Here are some recommendations from your English teachers!
Ms. Dodd
Devil in the White City: (Erik Larson) This book tells the true story of the brilliant architect who planned the Chicago World's Fair of 1893, contrasted against the story of the depraved serial killer H. H. Holmes, who came to Chicago and built a murder castle to prey on the vulnerable women who flocked to the city as part of the celebration. If you enjoy true crime thrillers, then this book is for you!
The Sun Is Also a Star: (Nicola Yoon) Natasha and Daniel seem fated to be together. Or are they? Natasha's family is twelve hours away from being deported, and she can't afford distractions. Meanwhile, Daniel struggles with living up to his parents' expectations while still being true to himself. This book is a quick, enjoyable read!
A Tale Dark and Grimm: (Adam Gidwitz) Fairy tales are much darker than they seem in this twisted tale of Hansel and Gretel. They walk out of their own story and into the world of Grimm's fairy tales, learning to face their demons (and sometimes actual demons) along the way. If you like fantasy and don't mind blood and gore, then consider giving this book a try!
Kindred: (Octavia Butler) What would happen if a modern black woman traveled back in time to the South before the Civil War? Dana finds herself in that situation as she keeps getting summoned back in time to rescue Rufus, the white son of a plantation owner. During each trip, she experiences firsthand the horror and severity of slavery, worrying each time that she may die before she makes it back to her own time. This book is very thought-provoking and intense. It left a lasting impression on me.
A Man Called Ove: (Fredrik Backman) [Trigger Warning - suicidal ideation] Set in Sweden, this book introduces us to Ove, a crotchety old man who is confused and annoyed by modern life and just wants to end it all. However, his plans go awry when chatty Parvaneh, clueless Patrick, and their two young children move in next door, disrupting his life while at the same time giving him something to live for. Along the way, we learn more about Ove's past, revealing that he's more than the grumpy old curmudgeon that he appears to be. Moving and funny, this novel is the best book I've read in a long time. I highly recommend it!
Ms. Jamieson
Free Lunch: (Rex Ogle): Free Lunch is the story of Rex’s efforts to navigate his first semester of sixth grade―who to sit with, not being able to join the football team, Halloween in a handmade costume, classmates and a teacher who take one look at him and decide he’s trouble―all while wearing secondhand clothes and being hungry. Halfway through the semester, his family is evicted and ends up in government-subsidized housing in view of the school. Rex lingers at the end of last period every day until the buses have left, so no one will see where he lives.
The Murderbot Diaries: (Martha Wells): All Systems Red; The series is about an artificial construct designed as a Security Unit, which manages to override its governor module, thus enabling it to develop independence, which it primarily uses to watch soap operas. In a corporate-dominated spacefaring future, planetary missions must be approved and supplied by the Company. Exploratory teams are accompanied by Company-supplied security androids, for their own safety. But in a society where contracts are awarded to the lowest bidder, safety isn’t a primary concern.
With the Fire on High: (Elizabeth Acevedo) Ever since she got pregnant freshman year, Emoni Santiago’s life has been about making the tough decisions—doing what has to be done for her daughter and her abuela. The one place she can let all that go is in the kitchen, where she adds a little something magical to everything she cooks, turning her food into straight-up goodness.
Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe: (Benjamin Alire Sáenz) Aristotle is an angry teen with a brother in prison. Dante is a know-it-all who has an unusual way of looking at the world. When the two meet at the swimming pool, they seem to have nothing in common. But as the loners start spending time together, they discover that they share a special friendship—the kind that changes lives and lasts a lifetime. And it is through this friendship that Ari and Dante will learn the most important truths about themselves and the kind of people they want to be.
Children of Blood and Bone: (Tomi Adeyemi) The novel follows heroine Zélie Adebola as she attempts to restore magic to the kingdom of Orïsha, following the ruling class kosidáns' brutal suppression of the class of magic practitioners Zélie belongs to, the maji.
Pride: (Ibi Zoboi) Zuri Benitez has pride. Brooklyn pride, family pride, and pride in her Afro-Latino roots. But pride might not be enough to save her rapidly gentrifying neighborhood from becoming unrecognizable.When the wealthy Darcy family moves in across the street, Zuri wants nothing to do with their two teenage sons, even as her older sister, Janae, starts to fall for the charming Ainsley. She especially can’t stand the judgmental and arrogant Darius. Yet as Zuri and Darius are forced to find common ground, their initial dislike shifts into an unexpected understanding.
Ms. Shadrake
Internment: (Samira Ahmed) Set in a terrifyingly familiar futuristic United States, Layla Amin and her parents are forced into an Internment Camp for Muslim-Americans. Will she be able to escape? This somewhat controversial and frightening fictional story addresses difficulties and prejudices in the world today.
The Essay: (Robin Yocum) Jimmy Lee is a talented high school football player trying to escape his family's bad name and the poverty that comes with living in the Appalachian region of Ohio. When Jimmy wins the school writing contest, he is accused of cheating. Is he living up to the family name and ruining his chances of attending college on a football scholarship? This novel is a page-turner with some twists along the way.
In Harm's Way: (Doug Stanton) This true story of the USS Indianapolis, torpedoed on July 30, 1945, and the men who survived the ordeal reads like fiction. Why was the ship alone in enemy waters? Why didn't the navy know the Indianapolis was missing? How did 317 of the 1,200 men on board manage to survive the challenges of being set adrift for days in the shark-infested waters of the Pacific? Read it and discover the courageous story of these WWII heroes!
Mr. Titas
Everything is Illuminated: (Jonathan Safron Foer) The narrator, oddly enough named Jonathan Foer, and armed only with an old photo, sets off across Eastern Europe in search of the woman who saved his grandfather during WWII. I love the character of Alex who acts as Jonathan's translator and the absurdity of so much of it...
Armada: (Ernest Cline) By the same author that brought you Ready Player One, and kind of in that same vein. This story has lots of video game references and sort of feels like the 80s classic movie, The Last Starfighter!
World War Z: (Max Brooks) First, this one is not at all like the movies, but is a really great take in zombie fiction. Compiled as an after the fact report, this story details how mankind fought back against the zombie invasion.
Ms Bier
The Cardturner: (Louis Sachar, author of Holes) Alton Richards' Uncle Lester is losing his vision. Still an exceptional bridge player, Uncle Lester needs a cardturner, and Alton is asked to step in and take on a job he does not want. As well as learning to deal with Uncle Lester, Alton gets pulled into the world of competitive bridge playing. If you love to play cards, and the art of competitive strategy, this book is for you!
Where the Crawdads Sing: (Delia Owens) A book woven with many different threads: it's a murder mystery - a body is found, and the death is not considered accidental; it's about society labeling people regardless of knowing them; it's about the effect of social isolation; it's about the power of friendship and love, and it's all of those threads woven through the natural world of a North Carolina salt marsh.
We Never Asked for Wings (Vanessa Diffenbaugh) Like Where the Crawdads Sing, this book explores social class, the power of money and the role of family. Letty Espinosa comes up with a great plan to move her family toward a better life, but like a lot of plans, complications arise.
We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves (Karen Joy Fowler) Rosemary Cooke tells us it's been ten years since she's seen her brother and seventeen since her sister disappeared. In an attempt to come to terms with her present life, Rosemary must work through events of her childhood, and most importantly, come to an understanding of the role her sister Fern played in the family's life.
Mrs. Huffer
Attachments (Rainbow Rowell) What if your internet security job was really just reading emails of people at the company? Lincoln O'Neill is that man, and he knows he should turn in Beth and Jennifer for using the work email to discuss their personal lives. But-- it is such good reading, and before you know it, he has fallen in love! A fun read!
Breakfast at Tiffany's (Truman Capote) A short whimsical story about Holly Golightly, a very young New York socialite. The novelette takes place over the course of a year in vintage 1943 Manhattan. It is a delightful read!
The Nightingale (Kristin Hannah) A beautiful story of how women navigated life in World War II. It is a story of two sisters, separated by years and experience; by ideals, passion and circumstance; each embarking on her own dangerous path toward, survival, love, and freedom in German-occupied, war-torn France. This novel celebrates the resilience of the human spirit and the durability of women.
Educated (Tara Westover) This book is the memoir of a woman born to survivalists in the mountains of Idaho. Her father distrusted everything "establishment", and this is why she did not step foot into a classroom until the first day she entered college. A bizarre story of fierce family loyalty, a struggle for self-invention, and the path away from a suppressive father.
Ms. Fleischer
All the Light We Cannot See (Anthony Doerr)
The Magic Strings of Frankie Presto (Mitch Albom)
The Book of Lost Things (John Connolly)
The Book Thief -- ( Markus Zusak)
Leaving Time -- (Jodi Picoult)
The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind -- (William Kamkwamba)
I am Malala -- (Malala Yousafzai)
Mr. Rundle
The Perks of Being a Wallflower (Stephen Chbosky) This is the story of what it's like to grow up in high school. More intimate than a diary, Charlie's letters are singular and unique, hilarious and devastating. We may not know where he lives. We may not know to whom he is writing. All we know is the world he shares. Caught between trying to live his life and trying to run from it puts him on a strange course through uncharted territory. The world of first dates and mixed tapes, family dramas and new friends.
Something Wicked This Way Comes (Ray Bradbury) Cooger & Dark’s Pandemonium Shadow Show has come to Green Town, Illinois, to destroy every life touched by its strange and sinister mystery. The carnival rolls in sometime after midnight, ushering in Halloween a week early. A calliope’s shrill siren song beckons to all with a seductive promise of dreams and youth regained. Two boys will discover the secret of its smoke, mazes, and mirrors; two friends who will soon know all too well the heavy cost of wishes…and the stuff of nightmares.
And Then There Were None (Agatha Christie) First, there were ten—a curious assortment of strangers summoned as weekend guests to a little private island off the coast of Devon. Their host, an eccentric millionaire unknown to all of them, is nowhere to be found. All that the guests have in common is a wicked past they're unwilling to reveal—and a secret that will seal their fate. For each has been marked for murder. One by one they fall prey. Before the weekend is out, there will be none. Who has choreographed this dastardly scheme? And who will be left to tell the tale? Only the dead are above suspicion.
The Things They Carried (Tim O'Brien) In this, his second work of fiction about Vietnam, O'Brien's unique artistic vision is again clearly demonstrated. Neither a novel nor a short story collection, it is an arc of fictional episodes, taking place in the childhoods of its characters, in the jungles of Vietnam and back home in America two decades later.
The Shining (Stephen King) Jack Torrance's new job at the Overlook Hotel is the perfect chance for a fresh start. As the off-season caretaker at the atmospheric old hotel, he'll have plenty of time to spend reconnecting with his family and working on his writing. But as the harsh winter weather sets in, the idyllic location feels ever more remote...and more sinister. And the only one to notice the strange and terrible forces gathering around the Overlook is Danny Torrance, a uniquely gifted five-year-old.