WHS College Bound Reading List - Fiction *Other books by this author are approved. Adults who recommend, Adult comments A Tree Grows in Brooklyn By Betty Smith 430 p. Lexile: 810

Call #: FIC SMITH

Betty Smith's poignant, honest novel created a big stir when it was first published over 50 years ago. Her frank writing about life's squalor was alarming to some of the more genteel society, but the book's humor and pathos ensured its place in the realm of classics--and in the hearts of readers, young and old. Mrs. Hohl Mrs. Angus-inspirational and heartwarming, Francie Nolan represents the hopes of the immigrants of early 20th century America---setting- Brooklyn, NY 1920's-30's; her metaphor, The Tree of Heaven---a must read!

Call #: FIC ZUSAK

I Am the Messenger By Markus Zusak* 357 p. Lexile: 640

Call #: FIC ANDERSON

Call #: FIC ROSNAY

Ed is a 19-year-old loser only marginally connected to the world; he's the son that not even his mother loves. But his life begins to change after he acts heroically during a robbery. Two particular elements will keep readers enthralled: the panoply of characters who stream in and out of the story, and the mystery of the person sending Ed on the life-altering missions. Concerning the former, Zusak succeeds brilliantly. Ed's voice is assured and unmistakable, and other characters, although seen through Ed's eyes, are realistically and memorably evoked (readers will almost smell Ed's odoriferous dog when it ambles across the pages). Ms. Taylor

Feed By M.T. Anderson 237 p. Lexile: 770 This brilliantly ironic satire is set in a future world where television and computers are connected directly into people's brains when they are babies. The result is a chillingly recognizable consumer society where empty-headed kids are driven by fashion and shopping and the avid pursuit of silly entertainment--even on trips to Mars and the moon--and by constant customized murmurs in their brains of encouragement to buy, buy, buy. Ms Taylor says: I think of this book every time I see students with ear buds in their ears.

Sarah's Key By Tatiana de Rosnay 316 p. Lexile: 610 A powerful novel… Tatiana de Rosnay has captured the insane world of the Holocaust and the efforts of the few good people who stood up against it in this work of fiction more effectively than has been done in many scholarly studies. It is a book that makes us sensitive to how much evil occurred and also to how much willingness to do good also existed in that world.

Call #: FIC VAN DRAANEN

Flipped By Wendelin Van Draanen 212 p. Lexile: 720 This is a classic romantic comedy of errors told in alternating chapters by two fresh, funny new voices. The author is at her best here with a knockout cast of quirky characters and a hilarious series of misunderstandings and missed opportunities. But underlying the humor are two teens in transition. They are each learning to look beyond the surface of people, both figuring out who they are, who they want to be, and who they want to be with.

Call #: FIC WEIR

Call #: FIC BULL

The Martian By Andy Weir 369 p. Lexile: 740 Six days ago, astronaut Mark Watney became one of the first people to walk on Mars. Now, he's sure he'll be the first person to die there. After a dust storm nearly kills him & forces his crew to evacuate while thinking him dead, Mark finds himself stranded & completely alone with no way to even signal Earth that he’s alive—& even if he could get word out, his supplies would be gone long before a rescue could arrive. Chances are, though, he won't have time to starve to death. Ms. Hellmich, Mrs. Rice, Ms Taylor Mr. Poff Says: If you like survival stories like The Hatchet or Castaway, you will love this book. It is a mix of highly plausible science and human determination.

War for the Oaks By Emma Bull 332 p. Lexile: 930 By turns tough and lyrical, fabulous and down-to-earth, War for the Oaks is a fantasy novel that’s as much about this world as about the other one. It’s about real love and loyalty, about real music and musicians, about false glamour and true art. It will change the way you hear and see your own daily life. Ms Taylor says: a rock n’ roll band and warring faerie folk, what more can you ask for?

Call #: FIC STOCKETT

Call #: FIC KONIGSBURG

Call #: FIC CORMIER

Call #: FIC BRAY

The Help By Kathryn Stockett 534 p. Lexile: 730 Skeeter returns home to Mississippi from college in 1962 and begins to write stories about the African-American women that are found working in white households, which includes Aibileen, who grieves for the loss of her son while caring for her seventeenth white child, and Minny, Aibileen's sassy friend, the hired cook for a secretive woman who is new to town. Mrs. Griffin, Mrs. Hohl, Ms. Olson, Ms Taylor Ms. Lambert says: A novel that truly captures the South...tells like it is. A great read!!!

Silent to the Bone By E.L. Konigsburg* 261 p. Lexile: 810 What happened on Wednesday, November 25, 2:43 P.M., Eastern Standard Time, to cause Branwell Zamborska to become mute? All anyone knows is that he called 911 because his baby sister, Nikki, had stopped breathing, and when he was unable to speak to the operator, Vivian, the English au pair, came on the line to say that Branwell had dropped the baby and shaken her. Ms Taylor says: I read this book when John Green (The Fault in Our Stars) said it was his favorite by this author. You will not soon forget this book.

The Rag and Bone Shop By Robert Cormier* 154 p. Lexile: 730 A 7-year-old girl has been battered to death, and there are no suspects, no leads. The police, under political pressure to make an arrest, bring in Trent, a cold, ambitious professional interrogator who prides himself on his ability to extract confessions. His victim is 12-year-old Jason--the last person to see the girl. We know that Jason is innocent, and halfway through the interrogation Trent realizes it, too, in "a blazing moment." Ms Taylor says: tense and terrifying, I thought about this book for weeks after I read it.

Beauty Queens By Libba Bray* 396 p. Lexile: 690 The story of a plane of beauty pageant contestants that crashes on a desert island. Teen beauty queens. A Lost-like island. Mysteries and dangers. No access to email. And the spirit of fierce, feral competition that lives underground in girls, a savage brutality that can only be revealed by a journey into the heart of non-exfoliated darkness. Oh, the horror, the horror! Only funnier. With evening gowns. And a body count. Mr. Poff Ms Taylor says: I laughed all the way through this strange tale. Big fun!

Call #: FIC KLINE

Call #: FIC LONDON

Call #: FIC HOSSEINI

Call #: FIC WELLS, H. G.

Orphan Train By Christina Baker Kline 278 p. Lexile: 890 Between 1854 and 1929, so-called orphan trains ran regularly from the cities of the East Coast to the farmlands of the Midwest, carrying thousands of abandoned children whose fates would be determined by pure luck. Would they be adopted by a kind and loving family, or would they face a childhood and adolescence of hard labor and servitude? How would you feel if your family has to send you away? Mrs. Hohl, Ms Taylor

The Call of the Wild By Jack London* 172 p. Lexile: 1120 Buck, a sturdy crossbreed canine (half St. Bernard, half Shepard), is a dog born to luxury and raised in a sheltered Californian home. But then he is kidnapped and sold to be a sled dog in the harsh and frozen Yukon Territory. Passed from master to master, Buck embarks on an extraordinary journey, proving his unbreakable spirit... Mrs. Rice, Mrs. Hohl, Mr. Poff Mrs. Angus says: the must-read classic of American author Jack London (California); more than a warm-hearted dog story--it is the story of the will to survive and the will to power (Darwin and Nietzsche)

The Kite Runner By Khaled Hosseini* 372 p. Lexile: 840 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. Mrs. Hohl Mrs. Griffin says: I really enjoy learning about actual history in an entertaining, memorable way, and Hosseini does just that.

The War of the Worlds By H.G. Wells* 164 p. Lexile: 1170 The first-person narrative of an unnamed protagonist in Surrey and that of his younger brother in London as Earth is invaded by Martians. Written between 1895 and 1897, it is one of the earliest stories that detail a conflict between mankind and an extraterrestrial race. The novel is one of the most commented-on works in the science fiction canon. Mr. Poff

Call #: Jude By Kate Morgenroth FIC 277 p. Lexile: 800 MORGENROTH This is the compelling story of Jude, 15, who is caught in a world of murder, drugs, and coverups that reaches into his Connecticut home and high school. The action is fast as Jude confronts the worst and best in himself, and the story reveals surprising secrets about people Jude thinks he can trust. To protect his mother he pleads guilty to a drug crime he didn’t commit and spends 5 torturous years in prison. Ms Taylor says: I thought I knew who the “bad guy” was all the way through this book. Boy, was I wrong.

Call #: FIC ADAMS

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy By Douglas Adams* 285 p. Lexile: 1000 Seconds before Earth is demolished to make room for a galactic freeway, an earthman is saved by his friend. Together they journey through the galaxy. Ms. Olson, Mr. Poff

Call #: FIC BRADBURY

Something Wicked This Way Comes By Ray Bradbury* 293 p. Lexile: 820 A masterpiece of modern Gothic literature, this is the memorable story of two boys, James Nightshade and William Halloway, and the evil that grips their small Midwestern town with the arrival of a "dark carnival" one Autumn midnight. How these two innocents, both age 13, save the souls of the town (as well as their own.) A coming of age story not to be forgotten.

Call #: FIC CARD

Ender's Game By Orson Scott Card* 324 p. Lexile: 780 Intense is the word for Ender's Game. Aliens have attacked Earth twice and almost destroyed all humans. The World government begins breeding military geniuses and uses war “games” to train them. Ender Wiggin is a genius among geniuses; he wins all the games... He is smart, smart enough to know that time is running out. But is he smart enough to save the planet? Mr. Poff, Ms Taylor

Call #: FIC TOLKIEN

Call #: FIC CHBOSKY

The Hobbit By J.R.R. Tolkien* 304 p. Lexile: 1000 Bilbo Baggins, a respectable, well-to-do hobbit, lives comfortably in his hobbit-hole until the day the wandering wizard Gandalf chooses him to take part in an adventure from which he may never return. Ms. Olson, Mrs. Rice, Mr. Poff Mrs. Angus says: Scholar Tolkien's fantasy adventure attests to the heroism in the common man, based on England's heroism during WWI - a charming and thought-provoking read

The Perks of Being a Wallflower By Stephen Chbosky 213 p. Lexile: 720 Charlie, a freshman in high school, explores the dilemmas of growing up through a collection of letters he sends to an unknown receiver. Ms Taylor

Call #: FIC ANAYA

Bless Me, Ultima By Rudolfo Anaya 290 p. Lexile: 840 Six-year-old Antonio embarks upon a spiritual journey under the watchful guidance of Ultima, a healing woman, that leads him to question his faith and beliefs in family, religion, and other aspects of his Chicano culture. Mrs. Hohl, Mrs. Rice

Call #: FIC SALINGER

Call #: FIC TRUMBO

Call #: FIC DOCTOROW

Call #: FIC TAN

Call #: FIC CRANE

The Catcher in the Rye By J.D. Salinger 214 p. Lexile: 790 An adolescent boy, knowing he is about to be dropped by his private school, spends three days and nights in New York City. Mr. Lim, Mrs. Hohl, Mr. Poff Mrs. Angus says: Just love 16 year-old Holden Caulfield's journey through his cynicism about the adult world and its "phoniness, which symbolizes everything wrong in the world." ---A must-read American novel whose protagonist engenders quiet laughter.

Johnny Got His Gun By Dalton Trumbo 309 p. Lexile: 970 A young man who was severely wounded in World War One thinks about his life and about the horror and futility of war and its toll on him. Ms Taylor Mrs. Angus says: an interesting viewpoint on the organization of modern warfare shown through the brutality of war

Little Brother By Cory Doctorow 382 p. Lexile: 900 Interrogated for days by the Department of Homeland Security in the aftermath of a major terrorist attack on San Francisco, California, seventeen-year-old Marcus, a.k.a "w1n5t0n," is released into what is now a police state, and decides to use his expertise in computer hacking to set things right. Ms Taylor says: this raises questions about our enthusiasm for all things technology and how we contribute to our own lack of privacy.

The Joy Luck Club By Amy Tan* 288 p. Lexile: 930 The personal, often painful, histories of four Chinese American women who began meeting in San Francisco in 1949 to play mah jong are revealed as the daughter of one who has died searches for her sisters in China to tell them about the mother they never knew. Mr. Lim, Mrs. Hohl Mrs. Angus says: The mother - daughter relationships (and stories about their husbands and cousins) among Chinese immigrant families in San Francisco are thought-provoking and quietly humorous stories that reveal the immigrant experience of all our families. You will enjoy this book. Watch out for the parables!

The Red Badge of Courage By Stephen Crane 175 p. Lexile: 900 In the spring of 1863, while engaged in the fierce battle of Chancellorsville in Virginia, a young Union soldier matures to manhood and finds peace of mind as he comes to grips with his conflicting emotions about war. Mr. Lim Mrs. Angus says: a poignant novel about the meaning of courage---protagonist Henry Fleming, a recruit in the American Civil War explores his romantic notion of courage; a concise novel with gorgeous imagery created by synesthesia and metaphor - another must-read

Call #: FIC BOYNE

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas: a fable By John Boyne 215 p. Lexile: 1080 Bored and lonely after his family moves from Berlin to a place called "Out-With" in 1942, Bruno, the son of a Nazi officer, befriends a boy in striped pajamas who lives behind a wire fence. Mrs. Rice

Call #: FIC ROWELL

Eleanor & Park By Rainbow Rowell* 328 p. Lexile: 580 "Eleanor & Park reminded me not just what it's like to be young and in love with a girl, but also what it's like to be young and in love with a book."--John Green, The New York Times Book Review Ms. Hellmich, Ms Taylor

Call #: FIC PULLMAN

The Golden Compass By Philip Pullman* 399 p. Lexile: 930 Accompanied by her daemon, Lyra Belacqua sets out to prevent her best friend and other kidnapped children from becoming the subject of gruesome experiments in the Far North. Mrs. Hohl, Mrs. Rice, Mr. Poff Ms Taylor says: one of the best fantasy/adventure stories I’ve ever read. This is a book no one should miss.

Call #: FIC HINTON

The Outsiders By S.E. Hinton* 188 p. Lexile: 750 One of the very first “YA” novels The Outsiders tells the story of boys “from the wrong side of the tracks” and how they deal without parents and the “rich kids” who harass them. This story still rings true almost 50 years after it was written. A classic not to be missed. Mrs. Hohl, Mrs. Rice

Call #: FIC ANDERSON, L.

Speak By Laurie Anderson* 197 p. Lexile: 690 A traumatic event near the end of the summer has a devastating effect on Melinda's freshman year in high school.

Call #: FIC McCORMICK

Sold By Patricia McCormick* 263 p. Lexile: 820 It tells the story of a girl from Nepal named Lakshmi, who is sold into sexual slavery in India. The novel is written in a series of short, vignette-style chapters, from the point of view of the main character. Ms Taylor says: this powerful novel renders a world that is as unimaginable as it is real, and a girl who not only survives but triumphs.

Call #: FIC WELLS, H. G.

Call #: FIC ZUSAK

Call #: FIC O'BRIEN, T.

Call #: FIC HOSSEINI

Call #: FIC BRADBURY, R.

Call #: FIC CORMIER

The Time Machine By H.G. Wells 125 p. Lexile: 1070 A scientist invents a time machine and uses it to travel into the future, where he discovers the childlike Eloi and the hideous underground Morlocks. Mr. Poff Mrs. Angus says: A visionary author whose characters transcend time and space out of the 19th century and return to tell about the future

The Book Thief By Markus Zusak 552 p. Lexile: 730 Trying to make sense of the horrors of World war II, Death relates the story of Liesel—a young German girl whose book-stealing and story telling talents help sustain her family and the Jewish man they are hiding, as well as their neighbors. Mrs. Hohl, Ms Taylor The Things They Carried By Tim O’Brien 246 p. Lexile: 880 Related stories, linked by recurring characters and an interwoven plot, recreate an American foot soldier's experience in the Vietnam War. Mr. Lim, Mrs. Hohl Mrs. Angus says: Another must-read--the book is a collection of stories, containing the same characters, soldiers in the Vietnam War, whose fear of shame and moral dilemmas motivate them to courses of action.

Thousand Splendid Suns By Khaled Hosseini 372 p. Lexile: 830 Afghan women Mariam and Laila grow close, despite their nearly twenty-year age difference and initial rivalry, as they suffer at the hands of a common enemy--their abusive, much-older husband, Rasheed. Mrs. Hohl, Mrs. Griffin Fahrenheit 451 By Ray Bradbury 159 p. Lexile: 890 A book burning official in a future fascist state finds out that books are a vital part of a culture he never knew, and he decides to pursue reading, until he is betrayed. Mrs. Rice Mrs. Angus says: One of my all time favorites - a cautionary sci-fi political novel from visionary Ray Bradbury; an exploration of political correctness and censorship. Read this novel and "remember to keep literature alive."

Chocolate War By Robert Cormier 263 p. Lexile: 820 A high school freshman discovers the devastating consequences of refusing to join in the school's annual fund raising drive and arousing the wrath of the school bullies.

Call #: FIC GOLDEN, A.

Memoirs of a Geisha By Arthur Golden 434 p. Lexile: 1000 Nitta Sayuri, a young Japanese woman who was taken from her home at the age of nine and sold into slavery as a geisha, discovers a rare opportunity for freedom when the outbreak of World War II forces an end to the only life she has ever known. Mrs. Rice, Ms Taylor

Call #: FIC BRADBURY, R.

The Martian Chronicles By Ray Bradbury 241 p. Lexile: 740 The Martian Chronicles tells the story of humanity’s repeated attempts to colonize the red planet. The first men were few. Most succumbed to a disease they called the Great Loneliness when they saw their home planet dwindle to the size of a fist. They felt they had never been born. Those few that survived found no welcome on Mars. The shape-changing Martians thought they were native lunatics and duly locked them up.

Call #: FIC CHIBBARO

Deadly By Julie Chibbaro 293 p. Lexile: 930 Sixteen-year-old Prudence Galewski takes a job in the early 1900s as assistant to the head epidemiologist at New York's Department of Health and Sanitation, who is trying to discover how a seemingly healthy woman can be spreading typhoid fever. A fictional account of Typhoid Mary. Historically accurate. Ms Taylor

Call #: FIC TERAN

Ana of California By Andi Teran 368 p. Lexile: 790 A modern take on the classic coming-of-age novel, inspired by Anne of Green Gables. Fifteenyear-old orphan Ana Cortez has just blown her last chance with a foster family. It's a group home next-unless she agrees to leave East Los Angeles for a farm trainee program in Northern California. Emmett Garber is skeptical that this slight city girl can be any help on his farm. His sister Abbie, however, thinks Ana might be just what they need. Ana comes to love Garber Farm, but when she inadvertently stirs up trouble in town, Ana is afraid she might have ruined her last chance at finding a place to belong. Ms Taylor