Aplteen’s

 

Student name:                 

Title:                      Author:

3 Entries:    SELECT a minimum of  3 QUOTES OR STATEMENTS throughout the
book that you wish to discuss.  Copy the STATEMENT and record the page
number.  Write why you picked this STATEMENT [ refer to any of the
suggested reasons below.]  Each  REASON RESPONSE should be a minimum of
10 LINES.

*        Shows an important detail about the setting [explain how]
*        Shows an important theme or idea in the book
*        Shows an important symbol’s meaning
*        Shows an important style element [humor, suspense, argument,
character, etc]
*        Shows something you learned from this book
*        Shows something you agree or disagree with
*        Shows something you didn’t understand

Final Recommendation:   Write a conclusion statement in your Journal
that finishes the following sentence:  THIS BOOK [SHOULD / SHOULD NOT]
BE ADDED TO THE AHS READING LIST BECAUSE ……

 

SELECTIONS:   PICK 1

 

Title:  Silent Spring                                          Author:
Rachel Carson                  Style:  Non-fiction / science

Description:  Ms. Carson was a pioneer in the field of environmental
science.  Certainly she made the greatest single impact in science that
the world has ever known.  The irony of the story is she died from the
very same problem she was trying to prevent for people of the world.

Staff:  Wayne Adams

 

Title:  Red Sox Rule:  Terry Francona and Boston’s Rise to Dominance
Author:  Michael Holley

Style:  Sports memoir

Description:  “Red Sox Rule is an inside look at the ascendancy of a
bold new baseball dynasty and the men who built it.”  (Book
jacket/cover)  Read how Theo Epstein and John Henry brought in the right
manager and only manager who could lead this team to the World Series.

Staff:  Steven Bastien

 

Title:  This I Believe:  The Personal Philosophies of Remarkable Men and
Women  Author:  Jay Ellison & Dan Gediman, Editors
Style:  Essays/ philosophy

Description:  “Based on the NPR series of the same name, the best
selling This I Believe features eighty essayists – from the famous to
the previously unknown – completing the thought that begins the book’s
title.  Each piece compels us to rethink not only how we have arrived at
our own personal beliefs but also to the extent to which we share them
with others.”  “…the American spirit at its best.”  (Taken from the
back of the paperback edition of the book)  Over 80 contributors wrote 1
- 3-page entries with titles ranging from “Disrupting My Comfort Zone”
to “Be Cool to the Pizza Delivery Dude”.  This book is sure to bring
laughter and tears.

Staff:  Michele Bazenas

 

Title:  Angels and Demons
Author:  Dan Brown                        Style:  Fiction/Mystery

Description:  Prior to The Da Vinci Code Robert Langdon made his first
appearance as a Harvard symbologist in Angels & Demons.  An underlining
theme of the book is the conflicts surrounding merging the worlds of
science and religion.  A scientist who also happens to be a priest is
killed and Robert Langdon is called in to investigate.  During his
investigation he uncovers that an ancient and secret society known as
the Illuminati may be at the center of a plot to destroy the Vatican.
Intrigue and suspense at every turn.

Staff:  Kathy Beaudoin

 

Title:  The Glass Castle                                   Author:
Jeannette Walls                              Style:  Biography

Description:  In her memoir, Jeannette Walls tells of her experiences
growing up with her free spirited and stubborn parents.  Her father, an
intelligent, creative man who likes to imbibe, and her mother, “an
excitement addict” and artist, impulsively act and react to the
situations they encounter which causes the children to live most of
their lives in poverty.  Despite the adversity and suffering that the
family experiences, Walls manages to depict her adventures in an
understanding and loving manner.  Each member of the family deals with
his situation in his own way which leads to two realizations – you can
choose to change your life if you want; and sometimes you can’t change
how people think.

Staff:  Maureen Boody

 

Title:  I Capture the Castle
Author:  Dodie Smith                                      Style: fiction

Description:  This is an enchanting story of a 17 year old girl living
in an old, run down castle with her father, step-mother, sister and 18
year old gardener.  Although she does not live the glamorous life she
would like to, she finds her surroundings and circumstances quite
romantic.  This book is a collection of her journals that she keeps
while living within the castle walls.  It is funny, romantic and
mischievous, much like a Jane Austen classic.

Staff:  Jean Brockmyre

 

Title:    Ice Time:  A Tale of Fathers, Sons, and Hometown Heroes
Author:  Jay Atkinson

Style: Memoir

Description:  Jay Atkinson is a native o Methuen, Mass and was the
assistant coach of the ice hockey team he played on 25 years earlier.
In this novel, he reminisces about the days of playing pond hockey from
sunup until sundown in a town where hockey is a common language and an
obsession for many.  Atkinson stresses age old lessons of hard work,
dedication, fairness and camaraderie and documents the efforts of the
2000-2001 team’s quest for the state championship, and how he strives to
share the joy for the sport with his 5 year old son whose hero worship
of the high school players and love of the game is touching.

Staff:  Tricia Cignetti

 

Title:  Three Cups of Tea                               Author: Greg
Mortenson.                                            Style: Memoir

A true story of one man’s mission to promote peace (and counteract the
terrorism of the Taliban) by building one school at a time.

Staff:   Louise Cramer

 

 

Title:  Ten Cents a Dance
Author:  Christine Fletcher                           Style:  Fiction

Description:  Chicago, 1941:  When her mother becomes too ill to work,
fifteen-year-old Ruby Jacinski is forced to drop out of school to
support her family… Soon, Ruby is getting paid to dance with lonely
men. But secrets and bad boys are both hard to keep…

Staff:  Vicki Croteau

 

Title:  A Thousand Splendid Suns              Author:  Khaled Hosseini
Style:  historical fiction

                This second novel by Hosseini, in my opinion, is even
better than his first novel, The Kite Runner.  It is set against the
tumultuous backdrop of contemporary Afghanistan, a country that has
undergone decades of civil war and tyranny.  In reality, many Afghan
women have experienced arranged marriage, abuse, poverty, abandonment,
and a basic lack of human rights.  This is a moving story of two
remarkable Afghan women who endure persecution and violence from the
1960’s to present day.  A Thousand Splendid Suns is a heartbreaking
piece of historical fiction that is not for the faint at heart. I did
not want to put it down!

Staff:  Mrs. Daileanes

 

Title:  A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier
Author:  Ishmael Beah   

Style: Memoir

Description: “There may be as many as 300,000 child soldiers, hopped up
on drugs and wielding AK-47s in more than fifty conflicts around the
world.  Ishmael Beah used to be one of them. He is one of the first to
tell his story in his own words.  This is a story of redemption and
hope.”(www.alongwaygone.com)

Staff:  George Dodier

 

Title:  Playing For Pizza                                  Author: John
Grisham                                    Style: Fiction/sports

Description: Rick Dockery is a former third-string quarterback for the
Cleveland Browns who is traded to be a starting quarterback – in Italy.
Rick has never been to Europe and doesn’t understand a word of Italian,
so he’s in for a few surprises.  Called a “fish-out-water tale that is a
comic, light-hearted story of football.

Staff: Ann Marie Flynn

 

Title:  The Life of Pi
Author:  Yann Martel                                      Style:
Fiction

Description:  A boy, a zebra, a tiger, a hyena, and an orangutan are all
on a life boat …  No, this is not the opening line of a joke.  It is
actually the story of a teenage boy name Pi who is travelling from India
to Canada, by ship, with his family and the animals from his father’s
zoo when their boat sinks.  This is where Pi’s true tale begins as he
must explore his own abilities, and faith, in order to survive.  It is
an easy and enjoyable read that you will never forget.

Staff:  Ann Fuller

 

Title: Shattered: Stories of Children and War       Author:  Jennifer
Armstrong, Style: Short memoirs

Description: This book is a collection of the voices of 12 children who
are witnesses to war or the children of veterans.  From the Civil War to
Pearl Harbor, Vietnam to Iraq, these 12 authors share their personal
experiences about war which may make readers cry and will definitely
make them angry.  Twelve short stories that may change the way you think
forever!

Staff:  Sue Hanscom

Title:  Clapton: the Autobiography:          Author:  Eric Clapton
Style:  Autobiography

Description:  This autobiography reveals the personal life and stories
of Clapton’s monumental musical career.  He has performed with such
groups as The Yardbirds and Cream and is called “one of rock’s most
influential and revered guitarists” (Alan Light).  He also shows
personal challenges with substance abuse, as well as the tragic death of
his son.

Staff:  Tom Horan

 

Title:  The Big Splash                       Author:  Jack Ferraiolo
Style: Young adult fiction

Description:  “Someone took down Nikki Fingers, the most feared
squirt-gun assassin in Franklin Middle School!  Matt Stevens is on the
case.”  This young adult novel is a comic mystery showing students who
deal with bullying as if they are detectives in the classic “noir”
style.  Copies of this novel have been purchased through an AEFI grant
since the author, an Amesbury resident, will conduct a creative writing
workshop in the fall.  Mr. Ferraiolo also has won an Emmy for his
writing for PBS’s Word Girl.  The book appeals to students who like to
write, like mysteries, or like to see bullies defeated.

Staff:  Patty Hoyt

Title:  Beautiful Boy:  A Father’s Journey Through Hi Son’s Meth
Addiction          Author: David Sheff

Style:   Memoir

Description:  Sheff faces the overdose of his son Nic and his inability
to protect him, the relapses that inevitably occur, and the family’s
struggle to cope with it all.  The book also reveals how poorly our
society addresses addiction.

Staff:  Telena Imel

 

Title:  Team of Rivals                                      Author:
Doris Kearns Goodwin                 Style:  History

Description:  In this fine examination of the politics and contention
preceding and during the presidency of Abraham Lincoln, Mrs. Goodwin has
compiled one of the finest works for future leaders to examine. It is a
very readable work and includes many instances of consideration for
gaining consensus and dealing with people of diverse natures, motives
and methods. Although the book is long, this work is a most useful and
interesting read. Anyone interested in history, developing leadership
skills, conflict resolution and or debating will find this book to be
essential. Perhaps it should be required for all potential CEO’s,
administrators, politicians / office-seekers; it’s that good.

Staff:  Paul Jancewicz

 

Title:  The Shack
Author:  William P. Young
Style:  Fiction

Description:  Mackenzie Allen Philips’ youngest daughter, Missy, has
been abducted during a family vacation and evidence that she may have
been brutally murdered is found in an abandoned shack deep in the Oregon
wilderness. Four years later in the midst of his Great Sadness, Mack
receives a suspicious note, apparently from God, inviting him back to
that shack for a weekend.  Against his better judgment he arrives at the
shack on a wintry afternoon and walks back into his darkest nightmare.
What he finds there will change Mack’s world forever … (Description
from Amazon.com)

Staff:  Robert Kelley

 

Title:  An Abundance of Katherines         Author:  John Green
Style:  Fiction

Description:  Colin Singleton has graduated from high school without a
eureka moment that would take him from child prodigy to actual genius
and he has been dumped for the nineteenth time by a girl named
Katherine. All of his nineteen girlfriends have been named Katherine -
not Katrina, not Kathy, not Katie, not Trina – K-A-T-H-E-R-I-N-E. And
all nineteen have dumped him.  His best, and only, friend Hassan
recommends the simple solution: a road trip.  The pair ends up in a town
called Gutshot, with the lovely Lindsey Lee Wells, a pink mansion, the
grave of the archduke Franz Ferdinand, a feral pig, a secret cave
hideout, and Colin determined to prove the Theorem of Underlying
Katherine Predictability.

Staff:  Barbara Leary

 

Title:  Wildfire
Author:  Nelson DeMille
Style:  Fiction

Description:  Set one year post 9/11, DeMille’s thriller involves an
American right-wing plot to suitcase-nuke two U.S. cities.  The idea is
to provoke an existing government plan called Wild Fire that
automatically responds to nuclear terrorism in the homeland with a
nuclear attack that will wipe out most of the Middle East.  This tour de
force of relentless narrative power neither stops nor slows for twists
or turns, but charges straight ahead in the face of danger.

Staff:  Betsey McComiskey and Carole Ann Quinlan

 

Title:  The Hunger Games
Author:  Suzanne Collins
Style:  Fiction

Description:  N.Y. Times Bestseller.  Could you survive on your own, in
the wild, with everyone fighting against you?  Twenty four teenagers are
forced to enter.  Only the winner survives.  In the ruins of a place
once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining capitol
surrounded by twelve outlying districts.  Each year, the districts are
forced by the capitol to send one boy and one girl between the ages of
12 and 18 to participate in the Hunger Games, a brutal and terrifying
fight to the death – televised for all to see.  Highly recommended!
(from:  www.scholastic.com/thehungergames/about-the-book.com)

Staff:  Susanne Meyer

 

Title: The House on Mango Street                            Author:
Sandra Cisneros                              Style: Fiction

The House on Mango Street is an extraordinary story of a girl, Esperanza
Cordero who grew up in an inner city neighborhood in Chicago. Esperanza
vividly tells us of her  many experiences, all filled with a wide array
of emotions and inner feelings. Though life may be difficult, happy, sad
or joyful, Esperanza  lives with hope, just as her name signifies.

Staff: Denise Minnard Campoli

 

Title:  Nineteen Minutes                              Author:   Jodi
Picoult                       Style: Fiction /mystery

Description:  in this emotionally charged novel, Picoult delves beneath
the surface of a small town to explore what it means to be different.
Deals with contemporary issues of school violence and bullying.  A
repeat offering; students who read this book last year may not choose
this one again.

Staff: Susan Mroz

 

Title:      Bleachers                                            Author:
John Grisham   Style: Fiction / sports

Description: Neely Crenshaw returns to his hometown to see his former
football coach who is critically ill.  In this town where football is
everything, former players gather on the bleachers to reflect on past
games and the coach they all loved and hated.  In this book, Grisham
departs from his usual legal thrillers to tell a story about his other
passion – small town sports.

Staff:  Les Murray

 

Title:  Jellico Road                                            Author:
Melina Marchetta                                          Style:
Fiction

Description:  In this absorbing story, nothing is as it seems and every
clue leads to more questions as Taylor tries to work out the connection
between her mother dumping her, Hannah finding her then and her sudden
departure now, a mysterious stranger who once whispered something in her
ear, a boy in her dreams, five kids who lived on Jellicoe Road eighteen
years ago, and the maddening and magnetic Jonah Griggs, who knows her
better than she thinks he does. If Taylor can put together the pieces of
her past, she might just be able to change her future.

Staff:  Martha Noon

 

Title:  The Mountain of Silence:  A Search for Orthodox Spirituality
Author:  Kyriacos C. Markides

Style:  Non-Fiction Spirituality and religion

Description:  “In an engaging combination of dialogues, reflections,
conversations, history and travel information, Kyriacos C. Markides
explores the spiritual tradition and practice on the isolated peninsula
of Mt. Athos in Greece into a group of ancient monasteries.  There,  in
what might be called a Christian Tibet, two thousand monks and hermits
practice spiritual arts to attain oneness with God.”  (Cited from back
cover of paperback)

Staff:  Laurie Pancoast

Title:   The Looking Glass Wars   Author: Frank Beddor
Style:  Fiction/fantasy

Description: Alyss Heart, heir to the Wonderland throne, is befriended
by an aspiring author Lewis Carroll. “The Looking Glass Wars unabashedly
challenges our Wonderland assumptions surrounding mad tea parties,
grinning Cheshire cats, and a curious little blond girl to reveal an
epic battle in the endless war for Imagination.” (Cover)

Staff:  Ken Parkinson

 

Title:  Host                                          Author: Stephanie
Meyer (also the author of Twilight).   Style: Science fiction for people
who don’t like science fiction.

Description: Melanie Stryder refuses to fade away.  Our world has been
invaded by an unseen enemy. Humans become hosts for these invaders,
their minds taken over while their bodies remain intact and continue
their lives apparently unchanged. Most of humanity has succumbed. When
Melanie, one of the few remaining “wild” humans is captured, she is
certain it is her end. Wanderer, the invading “soul” who has been given
Melanie’s body, was warned about the challenges of living inside a
human: the overwhelming emotions, the glut of senses, the too vivid
memories. But there was one difficulty Wanderer didn’t expect: the
former tenant of her body refusing to relinquish possession of her
mind.www.stephaniemeyer.com

Staff:  Diane Pendergast

 

 

Title:  The Sacred Balance:  Rediscovering Our Place in Nature   Author:
David Suzuki     

Style:  Science

Discussion:  In depth discussion of our impact on the world and the
urgent need to rethink how we interact with nature.  Students choosing
this book should enjoy reading science.

Staff:  Cindy Richmond

 

Title:  The Girl with a Pearl Earring                           Author:
Tracy Chevalier                Style:  Historical Fiction

Discussion:  In Tracy Chevalier’s novel, Girl with a Pear Earring, she
explores who indeed is looking back at us from Johannes Vermeer’s famous
painting.  Griet is a 16 year old Dutch girl who becomes a maid in the
house of the famous painter.  Her calm and perceptive manner not only
helps her in her duties, but also attracts the painter’s attention.
Though different in upbringing, education, and social standing, the two
have a similar way of looking at things.  Vermeer slowly draws Griet
into the world of his paintings.  As Griet becomes part of her master’s
work, their growing intimacy spreads disruption and jealousy within the
ordered household and even – as the scandal seeps out – ripples in the
world beyond.

Staff:  April Rivers-Blake

 

Title:  Little Brother
Author:  Cory Doctorow                Style:  Counter culture Fiction

Description:  “Marcus, a 17-year-old computer hacker, spends most of his
time outwitting school surveillance until the day that San Francisco is
bombed by terrorists–and he and his friends are arrested, taken to a
secret prison, and brutally questioned for days. When he is released,
Marcus–known online as “w1n5t0n,”–is warned by the authorities that
they will come for him if he tells what they’ve done. Meanwhile, America
has become a police state where everyone is suspect. For Marcus, the
only option left is to take down the power-crazed Department of Homeland
Security with an underground online revolution.”  (Surrey Public Library
description)    After reading this I didn’t want to use my EZ Pass
anymore!

Staff:  Mia Rowlands

 

 

Title:  Year of the Tiger                                  Author:  Jack
Higgins                                       Style:  Fiction

Description:  This quick moving espionage tale places the reader into
the thick of the Cold War as nations compete for space travel.  Jack
Higgins takes the reader from London to Tibet with the principal
character, Agent Paul Chavasse.  Paul’s missions include the Dalai Lama
and a Dr. Karl Hoffner.  Intrigued?

Staff:  Nina Tassinari

 

Title:  Into Thin Air
Author:  Jon Krakauer                                    Style

Description:  “A childhood dream of someday ascending Mount Everest, a
lifelong love of climbing, and an expense account propelled writer Jon
Krakauer to the top of the Himalayas.  His powerful, cautionary tale of
an adenture gone horribly wrong is a must-read.”  (From:
barnesandnoble.com)  (Some mature content:  Profanity)

Staff:  Brett Twombly

 

Title:  Change of Heart                                   Author:  Jodi
Picoult                                        Style:  Fiction

Description:  “Death-row inmate Shay Bourne, convicted of murdering a
little girl and her cop stepfather, wants to donate his heart to the
little girl’s sister, who requires a transplant.  ACLU lawyer Maggie
Bloom and Father Michael Wright attempt to carry out Shay’s wishes.
Meanwhile, as apparent miracles begin happening in the prison, some
wonder if Shay is some sort of Messiah.”  (From:  Barnes & Noble)

Staff:  Kristen Walsh

Sophomore American Studies/English Reading List Here 2009

SOPHOMORE SUMMER READING LIST, 2009       For all students entering Sophomore English in the fall of 2009. Some copies of books are available at the Amesbury Public Library during the summer. You may also purchase your own copies at area bookstores, such as Envelop the Moment at 5 Market Square. Students will select ONE book from the FACULTY FAVORITES LIST to read for ONE of their Summer Reading books. That book and its journal are DUE SEPTEMBER 10, 2009. [See that list] THEN, Students will read another REQUIRED book depending on the Sophomore English course they registered for. The titles have been selected to help prepare you for American Literature before the 20th century which you will be studying in American Studies. Discussions and activities using your reading will be an important part of your class: COLLEGE PREP. AMERICAN STUDIES : CHOOSE ONE REQUIRED TITLE: The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd “When Lily’s black nanny insults a group of angry white men on her way to register to vote in the 1960’s, Lily and Rosalie flee and are taken in by 3 bee-keeping sisters.” The Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane “Stirring tale of action in the American Civil War”   HONORS AMERICAN STUDIES: READ BOTH REQUIRED TITLES: The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd The Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane Honors students read a total of 3 books for Summer Reading.   On the back of this sheet are questions for Summer Reading Journals. Complete Summer Reading Journal entries for each book. Journals are due Sept. 3, 2009 for the REQUIRED book[s]. Students are reminded that Summer Reading “counts” as test grades in English classes