Discovery Canyon Middle School Summer Reading List 2011!
FICTION
Matched by Ally Condie: In a futuristic society, 17-year-old Cassia has all her choices made for her – what to read, what to watch and who to marry. Cassia is pleasantly surprised that her friend Xander is chosen as her marriage Match. But when she enters Xander's data into the system, his face disappears and for a split second, the face of Ky, an Aberration, appears. Cassia's not sure who she is supposed to be with now. Ky is prohibited from Matching, but Cassia begins to have feelings for him. Slowly Cassia goes down a path of rebellion against the Society and craves running outdoors, reading forbidden poetry and most of all, dating new people. However, the Society will not take rebellion lightly.
Seedfolks by Paul Fleischman is a fun, short book written from the points of view of 13 different people. The lives of each of them are unexpectedly changed by a little girl named Kim who decides to plant a few seeds in an abandoned field in the middle of the city. Why does she do it? And how could such a small act change the lives of complete strangers? Warning: This book will inspire you to start a chain reaction … possibly by planting a garden of your own!
Incarceron by Catherine Fisher: If you’ve read the Hunger Games trilogy, you might enjoy Incarceron by Catherine Fisher. Enter a futuristic world where society has found a way to lock all the “bad stuff” away in a secret prison. Meanwhile, there has been an agreement to return to a simpler time. A time before technology. Castles, horse-drawn carriages, and quaint little villages dot the countryside. But underneath it all, something big is about to change the world forever. If you’ve already read Incarceron, check out the sequel, Sapphique!
Otherworldlies by Jennifer Anne Kogler: Eccentric and unusual looking, twelve year-old Fern, secure in her family's love and acceptance, has always been able to cope with the taunts and social ostracism of her schoolmates until a series of unnerving events reveal that she possesses supernatural powers that she barely understands and must learn to control if she is to escape being the pawn of two ancient enemies.
Brains for Lunch by K.A. Holt: Written entirely in haiku, author Holt uses "wordplay and a surprisingly sophisticated brand of slapstick" (PW) to bring to light the issues and challenges that a zombie named Loeb, a.k.a. Z, faces at middle school. To complicate his already difficult experiences at a school full of lifers or humans, Loeb develops a crush on a lifer named Siobhan, has to eat brains for lunch and must deal with a host of characters, such as Carl, a chupacabra. Supplemented with drawings by "The New Yorker" artist Gahan Wilson.
If the Witness Lied by Caroline B. Cooney: Separated by the deaths of their parents, siblings Jack, Smithy and Madison have each found their own ways to cope. Fifteen-year-old Jack has decided to live with his aunt so as to stay close to his two-year-old brother, Tris – despite the fact that Tris may have inadvertently played a role in their father's death. When their greedy aunt arranges for the siblings to be put on a TV “docudrama” in order to garner even more attention from the media, Jack, Smithy and Madison unite to put an end to her plan and, in the process, uncover the truth surrounding their father's “accident.” The journey causes each of them to question their relationship with God and each other, issues they finally resolve by working together. “With so much of our lives public on Facebook, YouTube, and group texts, readers with contemplate the invasion of privacy versus the tool that technology can be” (Library Media Connection).
House of Dark Shadows by Robert Liparulo: This was one of the Middle Level Book Club (http://dccmiddlelevelbookclub.blogspot.com/) from this past school year! Is it a dream house, or is it a bad dream? When the Kings move from L.A. to a secluded small town, fifteen-year-old Xander is beyond disappointed. He and his friends loved to create amateur films . . . but the tiny town of Pinedale is the last place a movie buff and future filmmaker wants to land. But he, David, and Toria are captivated by the many rooms in the old Victorian fixer-upper they moved into--as well as the heavy woods surrounding the house. They soon discover there's something odd about the house. Sounds come from the wrong directions. Prints of giant, bare feet appear in the dust. And when David tries to hide in the linen closet, he winds up in locker 119 at his new school. Then the really weird stuff kicks in: they find a hidden hallway with portals leading off to far-off places--in long-ago times. Xander is starting to wonder if this kind of travel is a teen's dream come true . . . or his worst nightmare.
Heart to Heart by Lurlene McDaniel: Elowyn Eden and Kassey Messechek are best friends. They share every aspect of their lives. But one thing Elowyn has not yet shared with Kassey is that she checked the organ donor box on her newly acquired driver's license. Kassey only learns of this in a startling and devastating way--when Elowyn's life-giving donor wishes are about to be honored. Arabeth St. Clair has not had the luck to have a best friend. Due to her diseased heart, she's led a sheltered life. When Arabeth is sixteen, she and her mother receive the call that will change their lives--but they don't know to whom they should be forever grateful. When the worlds of these three girls and their families intersect, lives are changed in ways never imagined. Most especially, it is Kassey who sees things differently, for she can keep alive the memory of her dear friend by sharing the renewed life of another teenage girl, while helping to ease the pain of the two families involved and coming to terms with her own.
Rapunzel’s Revenge by Shannon Hale, a graphic novel, Illustrations by Nathan Hale (no relation): Before Disney created Tangled, Newbery Honor-winning author Shannon Hale wrote Rapunzel’s Revenge. Living in the old Wild West, this Rapunzel -- a "strong, sassy, braid-whipping character who waits for no prince" (KIRK) -- uses her long red braids to escape her castle and team up with Jack (of the Beanstalk) to free her mother from slavery in the local mines. The two heroes travel across the land fighting a variety of villains while trying to free the kingdom from the evil witch's control.
Eon: Dragoneye Reborn by Alison Goodman, YA: Eon has been training for four years to become an apprentice to one of the 12 energy dragons and learn their magic. When he doesn't win the sword competition, he thinks his opportunity is gone. Then the Mirror Mirror Dragon, who has been absent for 500 years, unexpectedly appears. The dragon chooses Eon to be his apprentice and to serve on the Dragoneye Council, where the Emperor and the evil Lord Ido are caught in a dangerous war. Eon's dream is coming true, but dangers await -- Eon is really Eona, a girl who has been hiding her identity so she could practice and learn dragon magic. If she is found to be a girl, she will be killed in a terrible death.
Epic by Conor Kostick: Welcome to a society governed through computer games! On New Earth, society is governed and conflicts are resolved in the arena of a fantasy computer game, Epic. If you win, you have the chance to fulfill your dreams; if you lose, your life both in and out of the game is worth nothing. When teenage Erik dares to subvert the rules of Epic, he and his friends must face the Committee. If Erik and his friends win, they may have the key to destroying the Committee’s tyranny. But if they lose . . .
Words in the Dust by Trent Reedy - Zulaikha hopes. She hopes for peace, now that the Taliban have been driven from Afghanistan; a good relationship with her hard stepmother; and one day even to go to school, or to have her cleft palate fixed. Zulaikha knows all will be provided for her--"Inshallah," God willing. Then she meets Meena, who offers to teach her the Afghan poetry she taught her late mother. And the Americans come to the village, promising not just new opportunities and dangers, but surgery to fix her face. These changes could mean a whole new life for Zulaikha--but can she dare to hope they'll come true?
Throne of Fire (sequel to The Red Pyramid) by Rick Riordan: In this exciting second installment of the three-book series, Carter and Sadie, offspring of the brilliant Egyptologist Dr. Julius Kane, embark on a worldwide search for the Book of Ra, but the House of Life and the gods of chaos are determined to stop them.
Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld: This is World War I as never seen before. The story begins the same: on June 28, 1914, Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife are assassinated, triggering a sequence of alliances that plunges the world into war. But that is where the similarity ends. This global conflict is between the Clankers, who put their faith in machines, and the Darwinists, whose technology is based on the development of new species.
Behemoth (sequel to Leviathan) by Scott Westerfeld: Author Westerfeld's sequel to Leviathan (2009) continues the adventures of Alek and Deryn in an alternate 1914 world. On a top secret mission to Istanbul, the Leviathan is attacked and damaged. Deryn, a midshipman on the airship who is disguised as a boy, and Alek, heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, escape the airship but are forced to part ways to save themselves and Leviathan. While Alek teams up with a revolutionary group, Deryn is sent on a mission to sabotage enemy forces. Battles ensue, and Deryn and Alek are put to the ultimate challenge when they are reunited and discover a city caught between Clanker and Darwinist governments. "This exciting and inventive tale of military conflict and wildly imagined history should captivate a wide range of readers" (Publisher’s Weekly).
Rot & Ruin by Jonathan Maberry: Horn Book Guide: “In the post-zombie apocalypse, teenagers must take up an occupation at age fifteen in order to continue to receive food rations. Reluctantly, Benny agrees to apprentice with his legendary older brother as a zombie killer; along the way he learns what it means to be human and how to respect the undead. An entertaining, emotional take on the zombie theme.”
NON-FICTION:
Chasing Lincoln’s Killer James L. Swanson: This is the account of Lincoln's assassination and the 12-day search for his killer reads like a historical thriller ..." (PW). This adaptation of the original expertly details John Wilkes Booth's loyalty to the South and his determination to rid the Union of Lincoln's presence any way he could. He originally planned to kidnap Lincoln and hold him hostage. Booth's co-conspirators attempted and failed to assassinate Secretary of State William H. Seward as Lincoln lay dying, but they expertly helped Booth evade arrest for 12 days.
Behind Enemy Lines by Howard Demallie: Publisher description: An unforgettable autobiographical tale of survival during World War II. DeMaillie, pilot of a B-17, describes in riveting detail his successful bombing run from England to the industrial center of Germany. But things go very wrong on the return flight when his plane is struck by enemy fire and the crew is forced to parachute into Holland. Although a group of heroic Dutch resistance fighters try to hide him, the Nazis eventually capture DeMaillie and send him to a prisoner of war camp. There, he endures hunger, cold, and brutality until the Allies finally free him. Years later, he returns to Holland in search of his brave Dutch rescuers.
Flesh & Blood So Cheap: the Triangle Fire and Its Legacy by Albert Marrin
Coinciding with the 100-year anniversary of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire, this volume explores the fire's outbreak, spread, and lasting legacy on New York City. The book opens with a survey of the immigrant peoples that comprised many of the factory's workers, outlining the issues they faced throughout their daily lives. The text then dives into the fire itself, discussing what caused it and how this massive loss of life resulted in sweeping change regarding working conditions in the city's factories. Black-and-white photographs fill the pages, allowing a firsthand glimpse into the past and the people of the era. “Marrin's message that protecting human dignity is our shared responsibility is vitally resonant” (PW).
Man on the Moon: How a Photograph Made Anything Seem Possible by Pamela Dell: Explores the events surrounding the capture of the iconic photograph showing Buzz Aldrin standing on the moon's surface and discusses what this image represented in regards to mankind's will to explore the unknown universe.
Raising the Flag: How a Photograph Gave a Nation Hope in Wartime by Michaen Burgan: Chronicles the events leading up to the capture of the photograph showcasing American Marines raising their flag on the island of Iwo Jima. Discusses how this image impacted morale and public perception of the war effort and features full-color and black-and-white photographs throughout.
