Recommended Reading Lists:
For Students:**(PLEASE GET PARENTAL PERMISSION BEFORE READING)**
Boy Meets Boy by David Levithan "In an alternate reality where (almost) everyone's sexuality is out in the open and (almost) no one cares, Paul meets artistic, thoughtful … perfect … Noah" (teenreads.com). Please Stop Laughing at Me by Jodee Blanco"While other children were daydreaming about dances, first kisses, and college, Jodee Blanco was trying to figure out how to go from homeroom to study hall without being taunted or spit upon as she walked through the halls" (barnesandnoble.com). The Virgin Suicides by Jeffery Eugenides"The Virgin Suicides takes readers through a year in the life of the Lisbon sisters, their untimely demise, the speculations of the neighborhood, as well as the unraveling of the Lisbon family" (amazon.com). Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison"Invisible Man chronicles the travels of its narrator, a young, nameless black man, as he moves through the hellish levels of American intolerance and cultural blindness. Searching for a context in which to know himself, he exists in a very peculiar state" (amazon.com). As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner"The members of the Bundren family must take the body of Addie, matriarch of the family, to the town where Addie wanted to be buried. Along the way, we listen to each of the members on the macabre pilgrimage, while Faulkner heaps upon them various flavors of disaster" (amazon.com). Catch 22 by Joseph Heller Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Hurston"The novel follows the fortunes of Janie Crawford, a woman living in the black town of Eaton, Florida. Hurston sets up her characters and her locale in the first chapter, which, along with the last, acts as a framing device for the story of Janie's life" (amazon.com). The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka "As Gregor Samsa awoke one morning from uneasy dreams he found himself transformed in his bed into a gigantic insect" (kafka-franz.com). Beloved by Toni Morrison"In the troubled years following the Civil War, the spirit of a murdered child haunts the Ohio home of a former slave. This angry, destructive ghost breaks mirrors, leaves its fingerprints in cake icing, and generally makes life difficult for Sethe and her family; nevertheless, the woman finds the haunting oddly comforting for the spirit is that of her own dead baby, never named, thought of only as Beloved" (amazon.com) The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain"Mark Twain's classic novel, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, tells the story of a teenaged misfit who finds himself floating on a raft down the Mississippi River with an escaping slave, Jim. In the course of their perilous journey, Huck and Jim meet adventure, danger, and a cast of characters who are sometimes menacing and often hilarious" (amazon.com). Native Son by Richard Wright"Thomas is doomed, trapped in a downward spiral that will lead to arrest, prison, or death, driven by despair, frustration, poverty, and incomprehension. As a young black man in the Chicago of the '30s, he has no way out of the walls of poverty and racism that surround him, and after he murders a young white woman in a moment of panic, these walls begin to close in" (amazon.com)Hate List by Jennifer BrownTwo young teenagers love cannot compare to the tragedy that engulfs their lives.Because I Am Furniture by Talia Chaltas "Anke’s father is abusive to her brother and sister. But not to her. Because, to him, she is like furniture— not even worthy of the worst kind of attention. Then Anke makes the school volleyball team. She loves feeling her muscles after workouts, an ache that reminds her she is real. Even more, Anke loves the confidence that she gets from the sport. And as she learns to call for the ball on the court, she finds a voice she never knew she had. For the first time, Anke is making herself seen and heard, working toward the day she will be able to speak up loud enough to rescue everyone at home— including herself" (amazon.com) | For Parents/Teachers:7 Habits for Highly Effective Families by Stephan Covey"What is 'effectiveness' in a family?" asks author Steven R. Covey. He promptly answers with four words: "a beautiful family culture" (amazon.com)The Survival Guide for Parents of Gifted Kids by Sally Walker
"What does it mean to be "gifted"? What's good—and not so good—about being identified as gifted? How can parents make sure that their gifted children get the learning opportunities they need? And how can parents cope with the unique challenges gifted kids present? (amazon.com) The Inclusive Classroom by Margo Mastropieri"The Inclusive Classroom is a book that prepares readers to feel secure in their ability to instruct K-12 learners with disabilities and other special learning needs. General instruction and classroom management skills prevail throughout the book, enabling readers to construct instructional strategies through which they will find success (amazon.com)" Book of the Month ClubPersepolis by Marjane Satrapi is a compelling and sometimes comedic story of a young girl trying to discover herself during the Islamic Revolution.
Rosenbach Rating: 4.5 out of 5 |