WPGA Summer Reading List 2010
Grade 9
is designed to expose our students to literature, to provide an opportunity for teachers to make an initial assessment of the students upon entry into a new grade, and, most importantly, to foster the love of reading. Students entering Grade 9 at WPGA are required to read at least two books during the summer. In the first term of the new school year, students will be expected to report on their readings in the form of an in-class assignment and/or an oral report.
LIST A: FICTION
Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian Alexie, Sherman
Goofy-looking “Junior” expects disaster when he transfers from the school on the Spokane reservation where he lives to the white school in the nearby town. But through his skill as a cartoonist and on the basketball court, he finds his place between two worlds. Included are hilarious pencil line drawings to illustrate the story.
Babylonne Jinks, Catherine
Babylonne is a sixteen-year-old orphan living in the harsh reality of the 13th century. Confronted by an uncaring aunt who has her poised to marry an older ‘gentleman,’ and worn tired by mistreatment and abuse, Babylonne disguises herself as a boy and runs off to join a group of noble knights. Yet her life becomes both clearer and more complicated after she meets a Catholic priest who claims to have known her father. This is a well-researched and historically accurate novel that illustrates the glories and horrors of the 13th century.
Born Confused Hidier, Tanuja Desai
Seventeen-year-old Dimple, whose family is from India, discovers that she is not Indian enough for the Indians and not American enough for the Americans, as she sees her hypnotically beautiful, manipulative best friend taking possession of both her heritage and the boy she likes.
The Cellist of Sarajevo Galloway, Stephen
Based on a true story. During the Yugoslavian Civil War, a cellist registered his protest to the violence by playing a piece of music in a dangerous public square each day at the same time.
Code Orange Cooney, Caroline B.
Faced with expulsion from Advanced Biology, and therefore losing contact with the lovely Olivia, Mitty Blake must do some fast work on his overdue project. But when he unwittingly exposes himself to the virus that causes smallpox, his high school assignment takes on far more serious implications. And when a terrorist group becomes interested in Mitty’s virus, things get downright terrifying.
Dracula Stoker, Bram
Not the first, but certainly the most well-known vampire story, Dracula tells the tale of solicitor Jonathan Harker, sent from London to meet Count Dracula in his castle in Transylvania. While it appears the worst is over as Jonathan barely escapes the castle with his life, in fact the truly horrible events are just beginning as the Count makes his way to London.
Enigma Harris, Robert
How the English codebreakers decoded the famous German Enigma radio traffic during WWII. Makes you feel like you are right there. Strong male and female real-life characters.
Evil Genius Jinks, Catherine
After bored over-achiever Cadel Piggott gets caught hacking into the Pentagon’s computer system, he is sent to a therapist. From there he is recommended to the secret Axis Institute – a school for evil geniuses where chemistry classes are all about poisons, art classes are about forgery, and the computer classes all about hacking. This novel is a departure for Jinks from her Crusades series (including Babylonne, above). She claims she came up with the idea by wondering where the X-men got their college degrees.
Fahrenheit 451 Bradbury, Ray
In a future society in which books are forbidden and illegal, fireman Guy Montag has been responsible for burning the few books that still exist. The end of books had marked the end of free thinking… and then Montag realized there was another possibility…
Fell Clement-Davies, David
This fantasy is about a Transylvanian wolf clan faced with the terrifying changes brought about by Morgra, a bitter she-wolf determined to fulfill an ancient legend in order to have supreme power over all Vargs (wolves). Young Larka, a white wolf pup born with the Sight, embarks with her brother Fell and the rest of her family on an extraordinary quest for truth and salvation. Strong female characters also provide a refreshing change to the often male-dominated science-fiction/fantasy field.
The Game Toten, Teresa
Her abusive father’s high standards drive Danielle to attempt suicide. She ends up at a clinic where she befriends other kids dealing with huge problems. With their help and through therapy, Dani confronts the truth about her sister, and the sinister “Game” they played at home.
A Great and Terrible Beauty Bray, Libba
Sixteen-year-old Gemma wants to leave India where her family is living, and runs off when her mother refuses to send her to London to school. Tragedy strikes, and two months later, Gemma is enrolled in London's Spence School, still troubled by visions, and unable to share her grief and guilt over her loss. She is distressed to learn that she has been followed from India by a beautiful young man who warns her to fight off the visions. Although a fantasy, this book also addresses the role of women in Victorian society. The first book of a trilogy.
The House on Mango Street Cisneros, Sandra
A beautiful collection of lyrical and poetic short stories/vignettes set in the Hispanic quarter of Chicago.
I am the Messenger Zusak, Marcus
Someone notices when cabdriver Ed Kennedy offhandedly stops a bank robbery. The Ace of Diamonds appears in his mailbox with three addresses written on it. Ed is supposed to deliver a message to these addresses, but no one is telling him what that message is. All he is told is that his life depends on it. The author not only gives voice to the fatalistic and hilarious Ed, but also to the innumerable characters he encounters: a barefoot runner, an elderly widow, and Ed's own coffee-drinking dog, the Doorman.
Keeper Peet, Mal
“On the surface, Keeper is a soccer story. Goalie extraordinaire El Gato sits in a small hotel room recounting not only how he's just won the World Cup, but also how he came to be the keeper he is today. What follows though is a story filled with mystery and magic... We learn that as a boy, El Gato discovered a ghostly presence in the jungle outside his small South American village, a ghost that taught him with almost desperate authority how to be the best goalie in the world. The story … encompasses issues as big as deforestation and as small as leaving family and home for good.” -Alan Gratz
The Knife of Never Letting Go Ness, Patrick
Imagine you were just about to become a man on a foreign world where every man could hear each other’s thoughts… But women were silent and had all been killed off by the plague that brought ‘the Noise.’
Margarettown Zevin, Gabrielle
A beautiful love story. A man falls in love with Margaret Town but doesn’t realize that loving Maggie means loving many women at once.
My Heartbeat Freymann-Weyr, Garret
Ellen, 14, is "totally madly in love" with her brother Link's gorgeous best friend, James. Unlike the teen characters in many recent YA novels, Ellen isn't shocked to discover that the boy she loves is gay. She's always known that James loves her brother. When the rumors start at school that Link and James are a "couple," Link breaks away, won't talk about it, starts a relationship with a girl, and deliberately scuttles his college-entrance exams. Finally Ellen has James to herself.
My Swordhand is Singing Sedgwick, Marcus
Not your typical vampire story (the word vampire is never mentioned), this novel is the tale of traveling woodcutters with a strange past and an uncertain purpose. Set in the snowy forest of 17th Century Eastern Europe, Sedgwick’s novel is a chilling tale, bearing little resemblance to the popular vampire stories of Anne Rice or Stephenie Meyer.
Ophelia Klein, Lisa
A captivating rendition of Shakespeare’s Hamlet – from the perspective of Queen Gertrude’s chambermaid, Ophelia. Lisa Klein writes in Shakespearean prose and unveils secrets that were shielded in the original play.
Run Patchett, Ann
A powerfully human story of two families across racial lines that meet and reach out for each other – past personal weaknesses and reservations. Evocative and empowering.
Salt Gee, Maurice
Tarl has been captured and enslaved to work in Deep Salt, and Hari has vowed to rescue him. Pearl is fleeing an arranged marriage. Plus, their planet is threatened.
Sara’s Face Burgess, Melvin
Sara is going to have a face transplant. She has allowed herself to be drawn into the orbit of a highly manipulative and ruthless pop star. He is going to take her discarded face to cover his own scarred and damaged one. But, as the time of the operation approaches, those closest to her suspect that Sara is changing her mind. Is she being pressured into it? Is the wealthy pop-star her benefactor - or her jailor?
Sarah’s Key de Rosnay, Tatiana
A dual story that details the arrest and deportation of French Jews during WWII and the present-day experiences of the female journalist who is researching their story.
Tamar Peet, Mal
In 1944, two spies for the Allied forces parachute into Nazi-occupied Holland. Fifty years on, a fifteen-year-old girl named Tamar inherits a box from her grandfather ….
That Tune Clutches My Heart Headrick, Paul
On the eve of her first day of senior high, May Sutherland’s mother gives her a diary in which to record her experiences. It’s 1948 and the entire student body at Magee High in Vancouver is divided according to their preference for Bing Crosby or Frank Sinatra.
A Time To Kill Grisham, John
When a ten-year-old black girl in Mississippi is assaulted and raped by two white men, her father takes the law into his own hands. Political and social tensions erupt as the father’s trial draws keen attention from white supremacist groups and civil rights activists alike. This is Grisham’s first book; it was written over three years while he was still practicing law in Mississippi.
Timeline Crichton, Michael
What if you step into a time machine, fax yourself through a "quantum foam wormhole," and step out in feudal France circa 1357? If you aren't snapped back in precisely 37 hours after your visit begins, you'll miss the quantum bus back to 1999 and be stranded in a civil war, caught between crafty abbots, mad lords, and peasant bandits all eager to cut your throat. This is the plight of the heroes in this clever combination of swashbuckling old-fashioned adventure, with just a dash of science and time paradox.
True Confessions of a Heartless Girl Brooks, Martha
After escaping an abusive marriage, Lynda runs the Molly Thorvaldson Cafe and is raising a young son; middle-aged Del carries the guilt of his brother's drowning; and Dolores is coping with her daughter's death. Then 17-year-old Noreen rides into town in a stolen truck–-screwed up, knocked up, and beaten by life. Noreen, who has ruined her relationship with her baby's father, is a sad spirit who can't catch a break, and, in 10 short days, creates havoc around her.
Zen and the Art of Faking it Sonnenblick, Jordan
Faced with not only a new school and trying to fit in, but also with Wednesday night phone calls from a convict father he never wants to talk to again, San Lee decides he needs a gimmick. Thanks to his new social studies teacher, the door to Zen Buddhism opens wide. San's well-worn clothes and tattered sandals become a great disguise as he steps into his role as the Zen expert of the eighth grade. San fools everyone into believing his Buddhist philosophy. Although he seems to be fitting in and gaining popularity, he worries that faking it may make him like the father he has learned to detest.
LIST B: NON-FICTION
Air Combat : An Oral History Of Fighter Pilots Dorr, Robert
From the savage dogfights of World War II to the high-tech missile duels of today, those who wage war in the skies — and the machines they fly — are a breed apart. These are their stories, in their own words. Each story offers a first-hand account of what it's like to be in the thick of the fight, describes the history, strengths, and weaknesses of each man's plane in detail, and offers readers a rare glimpse into the minds and hearts of those who dare to fight in the air.
Bringing Down the House : The Inside Story of Six M.I.T. Students Who Took Vegas for Millions Mezrich, Ben
"Shy, geeky, amiable" MIT grad Kevin Lewis, was living a double life, winning huge sums of cash in Las Vegas casinos. In 1993 Lewis was invited to join the MIT Blackjack Team, organized by a former math instructor, who said, "Blackjack is beatable." Backed by anonymous investors, team members checked into Vegas hotels under assumed names and, pretending not to know each other, communicated in the casinos with gestures and card-count code words.
Chinese Cinderella Mah, Adeline Yen
Anyone who has ever felt left out or disliked will relate to this narrative. This story of a child, indeed a Chinese Cinderella, reminds us of the infinite power of kindness and encouragement.
Close to Shore : The Terrifying Shark Attacks of 1916 Capuzzo, Michael
In 1916, mass hysteria grips the New Jersey coast when a shark terrorizes the shoreline in this account of one of the first documented shark attacks.
Hole in My Life Gantos, Jack
An autobiographical account about how the author served six years in prison for his part in a drug smuggling operation. This experience prompted Gantos to develop a focussed and diligent writing style that translated into a successful career as a novelist.
The Hungry Ocean : A Swordboat Captain’s Journey Greenlaw, Linda
Linda Greenlaw is one of the most successful fishers in the Grand Banks commercial fleet whose boat, the Hannah Boden, was the sister ship to the doomed Andrea Gail, which disappeared in the mother of all storms in 1991 and became the focus of The Perfect Storm. Greenlaw's account of a month-long swordfishing trip over 1,000 nautical miles out to sea, proves that every successful voyage is a study in narrowly averted disaster.
Nickel and Dimed : On (Not) Getting by in America Ehrenreich, Barbara
To find out if individuals can survive on the "wages available to the unskilled," journalist Ehrenreich spent 12 months working at a variety of minimum-wage jobs. Her experiences offer a gritty glimpse into the world of day-to-day work, a stark picture of living from hand to mouth, and a personal perspective on the politics of welfare.
Primal teen : what the new discoveries about the teenage brain help us about our kids Strauch, Barbara
It’s your mind. I thought you’d want to know what the current research suggests about adolescent brains. A good read.
Queen bees and Wannabes Wiseman, Rosalind
How to survive cliques, gossip, boyfriends and other realities of adolescence.
Reach for the Sky : The Story of Douglas Bader, Legless Ace of the Battle of Britain Brickhill, Paul
Douglas Bader was in the peacetime RAF but lost both legs in a crash. After a miserable few years as a civilian, the war came along and he volunteered. Although he was several years older than most of the other pilots and had two prosthetic legs, the RAF returned him to fighter-plane duty. He became a leading ace until he was shot down, and imprisoned. He became such a pain to the Germans that they had to take his artificial legs away from him to stop him from escaping.
Zero : The Biography of a Dangerous Number Seife, Charles
A concise and appealing look at the strangest number in the universe and its continuing role as one of the great paradoxes of human thought. The Babylonians invented it, the Greeks banned it, the Hindus worshiped it, and the Church used it to fend off heretics. Now it threatens the foundations of modern physics. In a lively and literate first book, science journalist Seife takes readers on a historical, mathematical and scientific journey from the infinitesimal to the infinite.
WPGA Summer Reading List 2010
Grade 9
is designed to expose our students to literature, to provide an opportunity for teachers to make an initial assessment of the students upon entry into a new grade, and, most importantly, to foster the love of reading. Students entering Grade 9 at WPGA are required to read at least two books during the summer. In the first term of the new school year, students will be expected to report on their readings in the form of an in-class assignment and/or an oral report.
LIST A: FICTION
Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian Alexie, Sherman
Goofy-looking “Junior” expects disaster when he transfers from the school on the Spokane reservation where he lives to the white school in the nearby town. But through his skill as a cartoonist and on the basketball court, he finds his place between two worlds. Included are hilarious pencil line drawings to illustrate the story.
Babylonne Jinks, Catherine
Babylonne is a sixteen-year-old orphan living in the harsh reality of the 13th century. Confronted by an uncaring aunt who has her poised to marry an older ‘gentleman,’ and worn tired by mistreatment and abuse, Babylonne disguises herself as a boy and runs off to join a group of noble knights. Yet her life becomes both clearer and more complicated after she meets a Catholic priest who claims to have known her father. This is a well-researched and historically accurate novel that illustrates the glories and horrors of the 13th century.
Born Confused Hidier, Tanuja Desai
Seventeen-year-old Dimple, whose family is from India, discovers that she is not Indian enough for the Indians and not American enough for the Americans, as she sees her hypnotically beautiful, manipulative best friend taking possession of both her heritage and the boy she likes.
The Cellist of Sarajevo Galloway, Stephen
Based on a true story. During the Yugoslavian Civil War, a cellist registered his protest to the violence by playing a piece of music in a dangerous public square each day at the same time.
Code Orange Cooney, Caroline B.
Faced with expulsion from Advanced Biology, and therefore losing contact with the lovely Olivia, Mitty Blake must do some fast work on his overdue project. But when he unwittingly exposes himself to the virus that causes smallpox, his high school assignment takes on far more serious implications. And when a terrorist group becomes interested in Mitty’s virus, things get downright terrifying.
Dracula Stoker, Bram
Not the first, but certainly the most well-known vampire story, Dracula tells the tale of solicitor Jonathan Harker, sent from London to meet Count Dracula in his castle in Transylvania. While it appears the worst is over as Jonathan barely escapes the castle with his life, in fact the truly horrible events are just beginning as the Count makes his way to London.
Enigma Harris, Robert
How the English codebreakers decoded the famous German Enigma radio traffic during WWII. Makes you feel like you are right there. Strong male and female real-life characters.
Evil Genius Jinks, Catherine
After bored over-achiever Cadel Piggott gets caught hacking into the Pentagon’s computer system, he is sent to a therapist. From there he is recommended to the secret Axis Institute – a school for evil geniuses where chemistry classes are all about poisons, art classes are about forgery, and the computer classes all about hacking. This novel is a departure for Jinks from her Crusades series (including Babylonne, above). She claims she came up with the idea by wondering where the X-men got their college degrees.
Fahrenheit 451 Bradbury, Ray
In a future society in which books are forbidden and illegal, fireman Guy Montag has been responsible for burning the few books that still exist. The end of books had marked the end of free thinking… and then Montag realized there was another possibility…
Fell Clement-Davies, David
This fantasy is about a Transylvanian wolf clan faced with the terrifying changes brought about by Morgra, a bitter she-wolf determined to fulfill an ancient legend in order to have supreme power over all Vargs (wolves). Young Larka, a white wolf pup born with the Sight, embarks with her brother Fell and the rest of her family on an extraordinary quest for truth and salvation. Strong female characters also provide a refreshing change to the often male-dominated science-fiction/fantasy field.
The Game Toten, Teresa
Her abusive father’s high standards drive Danielle to attempt suicide. She ends up at a clinic where she befriends other kids dealing with huge problems. With their help and through therapy, Dani confronts the truth about her sister, and the sinister “Game” they played at home.
A Great and Terrible Beauty Bray, Libba
Sixteen-year-old Gemma wants to leave India where her family is living, and runs off when her mother refuses to send her to London to school. Tragedy strikes, and two months later, Gemma is enrolled in London's Spence School, still troubled by visions, and unable to share her grief and guilt over her loss. She is distressed to learn that she has been followed from India by a beautiful young man who warns her to fight off the visions. Although a fantasy, this book also addresses the role of women in Victorian society. The first book of a trilogy.
The House on Mango Street Cisneros, Sandra
A beautiful collection of lyrical and poetic short stories/vignettes set in the Hispanic quarter of Chicago.
I am the Messenger Zusak, Marcus
Someone notices when cabdriver Ed Kennedy offhandedly stops a bank robbery. The Ace of Diamonds appears in his mailbox with three addresses written on it. Ed is supposed to deliver a message to these addresses, but no one is telling him what that message is. All he is told is that his life depends on it. The author not only gives voice to the fatalistic and hilarious Ed, but also to the innumerable characters he encounters: a barefoot runner, an elderly widow, and Ed's own coffee-drinking dog, the Doorman.
Keeper Peet, Mal
“On the surface, Keeper is a soccer story. Goalie extraordinaire El Gato sits in a small hotel room recounting not only how he's just won the World Cup, but also how he came to be the keeper he is today. What follows though is a story filled with mystery and magic... We learn that as a boy, El Gato discovered a ghostly presence in the jungle outside his small South American village, a ghost that taught him with almost desperate authority how to be the best goalie in the world. The story … encompasses issues as big as deforestation and as small as leaving family and home for good.” -Alan Gratz
The Knife of Never Letting Go Ness, Patrick
Imagine you were just about to become a man on a foreign world where every man could hear each other’s thoughts… But women were silent and had all been killed off by the plague that brought ‘the Noise.’
Margarettown Zevin, Gabrielle
A beautiful love story. A man falls in love with Margaret Town but doesn’t realize that loving Maggie means loving many women at once.
My Heartbeat Freymann-Weyr, Garret
Ellen, 14, is "totally madly in love" with her brother Link's gorgeous best friend, James. Unlike the teen characters in many recent YA novels, Ellen isn't shocked to discover that the boy she loves is gay. She's always known that James loves her brother. When the rumors start at school that Link and James are a "couple," Link breaks away, won't talk about it, starts a relationship with a girl, and deliberately scuttles his college-entrance exams. Finally Ellen has James to herself.
My Swordhand is Singing Sedgwick, Marcus
Not your typical vampire story (the word vampire is never mentioned), this novel is the tale of traveling woodcutters with a strange past and an uncertain purpose. Set in the snowy forest of 17th Century Eastern Europe, Sedgwick’s novel is a chilling tale, bearing little resemblance to the popular vampire stories of Anne Rice or Stephenie Meyer.
Ophelia Klein, Lisa
A captivating rendition of Shakespeare’s Hamlet – from the perspective of Queen Gertrude’s chambermaid, Ophelia. Lisa Klein writes in Shakespearean prose and unveils secrets that were shielded in the original play.
Run Patchett, Ann
A powerfully human story of two families across racial lines that meet and reach out for each other – past personal weaknesses and reservations. Evocative and empowering.
Salt Gee, Maurice
Tarl has been captured and enslaved to work in Deep Salt, and Hari has vowed to rescue him. Pearl is fleeing an arranged marriage. Plus, their planet is threatened.
Sara’s Face Burgess, Melvin
Sara is going to have a face transplant. She has allowed herself to be drawn into the orbit of a highly manipulative and ruthless pop star. He is going to take her discarded face to cover his own scarred and damaged one. But, as the time of the operation approaches, those closest to her suspect that Sara is changing her mind. Is she being pressured into it? Is the wealthy pop-star her benefactor - or her jailor?
Sarah’s Key de Rosnay, Tatiana
A dual story that details the arrest and deportation of French Jews during WWII and the present-day experiences of the female journalist who is researching their story.
Tamar Peet, Mal
In 1944, two spies for the Allied forces parachute into Nazi-occupied Holland. Fifty years on, a fifteen-year-old girl named Tamar inherits a box from her grandfather ….
That Tune Clutches My Heart Headrick, Paul
On the eve of her first day of senior high, May Sutherland’s mother gives her a diary in which to record her experiences. It’s 1948 and the entire student body at Magee High in Vancouver is divided according to their preference for Bing Crosby or Frank Sinatra.
A Time To Kill Grisham, John
When a ten-year-old black girl in Mississippi is assaulted and raped by two white men, her father takes the law into his own hands. Political and social tensions erupt as the father’s trial draws keen attention from white supremacist groups and civil rights activists alike. This is Grisham’s first book; it was written over three years while he was still practicing law in Mississippi.
Timeline Crichton, Michael
What if you step into a time machine, fax yourself through a "quantum foam wormhole," and step out in feudal France circa 1357? If you aren't snapped back in precisely 37 hours after your visit begins, you'll miss the quantum bus back to 1999 and be stranded in a civil war, caught between crafty abbots, mad lords, and peasant bandits all eager to cut your throat. This is the plight of the heroes in this clever combination of swashbuckling old-fashioned adventure, with just a dash of science and time paradox.
True Confessions of a Heartless Girl Brooks, Martha
After escaping an abusive marriage, Lynda runs the Molly Thorvaldson Cafe and is raising a young son; middle-aged Del carries the guilt of his brother's drowning; and Dolores is coping with her daughter's death. Then 17-year-old Noreen rides into town in a stolen truck–-screwed up, knocked up, and beaten by life. Noreen, who has ruined her relationship with her baby's father, is a sad spirit who can't catch a break, and, in 10 short days, creates havoc around her.
Zen and the Art of Faking it Sonnenblick, Jordan
Faced with not only a new school and trying to fit in, but also with Wednesday night phone calls from a convict father he never wants to talk to again, San Lee decides he needs a gimmick. Thanks to his new social studies teacher, the door to Zen Buddhism opens wide. San's well-worn clothes and tattered sandals become a great disguise as he steps into his role as the Zen expert of the eighth grade. San fools everyone into believing his Buddhist philosophy. Although he seems to be fitting in and gaining popularity, he worries that faking it may make him like the father he has learned to detest.
LIST B: NON-FICTION
Air Combat : An Oral History Of Fighter Pilots Dorr, Robert
From the savage dogfights of World War II to the high-tech missile duels of today, those who wage war in the skies — and the machines they fly — are a breed apart. These are their stories, in their own words. Each story offers a first-hand account of what it's like to be in the thick of the fight, describes the history, strengths, and weaknesses of each man's plane in detail, and offers readers a rare glimpse into the minds and hearts of those who dare to fight in the air.
Bringing Down the House : The Inside Story of Six M.I.T. Students Who Took Vegas for Millions Mezrich, Ben
"Shy, geeky, amiable" MIT grad Kevin Lewis, was living a double life, winning huge sums of cash in Las Vegas casinos. In 1993 Lewis was invited to join the MIT Blackjack Team, organized by a former math instructor, who said, "Blackjack is beatable." Backed by anonymous investors, team members checked into Vegas hotels under assumed names and, pretending not to know each other, communicated in the casinos with gestures and card-count code words.
Chinese Cinderella Mah, Adeline Yen
Anyone who has ever felt left out or disliked will relate to this narrative. This story of a child, indeed a Chinese Cinderella, reminds us of the infinite power of kindness and encouragement.
Close to Shore : The Terrifying Shark Attacks of 1916 Capuzzo, Michael
In 1916, mass hysteria grips the New Jersey coast when a shark terrorizes the shoreline in this account of one of the first documented shark attacks.
Hole in My Life Gantos, Jack
An autobiographical account about how the author served six years in prison for his part in a drug smuggling operation. This experience prompted Gantos to develop a focussed and diligent writing style that translated into a successful career as a novelist.
The Hungry Ocean : A Swordboat Captain’s Journey Greenlaw, Linda
Linda Greenlaw is one of the most successful fishers in the Grand Banks commercial fleet whose boat, the Hannah Boden, was the sister ship to the doomed Andrea Gail, which disappeared in the mother of all storms in 1991 and became the focus of The Perfect Storm. Greenlaw's account of a month-long swordfishing trip over 1,000 nautical miles out to sea, proves that every successful voyage is a study in narrowly averted disaster.
Nickel and Dimed : On (Not) Getting by in America Ehrenreich, Barbara
To find out if individuals can survive on the "wages available to the unskilled," journalist Ehrenreich spent 12 months working at a variety of minimum-wage jobs. Her experiences offer a gritty glimpse into the world of day-to-day work, a stark picture of living from hand to mouth, and a personal perspective on the politics of welfare.
Primal teen : what the new discoveries about the teenage brain help us about our kids Strauch, Barbara
It’s your mind. I thought you’d want to know what the current research suggests about adolescent brains. A good read.
Queen bees and Wannabes Wiseman, Rosalind
How to survive cliques, gossip, boyfriends and other realities of adolescence.
Reach for the Sky : The Story of Douglas Bader, Legless Ace of the Battle of Britain Brickhill, Paul
Douglas Bader was in the peacetime RAF but lost both legs in a crash. After a miserable few years as a civilian, the war came along and he volunteered. Although he was several years older than most of the other pilots and had two prosthetic legs, the RAF returned him to fighter-plane duty. He became a leading ace until he was shot down, and imprisoned. He became such a pain to the Germans that they had to take his artificial legs away from him to stop him from escaping.
Zero : The Biography of a Dangerous Number Seife, Charles
A concise and appealing look at the strangest number in the universe and its continuing role as one of the great paradoxes of human thought. The Babylonians invented it, the Greeks banned it, the Hindus worshiped it, and the Church used it to fend off heretics. Now it threatens the foundations of modern physics. In a lively and literate first book, science journalist Seife takes readers on a historical, mathematical and scientific journey from the infinitesimal to the infinite.
WPGA Summer Reading List 2010
Grade 9
is designed to expose our students to literature, to provide an opportunity for teachers to make an initial assessment of the students upon entry into a new grade, and, most importantly, to foster the love of reading. Students entering Grade 9 at WPGA are required to read at least two books during the summer. In the first term of the new school year, students will be expected to report on their readings in the form of an in-class assignment and/or an oral report.
LIST A: FICTION
Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian Alexie, Sherman
Goofy-looking “Junior” expects disaster when he transfers from the school on the Spokane reservation where he lives to the white school in the nearby town. But through his skill as a cartoonist and on the basketball court, he finds his place between two worlds. Included are hilarious pencil line drawings to illustrate the story.
Babylonne Jinks, Catherine
Babylonne is a sixteen-year-old orphan living in the harsh reality of the 13th century. Confronted by an uncaring aunt who has her poised to marry an older ‘gentleman,’ and worn tired by mistreatment and abuse, Babylonne disguises herself as a boy and runs off to join a group of noble knights. Yet her life becomes both clearer and more complicated after she meets a Catholic priest who claims to have known her father. This is a well-researched and historically accurate novel that illustrates the glories and horrors of the 13th century.
Born Confused Hidier, Tanuja Desai
Seventeen-year-old Dimple, whose family is from India, discovers that she is not Indian enough for the Indians and not American enough for the Americans, as she sees her hypnotically beautiful, manipulative best friend taking possession of both her heritage and the boy she likes.
The Cellist of Sarajevo Galloway, Stephen
Based on a true story. During the Yugoslavian Civil War, a cellist registered his protest to the violence by playing a piece of music in a dangerous public square each day at the same time.
Code Orange Cooney, Caroline B.
Faced with expulsion from Advanced Biology, and therefore losing contact with the lovely Olivia, Mitty Blake must do some fast work on his overdue project. But when he unwittingly exposes himself to the virus that causes smallpox, his high school assignment takes on far more serious implications. And when a terrorist group becomes interested in Mitty’s virus, things get downright terrifying.
Dracula Stoker, Bram
Not the first, but certainly the most well-known vampire story, Dracula tells the tale of solicitor Jonathan Harker, sent from London to meet Count Dracula in his castle in Transylvania. While it appears the worst is over as Jonathan barely escapes the castle with his life, in fact the truly horrible events are just beginning as the Count makes his way to London.
Enigma Harris, Robert
How the English codebreakers decoded the famous German Enigma radio traffic during WWII. Makes you feel like you are right there. Strong male and female real-life characters.
Evil Genius Jinks, Catherine
After bored over-achiever Cadel Piggott gets caught hacking into the Pentagon’s computer system, he is sent to a therapist. From there he is recommended to the secret Axis Institute – a school for evil geniuses where chemistry classes are all about poisons, art classes are about forgery, and the computer classes all about hacking. This novel is a departure for Jinks from her Crusades series (including Babylonne, above). She claims she came up with the idea by wondering where the X-men got their college degrees.
Fahrenheit 451 Bradbury, Ray
In a future society in which books are forbidden and illegal, fireman Guy Montag has been responsible for burning the few books that still exist. The end of books had marked the end of free thinking… and then Montag realized there was another possibility…
Fell Clement-Davies, David
This fantasy is about a Transylvanian wolf clan faced with the terrifying changes brought about by Morgra, a bitter she-wolf determined to fulfill an ancient legend in order to have supreme power over all Vargs (wolves). Young Larka, a white wolf pup born with the Sight, embarks with her brother Fell and the rest of her family on an extraordinary quest for truth and salvation. Strong female characters also provide a refreshing change to the often male-dominated science-fiction/fantasy field.
The Game Toten, Teresa
Her abusive father’s high standards drive Danielle to attempt suicide. She ends up at a clinic where she befriends other kids dealing with huge problems. With their help and through therapy, Dani confronts the truth about her sister, and the sinister “Game” they played at home.
A Great and Terrible Beauty Bray, Libba
Sixteen-year-old Gemma wants to leave India where her family is living, and runs off when her mother refuses to send her to London to school. Tragedy strikes, and two months later, Gemma is enrolled in London's Spence School, still troubled by visions, and unable to share her grief and guilt over her loss. She is distressed to learn that she has been followed from India by a beautiful young man who warns her to fight off the visions. Although a fantasy, this book also addresses the role of women in Victorian society. The first book of a trilogy.
The House on Mango Street Cisneros, Sandra
A beautiful collection of lyrical and poetic short stories/vignettes set in the Hispanic quarter of Chicago.
I am the Messenger Zusak, Marcus
Someone notices when cabdriver Ed Kennedy offhandedly stops a bank robbery. The Ace of Diamonds appears in his mailbox with three addresses written on it. Ed is supposed to deliver a message to these addresses, but no one is telling him what that message is. All he is told is that his life depends on it. The author not only gives voice to the fatalistic and hilarious Ed, but also to the innumerable characters he encounters: a barefoot runner, an elderly widow, and Ed's own coffee-drinking dog, the Doorman.
Keeper Peet, Mal
“On the surface, Keeper is a soccer story. Goalie extraordinaire El Gato sits in a small hotel room recounting not only how he's just won the World Cup, but also how he came to be the keeper he is today. What follows though is a story filled with mystery and magic... We learn that as a boy, El Gato discovered a ghostly presence in the jungle outside his small South American village, a ghost that taught him with almost desperate authority how to be the best goalie in the world. The story … encompasses issues as big as deforestation and as small as leaving family and home for good.” -Alan Gratz
The Knife of Never Letting Go Ness, Patrick
Imagine you were just about to become a man on a foreign world where every man could hear each other’s thoughts… But women were silent and had all been killed off by the plague that brought ‘the Noise.’
Margarettown Zevin, Gabrielle
A beautiful love story. A man falls in love with Margaret Town but doesn’t realize that loving Maggie means loving many women at once.
My Heartbeat Freymann-Weyr, Garret
Ellen, 14, is "totally madly in love" with her brother Link's gorgeous best friend, James. Unlike the teen characters in many recent YA novels, Ellen isn't shocked to discover that the boy she loves is gay. She's always known that James loves her brother. When the rumors start at school that Link and James are a "couple," Link breaks away, won't talk about it, starts a relationship with a girl, and deliberately scuttles his college-entrance exams. Finally Ellen has James to herself.
My Swordhand is Singing Sedgwick, Marcus
Not your typical vampire story (the word vampire is never mentioned), this novel is the tale of traveling woodcutters with a strange past and an uncertain purpose. Set in the snowy forest of 17th Century Eastern Europe, Sedgwick’s novel is a chilling tale, bearing little resemblance to the popular vampire stories of Anne Rice or Stephenie Meyer.
Ophelia Klein, Lisa
A captivating rendition of Shakespeare’s Hamlet – from the perspective of Queen Gertrude’s chambermaid, Ophelia. Lisa Klein writes in Shakespearean prose and unveils secrets that were shielded in the original play.
Run Patchett, Ann
A powerfully human story of two families across racial lines that meet and reach out for each other – past personal weaknesses and reservations. Evocative and empowering.
Salt Gee, Maurice
Tarl has been captured and enslaved to work in Deep Salt, and Hari has vowed to rescue him. Pearl is fleeing an arranged marriage. Plus, their planet is threatened.
Sara’s Face Burgess, Melvin
Sara is going to have a face transplant. She has allowed herself to be drawn into the orbit of a highly manipulative and ruthless pop star. He is going to take her discarded face to cover his own scarred and damaged one. But, as the time of the operation approaches, those closest to her suspect that Sara is changing her mind. Is she being pressured into it? Is the wealthy pop-star her benefactor - or her jailor?
Sarah’s Key de Rosnay, Tatiana
A dual story that details the arrest and deportation of French Jews during WWII and the present-day experiences of the female journalist who is researching their story.
Tamar Peet, Mal
In 1944, two spies for the Allied forces parachute into Nazi-occupied Holland. Fifty years on, a fifteen-year-old girl named Tamar inherits a box from her grandfather ….
That Tune Clutches My Heart Headrick, Paul
On the eve of her first day of senior high, May Sutherland’s mother gives her a diary in which to record her experiences. It’s 1948 and the entire student body at Magee High in Vancouver is divided according to their preference for Bing Crosby or Frank Sinatra.
A Time To Kill Grisham, John
When a ten-year-old black girl in Mississippi is assaulted and raped by two white men, her father takes the law into his own hands. Political and social tensions erupt as the father’s trial draws keen attention from white supremacist groups and civil rights activists alike. This is Grisham’s first book; it was written over three years while he was still practicing law in Mississippi.
Timeline Crichton, Michael
What if you step into a time machine, fax yourself through a "quantum foam wormhole," and step out in feudal France circa 1357? If you aren't snapped back in precisely 37 hours after your visit begins, you'll miss the quantum bus back to 1999 and be stranded in a civil war, caught between crafty abbots, mad lords, and peasant bandits all eager to cut your throat. This is the plight of the heroes in this clever combination of swashbuckling old-fashioned adventure, with just a dash of science and time paradox.
True Confessions of a Heartless Girl Brooks, Martha
After escaping an abusive marriage, Lynda runs the Molly Thorvaldson Cafe and is raising a young son; middle-aged Del carries the guilt of his brother's drowning; and Dolores is coping with her daughter's death. Then 17-year-old Noreen rides into town in a stolen truck–-screwed up, knocked up, and beaten by life. Noreen, who has ruined her relationship with her baby's father, is a sad spirit who can't catch a break, and, in 10 short days, creates havoc around her.
Zen and the Art of Faking it Sonnenblick, Jordan
Faced with not only a new school and trying to fit in, but also with Wednesday night phone calls from a convict father he never wants to talk to again, San Lee decides he needs a gimmick. Thanks to his new social studies teacher, the door to Zen Buddhism opens wide. San's well-worn clothes and tattered sandals become a great disguise as he steps into his role as the Zen expert of the eighth grade. San fools everyone into believing his Buddhist philosophy. Although he seems to be fitting in and gaining popularity, he worries that faking it may make him like the father he has learned to detest.
LIST B: NON-FICTION
Air Combat : An Oral History Of Fighter Pilots Dorr, Robert
From the savage dogfights of World War II to the high-tech missile duels of today, those who wage war in the skies — and the machines they fly — are a breed apart. These are their stories, in their own words. Each story offers a first-hand account of what it's like to be in the thick of the fight, describes the history, strengths, and weaknesses of each man's plane in detail, and offers readers a rare glimpse into the minds and hearts of those who dare to fight in the air.
Bringing Down the House : The Inside Story of Six M.I.T. Students Who Took Vegas for Millions Mezrich, Ben
"Shy, geeky, amiable" MIT grad Kevin Lewis, was living a double life, winning huge sums of cash in Las Vegas casinos. In 1993 Lewis was invited to join the MIT Blackjack Team, organized by a former math instructor, who said, "Blackjack is beatable." Backed by anonymous investors, team members checked into Vegas hotels under assumed names and, pretending not to know each other, communicated in the casinos with gestures and card-count code words.
Chinese Cinderella Mah, Adeline Yen
Anyone who has ever felt left out or disliked will relate to this narrative. This story of a child, indeed a Chinese Cinderella, reminds us of the infinite power of kindness and encouragement.
Close to Shore : The Terrifying Shark Attacks of 1916 Capuzzo, Michael
In 1916, mass hysteria grips the New Jersey coast when a shark terrorizes the shoreline in this account of one of the first documented shark attacks.
Hole in My Life Gantos, Jack
An autobiographical account about how the author served six years in prison for his part in a drug smuggling operation. This experience prompted Gantos to develop a focussed and diligent writing style that translated into a successful career as a novelist.
The Hungry Ocean : A Swordboat Captain’s Journey Greenlaw, Linda
Linda Greenlaw is one of the most successful fishers in the Grand Banks commercial fleet whose boat, the Hannah Boden, was the sister ship to the doomed Andrea Gail, which disappeared in the mother of all storms in 1991 and became the focus of The Perfect Storm. Greenlaw's account of a month-long swordfishing trip over 1,000 nautical miles out to sea, proves that every successful voyage is a study in narrowly averted disaster.
Nickel and Dimed : On (Not) Getting by in America Ehrenreich, Barbara
To find out if individuals can survive on the "wages available to the unskilled," journalist Ehrenreich spent 12 months working at a variety of minimum-wage jobs. Her experiences offer a gritty glimpse into the world of day-to-day work, a stark picture of living from hand to mouth, and a personal perspective on the politics of welfare.
Primal teen : what the new discoveries about the teenage brain help us about our kids Strauch, Barbara
It’s your mind. I thought you’d want to know what the current research suggests about adolescent brains. A good read.
Queen bees and Wannabes Wiseman, Rosalind
How to survive cliques, gossip, boyfriends and other realities of adolescence.
Reach for the Sky : The Story of Douglas Bader, Legless Ace of the Battle of Britain Brickhill, Paul
Douglas Bader was in the peacetime RAF but lost both legs in a crash. After a miserable few years as a civilian, the war came along and he volunteered. Although he was several years older than most of the other pilots and had two prosthetic legs, the RAF returned him to fighter-plane duty. He became a leading ace until he was shot down, and imprisoned. He became such a pain to the Germans that they had to take his artificial legs away from him to stop him from escaping.
Zero : The Biography of a Dangerous Number Seife, Charles
A concise and appealing look at the strangest number in the universe and its continuing role as one of the great paradoxes of human thought. The Babylonians invented it, the Greeks banned it, the Hindus worshiped it, and the Church used it to fend off heretics. Now it threatens the foundations of modern physics. In a lively and literate first book, science journalist Seife takes readers on a historical, mathematical and scientific journey from the infinitesimal to the infinite.
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