Great Summer Reads for Grizzlies!
SLzHS Staff Book Recommendations: Summer 2019
Grizzlies - Check out what books are recommended by SLzHS Staff
Ms. Makker Recommends
The Power by Naomi Alderman
What would happen if teenage girls and women suddenly had the power to inflict physical pain and even death on others? How would the world be different? Would things be better if women were the ones with "the power"? Or not? How would leaders react? Just imagine it. This book is intense, exciting, and fascinating. A must read!
Ms. Wickner Recommends
Becoming by Michelle Obama
The former first lady tells her inspiring true story of how she overcame societal and educational obstacles to become a leader in this country.
Mr. Giang Recommends
Odd Thomas by Dean Koontz
The first of a seven-book series about the adventures of a young man named Odd Thomas with a special, supernatural gift, but also saddled with the pressures of a conscience and doing right by the human race.
Ms. E. Smith Recommends
Persepolis by Mariane Strapi
This is a graphic novel about a girl growing up in Iran after the Islamic Revolution. I love the way this book ties together thought-provoking graphics and social-political narrative to tell a coming of age story.
Ms. Silvestri Recommends
The Pact by Jodi Picoult
She creates memorable characters and develops them thoroughly, whereby you connect deeply with them. There is always a great twist at the end. Her books are a quick, perfect read for leisure and the summer.
Ms. Bellamy Recommends
Born a Crime by Trevor Noah
This autobiography was an amazing lesson in South African culture, history, and politics all while telling the story of a child, Trevor, growing up during apartheid. Literally, his very existence as a mix-race child was a crime, and he turned out to be a famous comedian with the most adorable dimple! He is funny and poignant throughout and since I listened on Audible, he read it in his SA accent which is one of my favorite!
Ms. Gilden Recommends
Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse
I read this book every summer because it reminds me that I am always on a journey to find my true self, and I can simultaneously feel comfortable about my stage in the journey, while also looking to find growth. The book has Buddhist themes which are interesting as well.
Ms. Cebrian-Paskell Recommends
The Phantom Tollbooth by Norman Juster
Okay, so this is technically a children's book. It doesn't matter. This is a crazy and timeless tale of Milo, a boy with too much time on his hands, his steadfast companion Tock (who ticks) and a host of other fascinating characters. He travels though both English and Math, meeting a Which, jumps to Conclusions (a real place), and faces demons as he tries to rescue the princesses Rhyme and Reason. This story is so much fun!
Ms. da Silva Recommends
Ghost by Jason Reynolds
"Ghost" is about a kid who messes up a lot and a track coach who sees his potential. This book is heart-warming, inspiring, and funny. It's about friendships and growing up.
Mr. Giang also Recommends
Paranoia by Joseph Finder
Corporate espionage thriller with fast-paced action and a real page-turner. The ending will throw you for a loop as you are viscerally in the protagonist's shoes, feeling the same level of paranoia as he is.
Ms. Bellamy also Recommends
Becoming by Michelle Obama
This book is so inspiring because Michelle Obama was an ordinary child who grew and worked hard to become an extraordinary, strong, and admirable woman. It moved me to laugh and to cry. I listened to Michelle read the book to me on Audible.com and when it was finished, I felt like she was a friend and that I would miss hearing from her. It is a fantastic autobiography.
Ms. Johnston-Carter Recommends
Guards! Guards! by Terry Pratchett
Captain Vimes is not what you'd expect in a fantasy book hero-- after all we first meet him while he is very drunk, face down in the gutter and ready to give up on life. However the sudden return of dragons and the arrival of a rightful King of Ank-Morpork might just be enough to get Captain Vimes upright and in the mood to save the day.
Ms. Gilden also Recommends
Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman
The author, Kahneman, won a Nobel Prize in Economics. This book has really interesting research about how we make decisions and think about things, and tips for how we can make better decisions and think more logically. It has a lot of interactive pieces and examples. I enjoy reading non-fiction...often more than fiction!
Mr. Pallesen Recommends
Ready Player One by Ernest Cline
WAAAAAAY better than the movie!!
Mr. Isaacs Recommends
Akata Witch by Nnedi Okorafor
This a fun semi-fantastical book about magical African teenagers. (Book 1 in a series)
Ms. Coughran Recommends
Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
This book was my entire book club's favorite for the year. It is so powerful and it has everything - heartache, mystery, murder, love, and a surprise ending. It is set in marsh country in North Carolina and I promise you will fall in love with the main character (and most of the supporting characters)!
Ms. Steers Recommends
Born a Crime by Trevor Noah
This book is both informative and hilarious. I thought I knew about the apartheid in South Africa, but as with so many books, once I began reading, I realized how little I actually know. This book is eye-opening, compelling, and thoroughly entertaining. Read it -- you'll be so glad you did!
Mr. Barnholdt Recommends
The Murmur of Bees by Sofía Segovia
From a beguiling voice in Mexican fiction, Sofia Segovia, comes an astonishing novel—her first to be translated into English—about a mysterious child with the power to change a family’s history in a country on the verge of revolution. Awesome!
Ms. Rosa Recommends
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
It was the most fun book I read my senior year in high school and I reread it periodically just for fun.
Ms. Elena Recommends
The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie: a Flavia de Luce Mystery by Alan Bradley
A young, precocious girl solves mysteries in her small town by noticing details and asking questions that even the adults don't consider important. Fun and engrossing, these are easy reads that also make the reader think about important life topics.
Ms. Marks Recommends
The Other Wes Moore: One Name, Two Fates by Wes Moore
This is a thought provoking biography of two men. They both have the same same name and both grew up in Inner City Baltimore, but they took very different paths in life. This book will open your eyes to the power of choices and circumstances.
Mr. Faw Recommends
Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton
It's about dinosaurs...'nuff said!
Ms. Hoffmann Recommends
The Big Over Easy by Jasper Fforde
In a world where characters in literature are real, Detective Jack Spratt (yes, of nursery rhyme fame) is investigating the sudden death of Humpty Dumpty. The book is filled with references to other nursery rhymes, but it’s not important that you know them. Just enjoy the silly fun involved in investigating the death of a giant egg.
Ms. J. Smith Recommends
The 57 Bus by Dashka Slater
This tells a very tragic and insightful story about a boy who makes a huge, thoughtless mistake and his victim who is going through her own challenges. It’s a true story of two Oakland high school students., their families and the community. It’s a story about race, identity, social class, inequalities, society, and more. I highly recommend this book.
Ms. Krist Recommends
On The Come Up by Angie Thomas
This is Angie Thomas' follow up novel to The Hate U Give. It was a pleasant surprise just a couple chapters in to learn that while this book is not a sequel to The Hate U Give, it is set in the same universe. While it is not the overarching plot of the book, it 100% shows how the death of an unarmed black young man, and the subsequent lack of justice for him, can affect ALL members of the community, whether they knew him or not. Bri is a wonderfully, real character, much like Starr (from The Hate U Give). Throughout a lot of the book she keeps making decisions that are so frustrating - to the point where I just want to grab her and say, "Bri! Think about what you're doing!" - but also so understandable. She's a smart girl who lets her emotions carry her away and has more to worry about than any 16 year old should ever have to. The secondary characters are also wonderfully real. Them and Bri's relationships with them truly make this a great book.
Mr. G. Johnson Recommends
Dealing With Dragons by Patricia Wrede
A fun, witty story about the Princess Cimorene who escapes her tediously ordinary family for adventures, after her father the King announces that he will give her in marriage to anyone who would kill a dragon. She sees no reason for anyone to kill a dragon to prove anything. So she sets out on an adventure of her own and ends up in a far different place, in a VERY different life involving a dragon! This is the first book in the series the 'Enchanted Forest Chronicles'.
Ms. Olivas Recommends
The Cormoran Strike Series by Robert Galbraith (1st one is The Cuckoo's Calling)
There are 4 books so far featuring Cormoran Strike a private detective. They keep you on your toes, you can't figure out who the killer is till the very end. Captivating series. Thank you to Toni Hart for introducing me to these books.
Ms. Olivas also Recommends
Copper Sun by Sharon Draper
Started reading this in the library study center because I forgot my book. Couldn't put it down, went back to check out. Very sad story but a good story of hope & survival. Totally recommend.
Mr. McVay Recommends
Ready Player One by Ernest Cline
A must read for anyone who loves gaming and it's origins. The movie wasn't nearly as good!
Ms. Bradley Recommends
The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo
The Poet X is a novel-in-verse about a young woman, Xiomara, who discovers herself through slam poetry. I could not put this book down!
Ms. Hart Recommends
Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng
Keeping a secret often presents a dilemma especially in a community that supposedly follows all of the "rules." This novel explores the nature of art and identity, teen angst, and the pull of motherhood.
Ms. Daly Recommends
The Fortress of Solitude by Jonathan Lethem
Fortress of Solitude is a book that stayed with me for a long time after reading it. It's about so many things: family, race, class, music, superheroes, graffiti, friendship and more. I highly recommend it!
Ms. Corrales Recommends
Flags of Our Fathers by James Bradley
As a history buff, I am prone to non-fiction. This book is about the life stories of the six men who raised the flag at the Battle of Iwo Jima (on Mt. Suribachi), a turning point in World War II. I am always inspired to see/read/hear about those who sacrifice for causes bigger than themselves.
Ms. Solis Recommends
Based upon a true story.