Approved
Reading List
Click the titles to go to the Amazon product page. Read the text description and reviews to learn more about the book.
Click the titles to go to the Amazon product page. Read the text description and reviews to learn more about the book.
General Fiction
1.
The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini: The
novel tells the story of a young Afghan boy who betrayed his best friend,
against the backdrop of violent political and social unrest.
2.
The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd: A coming
of age tale about a young girl, her maid, and the unique family that takes her
in.
3.
Wish You Well by David Baldacci: After
tragedy strikes, a young girl and her brother go to live with family in the
great Appalachians and experience adventures and struggles along the way.
4.
The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold: Narrated
by young girl who was murdered as she watches her family and friends in the
aftermath of her disappearance.
5.
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak: Narrated
by Death, the story centers on a young girl’s experiences during World War II
in the world of Nazis and those who sought to survive.
6.
The Road by Cormac McCarthy: A
father and son are travelling through a post-apocalyptic setting where there
are no signs of humanity, only barren wasteland. PPW
7.
The Perks of Being a Wallflower
by Stephen Chbosky: A coming of age tale about a young boy as he attempts to
make his way through his first year of high school.
8.
In the Time of Butterflies by Julia Alvarez: A historical novel by Julia Alvarez,
relating an account of the Mirabal sisters during the time of the Trujillo
dictatorship in the Dominican Republic.
Sports
9.
Friday Night Lights by Buzz Bissinger: Schoolboy football knits together the
West Texas town of Odessa in the late 1980s. But as Permian High grows into a
dynasty, the locals' sense of proportion blows away like a tumbleweed.
(Football)
10.
Fever Pitch by Nick Hornby: A deeply personal and wonderfully witty
account of an otherwise normal guy who develops a full-blown obsession with
Arsenal, the English Premier League soccer team. (Soccer)
11.
The Contender by Robert Lipsyte: Sports
journalist, Lipsyte, tells a story of a young high school dropout who avoids
the fate of his friends and opts to join a boxing club--where he learns what it
takes to be a man. (Boxing)
12.
Heaven is a Playground by Rick Telander: The true
account of a Brooklyn neighborhood basketball court—the talk, the play, and the
off-court struggles of the young men who dream of a world beyond the
playground. (Basketball)
13.
Eight Men Out: The Black Sox and the 1919 World Series by Eliot Asinof: The story of the Chicago White Sox players who were
involved in fixing the 1919 World Series.(Baseball)
Adventure/Survival (true stories)
14.
Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer: The true
account of a perilous journey up Mt. Everest by a reporter who not only witnessed
the traumatic events during the journey, but experienced them all as well.
15.
Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer: The
true story of what happened to a young
man on a quest to find himself in the simplicity of the wild.
16.
The Perfect Storm by Sebastian Junger: The
true story of a six-man crew as they battle against the sea.
17.
Little Princes: One Man’s Journey to Bring Home the Lost Children of Nepal by Conor Grennan: A young
man goes on an adventure around the globe only to find the orphanage where he
volunteers is occupied by children stolen from their families.
18.
127 Hours by Aron Ralston: The true
story of a man’s survival after a hike that goes horribly wrong.
19.
Soul Surfer: A True Story of Faith, Family and Fighting to Get Back on the Board by Bethany Hamilton and Rick
Bundschuh: The harrowing tale of a young surfer’s fight to survive after a
horrific shark attack takes her arm.
20.
Adrift: Seventy-Six DaysLost at Sea by
Steven Callahan: Callahan’s true account
of surviving in a life-raft adrift on the Atlantic for over two months after his boat capsizes.
21.
Come Back: A Mother and Daughter’s Journey Through Hell and Back by Claire Fontaine and Mia Fontaine: The true
account of a mother’s struggle to save her runaway teen daughter from the world
of drugs. Told from both mother and daughter’s point of view.
Inspirational (true stories)
22.
The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch: The book
tells about living life to the fullest, being happy, and doing everything you
can do every single day-because you never know when you will be living your
last day.
23.
Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom: Famed sports
writer, Mitch Albom, recounts the life lessons learned from his teacher and
mentor in his final days.
Health/Medical
24.
Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal by Eric Schlosser: A life-changing account of the
fast food industry, the financial impacts, the health implications, and those
the industry preys upon.
25.
The Emperor of Maladies by Siddhartha Mukherjee: “a magnificent, profoundly humane “biography” of cancer—from its first
documented appearances thousands of years ago through the epic battles in the
twentieth century to cure, control, and conquer it to a radical new
understanding of its essence.” From Pulitzer.org. PPW
War
26.
The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien: Collection
of stories about a platoon of American soldiers during the Vietnam War.
(semi-autobiographical)
27.
Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption by Laura Hillenbrand: The true story of Louis
Zamperini, an Air Force lieutenant who crashed into the Pacific Ocean and ends
up as a prisoner of the Japanese military.
Autobiography/Biography/Memoir
28.
Angela’s Ashes by Frank
McCourt: The memoir of an Irish-American author who overcame poverty and a
troubled childhood with the help of his mother, a woman who devoted her life to
helping them survive.
29.
Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson: The
biography of Steve Jobs, the founder of technology giant, Apple.
30.
Truman OR John Adams by David McCullough: Both Pulitzer Prize winning
biographies are considered among the greatest of all time. Powerful, detailed,
thought-provoking, and entertaining reads.
31.
A Child Called It by David Pelzer: A true
account of a horrific child abuse case and the young boy who survived to be no
longer IT, but a boy worthy of love.
32.
The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank: A young girl’s
horrific yet hopeful account of living in hiding from the Nazi’s during
WWII.
33.
Look Me in the Eye by John Elder Robinson: The
story of a man’s perilous and often humorous journey through life with Asperger’s.
34.
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by
Maya Angelou: Angelou’s powerful memoir
of how she went from victim to a powerful, confident young women in the age of
racism in America.
35.
Lit by Mary Karr: Lit
chronicles Karr’s decade of motherhood, alcoholism, and her journey of
survival.
36.
Split: A Memoir of Divorce by Suzanne Finnamore:
Finnamore recounts the devastating divorce that forced her to examine her life
and who she had become.
37.
Stitches by David Small: A coming of
age story (in graphic novel format) of a brilliant, artistic and sickly young
boy who loses his voice in the most unexpected way.
Classics
39.
1984 by George Orwell: This classic novel is about a dystopian
society where the government monitors everything everyone does, thinks, and
says.
40.
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald: Set
in the 1920s, this is the story of the fabulously wealthy Jay Gatsby and his
love for the beautiful Daisy Buchanan.
NOTE:
If there is a book you would like to read that is NOT on the list, fill out this
proposal form and submit to your instructor for approval.
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