Need a new read? Here are a few suggestions...
These are books that I have read and enjoyed. Most of these are things you'll be able to find on my classroom bookshelf; for some of them you may have to ask me personally; for others you'll just have to find it elsewhere, i.e. the library. I love to have my own copy, though, so I can mark up the text. (We'll talk about that in class, but here is a great resource for learning how to read more deeply and to take natural and quick notes in your book!)
Some of the selections may be a little more mature in their themes or content. While I'd still be happy to lend you these books, I want to make sure you can handle them. (Believe it or not, there are still a few works that I have chosen not to read or watch because I don't think I can handle them!) I've marked these with an asterisk (*); if you want to check one out from me, let me know and I'll give you a form to have your parent sign. Trust me on this one: it's better they know before you start reading than after.
Also, I've marked the more difficult reads with a plus sign (+). I still encourage you to try, but don't be discouraged if you have to save it for later. On the other hand, some are quite easy and are really children's books, but I honestly pick these pretty often, and sometimes they just make fantastic reads.
Fiction
Norton Juster - The Phantom Tollbooth
Lewis Carroll - Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
Trust me, neither movie is half as good as the book.
Madeleine L'Engle - A Wrinkle in Time
An easier read, but to this day one of my favorites. This book has three "companions" that go with it: A Wind at the
Door, A Swiftly Tilting Planet, and Many Waters. I recommend them all!
Sherman Alexie - The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian
Mitch Albom - The Five People You Meet in Heaven
Jhumpa Lahiri - Unaccustomed Earth
A collection of longer short stories, mostly about family, relationships, and learning to be an Indian-American.
*Jhumpa Lahiri - The Namesake
+Nathaniel Hawthorne - The Scarlet Letter
+Seamus Heaney - Beowulf
I admit freely that I'm a nerd, but I love this epic poem!
Non-Fiction
Mitch Albom - Tuesdays with Morrie
Donald Miller - Blue Like Jazz
Donald Miller - Searching for God Knows What
Miller is one of my favorite authors. He writes about spirituality from a Christian worldview, and he's hilarious. If
you're interested in religions--especially Christianity, but others as well--I would absolutely recommend him.
Some of the selections may be a little more mature in their themes or content. While I'd still be happy to lend you these books, I want to make sure you can handle them. (Believe it or not, there are still a few works that I have chosen not to read or watch because I don't think I can handle them!) I've marked these with an asterisk (*); if you want to check one out from me, let me know and I'll give you a form to have your parent sign. Trust me on this one: it's better they know before you start reading than after.
Also, I've marked the more difficult reads with a plus sign (+). I still encourage you to try, but don't be discouraged if you have to save it for later. On the other hand, some are quite easy and are really children's books, but I honestly pick these pretty often, and sometimes they just make fantastic reads.
Fiction
Norton Juster - The Phantom Tollbooth
Lewis Carroll - Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
Trust me, neither movie is half as good as the book.
Madeleine L'Engle - A Wrinkle in Time
An easier read, but to this day one of my favorites. This book has three "companions" that go with it: A Wind at the
Door, A Swiftly Tilting Planet, and Many Waters. I recommend them all!
Sherman Alexie - The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian
Mitch Albom - The Five People You Meet in Heaven
Jhumpa Lahiri - Unaccustomed Earth
A collection of longer short stories, mostly about family, relationships, and learning to be an Indian-American.
*Jhumpa Lahiri - The Namesake
+Nathaniel Hawthorne - The Scarlet Letter
+Seamus Heaney - Beowulf
I admit freely that I'm a nerd, but I love this epic poem!
Non-Fiction
Mitch Albom - Tuesdays with Morrie
Donald Miller - Blue Like Jazz
Donald Miller - Searching for God Knows What
Miller is one of my favorite authors. He writes about spirituality from a Christian worldview, and he's hilarious. If
you're interested in religions--especially Christianity, but others as well--I would absolutely recommend him.