Secondary 2 Normal Recommended Reading List
Anita Desai, The Village By The Sea
With their mother ill and their father permanently drunk, Hari and Lila have to earn the money
to keep their house and look after their two young sisters. In desperation, Hari runs away to
Bombay and Lila is left to cope alone.
Anne Frank, The Diary of Anne Frank
The Diary of a Young Girl is the record of two years in the life of a remarkable Jewish girl whose
triumphant humanity in the face of unfathomable deprivation and fear has made the book one
of the most enduring documents of our time.
Anne Holm, I am David
David's entire twelve-year life has been spent in a grisly prison camp in Eastern Europe. He
knows nothing of the outside world. But when he is given the chance to escape, he seizes it.
With his vengeful enemies hot on his heels, David struggles to cope in this strange new world,
where his only resources are a compass, a few crusts of bread, his two aching feet, and some
vague advice to seek refuge in Denmark.
Arthur Conan Doyle, The Hound of the Baskervilles
Terror stalks the Devonshire moors as a long-forgotten horror reawakens to haunt the last
remaining heir of Baskerville Manor. Widely considered to be Conan Doyle's finest work, The
Hound of the Baskervilles features the famous detective Sherlock Holmes and his faithful
colleague Dr Watson as they grapple with a mysterious power from the unseen world.
C.S Lewis, The Silver Chair
The Silver Chair takes place in Narnian-year 2356, or Earth year 1942, and tells the story of
Eustace Scrubb's return to Narnia with his friend Jill Pole.
C.S Lewis, The Horse and his Boy
The Horse and His Boy takes place in Calormen and Archenland, neighboring countries south of
Narnia, during the reign of High King Peter, Queen Susan, King Edmund, and Queen Lucy
Pevensie. This is the only Chronicle to depict only Narnian characters.
C.S Lewis, The Magician’s Nephew
The Magician's Nephew was the sixth book published in the The Chronicles of Narnia. It tells the
reader of the creation of Narnia by Aslan in Narnian-year 0, but Earth year 1900.
C.S Lewis, The Last Battle
Published in 1956 and awarded the Carnegie Medal, The Last Battle chronicles the end of the
world of Narnia. Jill Pole and Eustace Scrubb return to Narnia to help save it from treacherous
invaders and a False Aslan.
C.S Lewis, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
Edmund and Lucy Pevensie, as well as their priggish cousin, Eustace Scrubb, return to Narnia.
There they accompany King Caspian on a voyage to find the seven lords who were banished
when Caspian's uncle Miraz stole the throne. This perilous journey brings them face to face
with many wonders and dangers, as they sail toward Aslan's Country at the eastern end of the
world.
C.S Lewis, Prince Caspian
Prince Caspian tells the story of Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy's second trip to Narnia where
they discover that the usurper Miraz has taken control. This evil ruler has tried to kill off the
magical creatures of Narnia and is unaware of the many Narnians hiding in the remote corners
of the land. The Pevensie children help the young Telmarine Prince Caspian organize his army of
Talking Beasts to free Narnia.
C.S Lewis, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
In the never-ending war between good and evil, The Chronicles of Narnia set the stage for
battles of epic proportions. Battles occur within the small chambers of the heart and are
equally decisive. Journeys to the ends of the world, fantastic creatures, betrayals, heroic deeds
and friendships won and lost, all come together in an unforgettable world of magic.
Catherine Lim, Leap of Love
Initially, the author is able to clearly develop the characters and storyline. The author is able to
put in plenty of flashbacks without confusing the readers between the present and past. But
after the heroine has almost overcome her "demon" and is about to finally put an end to it all, a
sudden twist of fate results in an ending that is the opposite of what the author seemed to
painstakingly drive at all along.
Catherine Lim, The Best of Catherine Lim
The 12 short stories in this collection have been selected from Catherine Lim’s numerous books
published over a period of 15 years. Together, they represent the writer at her best- keenly
observant of the faults, follies and foible or men and women in their everyday lives, but at the
same time, showing a true understanding of the essential vulnerability of the human heart.
Christine Lim, Rice Bowl
It was a savage world out there-each man for himself, striving, straining towards a full rice
bowl. Hunger to be assuaged. Mouths to be kept busy.
Claire Tham, Fascist Rock
Chris, the angry college punk, Lee, the deejay’s Americanised daughter. James, the pretender.
Patsy, the disoriented freshman. Jeanne, the alienated wife. The Tiananmen refugee and many
more… The angry rebels who walk through Claire Tham’s stories are disturbingly familiar as
they voice our own hidden rebellion bitterly and eloquently,
Claire Tham, Saving the Rainforest and Other Stories
Society speaks the voice of conservatism and conformity. But shouldn’t one fly, push oneself to
the limit and beyond, break all rules? These stories explore the tensions that arise when the
desire for personal fulfillment clashes with society’s norms.
Dodie Smith, I Capture the Castle
Seventeen-year-old Cassandra and her family live in not-so-genteel poverty in a ramshackle old
English castle. Here she strives, over six turbulent months, to hone her writing skills. She fills
three notebooks with sharply funny yet poignant entries. Her journals candidly chronicle the
great changes that take place within the castle's walls, and her own first descent into love.
Edmonton De Amicis, The Heart of a Boy
Written following the Italian war for independence by a sub-lieutenant who had fought in the
siege of Rome in 1870, this is the fictional diary of a boy's third year in a Turin municipal school.
The book is often highly emotional, even sentimental, but gives a vivid picture of urban Italian
life at that time. A master, introducing a new pupil, tells the class, "Remember well what I am
going to say. That this fact might come to pass--that a Calabrian boy might find himself at home
in Turin, and that a boy of Turin might be in his own home in Calabria, our country has struggled
for fifty years, and thirty thousand Italians have died."
Frances H Burnett, The Secret Garden
Mary finds the key to a secret garden hidden in a box in the house. A robin shows her where
the door is hidden beneath overgrown ivy. She wants to keep her garden a secret, but she
needs help tending it. Dickon seems to have a connection with all wild animals and plants.
Gerald Durrell, My Family and other Animals
This was intended to embrace the natural history of the island but ended up as a delightful
account of Durrell’s family’s experiences, from the many eccentric hangers-on to the ceaseless
procession of puppies, toads, scorpions, geckoes, ladybugs, glow-worms, octopuses, bats, and
butterflies into their home.
Goh Sin Tub, One Singapore
This is a collection of short fictional stories about daily life in modern Singapore. There is kind of
a Singapore feel to it... Singapore is a peaceful and affluent melting pot of Chinese, Anglo, and
Indian groups. In some ways, it is a model society, but the government has a severe and
authoritarian side.
Goh Sin Tub, The Sinkeh
Short stories set during the 19th till mid 20th century, about migrants from China known as
"Sinkeh".
Hans Peter Richter, Friedrich
Friedrich and his best friend grew up in Germany in the early 1930s. At first, Friedrich seemed
to be the more fortunate, but when Hitler came to power, things began to change. Friedrich
was expelled from school and became an orphan when his mother died and his father was
arrested and deported. This is a terrifying story of the destruction of a single Jewish family.
Ho Minfong, Rice Without Rain
One of a series of top-quality fiction for schools, this is a story of love, death, oppression and
rebellion in Thailand. It represents an exploration of the contrast between rural and urban life,
and of the conflicts between love, family loyalty and political demands.
Ho Minfong, Sing to the Dawn
When she wins a scholarship competition, a young Thai village girl faces the hostility of her
brother who places second and her father who feels the city school is no place for a girl.
Ho Minfong, The Clay Marble
In the late 1970s twelve-year-old Dara joins a refugee camp in war-torn Cambodia and becomes
separated from her family.
Homer Hickam, October Sky
Looking back after a distinguished NASA career, Hickam shares the story of his youth in a coal
mining town.
Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen, Chicken Soup for the Soul
Rediscover the power of inspiration with timeless stories about the everyday miracles that
illuminate the best of the human spirit. Whether you're discovering Chicken Soup for the first
time or are a long-time fan, this volume will inspire you to be a better person, reach for your
highest potential, share your love and embrace the world around you.
lJames Herriot, All Things Bright and Beautiful
This is the beloved sequel to Herriot's first collection, All Creatures Great and Small, and picks
up as Herriot, now newly married, journeys among the remote hillside farms and valley towns
of the Yorkshire Dales, caring for their inhabitants---two- and four-legged. Herriot's deep
compassion, humour, and love of life shine out as we laugh, cry, and delight in his portraits of
his varied animal patients and their equally varied owners.
Jean M Auel, The Clan of the Cave Bear
A natural disaster leaves a young girl wandering alone in an unfamiliar and dangerous land until
she is found by a woman of the Clan, people very different from her own kind. To them, blond,
blue-eyed Ayla looks peculiar and ugly--she is one of the others, those who have moved into
their ancient homeland; but Iza cannot leave the girl to die and takes her with them. But the
brutal and proud youth who is destined to become their next leader sees her differences as a
threat to his authority.
Katy Gardner, Songs at the River’s Edge: Stories from a Bangladeshi Village
This is an account of a Western woman living in a Muslim Bangladeshi village for 18 months. On
an anthropological level, it demonstrates the beginnings of research in someone else's society;
on a more general level, it can be read as a novel or a piece of travel writing. The author writes
about the friends she made, the characters she met, the rituals she witnessed, how Islam is
practised in that village, and about women living in Purdah.
Leon Garfield, The Devil-in-the-fog
A dramatic and eerie story of lost identity and family secrets, told in Leon Garfield's memorable
and distinctive style. George Treet is happy with his life as part of a family of travelling actors.
But George's world turns upside down when he discovers that Mr Treet is not his real father,
and that he must go and live with his real family. And someone, somewhere out in the fog, is
waiting for him.
Leon Garfield, The God beneath the Sea
An account, based on Greek mythology, of the beginning of the world and the forces that rule
the universe and the destiny of man.
Leon Garfield, Smith
Young Smith was a pickpocket, and a very accomplished one. But one day his pick-pocketing led
him into a sinister and dangerous web of murder, intrigue and betrayal.
Lois Lowry, The Giver
Twelve-year-old Jonas lives in a seemingly ideal world. Not until he is given his life assignment
as the Receiver does he begin to understand the dark secrets behind this fragile community.
Michael Morpurgo, The Wreck of the Zanzibar
Michael travels to Scilly for his Great Aunt Laura's funeral and inherits her diary, which reveals
the moving story of her childhood, the great storms and the discovery of Zanzibar.
Michelle Magorian, Goodnight, Mister Tom
London is on the brink of World War II. Willie Beech--the abused child of a single mother--is
evacuated to the English countryside. At first, he is terrified of everything, even Mr. Tom, the
gruff, kindly old man who has taken him in. He learns to love a world he never knew existed, a
world of friendship and affection in which harsh words and daily beatings have no place. When
Willie must return to his mother in London, Mr. Tom goes there to look for the boy he has
come to love as a son.
Nina Bawden, Carrie’s War
Carrie and her younger brother spend World War II as evacuees in a small Welsh village where
Carrie, upset by a family feud, commits an act that haunts her for thirty years.
Pat Wong, Going Home
This is a collection of short stories by the author who won the Singapore Literature Prize
Commendation Award in 1996.
Christopher Paolini, Eragon
Fifteen-year-old Eragon believes that he is merely a poor farm boy, until his destiny as a Dragon
Rider is revealed. With only an ancient sword, a loyal dragon, and sage advice from an old
storyteller, Eragon is soon swept into a dangerous tapestry of magic, glory, and power. His
choices could save—or destroy—the Empire.
Robert Cormier, The Chocolate War
The novel is set at Trinity School, a fictional Catholic high school, the story primarily follows Jerry Renault
as he challenges the school's cruel ways. The book is an uncompromising portrait of conformity
and corruption
Robert Louis Stevenson, Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde
This intriguing combination of fantasy thriller and moral allegory depicts the gripping struggle of
two opposing personalities — one essentially good, the other evil — for the soul of one man. Its
tingling suspense and intelligent and sensitive portrayal of man's dual nature reveal Stevenson
as a novelist of great skill and originality.
Rukshana Smith, Sumitra’s Story
One of a series of top-quality fiction for schools, this is the story of Sumitra's family who are
thrown out of Uganda and go to England. At school and work Sumitra mixes with people of
different backgrounds and nationalities. At home, she has difficulties accepting her parents'
Hindu values.
S.E. Hinton, The Outsiders
This ground-breaking novel is honest and gritty, and a deeply sympathetic portrayal of Ponyboy,
a young man who finds himself on the outside of regular society. Forty years later, with over
thirteen million copies sold, the story is as fresh and powerful to teenagers today as it ever was.
S.E. Hinton, Rumble Fish
Rusty-James wants to be as great a street-fighter as his older brother until Bill Wilcox suddenly
pulls a knife on him.
Zlata Filipovic, Zlata’s Diary: A child’s life in Sarajevo
The experiences of Zlata Filipovic in Sarajevo, Bosnia, from 1991 through 1993 reveals an
innocent life of piano lessons and birthday parties horrifyingly transformed into days of food
shortages, friends dying, and hiding out in a neighbour’s cellar during bombings.