Book List for Independent Novel Study Grade 11
Schindler’s List – Schindler's List is a remarkable work of fiction based on the true story of German industrialist and war profiteer,
Oskar Schindler, who, confronted with the horror of the extermination camps, gambled his life and fortune to rescue 1,300 Jews from the
gas chambers. Working with the actual testimony of Schindler's Jews, Thomas Keneally artfully depicts the courage and shrewdness of an
unlikely savior, a man who is a flawed mixture of hedonism and decency and who, in the presence of unutterable evil, transcends the
limits of his own humanity. (Barnes & Noble)
Brave New World - Huxley, Aldous. Huxley´s vision of the future in his astonishing 1931 novel Brave New World -- a world of
tomorrow in which capitalist civilization has been reconstituted through the most efficient scientific and psychological engineering. Yes,
the concepts are disturbing. Babies are born in machines, fates are predetermined, love is gone, promiscuity abounds. This is not some
idle sci-fi dime-store novel this is Huxley's satire of where our culture is headed and in many ways where it is. (Barnes & Noble)
The Kite Runner - Hosseini, Khaled. Taking us from Afghanistan in the final days of the monarchy through the horrific rule of the
Taliban, The Kite Runner is the heartbreaking story of the unlikely and inseparable friendship between a wealthy Afghan boy and the son
of his father's servant, both of whom are caught in the tragic sweep of history. Published in the aftermath of America's invasion of
Afghanistan, Khaled Hosseini's haunting writing brought a part of the world to vivid life that was previously unknown. (Barnes & Noble)
The Lovely Bones – Sebold, Alice. ”When we first meet 14-year-old Susie Salmon, she is already in heaven. When Susie mysterious-ly
disappeared back in 1973, people still believed these things didn't happen back. This was before the era of milk carton photos and public
service announcements, as Susie tells us. In the sweet, un-troubled voice of a precocious teenage girl, Susie relates the awful events of
her death, and her own adjustment to the strange new place she finds herself. (It looks a lot like her school playground, with the good
kind of swingset.) With love, longing, and a growing understanding, Susie watches her family as they cope with their grief--her father
embarks on a search for the killer, her sister under-takes a feat of amazing daring, her little brother builds a fort in her honor--and begin
the difficult process of healing..” - Editorial Reviews, Amazon.com
Night – Wiesel, Elie. Elie Wiesel’s masterpiece, a candid, horrific, and deeply poignant autobiographical account of his survival as a
teenager in the Nazi death camps. This new translation by Marion Wiesel, Elie’s wife and frequent translator, presents this seminal
memoir in the language and spirit truest to the author’s original intent. And in a substantive new preface, Elie Wiesel reflects on the
enduring importance of Night and his lifelong, passionate dedication to ensuring that the world never forget man’s capacity for
inhumanity to man. Night is Elie Wiesel’s masterpiece, a candid, horrific, and deeply poignant autobiographical account of his survival as
a teenager in the Nazi death camps. This new translation by Marion Wiesel, Elie’s wife and frequent translator, presents this seminal
memoir in the language and spirit truest to the author’s original intent. And in a substantive new preface, Elie Wiesel reflects on the
enduring importance of Night and his lifelong, passionate dedication to ensuring that the world never forget man’s capacity for
inhumanity to man. – The New York Times
Life of Pi – Martel, Yan. Life of Pi is a masterful and utterly original novel that is at once the story of a young castaway who faces
immeasurable hardships on the high seas, and a meditation on religion, faith, art and life that is as witty as it is profound. Using
the threads of all of our best stories, Yann Martel has woven a glorious spiritual adventure that makes us question what it means
to be alive, and to believe.
My Sister’s Keeper – Picoult, Jody. Anna is not sick, but she might as well be. By age thirteen, she has undergone countless surgeries,
transfusions, and shots so that her older sister, Kate, can somehow fight the leukemia that has plagued her since childhood. The product
of pre-implantation genetic diagnosis, Anna was conceived as a bone marrow match for Kate — a life and a role that she has never
challenged...until now. Like most teenagers, Anna is beginning to question who she truly is. But unlike most teenagers, she has always
been defined in terms of her sister — and so Anna makes a decision that for most would be unthinkable, a decision that will tear her
family apart and have perhaps fatal consequences for the sister she loves. (Barnes & Noble)
Tuesday’s With Morrie Albom, Mitch. Maybe it was a grandparent, or a teacher. Someone older who understood you when you were
young and searching, who helped you see the world as a more profound place, and gave you advice to help you make your way through
it. For Mitch Albom, that person was Morrie Schwartz, his college professor from nearly twenty years ago. Maybe, like Mitch, you lost
track of your mentor as you made your way, and the insights faded, and the world seemed colder. Wouldn't you like to see that person
again, ask the bigger questions that still haunt you? Mitch Albom had that second chance. He rediscovered Morrie in the last months of
the older man's life. Knowing he was dying, Morrie visited with Mitch in his study every Tuesday, just as they used to back in college.
Tuesdays With Morrie is a magical chronicle of their time together, through which Mitch shares Morrie's lasting gift to the world. (Barnes
& Noble)
The Memory Keeper's Daughter Edwards, Kim On a winter night in 1964, Dr. David Henry is forced by a blizzard to deliver his own
twins. His son, born first, is perfectly healthy. Yet when his daughter is born, he sees immediately that she has Down's Syndrome.
Rationalizing it as a need to protect Norah, his wife, he makes a split-second decision that will alter all of their lives forever. He asks his
nurse to take the baby away to an institution and never to reveal the secret. But Caroline, the nurse, cannot leave the infant. Instead,
she disappears into another city to raise the child herself. So begins this beautifully told story that unfolds over a quarter of a century in
which these two families, ignorant of each other, are yet bound by the fateful decision made that long-ago winter night. (Barnes & Noble)
The Pact – David, Sampson et al. We often hear about the dangers of male friendships in which peer pressure prevails over
common sense. But for the authors, it was a powerful antidote to the pitfalls of street life in Newark, New Jersey. They made a
vow to be there for one another, to encourage each other every step of the way, until they overcame the odds and became
doctors. In The Pact, they share the story of their struggle to keep the pledge they made -- a pledge that ultimately led to
success they could barely imagine. (Barnes & Noble)
All Quiet on the Western Front Remarque, Erich Maria. Considered one of the greatest war stories ever written -- and one of
the classics of antiwar literature -- Remarque's 1929 masterpiece tells the story of young Paul Baumer, who enlists in the
German Army in World War I and takes place with his comrades in the trenches. (Barnes & Noble)
Alive - Read, Piers Paul. On October 12th, 1972, an Urugayan Air Force plane carrying a team of rugby players crashed in the remote
snowy peaks of the Andes. Ten weeks later, only sixteen of the forty-five passengers were found alive. This is the story of those ten
weeks spend in the shelter of the plane’s fuselage without food and without scarcely any hope of a rescue. The survivors protected and
helped one another, and came to the difficult conclusion that to live meant doing the unimaginable. Confronting nature at its most
furious, two brave young men risked their lives to hike through the mountains looking for help – and ultimately found it.
The Color Purple – Walker, Alice. Celie is a poor black woman whose letters tell the story of 20 years of her life, beginning at age
14 when she is being abused by her father and attempting to protect her sister from the same fate, and continuing over the
course of her marriage to "Mister," a brutal man who terrorizes her. Celie eventually learns that her abusive husband has been
keeping her sister's letters from her and the rage she feels, combined with an example of love and independence provided by her
close friend Shug, pushes her finally toward an awakening of her creative and loving self. (Barnes & Noble)
The Bluest Eye The Bluest Eye, published in 1970, is the first novel written by Toni Morrison, winner of the 1993 Nobel Prize in
Literature. It is the story of eleven-year-old Pecola Breedlove - a black girl in an America whose love for its blond, blue-eyed children can
devastate all others - who prays for her eyes to turn blue: so that she will be beautiful, so that people will look at her, so that her world
will be different. This is the story of the nightmare at the heart of her yearning and the tragedy of its fulfillment.
The Wave – Strasser, Todd. “The powerful forces of group pressure that pervaded many historic movements such as Nazism are
recreated in the classroom when history teacher Burt Ross introduces a "new" system to his students.” - The publisher
To Kill A Mockingbird - In 'To Kill a Mockingbird', by Harper Lee, the author exhibits human behavior and judgment as being clouded by
emotions. The story takes place in a quiet, southern town where the main characters and the father go through the journey called life. It
also takes place in a time when African- Americans had no rights, were still slaves, and being treated unfairly. The main characters,
Jeremy Finch, a.k.a. ‘Jem’ Jean Louise Finch, a.k.a. ‘Scout’, are both children to father Atticus Finch who is a lawyer. Atticus is asked by
the judge to defend a man by the name of Tom Robinson, who is black and whom a white man accuses him of rape named Robert E. Lee
Ewell. Ewell accuses Tom of raping his daughter, Mayella Ewell and Tom gets arrested and is put on trial. During the trial, Jem and Scout
come along with their friend Dill to watch the trial. The trial shows how the real world works in terms of justice and injustice. It shows
how people’s behaviors are compromised because of their beliefs and values. I like how the author portrays this concept of it coming
down to what you think is right. I also like how she makes the story seem real with life-like characters. I dislike how Harper Lee puts in
side stories that don’t relate to the main story.
Stargirl - Spinielli, Jerry. Leo Borlock follows the unspoken rule at Mica Area High School: don't stand out--under any
circumstances! Then Stargirl arrives at Mica High and everything changes--for Leo and for the entire school. In this story about
the perils of popularity, the courage of nonconformity, and the thrill of first love, an eccentric student named Stargirl changes
Mica High School forever. (Barnes & Noble)
In the Heat of the Night – Ball, John. It's the 1960s. A hot August night lies heavy over the Carolinas. The corpse -- legs sprawled,
stomach down on the concrete pavement, arms above the head -- brings the patrol car to a halt. The local police pick up a black stranger
named Virgil Tibbs, only to discover that their most likely suspect is a homicide detective from California -- and the racially tense
community's single hope in solving a brutal murder that turns up no witnesses, no motives, no clues. (Amazon)
Twilight – Meyer, Stephanie. When Isabella Swan moves to the gloomy town of Forks and meets the mysterious, alluring Edward
Cullen, her life takes a thrilling and terrifying turn. With his porcelain skin, golden eyes, mesmerizing voice, and supernatural
gifts, Edward is both irresistible and impenetrable. Up until now, he has managed to keep his true identity hidden, but Bella is
determined to uncover his dark secret. What Bella doesn’t realize is the closer she gets to him, the more she is putting herself
and those around her at risk. And, it might be too late to turn back. . . .Deeply seductive and extraordinarily suspenseful,
Twilight will have readers riveted right until the very last page is turned. (Barnes & Noble)
Tears of a Tiger – Draper, Sharon M. After a car accident kills Robert, Andy's best friend and teammate on the Hazelwood High Tigers,
Andy doesn't know if he can go on. He's consumed with guilt for driving the night of the accident after a long evening of drinking and
partying. With perceptiveness and compassion, Draper portrays an African-American teenager who feels driven to consider suicide in the
wake of a devastating tragedy. (Barnes & Noble)
Ties That Bind, Ties That Break Third Sister in the Tao family, Ailin has watched her two older sisters go through the painful process
of having their feet bound. In China in 1911, all the women of good families follow this ancient tradition. But Ailin loves to run away from
her governess and play games with her male cousins. Knowing she will never run again once her feet are bound, Ailin rebels and refuses
to follow this torturous tradition. As a result, however, the family of her intended husband breaks their marriage agreement. And as she
enters adolescence, Ailin finds that her family is no longer willing to support her. Chinese society leaves few options for a single woman of
good family, but with a bold conviction and an indomitable spirit, Ailin is determined to forge her own destiny. Her story is a tribute to all
those women whose courage created new options for the generations who came after them. (Barnes & Noble)
Examination Fifteen-year-old Hong and his older brother Chen face famine, flood, pirates, and jealous rivals on their journey through
fifteenth century China as Chen pursues his calling as a scholar and Hong becomes involved with a secret society known as the White
Lotus. (Barnes & Noble)
Hoops - Meyers, Walter Dean. All eyes are on seventeen-year-old Lonnie Jackson while he practices with his team for a city-wide
basketball Tournament of Champions. His coach, Cal, knows Lonnie has what it takes to be a pro-basketball player, but warns him about
giving in to the pressure. Cal knows because he, too, once had the chance--but sold out. As the Tournament nears, Lonnie learns that
some heavy bettors want Cal to keep him on the bench so that the team will lose the championship. As the last seconds of the game tick
away Lonnie and Cal must make a decision. Are they eilling to blow the chance of a lifetime? (Barnes & Noble)
Go Ask Alice- Anonymus. Alice is your typical teenaged girl. She worries that she is too fat. She wants a boyfriend: "I wish I
were popular and beautiful and wealthy and talented." She frequently makes resolutions in her diary to do better in school, work
toward a calmer relationship with her mother, and lose weight. Her life changes when she goes to a party and is given acid in her
drink. (Barnes & Noble)
1984 - Orwell's final novel, 1984, is the story of one man's struggle against the ubiquitous, menacing state power (“Big
Brother”) that tries to dictate nearly every aspect of human life. The novel is a classic in anti-utopian fiction, and a trenchant
political satire that remains as relevant today as when it was first published. A devastating look into man's future. This novel is
outstanding. It's not too hard to imagine this stuff happening, seeing as to how some of it already occurs. Anyone who speaks ill
of this book hasn't the intellect to comprehend its majesty. Read it!
Eclipse – by Stephanie Myer - Readers captivated by Twilight and New Moon will eagerly devour Eclipse, the much anticipated
third book in Stephenie Meyer's riveting vampire love saga. As Seattle is ravaged by a string of mysterious killings and a
malicious vampire continues her quest for revenge, Bella once again finds herself surrounded by danger. In the midst of it all, she
is forced to choose between her love for Edward and her friendship with Jacob --- knowing that her decision has the potential to
ignite the ageless struggle between vampire and werewolf. With her graduation quickly approaching, Bella has one more decision
to make: life or death. But which is which?
Breaking Dawn & New Moon – by Stephanie Meyer.
The Catcher in the Rye - The novel covers 48 hours in the life of Holden Caulfield, a tall, skinny, highly critical and
depressed teenager who academically flunked out of Pencey Prep, a boarding school. Holden is 17 when he tells the story;
he was 16 when the events occurred. Because he is so critical of others, and points out their faults only to exhibit them
himself later, Holden is widely considered to be an unreliable narrator, and the details and events of his story are apt to
be distorted by his point of view. His penchant for wild exaggeration one can perplex
Please see me if you have any other suggestions for the independent novel book list.