summer reading book suggested by FHS
House of Cards by Michael Dobbs
House of Cards is a chilling cautionary tale about greed, arrogance, and stupidity in the financial world, and the consequences for all of us. (Yes, this is the inspiration for the Netflix series.)
Summer reading book suggested by FHS
The Ministry of Fear: An Entertainment by Graham Greene, Alan Furst
A dark tale of greed, corruption, and unquenchable ambition, House of Cards reveals that no matter the country, politics, intrigue and passion reign in the corridors of power. (Yes, this inspired the Netflix series.)
Summer reading book suggested by FHS
The Razor's Edge by W. Somerset Maugham
Larry Darrell is a young American in search of the absolute. The progress of his spiritual odyssey involves him with some of Maugham's most brilliant characters - his fiancée Isabel whose choice between love and wealth have lifelong repercussions, and Elliott Templeton, her uncle, a classic expatriate American snob. Maugham himself wanders in and out of the story, to observe his characters struggling with their fates.
Summer reading book suggested by FHS
The Lost City of Z: A Tale of Deadly Obsession in the Amazon by David Grann
David Grann re-covers this ground in The Lost City of Z. Grann, a staff writer for The New Yorker, is both more thorough and more reliable than most of Fawcett's chroniclers; he follows the explorer from his childhood in England through his military service in Ceylon, his years as a spy in the Middle East, an Amazon explorer, a soldier, and, finally, the victim of his own need to find the aptly named Z, the last letter in the alphabet of his travels.
Summer reading book suggested by FHS
Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro
It is almost literally a novel about humanity: what constitutes it, what it means, how it can be honored or denied. These little children, and the adults they eventually become, are brought up to serve humanity in the most astonishing and selfless ways, and the humanity they achieve in so doing makes us realize that in a new world the word must be redefined.
Summer reading book suggested by FHS
The Good Soldier by Ford Madox Ford
Dowell narrates the story of his loveless marriage to his hypochondriac wife,Florence, and their meeting in Nauheim with the Ashburnhams;they equally sharing a loveless marriage.Telling the tale in non-chronological flashbacks,that lack consistency or are deliberately vague,the tragedy of the Dowell's and Ashburnhams finally unfolds.
Summer reading book suggested by FHS
Acceptance: A Novel by Susan Coll
Acceptance is a satire of America's overachievers, a novel set over one year in the college application process, when students and parents surrender their evenings, their weekends, and their sanity to the race for admission.
Summer reading book suggested by FHS
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
Join Douglas Adams's hapless hero Arthur Dent as he travels the galaxy with his intrepid pal Ford Prefect, getting into horrible messes and generally wreaking hilarious havoc. Dent is grabbed from Earth moments before a cosmic construction team obliterates the planet to build a freeway.
Summer reading book suggested by FHS
1984 by George Orwell
1984 presents a startling and haunting vision of the world, so powerful that it is completely convincing from start to finish. No one can deny the power of this novel, its hold on the imaginations of multiple generations of readers, or the resiliency of its admonitions—a legacy that seems only to grow with the passage of time.
Summer reading book suggested by FHS
Ms. B read this and loved this
Born Confused by Tanuja Desai Hidier
This is a book about an Indian girl from New Jersey named Dimple who wants to be seen as an all-American girl, but everyone else just sees her as Indian.
Ms. B read this and loved this
On the Road by Jack Kerouac
On the Road chronicles Jack Kerouac's years traveling the North American continent with his friend Neal Cassady, "a sideburned hero of the snowy West." As "Sal Paradise" and "Dean Moriarty," the two roam the country in a quest for self-knowledge and experience. Kerouac's love of America, his compassion for humanity, and his sense of language as jazz combine to make On the Road an inspirational work of lasting importance.
Ms. B read this and loved this
The Art of Racing in the Rain: A Novel by Garth Stein
A heart-wrenching but deeply funny and ultimately uplifting story of family, love, loyalty, and hope--a captivating look at the wonders and absurdities of human life . . . as only a dog could tell it.
Ms. B will be reading this book this summer
One Hundred Years of Solitude (P.S.) by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Gregory Rabassa
One Hundred Years of Solitude tells the story of the rise and fall, birth and death of the mythical town of Macondo through the history of the Buenda family. Inventive, amusing, magnetic, sad, and alive with unforgettable men and women -- brimming with truth, compassion, and a lyrical magic that strikes the soul -- this novel is a masterpiece in the art of fiction.
Ms. B has heard amazing things about this
Bossypants by Tina Fey
Before Liz Lemon, before "Weekend Update," before "Sarah Palin," Tina Fey was just a young girl with a dream: a recurring stress dream that she was being chased through a local airport by her middle-school gym teacher. She also had a dream that one day she would be a comedian on TV. She has seen both these dreams come true. At last, Tina Fey's story can be told.
Ms. B read this and loved this
This is a memoir by Tina Fey.
Let's Pretend This Never Happened by Jenny Lawson
When Jenny Lawson was little, all she ever wanted was to fit in. That dream was cut short by her fantastically unbalanced father and a morbidly eccentric childhood. It did, however, open up an opportunity for Lawson to find the humor in the strange shame-spiral that is her life, and we are all the better for it.
Ms. B read this and loved this
This is a memoir about a blogger, TheBloggess.com. Look at her (very quirky) blog before deciding if you want to read this.
Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris
A recent transplant to Paris, humorist David Sedaris, bestselling author of "Naked", presents a collection of his strongest work yet, including the title story about his hilarious attempt to learn French. A number one national bestseller now in paperback.
Ms. B will be reading this book this summer
The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown
As millions of readers around the globe have already discovered, The Da Vinci Code is a reading experience unlike any other. Simultaneously lightning-paced, intelligent, and intricately layered with remarkable research and detail, Dan Brown's novel is a thrilling masterpiece—from its opening pages to its stunning conclusion.
Ms. B read this and loved this
Are You My Mother?: A Comic Drama by Alison Bechdel
Alison Bechdel’s Fun Home was a pop culture and literary phenomenon. Now, a second thrilling tale of filial sleuthery, this time about her mother: voracious reader, music lover, passionate amateur actor. Also a woman, unhappily married to a closeted gay man, whose artistic aspirations simmered under the surface of Bechdel's childhood . . . and who stopped touching or kissing her daughter good night, forever, when she was seven. Poignantly, hilariously, Bechdel embarks on a quest for answers.
Ms. B read this and loved this
This is a graphic novel that gets slightly graphic when discussing relationships.
Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic by Alison Bechdel
Distant and exacting, Bruce Bechdel was an English teacher and director of the town funeral home, which Alison and her family referred to as the "Fun Home." It was not until college that Alison, who had recently come out as a lesbian, discovered that her father was also gay. A few weeks after this revelation, he was dead, leaving a legacy of mystery for his daughter to resolve.
Ms. B read this and loved this
This is a graphic novel that gets quite graphic as Alison discovers her sexuality.
How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents by Julia Alvarez
The Garcías—Dr. Carlos (Papi), his wife Laura (Mami), and their four daughters, Carla, Sandra, Yolanda, and Sofía—belong to the uppermost echelon of Spanish Caribbean society, descended from the conquistadores. Their family compound adjoins the palacio of the dictator’s daughter. So when Dr. García’s part in a coup attempt is discovered, the family must flee. They arrive in New York City in 1960 to a life far removed from their existence in the Dominican Republic.
Ms. B will be re-reading this book this summer
This is a fabulous book by the author of In the Time of the Butterflies. (You can’t read that book for summer reading because it’s on 11th grade curriculum… but I definitely suggest it!!)
The Pact: Three Young Men Make a Promise and Fulfill a Dream by Sampson Davis, George Jenkins, Rameck Hunt
The three doctors grew up in the streets of Newark, facing city life’s temptations, pitfalls, even jail. But one day these three young men made a pact. They promised each other they would all become doctors, and stick it out together through the long, difficult journey to attaining that dream. Sampson Davis, George Jenkins, and Rameck Hunt are not only friends to this day—they are all doctors.
Ms. B read this and LOVED this
READ IT.
Feeling Sorry for Celia: A Novel by Jaclyn Moriarty
Life is pretty complicated for Elizabeth Clarry. Her best friend Celia keeps disappearing, her absent father suddenly reappears, and her communication with her mother consists entirely of wacky notes left on the fridge. On top of everything else, because her English teacher wants to rekindle the "Joy of the Envelope," a Complete and Utter Stranger knows more about Elizabeth than anyone else.
Ms. B read this and loved this
I read this in high school when it first came out. I remember loving it!
The Road by Cormac McCarthy
McCarthy's latest novel, a frightening apocalyptic vision, is narrated by a nameless man, one of the few survivors of an unspecified civilization-ending catastrophe. He and his young son are trekking along a treacherous highway, starving and freezing, trying to avoid roving cannibal armies. The tale, and their lives, are saved from teetering over the edge of bleakness thanks to the man's fierce belief that they are "the good guys" who are preserving the light of humanity.
Others have suggested this book to Ms. B
Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell
Fangirl is a coming-of-age novel that is smart, funny, and genuine. Fangirl takes place during Cather Avery's first year of college, learning who she is when stripped down to just Cath--not the twins Cath & Wren and not Magicath, her fan fiction pen name. Through all the changes, both difficult and thrilling, one part of her old life still makes as much sense in her dorm room as it did in her childhood bedroom--the Emergency Kanye Party.
Ms. B will be reading this book this summer
Whale Talk by Chris Crutcher
A varsity letter jacket: it's exclusive, nearly unattainable, revered . . . and everything that's screwed up about Cutter High, as far as T. J. Jones is concerned. That's why T. J. is determined to have the Cutter All Night Mermen—the unlikeliest swim team a high school has ever seen—earn letter jackets of their own. It won't be easy. For one thing, they don't even have a pool. They will fight for their dignity, they will fight with each other, and sometimes they will just fight.
Others have suggested this book to Ms. B
In the Country of Men by Hisham Matar
Libya, 1979. Nine-year-old Suleiman’s days are circumscribed by the narrow rituals of childhood: outings to the ruins surrounding Tripoli, games with friends played under the burning sun, exotic gifts from his father’s constant business trips abroad. But his nights have come to revolve around his mother’s increasingly disturbing bedside stories full of old family bitterness.
Others have suggested this book to Ms. B
The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
The unforgettable, heartbreaking story of the unlikely friendship between a wealthy boy and the son of his father's servant, The Kite Runner is a beautifully crafted novel set in a country that is in the process of being destroyed. It is 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.
Ms. B read this and loved this
This book can be very heavy and graphic at times.
A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini
Born a generation apart and with very different ideas about love and family, Mariam and Laila are two women brought jarringly together by war, by loss and by fate. As they endure the ever escalating dangers around them-in their home as well as in the streets of Kabul-they come to form a bond that makes them both sisters and mother-daughter to each other, and that will ultimately alter the course not just of their own lives but of the next generation.
Ms. B will be reading this book this summer
Water for Elephants: A Novel by Sara Gruen
Though he may not speak of them, the memories still dwell inside Jacob Jankowski's 90 -something-year-old mind. Memories of himself as a young man, tossed by fate onto a rickety train that was home to the Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth. Memories of a world filled with freaks and clowns, with wonder and pain and anger and passion; a world with its own narrow, irrational rules, its own way of life, and its own way of death.
Ms. B read this and loved this
To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf
The serene and maternal Mrs. Ramsay, the tragic yet absurd Mr. Ramsay, and their children and assorted guests are on vacation on the Isle of Skye. From the seemingly trivial postponement of a visit to a nearby lighthouse, a remarkable, moving examination of the complex tensions and allegiances of family life and the conflict between men and women is created.
Ms. B read this and loved this
The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz
Oscar is a sweet but disastrously overweight ghetto nerd who—from the New Jersey home he shares with his old world mother and rebellious sister—dreams of becoming the Dominican J.R.R. Tolkien and, most of all, finding love. But Oscar may never get what he wants. Blame the fukú—a curse that has haunted Oscar’s family for generations, following them on their epic journey from Santo Domingo to the USA.
Ms. B read this and loved this
The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison
Pecola Breedlove, a young black girl, prays every day for beauty. Mocked by other children for the dark skin, curly hair, and brown eyes that set her apart, she yearns for normalcy, for the blond hair and blue eyes that she believes will allow her to finally fit in.Yet as her dream grows more fervent, her life slowly starts to disintegrate in the face of adversity and strife.
Ms. B read this and loved this
Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston
This tells a Southern love story with the wit and pathos found only in the writing of Zora Neale Hurston. Out of print for almost thirty years—due largely to initial audiences’ rejection of its strong black female protagonist—Hurston’s classic has since its 1978 reissue become perhaps the most widely read and highly acclaimed novel in the canon of African-American literature.
Ms. B read this and loved this
Beloved by Toni Morrison
Sethe, its protagonist, was born a slave and escaped to Ohio, but eighteen years later she is still not free. She has too many memories of Sweet Home, the beautiful farm where so many hideous things happened. And Sethe’s new home is haunted by the ghost of her baby, who died nameless and whose tombstone is engraved with a single word: Beloved.
Ms. B read this and loved this
If I Stay by Gayle Forman
In the blink of an eye everything changes. Seventeen year-old Mia has no memory of the accident; she can only recall what happened afterwards, watching her own damaged body being taken from the wreck. Little by little she struggles to put together the pieces- to figure out what she has lost, what she has left, and the very difficult choice she must make. Heartwrenchingly beautiful, this will change the way you look at life, love, and family.
Ms. B will be reading this book this summer
Mrs. Dalloway / A Room of One's Own by Virginia Woolf
In Mrs. Dalloway, Virginia Woolf details Clarissa Dalloway’s preparations for a party of which she is to be hostess, exploring the hidden springs of thought and action in one day of a woman’s life. Paired here with A Room of One’s Own, a masterful and provocative essay on women’s role in society, this beautiful hardcover edition will be a welcome addition to the library of any Woolf scholar or fan.
Ms. B read this and loved this
The Hours: A Novel by Michael Cunningham
This is the story of a group of contemporary characters struggling with the conflicting claims of love and inheritance, hope and despair. The narrative of Woolf's last days before her suicide early in World War II counterpoints the fictional stories of Samuel, a famous poet whose life has been shadowed by his talented and troubled mother, and his lifelong friend Clarissa, who strives to forge a balanced and rewarding life in spite of the demands of friends, lovers, and family.
Ms. B read this and loved this
I loved, loved, LOVED this. If you’ve read and enjoyed Mrs. Dalloway or anything else by Virginia Woolf, you’ll love this too.
The Complete Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi
This is a wonderful graphic novel, the story of Satrapi's unforgettable childhood and coming of age within a large and loving family in Tehran during the Islamic Revolution; of the contradictions between private life and public life in a country plagued by political upheaval; of her high school years in Vienna facing the trials of adolescence far from her family; of her homecoming--both sweet and terrible; and, finally, of her self-imposed exile from her beloved homeland.
Ms. B read this and loved this
This is an awesome graphic novel that discusses the revolution in Iran. It’s read in the Graphic Novels & Anime course.
A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier by Ishmael Beah
What is war like through the eyes of a child soldier? How does one become a killer? How does one stop? Child soldiers have been profiled by journalists, and novelists have struggled to imagine their lives. But until now, there has not been a first-person account from someone who survived.
Others have suggested this book to Ms. B
I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban by Malala Yousafzai, Christina Lamb
When the Taliban took control of the Swat Valley in Pakistan, one girl spoke out. Malala Yousafzai refused to be silenced and fought for her right to an education. On Tuesday, October 9, 2012, when she was fifteen, she almost paid the ultimate price. She was shot in the head at point-blank range while riding the bus home from school, and few expected her to survive. Instead, Malala's miraculous recovery has taken her on an extraordinary journey.
Ms. B will be reading this book this summer
Monster by Walter Dean Myers
Walter Dean Myers tells the story of Steve Harmon, a teenage boy in juvenile detention and on trial. Presented as a screenplay of Steve's own imagination, and peppered with journal entries, the book shows how one single decision can change our whole lives.
Ms. B read this and loved this
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie, Ellen Forney
Sherman Alexie tells the story of Junior, a budding cartoonist growing up on the Spokane Indian Reservation. Determined to take his future into his own hands, Junior leaves his troubled school on the rez to attend an all-white farm town high school where the only other Indian is the school mascot. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, which is based on the author's own experiences, coupled with poignant drawings, is heartbreaking, funny, and beautifully written.
Ms. B read this and loved this
This book is REALLY good and makes you think, but it also is very blunt, to the point, and deals with some very adult/ mature issues.
The First Part Last by Angela Johnson
Bobby is your classic urban teenaged boy -- impulsive, eager, restless. On his sixteenth birthday he gets some news from his girlfriend, Nia, that changes his life forever. She's pregnant. Bobby's going to be a father. Suddenly things like school and house parties and hanging with friends no longer seem important as they're replaced by visits to Nia's obstetrician and a social worker who says that the only way for Nia and Bobby to lead a normal life is to put their baby up for adoption.
Ms. B read this and loved this
This is a fairly easy read that discusses teen pregnancy from the view point of a father. It’s the first in a trilogy.
Fallout (Crank Trilogy #3) by Ellen Hopkins
Hunter, Autumn, and Summer—three of Kristina Snow’s five children—live in different homes, with different guardians and different last names. They share only a predisposition for addiction and a host of troubled feelings toward the mother who barely knows them, a mother who has been riding with the monster, crank, for twenty years.
Ms. B read this and loved this
This deals with drugs and a lot of heavy issues.
Glass (Crank Trilogy #2) by Ellen Hopkins
Crank. Glass. Ice. Crystal. Whatever you call it, it’s all the same: a monster. Kristina thinks she can control it. Now with a baby to care for, she is determined to be the one deciding when and how much, the one calling the shots. But the monster is strong, and before she knows it, Kristina is back in its grip…and it won’t let go.
Ms. B read this and loved this
This deals with drugs and a lot of heavy issues.
Crank (Crank Trilogy #1) by Ellen Hopkins
Kristina Snow is the perfect daughter: gifted high school junior, quiet, never any trouble. Then, Kristina meets the monster: crank. And what begins as a wild, ecstatic ride turns into a struggle through hell for her mind, her soul—her life.
Ms. B read this and loved this
This deals with drugs and a lot of heavy issues.
Marcelo In The Real World by Francisco X. Stork (Paperback)
Marcelo Sandoval hears music no one else can hear--part of the autism-like impairment no doctor has been able to identify--and he's always attended a special school where his differences have been protected. But the summer after his junior year, his father demands that Marcelo work in his law firm's mailroom in order to experience "the real world."
Ms. B read this and loved this
This is a wonderful book that offers insight to individuals who fall under the Autism spectrum.
Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes
In poignant diary entries, Charlie, a mentally disabled man, tells how a brain operation increases his IQ and changes his life. As the experimental procedure takes effect, Charlie's intelligence expands until it surpasses that of the doctors who engineered his metamorphosis. The experiment seems to be a scientific breakthrough of paramount importance--until Algernon begins his sudden, unexpected deterioration. Will the same happen to Charlie?
Ms. B read this and loved this
This is a classic text that deals with a lot of different issues, and can be a bit graphic at times.
Word Warriors: 35 Women Leaders in the Spoken Word Revolution by Alix Olson, Eve Ensler
Female spoken word artists have become the spokeswomen for a new generation. This demanding oral poetry of the early 21st century has defined a vanguard of lithely muscled voices; women who think and act decisively to create their distinctive and desperately earned realities. The combination of the eminent slam movement and the upsurge of bold underground feminism has created a unique pool of women who verbally challenge society on all fronts.
Ms. B will be reading this book this summer
Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life by Anne Lamott
Think you've got a book inside of you? Anne Lamott isn't afraid to help you let it out. She'll help you find your passion and your voice, beginning from the first really crummy draft to the peculiar letdown of publication. Readers will be seduced by Lamott's witty take on the reality of a writer's life, which has little to do with literary parties and a lot to do with jealousy, writer's block and going for broke with each paragraph. Marvelously wise and best of all, great reading.
Ms. B read this and loved this
On Writing: 10th Anniversary Edition: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King
Part memoir, part master class by one of the bestselling authors of all time, this superb volume is a revealing and practical view of the writer’s craft, comprising the basic tools of the trade every writer must have. King’s advice is grounded in his vivid memories from childhood through his emergence as a writer, from his struggling early career to his widely reported, near-fatal accident in 1999—and how the inextricable link between writing and living spurred his recovery.
Ms. B read this and loved this
Bone Black: Memories of Girlhood by bell hooks
A memoir of ideas and perceptions, Bone Black shows the unfolding of female creativity and one strong-spirited child’s journey toward becoming a writer. She learns early on the roles women and men play in society, as well as the emotional vulnerability of children. She sheds new light on a society that beholds the joys of marriage for men and condemns anything more than silence for women.
Ms. B read this and loved this
We The Animals by Justin Torres
In this groundbreaking debut, Justin Torres plunges us into the chaotic heart of one family, the intense bonds of three brothers, and the mythic effects of this fierce love on the people we must become.
Ms. B read this and loved this
Gingerbread by Rachel Cohn
After getting tossed from her posh boarding school, wild, willful, and coffee addicted Cyd Charisse returns to San Francisco to live with her parents. But there's no way Cyd can survive in her parents' pristine house. Lucky for Cyd she's got Gingerbread, her childhood rag doll and confidante, and her new surfer boyfriend. When Cyd's rebelliousness gets out of hand, her parents ship her off to New York City to spend the summer with "Frank real-dad," her biological father.
Ms. B read this and loved this
I read this in high school when it came out, and I really enjoyed it. Cyd is snarky, wonderful, and a loveable character dealing with a lot of issues.
Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell
Set over the course of one school year in 1986, this is the story of two star-crossed misfits—smart enough to know that first love almost never lasts, but brave and desperate enough to try. When Eleanor meets Park, you’ll remember your own first love—and just how hard it pulled you under.
Ms. B will be reading this book this summer
Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher
Clay Jensen returns home from school to find a strange package with several cassette tapes recorded by Hannah Baker - his classmate and crush - who committed suicide two weeks earlier. Hannah's voice tells him that there are thirteen reasons why she decided to end her life. Clay is one of them. If he listens, he'll find out why. Clay spends the night crisscrossing his town with Hannah as his guide. He becomes a firsthand witness to Hannah's pain, and learns the truth about himself.
Ms. B’s sister read this and loved this
Trigger warning for anyone impacted by suicide
It's Kind of a Funny Story by Ned Vizzini
Like many ambitious New York City teenagers, Craig Gilner sees entry into Manhattan's Executive Pre-Professional High School as the ticket to his future. Determined to succeed at life-which means getting into the right high school to get into the right college to get the right job-Craig studies night and day to ace the entrance exam, and does. That's when things start to get crazy.
Ms. B will be reading this book this summer
Trigger warning for anyone affected by depression/ mental health issues
The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
The Perks of Being a Wallflower is a story about what it’s like to travel that strange course through the uncharted territory of high school. The world of first dates, family dramas, and new friends. Of sex, drugs, and The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Of those wild and poignant roller-coaster days known as growing up.
Ms. B read this and loved loved loved this
This is an amazing book! It deals with a lot of different issues.
Looking for Alaska by John Green
Sixteen-year-old Miles Halter's adolescence has been one long nonevent - no challenge, no girls, no mischief, and no real friends. Seeking what Rabelais called the "Great Perhaps," he leaves Florida for a boarding school in Birmingham, AL. His roommate, Chip, is a dirt-poor genius scholarship student with a Napoleon complex who lives to one-up the school's rich preppies. Chip's best friend is Alaska Young, with whom Miles and every other male in her orbit falls instantly in love.
Ms. B will be reading this book this summer
The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
Despite the tumor-shrinking medical miracle that has bought her a few years, Hazel has never been anything but terminal, her final chapter inscribed upon diagnosis. But when a gorgeous plot twist named Augustus Waters suddenly appears at Cancer Kid Support Group, Hazel’s story is about to be completely rewritten.
Ms. B read this, loved this, and cried
Trigger warning—you WILL cry, no matter what.
This Is How You Lose Her by Junot Diaz
This is a beautifully written collection of stories that explores romantic love, familial love, and loves waiting to be explored.
Ms. B read this and loved this
Drown by Junot Diaz
This is a really good collection of short stories by Junot Diaz, a Dominican born author who grew up in New Jersey and eventually graduated from Rutgers. This collection of 10 short stories deals with poverty, drugs, and crime.
Ms. B read this and loved this
