Student & Staff Picks

The Absolutely True-Diary of a Part-time Indian by Sherman Alexie MC

We Were Liars by E Lockhart MC

Carrie by Stephen King MC

Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green MC

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas MC

Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell MC

Looking for Alaska by John Green MC

The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han MC

The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Album MC

The Collectors by David Baldacci MC

More Than This by Patrick Ness MC

Soldier Boys by Dean Hughes MC

The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky MC

Since You’ve Been Gone by Morgan Matson * Middle School MC

The Beginning of Everything by Robyn Schneider MC

I’ll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson MC

House Rules by Jodi Picoult MC

The Collectors by David Baldacci MC

Vampirates: Demons of the Ocean by Justin Somper

It by Stephen King MC

Ask the Passengers by A.S. King MC

Impulse by Ellen Hopkins

The Pact by Jodi Picoult MC

Touching the Void: The True Story of One Man’s Miraculous Survival by Joe Simpson

After Long Silence: A Memoir by Helen Fremont

The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss

Sarah’s Key by Tatiana de Rosnay

The Lost Airman: A True Story of Escape from Nazi-Occupied France by Seth Meyerowitz

After Ever After by Jordan Sonnenblick MC

Milkweed by Jerry Spinelli Middle School MC

Don’t Die Dragonfly  by Linda Joy Singleton

Still Alice by Lisa Genova

Those Who Wish Me Dead by Michael Koryta MC

Lone Wolf (Part of Series) by David Archer

All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr MC

MS. VIGEANT

The Tao of Pooh by Benjamin Hoff * Philosophies of life explored by the characters of Winnie the Pooh.

The Little Prince by Antoine De Saint-Exupery *

MS. BENTLEY

The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah **

A fictional account about the Dust Bowl and Great Depression from the perspective of a migrant mother and her teenage daughter.

So powerful! Provides great insight and depth into the courage and grit shown by women during this time period.

MS. COFFEY

The Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles **

Totally engaging journey of a few young men who are looking for clean slates, treasure, redemption, trouble, storytelling and new lives. LOVED the integration of mythology, epic tales, and shifting narrators. So fun to read.

MR. MERRIGAN

Murder on The Orient Express by Agatha Christie **

Just after midnight, the famous Orient Express is stopped in its tracks by a snowdrift. By morning, the millionaire Samuel Edward Ratchett lies dead in his compartment, stabbed a dozen times, his door locked from the inside. Without a shred of doubt, one of his fellow passengers is the murderer.  Isolated by the storm, detective Poirot must find the killer among a dozen of the dead man’s enemies, before the murderer decides to strike again. Love a good murder mystery. And there is a movie to watch after!

MS. GATTI

The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner **

Recommended for grades 11,12.

1791 London and the story of a woman who uses her apothecary to help the women of London. Dual timelines of 1700's and current day. Storyline of two women and their experiences in life and love.

MS. CASELLI

The House on Cerulean Sea by T.J. Klune **

Somewhat like a Harry Potter-- involves Ministry that investigates an orphanage or magical children.  A true "feel-good" book for all ages.

I selected this for my book club and was pleasantly surprised.  It isn't too heavy of a read.

MS. PENROSE

The Reluctant Fundamentalist by Mohsin Hamid **

Recommended for grades 10-12.

A Pakistani man abandons his high-flying life in New York to question his identity and allegiances in a changing world. This book is an incredible portrayal of how radically life can shift.

MS. MITCHELL

Anxious People by Fredrik Backman *

Recommended for grades 11-12.

This book does include the topic of suicide

A charming, poignant novel about a crime that never took place, a would-be bank robber who disappears into thin air, and eight extremely anxious strangers who find they have more in common than they ever imagined. (From Amazon listing) It was amusing, heart-felt, and thought-provoking.

A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles **

Recommended for grades 10-12.

A beautifully transporting novel about a man who is ordered to spend the rest of his life inside a luxury hotel. Brimming with humor, a glittering cast of characters, and one beautifully rendered scene after another, this singular novel casts a spell as it relates the count’s endeavor to gain a deeper understanding of what it means to be a man of purpose. (From Amazon) A book that I felt fully immersed in and as if I knew the characters. It is vividly and beautifully written, includes clever humor and I was fully transported and invested in these characters and their story.

MR.BURGESS

Destiny of the Republic by Candace Millard **

The extraordinary account of James Garfield's rise from poverty to the American presidency, and the dramatic history of his assassination and legacy.

MS. COLE

The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes **

This mystery is the first in a series. When a Connecticut teenager inherits vast wealth and an eccentric estate from the richest man in Texas, she must also live with his surviving family and solve a series of puzzles to discover how she earned her inheritance. This mystery really makes you want to read the next in the series.

MS. LASTRINA

The Business of Engineering: A New Mindset for the Engineer of the Future by Matthew K. Loos **

Recommended for grades 10-12.

What do Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos and Mary Barra have in common (besides being very successful business people?) They majored in Engineering or Physics. It's not rocket science...or is it?

MS. CLIFTON

All My Rage by Sabaa Tahir **

Recommended for grades 9-12.

A book you can binge in a weekend. Pakistani-American teenagers caught up in an adult world make decisions with potentially tragic consequences.

MS. MEADE

Where the Crawdad's Sing by Delia Owens **

Recommended for grades 11-12.

Lose yourself in the life of the protagonist who overcomes the odds while making serious decisions about how to survive. (I don't want to give too much away.) I really lost myself in this book. I love books that can take you away from the here and now. I was transported when reading this.

MR. MASI

Eragon by Christopher Paolini *

The book tells the story of a farm boy named Eragon, who finds a mysterious stone in the mountains. The stone is revealed to be a dragon egg, and a dragon he later names Saphira hatches from it. Book one in a trilogy, tells a story of personal growth, and a coming of age tale filled with magical creatures and wild adventure.

MS. LEONE

Under the Banner of Heaven by Jon Krakauer **

Recommended for grades 11-12.

Nonfiction, true crime story about a double murder with religious motivation. Warning: the murder involved a mother and young child.

Jon Krakauer (who also wrote Into the Wild and Intro Thin Air) tells this story very well and dives deep into the fascinating history of the LDS church. This book has now been made into a TV series starring Andrew Garfield.