Academic
Achievement
Curriculum
Special
Projects
Faculty & Staff
Standards
Assessment
College & Career
Preparation
College
Admissions
Counseling
Summer
Programs
Internships
2008 Recommended Summer Reading Lists
Dear YWLCS Students,
All students at YWLCS are required to do summer reading. Attached is a “Book Log” which will help you keep track of your summer reading. The books you read will be discussed in your first week of START class next year. As you read, we urge you to remember that the art of reading literature is a creative act—a collaboration between reader and writer. Hold a dialogue with these books: question, argue, disagree; underline those passages that exhilarate you as well as those that infuriate you. Keep a notebook to jot down your immediate responses to each of these works and write questions that you want to discuss in your START classes. Encourage your family and friends to join you in these reading experiences and most importantly…Enjoy your summer!
Sincerely,
Ms. Eilers
Literacy Director
Click here to see the Recommended Read List for All Grades, Middle School, or High School
From that time on, the world was hers for the reading. She would never be lonely again, never miss the lack of intimate friends. Books became her friends and there was one for every mood. There was poetry for quiet companionship. There was adventure when she tired of quiet hours. There would be love stories when she came to adolescence and when she wanted to feel closeness to someone she could read a biography. On that day when she first knew she could read, she made a vow to read one book a day as long as she lived.
—Betty Smith, A Tree Grows in BrooklynRecommended Summer Reading for All Grade Levels
Science
Longitude by Dava Sobel
A Fish Caught in Time by Samantha Weinberg
Mendeleyev’s Dream by Paul Strathern
Uncle Tungsten by Oliver Sacks
Feynman’s Rainbow by Leonard Mlodinow
Surely You are Joking Mr. Feynman by Richard P. Feynman
A Biography of E=mc2 by David Bodanis and Simon Singh
Math
Pit in the Pendulum and Other Stories by Edgar Allan Poe
Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster
The Devil’s Arithmetic by Jane Yolen
Humanities
What color Is Your Parachute for Teens by Richard Nelson Bolles
How to Set a Goal and Go for It by Beverly K. Bache
See Jane Win for Girls- A Smart Girls Guide to Success by Sylvia B. Rimm
Twenty One Balloons by Pene William Du Bois
Woman Hollering Creek by Sandra Cisneros
How the Irish Became White by Noel Ignatiev
The Breadwinner by Deborah Ellis
Parvana’s Journey by Deborah Ellis
Bomb the Suburbs by William Upski Wimsatt
For Colored Girls Who Considered Suicide/When the Rainbow is Enough by Trazana Beverley
Breath, Eyes, Memory by Edwidge Danticat
Bluford Series by Anne Schraff
Interpreters of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri
Recommended Summer Reading List—Middle School
The Classics
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, Lewis Carroll
Alice falls into a rabbit hole and ends up in another world with peculiar laws of its own.
Anne of Green Gables, L.M. Montgomery
Eleven-year-old Anne Shirley, red-headed, precocious, and talkative, wins the heart of her foster parents and the entire town of Avonlea.
The Black Stallion, Walter Farley
This is the first in a wonderful series about a proud Arabian horse and the fillies and colts that he sires.
Call of the Wild, Jack London
Buck is a dog born to luxury, but his life changes dramatically when he is sold to be a sled dog in the Yukon Territory.
The Diary of Anne Frank, Anne Frank
First published in 1947, this insightful journal chronicles Anne’s 25 months in a crowded Amsterdam attic as she and her family hide from the Nazis during World War II.
The Jungle Book, Rudyard Kipling
Orphaned as a baby, Mowgli is raised by wolves and speaks the language of the wild. Now he must face down a dreaded new enemy—man.
The Miracle Worker, William Gibson
The story of Annie Sullivan, the courageous young teacher who persevered in teaching Helen Keller to speak and to read Braille.
Of Mice and Men, John Steinbeck
George and Lennie are migrant ranch hands who dream of one day owning a small farm. George acts as a father figure to Lennie, who is large and simpleminded, calming him and helping to rein in his immense physical strength. Ultimately, however, George cannot prevent tragedy from striking.
The Swiss Family Robinson, Johann Wyss
The many adventures of a family shipwrecked on an uninhabited island in the Pacific.
Tales of Mystery and Imagination, Edgar Allan Poe
The threat of evil is always present in Poe's stories.
Treasure Island, Robert Louis Stevenson
A timeless novel of pirates and buried treasure.
The Wind in the Willows, Kenneth Grahame
Enter the Wild Wood with Mr. Toad and Mr. Badger and leave happier and wiser. This English fantasy appeals to all ages.
A Tree Grows In Brooklyn, Betty Smith
Francie Nolan is a girl growing up in Brooklyn in the early 1900s. Although her life is hard—her family is poor, her father dies while she is young, and she does not easily make friends—Francie closely observes what happens around her and tries to make the best of things. In the process she becomes a strong young woman, with powerful memories of her childhood and an eagerness to learn what her future may hold.
The Yearling, Marjorie Rawlings
A sensitive story of a boy, his pet deer, and their life in the Florida wilderness in the 1870s.
Contemporary Fiction
At Risk, Alice Hoffman
When 11-year-old Amanda is diagnosed with AIDS, she and her family must face their own pain and the fears of those around them.
The Best Little Girl in the World, Steven Levenkron
The history of an obsessed, self-destructive young woman diagnosed with anorexia nervosa.
Bless Me, Ultima, Rudolfo Anaya
Bridge to Terabithia, Katherine Paterson
A young girl makes a new friend and is confronted with love and loss in this realistic novel by a great contemporary author.
The Chocolate War, Robert Cormier
A powerful and suspenseful novel about high school politics,cruelty, and conformity.
The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds, Paul Zindel
How can Tillie concentrate on her science project while her family life is spinning out of control?
The Goats, Brock Cole
The victims of a vicious camp prank, two young teens learn personal and physical survival skills when deserted on an island.
Homecoming, Cynthia Voigt
The Tillerman kids' mother just left them one day in a car in a mall parking lot. Their father, too, had left them a long time ago. So, as usual, it was up to 13-year-old Dicey, the eldest of four, to take care of everything. The author of this book graduated from Dana Hall in 1959.
Hoot, Carl Hiassen
Roy hates Florida, and he hates being the new kid. That is, until he meets tough-girl Beatrice, the runaway nicknamed Mullet fingers, and the endangered burrowing owls that live at the construction site for the new Mother Paula’s Pancake House.
How I Live Now, Meg Rosoff
To escape her pregnant stepmother, Daisy moves to England to live with her aunt and cousins…until war breaks out and tears her new family apart.
It's Not the End of the World, Judy Blume
Sure, people get divorced, but it's different when they are your own parents: a novel about love and real life.
Locked in Time, Lois Duncan
Visiting her step-family for the first time, Nore at first ignores the hints that all might not be as it seems.
Make Lemonade, Virginia Euwer Wolff
A teenage single mom and her 14-year-old baby-sitter try to cope with life's lemons in this tough, funny, and ultimately hopeful novel.
Motown and Didi, Walter Dean Myers
Despite the difficulties of life in Harlem, Motown and Didi are drawn to each other and find hope for their futures.
The Moves Make the Man, Bruce Brooks
A moving, fast-paced novel about the perils and joys of teenage friendship and survival; much of the action takes place on the basketball court.
On My Honor, Marion Dane Bauer
When his best friend drowns while they are both swimming in a treacherous river that they had promised never to go near, Joel is devastated and terrified at having to tell their parents.
Rainbow Jordan, Alice Childress
Neglected by her young mother and placed in an "interim home," Rainbow feels the world is a hostile and uncaring place.
The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole, Age 13 3/4, Sue Townsend
Adrian Mole is a British teenager who adores his girlfriend Andora, befriends a lonely eccentric in his 90s, reads hard books, and survives his parents' separation. Best of all, he has a great sense of humor. A laugh-out-loud book!
The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, Ann Brashares
When Carmen decides to toss the pair of old jeans she got from a thrift shop, Tibby asks her for them--and so do Lena and Bridget. Nobody knows why, but the pants fit everyone perfectly. The girls form a sisterhood as they say goodbye for the summer, and the traveling pants begin a memorable journey.
Sort of Forever, Sally Warner
Cady and Nana have been friends forever. But when Nana is diagnosed with terminal cancer, their friendship faces the biggest test of all.
The Star Fisher, Laurence Yep
Joan Lee and her family are the first Chinese-Americans that the small community of Clarksburg, West Virginia, has ever seen. Prejudice and persecution make it difficult for the Lees to pursue the American Dream.
Stuck in Neutral, Terry Trueman
Shawn McDaniel has cerebral palsy and is trapped in a body that does not work. His mind, however, is creative and active, and his inner life is full. From early on, Shawn is convinced that his father wants to kill him. Is this really true, or just another creation of his imagination?
Teen Idol, Meg Cabot
When teen idol Luke Striker goes undercover at a small high school to do research for his next movie, levelheaded Jenny Greeley is assigned to show him around. As a result of Luke's presence, Jenny's life is thrown into turmoil, friendships are reevaluated, and everyone's assumptions are turned upside down.
Toning the Sweep, Angela Johnson
Get to know three generations of African-American women, each holding on to separate truths about life, death, and themselves.
Waiting for the Rain, Sheila Gordon
Can the childhood friendship between Frikkie and Tengo survive apartheid in South Africa?
Walking Naked, Alyssa Brugman
Popular Megan doesn’t want anything to do with Perdita, the girl she and her friends call the Freak, until they are thrown together in detention and Megan learns that there’s more to Perdita than she expected.
Recommended Summer Reading List—High School
Angels in America, Tony Kushner
Called "the broadest, deepest, most searching American play of our time," Angels in America is a moving exploration of national themes and human nature woven seamlessly with a compassionate account of the AIDS crisis.
Annie John, Jamaica Kincaid
This is the story of a young girl who grows up on the beautiful and magical island of Antigua. But Annie John's story goes beyond a typical adolescence; it is about the terrible struggle between Annie and her mother and the even greater struggle
Annie faces in trying to discover who she really is.
Black Ice, Lorene Cary
An autobiographical account of the author's struggles as a young black girl who tries to maintain two separate lives while attending an independent school.
Charms for the Easy Life, Kaye Gibbons
Set in the backwoods of North Carolina during wartime, this compelling yet simply-written novel takes the reader into the lives of a grandmother, mother, and granddaughter as they forge their way in a world unused to such outspoken women.
Cold Sassy Tree, Olive Ann Burns
Love, marriage, humor—the three major ingredients of a heartwarming story set in a small Southern town at the turn of the 20th century.
Deliver Us from Evie, M.E. Kerr
Parr Burrman is used to hearing jokes about his masculine, strong, older sister, Evie. What he's not used to is his growing awareness that she may be a lesbian. Evie falls in love with the daughter of the wealthiest, most influential family in her small Midwestern town, and the two build a strong, caring relationship. Writes Hazel Rochman of Booklist, "It's a story that challenges stereotypes, not only about love, but also about farmers and families and religion and responsibility — about all our definitions of ‘normal’."
Good Omens, Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett
"We hear the world will end on a Saturday. Next Saturday, in fact. Just before dinner. . ." This irreverent science fiction novel takes a creative and lighthearted look at the end of the world.
I Capture the Castle, Dodie Smith
Sixteen-year-old Cassandra lives with her older sister, younger brother, eccentric stepmother (who is not much older than Cassandra), and novelist father in a dilapidated British castle. The tone of the novel is humorous, the characters are lovable and well drawn, and the plot will keep you guessing. The novel takes the form of Cassandra's journal, so reading it is like sharing the intimate thoughts of a close friend.
An Island Like You, Judith Ortiz Cofer
In this rich and poignant collection of coming-of-age stories, Puerto Rican American teenagers in a New Jersey barrio experience the difficulties and rewards of growing up between two cultures.
Kindred, Octavia Butler
Dana, a black woman, celebrates her twenty-sixth birthday with her husband in 1976 only to be snatched abruptly from her home in southern California and transported to the antebellum South. Butler examines love, hate, slavery, and racial dilemmas, then and now.
The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Stephen Chbosky
Charlie, a high school freshman, encounters the same struggles that most teenagers face — making friends, the intensity of a crush, family tension, a first relationship, exploring sexuality, experimenting with drugs — but he must also deal with his best friend's recent suicide.
She's Come Undone, Wally Lamb
Dolores Price is the only child of a weak, vulnerable mother and a philandering, irresponsible father. After her father deserts her, Dolores almost succumbs to grief, guilt, and obesity. Her ride towards adulthood is humorous, painful, and ultimately inspirational.
Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes, Chris Crutcher
Eric, a self-described fat kid, and Sarah, a girl with disfiguring burn scars, are drawn together by the insensitivity both face at the hands of their classmates. What happens to their friendship when Eric loses weight and begins to explore the abuse behind Sarah's burns?
My Sister's Keeper, Jodi Picoult
Picoult examines how the current scientific and political battle concerning gene cloning and DNA replacement may affect people on a personal level. Told from many narrative perspectives, the novel introduces us to the Fitzgerald family, who use one child to save the life of another. This is a complicated and emotional story of a family united in their love for one another but divided on where the boundaries of family obligations and sacrifice end.
Ordinary People, Judith Guest
Here is a novel about an ordinary family — mother, father, and two sons — which begins to unravel after the death of one son.
Jitterbug Perfume, Tom Robbins
The search for the best perfume, the dance which produces immortality, colorful settings, and mysterious characters all combine to produce this unforgettable novel.
The Passion of Alice, Stephanie Grant
This eloquent novel, set in Boston, explores the complex mind of an intelligent young woman who is hospitalized for anorexia. What sets this novel apart from other books about eating disorders is the fullness of the character development, the refusal of the author to turn her characters into victims, and its suggestion that popular contemporary explanations of why young women develop eating disorders may not tell the whole story.
Krik? Krak!, Edwidge Danticat
Heartbreakingly beautiful stories in the voice of young Haitians.
All Quiet on the Western Front, Erich Maria Remarque
This is one of the greatest novels ever written about the effects of war on the young men who are made to fight in it.
Am I Blue? Coming Out from the Silence, ed. Marion Dane Bauer
Short stories about homosexuality.
Amazing Grace: The Lives of Children and the Conscience of a Nation, Jonathan Kozol
A documentary account of human triumph and struggle. Through the author, we see the dangers, injustice, and hopelessness of a South Bronx community in the throes of unthinkable poverty.
Angela's Ashes, Frank McCourt
In this humorous yet deeply touching memoir, Frank McCourt takes us through his childhood in Limerick, Ireland. Coping with death, disease, extreme poverty, and alcoholism, McCourt magically lets us into his soul and into the depths of love and loss that his family experiences.
The Bell Jar, Sylvia Plath
An autobiographical novel about a young woman's nervous breakdown, attempted suicide, hospitalization, and subsequent recovery. Contains both humorous and emotionally disturbing parts.
Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant, Anne Tyler
Ezra creates the Homesick Restaurant in order to serve comfort food to lonely people.
Emma, Jane Austen
If you knew an idle girl, admired, beautiful and of good family, young lady who has never yet encountered any obstacle to her wishes, a relentless meddler in the affairs of others, a manipulative and patient maker of love-matches, wouldn't you just love o be her? Or, would you prefer to see her get her comeuppance? If you answered "Yes!" to either question, Austen's Emma is for you.
Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe, Fannie Flagg
In this delightful narrative set in the American South, two women run a restaurant, challenge injustice, and form a strong center in a close-knit community.
Girl with a Pearl Earring, Tracy Chevalier
After studying Dutch painter Johannes Vermeer's famous portrait,
“Girl with a Pearl Earring,” Tracy Chevalier charts the life of Griet, a servant girl in the Vermeer household, who, in spite of her social status, Vermeer's jealous wife, and his domineering mother-in-law, becomes Vermeer's model for the painting.
Learning at YWLCS | Students at YWLCS | Support YWLCS
