To Kill a Mockingbird

Lee, H. (1960). To kill a mockingbird.  New York:  Warner. 

 I have always loved a good Bildungsroman with a spunky female narrator with a historical context. Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird perfectly fits the bill. I first read the novel while preparing for the English essay portion of the Praxis, then again when I taught freshman. But, to be honest, I didn't truly enjoy Lee's work. I decided to give it another go. And I must say that I am completely in love. Scout is my new favorite character in literature. 

The Fault in Our Stars

Green, J. (2012) The fault in our stars. New York:  Dutton Books.

First I want to day that I have not seen The Fault in Our Stars movie yet. My twelve-year-old cousin leant me her copy of John Green's young adult novel. I have seen a lot of my students reading this book lately. And with a title that alludes to Shakespeare's Julius Caesar, how could I resist?  After reading The Fault in Our Stars, I look forward to both watching the movie and reading some of Green's other works.

A Separate Peace

Knowles, J. (1959). A Separate Peace. New York:  Secker and Warbug.

This year, I decided that I wanted to teach something new to my advanced sophomore class. I still taught Lord of the Flies, but I wanted something different. As I was looking at the book list, I realized that A Separate Peace is also on the AP list. So I thought, "Why not?  If I don't like it, I won't teach it again."  I am so glad that I decided to give Knowles's novel a chance.

Catching Fire

Collins, S. (2009). Catching Fire. New York:  Scholastic.

Yes, I am a fan of The Hunger Games trio.  Yes, I get very excited about the movies.  I did see the recent movie.  It was good.  But of the three novels, Catching Fire is my favorite.  I teach The Hunger Games to my sophomore English class every year.  And every time I finish, I have the urge to read the subsequent novels.  Since the new movie was releasing soon, I decided to read Catching Fire, again.

Catching Fire is my favorite of the three novels.  The novel begins several months after the events of the seventy-fourth Hunger Games.  Katniss and Peeta have returned to life and made it as normal as possible.  But the Capitol is angry with the events that took place.  Now to save her own skin, Katniss must pretend to be in love with Peeta for the rest of her life.

Collins second novel is a great midpoint in the trilogy.  While The Hunger Games is used to introduce the world of Panem and the character of Katniss, Catching Fire is used to bring in the political undertones of the novel.  Katniss just wants to lead a normal life, but that isn't possible.  I would argue that the beginning of the novel moves pretty slowly.  The suspense of the games doesn't occur until much later in the novel.  Quite often, the reader is left confused along with Katniss as to the motives of other characters.  Collins uses present tense first person narration, just like The Hunger Games.  So the reader feels Katniss's emotions.

If you enjoy The Hunger Games, you MUST read Catching Fire.  And always read the novel before watching the move.  ALWAYS.  Or else the odds will never be in your favor.

The Book Thief

Zusak, M. (2005). The Book Thief. New York:  Knopf.

There have been many, many books written involving stories of children and adolescents during World War II.  Australian writer, Markus Zusak takes a different approach.  He chooses to write about a young German girl, rather than take a Jewish voice.  This fresh perspective is just what I needed for summer reading.

The Hobbit

Tolkien, J. (1937).  The Hobbit.  London:  George Allen & Unwin

I am a HUGE Tolkien fan. It all started when I watched The Fellowship of the Ring in a theater many years ago. I thought it was just going to be another movie. I was hooked from the start. And of course I had to read the books. I began with the trilogy then made my way through The Hobbit. I decided in honor of the new film (which is awesome), I would reread The Hobbit.

The Kingdom Keepers: Disney After Dark

Pearson, R. (2005). The kingdom keepers: Disney after dark.  New York:  Disney Hyperion.

Have you ever wondered what happens at Disney World after the park closes? Well, I have. And apparently I'm not alone. Ridley Pearson has created an entire young adult series around the concept. The first book, Disney after Dark, follows the Kingdom Keepers--a group of five middle schoolers who have holograms created in their likenesses--as they try to save the Magic Kingdom from the Overtakers.

Lord of the Flies

Golding, W. (1954). Lord of the flies. London: Faber and Faber.

I have taught Lord of the Flies with every English II class I have ever had.  Overall, they are not fans of the book, or at least they won't admit it.  I really think they just don't like anything unless it involves a sparkly vampire or a girl with a bow and arrow.  I have never quite understood why they love The Hunger Games but hate Lord of the Flies.  Maybe it's the lack of a love story.

Thirteen Reasons Why

Asher, J. (2007). Thirteen reasons why. New York:  Penguin.

I love when my students will read on their own. I love when we can discuss books that aren't required reading. I love when they recommend books. And once in a while, I'll actually get a chance to read them.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower

Chbosky, S. (1999). The perks of being a wallflower.  New York:  Pocket Books.

I read this book when it was first released; I was a freshman in high school. It seems like forever ago. I know there was a new movie released, and I enjoyed the book then. So I decided to read it again.

I cannot believe I read this book at that age. I know it's classified as a young adult novel, but it contains some very adult themes. There are a lot of references to sex, suicide and drugs. And not just in passing. The protagonist is a freshman in high school and explicitly describes his experiences.  I think it's a great book for individual reading, but I don't see Perks ever being used in my classroom.  Then again, it's not meant to be used in a classroom. I'm just the type of teacher that doesn't like discussing certain issues with my students.

House of the Scorpion

Farmer, N. (2002).  House of the Scorpion. New York:  Atheneum.

I read this book for my graduate class. I was not too thrilled about it. Sadly, sometimes I'm one of those people who judges a book by its cover and its title, literally. But, like a good student, I read the book. After a few chapters, it was so hard to our or down.

The Diary of a Young Girl

Frank, A. (1997). The diary of a young girl.  New York:  Bantam.

Anne Frank is a name known throughout the world.  She was not an extraordinary girl, nor did she really live an extraordinary life.  Yet, her diary has been published in countless languages and been read by a large audience.

Imitate the Tiger

Cheripko, J. (1996). Imitate the tiger. Honesdale, PA:  Bell Books.

Jan Cheripko is a high school English teacher who has won several awards with his book, Imitate the Tiger.

The protagonist and narrator of the novel, Christ Serbo, is a high school football player and is considered an at-risk teenager.  Most of the novel is told in a flashback as journal entries.  Chris is an alcoholic and gets sent to a rehabilitation school.  In his journal, Chris writes about what led him to his downward spiral.

The Hunger Games

Collins, S. (2008). The hunger games.  New York:  Scholastic.

The Hunger Games has become a worldwide phenomena with the recent release of the movie in March of this year.  After reading the book, it is easy to see why so many young adults (and adults) really enjoy the book series and why the novel has won so many awards.  Suzanne Collins creates a strong character in her narrator, Katniss through the use of  indirect characterization.  Collins creates other strong characters as well, each with his or her own personality.  So readers can connect with at least one character.