11TH GRADE: INCOMING ENGLISH 3 STUDENTS SHOULD SELECT AND READ ONE TITLE:
KENTUCKY BLUEGRASS AWARD WINNERS
ALEX AWARD WINNERS
Novels specifically written for young adult readers
More challenging novels written for an adult
audience, but have wide appeal for teen readers
Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein
In 1943, a British fighter plane crashes in Nazi-occupied France and
the survivor tells a tale of friendship, war, espionage, and great
courage as she relates what she must to survive while keeping
secret all that she can.
Diviners by Libba Bray
17-year-old Evie is thrilled when she is exiled from small-town Ohio
to NYC in 1926, even when a rash of occult-based murders thrusts
her and her uncle, curator of The Museum of American Folklore,
Superstition, and the Occult, into the investigation.
Every Day by David Levithan
Every morning A wakes in a different person's body, in a different
person's life, learning to never get too attached, until he wakes up
in the body of Justin and falls in love with Justin's girlfriend.
Final Four by Paul Volponi
Four players at the Final Four of the NCAA basketball tournament
struggle with the pressures of tournament play and the
expectations of society at large.
I Hunt Killers by Barry Lyga
17-year-old Jazz learned all about being a serial killer from his
notorious killer father. Believing he can fight his own urges, Jazz
helps the police catch the town's newest murderer, but, in doing
so, he discovers he may have a lot in common with his father.
Just One Day by Gayle Forman
Sparks fly when American good girl Allyson encounters laid-back
Dutch actor Willem, so she follows him on a whirlwind trip to Paris,
upending her life in just one day and prompting a year of selfdiscovery and the search for true love.
Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry
Rendered a subject of gossip after a traumatic night that left her
with terrible scars on her arms, Echo is dumped by her boyfriend
and bonds with bad-boy Noah, whose tough attitude hides an
understanding nature and difficult secrets.
LITERARY CLASSICS
The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison
Set in Ohio, in 1941, 11-year-old Pecola Breedlove, whose entire
family is ugly, is subjected to things far worse than ugliness, and
she yearns to be the very opposite of what she is—to be a white
child with the blondest hair and the bluest eye.
Winesburg, Ohio by Sherwood Anderson
In this moving collection of interrelated stories, Anderson
illuminates the loneliness and frustration — spiritual, emotional
and artistic — of life in a small American town.
The Lock Artist by Steve Hamilton
Mike Smith can open any safe, padlock, or locked door
without a combination or a key – a talent that lands him in
prison at the age of eighteen. He spends his time writing down
the story of his life because writing is the only way he can
share it: he hasn't spoken in ten years since the tragic day he
became the "Miracle Boy.”
The Radleys by Matt Haig
Dr. Radley and his wife, live an ordinary since they haven't
told their two teenage children that they're vampires. When a
drunken classmate of Clara's attacks her and awakens her
blood thirst, scary consequences follow.
The Vanishing of Katharina Linden by Helen Grant
When 10-year-old Pia Kolvenbach’s grandmother accidentally
sets herself on fire and burns to death, a rumor erupts that
makes Pia an instant outcast. Her only friend is “StinkStefan,”
the most unpopular boy in her class. The two of them begin
visiting an elderly man who entertains them with ghost stories
from local folklore that they hope might help them solve a
decades-old mystery.
NONFICTION
Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World that Can’t
Stop Talking by Susan Cain
At least a third of the people we know are introverts: the ones
who prefer listening to speaking; who innovate and create but
dislike self-promotion; who favor working on their own over
working in teams. Cain argues that we dramatically
undervalue them and shows how much we lose in doing so.
Laughing at My Nightmare by Shane Burcaw
With acerbic wit and a hilarious voice, Shane Burcaw describes
the challenges he faces as a twenty-one-year-old with spinal
muscular atrophy. From awkward handshakes to having a
girlfriend and everything in between, Shane handles his
situation with humor and a "you-only-live-once" perspective
on life. While he does talk about everyday issues that are
relatable to teens, he also offers an eye-opening perspective
on what it is like to have a life threatening disease.
Hole in My Life by Jack Gantos
Jack Gantos was an aspiring writer looking for adventure when
he recklessly agreed to help sail a yacht loaded with drugs
from the Caribbean to New York City. Once caught, Gantos
was sentenced to serve up to six years in prison. Just beneath
the action is the story of how Gantos moved from wanting to
be a writer to writing, and how dedicating himself more fully
to the thing he most wanted to do helped him endure and
ultimately overcome the worst experience of his life.