Please post the title of the book that you think every educated American should read in their lifetime. The book should be appropriate for high school aged readers (yes, Dr. Seuss is a classic, but no, Cat in a Hat doesn't work for this.) The book should be something that you would NOT have already read if you attended Harbor High (as tempting as it is, you can't say 1984 or To Kill A Mockingbird, because you're teachers have already made you read those books.) I encourage you to share why we should read it, but you don't have to.
You may choose your independent reading book for the next six weeks from this list or from the list of books recommended by the college board. Please hav eyour book by next class :)
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All Quiet On the Western Front
ReplyDeleteThe Bible ( not all but some chapters )
ReplyDeleteThe Bastard of Instanbul: it gives greeat insight into the Amrmenian and Turkish culture and the terrible genocide that occured between the two. It also has some memorable characters one of which describes how hard it is to come from two different cultures.
ReplyDeleteOne flew over the Cuckoo's nest. To see the nature of insanity and how it is created, effected, and dealt with in American society.
ReplyDeleteSolaris. For posing highly philosophical questions about the limitations of human beings.
ReplyDeleteA Fine Balance- A story of the pain and life problems in India.
ReplyDeleteThe Other Boleyn Girl- A story of the interworkings of the mid evil court.
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ReplyDeleteThe Secret Life of Bees
ReplyDelete-Simone
The lord the Rings (any of the books)
ReplyDeleteA thousand Splendid Suns
ReplyDelete-Khaled Hosseini
All Quiet On the Western Front
ReplyDeleteWicked
ReplyDelete-Anais
The Girl with the Dragon Tatttoo and the books that follow it.
ReplyDeleteThe Road by Cormac McCarthy
ReplyDeleteComing of Age in Mississippi by Anne Moody
ReplyDeleteThis Side of Paradise by F. Scott Fitzgerald. It potrays american society realistically while indirectly criticising it through a young person and his journey through high school and college.
ReplyDeleteFlowers For Algernon
ReplyDeleteIt's sad and interesting.
About a developmentally disabled man who undergoes a ground-breaking operation.
The Perks Of Being A Wallflower. It's a solid book
ReplyDeleteThe Greatest Game Ever Played. It accuratly portraits the beginning of one of America's largest industries.
ReplyDeleteMatthew Imel
Are we allowed to read The girl who played with fire?
ReplyDeleteyes... if your parents are okay with you reading it (because of the sexual violence)
ReplyDeleteI recommend reading The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime. It is a great read, and gets you to look at the world in a whole new way. It is one of my personal favorites because of the clever writing style.
ReplyDeleteOkay thanks!
ReplyDeleteThe Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini. Although this book is sad it is very interesting and shows the affects of war on a family and town in Afghanistan.
ReplyDeleteI chose "the pearl" because it teaches great lessons about greed and wealth and all of that good stuff.
ReplyDeleteA Peoples History of the United States byHoward Zinn. I recommend this book because I believe that Zinn provides very compelling insight on the American society and education is our country.
ReplyDeleteThe Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Steig Larsson
ReplyDeleteGrapes of Wrath
ReplyDeleteI would reccommend reading The Help written by Kathryn Stockett. This is a compelling novel told from three female perspectives about the treatment and reactions to black house maids in the 1960's set in Jackson, Mississippi.
ReplyDeleteThe Red Badge of Courage
ReplyDeleteA Thousand Splendid Suns because it goes very deeply into the problems in the Middle East which most Americans don't know about.
ReplyDeleteSay You're One of Them
ReplyDeletei would defanatly reccomend reading "A Child Called It" because it's a book that describes with detail the misery of a child going through domestic violence. It just touches you to think about everythinq thats hurting many people in the world.
ReplyDeleteGo Ask Alice
ReplyDeleteI would recommend "Life of Pi". Not only is it an adventure novel, it takes a certain amount of deep thinking, interpreting, and patience to get through the book and really understand the character's situation. It also has great messages about acceptance of people's personal choices, and overall of bravery.
ReplyDelete-Hannah Golden
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ReplyDeleteLet the great world spin by Colum McCANN
ReplyDelete-Marissa Imbrie
Peace by Desmond tutu, it is a biography on Gandhi.
ReplyDeleteI think that "Infidel" by Ayaan Hirsi Ali is a book that every educated American should read because it exposes a culture that not many Americans know about.
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ReplyDeleteThe Help by Kathryn Stockett.
ReplyDeleteIt tells the story of America in a different era, and it gives an insight to the poor treatment of the african american maids even after the civil rights movement.
-Samantha Lee
In class I suggested The Color Purple bu Alice Walker, but since it's Labor Day and I'm thinking about the role that "Labor" and the labor movement have played in shaping the nation we now live in, I'd like to add The Jungle by Upton Sinclair. It talks about what it was like to make a living before unions and child labor laws and safe working conditions... It's also likely to make you consider becoming a vegitarian.
ReplyDeleteAll Quite On the Western Front
ReplyDeleteThe Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follet.
ReplyDeleteIt tells the story of the building of a cathedral in England during the twelfth century and the stonemason who builds it. It is a beatiful book and it is definately worth reading not only because it involves so many different topics and genres (love, mystery,history, hatred, war, passion, poverty and injustice) but also because it is not especially hard to read but can challenge the readed every once in a while. :)
Julia Stein
The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien
ReplyDeleteKyle Bradshaw
Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen because it's a really good book about being young and panicking and running away when things don't go the way you plan but still finding a way to do what you love.
ReplyDelete-curren giberson
I recommend reading Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom. The format of the book is really easily read and the story makes a good point of how people (amercian's in specific) take what they have for granted.
ReplyDeleteFranny and Zooey by J.D. Salinger
ReplyDeleteThe Devil in a blue Dress by Walter Mosley. They should read this novel because it addresses the subject of a black man in American just after WWII. It encounters the different kinds of racial prejudece and the different forms it takes.
ReplyDelete"Let the Great world Spin" by Colum McCann- its probably the most accurate portrayal of New York City of the time. The central event is Petit Pierre's walk by tightrope across the twin towers, but all the stories of the ordinary people going on with their lives underneath him are the most interesting. These people range from rich lawyers to whores and each one has a unique perception of the world. It really gets good as you start seeing the connections between the many stories.
ReplyDeleteSitting Bull and His World by Albert Marrin.
ReplyDeleteIt shows how we treated native americans when we moved west.
Animal Farm by George Orwell because it shows the evils of having too much power and too little education
ReplyDeleteI recommend the book The Last Song. It deals with almost any issue you could face in life.
ReplyDeleteThe Dresden Files. long series; sci-fi action/adventure
ReplyDeleteThe Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest by Stieg Larsson. its the third book in the series.
ReplyDeleteFalling Man by Don DiLilo: Tells about one's man struggle to recover from the psychological damage he is left with after surviving 911.
ReplyDeleteFried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe
ReplyDeleteSuch a great story.
white tiger (sorry for being so late)
ReplyDeletewuthering heights is a classic forbidden love story. the book has many twists.
ReplyDeleteMilkweed, very touching book, by Jerry Spinelli, about the holocaust.
ReplyDelete