The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime by Mark Haddon. Narrated by a fifteen-year-old autistic savant obsessed with Sherlock Holmes, this dazzling novel weaves together an old-fashioned mystery, a contemporary coming-of-age story, and a fascinating excursion into a mind incapable of processing emotions (Amazon).

Ironman by Chris Crutcher. When one of his frequent outbursts lands him in anger management class, 17 year-old Bo interrupts his triathlon training to spend two mornings a week discussing personal issues with a group of emotionally wounded classmates. This novel doesn’t strive for easy answers, but does ask many intriguing questions of its characters.

Ophelia Speaks by Sara Shandler. This amazing book is a collection of writing by dozens of girls of different ages, races, and backgrounds. They speak movingly about their thoughts and feelings on subjects ranging from body image to boys, and from politics to parents. Their voices are honest, real, and direct. A terrific read.

The Silver Kiss by Annette Curtis Klause. Simon is one of the undead, a vampire, who seeks the help of Zoe to free himself from his intolerable solitude.

Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger: This story details the two days in the life of 16-year-old Holden Caulfield after he has been expelled from prep school. Confused and disillusioned, he searches for truth and rails against the "phoniness" of the adult world. He ends up exhausted and emotionally ill, in a psychiatrist's office. After he recovers from his breakdown, Holden relates his experiences to the reader.

The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri: This first novel is an Indian American saga, covering several generations of the Ganguli family across three decades. Newlyweds Ashoke and Ashima leave India for the Boston area shortly after their traditional arranged marriage. The young husband, an engineering graduate student, is ready to be part of U.S. culture, but Ashima, disoriented and homesick, is less taken with late-Sixties America. (Library Journal)

All students are required to read two books over the summer from their class list below. A test will be given on each book during the first week of the fall semester. Summer reading test grades are a significant portion of the first grading period total points! Additional titles from the list may be read for extra credit.

Beyond the Burning Time by Kathryn Lasky. This docu-novel about the Salem, Massachusetts witch trials captures the mass hysteria, ignorance, violence, and power struggle that drove a community to execute 24 people as agents of the devil. The focus is on Mary Chase, as she tries to rescue her mother, who has been accused of witchcraft and sentenced to hang. The author carefully researched the time period and compellingly weaves fact with fiction to give us a mesmerizing account of what went on during the Salem Witch Trials.

A Lesson Before Dying by Earnest Gaines. In a community in 1940s Louisiana, a young black man is about to go to the electric chair for murder. A white shopkeeper had died during a robbery gone bad; though the young man on trial had not been armed and had not pulled the trigger, in that time and place, there could be no doubt of the verdict or the penalty. A powerful story.

Bodega Dreams by Ernesto Quinonez. Growing up in Spanish Harlem, Chino knew he needed three things to survive: a good friend, a decent nickname, and a reputation for never backing out of a fight. With the help of "Sapo," the meanest and ugliest kid on the block, Chino manages to make it to college before his life is threatened. This book has unforgettable characters and a troubling plot. Caution: This book has graphic language and mature content.

How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accent by Julia Alvarez. Four lively Latina sisters plunge from a pampered life on an island into the big-city chaos of New York. They rebel against Mami and Papi’s old-world discipline and embrace all that America has to offer.

Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini. The Kite Runner follows the story of Amir, the privileged son of a wealthy businessman in Kabul, and Hassan, the son of Amir's father's servant. As children in the relatively stable Afghanistan of the early 1970s, the boys are inseparable. They spend idyllic days running kites and telling stories of mystical places and powerful warriors until an unspeakable event changes the nature of their relationship forever, and eventually cements their bond in ways neither boy could have ever predicted. Even after Amir and his father flee to America, Amir remains haunted by his cowardly actions and disloyalty. In part, it is these demons and the sometimes impossible quest for forgiveness that bring him back to his war-torn native land after it comes under Taliban rule.

It’s Not About the Bike by Lance Armstrong. Non-fiction. People around the world have been inspired by this autobiography, which is written in a simple, honest, straightforward way. Armstrong tells of the changes brought about in his life after being diagnosed with cancer, and how he fought back, only to recover and win the multi-day bicycle race famous for its grueling intensity.

Caramelo by Sandra Cisneros. Told through the eyes of teenager "Lala," this is a wonderful story of growing up in two cultures (Mexican and American), of family life and upheavals, and of class and racial strife. Cisneros' characters have names like "the Awful Grandmother," and "Aunty Light-Skin," and "Uncle Old." After reading this book you will gain an insight not only into the Mexican culture, but into humanity as well.

The Red Tent by Anita Diamant. Skillfully interweaving biblical tales with events and characters of her own invention, Diamant's sweeping first novel re-creates the life of Dinah, daughter of Leah and Jacob, from her birth and happy childhood in Mesopotamia through her years in Canaan and death in Egypt. Told in Dinah's voice, this novel reveals the traditions and turmoils of ancient womanhood—the world of the red tent.