Animal, Vegetable, Miracle

Animal, Vegetable, Miracle

by Barbara Kingsolver

Novelist Kingsolver and her family commit to living off the farm in Virginia for one year. Raising their own crops, canning and freezing, shopping at local farmer's markets, even making their own cheese, everyone in the family gets involved in the project. Nine year old Lily sells chicken eggs and meat, her husband Steve compares industrial agriculture with ecology in useful sidebars, and daughter Camille contributes recipes and essays to the book. Of course the book discusses the implications of shipping food afar and how much healthier it is to eat organic foods than those grown with chemicals but Kingsolver infuses it with humor and veers off onto other topics like rural politics or turkey sex. Readers that might be drawn to this tome include "budding Martha Stewarts, green-leaning fans of Al Gore's An Inconvenient Truth and kids outraged by Eric Schlosser's Fast Food Nation.

The Watchmen

The Watchmen

By Alan Moor

The Watchmen, a now disbanded and aging group of superheroes are being hunted down and killed. A young woman searches for the identity of her father. And the ultimate superhero comes to terms with his identity. This critically acclaimed graphic novel has won awards and has spawned a movie. It has been said that this is the greatest of the genre. The Watchmen disproves the notion that graphic novels can't be great literature. The graphics are equally amazing. The reader is able to enjoy the many layers of meaning. The artwork gives clues and details which the text fleshes out in interspersed text sections. Moderately difficult

Truth About Forever

Truth About Forever

By Sarah Dessen

Macy is a teen who has witnessed her father's death and deals with it by becoming a perfectionist. She gets good grades, has a perfect boyfriend, and is always neat and tidy. Despite the facade, Macy is drowning in grief. Summer comes, her boyfriend leaves and eventually rejects her. Her carefully crafted life begins to unravel when she takes a job at Wish Catering. Her coworkers are a band of teens who live seemingly without a care though most of them have experienced some kind of loss. The author throws in a love interest as well. Ultimately Macy comes to terms with her grief and learns it's okay to be human. Readers will enjoy the interesting, well-crafted characters and the humor which is sprinkled in. Easy

Rough and Tumble

Rough and Tumble

by Mark Bavaro

This best-seller is a "must read" for any sports fan. The main character is an aging pro football player. In one week, his girlfiend rebuffs him, the team's star defensive player is severely beaten and left in the parking lot dashing his hopes to play in the Superbowl, and he discovers that he has a career-ending injury. Confronted with the reality of life without football, he must also deal with conflict between players, drugs, gambling, and the parasites that hang around the team. The author was former New York Giants tight end consequently writes a very realistic tale. Easy.

Death of a Red Heroine

Death of a Red Heroine

by Qiu Xialong

This is a remarkable crime drama, set in modern Communist China, because it is written by a Chinese author and breaks out of the conventions of the genre. Inspector Chen of the Shanghai Police must find a murderer and then risk his own life and career to see that justice is done despite the political implications. The main character, Inspector Chen Cao, is a published poet and and translator of American and English mystery novels and his musings are in descriptive couplets which punctuate the action. "The novel reads like the translation of an ancient text imposed over a modern tale of intrigue." (Amazon). Moderate difficulty

Curse of the Blue Tatoo

Curse of the Blue Tattoo

By Louis A Meyer

This fast-paced historical fiction is the second in the Bloody Jack series. In 1803, after being exposed as a girl and forced to leave her her ship, Jacky Farber finds herself attending school in Boston, where, instead of learning to be a lady, she battles her snobbish classmates and roams the city where she has many misadventures. This heroine is rowdy and brash and bucks the Boston society in which women have very few rights. This book can stand alone but the ending is left open for another sequel and will leave readers yearning for more. Easy but long.

The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing

The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing

by M.T. Anderson

Set in pre-Revolutionary Boston, Octavian lives with his mother in pampered luxury. The reader slowly realizes that they are black and are part of an experiment to see if Africans have the same mental capacity as Caucasians. The Southern plantation owners who fund this research use it for their own ill-gotten gains; Octavian learns of his own chilling role. The novel is written from Octavian's point of view and in letters written by a soldier who befriends him. The issues of slavery and human rights, racism, free will, the causes of war, and one person's struggle to define himself are all examined in this book. Moderately difficult but worth the challenge.

Storm Thief

Storm Thief

by Chris Wooding

This is a very original fantasy, set in the post apocalytic city of Orokos, a crumbling city/island. It is peopled by all manner of strange beings and residents live with the constant threat of "probability storms" "...order is elusive in Orokos, where at any time a probability storm can occu. Children can turn to stone, people turn into cats, left-handers become right-handed." (School Library Journal). One of the main charcters is affected by a storm that rendered him unable to breathe by himself. He must rely on a respirator. The main charactes are Rail and Moa who live among the ghetto folk and teenage thieves. When they steal a valuable artifact, they are pursued.
After many plot turns and twists, they meet a group of rebels who are planning to leave the protectorate permanently.

Peace like a River

Peace Like a River

by Lief Enger

This book has the feel of a western ballad. The oldest son. Davy shoots two intruders and ends up in jails. When it appears he'll be convicted, Davy escapes and goes on the lam in the Dakota hills. His father, Jeremiah, his 11 year old brother, Reuben (the narrator), and poet sister, Swede, take to the road to find him. They are just one step ahead of the FBI. Jeremiah is torn between love for his outlaw son and the desire "to do the right thing". This is a novel about faith, miracles, and family that is ultimately miraculous.

Nick Adams Stories

Nick Adams Stories

by Ernest Hemmingway

In this chronological collection of stories about Nick Adams gleaned from Hemingway's early writing, one can see the outline of a life with close similarities to his own. Poignant and powerful, it is a good introduction to Hemingway's work and provides insights, not only into the author but into ourselves as well. A reader writes "To me, this book is so eloquent I am reluctant to review it because it will be impossible to do it justice." (Bruce L. Nelson, Amazon) Easy to read but complex subjects.

Luna

Luna

by Julie Ann Peters

This is the story of a complex relationship between Liam (a girl who is trapped in a boys body) and his younger sister, Regan. Up until now, Liam has been content to allow his girl-self (Luna) to emerge only at night. Regan has enabled Liam to express his true identity while the rest of the family is in denial. She is his confidante and his protector and they are thoroughly enmeshed. But when Regan becomes attracted to a boy at school, she really wishes she could begin to live her own life. Liam comes to realize that in order to set her free, he needs to free himself permanently to become a girl. The story alternates between the present and past. It deals with sensitive issues like the distinction between homosexuals and transexuals and the difficulties of expressing gender identity.

Love, Football, and Other Contact Sports

Love, Football, and Other Contact Sports

by Alden Carter

This is a collection of interrelated short stories set in a Wisconsin high school. The football team is the glue which holds these stories together. The realistic characters often resurface in several stories. The first story is a witty "A Girl's Guide to Football Players" which is written by the female editorial staff of the school's literary magazine and compares the different positions in football and with the players' typical characteristics. This would be a very easy and engaging selection for sports fans.

Furies of Calderon (Codex of Alera Series)

Furies of Calderon (Codex of Alera Series)

by Jim Butcher

This fantasy novel is the first in a series but stands alone very well and should draw in fans of the genre. The plot is the classic struggle of the kingdom of Alera against outside forces and internal traitors who want to overthrow the king who is aged and has no heir. Inhabitants of the kingdom are able to bond with furies, elemental spirits of earth, air, fire, water, and metal, which gives them magical powers with which to defend their land against its foes. The main character, Tavi, is a shepherd boy who lives far away in the mountains and is unable to bond with a fury, yet is special in some way that is never completely revealed. He is dragged into the fray and fights hordes of enemies. " A splendid, entralling, spreading tale with action, romance, and so many surprises." (Elaine C McTyver, Amazon) Long but not difficult.

Cracking India

Cracking India

by Jim Butcher

This is an eight year old girl's account of the years leading up to and during the Partition of India in 1947. The early years are filled with mundane observations of household events and characters. "The family's simple life changes forever with the Partition of of India...and the creation of Pakistan for Muslims; Hindus and Sikhs remaining in the state of India. As citizens of the newly formed Pakistan, this family's everyday reality begins to shift with the changing times, threatening to destroy a child's security and trust forever." (Luan Gaines, Amazon.com)

Black and White

Black and White

by Paul Volponi

This is the story of Eddie and Marcus, two teenage boys who have been best friends forever. This is an unusual occurence in the New York neighborhood they grew up in and earns them the nickname "Black and White". They are star basketball players and are headed to the NCAA until their dreams are shattered by a bad decision. Rather than work at a "demeaning" job in a fast food restaurant, they begin a spree of armed robberies. Their third attempt ends in disaster when they shoot someone. This gripping account describes their emotions in the aftermath as well as the consequences of their crime. This very easy book should especially appeal to boys.

Ana's Story: A Journey of Hope

Ana's Story: A Journey of Hope

by Jenna Bush

This compelling, emotional narrative chronicles the difficult life of Ana, a young Latin American woman who author, Jenna Bush, befriends in her travels. Ana was born with HIV and loses her parents to the disease. She suffers abuse at the hands of her relatives and struggles to keep her affliction a secret. Eventually, her life improves when she moves into a "caring center" for those living with HIV. She falls in love, becomes pregnant, and gives birth to a healthy baby. There are additional resources at the end of the book as well as discussion questions. This book should be well recieved even by reluctant readers and should make for a lively discussion. Very easy.

Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian

Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian

by Sherman Alexie

This is the story of a bright Native American teen caught between two cultures. Arnold Spirit, also known as Junior, is often the victim of bullying in his school and escapes through his drawings (sprinkled throughout the book) and the loyalty of his best friend. A teacher persuades him to reach higher than he would be able to on the reservation so he transfers to an upscale white school where he is suprisingly well accepted but becomes a bit of an outcast on the "rez". Meanwhile, he struggles with the tragic deaths of his sister and grandmother and deals with alcoholsim and other adversities. His resilience will inspire readers. Easy read.

Entering freshmen in the Honors English Classes must read this easy book as well as another book from the summer reading list. Honors English teachers have a guided reading/assignment sheet for their students to complete this summer. Here is the LINK to that assignment.

Bury me Standing

Bury Me Standing

by Isabel Fonseca

The gypsies have long been the victims of discrimination, persecution and even genocide (during WWII) The author of this fascination account of the Gypsy(Rom) people had the rare opportunity to live and travel with the gypsies of Eastern Europe. She penetrates their reclusive society and in doing so is able to shatter persistent stereotypes. She chronicles their history as they traveled from India to Europe. demystifies their customs, and gives a sympathetic portrayal of their current plight as they continue to live on the fringes of society.