English Department  
Hamden Hall Country Day School
1108 Whitney Ave. , Hamden , CT. 06517


2008 SUMMER READING

Middle and Upper School

“He who binds to himself a joy
Does the wingéd life destroy,
             But he who kisses the joy as it flies…

                      Lives in eternity’s sun rise.”  --Wm. Blake

[NB:  This list is now updated for Summer 2008.]

Introduction

Hamden Hall expects each student to read at least four books (gaining four credits) during the summer months. If students have already read the selections listed for a particular favorite author, they may select another book written by that author. Occasionally, books of notable length will be noted as "counts twice"; these texts gain students two credits. In September, students will write about the books that they have read as a normative part of the curriculum.

The best way to choose summer books is to travel to a major book outlet in the area. Then, students should browse promising titles and choose those which begin to speak to them. Style, after all, is inextricably linked with plot and should be its best vehicle, and a tangible source of appeal to the reader.  Happy Searching!

Additionally, please note:  The Required Text List for Courses Listed Below Is On Page Two!

There is a required summer text in each of the following courses:
English Grades 7, 8. 9 and 10,  Chemistry, A.P. English Literature, A.P. English Language, A.P. U.S. History, A.P. European History, A.P. Economics, A.P. Biology

Also:  There is a required text for Academic Decathlon team members (see Section 4A).

There are recommended summer text for these courses: Ninth Grade History, Physics, and Astronomy; and for the first time, there is a Recommended Classics Section for truly dedicated readers.

Foreign Language Students:

1. French students should consider a recommended title from the Departmental List at their particular grade level.

2. Spanish, Latin:  Titles suitable for learning more about foreign cultures (especially in the area of students' foreign language study) are included in the general list of recommended texts at grade levels.

Required Texts (for particular classes)  

(See Section 2-5 for Descriptions)

English Seven:  Twain, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer

English Eight:  Christie, Murder on the Orient Express

English Nine:  Achebe, Things Fall Apart

English Ten:  Huxley, Brave New World

AP English Language:  Mowat, Never Cry Wolf

AP English Literature:  Ondaatje, Anil’s Ghost

AP European History:  Kennedy, Rise & Fall of the Great Powers

A.P. Economics:  Dubner and Levitt, Freakonomics

AP U.S. History: Ellis, The Founding Brothers, The Revolutionary Generation

AP Biology:  Watson, The Double Helix

Chemistry:  Sacks, Uncle Tungsten

Academic Decathlon Team:  Anaya, Bless Me, Ultima

1A.  Recommended World Classics for Dedicated Readers

Entering 7/8

Alcott Little Women
The classic tale of Jo March, middle sister who doesn't want to fit into a woman's conventional role in 1880's New England . Jo's heroic personal determination to become an acclaimed writer forms the spine of this multifaceted study of family life.

Bronte Jane Eyre                                                                             
The classic story of an orphan abused by a cruel aunt who must fuel her own willpower and  hew her own way, occasionally through obdurate resistance, to a life of independence and promise.

Poe Selected Stories 
For those who don’t mind a few chills amid summer sun, Poe’s stories are unequaled for the narration of a sane and lucid horror in a fully attentive (and on edge, naturally) heart and mind.  All-time favorites include Murders in the Rue Morgue, The Pit and the Pendulum, The Tell-Tale Heart, and The Black Cat.

Entering 9/10

Conrad The Secret Agent 
One of this great writer’s indisputable masterpieces, this is the somewhat sordid tale of an “agent of a European Power” who is told to stir up trouble in England by blowing up the Greenwich Observatory.  Many plot points devolve as Verloc’s family is inextricably drawn into his scheme. 

Dickens Great Expectations (counts twice)                                                                 
In this classic account of Pip, well-meaning orphan who seems to have “great expectations” indeed thanks to the seeming generosity of a certain Miss Havisham, Dickens has created perhaps his most memorable character—and plot, with many colorful characters and surprising developments. 

Hardy Jude the Obscure 
Young Jude, trusting in the goodness of others and the possible tidiness of his future, finds out that  life has some disillusioning, but necessary, lessons for him to learn.  A true classic of character and circumstance, with many unforgettable scenes.   

Entering 11/12

Conrad Nostromo   
Set in South America , this adventure novel features the quest of an idealistic man for an untold fortune in silver.  That Nostromo must endure much, and strive mightily to keep his dream untainted by the lesser dreams of less audacious men, makes the plot of this highly praised novel operate on both literal and symbolic levels.  A thrill to read, often!

Dreiser Sister Carrie (counts twice)   
When Sister Carrie leaves a snowy Wisconsin town for the big city of Chicago , temptation in many forms soon colors her emotional landscape—especially considering the cinderblock life of her older sister, whose husband toils in a factory. Gritty realism at its best, as Carrie must find her own way in the modern world.

Hamden Hall Summer Reading 2008

1. Entering Grades 7 and 8

2. Entering Grades 9 and 10

3. Entering Grades 11 and 12

4. Departmental Listings A & B

Entering Grades 7 and 8


Entering Seventh Graders must read:  The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain

Entering Eighth Graders must read: Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie

Aiken, Marriott The Wolves of Willoughby Chase (series)
Bonnie Green's wealthy life at Willoughby Chase is threatened when her parents leave, and relatives begin tampering with legal documents. Bonnie is further threatened by her relatives, and must stand up to them before it is too late.

Alcott Little Women
The classic tale of Jo March, middle sister who doesn't want to fit into a woman's conventional role in 1880's New England . Jo's heroic personal determination to become an acclaimed writer forms the spine of this multifaceted study of family life.

Alexander The Book of Three (series)
"Taran, assistant pig keeper, grumbles with frustration at home in the hamlet Caer Dallben; he yearns to go into battle like his hero, Prince Gwydion. Before the story is over, he has met his hero and fought the evil leader who threatens the peace of Prydain: the Horned King.°[amazon

Alvarez Before We Were Free
This novel’s twelve-year-old Dominican narrator tells of her experiences living in hiding under a brutal dictatorship and then emigrating to the U.S.

Asimov The Fantastic Voyage
A science fiction story about travel inside the body; a thriller of a ride!

Ayer Parallel Journeys
A young Jewish girl and a member of the Hitler youth, growing up several miles from each other, travel parallel paths during World War II. A prize-winning recent publication.

Beals Warriors Don't Cry
An account of the historic integrating of Little Rock 's Central High written by one of the nine African-Americans who formed the first wave.

Bradbury Something Wicked This Way Comes
A now classic sci-fi thriller featuring a palpable atmosphere of foreboding, and impending doom.

Chobosky   The Perks of Being a Wallflower
Charlie, a high-school freshman,  displays the pressure-points of adolescence in a collection of letters he sends to an unknown recipient.

Colfer Artemis Fowl
A fantasy world in which the fairies are real, and so are the trolls and gnomes-- they're armed with modern electronic weapons, and dangerous. Newly published and well received by Independent Booksellers.

Christie Murder on the Orient Express (required for Eighth Graders)
In this classic novel of murder and sleuthing in the grand style, Christie’s  Hercule Poirot is sure to track down his man—or woman.

Fisher Snow-Walker
"Long ago, the evil sorceress Gudrun the Snow-walker banished her powerful son, Kari, to a distant castle, then seized control of the Jarl's people. Now the Jarl's subjects, Jessa and Thorkil seek to restore the kingdom to its rightful ruler." [amazon.com]

Gunther Death Be Not Proud
A father's memoir of a dying son, haunting in its emotions, recounts the author's attempts to rescue meaning from the chaos of death.

Herriot All Things Bright and Beautiful (series)
A set of humorous animal stories, set in the English countryside, told by one of the greatest literary vets of all time; read the sequels, too.

Hersey Hiroshima
The moving stories of Japanese lives that were decimated by the atomic blast of 1945.

Hickam Rocket Boys (series)
After seeing Sputnik in 1957, Homer dreams of building rockets for the newly formed NASA. He lives in Coalwood, where only a few boys leave town on football scholarships. A touching true story of fighting for your dreams.

Hinton The Outsiders
A story about the clash of gangs, the importance of brotherhood, and the bonds of friendship.

Horowitz Point Blank (series)
"Sixteen boys in a boarding school suddenly turn into model students. It's up to 14-year-old Alex Rider to find out why someone has engineered it all in a bid to take over the world of Point Blank." [amazon. com]

Houston Farewell to Manzanar 
In 1942, seven year old Jeanne Wakatsuki and her family are relocated to the Japanese internment camp of Manzanar. Their experience there contains elements of both tragedy and comedy, and gives a vivid picture of what life was like for those whose lives were dislocated.

L'Engle A Wrinkle in Time
Two siblings take a perilous journey in search of their missing father through a universe threatened by a dark power. A classic tale, winner of many literary awards.

London The Call of the Wild
Jack London's most famous outdoor adventure, as man and dog fight to survive the savagery of a Canadian winter.

Lowry Number the Stars
This novel describing the severe daily struggles involved in surviving the Holocaust has received very favorable reviews.

Maguire Wicked: The Life & Times of the Wicked Witch of the West
Read the story of the Wizard of Oz from the Wicked Witch's perspective. This chronicles the life of the Wicked Witch from birth, demonstrating just what wild harm a twisted childhood can do.

Meyer Gideon's People
When Isaac Litvak, an Orthodox Jew, finds himself stranded in the home of an Amish family, things begin to get complicated. Will the two boys survive the clash of cultures?

Mikaelsen Touching Spirit Bear
Cole Matthews, a violent juvenile delinquent, is sent to Alaska instead of to jail. A story about courage, and the power within us all to change our ways.

Mohr, El Bronx Remembered
Classic short stories about the Puerto Rican immigrant experience, set in the Bronx during the 1950’s.

Myers Scorpions
A strong friendship that bridges their cultures holds Jamal and Tito together as they struggle to survive on the harsh streets of New York .

Paolini  Eragon (series)
"Eragon, a young farm boy, finds a marvelous blue stone in a mystical mountain place. Before he can trade it for food, it hatches into a beautiful sapphire-blue dragon, a race thought to be extinct.  Eragon bonds with the dragon, and they set out to find their role, growing in magic power and understanding as they endure perilous travels and  battles. A highly regarded epic saga.

Paulsen Canyons
Meet Brennan Coles, a boy who has few interests besides running-- until he comes upon the skull of an Apache warrior, and destinies intertwine.

Peck A Day No Pigs Would Die
The son of a Vermont pig slaughterer faces the day of doom for his pet pig, which is sterile and of no further use to the farm, or his father. A modem classic with a strong following indeed.

Ransome Swallows and Amazons
If you love sailing, this book (a sailor's dream) and its sequels are for you!

Rowling Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (series)
When Harry gets entered in the Triwizard tournament at Hogwart's school, he faces many trials and challenges along the way. Read the earlier titles in this series, as well.

Sachar Holes
A boy who is innocent of stealing a famous ballplayer's shoes is sent to Camp Green Lake in Texas . Fun there consists of digging 6' x 6' holes in 100-degree heat— a new classic.

Tolkein The Lord of the Rings (trilogy-- each text counts once)
If you liked The Hobbit, you'll want to continue reading about Tolkein's bumptious gnomes and other furries. (If you haven't read The Hobbit, read this first.)

Townsend The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole
This is an amusing first-person account of a thirteen-year-old’s acerbic attitude towards the English society that he is about to join.  A good light-hearted read.

Twain The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (required of all Seventh Graders)       
In this classic American novel of growing up in the heartland, Tom Sawyer lives the adventurous life of a young man whose friends and imaginative life mix freely, with vivid results.

Voight Homecoming
"Abandoned in the middle of Connecticut , four children have to find their way to their great-aunt's house in Bridgeport . This is harder than it sounds, and their journey continues to an unexpected conclusion -- and some surprising discoveries about their history."

White The Sword and The Stone
The story of King Arthur, his adventures and preparations to be king.

Entering Grades 9 and 10

Incoming 9th graders must read Things Fall Apart, by Chinua Achebe.

Incoming 10th graders must read Brave New World by Aldous Huxley.

Chemistry students must read Uncle Tungsten by Oliver Sacks.

Achebe Things Fall Apart  (required of all entering Ninth Graders)
 In this celebrated novel, an African tribe struggles to maintain its identity in the face of the arrival of colonizing Europeans.

Achebe The Arrow of God 
African tribal life is rendered here with vibrant detail and sympathetic depth. A sequel to Things Fall  Apart.

Adams The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
"Arthur Dent is grabbed from Earth moments before a cosmic construction team obliterates the planet to build a freeway. You'll never read funnier science fiction; Adams is a master of intelligent satire, barbed wit, and comedic dialogue." [amazon.com]

Boyle Tortilla Curtain
A witty writer, Boyle loves to depict the vivid insanities of our culture in colorful parodies that both support and mock his characters.  In this tale of the towns along the Mexican Border,
Boyle illuminates both the chaos and comedy of this clash of cultures.

Brown Crossing Over Jordan
From the end of the Civil War to the early twenty-first century, this novel describes a haunting drama that slavery has set in motion. Truly a panoramic novel.

Butler   Parable of the Talents
Science Fiction by this much-lauded African American writer, whom Vibe magazine compares to William Gibson, saying that “just as Gibson gave white people a sci-fi future, so Butler has given black people an imaginable future” in a scientific age. In the midst of a collapsing society, young prophets must struggle to survive, and to begin anew.

Clarke Childhood's End
Science fiction with a heavy surprise in its midst about past visitors to planet Earth; a very well-imagined tale.

Crane The Red Badge of Courage
Henry Fleming, a young man, feels it is necessary to join the Union army during the Civil War to see if he can face his fears, and become a hero. A classic American novel.

Dostoevsky The Adolescent
Arkady Dolgoruky becomes involved in a scandal involving blackmail, and a very important letter. This is a lot for an adolescent to handle, but Arkady  sees no way out.  A landmark work by one of the greatest novelists the world has ever known. 

DuMaurier Rebecca
A windswept romance of a young woman marries her employer, a rich gentlemanly widower; then the intrigue begins.

Earley Jim the Boy
A Southern boy is brought up by three bachelor uncles and experiences a new route through adolescence to manhood. Recently published and well-received.

Enger  Peace Like a River 
In the 1960s, a man who has found spirituality sets out from his Minnesota home with two of his children to find his elder son after he flees from jail on the day he was to be sentenced for murder.

Fuentes The Good Conscience
A prominent family in Guanajuato struggles with questions of conscience and personal integrity.

Gaines A Lesson Before Dying
The story of an African-American man accused of a crime who finds himself in the courtroom facing prejudice and stereotypes one final time. A highly praised recent novel.

Gies Anne Frank Remembered  
An account of the Frank family, told by the woman who helped to keep the secret of their hidden lives during their years of hiding from the Nazis.

Goldberg Bee Season
This recent fictional study of a family that fractionates as each member pursues his/her own separate goals.  

Griffith Black Like Me
The now classic account of a Southern white journalist who colors his skin and records the stresses and trials of racial discrimination firsthand.

Hamill Snow in August
Lessons pass both ways in this contemporary story of a young American baseball fan who trades youthful joy for the friendship and teachings of a newly arrived Rabbi from the Old World .

Herbert Dune (counts twice)
Those who control space control the universe. A fantastic sci-fi story of survival, political intrigue, and a plan to create a super being.

Hesse Journey to the East
This simple, compact, profound novel provides an unmatched introduction to some of the essential tenets of Zen Buddism and Eastern religions.

Hesse Siddhartha
This classic “coming of age” tale traces the spiritual journey of a young Buddhist man in India who has to choose among a life of asceticism, a life of physical pleasures, or an unchartered middle path.

Hoffman Second Coming
A man raised by wolves is forced to join a human community and ultimately decide how he wants to live his life.

Huxley Brave New World (required of all entering Tenth Graders)
In many ways an eerily accurate work of early twentieth century science fiction; a chilling vision of a totally gene-engineered future is brought fully to life.

Junger The Perfect Storm
"The book weaves the history of the fishing industry and the science of predicting storms into the quotidian lives of those aboard the Andrea Gail and of others who would soon find themselves in the fury of one of the biggest storms of the last fifty years." [amazon.com]

Kingsolver The Bean Trees
An adolescent girl travels out West adventurously, acting as mother to an Indian child and caregiver to refugees.  A moving tale.

Kingsolver Pigs in Heaven
The sequel to Bean Trees, as the heroine forges on in her new life as mature mother and voice for change in her community.

Kinsella Shoeless Joe
The dream of an Iowa farmer yields a mystical crop:  past baseball greats return from "the beyond" to play again.   A novel for all believers in the power of dreams.

Klein All But My Life
A gripping story of the friendship of two girls set against the inhumanity of the Holocaust.

LeGuin A Wizard of Earthsea (series)
This classic work of science fiction features the art of wizardry and the quest of Ged, a
young man who aspires to such mastery. LeGuin's world is vivid, imagistic, and unforgettable.  (If you like this title, read the other two novels in this trilogy.)

McBride The Color of Water
The autobiography of a black man's childhood with his white mother in Harlem , NYC, and his coming to terms with his own identity and the predicament of race. A highly acclaimed recent publication.

Morgan Mutant Message Down Under
The tale of an authority on Aborigines who gets abducted by her subjects and taken on a three-month walkabout of the Australian Outback. Quite a story!

Opdyke Memories of a Holocaust Rescuer
This inspirational memoir of a young Catholic girl illustrates acts of love and courage that cast light into the darkness of the Holocaust.

Paul Catapult: Harry and I Build a Siege Wagon
Jim Paul decides one day that he has to build a catapult to shoot rocks into the Pacific Ocean .  Soon he comes to look for better ammunition inside his own head.

Potok My Name is Asher Lev
A very true-to-life story of an artistic boy whose talents and aspirations clash with the old-world values of his father.  A much-honored coming-of-age tale.

Renault The King Must Die
Recommended for all Ninth Grade History students. The Theseus myth, labyrinth, minotaur, and rise to power, comes to life in this modern retelling.

Sacks Uncle Tungsten (required for Chemistry)                          
Sack's London boyhood, full of chemistry in the shape of an uncle (a chemist) who ran a tungsten filament manufacturing plant, is the subject of this autobiography. London in the 1930's and wartime 1940s is lovingly sketched in this story of a family that unites scientific discovery with full personal lives.

Selvadurai Cinnamon Gardens
Set in the beautiful garden that is Sri Lanka , this novel details the life of an indigenous family during the struggle for independence in the early part of the past century (1900’s).

Shute On The Beach
This now-classic novel of the 1950’s is about the world after a nuclear war, and how each of the protagonists deals with the arrival of the radioactive air that will eventually kill them

Sittenfeld Prep 
"Lee Fiora is an Indiana teenager who wins a scholarship to the prestigious Ault school. As  we follow Lee through boarding school, we witness firsthand the triumphs and tragedies that shape our heroine's coming-of-age." [amazon.com]

Steinbeck Cannery Row
This is a classic fictional account of "a blue-collar community of people who lead simple lives. It is a book about the risks of trying to fulfill one's dreams, and the heartaches and pleasures that this crazy life has to offer. A wonderful book." [amazon.com]

Spark The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie
At the Marcia Blaine School in Edinburgh, a much admired teachers breaks the rules and inspires great loyalty from her students.

Vonnegut Slaughterhouse-Five
A shell-shocked veteran of World War II time-travels to the distant planet of Trafalmador in this classic sci-fi novel about the burdens and blessings of time travel.

Walker The Color Purple
The triumphant, poetic story of a young black woman's transformation amid the poverty and abuse of a cruel Southern environment.

Wolff This Boy's Life
The gripping tale of a young boy's struggle to attain manhood in the face of a demanding, abusive stepfather.

Wouk Marjorie Momingstar
A classic account of a young girl who tries to balance her emerging feelings and thoughts on love with the modem realities of life. A truly engaging read.

Entering Grades 11 and 12

There are no required books for eleventh and twelfth graders, except for those students entering an AP English class, an AP History class, Chemistry class, and/or the AP Biology course (see Required Text List, page two).  There is also a required text for Academic Decathlon team members.

Allende The Stories of Eva Luna  
The author of the acclaimed House of the Spirits weaves more of her reality-based magic in these stories involving the complexities of Chilean culture.

Allende Daughter of Fortune
A young Chilean woman raised in an upper-class British household heads for California during the gold-rush era to find her lover, who is pursuing his fortune.

Reynaldo Arenas, The Doorman
Juan, a Cuban refugee and overzealous doorman at a Manhattan luxury building, wants to help each tenant open the "door to true happiness."  The tenants resist enlightenment, while their surreal pets plan for their own liberation.  A surreal allegory for strong readers. (Amazon)

Alvarez In the Time of the Butterflies
Four sisters narrate their lives and political awakening during the time of Trujillo dictatorship in the Dominican Republic .  Based on a true story.

Altamirano El Zarco-- La Navidad en las Montanas
A classic Mexican "charro" novel from which Zorro's popular character and mission can be traced.

Ansary West of Kabul , East of New York
This autobiography of a young Afganhi living in New York describes in detail the author’s attempts to bridge two so very different cultures.  This text is for readers who like to give a human face to our world’s political struggles, and wars.

Atwood Cat's Eve
A contemporary woman returns to her Canadian hometown, and remembers being an
adolescent girl amid the competitive meanness of her peers.

Atwood The Robber Bride
An intricate, mysterious tale of an old friend who pops sporadically into the lives of her three best friends, causing chaotic difficulties wherever she goes.

Baldwin Another Country
This novel of the 1960’s treats of New Yorkers who cross ethnic and racial boundaries
in search of a new culture, a new world.  A vivid novel by the great American author.

Barker Border Crossing  
"Can people change?" The young man who asks this is Danny Miller, convicted killer out on parole. The man he asks this of helped to convict him. A gripping recent work of fiction about the recent Irish Troubles by the prize-winning author of Regeneration.

Boll The Lost Honor of Katarina Blum
In postwar Germany , a women accused of terrorist sympathies fights to prove her innocence.  A recent, politically relevant publication.

Borges  Ficciones
First published in 1945, these short stories remain influential today.  Philosophy, labyrinths, mirrors, imaginary encyclopedias, detective stories, and scholarly commentaries on nonexistent books – Borges brings them all together with stunning plot twists and surprises.

Boyle The Road to Wellville
A crazy cast of schemers, fanatics and cynics populate the Kellogg sanitarium at its inception in 1907, eating corn flakes to grow healthy. Quite amusing satire!

Brown Manchild in the Promised Land
A young man's struggle to maintain his humanity amidst the trials and rigors of ghetto life. A classic account!

Brown The Da Vinci Code
When a murder takes place in the Louvre, a cryptographer and a symbologist must piece together the clues left behind. The clues take them all over the world in the search of the Holy Grail. This novel has enjoyed a truly phenomenal sales supremacy!

Brownrigg Ten Women Who Shook the World
This new collection of delightful and imaginative short stories is both inventive and quick-witted; this could be your favorite summer read.

Capote In Cold Blood
An unforgettable, justly famous "real life novel" of two murderers: their crime, their wild flight, their being brought to justice. A classic of investigative writing, source of current hit movie, Capote.

Cather My Antonia
A lyrical account of life on the prairie in the nineteenth century as immigrants arrive to pursue new dreams, and to add to the rich fabric of American life.

Chevalier Girl with a Pearl Earring
In 17-century Delft , a girl gains entrance to the Vermeer house as a servant and witnesses intrigues and artistic creation in the great painter's life.

Danticat  Breath, Eyes, Memory
The most influential novel of this young Haitian prodigy, this tale traces the life of a Haitian girl who must adjust from isolated island life to the joys and hardships of New York City .  A vivid depiction, full of strong dialogue.

Diamant The Red Tent
Lives of Biblical women told in the voice of Dinah, daughter of Jacob.  A study of a culture of women at a time when gender and vengeance become intertwined.

Doyle Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha
The 1993 Booker Prize winning first-person account of a young Dublin boy, told in view of his will to live and find joy even in the midst of a troubled family.

Erdrich The Last Report on the Miracles at Little No Horse
A compelling account of Native American life by this great contemporary artist. This novel is for serious readers who value wondrous, magical prose.

Fink Journey
Two sisters flee the Holocaust by entering Germany in disguise. A splendidly constructed tale of survival.

Frazier Cold Mountain                                                               
A wounded Southern soldier makes an epic trek home toward the end of the Civil War. A recent much-acclaimed bestseller.

Gates Colored People: A Memoir
A rich and varied depiction of African-American community life in a small West Virginia town on the eve of desegregation.

Garcia-Marquez Love in the Time of Cholera (counts twice)
A magical, intense tale of true love by the great South American Nobel Prize winner. For the avid reader!

Garcia-Marquez One Hundred Years of Solitude (counts twice)
The NY Times calls this the best novel of the '70's and '80's; the magical, mythical roots of South American history. A rewarding read for strong readers.

Gibbons Charms for the Easy Life
Three strong women prevail through crushing difficulties by relying on folk wisdom and solutions handed down from generation to generation.

Glitlin The Sixties: Years of Hope. Days of Rage
The definitive book on the 60s. Covers everything from civil rights to Vietnam to the counter-culture.

Hegi Stones from the River
Trudi Montag is a dwarf in a German town who learns to draw strength and wisdom from her inability to fit into a conformist and repressive society. Soon Trudi becomes the town's conscience, leading it in unexpected directions.

Heller Catch-22 (counts twice)
The biggest bestseller of the 1960's, a blackly comic, very funny look at World War II through absurdist, antiwar eyes.

Herr Dispatches (non-fiction)
A reporter's frank account of his time covering the Vietnam War. Reminiscent of A Farewell to

James Children of Men
In England in the year 2025, a child is a treasured possession, as rare as a precious jewel. A  gripping suspense novel of survival in a low-fertility future.

Kingsolver Animal Dreams
A young woman, returning to her home town, resumes her relationships with her father and sister in an effort to remake herself and to find happiness.

Kingsolver The Poisonwood Bible
Told by the daughter of a religious zealot in the African bush, this prize-winning novel depicts a missionary family caught in struggles both religious and familial.

Klein Woody Guthrie: A Life
A graphic, even exciting account of the ragtag beginnings of the father of modern American folk music. All the American heartland of the 1920's seems to be included in Guthrie's young life.

Krakauer Into Thin Air (non-fiction)
As 1996 dawned, it seemed that modem climbing equipment and derring-do had made Mount Everest a humbled, mortal peak.  Here, in gripping language, the mountain exacts its revenge on three climbing parties.

Lamb I Know This Much Is True
Recent bestseller told by a troubled man who is burdened with the care and tending of a schizophrenic, deeply needy fraternal twin. Truly original, gripping fiction.

Malamud The Natural
A mythic, now classic account of Roy Hobbs, baseball natural whose varied luck is baffling, and thrilling.

Martel Life of Pi
After an accident at sea, Piscine must survive on a life raft with a menagerie of animals, most notably a tiger. A tale at once picaresque and realistic, this is a justly well-received recent title (2002).

Miller Family Pictures
The narrator's family gathers around the handicapped child in their midst. This is a moving novel,               full of the highs and lows of everyday life.

Min Red Azalea
The story of a young girl in the time of Mao’s “continuing revolution” who is lifted out
of her agrarian commune and sent to Shanghai to be an actress because of her plain, proletarian face.  What ensues is hardly predictable, and in the telling, the mood of China under Mao is revealed.

Mishima The Sailor Who Fell From Grace with the Sea
This story, set in Japan , features a boy who is forced to rethink his idea of heroes when a sailor  begins to romantically pursue his mother.

Mistry A Fine Balance  
A wonderful tale of India under its 1970’s ruler Indira Gandhi, daughter of the great architect  of independence, Mohatma Gandhi.  The lives of common people, of four different castes, are depicted in this true panorama of modern Indian life.

Mitchell Gone with the Wind
A classic American story of life before, during, and after the American Civil War. Scarlet  loves Ashley, a local boy, but when she meets handsome Rhett Butler, she immediately hates him yet is somehow drawn to him. Meanwhile, the fate of her Southern plantation is threatened by war.

Mowat Never Cry Wolf (required for AP English Language)
An amazing true story by a Canadian scientist of life among arctic wolves. Non-fiction.

Munro Lives of Girls and Women
Compellingly rendered sketches of contemporary women by this Canadian master stylist.  These are rich, well-crafted short stories indeed!

Naylor Women of Brewster Place
A poignant story of black women, their friendships, their struggles, and their pain. A recent novel that is truly treasured by those who admire it.

Neruda Selected Poems
Vivid poems from South America 's Nobel laureate; imagery both realistic and visionary abounds.

Ondaaatje  Anil’s Ghost (required for AP English Literature)                                  
When a young Sri Lankan woman returns to her native country to work for a human rights group investigating state terrorism, her life takes both illuminating and dangerous turns.                          

Parenti  The Terrorism Trap
This short primer details the roots of our involvement in Iraq from an historical perspective, and discusses our national policy towards terrorism as well.   A good informative read in these difficult times.

Pham Catfish and Mandala
A 4,000 mile journey across Asia and America recorded through the shadows of the war in Vietnam . Visions of what that long war has meant to both countries are tellingly depicted.

Pirsig Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance
A man and his son take a journey of truth-telling and self-discovery through the American West on a vintage motorcycle. A now classic philosophic tale for the dedicated reader.

Rosenbaum Explaining Hitler
This nonfiction work roams the intellectual gamut in search of Hitler's authentic identity, polling a cast of analyzers of Hitler who have different ideas about the nature of his evil.

Sebold The Lovely Bones
A fourteen-year-old girl who is brutally raped and murdered looks down on her family from heaven, and narrates their stories. A highly acclaimed 2003 issue.

Shilts, Greider And the Band Played On: Politics, People, and the AIDS Epidemic
The definitive history of the early Aids crisis from the early 70s to the late 80s chronicles the medical community’s slow reaction to the problem, and the Regan Administration’s refusal to respond. The best study of the onset of AIDS in America .

Solzhenitsyn One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich
A prisoner struggles to maintain his dignity in a Russian work camp. A classic tale of privation and suffering by the great Russian Nobel prize-winner.

Styron Sophie's Choice
A woman survives the concentration camps and plunges into a hellish world of guilt and memory after gaining her freedom and coming to America .