Embedded Files
INCOMING FRESHMEN RECOMMENDED READING
Legend
MC = Borrow it from the RHAM High School Media Center
* easier reading level
** moderate reading level
*** more difficult reading level
FICTION
*2023 PURA BELPRE AWARD*
Burn Down, Rise Up by Vincent Tirado *
Disappearances in the Bronx haven’t caused concern for Raquel, but when her mom comes down with a mysterious illness and her crush Charlize’s cousin goes missing, both characters must journey to a sinister underworld and play the Echo Game.
*2021 ALEX AWARD WINNER*
Solutions and Other Problems by Allie Brosh
In this humorous graphic memoir about the ups and downs of life, Allie Brosh uses expressive illustrations and wit to grapple with difficult and challenging topics, such as grief, loneliness, and self-love, even if you’re a weirdo.
*2021 ODYSSEY AWARD HONOR: BEST AUDIO BOOK*
Clap When You Land written by Elizabeth Acevedo, narrated by Elizabeth Acevedo and Melania-Luisa Marte * MC
This novel in verse is about two sisters who learn about each other after their father’s death. In alternating chapters, these spoken-word performers are beautifully balanced. Listeners experience the pain and joy of the sisters as they reconcile and share their family stories.
*2020 ALEX AWARD WINNER*
Do You Dream of Terra-Two? by Temi O. **
Ten astronauts, including six teens set off on a twenty-three-year journey to reach an uninhabited planet known as Terra-Two. The time together reveals intensely interesting characters, dilemmas and consequences.
Two Roads by Joseph Bruchac **
A boy discovers his Native American heritage in this Depression-era tale of identity and friendship by the author of Code Talker.
*2021 MORRIS AWARD WINNER*
The Black Kids by Christina Hammonds Reed **
Set against the LA riots in 1992, this historical yet timely novel follows Ashley through her senior year at her predominantly white, privileged school and wealthy neighborhood. Vivid descriptions of a city in chaos mirror Ashley’s own journey on her path toward growth and awakening.
*Stonewall Book Award Winner, Walter Dean Myers Honor Book for Outstanding Children’s Literature*
If I Was Your Girl by Meredith Russo *
Amanda Hardy is the new girl at school. She wants to make friends and fit in but struggles to conceal her past in the process: at her old school, Amanda was Andrew. Can Amanda share the truth without jeopardizing her new life and love?
*Newbery Honor Book, Coretta Scott King Award Winner*
Piecing Me Together by Renee Watson *
Jade, a young black woman, is tired of being singled out as someone who needs help or fixing. “An honest look at how girls stitch together their talents to find their voice and power” - Meg Medina, author of Burn Baby Burn
Three Things I Know Are True by Betty Culley **
“Two best friends. A single shot. A family broken.” Liv’s brother has accidentally shot himself with his best friend’s father’s gun; he survives but needs 24-hour care. How can Liv navigate the new boundaries between once close families now rocked by tragedy?
And Every Morning the Way Home Gets Longer and Longer by Fredrik Backman * MC
For anyone who has ever had to let a loved one go, this novella is a sympathetic portrayal of an elderly grandfather’s struggle to hold on to memories as his family learns how to say good-bye.
The Sun Is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon ** MC
High school seniors Natasha and Daniel meet and fall for each other immediately. All should be well except one is about to be deported and the other has an interview at Yale.
The Grief Keeper by Alexandra Villasante **
Seventeen-year-old Marisol must flee El Salvador under threat of death. When detained and awaiting asylum into the US, she agrees to undergo a scientific experiment in which she must possess the grief of another person-- the grief of a wealthy, white girl her age. A redemptive tale of heartbreak and healing.
Anatomy: a Love Story by Dana Schwartz (a Reese’s YA Book Club pick) **
A gothic tale of mystery and romance set in Edinburgh, Scotland. Intelligent Hazel and street-smart Jack team up together to uncover the secret of recent disappearances as the dreaded Roman Fever threatens the safety of the city and all its inhabitants.
Marcus Vega Doesn’t Speak Spanish by Pablo Cartaya *
After being suspended for fighting in school, 8th grader Marcus is taken to Puerto Rico for a week to meet relatives he’s never met. But his father who walked out on the family years ago is on the island also and this fact leads Marcus on a tour of Puerto Rico and a journey of discovery.
The Astonishing Color of After by Emily X.R. Pan MC (Nutmeg Book Award Winner) **
Leigh Chen Sanders, half white and half Asian, travels to Taiwan to meet her maternal grandparents after her mother’s suicide. There the real and the magic, the past and the present all converge to reveal Leigh’s family history and her own identity.
Darius the Great Is Not Okay by Adib Khorram ** MC (Sequel, Darius the Great Deserves Better is also available.)
Darius Kellner is half-Persian, half-American and living the stressful life of an overweight, depressed, and ridiculed teenager who just can’t seem to find “his place.” Traveling back to Iran to visit a dying family member, Darius achieves what he always thought was impossible.
The Mosaic by Nina Berkhout * MC
Pacifist high-school senior Twyla needs to complete 40 hours of community service in order to graduate and get out of her military hometown in Montana. Her assignment to assist Gabriel, a young, rude veteran Marine, is both beautiful and tumultuous.
Symptoms of Being Human by Jeff Garvin ** MC
Riley is a gender fluid teen blogger who finds comfort in the online world, yet Riley faces being exposed and must make difficult decisions about coming out. This novel includes mature issues, such as abuse, assault, depression, and suicide.
Wishtree by Katherine Applegate *
Red is the old oak “wishtree” that watches over his neighborhood. He is the place his neighbors go to leave their wishes on pieces of cloth tied to his branches. Red believes he has seen and heard it all until a Muslim family moves into the neighborhood.
Under the Persimmon Tree by Suzanne Staples ** MC
A young Afghan girl finds herself alone when her father and older brother are conscripted by the Taliban and her mother and newborn brother are killed in an air raid.
Turtles All the Way Down by John Green ** MC
Aza is 16 years old and trying to juggle it all and be everything for everybody. Her OCD and anxiety makes this even more difficult. Her journey to locate an old friend’s fugitive father has much to teach her about herself, love, and life.
Code Talkers by Joseph Bruchac * MC
The first and only fictional memoir by one of the original Navajo code talkers of WWII.
Ghost by Jason Reynolds ** MC
Castle Cranshaw, also known as Ghost, discovered he has a talent for running the night he and his mother had to outrun their abusive father. Now, if he can just shake his past, Ghost has a shot at the Junior Olympics with a crew of elite runners who are also running for their lives.
The Martian by Andy Weir ** MC
The funny and fast-paced thriller about Mark Watney’s solo struggle for survival on Mars as NASA attempts to rescue him when he’s left behind. Even if you don’t like space stories, you’ll like this.
Challenger Deep by Neal Shusterman ** MC
A sensitive novel about how it may feel to live with mental illness. Caden Bosch is starting to act odd to his friends, which makes sense considering sometimes he is present, but at other times in his mind. Beautiful artwork.
Love and Gelato by Jenna Evans Welch * MC
A fun, charming romance that follows Lina’s journey to Italy in search of her father with only her mother’s journal to guide her. Secrets are uncovered and love found. “People come to Italy for love and gelato, someone tells her, but sometimes they discover much more.”
Thunder Head (Arc of a Scythe) by Neal Shusterman * MC
The Thunderhead cannot interfere in the affairs of the Scythedom. All it can do is observe—it does not like what it sees. A year has passed since Rowan had gone off grid. Since then, he has become an urban legend, a vigilante snuffing out corrupt scythes in a trial by fire. His story is told in whispers across the continent.
NON-FICTION
The Cat I Never Named: A True Story of Love, War, and Survival by Amra Sabic-Rayess** (a YALSA Excellence in Nonfiction Finalist; A Malala Fund Favorite Book Selection)
A Muslim teen struggles to survive the Bosnian genocide finds the help of a stray cat who protects her family through it all.
*2021 PRINTZ AWARD WINNER*
Everything Sad Is Untrue (a true story) By Daniel Nayeri *
In an autobiographical novel, middle-schooler Daniel, formerly Khosrou, tells his unimpressed and at times cruel classmates about his experience as an Iranian refugee.
*2021 EXCELLENCE IN NON-FICTION FINALIST*
All Thirteen: The Incredible Cave Rescue of the Thai Boys' Soccer Team
by Christina Soontornvat ** Middle School MC
In 2018, twelve young soccer players and their coach became trapped by flood waters in a northern Thailand cave. Maps, diagrams, photography and interviews capture every detail of the rescue-- an effort achieved with hundreds of volunteers.
*2021 EXCELLENCE IN NON-FICTION FINALIST*
How We Got to the Moon: The People, Technology, and Daring Feats of Science Behind Humanity's Greatest Adventure, written, illustrated by John Rocco **
Demonstrates the magnitude of ingenuity and creativity involved in the years' long effort to reach the moon. Exquisite illustrations and diagrams alongside text illuminate "the grit, determination, and hard work to achieve the goal.”
*2020 AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN NON-FICTION*
Free Lunch by Rex Ogle
The true and honest narration of Ogle’s sixth-grade year and his family’s poverty. Ogle’s hunger is beyond that of lunch, and his story is one of too many children who endure the traumas of poverty as well as the power of resilience.
Discovering Wes Moore: One Name, Two Fates by Wes Moore *
Two young men, both named Wes Moore, grow up fatherless in nearby Baltimore neighborhoods. How does one become a Rhodes Scholar and the other sentenced to a life in prison?
Ordinary Hazards by Nikki Grimes **
“That’s it...from now on I’m only hanging with other kids who dream.” Dreams, words, and faith are the lifelines for poet Grimes as she grows up and through a chaotic childhood of great loss and great love.
From Broken Glass: Finding Hope in Hitler’s Death Camps to Inspire a New Generation by Steve Ross **
Separated from his family at eight years old, Steve Ross lives to survive ten Nazi death camps and to become a teacher of underprivileged youth in Boston as well as a founder of Boston’s Holocaust Memorial. His is a story of hope and compassion when the will to live has been extinguished by cruelty.
First they Killed my Father: A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers by Loung Ung ** MC
A Chinese-Cambodian family endures great danger when the Khmer Rouge takes over the country and initiates Pol Pot's barbaric regime.
The Surrender Tree by Margarita Engle ** MC
Poems about Cuba’s struggle for freedom (1850-1899) told mainly by Rosa, a "freed" slave and natural healer destined to a life on the lam in the island's wild interior.
Odd Girl Speaks Out by Rachel Simmons * MC
A collection of confessions from young women about the cruelty and pain adolescent girls often inflict upon each other within their friendships. The bullied and the bully both speak out, and victims offer insight into how they endured the pain to emerge stronger.
Glimmer of Hope: How a Tragedy Sparked a Movement
by The March for Our Lives Founders **
The story of the largest youth-led movement in history. The founders of this movement, student survivors of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas school shooting, share their voices in the fight against gun-violence. 100% profit on the sales of this book supports the March for Our Lives Action Fund.
Chasing Lincoln’s Killer by James L.Swanson * MC
This is a fast-paced thriller that takes you on a 12-day manhunt through city streets, swamps, and forests to catch Lincoln’s killer, John Wilkes Booth. Includes illustrations and artifacts.
Guts by Gary Paulsen *
A fan of Paulsen’s Hatchet and Brian series? Paulsen shares the real-life stories from his youth in the north woods of Minnesota which inspired his fictional stories. Gritty, gory survival stories.
Of Beetles and Angels by Mawi Asgedom *
“Treat all people - even the beetles - as though they were angels sent from heaven.” Mawi’s story relates his survival as he flees civil war in Africa, lives as a refugee in Sudan, and is finally resettled in America. He will endure new prejudices before earning a full scholarship to Harvard.
Trident K-9 Warriors by Mike Ritland ***
Former Navy Seal, Mike Ritland, trains canines for SEAL teams, U.S. government, and Department of Defense. His book details the training and incredible feats of these animals in combat and apprehension.
Turning 15 on the Road to Freedom: My Story of the 1965 Selma Voting Rights March by Lynda Blackmon Lowery *
Arrested eleven times before her fifteenth birthday, Lynda was the youngest to march in the 1965 voting march in Selma. This memoir presents a straightforward narrative of events with compelling visuals.
Unbroken: An Olympian’s Journey from Airman to Castaway to Captive
by Laura Hillenbrand ** MC
The young adult edition of Hillenbrand’s bestseller tells the unbelievable story of delinquent-turned-Olympian Louie Zamperini’s survival as a POW during WWII. The story, exciting on its own, is accompanied by compelling visuals.
The Unwanted: Stories of the Syrian Refugees by Don Brown *
Graphic Novel Unwanted by their own country and other countries, staying in Syria is far too dangerous – violence is constant and pervasive. Leaving Syria is fraught with peril - crossing the desert, falling victim to con artist smugglers, and fatal journeys by boat.
CLASSICS
The Call of the Wild by Jack London * MC
Buck, a once beloved pet, is stolen and made to pull sleds in Alaska. His once comfortable life becomes a fight for survival.
Little Women by Louisa May Alcott ** MC
Set during the Civil War and loosely based on the author’s life, this novel retells the classic coming-of-age novel story of four sisters, discovering themselves, flaws and all.
Never Cry Wolf by Farley Mowat ** MC
A young biologist spends a summer studying the wolves in Manitoba and discovers not a blood-thirsty species but one possessing an incredible capacity for loyalty, virtue, and playfulness.
A Tree Grows In Brooklyn by Betty Smith *** MC
Growing up in the slums of Brooklyn in the 1900s, Francie Nolan’s life has demanded strength and perseverance from the start. A classic coming-of-age novel of Francie and her eccentric family.
A Separate Peace by John Knowles ** MC
Two very different boys at a boarding school in England at the start of WWII will experience a darkness that irrevocably changes both their lives.
Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury ** MC
Cooger and Dark’s Pandemonium Show rolls into town after midnight. Its strange allure draws in two boys who will soon learn the show’s secrets and the cost of wishes.
The Princess Bride by William Goldman *** MC
True love, humor, adventure, sword fights, and giant man-eating rats and eels: what could make for a better story?
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