Required You must read the following two books THE GIVER by Lois Lowry Jonas’ world is perfect. Everything is under control. There is no war or fear or pain. When Jonas turns twelve, he is singled out to receive special training from The Giver. An ALA Best Book for Young Adults
THE PEARL by John Steinbeck For the diver Kino, finding a magnificent pearl means the promise of a better life for his impoverished family. His dream blinds him to the greed and suspicions the pearl in him and his neighbors. Kino and his wife illustrate the fall from innocence experienced by people who believe that wealth erases all problems.
Winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature
Optional You must choose ONE of the following to read
THE BOOK THIEF by Markus Zusak The story of a young girl during World War II who helps a Jewish prisoner survive by stealing books.
SUMMER OF MY GERMAN SOLDIER by Bette Greene During the summer she turns twelve, Patty Burgen, an American Jewish girl, befriends a German prisoner in her hometown in Arkansas.
A NIGHT TO REMEMBER by Walter Lord This story tells the tale of the sinking of the Titanic.
MRS. MIKE by Benedict and Nancy Freedman This story is about love and courage in the Canadian Wilderness.