Gabro 1
Michelle Gabro
EDIS 5400
October 8, 2013
Top 25 Reading List for YA Lit
Fiction
Novella
The Body by Stephen King (1982)
1) “The semi-autobiographical story concerns four young boys, growing up in a poorer area of 1960s Maine, in the northeast corner of the United States. The boys, Gordie Lachance,
Vern Tessio, Chris Chambers and Teddy Duchamp, are all about to turn thirteen. When they hear about the death of another boy, who was walking in the forest miles from his home, they cannot resist the temptation to go and look for his body, though they know the journey will be long and dangerous. The adventure becomes a turning point in all their lives as they face the dangers and wonders of the forest and some of the bigger questions of their lives to come. Full of the atmosphere of a teenage summer, The Body is both an adventure story and a portrait of four boys on the first step of their journey into adulthood” ( http://www.penguinreaders.com/pdf/ downloads/pr/teachers-notes/9781405882378.pdf
). 2) Although I was not able to find any formal readability information, the Penguin Readers Teacher Support Programme lists it as a Level 5 book on a scale of 1-6, which corresponds with a B2 CEFR Level, FCE Cambridge ESOL
Exams, 5.0-5.0 IELTS Overall bands, 7-10 Trinity College ESOL Spoken, 176-235 TOEFL, 541-
700 TOEIC, Vantage Business English Certificate, and Level 3 Edexcel London Tests of English.
I'm not sure how these British scales convert to an American system, but 3) I chose this novella because it is the basis of one of my favorite movies, Stand by Me, which I think could potentially be geared toward middle school students, especially since the

Gabro 2 protagonists are thirteen, but also high school students, especially given the mature themes, like death and the journey to adulthood, and complicated relationships. Also, other Stephen King novels seem to have a higher lexile. I think that this is a very deep and meaningful story about friendship.
Fantasy
Luminous Chaos, by Jean-Christophe Valtat (2013)
1) “It’s 1907 in the icily beautiful New Venice, and the hero of the city’s liberation,
Brentford Orsini, has been deposed by his arch-rival—who immediately assigns Brentford and his friends on a dangerous diplomatic mission to Paris. But their mode of transportation—the untested “transaerian psychomotive”—proves faulty and they find themselves transported back in time to Paris 1895… before New Venice even existed. What’s more, it’s a Paris experiencing an unprecedented and crushingly harsh winter. Between attending soirees at Mallarmé’s house, drinking absinthe with Proust, trying to wrestle secrets out of mesmerists, and making fun of the newly-constructed Eiffel Tower, they also find that Paris is a city full of intrigue, suspicion, and danger” (tor.com). 2) Perhaps because this book is pretty new, I could not find any lexile information on it, but I would probably recommend it to students interested in Harry Potter and
Game of Thrones since it seems to be within that readability range based on a short excerpt I read and also in a similar fantasy vein. 3) Buzzfeed listed it as #7 of the 12 Greatest Fantasy Books of the Year. It includes a Steam Guillotine, and The San Francisco Chronicle says it
“combin[es] Arctic adventure with Victorial fantasy, this page-turner is as sparkling and colorful as the northern lights.” I wanted to include more fantasy in my list, came across the list, and this one intrigued me (admittedly because of the front cover) but also because I think it sounds really original and tickles my nerdy inclinations.

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The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern (2011)
1) “The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not. Within the black-and-white striped canvas tents is an utterly unique experience full of breathtaking amazements. It is called
Le Cirque des Rêves
, and it is only open at night. But behind the scenes, a fierce competition is underway—a duel between two young magicians, Celia and Marco, who have been trained since childhood expressly for this purpose by their mercurial instructors. Unbeknownst to them, this is a game in which only one can be left standing, and the circus is but the stage for a remarkable battle of imagination and will. Despite themselves, however, Celia and Marco tumble headfirst into love—a deep, magical love that makes the lights flicker and the room grow warm whenever they so much as brush hands. True love or not, the game must play out, and the fates of everyone involved, from the cast of extraordinary circus performers to the patrons, hang in the balance, suspended as precariously as the daring acrobats overhead” ( http://erinmorgenstern.com/the-night-circus/ ). 2) This book is given a lexile score of 950, which corresponds to a 6.7 grade-level on the conversion chart.
However, part of the reason I chose this book was because 3) it was included in my high school senior brother's AP Literature reading list, and some basic internet searches resulted into discussions about what age level the book is intended, many agreeing it was for adults. My initial draw to the book was based on a recommendation from my friend Julian (whose comment on my Facebook YA Lit status received the most likes!). It also seems to have great reviews in
The New York Times (#2 on Best Seller list) and other sources, as well as won an Alex Award from the American Library Association in 2012 (and I noticed one of its cover illustrations looks like my copy of Albert Camus's The Stranger !).

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Science Fiction
Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card (1985)
1) “Set in Earth's future, the novel presents an imperilled mankind that has barely survived two conflicts with the Formics or "Buggers", an insectoid alien species. In preparation for an anticipated third invasion, an international fleet maintains a school to find and train future fleet commanders. The world's most talented children, including the novel's protagonist, Ender
Wiggin , are taken at a very young age to a training center known as the Battle School. There, teachers train them in the arts of war through increasingly difficult games including ones undertaken in zero gravity in the Battle Room, where Ender's tactical genius is revealed”
( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ender's_Game ). 2) Ender's Game is given a 780, roughly corresponding to a 4.7-5.0 reading level, and I think this book is generally taught in middle or early high school. I was surprised that lexile.com recommended the age range for three and up.
3) I can't believe I haven't read this (I often think I have, confusing it with Richard Connell's short story with a similar sounding title, “The Most Dangerous Game”). I chose this book because it has been highly recommended by many people over the years, and I like futuristic stories. I think secondary students would likewise enjoy this sort of odd conception of our future, and it seems to have some interesting themes and surprising depth.
Romance
Every Day by David Levithan (2012)
1) “In his
New York Times bestselling novel, David Levithan introduces readers to what Entertainment Weekly calls a "wise, wildly unique" love story about A, a teen who wakes up every morning in a different body, living a different life. Every day a different body. Every day a different life. Every day in love with the same girl. There’s never any warning about where it

Gabro 5 will be or who it will be. A has made peace with that, even established guidelines by which to live: Never get too attached. Avoid being noticed. Do not interfere. It’s all fine until the morning that A wakes up in the body of Justin and meets Justin’s girlfriend, Rhiannon. From that moment, the rules by which A has been living no longer apply. Because finally A has found someone he wants to be with¡ªday in, day out, day after day” ( http://www.amazon.com/Every-Day-David-
Levithan/dp/0307931889 ). 2) Every Day is given a lexile of 650, corresponding to a 3.7 gradelevel, although lexile.com recommends a 14-17 age range. I chose this book because 3) my cousin Mikey, who is a sophomore in high school, recommended it to me via text. He is reading it for class and said he likes it because it is unpredictable and “starts out slow but picks up.” I am also interested in the author, who is a young adult fiction editor and award-winner; I enjoyed the film adaptation of his novel Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist , and he is apparently known for featuring strong male gay characters, especially in his famous first book Boy Meets Boy . My cousin isn't an avid reader (and would probably much rather watch sports all day), so the fact that this struck his interest makes me think it is a good choice for reluctant readers. The plot also seems really interesting, kind of reminding me of interesting plays on time like 50 First Dates.
I think this would be a great work to explore identity with, since the protagonist's is constantly changing! Not your traditional teen romance novel, either.
The Fault in Our Stars by John Green (2012)
1) “Despite the tumor-shrinking medical miracle that has bought her a few years, Hazel has never been anything but terminal, her final chapter inscribed upon diagnosis. But when a gorgeous plot twist named Augustus Waters suddenly appears at Cancer Kid Support Group,
Hazel's story is about to be completely rewritten” ( http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/
11870085-the-fault-in-our-stars ). 2) This book is given an 850 lexile, corresponding to a 5.5

Gabro 6 education level, and 14-17 age range on lexile.com. 3) I chose this book based on a recommendation from m y friend Mike who is in library school. Although he doesn't like YA lit, he says a lot of “YA nerds love [Green's]” stuff. I specifically chose The Fault in Our Stars because my childhood friend and her brother read it and another one of Green's famous works,
Looking for Alaska
, this summer and preferred the former¡ªit also seemed to interest me more, and I was naturally impressed by all of the awards it has won! I am also familiar with John
Green on as a YouTube vlogger and have been meaning to read his work; I am so clueless as to what is going on in temporary lit (which seems to be great stuff!) so I am especially excited to be reading super modern stuff, even if my entire YA list isn't so. The cancer theme also addresses medical issues lacking in some of my other selections, which could really resonate with some student experiences, and also reminded me of the movie 50/50 . Again, an atypical teen romance.
Historical Fiction
Riot by Walter Dean Meyers (2009)
1) “During a long hot July in 1863, the worst race riots the United States has ever seen erupt in New York City. Earlier that year, desperate for more Union soldiers, President Abraham
Lincoln instituted a draft ¡ª a draft that would allow the wealthy to escape serving in the army by paying a $300 waiver, more than a year’s income for the recent immigrant Irish. And on July
11, as the first drawing takes place in Lower Manhattan, the city of New York explodes in rage and fire. Stores are looted; buildings, including the Colored Foundling Home, are burned down; and black Americans are attacked, beaten, and murdered. The police cannot hold out against the rioters, and finally, battle-hardened soldiers are ordered back from the fields of Gettysburg to put down the insurrection, which they do—brutally. Fifteen-year-old Claire, the beloved daughter of

Gabro 7 a black father and Irish mother, finds herself torn between the two warring sides. Faced with the breakdown of the city—the home—she has loved, Claire must discover the strength and resilience to address the new world in which she finds herself, and to begin the hard journey of remaking herself and her identity” ( http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/book/riot-0 ). 2)
Although a lexile measure is not available, this book is listed as a 6-8 grade “Interest Level” and
5.3 “Reading Level” on scholastic.com; I think it could be appropriate for early high school and appeal to all high school readers as well. 3) I chose this book because my cousin, who is a
Special Education middle school teacher in Manhattan, said her students respond really well to
Walter Dean Meyers and because I really enjoyed reading Monster in class. I specifically chose
Riot , even though it isn't as well-reviewed as his other work, because I wanted at least one piece of historical fiction and the description seemed interesting. I also liked how Monster was written as a screenplay, which this is as well. I think this would be a good book to explore issues of race, bigotry, and class, which would be ideal to teach in-line with a history unit on Civil Rights (or in
February for Black History Month).
In the Shadow of the Banyan by Vaddey Ratner (2012)
1) “Raami, a young girl from an aristocratic Cambodian family, has lived a life of royal privilege, but when civil war breaks out on the streets of Phnom Penh and the Khmer Rouge take over, the 7-year-old loses everything. She endures four nightmarish years of loss, starvation and brutal forced labor by clinging to the memories of legends and poems her father, a poet, had told her. Novelist Vaddey Ratner, who as a young girl survived the Khmer Rouge's brutal regime, has translated her childhood experiences into a fictional tale about the power of storytelling”
( http://www.npr.org/books/titles/157601130/in-the-shadow-of-the-banyan ). 2) Although I could not find any formal readibility information on his book, I found a lot of teacher resources geared

Gabro 8 toward high school students, and 3) the book was included in my former AP Literature teacher's reading list she shared with me this year, which is partly why I chose it. I think historical fiction can be really powerful, and I think the Cambodian civil war is a unique subject for adolescent literature. I think this book could promote fruitful discussion and interest students from diverse backgrounds. It was also the 2013 Book of the Year Indies Choice Finalist. Even though the protagonist is seven, I think it would appeal to young adults due to the mature environment and experiences she seems to be in and have.
Post-apocalyptic/Dystopian
The Road by Cormac McCarthy (2006)
1) “A father and his son walk alone through burned America. Nothing moves in the ravaged landscape save the ash on the wind. It is cold enough to crack stones, and when the snow falls it is gray. The sky is dark. Their destination is the coast, although they don't know what, if anything, awaits them there. They have nothing; just a pistol to defend themselves against the lawless bands that stalk the road, the clothes they are wearing, a cart of scavenged food-and each other. The Road is the profoundly moving story of a journey. It boldly imagines a future in which no hope remains, but in which the father and his son, "each the other's world entire," are sustained by love. Awesome in the totality of its vision, it is an unflinching meditation on the worst and the best that we are capable of: ultimate destructiveness, desperate tenacity, and the tenderness that keeps two people alive in the face of total devastation” ( http://www.lexile.com/ book/details/9780307387899/ ). 2) This book is given a lexile measure of 670, corresponding to approximately a 3.7-3.9 reading level, yet lexile.com lists it as an Age Range from 18 to Young
Adult (19+), which I find really interesting (and a bit confusing). I guess books don't have to be complicated in writing to explore deep and mature subjects? 3) My good friend Mark

Gabro 9 recommended this book, and I love dystopians. This one seemed really dark and interesting, and perhaps students will consider it as a possible future. The summary also kind of reminded me of the film A Boy and His Dog (1975), which I probably wouldn't show in class, but it has sparked an idea of having a unit on distopian/futuristic texts corresponding to film and nonfiction
(synergistic texts!).
The Unincorporated Man by Dani Kollin and Eytan Kollin (2009)
1) “A brilliant industrialist named Justin Cord awakes from a 300-year cryonic suspension into a world that has accepted an extreme form of market capitalism. It's a world in which humans themselves have become incorporated and most people no longer own a majority of themselves. Justin Cord is now the last free man in the human race - owned by no one and owning no one” ( http://www.theunincorporatedman.com/ ). 2-3) Even though this book has won the Prometheus Award for Best Novel of the Year, it doesn't seem to have any formal readability measures on it. It seems that it is more high school level, and is also part of my former AP
Literature teacher's reading list this year. Publisher's Weekly says, “Fans of SF as a vehicle of ideas will devour this intriguing debut,” which I am hoping students will likewise devour and use as a vehicle of new ideas. However, the Criticism section of its Wikipedia page warns that it is criticized for its lack of depth and preoccupation with personal incorporation (I knew this book sounded Randian) without ample criticism. I am also helplessly impressed by books that have their own website, which seems to be a modern trend. . .
Bildungsroman
Ham on Rye by Charles Bukowski (1982)
1) “ Ham on Rye is a 1982 semi-autobiographical novel by American author and poet
Charles Bukowski. Written in the first person, the novel follows Henry Chinaski, Bukowski’s

Gabro 10 thinly-veiled alto ego, during his early years. Written in Bukowski’s characteristically straightforward prose, the novel tells of his coming-of-age in Los Angeles during the Great
Depression” (Wikipedia). 2) In a Yahoo! answers post,
Ham on Rye was recommended for a fifteen-year old high school student with a 1220 lexile; although I have not read the book, based on what I have read by Charles Bukowski, I would probably agree. 3) This book was recommended by a friend recently, and I thought it was one I would have enjoyed in high school.
I also wanted to include more books that blurred genres, since this seems like a semiautobiographical memoir and psychological study.
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian by Sherman Alexie (2007)
1) “Sherman Alexie tells the story of Junior, a budding cartoonist growing up on the
Spokane Indian Reservation. Determined to take his future into his own hands, Junior leaves his troubled school on the rez to attend an all-white farm town high school where the only other
Indian is the school mascot. Heartbreaking, funny, and beautifully written, The Absolutely True
Diary of a Part-Time Indian, which is based on the author's own experiences, coupled with poignant drawings that reflect the character's art, chronicles the contemporary adolescence of one
Native American boy as he attempts to break away from the life he thought he was destined to live” ( http://www.lexile.com/book/details/9780316013697 ). 2) Alexie's YA debut scores a 600 lexile, corresponding to a 3.3 grade-level, and lexile.com recommends it for age range 3+. 3)
This book came highly recommended by my friend Rian, who said it was the best YA book she read for her YA lit class. I also chose this book because of its representation of Native
Americans, a minority population in literature, and is a NY Times best-seller, amongst other accolades. I think the cartoonist occupation would also appeal to adolescent inclinations toward

Gabro 11 humor, and I think students will be able to relate to wanting to break away from lives they see as destined for them. I have also read some of Sherman Alexie's poetry and am curious how established adult writers translate to YA audiences.
Round House by Louise Erdrich (2012)
1) “Set in 1988 on a Native American Indian Reservation in North Dakota. The narrator’s mother is raped. The book revolves around the mystery of who committed the crime and the narrator’s journey in growing up” (Amy Buckley, former AP Literature teacher, 2013-2014 reading list). 2) Could the lexile is not available, this book is listed as a Grade 10-Adult reading range on huskerreadingcamp.weebly.com, and it is another selection from a twelfth grade reading list. 3) I chose it because I am interested in Native American literature, and I think it would pair nicely with the Alexie novel, as well as supplemented by the Louise Erdrich: A Critical
Companion by Lorena L. Stookey listed on lexile.com with a 1470L, or college-level, lexile measure, which would be a good introduction to advanced critical thinking and literary criticism, especially for AP students.
The Winner Stands Alone by Paolo Coehlo (2008)
1) “The book loosely tells the story of several individuals: Igor, a Russian millionaire,
Hamid, a Middle Eastern fashion magnate, American actress Gabriela, eager to land a leading role, ambitious criminal detective Savoy, hoping to resolve the case of his life, and Jasmine, a woman on the brink of a successful modeling career. Set at the Cannes Film Festival , the tale narrates the epic drama and tension between the characters in a 24 hour period. Igor, a man of extraordinary intelligence, has promised himself to destroy worlds to get his beloved wife Ewa, who left him for a successful designer, Hamid” ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Winner_
Stands_Alone ). 2) Although I could not find relevant readibility information, this is the final

Gabro 12 selection from the AP Literature reading list this year, and 3) I think it provides a nice international perspective¡ªit isn't often you get to read Portuguese literature. I think this book, tracking a killer's journey, would appeal to young adults, and be a good study of parable they can compare to other similar books and draw cross-cultural themes and conclusions from.
Plays
August: Osage County by Tracy Letts (2008)
1) “Tracy Letts’ Pulitzer-Prize- and Tony-Award-winning play is one of the great new
American dramas. At the Oklahoma farmhouse of the Westons, the patriarch, Beverly, goes missing. The family gathers together at the farmhouse hoping for good news, but, after five days, his body is found in a lake, a presumed suicide. The play takes us through the family’s pain, not just over Beverly’s death, but of living in a very dysfunctional family for many years. Violet, the drug-addicted, brain-addled matriarch, her three daughters, and their families try, unsuccessfully, to work out their problems from the time they arrive hoping to find Beverly, through his funeral, and on into the next day. Darkly comic, but also violent and sad, August: Osage County explores the painful issues all American families have to face, and then some” ( http://www.stageagent. com/Shows/View/5058 ). 2) Although I could not relevant readability information, my brother read this in high school, and it seems like a mature play for a high school audience. Based on a short scene I have read from the play, it seems as though the lexile isn't very high, since it is conversational, but could be difficult to read nonetheless. 3) I chose this play based on a very strong recommendation from my seventeen year-old theater nerd brother, who says “IMO the best play ever written.” I think it would be really cool to read and perform the play, and possibly see a film (or live!) adaptation of it. I think young adults could relate to the daughts and the strange family dynamics reminiscent to me of the contemporary film Little Miss Sunshine.

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The Laramie Project by Moisés Kaufman (2000)
1) “In October 1998 Matthew Shepard was kidnapped, severely beaten and left to die, tied to a fence on the outskirts of Laramie, Wyoming. Five weeks later, Moisés Kaufman and fellow members of the Tectonic Theater Project went to Laramie, and over the course of the next year, conducted more than 200 interviews with people of the town. From these interviews they wrote the play The Laramie Project, a chronicle of the life of the town of Laramie in the year after the murder. The Laramie Project is one of the most performed plays in America today”
( http://www.laramieproject.org/ ). 2) Again, no formal measures (I hope I am not doing this assignment wrong!), but I assume this play is best for high school, or an advanced middle school class. I chose this because 3) I think it deals with really important and relevant issues students may feel passionately about, involving hate crime and sexuality. My brother was also involved in his high school theatre's production of this play a few years ago, which was a heated issue in the community and school at the time. I also think this would be a great text to study real-life applications of research, since it is based on hundreds of interviews.
Almost, Maine by John Cariani (2004)
1) “Welcome to Almost, Maine, a town that’s so far north, it’s almost not in the United
States¡ªit’s almost in Canada. And it almost doesn’t exist. Because its residents never got around to getting organized. So it’s just¡KAlmost. One cold, clear Friday night in the middle of winter, while the northern lights hover in the sky above, Almost’s residents find themselves falling in and out of love in the strangest ways. Knees are bruised. Hearts are broken. Love is lost, found, and confounded. And life for the people of Almost, Maine will never be the same. ALMOST,
MAINE: It’s love. But not quite” ( http://almostmaine.com/aboutPlay.html
). 2-3) Selected by the
American National Theatre as one of the most outstanding regional theatre productions of the

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'04-'05 season and featured in Smith and
Kraus' New Playwrites: Best Plays of 2006”
, this was also the most produced play in North American high schools in '09-'10 and '11-'12 (Wikipedia).
Another “recommendation” from my (very opinionated) younger brother, who says simply, “over hyped, decent” in an email. I would be most excited to read/teach this since the quirky romance personally appeals to me, and reminds me of films like Love, Actually , which might be a nice holiday treat before Winter Break if I ever teach this (I will try to plan accordingly!).
Graphic Novel
Sold by Patricia McCormick (2006)
1) “Lakshmi is a thirteen-year-old girl who lives with her family in a small hut on a mountain in Nepal. Though she is desperately poor, her life is full of simple pleasures, like playing hopscotch with her best friend from school, and having her mother brush her hair by the light of an oil lamp. But when the harsh Himalayan monsoons wash away all that remains of the family's crops, Lakshmi's stepfather says she must leave home and take a job to support her family. He introduces her to a glamorous stranger who tells her she will find her a job as a maid in the city. Glad to be able to help, Lakshmi journeys to India and arrives at "Happiness House" full of hope. But she soon learns the unthinkable truth: she has been sold into prostitution. An old woman named Mumtaz rules the brothel with cruelty and cunning. She tells Lakshmi that she is trapped there until she can pay off her family's debt-then cheats Lakshmi of her meager earnings so that she can never leave. Lakshmi's life becomes a nightmare from which she cannot escape. Still, she lives by her mother's words-Simply to endure is to triumph-and gradually, she forms friendships with the other girls that enable her to survive in this terrifying new world. Then the day comes when she must make a decision-will she risk everything for a chance to reclaim her life? Written in spare and evocative vignettes, this powerful novel renders a world that is as

Gabro 15 unimaginable as it is real, and a girl who not only survives but triumphs” (Amazon). 2)
According to scholastic.com, Interest Level Grades 9-12, Reading Level grade level equivalent
4.8, Lexile 820L. 3) I picked this book from one of my Work Study teacher’s bookshelves with
America Reads, and read it during student’s SSR (whenever I got the chance; I think it’s good for stuents to see “teachers” read too, as opposed to surfing the internet or watching to make sure they read or something). It was riveting. I liked it poetic structure, and conversations I had with the teacher about it. I also work with a lot of students from Nepal, so I was glad to find a book from their home country—although the content is tough.
Maus I & II by Art Spiegelman (1986)
1) “You can keep your
Anne Frank s and your Night s ¡ª while those are excellent and canonical Holocaust texts, nothing brought the horror to life for us as teenagers better than
Spiegelman’s postmodern graphic novel, which was, rather appropriately, the first graphic novel ever to win a Pulitzer prize. Part of the story’s power is that it isn’t limited to Nazi aggression and World War II, but focuses on the way families relate, Spiegelman’s relationship with his father in particular, showing trauma on both a minor and maximalist scale”
( http://flavorwire.com/351082/an-essential-nonfiction-reading-list-for-high-school-and-beyond/ ).
2) I would consider this story of a Jewish survivor of the Holocaust for a middle or high school audience; it doesn't seem to be written complexly, and I believe Holocaust history is typically taught in middle school¡ªalthough this would be a great read for high school students as well, and
3) perhaps a nice alternative (or supplment) to The Diary of Anne Frank and Night (as a study on perspective?). I partly chose this because it was #1 on Flavorwires list of “Essential Nonfiction
Reading List for High School and Beyond, but also because after reading about it, I am very eager to read it.

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Nonfiction
Memoir
Scar Tissue by Anthony Kiedis (2004)
1) “
Scar Tissue is Anthony Kiedis's searingly honest memoir of a life spent in the fast lane. In 1983, four self-described "knuckleheads" burst out of the mosh-pitted mosaic of the neopunk rock scene in L.A. with their own unique brand of cosmic hardcore mayhem funk. Over twenty years later, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, against all odds, have become one of the most successful bands in the world. Though the band has gone through many incarnations, Anthony
Kiedis, the group's lyricist and dynamic lead singer, has been there for the whole roller-coaster ride. Whether he's recollecting the influence of the beautiful, strong women who have been his muses, or retracing a journey that has included appearances as diverse as a performance before half a million people at Woodstock or an audience of one at the humble compound of the exiled
Dalai Lama, Kiedis shares a compelling story about the price of success and excess. Scar
Tissue is a story of dedication and debauchery, of intrigue and integrity, of recklessness and redemption ¡ª a story that could only have come out of the world of rock” ( http://www.barnes andnoble.com/w/scar-tissue-anthony-kiedis/1100318850?ean=9781401307455 ). 2) I would recommend this for advanced middle school, or high school, readers, with a warning that it deals with mature topics like drugs and violence¡ªwhich I think might be part of the appeal, especially if the students are interested in rock music or the Red Hot Chili Peppers. 3) This book was a recommendation of my friend Jon, and since I really enjoyed Mary Forsberg Weiland's memoir
Fall to Pieces: A Memoir of Drugs, Rock 'n' Roll, and Mental Illness , which seems related (and I might offer in companion, perhaps to appeal to a female audience¡ªalthough I think both memoirs would appeal to either gender). I think reading about people's real lives and experiences,

Gabro 17 especially people students are familiar with, know, and may admire, can be really powerful to learn from other people's lives and decide how they want to shape their own lives.
Autobiography
Eleven Seconds: A Story of Tragedy, Courage & Triumph by Travis Roy (1998)
1) “In this heartfelt testament to the power of love and the strength of the human spirit,
Travis Roy, who suffered a devastating injury eleven seconds into his first college hockey game, reveals how he has managed to cope after the accident and, with the help of family and friends, overcome tremendous barriers to begin a new life” ( http://www.amazon.com/Eleven-Seconds-
Tragedy-Courage-Triumph/dp/0446521884 ). 2-3) Although I could not find formal readibility measures, my boyfriend's sister¡ªa popular cheerleader uninterested in sports¡ªread this entering her senior year, and she said it changed her life, but I could see my sport fanatic younger middle school cousins enjoying this, too. The glimpse I got of the first few pages seemed like it was really in pretty straight-forward language, which I think is typical of autobiographies, so I think this could appeal to a broad range of readers and reach out and touch even the most unexpected. I think this could pair well with Mindset in an advanced class to study success, hard work, growth and fixed mindsets, and how to deal with setbacks and failures.
Biography
Steve Jobs: The Man Who Thought Different by Karen Blumenthal (2013)
1) Equally reviled and revered--often by the same people--Steve Jobs, the man who operated from his own "reality distortion field," was an extraordinary "tweaker" who transcended the visionary to perfect the simple and transform the world as we know it. Skillfully crafted and meticulously researched, Blumenthal’s accessible biography presents an intimate and fully dimensional portrait of a complex American icon and the multiple trajectories of influence on our

Gabro 18 technological paradigms that define his enduring legacy” ( http://www.ala.org/yalsa/nonfictionaward#current ). 2-3) No formal lexiles, but I think this would be best suited for high school students preparing to enter the professional world as a motivator (again, can be paired with
Mindset ) to take risks and think creatively. I also saw one of the two films about Steve Jobs (the one with Ashton Kutcher), and think this could be an interesting study on perspective since there are many evolving depictions of a recently deceased person. Plus, Steve Jobs is culturally significant and recognizable, so students may be interested in his life story (I know I am!). And one of my favorite professors at W&M recommended this biography and kept making comparisons to Steve Jobs in our Walt Whitman class while reading it. Students can discuss just how influential and big of a cultural icon he is. It was a 2013 YALSA Award for Excellence in
Nonfiction finalist this year.
Poetry
The Importance of Being Ernest by Ernest Cline (2013)
1) “The
New York Times best selling author of Ready Player One returns to his roots in this poetic celebration of all things nerd-core. Cline’s latest collection takes readers into a private landscape of science fiction, pop culture, and 80 s nostalgia” ( http://writebloody.com/shop/ products/the-importance-of-being-ernest-by-ernest-cline ). 2) No formal lexiles, but based on the front cover (I know!) and one of the poems I think this would be great for beginner poetry readers in middle or high school, or even advanced ones to enjoy some contemporary “pop poetry” (kind of like our modern-day beatniks!); I think there is a wide range since it is written in simple language but does interesting and complex things with it—you could study it from the surface or dig deep. 3) I love the idea of autobiographical poetry collections, and I am a big fan of Write
Bloody Publishing. This also seems like a really nerd-friendly read, so that accomplished

Gabro 19 appealing to a broad range of students for me. And I think this provides a great insight of how to document personal experiences by taking a different form, and work well in a creative writing unit or with a creative writing assignment to do likewise. Plus, lots of high school students read
The Importance of Being Ernest and I think this provides a nice “play” on it and could work collaboratively with that as a warm-up read, or something.
Courage: Daring Poems for Gutsy Girls edited by Karen Finneyfrock, et al.
1) “An anthology of poems by powerful female authors, to inspire young women 12-21, through thrilling and fearless poetry. Full of advice, critique, reflection, commiseration, humor, sorrow and rage, this anthology includes work by some of the most exciting female poets writing and performing today” ( http://writebloody.com/shop/products/courage-daring-poems-for-gutsygirls-2 ). 2) No formal lexile, but based on the age-range of the women in the poems, I would say this would be great for middle or high school students, with an understanding that it will have a better reception with females. 3) Another great offer from Write Bloody Publishing, I like the idea anthologizing female experiences, and having something on this list target young women.
Psychology
Deep secrets: Boys' friendships and the crisis of connection by Niobe Way (2013)
1) “'Boys are emotionally illiterate and don’t want intimate friendships.' In this empirically grounded challenge to our stereotypes about boys and men, Niobe Way reveals the intense intimacy among teenage boys especially during early and middle adolescence. Boys not only share their deepest secrets and feelings with their closest male friends, they claim that without them they would go 'wacko'...” (Dr. Williams's EDLF 5011 Book Analysis Book List Fall
'13). 2) I am a little more confident that I would specifically recommend this for high schoolers, since it is an advanced understanding of masculine social dynamics written in academic language

Gabro 20
3) (intended for my graduate-level class!). I chose this because, although I did not chose to read it for my Adolescent Development class, it really interested me, and I wanted to have something on this list that represented males (especially since I have a female poetry anthology!). I think this would be a good book to have in a classroom library so students can reflect on gender roles and their own personal social interactions.
Sybil by Flora Rheta Schreiber (1973)
1) “
Sybil is . . . about the treatment of Sybil Dorsett (a pseudonym for Shirley Ardell
Mason ) for dissociative identity disorder (then referred to as multiple personality disorder ) by her psychoanalyst
, Cornelia B. Wilbur” ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sybil_(book) ). 2) I started reading this in high school and based on my experience, I think it could be read in middle school as well¡ªalthough it might be difficult to infer or interpret psychological references without the right background. 3) I really liked both of the movies, and books like One Flew Over the
Cuckoo's Nest and Girl, Interrupted , so this seemed on the same vein. I think students would be interested in reading about real-life cases, and I think psychology is a good lens to look at literature about in general: this would just make it more obvious.