Annotated List of Novels for 2025-2026:

The Outsiders by: S.E. Hinton

The Outsiders has been one of the most popular books among teens and preteens since it came out in 1967. Ponyboy and his Greaser gang fight rival gang the Socs (short for "Socials," the wealthier, more preppy kids) and try to make a place for themselves in the world. The juvenile delinquent characters are fully and humanely developed in this realistic look at life, death, and growing up, told from a teen's point of view. The book was based on the author's high school experience in Tulsa, OK, in 1965, but the time and setting are not specified in the text.

Source: https://www.commonsensemedia.org/book-reviews/the-outsiders

To Kill a Mockingbird by: Harper Lee (English 1 Honors)

Growing up in the small town of Maycomb, Alabama, during the Great Depression, Scout Finch -- the narrator of TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD -- and her brother, Jem, are being raised by their widowed father, Atticus. Some interesting characters live on their street, both seen and unseen. Dill Harris comes to stay with Scout and Jem's next-door neighbor Rachel Haverford every summer, and the three children develop a close friendship. Elderly Mrs. Dubose shouts insults at the neighbors from her porch. Miss Maudie offers the children friendly advice and baked goods. The young Finches are scared of the Radleys' house, as creepy stories are circulated about Mr. Radley and his sons, especially Arthur, also known as Boo. The children enjoy re-enacting make-believe versions of the stories they've heard about Boo. Scout goes through some growing pains in the story, as her first day of school goes poorly and Jem becomes less willing to play with his little sister. Atticus encourages his daughter to exhibit empathy and patience with others, and he warns both his children that tough times may be coming to their little family; they may hear things that upset them, and he wants them to keep cool. The children learn that Atticus, an attorney, has taken the case of a black man who has been accused of abusing and beating a white woman. The events that unfold surrounding the trial and its aftermath teach the children a lot about their father's inner strength and wisdom, and the effects of racism and poverty on their community.

Source: https://www.commonsensemedia.org/book-reviews/to-kill-a-mockingbird

POSSIBLE class read-aloud (we will check the book out of the library):

Ghost by: Jason Reynolds

GHOST is Castle Cranshaw's new nickname -- he gave it to himself and it sticks when he challenges a track team's best sprinter to a race. Running is as easy for him as breathing, probably because he's been doing it all his life. An emerging track star with a past, Ghost has to figure out why he runs -- is it toward what his life could be or away from his past? Luckily, he has new friends on the team, his coach, and even his mom to help him figure it all out.

Source: https://www.commonsensemedia.org/book-reviews/ghost-track-book-1

Restart by: Gordon Korman

RESTART is the tale of Chase, an 8th grade star athlete who falls off a roof, hits his head, and loses all memory of his previous life—in which, it turns out, he and his football pals got a pass for a whole lot of bad behavior, from pranks gone wrong to injury-causing physical attacks on "loser" classmates. Worse, they've been stealing from the residents of the assisted living facility where they're supposed to be doing community service. With no memory of any of this, Chase is horrified by each new discovery and determined to make things right. But it's not that simple, as neither he, his former buds, nor his former victims know what to believe. 

Source: https://www.commonsensemedia.org/book-reviews/restart#:~:text=Parents%20need%20to%20know%20that,%2C%20and%20(it%20emerges)%E2%80%A6