Parents/Guardians and Students,
For our first unit in Springboard, students will be choosing a coming of age novel of from this teacher
generated list. Students will then read this novel independently. Although the reading is independent,
students will be held accountable for the reading through various activities in class. This novel is also
essential to the second embedded assessment. Choose a novel that interests you.
Secret Life of Bees, Sue Monk Kidd *
Sue Monk Kidd's ravishing debut novel has stolen the hearts of reviewers and readers alike with its strong,
assured voice. Set in South Carolina in 1964, The Secret Life of Bees tells the story of Lily Owens, whose life has
been shaped around the blurred memory of the afternoon her mother was killed. When Lily's fierce-hearted
"stand-in mother," Rosaleen, insults three of the town's fiercest racists, Lily decides they should both escape to
Tiburon, South Carolina--a town that holds the secret to her mother's past. There they are taken in by an
eccentric trio of black beekeeping sisters who introduce Lily to a mesmerizing world of bees, honey, and the
Black Madonna who presides over their household. This is a remarkable story about divine female power and
the transforming power of love--a story that women will share and pass on to their daughters for years to come.
(bn.com)
Fallen Angels, Walter Dean Myers
A coming-of-age tale for young adults set in the trenches of the Vietnam War in the late 1960s, this is the story
of Perry, a Harlem teenager who volunteers for the service when his dream of attending college falls through.
Sent to the front lines, Perry and his platoon come face-to-face with the Vietcong and the real horror of warfare.
But violence and death aren't the only hardships. As Perry struggles to find virtue in himself and his comrades,
he questions why black troops are given the most dangerous assignments, and why the U.S. is even there at all.
(amazon.com)
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain *
First published in February 1885. Commonly recognized as one of the Great American Novels, the work is
among the first in major American literature to be written in the vernacular, characterized by local color
regionalism. It is told in the first person by Huckleberry "Huck" Finn, a friend of Tom Sawyer. The book is
noted for its colorful description of people and places along the Mississippi River. Satirizing a Southern
antebellum society that was already out of date by the time the work was published, Adventures of Huckleberry
Finn is an often scathing look at entrenched attitudes, particularly racism. The drifting journey of Huck and his
friend Jim, a runaway slave, down the Mississippi River on their raft may be one of the most enduring images
of escape and freedom in all of American literature. The work has been popular with readers since its
publication and is taken as a sequel to The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. It has also been the continued object of
study by serious literary critics. It was criticized upon release because of its coarse language and became even
more controversial in the 20th century because of its perceived use of racial stereotypes and because of its
frequent use of racial slurs. (amazon.com)
A Separate Peace, John Knowles *
Set at a boys' boarding school in New England during the early years of World War II, A Separate Peace is a
harrowing and luminous parable of the dark side of adolescence. Gene is a lonely, introverted intellectual.
Phineas is a handsome, taunting, daredevil athlete. What happens between the two friends one summer, like
the war itself, banishes the innocence of these boys and their world. (bn.com)
Speak, Laurie Halse Anderson *
"Speak up for yourself - we want to know what you have to say." From the first moment of her freshman year at
Merryweather High, Melinda knows that this is a big fat lie, part of the nonsense of high school. She is
friendless, outcast, because she busted an end-of-summer party by calling the cops, so now nobody will talk to
her, let alone listen to her. As time passes, she becomes increasingly isolated and practically stops talking
altogether. Only her art class offers any solace, and it is through her work on an art project that she is finally
able to face what really happened at that terrible party. In this powerful novel, an utterly believable heroine
with a bitterly ironic voice delivers a blow to the hypocritical world of high school. She speaks for many a
disenfranchised teenager while demonstrating the importance of speaking up for oneself. (bn.com)
The Bean Trees, Barbara Kingsolver *
Clear-eyed and spirited, Taylor Greer grew up poor in rural Kentucky with the goals of avoiding pregnancy and
getting away. But when she heads west with high hopes and a barely functional car, she meets the human
condition head-on. By the time Taylor arrives in Tucson, Arizona, she has acquired a completely unexpected
child, a three-year-old American Indian girl named Turtle, and must somehow come to terms with both
motherhood and the necessity for putting down roots. Hers is a story about love and friendship, abandonment
and belonging, and the discovery of surprising resources in apparently empty places (bn.com)
Big Mouth & Ugly Girl, Joyce Carol Oates
Believable, full-blooded characters propel Oates's first young adult novel. Ursula Riggs, a high school junior,
has adopted a stance of invincible indifference ("Since that day I woke up and knew I wasn't an ugly girl, I was
Ugly Girl"). Against her mother's wishes, she leaps to her classmate Matt Donaghy's defense when his
throwaway joke about blowing up the school makes him a suspected terrorist, but then rebuffs Matt's overtures
to friendship. Told in alternating perspectives (Ursula's in first-person and Matt's in third), the novel intensifies
and the relationship between Ursula and Matt grows, credibly and compellingly, against a convincing high
school backdrop. Readers will relate to the pressures these two experiences, both at school and from their
parents, and be gratified by their ability to emerge the wiser. (amazon.com)
The Pigman, Paul Zindel*
For sophomores John and Lorraine, the world feels meaningless; nothing is important. They certainly can
never please their parents, and school is a chore. To pass the time, they play pranks on unsuspecting people. It's
during one of these pranks that they meet the "Pigman"--a fat, balding old man with a zany smile plastered on
his face. In spite of themselves, John and Lorraine soon find that they're caught up in Mr. Pignati's zest for life.
In fact, they become so involved that they begin to destroy the only corner of the world that's ever mattered to
them. Originally published in 1968, this novel by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Paul Zindel still sings with
sharp emotion as John and Lorraine come to realize that "Our life would be what we made of it--nothing more,
nothing less." (amazon.com)
All Quiet on the Western Front, Erich Maria Remarque *
Paul Baumer enlisted with his classmates in the German army of World War I. Youthful, enthusiastic, they
become soldiers. But despite what they have learned, they break into pieces under the first bombardment in the
trenches. And as horrible war plods on year after year, Paul holds fast to a single vow: to fight against the
principles of hate that meaninglessly pits young men of the same generation but different uniforms against each
other--if only he can come out of the war alive. (amazon.com)
Forged By Fire, Sharon Draper
When Gerald was a child he was fascinated by fire. But fire is dangerous and powerful, and tragedy strikes. His
substance-addicted mother is taken from him. Then he loses the loving generosity of a favorite aunt. A brutal
stepfather with a flaming temper and an evil secret makes his life miserable. The one bright light in Gerald's life
is his little half sister, Angel, whom he struggles to protect from her father, Jordan Sparks, who abuses her, and
from their mother, whose irresponsible behavior forces Gerald to work hard to keep the family together.
As a teenager, Gerald finds success as a member of the Hazelwood Tigers basketball team, while Angel develops
her talents as a dancer. Trouble still haunts them, however, and Gerald learns, painfully, that young friends can
die and old enemies must be faced. In the end he must stand up to his stepfather alone in a blazing
confrontation.
Some of these novels have mature themes, language and content. We are sending this list
home so you can review it with your student and decided together on a novel that is
suitable. The novel must be chosen from this list because the second Embedded
Assessment requires group work with the novel.
Please choose your top three novels. We will do our best to make sure you get your first choice, but due to
the limited number of books that we have, we cannot make promises.
If you choose to purchase a copy of the novel (not required), you may and you will get your first choice.
Accelerated students: your novel choice MUST come from the titles marked with an asterisk (*). You
will not be permitted to read any other title.
Please fill out this form and return it to your teacher by ______________.
Student name: _____________________________________________________________
First Choice: _______________________________________________________________
Second Choice: _____________________________________________________________
Third Choice: _______________________________________________________________
Parent/Guardian, please sign below indicating that you give your student permission to read any of the
three books selected.
Parent/Guardian Signature: ____________________________________________________
If you have questions, please contact your student’s teacher directly.