PUBLIC SCHOOLS OF EDISON TOWNSHIP
9th GRADE SUMMER READING 2015
Directions: Students must read ONE book (either fiction OR non-fiction) and ONE non-fiction article from the list below. When you return to school in
September, you must also submit a Reading Quotes Organizer for the texts that you read (worksheet is attached to this packet). Please choose quotations
that support the theme below. Assignments and links to the non-fiction articles are provided on the school and District Websites.
GRADE 9 THEME: Journey
There are many types of Journeys one can take in life. They can be internal and lead to a process of self-discovery, or external
involving an actual physical journey that might be filled with challenges or obstacles. Include references from the fiction or nonfiction texts that relate to the theme of Journeys.
For students entering Grade 9
Fiction
Looking for Alaska – John Green
Miles “Pudge” Halter is done with his safe life at home. His whole life has been one big non-event, and his obsession with famous last words has only
made him crave “the Great Perhaps” even more (Francois Rabelais, poet). He heads off to the sometimes crazy and anything-but-boring world of Culver
Creek Boarding School, and his life becomes the opposite of safe. Because down the hall is Alaska Young…
Ship Breaker – Paolo Bacigalupi
Fifteen-year-old Nailer works as a ship breaker, salvaging metals from abandoned oil tankers. In this violent world where people do anything for money,
Nailer's future seems bleak until he discovers Nina, the wealthy, attractive survivor of a shipwreck. Rather than kill Nina and steal the salvage, Nailer opts
to save her, triggering a harrowing journey to the submerged cities of Orleans to find people loyal to Nina.
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian – Sherman Alexie
Determined to take his future into his own hands, Junior, a budding cartoonist of Native American descent attempts to break away from the life he
thought he was destined to live.
13 Reasons Why – Jay Asher
When Clay Jenson plays the cassette tapes he received in a mysterious package, he's surprised to hear the voice of dead classmate Hannah Baker. He's one
of 13 people who receive Hannah's story, which details the circumstances that led to her suicide. Clay spends the rest of the day and long into the night
listening to Hannah's voice and going to the locations she wants him to visit.
Tyrell – Coe Booth
Tyrell is a young African-American teen who can't get a break. He feels he needs to score some money to make things better. Will he end up following in
his father's footsteps?
Non-Fiction
I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban – Yousafzai, Malala
When the Taliban took control of the Swat Valley in Pakistan, one girl spoke out. Malala Yousafzai refused to be silenced and fought for her right to an
education. At sixteen, she became a global symbol of peaceful protest and the youngest nominee ever for the Nobel Peace Prize.
Please Stop Laughing at Me – Jodee Blanco
From fifth grade through high school, Blanco was teased, shunned, and, at times, physically assaulted by her classmates because she was different. You
will be shocked, moved, and ultimately inspired by this harrowing tale of survival.
Courage Has No Color: The True Story of Triple Nickels – Tanya Lee Stone
They became America’s first black paratroopers. Why was their story never told? Sibert Medalist Tanya Lee Stone reveals the history of the Triple Nickles
during World War II.
The Other Moore: One Name, Two Fates – Wes Moore
Two kids named Wes Moore were born blocks apart within a year of each other. Both grew up fatherless in similar Baltimore neighborhoods and had
difficult childhoods; both hung out on street corners with their crews; both ran into trouble with the police. How, then, did one grow up to be a Rhodes
Scholar, decorated veteran, White House Fellow, and business leader, while the other ended up a convicted murderer serving a life sentence?
Non-Fiction Articles
*Links and copies of articles are also provided on the school and District Websites.
“Do Our Kids Get Off Too Easy?” – Alfie Kohnam
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/04/opinion/sunday/do-our-kids-get-off-too-easy.html
“The Whistle-Blower’s Quandry”- Adam Waytz, James Dungan and Liane Young
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/04/opinion/sunday/the-whistle-blowers-quandary.html?_r=0
“Angela Whitiker’s Climb” – Isabel Wilkerson
http://www.nytimes.com/learning/teachers/featured_articles/20050613monday.html
A reading program is a joint responsibility between school and family. Parents might very reasonably disagree about what material constitutes suitable reading for children. The titles suggested
are not Board of Education approved texts. They are works that are recommended by such organizations as the American Library Association, the New York Times, and the National Council for
Teachers of English. They appear on many reading lists across the nation. Nevertheless, certain titles may contain subject matter that some parents may not want their children to read (whether
Grimm’s Fairy Tales for young children or books with mature themes and graphic language for older students). Only parents can determine appropriate choices for their children. Check with
teachers, local librarians, and book web-sites for reading levels and information about the various titles.