High School Reads!

by 50 Cent Lexile:  900 Genre:  Realistic Fiction Butterball hates living in the suburbs.  He much preferred his old life back in New York City when his parents lived together and he went to school with his friends.  In the suburbs, everything is different. His parents have split up, he hates his new school, his mom is working all the time, and now he's been forced to see a counselor who's supposed to help him figure out his issues.  It's serious this time.  If he can't get his life back on track, he's going to be expelled and sent away to a private school.

by Sharon Draper Lexile:  660 Genre:  Realistic Fiction This is the third book in the Battle of Jericho series so the adventures of Arielle, November, and Jericho continue.  Douglass high school is still recovering from the tragedy that occurred form the hazing incidents during the Warriors of Distinction pledging week.  November is trying to move on as she rebuilds her life with her daughter, Jericho still misses his cousin, and Arielle is happy that her former circle of friends are willing to give her another chance.  But strange things are happening at school.  The fire alarms are being pulled, someone is stealing items out of people's backpacks, and one student is being severely bullied.  Arielle, November, and Jericho will have to step up and help get their school back on track.

by Sharon Draper Lexile:  770 Genre:  Realistic Fiction Jericho and November are two teenagers struggling with grief after the death of their cousin and boyfriend, Josh.  Jericho used to love the trumpet, but can no longer play so instead turns to football as a way to work out his anger.  November has learned that in addition to the loss of Josh, her life is going to change forever, as she is pregnant and has to face the fact that she will be raising her child alone, without Josh.  Jericho has promised to be there for her in every way he can.  But will he be ready for this challenge?

by Rick Yancey Lexile: ??? Genre:  Science Fiction/Dystopian Cassie has lived through the destruction that eliminated most of the world's population.  She and a few of the survivors have a decision to make.  Do they find a location to curl up in and try to survive the winter, or do they venture out to find other groups of survivors?  The group has mixed feelings on what they should do.  Cassie wants to wait it out in hopes that Evan will find them.  Ben thinks that there is little to no chance that he survived the destruction of Camp Haven and wants to move.  The one thing that is certain is that their lives as humans will never be the same.

by:  Malala Yousafzai Lexile:  810 Genre:  Memoir I am Malala tells the story of how one girl decided to take a stand and speak up for the right of all girls to have an education.  Malala was growing up in Pakistan and attended her father's school until the Taliban took over and declared that all girls over the age of 10 would no longer be allowed to go to school.  Malala spoke out against this injustice to anyone who would listen and soon began to be recognized as an international spokesperson on peace and educational rights.  This attention brought awareness to the plight of many young people in Pakistan, but it also drew the attention of the Taliban who were willing to go to great lengths to silence Malala's message.

by Scott Westerfeld Lexile:  790 Genre:  Science Fiction Aya Fuse wants to be famous.  In order for this to happen, she needs to find a big story and she needs to find it fast.  She connects with the Sly Girls, a clique who spends their time doing secret things that would get them into a lot of trouble if people found out about it.  Aya convinces the Sly Girls that she is one of them while secretly filming their activities.  Aya has no idea how her life will change when she gives this story to the world. 

by Scott Westerfield Lexile:  770 Genre:  Science Fiction Tally can't wait until her 16th birthday.  On that day her life is going to change forever.  In Tally's world, everyone is "ugly" until their 16th birthday when each person undergoes a high-tech operation that turns them into a "pretty."  Tally's best friend has had her birthday, and now Tally is counting down the days until her own transformation.  Then, Tally meets Shay.  Shay asks questions about things that Tally has never thought about, including some about the "perfect world" where all the "pretties" live.  Could Tally's friend be right?

by Scott Westerfeld Lexile:  860 Genre:  Science Fiction Tally Youngblood has finally become pretty and thinks that her life is going to be perfect.  The only thing she didn't expect was that when people in her community are changed from ugly to pretty, their minds are changed too.  Tally doesn't feel perfect and has a sense that something is wrong.  When a mysterious visitor crashes her first party as a pretty, she knows that something is going on.  Does she want to move forward in her life as a pretty or try to find out what secrets are being kept?

by Scott Westerfeld Lexile:  880 Genre:  Science Fiction First Tally was an Ugly.  Then she became a Pretty.  And now she is a Special - a super ramped up fighting machine who's main purpose is to help impose order.  That means keeping the Uglies down and the Pretties stupid.  Tally can't help but feel that something is wrong...there is a part of her that remembers how her life was before she was turned into a Special.  Will she listen for the truth or be pulled along with the rest of the Specials?

by J.K. Rowling Lexile: 880 Genre: Fantasy Harry Potter has no idea who he is. All he knows is his miserable life with his aunt and uncle and cousin who took him in after his parents died. He lives in a tiny closet under the stairs and hasn't ever had a fun day in his life. But on his 11th birthday things change. Harry receives a letter inviting him to the Hogwarts school of wizardry. He begins to learn the truth about who his parents were and what he is to become.

by Rick Riordan Lexile: 740 Genre: Fantasy Percy Jackson can't seem to make it through one school year in the same school. But one summer, he learns some things about his past that makes him realize that his so called normal life is over. No longer is he just Percy Jackson, a troublemaker, being raised by his mom and disgusting step-father. He learns that he is Perseus Jackson, a Half-Blood, who many in the world of mythology believe is about to be their new hero. Percy and his new friends have just 10 days to figure out if he is indeed the one who can save them all.

by Dave Pelzer Lexile:  850 Genre:  Memoir Dave Pelzer recalls the terrifying moments of his childhood when he lived with an abusive mother and a father who stood by and watched it happen.  At first it was just little things, like being excluded from family activities, but over time, the abuse increased and became life threatening.  Dave's story is one of courage and survival that you will never forget.

by An Na Lexile: 670 Genre: Realistic Fiction Young Ju Park immigrates to America from Korea when she is just 4 years old and discovers a whole new life in Southern California. It is not an easy life for Young Ju, her parents, and her brother, Park as they struggle to adapt to and learn a new culture.

by Walter Dean Myers Lexile: 670 Genre: Realistic Fiction 16 year old Steve Harmon is in jail and on trial for murder. He his a high school kid active in his school's movie club and has made numerous movies about life in his neighborhood. Now the movie he's making in his mind, his the story of his life. Will he have to spend the rest of it in jail? Is he a "Monster" like the Prosecutor says?

by Patricia McCormick Lexile: 660 Genre: Realistic Fiction Callie has stopped talking. Her family has sent her away to the Sea Pines residential treatment facility to get healthy. But Callie isn't sure she wants the help. Up until now she has handled her pain and anxiety by cutting herself. Will she be able find a healthier way to deal with her problems?

by Lois Lowry Lexile:  760 Genre:  Science Fiction Jonas lives in a perfect world where everything is carefully controlled. He is about to turn twelve which means that he will be entering adulthood and will be given an assigned role in the Community. The Elders plan very carefully for the Ceremony of the Twelves as each role given must be an exact fit.  Jonas is nervous...he is not sure that he’s ready to become an adult and isn’t sure exactly what role in the Community he wants.  When his moment at the ceremony comes, he is skipped.  No one knows what that means, until the very end when Jonas learns that he has been selected for the most important role in the Community.  Ready or not, Jonas’ life is about to change forever.

by Will Hobbs Genre:  Science Fiction Lexile:  700 Brady Steele is getting ready for bed one night when a meteorite bursts through the roof of his house and lands in his bed.  Unbeknownst to him, it is from Mars and is filled with extraterrestrial bacteria.  While he's sleeping, he unknowingly ingests some of the bacteria.  Suddenly be notices that his basketball skills have improved and he can bike faster than ever before, but there are some other, odd side effects.  Is the meteorite a blessing or a curse?

by Karen Hesse Lexile: ??? Genre: Historical Fiction Billie Jo is growing up in the middle of the Great Depression in the Dust Bowl of Oklahoma. Life is pretty tough - the crops aren't growing, her parents have little money, and have been unable to have more children. Billie Jo is an aspiring pianist and enjoys her making a little money playing the piano. Then, a terrible accident occurs that changes her life forever and forces her to accept many new realities.

by Natalie Babbitt Lexile: 770 Genre: Fantasy Winnie Foster is wondering in her woods one day when she sees some strangers drinking from a mysterious stream. The next thing she knows, she's been kidnapped and whisked away to the Tuck family's cabin where she becomes the first to learn their long kept family secret. During the 24 hours she spends with the Tucks, Winnie's life changes forever as she is offered a chance...a chance to live...forever.

by Laurie Halse Andreson Lexile: 730 Genre: Realistic Fiction Cassie and Lia were best friends. But now Cassie's body has been found. Alone. In a motel room. Lia checks her phone and learns that Cassie tried to call her 37 times the night she died. Cassie thinks that if she continues to starve herself this problem as well as many others will go away. Everything would be perfect if she could just be a little bit thinner.

by Laurie Halse Anderson Lexile: 680 Genre: Realistic Fiction "It is the first morning of high school. I have seven new notebooks, a skirt I hate, and a stomachache." So begins Melinda's entrance to high school. Her best friend has abandoned her and the entire school views her as an outcast. Melinda made a phone call to the police that ended a big summer party. And now no one will speak to her. However, she's not speaking either. Something terrible happened that night that she is trying desperately to forget. Maybe, for her, silence is the best thing right now.

by Ellen Hopkins Lexile:  710 Genre:  Realistic Fiction, Novel in Verse In this book, the sequel to Burned , Pattyn Von Stratten is trying to move on from the devastating loss of Ethan.  Now she is back home, but life is far from easy.  When she sees her father beating her sister, something inside of her snaps and she decides to take matters into her own hands.  The aftermath of her decision will change the lives of everyone in her family forever.

by Laura Hillenbrand Lexile:  850 Genre:  Biography As a boy, Louis Zamperini was known as a troublemaker, but as a teenager he was able to channel his energy into running which gave him the chance to compete in the Berlin Olympics.  But then the war came and in May of 1943, Louis Zamperini’s plan crashed in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.  He is left stranded in the ocean in enemy territory with only a life raft and his desire to survive.  This is the incredible true story of how Louis was pushed to the brink of death and yet somehow managed to remain unbroken.

by James McBride Lexile:  1240 Genre:  Biography The author, James McBride, once asked his mother if he was black or white.  His mother responded, “You’re a human being.  Educate yourself or you’ll be a nobody.”  James had to wait until he was an adult before his mother would tell him the story of his heritage.  This story revealed more to him then he could ever have imagined.  It is the story of how a Polish born rabbi’s daughter, who was raised in the South, left her home and married at black Baptist man and was able to send all twelve of her children to college.  It is the story of James McBride’s family.

by Art Spiegelman Lexile:  ??? Genre:  Memoir (Graphic Novel) This graphic novel tells the story of Vladek Speigelman, a Polish Jew, who lived during WWII and survived numerous hardships including time at the Nazi concentration camp, Auschwitz. The story is told in comic form by Vladek's son as his father recounts the years of struggle faced by he and his wife, Anja. Art learns about his younger brother whom he never met and gains insight into why his father has struggled to forget the horrors of the past.

by Warren St. John Lexile:  980 Genre:  Nonfiction Outcasts United is the story of the Fugees soccer team in Clarkston, Georgia.  The Fugees and their families have come from all over the world and settled in a small community that is full of strange new customs, food, language, and people.  The one thing that some of them have in common is their love of soccer.  Luma Muflech, herself an immigrant to the United States, stumbles upon a group of boys playing soccer in a parking lot.  Little does she know, what a life changing event that chance meeting will become - for her and for all the children she will coach.

by Rick Yancey Lexile:  690 Genre:  Science Fiction Cassie and Sam are living happily with their parents.  And then the world ends and 7 billion people are dead.  Cassie thinks it is quite possible that she is the last human being on Earth.  She has survived the first four waves...but has no idea what the 5th wave will be and when it will happen.  All she knows is that she made a promise to her little brother that she would come and get him just as soon as she could.  Is Sam still alive?  And if so, can she find him before the 5th wave comes?

by Elie Wiesel Lexile:  570 Genre:  Memoir/Autobiography Elie Wiesel grew up in Sighet, Transylvania with his parents and younger sister. They were an observant Jewish family with a comfortable life.  That perfect life changed one night in 1944 when the Germans arrived and ordered his family to Auschwitz concentration camp.  This book details his struggle to survive as Elie is forced to confront the absolute worst evil in others.   He tells this terrible story in hopes that this horror never happens again.

by Dave Eggers Lexile:  840 Genre:  Nonfiction Abdulrahman Zeitoun came to the United States from Syria to start a new life.  He settled in New Orleans, met and married his wife Kathy, had three daughters, and was running a very successful contracting business.  But then Hurricane Katrina struck and turned his life upside down.  Kathy took the kids and left the city, but Zeitoun decided to remain behind to take care of their house and other property they owned.  He survived the storm unscathed and began to do his part in helping others by rescuing people in his canoe, taking care of abandoned dogs, and checking on houses for friends. During one such check, he his arrested, taken to jail, and accused of looting.  He is also accused of being a terrorist.  His basic rights are denied and he has no idea when, or if, he will be released from prison.  Zeitoun can not believe that this is happening in the United States, the country he has called home for so long.

by Linda Sue Park Lexile:  610 Genre:  Historical Fiction Sun-hee and her family are proud of their Korean heritage, but they are living under Japanese occupation during World War II so they are forced to learn to read and write in Japanese.  One day it is announced that all Koreans will have to change their names and are no longer be able to fly the Korean flag.  Suddenly Sun-hee becomes Keoko and then the real sacrifices begin.  Her uncle is working for the resistance and suddenly disappears.  Next, Keoko's brother volunteers to fight in the Japanese army in order to protect their uncle and get their family more food rations. Keoko wants there to be a happy ending for everyone...but every day that possibility seems farther and farther away.