Nicole LaFrancesca's Booklist

Middle School BluesLou Kassem

This is the first book I read in sixth grade. It is the story of a girl who is entering middle school. The story goes through all the changes she faces in order to adjust to her new school.

White Fang, by Jack London

White Fang is the story of the journey a young man takes with his companion, who his half dog and half wolf. The two form a special bond as they face the many dangers in the Yukon Territory together.

The Giver, by Lois Lowry

This book is about a young boy who is growing up in a utopian society. He is given the job of the reciever and giver in his society which means he will hold all of the knowledge that has ever existed in the world. This position is extremely difficult to have and the boy must decide what to do about the incredible knowledge he learns.

Tom Sawyerby, Mark Twain

Tom Sawyer is the story of an adventurous boy growing up in the 1800s. His actions are always surprising everyone he knows and though he often gets into mischief, he always seems to come out on top. This book will definately bring a smile to your face.

A Day No Pigs Would Die, by Robert Newton Peck

This is the story of a maturing boy who lives on a farm. He raises a pig with much love and work. The bond between the two is challenged when the family finds themselves in a sour position. This novel touches the heart.

The Black Pearl, by Scott O'Dell

This book is about a pearl diver who's quest is to find the great Black Pearl. His mission is dangerous and requires a lot of skill as a diver if his dream will be a success.

The Little Prince, by Antoine DeSaint Exupery

This is the story of a young prince's travels to different planets. He encounters many things that are new to him and displays a love for life with each new place he goes to. The book is very imaginative.

Cry, The Beloved Country, by Alan Paton

This novel is the story of a minister in South Africa who faces the depressing changes which are occuring in his society as Europeans modernize it. He feels lost in his travels in a city. This book is sure to affect you emotoionally.

To Kill A Mockingbird, by Harper Lee

This book is about the adventures of three children one summer and what happens when their father Atticus gets put in charge of a very important trial.

Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury

This book is about a society in the future which has outlawed book, and one firefighter's fight to be given the right to read.

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, by Robert Stevenson

This is the story of a man who has created alter personalities for himself. He is both Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde as he goes through a very confusing point in his life.

Congo, by Michael Crichton

This book is about a group of people who go on an expedition into the congo in Africa in hopes of finding the lost city. They face many dangerous hazards and it turns into a struggle for survival.

The Lost World, by Michael Crichton

In this sequel to Jurrassic Park, an island is found where the dinosaurs still live. The adventurers who visit it get caught in life or death situations.

The Acorn People, by Ron Jones

This is the heartwarming story of a camp counselor at a camp for disabled children. As he spends the summer with these children he develops a bond with them as the kids are given the chance to be normal for a change.

Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott

This book is about the lives of four sisters growing up. They go through happy and sad times as they change from the little girls they were into the mature women they must become.

A Separate Peace, by John Knowles

This book is about a boy who goes to a boarding school. He is going through a confusing time and winds up betraying his best friend which will prove to change both of their lives forever.

Romeo and Juliet, by William Shakespeare

This play is about the doomed love between two teenagers which come from feuding families. Over the three day period of the book, many events build up to the desperate end for the two lovers.

Diary of a Young Girl, by Anne Frank

This is the true diary entries that a young girl writes while she is in hiding from the Nazis, with her family and another, during WWII. She displays the true feelings a girl of her age has and gives a good feeling for what it was like for the Jewish families in WWII.

Lord of the Flies, by William Golding

This book is about a group of boys who struggle for survival on an island when their plane crashes. They must create a society, which proves to be a hard task, especially with finding a respected leader.

In Pursuit of Excellence, by Terry Orlick

This self help book is designed to help today's aspiring athletes take their sports careers to the next level, both mentally and physically.

The Bridges of San Luis Rey, by Thornton Wilder

This book is about the investigation of five victims lives during the aftermath of their death from a brige which collapses. It is four stories within a book, and it is very creatively written.

I Never Promised You a Rose Garden, by JoAnne Greenberg

This is about the struggle of a sixteen year girl who becomes mentally ill. She fights to get better and you get a look into the life of a girl on the edge of destruction and see what she sees.

Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger

This book takes place as the narrator tells the events that happen to him over three days. He is a boy who is struggling to find happiness in life and this book is about his problems with the idea of growing up.

The Hobbit, by J.R.R. Tolkien

This book is about a hobbit named Bilbo Baggins who goes on a journey to help dwarves kill an evil dragon which has taken over their mountain. He encouters many conflicts along the way and finds himself in life or death situations.

Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger

Catcher in the Rye is written from the perspective of Holden Caulfield, the protagonist. The book takes place when Holden leaves his private school, goes to New York City and other places.

Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, by Mark Twain

This book is about Huck Finn's adventures. Huck travels up the Mississippi River on a raft and has many adventures including with robbers, Tom Sawyer, and the slave runaway he is traveling with.

My Name is Asher Lev, by Chaim Potok

This book is about Asher Lev. It covers his life growing up as a Hassidic Jew who wants to be an artist. He was blessed with the power to draw, but it came a price because it did not match his Hassidic background.

Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck

This is a short book which takes place over the course of one day. The two main characters include an average man, and the incredibly strong but stupid man he travels with. They begin a new job on a farm where a problem occurs due to Lenny's strength.

Julius Caesar, by William Shakespeare

This is the tragic play based on the death of Julius Caesar. He is murdered by a group of conspirators led by his dear friend Brutus, and a man he did not value, Cassius.

Oedipus the King

This is the tragic play about a man who was doomed to face a horrible life. He married his mother and killed his father, but he did not know until it was too late.

Black Like Me

This book was written by a white man who changed his skin pigments to appear black. He traveled through the deep South in the 1950s with this appearance to see how people would treat him.

The Joy Luck Club, by Amy Tan

This book is a fictional story about Chinese women. There are eight women, four mothers and there four daughters. Each one tells stories about their life.

The Crucible

This play is based on the true witchcraft trials that took place in Salem Massachusetts. When the trials took place the town was in a state of hysteria caused by misinformation and rumors. What happened to innocent citizens was based on the ignorance of the court.

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