Academic Independent Reading List
You MUST have an independent reading book or a book to read if you have
finished your assigned IR book WITH YOU every class. You will complete a minimum of FOUR independent reading projects (one per quarter) this year.
You may obtain your book from the public library, school library, or purchase one on your electronic device or paper copy. Additionally, SOME books are available in the book room. Please use study hall to check out a book from the library following library rules for obtaining a pass.
Your independent reading schedule will look like this:
1 st quarter: Book from the list below. *Denotes more challenging reading. You must have this book in class by September 10 (A Day) or September 11 (B Day).
2 nd quarter: Nonfiction on an American Event
3 rd quarter: Biography/autobiography – NO FACT BOOKS.
4 th quarter: Self selected.
Cruise Control
Ironman
The Scarlett Letter*
Stuck in Neutral
Whale Talk
The American Dream
Autobiography of Malcolm X*
The Awakening*
The Bean Trees
Billy Budd
The Bluest Eye
Trueman
Crutcher
Hawthorne
Trueman
Crutcher
Albee
Haley
Chopin
Kingsolver
Melville
Morrison
Ethan Fromme*
Fallen Angels
A Farewell to Arms
For Whom the Bell Tolls
Fried Green Tomatoes
A Gathering of Old Men
Grapes of Wrath
Growing Up
The Heart is a Lonely Hunter
Hiroshima
Hoops
House of Mirth*
Wharton
Myers
Hemingway
Hemingway
Flagg
Gaines
Steinbeck
Baker
McCullers
Hersey
Myers
Wharton

How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accent
Inherit the Wind
In the Time of Butterflies
Ishmael*
Jesse
The Jungle*
The Kitchen God’s Wife
Memory Keeper’s Daughter
Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass*
Native Son
On the Road
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest*
Our Town
The Piano Lesson
Pilgrim at Tinker Creek
The Red Badge of Courage
Alvarez
Lawrence and Lee
Alvarez
Quinn
Soto
Sinclair
Tan
Edwards
Douglass
Wright
Kerouac
Kesey
Wilder
Wilson
Dillard
Crane
Running Loose
Seabiscuit
The Sea Wolf
The Secret Life of Bees
Souls of Black Folk*
Snow Falling on Cedars
Their Eyes Were Watching God
Tuesdays with Morrie
Turn of the Screw
Crutcher
Hillenbrand
Hawthorne
Kidd
Du Bois
Guterson
Hurston
Alborn
James
Where the Heart Is
Who Killed My Daughter?
Letts
Duncan
Winesburg Ohio
When the Emperor Was Divine
Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry
Anderson
Otsuka
Taylor
You may also choose a title not listed above from the following authors:
William Faulkner, Ernest Hemingway, Eugene O’Neill, or Kurt Vonnegut.
Per LCPS: Any book that you find objectionable, please stop reading and find another title to satisfy the requirement.
Assessments: For each of the assigned independent reading books, you will be required to:

Bring the book to EVERY English class and study hall.

Engage with the text without the aid of Sparknotes or Schmoop. If you use those or any other site exclusively, you may not receive credit for completing the assignment (a zero!).

Complete THREE IR mini projects available on VISION or in paper format in the classroom for EACH book. Due dates will be assigned for each third. The first and second thirds are 25 points each and the third third is worth 50 points.