Grades 9 – 12 Reading List - Jacksonville Public Library

SUMMER 2015
Grades 9-12
Henrietta Lacks, known by scientists as HeLa, is a poor black tobacco
farmer whose cells—taken without her knowledge in 1951—become
one of the most important tools in medicine, vital for developing the
polio vaccine, cloning, gene mapping, and more. This is a story of
the collision among ethics, race, and medicine; of scientific discovery
and faith healing; and of a daughter consumed with questions about
the mother she never knew.
Liesel Meminger, a foster girl living outside of Munich, succumbs to
stealing when she encounters something she can’t resist–books.
With her foster father’s help, she learns to read and shares her
stolen books with her neighbors and the Jewish man hidden in her
basement. Books become her perfect escape during bombing raids.
Unbelievable characters, incredible athletic achievements,
innovative science, and pure inspiration-- Born to Run is an
adventure that begins with one simple question: “Why does my foot
hurt?” In search of an answer, Christopher McDougall sets off to
find a tribe of the world’s greatest distance runners and learn their
secrets, and in the process, shows us that everything we thought we
knew about running is wrong. The book explores the reclusive
Tarahumara Indians who practice a lost art that allows them to run
hundreds of miles without rest. Their superhuman talent is matched
by uncanny health and serenity, leaving the Tarahumara immune to
the diseases that plague modern existence. The author, with help
from Cabalo Blanco, a loner who lives with the tribe, discovers
secrets of the Tarahumara and finds his own inner ultra-athlete, as
he trains for the challenge of a lifetime in the climactic race through
the Copper Canyons.
Born to Run is that rare book that will not only engage your mind but
inspire your body when you realize that the secret to happiness is
right at your feet, and that you were born to run.
When Finch and Violet meet on the ledge of the bell tower at school,
it’s unclear who saves whom. And when they pair up on a project to
discover the “natural wonders” of their state, both Finch and Violet
make personal discoveries: With Violet, Finch can be himself—a
weird, funny, live-out-loud guy who’s not such a freak after all. With
Finch, Violet can begin living. Unfortunately, as Violet’s world grows,
Finch’s begins to shrink.
The last thing Kyra Agnew remembers is a flash of bright light.
She awakes to discover that five whole years have passed.
Everyone in her life has moved on—her parents are divorced,
her boyfriend is in college and dating her best friend—but
Kyra's still the sixteen-year-old she was when she vanished.
She falls for her boyfriend's kid brother, Tyler, despite her
efforts to ignore this attraction. The two of them decide to
retrace her steps from that fateful night. They discover that
there are others who have been "taken," just like Kyra, but Kyra
is the first person to have been returned past the forty-eighthour taken mark. With a secret government agency after her,
Kyra desperately tries to find an explanation and reclaim the
life she once had . . . but what if the life she wants back is not
her own?
“I come from a country that was created at midnight. When I almost
died it was just after midday.”
When the Taliban takes control of the Swat Valley in Pakistan.
Malala Yousafzai refuses to be silenced and fights for her right to an
education. On Tuesday, October 9, 2012, this fifteen-year old almost
pays the ultimate price. She is shot in the head at point-blank range
while riding the bus home from school, and few expect her to
survive. Instead, Malala's miraculous recovery has taken her on an
extraordinary journey from a remote valley in northern Pakistan to
the halls of the United Nations in New York. At sixteen, she has
become a global symbol of peaceful protest and the youngest-ever
Nobel Peace Prize laureate.
I Am Malala is the remarkable story of a family uprooted by global
terrorism, of the fight for girls' education, of a father who, himself a
school owner, championed and encouraged his daughter to write
and attend school, and of brave parents who have a fierce love for
their daughter in a society that prizes sons. I Am Malala will make
you believe in the power of one person's voice to inspire change in
the world.
Sonia has big dreams. When she tries to put school work before her
familia, her mother decides to send her to visit her grandmother in
Mexico to learn "the ways of the old world." While in Mexico, Sonia
gets to know her wise grandmother and her cousin Maria, who teach
her that while familia is important, the most important thing is to
follow your heart. Sonia returns to the States determined to succeed
in school, but she faces life challenges that get in the way of her
dreams.
Recording information from extensive previously unpublished
interviews and oral histories with Japanese American survivors of
internment camps, Martin W. Sandler gives an in-depth account of
their lives before and during their imprisonment, and after their
release. He takes readers inside life in the internment camps by
giving and in-depth look at a troubling period of American history
and shedding light on the prejudices in today's world. He provides
the historical context we need to prevent similar abuses of power.
An award-winning husband-and-wife team discovers that they each
have sugar in their family history, inspiring them to trace the global
story of the sweet substance and to seek out the voices of those
who led bitter sugar lives. The trail runs from religious ceremonies in
India to Europe’s Middle Ages, then on to Columbus, who brings the
first cane cuttings to the Americas. Sugar is the substance that drives
the bloody slave trade and causes the loss of countless lives; but it
also plants the seeds of revolution that lead to freedom in the
American colonies, Haiti, and France.
In the blink of an eye, Nicole Burns's life is transformed. Gunfire at
an Anne Frank exhibit, followed by chaos in the crowd, and Nicole is
no longer herself. Suddenly tossed back through time and space, she
awakens to find herself a privileged Jewish girl living in Nazioccupied Paris during World War II. The world of internet diaries
and boy troubles have changed for Nicole. Now she's a carefree
Jewish girl, with wonderful friends and a charming boyfriend; but
when the Nazi death grip tightens over France, Nicole is forced into
hiding, and begins a struggle for survival that brings her face to face
with Anne Frank.
It’s March Madness, and there are only four teams left in the NCAA
basketball championship. The heavily favored Michigan Spartans and
the underdog Troy Trojans meet in the first game in the semi-finals,
and it's there that the fates of Malcolm, Roko, Crispin, and M.J.
intertwine. Volponi takes you through the lives of these young men
as the last moments tick down on the game clock. You'll learn how
each player goes from being a kid who loves to shoot hoops, to a
powerful force in one of the most important games of the year. Who
will leave the court victorious?
Star Crossed Lovers Romiette Cappelle and Julio Montague, meet
when Julio rescues Romiette from her recurring nightmare of fire
and water. She has found her soul mate; but, like the
Shakespearean characters whose names echo theirs, Romiette and
Julio discover that not everyone approves of their romance.
Romiette is African-American and Julio is Hispanic, and the
Devildogs, a dangerous local gang, violently oppose their interracial
relationship.
The Devildogs threaten to teach them a lesson, but Romiette and
Julio come up with a plan to escape. Things go terribly wrong, and
the two find themselves caught up in a deadly reality more
frightening than Romiette's nightmare, as they struggle to avoid the
tragic fate of Shakespeare's young lovers.
The western United States is now home to the Republic, a nation
perpetually at war with its neighbors. Born into an elite family in one
of the Republic's wealthiest districts, fifteen-year-old June is a
prodigy being groomed for success in the Republic's highest military
circles. Born into the slums, fifteen-year-old Day is the country's
most wanted criminal, but his motives may not be as malicious as
they seem.
June and Day’s paths cross when June's brother is murdered and Day
becomes the prime suspect. Caught in the ultimate game of cat and
mouse, Day is in a race for his family's survival, while June seeks
revenge. In a shocking turn of events, the two uncover the truth
about what has really brought them together. What sinister secrets
has their country been hiding?
Born in an Andean village in Ecuador, Virginia lives with her large
family in a small, earthen-walled home. When seven-year-old
Virginia is taken from her village to be a servant to a Mestizo couple,
she has no idea what the future holds. In this poignant novel based
on a true story, acclaimed author Laura Resau has collaborated with
María Virginia Farinango to recount Virginia's struggle to find her
place in the world.
The faction-based society that Tris Prior once believed in is
shattered—fractured by violence and power struggles and scarred
by loss and betrayal. So when offered a chance to explore the world
past the limits she’s known, Tris is ready. Perhaps beyond the fence,
she and Tobias will find a simple new life together, free from
complicated lies, tangled loyalties, and painful memories. But Tris’s
new reality is even more alarming than the one she left behind. Old
discoveries are quickly rendered meaningless. Explosive new truths
change the hearts of those she loves. Tris must battle to
comprehend the complexities of human nature—and of herself—
while facing impossible choices about courage, allegiance, sacrifice,
and love.
Told from a riveting dual perspective, Allegiant, by #1 New York
Times best-selling author Veronica Roth, brings the Divergent series
to a powerful conclusion while revealing the secrets of the dystopian
world that has captivated millions of readers in Divergent and
Insurgent.
In ten stories, Karen Russell takes us to the ghostly and magical
swamps of the Florida Everglades where wolf-like girls are reformed
by nuns, a family makes their living wrestling alligators in a theme
park, and little girls sail away on crab shells.
Autumn and Adonis have nothing in common and everything in
common. Autumn is outgoing and has lots of friends, and Adonis is
shy and not so eager to find friends. Even with their differences, the
two have one thing in common--they're each dealing with a
handicap. For Autumn, who has a learning disability, reading is a
painful struggle that makes it hard to focus in class; but as her
school's most aggressive team wrestler, Autumn can take down any
problem. Adonis is confined to a wheelchair. He has no legs, but he's
a strong reader who loves books. Adonis has a secret he knows
someone like Autumn can heal.
In time, Autumn and Adonis are forced to see that our greatest
weaknesses can turn into the assets that forever change us and
those we love.
“I guess I always felt even if the world came to an end, McDonald’s
still would be open.”
High school sophomore Miranda’s disbelief turns to fear in a split
second. When an asteroid knocks the moon closer to Earth, the
result is catastrophic. High school sophomore Miranda and her
family prepare for the future as worldwide tsunamis are wiping out
the coasts, earthquakes are rocking the continents, and volcanic ash
is blocking out the sun. As August turns dark and wintery in
northeastern Pennsylvania, Miranda, her two brothers, and their
mother retreat to the unexpected safe haven of their sunroom,
where they live on stockpiled food and limited water.
Told in a year’s worth of journal entries, this heart-pounding story
chronicles Miranda’s struggle to hold on to the most important
resource of all—hope—in an increasingly desperate and unfamiliar
world. An extraordinary series debut!
Susan Beth Pfeffer has written three companion novels to Life As We
Knew It, including The Dead and the Gone, This World We Live In,
and The Shade of the Moon.
For fifty years, Barbie has been the doll that some people
love-and some people love to hate. She’s influenced
generations, but to what end? Acclaimed nonfiction author,
Tanya Lee Stone, takes an unbiased look at how Barbie
becomes the icon that she is, and at the impact that she's had
on our culture (and vice versa). The book contains anecdotes
and memories from a range of girls and women, a foreword by
Meg Cabot, and original color photographs, this book explores
the Barbie phenomenon in a brand-new light.
A 2014 YALSA Excellence in Nonfiction Finalist
They became America’s first black paratroopers. Why was their
story never told? Sibert Medalist Tanya Lee Stone reveals the
history of the Triple Nickles during World War II. World War II
is raging, and thousands of American soldiers are fighting
overseas against the injustices brought on by Hitler. Morris
knows that for his men to be treated like soldiers, they have to
train and act like them, but would the military elite and
politicians recognize the potential of these men as well as their
passion for serving their country? What is courage? What is
strength? Perhaps it is being ready to fight for your nation
even when your nation isn’t ready to fight for you.
“ Just listen, Adam says with a voice that sounds like shrapnel.
I open my eyes wide now. I sit up as much as I can. And I listen.
Stay, he says.”
Choices. Seventeen-year-old Mia is faced with some tough ones:
Stay true to her first love—music—even if it means losing her
boyfriend and leaving her family and friends behind? Then one
February morning Mia goes for a drive with her family, and in an
instant, everything changes. Suddenly, all the choices are gone,
except one. And it's the only one that matters.
SUMMER 2015
RESOURCES
Just Read Florida! 2014 Summer
Recommended Reading List
Grades 9-12
WEBSITES
http://www.justreadflorida.com/pdf/JRF2014SRRL.pdf
Achieve 3000
https://portal.achieve3000.com
Students may use the powerful reading
and writing tools in Achieve 3000
anytime, anywhere with internet-based
access via laptops, iPads, and
smartphones. Students may use the
username and password provided to
them in May 2014.
For questions or concerns, please contact Minika Jenkins, Executive Director of High School Programs, at
(904) 390-2673, or at jenkinsm5@duvalschools.org.
Why Summer Reading?
Reading could be one of the many fun activities students can participate in to fill their summer time. Research has
shown it is also much more! Students who read over the summer not only avoid the “summer slide” in learning,
but they also score higher on reading achievement tests than those who do not read over the summer.
“The two largest contributions to reading achievement were access to interesting books and student choice of the
books they would read. Both factors moved reading achievement ahead more than a full standard deviation,
which would move a student from the 16th to greater than the 50th percentile on standardized tests of reading
comprehension.” Cahill, C., Horvath, K., McGill-Franzen, A., & Allington, R. (2013). Why Not? What Works? In No
More Summer Reading Loss (p.21). Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
The suggested books on this list may be available on eBook, audiobook, and print formats at your local Jacksonville
Public Library branch, neighborhood high school, and/or area book store.