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

Kliatt, July, 2004

HOFFMAN, Alice. The probable future. The women of the Sparrow family have unusual gifts. Elinor can detect falsehoods, her daughter Jenny can see people's dreams (except of course her own), and granddaughter Stella can see into the future, which gets her and her father into big trouble.

McKILLIP, Patricia. In the forests of Serre. A prince, a princess, a witch, two wizards, and a forest filled with magic weave through this book. McKillip presents a tapestry rich in language and story.

WIBBERLEY, Leonard. The mouse that roared. What do you do when your tiny country is on the verge of going broke?. Simple: declare war on the USA, and after they win, let them finance the rebuilding of your country.

WYNDHAM, John. The day of the Triffids. The end of the world as we know it has arrived and only a few people have survived. This 1951 dystopian novel, in which plants try to take over the world, is more frighteningly relevant than ever. If you like this, check out Simon Clark's recently published sequel, The Night of the Triffids.

NATURE OF THINGS

HOLT, Laurence. Stikky night skies. Want to go stargazing, but don't know what stars are where? This book will start you on your way.

BROCKMAN, John (ed.) The greatest inventions of the past 2000 years: today's leading thinkers choose the creations that shaped our world. Over 100 contemporary scientists, philosophers, and great minds weigh in on the question, "What was the greatest invention of the past two millennia?" Their answers will surprise you!

HALPERN, Sue. Four wings and a prayer: caught in the mystery of the Monarch butterfly. Halpern observes the people for whom the Monarch has become an obsession as they probe the mystery of its migration.

KUHN, Cynthia, et al. Buzzed: the straight facts about the most used and abused drugs from alcohol to ecstacy, 2nd ed. Everything you need to know about drugs, from history, to chemical components, to current thinking for or against legalization.

KIRBERGER, Kimberly. No body's perfect: stories by teens about body image, self-acceptance, and the search for identity. Short pieces (one to two pages long) on many topics of interest to teens: stay true to yourself, don't worry what others think, go beyond your comfort zone, and value yourself. Whether it is a letter entitled "Dear Bulimia" or a poem called "My Best Feature," these short snappy pieces come from an authentic place.

SHORT AND SWEET

CART, Michael (ed.). Love & sex: ten stories of truth. Truth and honesty are the hallmarks of these stories about the romantic lives of teenagers. They cover all the emotions that teens experience: joy, heartache, love, lust, anger, and confusion. These stories will ring true for everyone.

CLINTON, Catherine (ed.). A poem of her own: voices of American women yesterday and today. Don't be fooled by this book's cover! These poems are by strong-voiced women who have complex things to say, and who do so with sophisticated wit and imagery.

COLES, Robert & Randy Testa (eds.). Growing up poor: a literary anthology. America's finest writers provide readers with a look into the lives of citizens who are victims of poverty. Contributors include Langston Hughes, Sandra Cisneros, Sherman Alexie, Dorothy Allison, and Gary Soto.