10th thru 12th Grade Reading List
Curated by DeISD Libraries
12 Mighty Orphans (Non-Fiction) by Jim Dent
More than a century ago, a school was constructed in Fort Worth, Texas, for the purpose of housing and educating the orphans of Texas Freemasons. It was a humble project that for years existed quietly on a hillside east of town. Life at the Masonic Home was about to change, though, with the arrival of a lean, bespectacled coach by the name of Rusty Russell. Here was a man who could bring rain in the midst of a drought. Here was a man who, in virtually no time at all, brought the orphans' story into the homes of millions of Americans.
Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian (Realistic Fiction) by Sherman Alexie
Sherman Alexie's humorous, semiautobiographical novel, illustrated by Ellen Forney, follows 14-year-old Junior — poor, skinny and with a freakishly big head — as he leaves his school on the Spokane Indian Reservation for a mostly white school in a nearby town. Alexie captures the pain and awkwardness of adolescence while also meditating on the devastation that poverty, racism and alcoholism have wreaked on Native American communities.
An Abundance of Katherines (Fiction) by John Green
Always being dumped by girls named Katherine, Colin Singleton, a washed-up child prodigy with a Judge Judy-obsessed best friend, embarks on a quest to prove The Theorem of Underlying Katherine Predictability, which will affect all of his future relationships and change his life.
Book Thief, The (Historical Fiction) by Markus Zusak
Trying to make sense of the horrors of World War II, Death relates the story of Liesel — a young German girl whose book-stealing and storytelling talents help sustain her family and the Jewish man they are hiding, as well as their neighbors.
Boy Who Dared, The (Historical Fiction) by Susan Campbell
When 16-year-old Helmut Hubner listens to the BBC news on an illegal short-wave radio, he quickly discovers Germany is lying to the people. But when he tries to expose the truth with leaflets, he's tried for treason. Sentenced to death and waiting in a jail cell, Helmut's story emerges in a series of flashbacks that show his growth from a naive child caught up in the patriotism of the times , to a sensitive and mature young man who thinks for himself.
Boy in the Striped Pajamas (Historical Fiction) by John Boyne
But Bruno longs to be an explorer and decides that there must be more to this desolate new place than meets the eye. While exploring his new environment, he meets another boy whose life and circumstances are very different from his own, and their meeting results in a friendship that has devastating consequences.
Dear Martin (Realistic Fiction) by Nic Stone
Justyce McAllister is top of his class and set for the Ivy League—but none of that matters to the police officer who just put him in handcuffs. And despite leaving his rough neighborhood behind, he can’t escape the scorn of his former peers or the ridicule of his new classmates. Justyce looks to the teachings of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. for answers. But do they hold up anymore? He starts a journal to Dr. King to find out. Then comes the day Justyce goes driving with his best friend, Manny, windows rolled down, music turned up—way up, sparking the fury of a white off-duty cop beside them. Words fly. Shots are fired. Justyce and Manny are caught in the crosshairs. In the media fallout, it’s Justyce who is under attack.
Divergent Series, The (Dystopian Fiction) by Veronica Roth
Divergent: One choice can transform you. Veronica Roth's debut is a gripping dystopian tale of electrifying choices, powerful consequences, unexpected romance, and a deeply flawed "perfect society." Includes bonus materials by Veronica Roth.
Insurgent: One choice can destroy you. The second bestseller continues the dystopian thrill ride. As war surges in the factions all around her, Tris attempts to save those she loves—and herself—while grappling with haunting questions of grief and forgiveness, identity and loyalty, politics and love. Includes bonus materials by Veronica Roth.
Allegiant: One choice will define you. The explosive conclusion to the #1 New York Times bestselling Divergent trilogy reveals the secrets of the dystopian world that has captivated millions of readers. Includes bonus materials by Veronica Roth.
Four: A companion volume to the worldwide bestselling Divergent series, told from the perspective of Tobias.
Fault in Our Stars (Realistic Fiction) by John Green
Higher Call, A (Biography) by Adam Makos
Higher Call, A2012Makos, Adam and Larry Alexander1000BiographyKirkus Reviews Publishers WeeklyAn inspiring dual biography of two World War II airmen against the background of the European air war. In 1943, a severely damaged B-17, returning from a mission over Germany, was intercepted by a Messerschmitt fighter. Instead of finishing off the crippled bomber, the German pilot guided it toward the Channel and sent it on its way to England.Both pilots were still living 60 years later when Makos, editor of the military journalValor, discovered the story. That single encounter was too short for a book, but Makos and military writer Alexander (Biggest Brother: The Life of Major Dick Winters, the Man Who Led the Band of Brothers, 2005) bring together the stories of the pilots. Franz Stigler was a deeply religious Catholic who loved flying. Already a commercial pilot, he was drafted into the Luftwaffe at the beginning of the war. He served grueling tours in Africa, Italy and Germany, becoming a fighter ace and flying the first jet while watching most of his comrades die as massive bomber formations devastated his nation. Charlie Brown was a West Virginia farm boy who moved from the peacetime National Guard to the Army to the controls of a B-17. Many of his friends died, as well. Serious military buffs may wrinkle their noses at the energetically nonpartisan tone--all the Luftwaffe pilots hated the Nazis; the American airmen were quirky but brave. Massive research and extensive interviews combine in a vividly detailed account of German fighter operations in Western Europe and the training and blooding of an American bomber crew. Kirkus Review
Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (Science Fiction) by Douglas Adams
In this collection of novels, Arthur Dent is introduced to the galaxy at large when he is rescued by an alien friend seconds before Earth's destruction, and embarks on a series of amazing adventures, from the mattress swamps of Sqornshellous Zeta to the Restaurant at the End of the Universe.
Jungle, The (Fiction) by Upton Sinclaire
The Jungle is a 1906 novel written by the American journalist and novelist Upton Sinclair (1878–1968). Sinclair wrote the novel to portray the lives of immigrants in the United States in Chicago and similar industrialized cities. Many readers were most concerned with his exposure of health violations and unsanitary practices in the American meatpacking industry during the early 20th century, based on an investigation he did for a socialist newspaper.The book depicts working class poverty, the lack of social supports, harsh and unpleasant living and working conditions, and a hopelessness among many workers. These elements are contrasted with the deeply rooted corruption of people in power. A review by the writer Jack London called it, "the Uncle Tom's Cabin of wage slavery."Sinclair was considered a muckraker, or journalist who exposed corruption in government and business. He first published the novel in serial form in 1905 in the Socialist newspaper, Appeal to Reason, between February 25, 1905, and November 4, 1905. In 1904, Sinclair had spent seven weeks gathering information while working incognito in the meatpacking plants of the Chicago stockyards for the newspaper. It was published as a book on February 26, 1906 by Doubleday and in a subscribers' edition.
Last Shot: A Final Four Mystery (Mystery) by John Feinstein
After winning a basketball reporting contest, eighth graders Stevie and Susan Carol are sent to cover the Final Four tournament, where they discover that a talented player is being blackmailed into throwing the final game. AR Bookfind
Librarian of Auschwitz (Historical Fiction) by Antonio Iturbe
Out of one of the darkest chapters of human history comes this extraordinary story of courage and hope.
Looking for Alaska (Realistic Fiction) by John Green
Sixteen-year-old Miles' first year at Culver Creek Preparatory School in Alabama includes good friends and great pranks, but is defined by the search for answers about life and death after a fatal car crash.
Lord of the Rings, The (Fantasy) by J.R.R. Tolkein
Tolkien's seminal three-volume epic chronicles the War of the Ring, in which Frodo the hobbit and his companions set out to destroy the evil Ring of Power and restore peace to Middle-earth. The beloved trilogy still casts a long shadow, having established some of the most familiar and enduring tropes in fantasy literature.
Miles Morales: Spider-Man (Fiction) by Jason Reynolds
Brooklyn Visions Academy student Miles Morales may not always want to be a superhero, but he must come to terms with his identity and deal with a villainous teacher as the new Spider-Man.
Mortal Instruments Series, The (Fantasy) by Cassandra Clare
Able to see demons and those who hunt them, Clary Fray is drawn into the world of the Shadowhunters when her mother slips into a coma and travels to the City of Glass, the capital of their secretive country, where she uncovers important truths about her family's past.
Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore (Fantasy) by Robin Sloan
Night (Biography) by Elie Wiesel
Night offers much more than a litany of the daily terrors, everyday perversions, and rampant sadism at Auschwitz and Buchenwald; it also eloquently addresses many of the philosophical as well as personal questions implicit in any serious consideration of what the Holocaust was, what it meant, and what its legacy is and will be.
Red Queen Series, The (Fiction) by Victoria Aveyard
The Reds are commoners, ruled by a Silver elite in possession of god-like superpowers. And to Mare Barrow, a seventeen-year-old Red girl from the poverty-stricken Stilts, it seems like nothing will ever change.That is, until she finds herself working in the Silver Palace. Here, surrounded by the people she hates the most, Mare discovers that, despite her red blood, she possesses a deadly power of her own.
Glass Sword:
If there's one thing Mare Barrow knows, it's that she's different. Mare's blood is red - the colour of common folk - but her Silver ability, the power to control lightning, has turned her into a weapon that the royal court wants to control.
King's Cage:
Mare Barrow is a prisoner, powerless without her lightning, tormented by her mistakes. She lives at the mercy of a boy she once loved, a boy made of lies and betrayal. Now a king, Maven continues weaving his web in an attempt to maintain control over his country - and his prisoner.
War Storm:
Mare Barrow learned this all too well when Cal's betrayal nearly destroyed her. Now determined to protect her heart-and secure freedom for Reds and newbloods like her-Mare resolves to overthrow the kingdom of Norta once and for all . . . starting with the crown on Maven's head.
Broken Throne:
The perfect addition to the #1 New York Times bestselling Red Queen series, Broken Throne features three brand-new novellas, alongside two previously published novellas, Steel Scars and Queen Song - as well as never-before-seen maps, flags, bonus scenes, journal entries, and much more exclusive content.
Scarlet Letter, The (Historical Fiction) by Nathaniel Hawthorne
June 1642, in the Puritan town of Boston, a crowd gathers to witness an official punishment. A young woman, Hester Prynne, has been found guilty of adultery and must wear a scarlet A on her dress as a sign of shame.
Tale of Two Cities (Fiction) by Charles Dickens
The novel depicts the plight of the French peasantry demoralized by the French aristocracy in the years leading up to the revolution, the corresponding brutality demonstrated by the revolutionaries toward the former aristocrats in the early years of the revolution, and many unflattering social parallels with life in London during the same period.
Twilight Series (Fiction) by Stephenie Meyer
When 17-year-old Bella Swan leaves Phoenix to live with her father in Forks, Wash., she meets Edward, an exquisitely handsome boy at school, for whom she feels an overwhelming attraction, and who she comes to realize is not wholly human. Bella must choose between vampire Edward and werewolf Jacob, while avoiding the attentions of less friendly vampires.
Uglies Series, The (Dystopian Fiction) by Scott Westerfeld
Scott Westerfeld's four-part series follows teenage Tally as she uncovers the truth about her future world, where a mandatory operation at age 16 converts natural "Uglies" into conformist "Pretties."