William J. Clark s 2017 Suggested Summer Reading List

Transcription

1 William J. Clark s 2017 Suggested Summer Reading List *Please note the following: No one HAS to read any of the suggested books; however, these books have received numerous awards and acknowledgements for their quality. Students may read whatever titles interest them. The book jackets provided may have changed due to publishers reprinting books. The ones included in this list are just the most commonly found covers for the titles they accompany. Students are STRONGLY ENCOURAGED to go visit our Orangeburg County Library this summer so much that each available there will have an asterisk (*) by the author s name. Students are also STRONGLY ENCOURAGED to use our Follett eshelf this summer, which is located on our school s website at some of these titles will be available there as well. Each of those titles will have a caret (^) by the author s name. Title: The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill*^ Honors: Newbery Winner 2017, Association for Library Service to Children Notable Children s Book 2017; Booklist Editors Choice Book for Middle Readers 2016 Subjects: Fantasy Fiction; Friendship - Fiction; Magic - Fiction Summary: "An epic fantasy about a young girl raised by a witch, a swamp monster, and a Perfectly Tiny Dragon, who must unlock the powerful magic buried deep inside her." From the publisher.

2 by Ashley Bryan*^ Title: Freedom over Me: Eleven Slaves, Their Lives and Dreams Brought to Life Honors: Newbery Honor 2017; Coretta Scott King Author Honor Book 2017; Association for Library Service to Children Notable Children s Book for all ages 2017 Subjects: African American Fiction; Historical Fiction; Slavery - Fiction Summary: In his gentle yet deeply powerful way, Ashley Bryan goes to the heart of how a slave is given a monetary value by the slave owner, tempering this with the one thing that CAN'T be bought or sold dreams. Inspired by the actual will of a plantation owner that lists the worth of each and every one of his "workers", Bryan has created collages around that document, and others like it. Through fierce paintings and expansive poetry he imagines and interprets each person's life on the plantation, as well as the life their owner knew nothing about their dreams and pride in knowing that they were worth far more than an Overseer or Madam ever would guess. Visually epic, and never before done, this stunning picture book is unlike anything you've seen. From the publisher. Title: Wolf Hollow: a Novel by Lauren Wolk* Honors: Newbery Honor Book 2017; Association for Library Service to Children Notable Children s Book for Older Readers 2017; Booklist Editors Choice Book for Middle Readers 2016 Subjects: Bullies Fiction; Historical Fiction; Homeless Persons - Fiction Summary: "Growing up in the shadows cast by two world wars, Annabelle has lived a mostly quiet, steady life in her small Pennsylvania town. Until the day new student Betty Glengarry walks into her class. Betty quickly reveals herself to be cruel and manipulative, and while her bullying seems isolated at first, things quickly escalate, and reclusive World War I veteran Toby becomes a target of her attacks. While others have always seen Toby's strangeness, Annabelle knows only kindness. She will soon need to find the courage to stand as a lone voice of justice as tensions mount. From the publisher

3 Adam Gidwitz* Title: The Inquisitor s Tale, or, The Three Magical Children and Their Holy Dog by Honors: Newbery Honor Book 2017; Association for Library Service to Children Notable Children s Book for Older Readers 2017; Booklist Editors Choice Book for Middle Readers 2016 Subjects: Fantasy Fiction; Humor Action and Adventure - Fiction Summary: "Crossing paths at an inn, thirteenth-century travelers impart the tales of a monastery oblate, a Jewish refugee, and a psychic peasant girl with a loyal greyhound, the three of whom join forces on a chase through France to escape persecution. From the Online Computer Library Center Title: March: Book Three by John Lewis* Honors: Coretta Scott King Author Winner 2017; Michael Printz Award Winner 2017; American Library Association Top Ten Great Graphic Novels for Teens 2017; Robert Sibert Award Winner for Nonfiction 2017 Subjects: African-Americans; US Civil Rights; Graphic Novels - Nonfiction Summary: "A graphic novel account of some pivotal moments in the Civil Rights Movement. From Follett This title is part of a series.

4 Title: As Brave as You by Jason Reynolds*^ Honors: Coretta Scott King Author Honor 2017; Association for Library Service to Children Notable Children s Book for Older Readers 2017; American Library Association Schneider Book Award 2017 Subjects: African-Americans Fiction; Realistic Fiction; Family Life - Fiction Summary: A touching story about an interesting summer Genie and his brother Ernie spend with their grandparents in Virginia, which include lessons in sibling love, blindness, and becoming a man. Title: Freedom in Congo Square by Carole Boston Weatherford*^ Honors: Coretta Scott King Author Honor 2017; Association for Library Service to Children Notable Children s Book for All Ages 2017; Booklist Editors' Choice: Books for Middle Readers 2016 Subjects: African-Americans; Historical Fiction; Congo Square (New Orleans, LA) - History Summary: As slaves relentlessly toiled in an unjust system in 19th century Louisiana, they all counted down the days until Sunday, when at least for half a day they were briefly able to congregate in Congo Square in New Orleans. Here they were free to set up an open market, sing, dance, and play music. They were free to forget their cares, their struggles, and their oppression. This story chronicles slaves' duties each day, from chopping logs on Mondays to baking bread on Wednesdays to plucking hens on Saturday, and builds to the freedom of Sundays and the special experience of an afternoon spent in Congo Square. From Follett

5 Steptoe* Title: Radiant Child: The Story of Young Artist Jean-Michel Basquiat by Javaka Honors: Coretta Scott King Author Honor 2017; Coretta Scott King Illustrator Winner 2017; Association for Library Service to Children Notable Children s Book for All Ages 2017 Subjects: African-Americans - Biography; Basquiat, Jean-Michel, Summary: Jean-Michael Basquiat and his unique, collage-style paintings rocketed to fame in the 1980s as a cultural phenomenon unlike anything the art world had ever seen. But before that, he was a little boy who saw art everywhere: in poetry books and museums, in games and in the words that we speak, and in the pulsing energy of New York City. Now, award-winning illustrator Javaka Steptoe's vivid text and bold artwork echoing Basquiat's own introduce young readers to the powerful message that art doesn't always have to be neat or clean--and definitely not inside the lines--to be beautiful. From Follett Title: All American Boys by Jason Reynolds and Brendon Kiely* Honors: Coretta Scott King Honor Book 2016; Publisher s Weekly Best Book of the Year 2015 Subjects: African Americans Fiction; Prejudice and Racism Fiction; Race Relations - Fiction Summary: Written in tandem by two award-winning authors, this four-starred reviewed tour de force shares the alternating perspectives of Rashad and Quinn as the complications from that single violent moment, the type taken directly from today's headlines, unfold and reverberate to highlight an unwelcome truth. From Follett

6 Title: The Boy in the Black Suit by Jason Reynolds* Honors: Coretta Scott King Honor Book 2016; Young Adult Library Services Association Top Ten Best Fiction for Young Adults 2016; Association for Library Service to Children Notable Children s Book for Middle Readers 2016 Subjects: African Americans Fiction; Grief and Loss Fiction; Realistic Fiction Summary: Matt wears a black suit every day. No, not because his mom died although she did, and it sucks. But he wears the suit for his gig at the local funeral home, which pays way better than the Cluck Bucket, and he needs the income since his dad can't handle the bills (or anything, really) on his own. So while Dad's snagging bottles of whiskey, Matt's snagging fifteen bucks an hour. Not bad. But everything else? Not good. Then Matt meets Lovey. Crazy name, and she's been through more crazy stuff than he can imagine. Yet Lovey never cries. She's tough. Really tough. Tough in the way Matt wishes he could be. Which is maybe why he's drawn to her, and definitely why he can't seem to shake her. Because there's nothing more hopeful than finding a person who understands your loneliness and who can maybe even help take it away. From Follett Title: Juana and Lucas by Juana Medina Honors: Pura Belpre Award Winner 2017; Pura Belpre Illustrator Honor Award 2017; Association for Library Service to Children Notable Children s Book for Middle Readers 2017 Subjects: Hispanic Americans; Bogota (Colombia) - Fiction; Schools - Fiction Summary: A spunky young girl from Colombia loves playing with her canine best friend and resists boring school activities, especially learning English, until her family tells her that a special trip is planned to an English-speaking place. From Follett

7 Title: Lowriders to the Center of the Earth by Cathy Camper Honors: Pura Belpre Illustrator Award Winner 2017; Association for Library Service to Children Notable Children s Book for Older Readers 2017 Subjects: Mexican Americans Fiction; Aztecs - Fiction; Graphic Novels Summary: Text mainly in English with some Spanish words and phrases. Lupe Impala, Elirio Malaria, and El Chavo Octopus are now the proud owners of their own garage--but when a series of earthquakes hits their town and Genie, their beloved cat, disappears, they find themselves traveling to the realm of Mictlantecuhtli, Aztec god of the Underworld, who is keeping Genie prisoner. From Follett This title is part of a series. Title: Esquivel! Space-Age Sound Artist by Susan Wood^ Honors: Pura Belpre Illustrator Honor 2017; Association for Library Service to Children Notable Children s Book for All Ages 2017 Subjects: Hispanic Americans; Biography; Music Summary: Juan Garcia Esquivel was born in Mexico and grew up to the sounds of mariachi bands. He loved music and became a musical explorer. Defying convention, he created music that made people laugh and planted images in their minds. Juan's space-age lounge music--popular in the fifties and sixties--has found a new generation of listeners. From the publisher

8 Title: Sachiko: a Nagasaki Bomb Survivor s Story by Caren Barzelay Stelson^ Honors: Robert Sibert Honor 2017; Association for Library Service to Children Notable Children s Book for Older Readers 2017; Booklist Editors Choice Book for Older Readers 2016 Subjects: World War, Japan Nagasaki; Yasui, Sachiko Summary: "Shares the true story of a young girl who survived the atomic bomb and chronicles her long journey to find peace." From the publisher. Title: We Will Not Be Silent: the White Rose Student Resistance Movement that Defied Adolf Hitler by Russell Freedman*^ Honors: Robert Sibert Honor Award 2017; Association for Library Service to Children Notable Children s Book for Older Readers 2017 Subjects: Anti-Nazi movement Germany (Munich); Weisse Rose (Resistance Group); Munich (Germany) History Summary: "The true story of the White Rose, a group of students in Nazi Germany who were active undercover agents of the resistance movement against Hitler and his regime." From the publisher

9 Title: Some Writer! The Story of E. B. White by Melissa Sweet* Honors: National Council of Teachers of English Orbis Pictus Winner 2017; Association for Library Service to Children Notable Children s Book for All Ages 2017; Booklist Editors Choice Book for Middle Readers 2016 Subjects: Authors, American 20 th Century; White, E.B. (Elwyn Brooks), Summary: Caldecott Honor winner Sweet mixes White's personal letters, photos, and family ephemera with her own exquisite artwork to tell the story of this American literary icon. Readers young and old will be fascinated and inspired by the journalist, New Yorker contributor, and children's book author who loved words his whole life. This authorized tribute, a New York Times bestseller, includes an afterword by Martha White, his granddaughter. From Follett Title: I Dissent: Ruth Bader Ginsburg Makes Her Mark by Debbie Levy* Honors: National Council of Teachers of English Orbis Pictus Honor 2017; Booklist Editors Choice Book for Middle Readers 2016; Association of Jewish Libraries Sydney Taylor Winner for Young Readers 2017 Subjects: Ginsberg, Ruth Bader; Women Biography; Judges Summary: Supreme Court justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg has spent a lifetime disagreeing: disagreeing with inequality, arguing against unfair treatment, and standing up for what's right for people everywhere. This biographical picture book about the Notorious RBG, tells the justice's story through the lens of her many famous dissents, or disagreements. From Follett

10 Hoose Title: The Boys Who Challenged Hitler: Knud Pedersen and the Churchill Club by Phillip Honors: Robert Sibert Informational Honor Book 2016; International Literacy Association Teachers Choices Book 2016; Booklist Books for Older Readers 2015 Subjects: Boys Political Activity Denmark; Knud Pedersen; World War II; Underground Resistance Movement Denmark Summary: At the outset of World War II, Denmark did not resist German occupation. Deeply ashamed of his nation's leaders, fifteen-year-old Knud Pedersen resolved with his brother and a handful of schoolmates to take action against the Nazis if the adults would not. Naming their secret club after the fiery British leader, the young patriots in the Churchill Club committed countless acts of sabotage, infuriating the Germans, who eventually had the boys tracked down and arrested. But their efforts were not in vain: the boys' exploits and eventual imprisonment helped spark a full-blown Danish resistance. Interweaving his own narrative with the recollections of Knud himself, here is Phillip Hoose's inspiring story of these young war heroes. From the publisher Title: All Involved by Ryan Gattis Honors: Alex Award for Young Adults Subjects: Gangs Fiction; Mexican Americans Fiction; Race Relations - Fiction Summary: At 3:15 p.m. on April 29, 1992, a jury acquitted two Los Angeles Police Department officers charged with using excessive force to subdue civilian Rodney King, and failed to reach a verdict on the same charges involving a third officer. Less than two hours later, the city of LA - a powder keg of racial tension - exploded in violence as people took to the streets in a terrifying orgy of rioting that lasted six days. In 144 hours, sixty lives were lost. And then there were the murders outside of active rioting sites, committed by gangbangers who used the lawlessness of a city on fire to viciously settle scores. A gritty and cinematic work of sourced fiction, all involved vividly recreates this turbulent and terrifying time through the stories of six interconnected lives caught up in extraordinary circumstances. From the publisher

11 Steve Sheinkin Title: Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War by Honors: Young Adult Library Services Association Award for Excellence in Nonfiction Winner 2016; International Literacy Association Young Adult s Choice 2016; Boston Globe Horn Book Nonfiction Winner 2016 Subjects: Daniel Ellsberg; Pentagon Papers; Vietnam War Summary: Author Steve Sheinkin comes a tense, narrative nonfiction account of what the Times deemed "the greatest story of the century": how whistleblower Daniel Ellsberg transformed from obscure government analyst into "the most dangerous man in America," and risked everything to expose years of government lies during the Nixon / Cold War era. From the publisher Title: Adrift by Paul Griffin^ Subjects: Sailing Fiction; Survival Fiction; Teenagers Fiction Summary: "Matt and Mike are best friends, just two working-class guys trying to earn some money in Montauk for the summer. When they meet Driana, JoJo, and Stef, three friends who live a much different life of privilege, Matt and Mike find themselves in a sticky situation where temptation rivals sensibility. Worlds collide when the group ventures out to sea aboard a small boat that Stef sneaks out from her dad's dock. As the waves rise and the fragile vessel weakens, things go horribly wrong. Adrift at sea for days, who will have what it takes to survive?" From the publisher.

12 Title: Beneath by Roland Smith^ Subjects: Cults Fiction; Brothers Fiction; Attempted Murder Fiction Summary: Pat O'Toole has always idolized his older brother, Coop, right up until the day Coop ran away from their home just outside Washington, D.C. Now, a year later, he has received a package containing a digital voice recorder and a cryptic message from his brother, which will lead Pat on a strange and dangerous journey to the mysterious Community living beneath the streets of New York. Title: Big Top Burning: The True Story of an Arsonist, a Missing Girl, and the Greatest Show on Earth by Laura Woollett^ Subjects: Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey Combined Shows History; Fires Connecticut Hartford History; Arson Connecticut Hartford History Summary: Big Top Burning recounts the true story of one of the worst fire disasters in US history. It follows the tragic stories of the Cook family--including children Donald, Eleanor, and Edward, who were in the audience that day--and 15-year-old Robert Segee, a circus employee with an incendiary past. Drawing on primary sources and interviews with survivors, author Laura Woollett guides readers through several decades of investigations and asks, Was the unidentified body of a little girl nicknamed "Little Miss 1565" Eleanor Cook? Was the fire itself an act of arson--and did Robert Segee set it? Young readers are invited to evaluate the evidence and draw their own conclusions. From the publisher

13 Title: Book Scavenger by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman^ Subjects: Detective and mystery Fiction; Treasure Hunts Fiction; Adventure Fiction Summary: Just after twelve-year-old Emily and her family move to San Francisco, she teams up with new friend James to follow clues in an odd book they find, hoping to figure out its secrets before the men who attacked Emily's hero, publisher Garrison Griswold, solve the mystery or come after the friends. From Follett Title: Chasing Secrets by Gennifer Choldenko*^ Subjects: Historical Fiction; Friendship Fiction; Plague Fiction Summary: Thirteen-year-old Lizzie and her secret friend Noah, who is hiding in her house, plan to rescue Noah's father from the quarantined Chinatown, and save everyone they love from contracting the plague that is spreading in 1900 San Francisco. From Follett

14 Title: The Chosen Prince by Diane Stanley^ Subjects: Fantasy, Fate and fatalism fiction; Princes fiction Summary: "Prince Alexos, the long-awaited champion of the goddess Athene, follows the course of his destiny through war and loss and a deadly confrontation with his enemy to its end: shipwrecked on a magical, fog-shrouded island. There he meets the unforgettable Aria and faces the greatest challenge of his life. Based loosely on Shakespeare's The Tempest."-From the publisher. Title: Code of Honor by Alan Gratz^ Honors: International Literacy Association Young Adult Choice 2016; South Carolina Junior Book Award Nominee Subjects: Brothers Fiction; Terrorism Fiction; Iranian Americans Fiction Summary: When Iranian-American Kamran Smith learns that his big brother, Darius, has been labelled a terrorist, he sets out to piece together the codes and clues that will save his brother's life and his country from a deadly terrorist attack. From Follett

15 Title: Fast Break by Mike Lupica^ Subjects: Basketball Juvenile Fiction; Homelessness and Poverty Fiction; Prejudice and Racism Fiction Summary: Since his mother's death, Jayson, twelve, has focused on basketball and surviving but he is found out and placed with an affluent foster family of a different race, and must learn to accept many changes, including facing his former teammates in a championship game. From Follett Title: Fort by Cynthia DeFelice*^ Honors: International Literacy Association Young Adult Choice 2016; South Carolina Junior Book Award Nominee Subjects: Best Friends Fiction; Summer Fiction; Bullies Fiction Summary: Wyatt and his friend Augie are enjoying the fort they built, but when two older boys mess with it and with another kid who can't fight back, they launch Operation Doom to get back at the bullies. From Follett

16 Title: Ghostlight by Tom Sonia Gensler*^ Subjects: Ghost Stories; Haunted Houses Fiction; Motion Pictures Production Fiction Summary: A summer film project turns spooky when the setting turns out to actually be haunted. From Follett Title: House Arrest by K.A. Holt^ Honors: International Children s Choice for 2016; South Carolina Junior Book Award Nominee Subjects: Diary Fiction; Juvenile Delinquency Fiction; Novels in Verse Summary: Timothy, a young man whose heart is in the right place (just not his actions sometimes), is ordered to keep a diary for a year to reflect on his life.

17 Title: I Am Princess X by Cherie Priest* Honors: International Literacy Association Young Adult Choice 2016; South Carolina Junior Book Award Nominee Subjects: Superheroes Fiction; Teenage Girls Fiction; Saipan Fiction Summary: "Years after writing stories about a superheroine character she created with a best friend who died in a tragic car accident, 16-year-old May is shocked to see stickers, patches and graffiti images of the superheroine appearing all over town."-- From the Online Computer Library Center Title: I Will Always Write Back: How One Letter Changed Two Lives by Caitlin Alifirenka and Martin Ganda^ Honors: National Council for the Social Studies Notable Social Studies Trade Book for Young People 2016; South Carolina Junior Book Award Nominee Subjects: Pen Pals; Teenagers United Stated Social Conditions; Teenagers Zimbabwe Social Conditions Summary: In this compelling dual memoir, Caitlin and Martin recount how they became best friends --and better people--through their long-distance exchange. Their story will inspire you to look beyond your own life and wonder about the world at large and your place in it. From the publisher

18 Title: Mark of the Thief by Jennifer Nielsen*^ Subjects: Historical Fiction; Magic Fiction; Slavery Fiction Summary: "When Nic, a slave in the mines outside of Rome, is forced to enter a sealed cavern containing lost treasures of Julius Caesar, he finds himself in possession of an ancient amulet filled with magic once reserved for the Gods, and becomes the center of a conspiracy to overthrow the emperor and destroy Rome" From the jacket flap of the book Title: Roller Girl by Victoria Jamieson* Honors: Newbery Honor 2016; American Library Service to Children Graphic Novel Reading List for Grades ; South Carolina Junior Book Award Nominee 2017 Subjects: Graphic Novels; Roller Derby Fiction; Cartoon and Comics Summary: "A graphic novel adventure about a girl who discovers roller derby right as she and her best friend are growing apart" From the publisher.

19 Title: The Seventh Most Important Thing by Shelly Pearsall*^ Honors: International Literacy Association Teachers Choice 2016; South Carolina Junior Book Award Nominee Subjects: African Americans Fiction; Community Service Fiction; Folk Art Fiction Summary: "In 1963, thirteen-year-old Arthur is sentenced to community service helping the neighborhood Junk Man after he throws a brick at the old man's head in a moment of rage, but the junk he collects might be more important than he suspects. Inspired by the work of American folk artist James Hampton" From the publisher. Title: Terror at Bottle Creek by Watt Key^ Subjects: Hurricanes Fiction; Swamps Fiction; Survival Fiction Summary: "Thirteen-year-old Cort's father is a local expert on hunting and swamp lore in lower Alabama who has been teaching his son everything he knows. But when a deadly Gulf Coast hurricane makes landfall, Cort must unexpectedly put his all skills--and bravery--to the test" From the publisher

20 Title: Walk on Earth a Stranger by Rae Carson*^ Subjects: Historical Fiction; Action and Adventure Fiction; Disguise Fiction Summary: Lee Westfall, a young woman with the magical ability to sense the presence of gold, must flee her home to avoid people who would abuse her powers, so when her best friend Jefferson heads out across Gold Rush-era America to stake his claim, she disguises herself as a boy and sets out on her own dangerous journey. From Follett Title: The War that Saved my Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley*^ Honors: International Literacy Association Teachers Choice 2016; Publisher s Weekly Children s Book of the Year 2016 for ages 12 14; South Carolina Junior Book Award Nominee Subjects: People with Disabilities Fiction; World War Evacuation of Civilians Fiction; Brothers and Sisters Fiction Summary: A young disabled girl and her brother are evacuated from London to the English countryside during World War II, where they find life to be much sweeter away from their abusive mother. From Follett

21 Title: The Worst Class Trip Ever by Dave Barry^ Honors: International Literacy Children s Choice 2016; South Carolina Junior Book Award Nominee Subjects: Humor Fiction; Terrorism Fiction; Washington, D.C. Fiction Summary: "When the eighth grade civics class of Miami's Culver Middle School goes on a trip to Washington, D.C., Wyatt Palmer finds himself in deep trouble before the plane even lands because his best friend, Matt, has decided the men sitting behind them are terrorists and it is up to the boys to stop them" From the publisher