CLA Greater Boston Cooperative Library Association reading list grades 9 & 10

Kliatt, July, 2004

This reading list was prepared for the Cooperative Library Association by Sandy Horwitz, Beaver Country Day School; Martha Kennedy, Concord Academy; Susan Akie, Mt. Alvernia High School; Margaret Whittaker, Pingree School; Lynn Grilli, The Roxbury Latin School; Jane Carver, Walnut Hill School; Janet Shainheit, Worcester Academy.

GET REAL

ANGELOU, Maya. A song flung up to heaven. The sixth volume of Angelou's autobiography covers the period from 1964-1968, when she returned to America from Africa. As she begins to get involved in the Civil Rights Movement, the turbulent times affect her both personally and politically.

ANGUS, Colin. Lost in Mongolia: rafting the world's last unchallenged river. Who would expect help from Russian mobsters in the remotest corner of Siberia? Three crazy guys would as they raft their way down the 5,500-kilometer Yenisey River.

ASGEDOM, Mawi. Of beetles and angels: a boy's remarkable journey from a refugee camp to Harvard. Driven from his wartorn home in Ethiopia, Mawi and his family travel to a refugee camp in Sudan, and then on to Chicago, where they must rely on welfare. Mawi ultimately fulfills his goal by earning a full scholarship to Harvard and giving the commencement speech for his graduating class.

DUMAS, Firoozeh. Funny in Farsi: a memoir of growing up Iranian in America. When Firoozeh was 14 years old, her family moved from Iran to California. Talk about culture shock!

ERDMAN, Sarah. Nine hills of Nambonkaka: two years in the heart of an Africa village. Erdman tells the story of her Peace Corps experience in the Ivory Coast with sympathy, grace, and humor. Best of all, she brings the reader along for the ride.

ESPELAND, Pamela. Life lists for teens. All kinds of lists like: three reasons to become more tolerant; four ways to avoid burnout; five steps to taming your temper; nine do's and don'ts when a friend is a crime victim; 10 tips for staying safe in relationships; 12 test-taking tips; 17 ways to manage stress; and much, much more.

GANTOS, Jack. Hole in my life. This book chronicles a dark time in the troubled life of the author, a drug smuggler who was later sent to prison. His growth and survival make for compelling reading.

HART, Mickey. Songcatchers: in search of the world's music. Former Grateful Dead drummer Hart writes a tribute to the people who loved, listened to, transcribed, and recorded music that would otherwise have been lost. His own experiences are fascinating, and the enclosed CD makes for great listening.

McDONALD, Janet. Project girl. Janet McDonald grew up in a public housing project in NYC, the middle child of seven. Her determination enables her to graduate from Vassar College and later earn advanced degrees in journalism and law. Despite her academic ability, much of her life revolves around the violence, drug abuse, and poverty of her childhood.

MEZRICH, Ben. Bringing down the house: the inside story of six M.I.T. students who took Vegas for millions. "Everybody plays, but nobody wins!" until these college students crack the casinos through strategy and subterfuge.

MORGANSTERN, Julie & Jessie Morganstern-Colon. Organizing from the inside out for teenagers: the foolproof system for organizing your room, your time & your life. Organizing is fun! Do it in small chunks. Find your own system. Written by a mother-daughter team, this book's advice is gentle, clear, and entertaining.

NIVEN, Jennifer. Ada Blackjack: a true story of survival in the Arctic. A young Inuit woman becomes a reluctant hero when an Arctic expedition goes terribly wrong. She will be haunted by the experience for the rest of her life.

PACHEN, Ani & Adelaide Donnelley. Sorrow mountain: the journey of a Tibetan warrior nun. Pachen was indeed a warrior in that she was imprisoned by the Chinese for 21 years and managed to survive while refusing to "confess to her crimes." Her only desire was to live a monastic life, but she was thrown into the thick of politics when her father, a chieftain, died.

SAMPSON, Davis, George Jenkins, Rameck Hunt. The pact: three young men make a promise and fulfill a dream. These friends grew up in a Newark, NJ neighborhood riddled with crime, drugs, and violence. Their families, their friendship, and their pact to succeed saved their lives and enabled them to realize their dreams.

SATRAPI, Marjane. Persepolis: the story of a childhood. This memoir, written as a graphic book, tells of the author's experience during Iran's Islamic Revolution of 1979. Satrapi, part of a loving family, is a feisty, funny young girl. As the society becomes more fragmented and dangerous, her parents are forced to make a heart-wrenching decision.

SCHOTT, Ben. Schott's original miscellany. All sorts of weird and wonderful information you never knew you wanted to know!

SEDARIS, David. Me talk pretty one day. Open a page--any page--and David Sedaris' essays will have you laughing out loud. Part one covers childhood lisps; guitar lessons; humorous siblings; life in New York; part "deux'; and life in France with a boyfriend. Try explaining the Easter Bunny to a French class!