High School Reads!

by Michael Barakiva Lexile:  820 Genre:  Realistic Fiction Alek Khederian is growing up Armenian in America and sometimes that causes a conflict for him. His parents are pretty strict about the Armenian ways which make it difficult for Alek and his brother Nik.  Alek knows they mean well, but his parents just don't understand what it is like to be a teenager in America.  His parents have just told him that he will be spending the summer repeating his coursework from his freshman year to see if he can get high enough grades to make the honor track. That means tennis camp and a family vacation have been cancelled.  Alek thinks his summer is ruined until he meets Ethan.  And suddenly, Alek's life takes a turn in a completely different direction.

by Susanna Kaysen Lexile:  760 Genre: Memoir Susanna is an 18 year old girl.  An 18 year old girl whose life has been interrupted.  She finds that she has agreed to be committed to McLean Hospital.  Her diagnosis is borderline personality disorder. And so begins her journey to get past this interruption in her life so that she can continue on.  While in treatment, she meets a variety of other patients and doctors and therapists who try to help her figure out what is going on in her mind.  There are set backs and there is progress, and then more setbacks. This is a story of one girl's road to recovery.

by Andy Weir Lexile:  680 Genre:  Realistic Fiction Mark Watley has been deserted by his crew and left for dead.  On Mars.  Imagine the surprise of NASA and the whole world when they realize that he is alive.  Using his ingenuity and engineering skills, Watley is able to survive life on Mars for nearly 18 months.  He and his former crew have one last chance to bring him back to Earth.  It will require millions of dollars and brilliant space minds from around the world.  Will Mark ever set foot on Earth again?

by Cassandra Clare Lexile:  840 Genre:  Fantasy Mortmain is threatening to destroy all of the Shadowhunters with his army of automatons.  They are nearly invincible, but he still needs Tessa Gray to complete his evil plan.  Jem and Will are both still battling to win her heart and save her from Mortmain.  The consul is trying to remove Charlotte Branwell from the London Institute so no one is listening to her cries for help with regards to just how dangerous Mortmain and his army have become.  If Tessa is to survive, it will be up to Charlotte to lead Jem and Will and the others at the Institute on a mission that will go against the Clave.  Will they find the courage to do what they know is right?

by Cassandra Clare Lexile:  790 Genre:  Fantasy Tessa Gray has found a new life at the Institute with the Shadowhunters now that her brother can no longer be trusted.  But she still doesn't know how she got her power and the other secrets that her parents kept hidden.  And then there is her relationship with Jem and Will.  Jem seems to be falling for her and Will seems to grow more distant.  If they are to protect Charlotte's hold on the Institute, they will have to work together to figure out who the spy is that is helping to keep the evil Magister hidden.

by Cassandra Clare Lexile:  780 Genre:  Fantasy Tessa Gray has grown up in an ordinary world with an ordinary life.  When her Aunt Harriet passed away, it was decided that Tessa would travel to England to live with her older brother, Nate.  But when she arrives, Nate has sent someone else in his place to meet her.  Tessa goes with the sisters thinking that they will take her to Nate.  However, she soon learns that the sisters are members of a secret society and that they have kidnapped her brother and now her.  They tell her that if she doesn't cooperate with their demands, her brother will be killed.  Tessa is about to learn that the normal life she thought she had was nothing more than a life filled with lies and half truths.  Tessa has no idea who she is or the power she now holds.

by Kathleen Glasgow Genre:  Realistic Fiction Charlotte Davis is a girl in pieces.  At the age of 17, she has experienced more loss and heartbreak than most people do in their entire lifetime.  Charlie wakes up to find that she is in a hospital and has nearly died.  If she is going to get her life back together, she is going to have to confront the sad events that got her to that spot in the first place.  It will take finding the right people and finding her own strength to pick up the pieces of her life, if she is going to survive.