Blessed Sacrament - St. Gabriel High School Summer 2010
Sophomores:
Required: two (or more) books, or one starred book. Where indicated, you
may use the listed sequel as a second book
Quiz: first week of
class in September.Grade: two 100% grades for the first quarter.
Note: may not choose books previously used for summer or class credit
Non-fiction
The Color of Water. James McBride, 1996, $14.00, 291 pp. True story by a black journalist about his white
mother, the daughter of an Orthodox rabbi. New York City’s choice for the One City, One Book program.
The Great and Only Barnum: the Tremendous, Stupendous Life of Showman P.T. Barnum. Candace Fleming,
2009, $18.99 hardcover, 142 pp. Like the circus, meant for all ages, even if shelved in the children’s section.
Illustrated with photographs and drawings. "Delightful, rich, entertaining."
LeBron’s Dream Team: How Five Friends Made History. LeBron James and Buzz Bissinger, 2009, $15.00, 272 pp.
(Original hardcover title is Shooting Stars.) Kids from Akron, Ohio, faced inner-city challenges and forged a
bond as a youth basketball team that made history.
Left for Dead: A Young Man’s Search for Justice for the USS Indianapolis. Pete Nelson, 2002, $8.95, 191 pp.
After being torpedoed by a Japanese submarine in July 1945, the USS Indianapolis sank in 14 minutes. In 1996,
a Florida sixth grader did a project which led to vindication for the captain.
Three Cups of Tea: the Young Reader’s Edition. Greg Mortensen, adapted by Sarah Thomson, 2009, $8.99, 205 pp
Lost while climbing K2, Greg Mortensen was moved by the kindness of the Himalayan villagers. He promised
to return to build a school, and has built 60 in Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Fiction
* The Amulet of Samarkand.
Jonathan Stroud, 2003, $7.99, 462 pp. An 11-year- old magician’s apprenticesummons up a 5000-year-old djinni to help in a whirlwind of espionage, revenge, murder, and rebellion.
The Battle of the Labyrinth, Book 4 of Percy Jackson and the Olympians. Rick Riordan, 2008, $7.99, 384 pp.
Percy and his demigod friends set out on a quest through the Underworld to find Daedalus. You may also
read and take a test on its sequel, The Last Olympians, Book 5.
* Breaking Dawn. Stephenie Meyer, 2008, $14.99, 768 pp. Third sequel to Twilight. Pregnancy creates unexpected
challenges for Bella and Edward, and an unexpected opening for Jacob in their lives. Far-flung vampires unite
around them as the Volturi return to attack.
* Charlie Bone and the Invisible Boy. Jenny Nimmo, 2004, $4.99, 408 pp. Charlie and Emma find the art teacher’s
little brother, who has been made invisible by a magical snake. They battle to get the boy back .
Fiction (cont.)
Cosmic. Frank Boyce, 2010, $16.99 hardcover, 313 pp. Frequently mistaken for an adult at age 13, Liam is
selected as a dad for a special civilian space ride, accompanying his friend Florida, who poses as his
daughter, making him the responsible adult on a malfunctioning spaceship. "Humorous and inventive."
Double Helix. Nancy Werlin, 2004, $5.99, 256 pp. Eli, age 18, knows his mother is dying of an incurable
hereditary disease. Should he be tested?
Elsewhere. Gabrielle Zevin, 2005, $6.95, 304 pp. Killed when hit by a taxi, 15-year-old Liz Hall finds
herself in a place that is both like and unlike Earth. Despite her grandmother’s best efforts, it takes her
a while to figure out how to "live." Fantasy.
Evernight. Claudia Gray, 2008, 2008, $8.99, 352 pp. Sixteen-year-old Bianca finds herself drawn to another
outsider at her new boarding school. She does not yet know that she is a vampire-to-be and that dark
forces threaten to tear her and Lucas apart. You may also take a test on its sequel: Stargazer.
Finding Lubchenko. Michael Simmons, 2005, $7.99, 304 pp. His father is arrested for murder, and only
16-year-old Evan Macalister can clear his dad’s name. He can reveal his own shenanigans and get
grounded for life, or find the real murderer. Comedy, intrigue.
The Hunger Games. Suzanne Collins, 2008, paperback $8.99 this August, 374 pp. Katniss Everdeen is an
underdog in an annual televised survival competition that pits young people against each other in a fight
to the death. Do not ever bet against her. She singlehandedly changes the game and foments a revolution
in the dystopia. First in series. You may also read and take a test on its sequel, Catching Fire.
Maximum Ride: School’s Out Forever. James Patterson, 2006, $6.99, 368 pp. An FBI agent gives six
genetically-altered, winged young people a chance to attend school and live a normal life. They head
towards Florida and their destiny to save the world. Second in series-- make sure you have this title.
You may also read and take a test on the third book: Maximum Ride: Saving the World.
On the Devil’s Court. Carl Deuker, 1991, $7.99, 192 pp. Joe never succeeded at anything, but suddenly
everything’s going his way-- varsity basketball, straight A’s, popularity. What bargain did he make,
and with whom? Did he trade his soul for one perfect season?
* On the Street Where You Live. Mary Higgins Clark, 2001, $7.99, 400 pp. When Emily Graham buys her
family’s ancestral home in New Jersey, construction workers excavate a pool and discover a skeleton.
Three young women disappeared in the 1890’s; now Emily is in danger too.
Peak. Roland Smith, 2007, $6.95, 246 pp. Police aren’t happy when they find 14-year-old Peak Marcello
scaling the Woolworth Building. As part of a plea deal, he joins his absentee father in an attempt to be
the youngest person ever to climb Mount Everest.
Q Is for Quarry. Sue Grafton, 2002, $7.99, 351 pp. Eighteen years after "Jane Doe" was found murdered,
two aging law enforcement officers persuade Kinsey Millhone to join them in one last attempt to crack
the case, and end up in a high-risk hunt for the killer.
Ray and Me: A Baseball Card Adventure. Dan Gutman, 2009, $15.99 hardcover, 192 pp. Stosh travels
back in time to try to save Ray Chapman, the Cleveland Indian batter killed by a pitch in 1920 New York.
Razzle. Ellen Wittlinger, 2001, $7.99, 256 pp. When his retired parents buy Cape Cod tourist cabins,
15-year-old Kenyon Baker meets two girls, one eccentric, one boy-crazy.
*
Scorpia. Anthony Horowitz, 2005, $7.99, 400 pp. In Italy to find out about his father’s supposed careeras an assassin, Alex Rider becomes involved in a plot to kill thousands of English children. You may
also read and take a test on its sequel Ark Angel.
Storm Catchers. Tim Bowler, 2001, $4.50, 202 pp. Her brother Fin will never forgive himself for leaving
Ella alone with little Sam the night she is kidnapped. As the kidnapper’s plans unfold, the whole family
must face their deepest secrets. She is not the only victim.
* The Warrior Heir. Cinda Chima, 2006, $8.99, 448 pp. Sixteen-year-old Jack forgets to take his medicineand nearly kills a bully at soccer practice. He learns he is part of an underground magical society, one of
the last of the warriors, destined to fight to the death in a tournament. You may also read and take a test
on its sequel, The Wizard Heir.