Special Collections
Students Choice
Description: List created by a teacher for high school students to make independent reading choices,
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The Giver
by Lois LowryThis haunting story centers on twelve-year-old Jonas, who lives in a seemingly ideal, if colorless, world of conformity and contentment. Not until he is given his life assignment as the Receiver of Memory does he begin to understand the dark, complex secrets behind his fragile community.
Lois Lowry has written three companion novels to The Giver, including Gathering Blue, Messenger, and Son.
Newbery Medal Winner
Winner of Pacific Northwest Library Association’s Young Reader’s Choice Senior Award
Fish in a Tree
by Lynda Mullaly HuntA New York Times Bestseller!
The author of the beloved One for the Murphys gives readers an emotionally-charged, uplifting novel that will speak to anyone who’s ever thought there was something wrong with them because they didn’t fit in.
“Everybody is smart in different ways. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its life believing it is stupid.”
Ally has been smart enough to fool a lot of smart people. Every time she lands in a new school, she is able to hide her inability to read by creating clever yet disruptive distractions. She is afraid to ask for help; after all, how can you cure dumb? However, her newest teacher Mr. Daniels sees the bright, creative kid underneath the trouble maker. With his help, Ally learns not to be so hard on herself and that dyslexia is nothing to be ashamed of. As her confidence grows, Ally feels free to be herself and the world starts opening up with possibilities. She discovers that there’s a lot more to her—and to everyone—than a label, and that great minds don’t always think alike.
From This Day On
by Lauren BrookeAs Amy helps a lost horse, she makes the difficult decision of whether to leave Heartland in order to go to college.
Ghost Beach
by R. L. StineDo You Believe in Ghosts? Jerry can't wait to explore the dark, spooky old cave he found down by the beach. Then the other kids tell him a story. A story about a ghost who is three hundred years old. A ghost who comes out when the moon is full. A ghost...who lives deep inside the cave! Jerry knows that it's just another silly made-up ghost story.... Isn't it?
A Summer to Remember
by Lauren BrookeAmy's summer is just underway when Alfredo Escobar, a member of a world-famous polo legacy, contacts her to help with a troubled horse at a luxurious estate in the Hamptons. If Alfredo and his pony, Impala, can't learn to work together, they'll both be in trouble.
Ghost Camp
by R. L. StineHarry and his brother, Alex, are dying to fit in at Camp Spirit Moon.
But the camp has so many weird traditions. Like the goody camp salute. The odd camp greeting.
And the way the old campers love to play jokes on the new campers.
Then the jokes start to get really serious. Really creepy. Really scary. First a girl sticks her arm in the campfire. Then a boy jams a pole through his foot. Still, they're just jokes...right?
Ghostcoming!
by Orli ZuravickyLucy has just joined the afterlife, and as a brand-new ghost she's mostly see-through, not able to stand or sit normally, stuck in the ballet clothes she was wearing before she crossed over...and stuck in middle school. Can't a ghost get a break? But then the cutest (ghost) boy she's ever seen turns out to be her very own guide to school, and things start looking brighter. Maybe she's not quite solid yet, but Lucy is definitely going to make this the best afterlife ever!
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
by J. K. RowlingHarry Potter has no idea how famous he is. That's because he's being raised by his miserable aunt and uncle who are terrified Harry will learn that he's really a wizard, just as his parents were. But everything changes when Harry is summoned to attend an infamous school for wizards, and he begins to discover some clues about his illustrious birthright. From the surprising way he is greeted by a lovable giant, to the unique curriculum and colorful faculty at his unusual school, Harry finds himself drawn deep inside a mystical world he never knew existed and closer to his own noble destiny.
My Best Friend Is Invisible
by R.L. StineFrom the New York Times–bestselling Goosebumps series, a boy thinks invisibility is a cool superpower, until an invisible friend inhabits his bedroom.Sammy Jacobs is into ghosts and science fiction. Not exactly the smartest hobby—at least not if you ask Sammy’s parents. They’re research scientists and they only believe in “real” science.But now Sammy’s met someone who’s totally UN-real. He’s hanging out in Sammy’s room. And eating his cereal at breakfast. Sammy’s got to find a way to get rid of his new “friend.” Only problem is . . . Sammy’s new friend is invisible!
Goosebumps
by R. L. StineNight of the Living Dummy: Discover the fan-favorite thriller and chiller that first introduced the world to the wooden face of fear. The puppet who pulls all the strings. None other than Slappy the Dummy! Deep Trouble: Find out why Billy Deep and his sister, Sheena, are afraid of dark lagoons, coral reefs, and anything that appears to be half-human, half-fish! Monster Blood: Evan visits an eerie old toy store and buys a dusty can of Monster Blood. But then he notices something weird about the slimy green ooze. It keeps growing. And growing. And growing. And all that growing has given the Monster Blood a monstrous appetite... The Haunted Mask: Carly Beth thinks she's found the best Halloween mask ever. With yellow-green skin and long animal fangs, the mask terrifies the entire neighborhood. Before long, it has a surprising effect on Carly Beth, too. She tries to take it off... but it won't budge! Halloween is almost over, but fright night is just beginning.
Hamlet
by William Shakespeare and Burton RaffelOne of the most frequently read and performed of all stage works, Shakespeare's Hamlet is unsurpassed in its complexity and richness. Now the first fully annotated version of Hamlet makes the play completely accessible to readers in the twenty-first century. It has been carefully assembled with students, teachers, and the general reader in mind.Eminent linguist and translator Burton Raffel offers generous help with vocabulary and usage of Elizabethan English, pronunciation, prosody, and alternative readings of phrases and lines. His on-page annotations provide readers with all the tools they need to comprehend the play and begin to explore its many possible interpretations. This version of Hamlet is unparalleled for its thoroughness and adherence to sound linguistic principles.In his Introduction, Raffel offers important background on the origins and previous versions of the Hamlet story, along with an analysis of the characters Hamlet and Ophelia. And in a concluding essay, Harold Bloom meditates on the originality of Shakespeare's achievement. The book also includes a careful selection of items for "Further Reading." [This text is listed as an example that meets Common Core Standards in English language arts in grades 11-12 at http://www.corestandards.org.]
The Halloween Tree
by Ray Bradbury and Gris Grimly"A fast-moving, eerie...tale set on Halloween night. Eight costumed boys running to meet their friend Pipkin at the haunted house outside town encounter instead the huge and cadaverous Mr. Moundshroud. As Pipkin scrambles to join them, he is swept away by a dark Something, and Moundshroud leads the boys on the tail of a kite through time and space to search the past for their friend and the meaning of Halloween. After witnessing a funeral procession in ancient Egypt, cavemen discovering fire, Druid rites, the persecution of witches in the Dark Ages, and the gargoyles of Notre Dame, they catch up with the elusive Pipkin in the catacombs of Mexico, where each boy gives one year from the end of his life to save Pipkin's. Enhanced by appropriately haunting black-and-white drawings."--Booklist
A Monster Calls
by Patrick NessThirteen-year-old Conor awakens one night to find a monster outside his bedroom window, but not the one from the recurring nightmare that began when his mother became ill -- an ancient, wild creature that wants him to face truth and loss.
Out of the Darkness
by Lauren BrookeSince the first day Gallant Prince arrived at Heartland, Amy has had a difficult time reaching the horse. He stays in the back of his stall, pacing anxiously. Amy knows the fear of the stable fire blazes behind Prince's threats, his bared teeth and haunted eyes. When Amy learns Prince's groom was also injured in the fire, she believes he may be the key to Prince's recovery.
Seedfolks
by Paul FleischmanOne by one, a number of people of varying ages and backgrounds transform a trash-filled inner-city lot into a productive and beautiful garden, and in doing so, the gardeners are themselves transformed.
Harry Potter and the prisoner of Azkaban
by J. K Rowling and J. K. Rowling and Mary GrandPréHarry is relieved to be back at Hogwarts for his third year with his friends Ron and Hermione even though he isn't completely safe. The escaped convict Sirius Black, a staunch supporter of Voldemort, is after Harry. Sequel to Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (DB 48437). For grades 4-7. Bestseller
The Hate U Give
by Angie ThomasSixteen-year-old Starr Carter moves between two worlds: the poor neighborhood where she lives and the fancy suburban prep school she attends. The uneasy balance between these worlds is shattered when Starr witnesses the fatal shooting of her childhood best friend Khalil at the hands of a police officer. Khalil was unarmed.
Soon afterward, his death is a national headline. Some are calling him a thug, maybe even a drug dealer and a gangbanger. Protesters are taking to the streets in Khalil’s name. Some cops and the local drug lord try to intimidate Starr and her family. What everyone wants to know is: what really went down that night? And the only person alive who can answer that is Starr.
But what Starr does—or does not—say could upend her community. It could also endanger her life.
Winner of the 2018 William C. Morris award
A New York Times Bestseller
Holes
by Louis SacharStanley Yelnats is under a curse. A curse that began with his no-good-dirty-rotten-pig-stealing-great-great-grandfather and has since followed generations of Yelnats.
Now Stanley has been unjustly sent to a boys' detention center, Camp Green Lake, where the warden makes the boys "build character" by spending all day, every day, digging holes: five feet wide and five feet deep. It doesn't take long for Stanley to realize there's more than character improvement going on at Camp Green Lake. The boys are digging holes because the warden is looking for something. Stanley tries to dig up the truth in this inventive and darkly humorous tale of crime and punishment--and redemption
Newbery Medal Winner
National Book Award
Twelfth Night
by William ShakespeareA delightfully comic tale of mistaken identities revolves around the physical likeness between Sebastian and his twin sister Viola, each of whom, when separated after a shipwreck, believes the other to be dead. Filled with superb comedy, this entertaining masterpiece remains one of Shakespeare's most popular and performed comedies.
P.S. I Still Love You
by Jenny HanLara Jean didn't expect to really fall for Peter. She and Peter were just pretending. Except suddenly they weren't. Now Lara Jean is more confused than ever. When another boy from her past returns to her life, Lara Jean's feelings for him return too. Can a girl be in love with two boys at once?
In this charming and heartfelt sequel to the New York Times bestseller To All the Boys I've Loved Before, we see first love through the eyes of the unforgettable Lara Jean. Love is never easy, but maybe that's part of makes it so amazing.
The House on Mango Street
by Sandra CisnerosAcclaimed by critics, beloved by readers of all ages, taught everywhere from inner-city grade schools to universities across the country, and translated all over the world, The House on Mango Street is the remarkable story of Esperanza Cordero. Told in a series of vignettes – sometimes heartbreaking, sometimes deeply joyous – it is the story of a young Latina girl growing up in Chicago, inventing for herself who and what she will become. Few other books in our time have touched so many readers.
Love Is a Gift
by Lauren BrookeWhen Amy journeys to Australia with her sister Lou to visit their father on his horse ranch, she doesn't feel like part of his new family. So Amy delves into the stable work, certain that the horses will at least welcome her.
Iconic Cars 5-Book Bundle
by Road & TrackThese 5 volumes collect decades of expert coverage from Car and Driver and Road & Track to explore some of the world&’s finest automobiles. CorvetteCar and Driver has tested nearly every version of the Chevrolet Corvette. Here, they compile and curate more than 50 years of articles, reviews, and news about this classic sports car from the first &’Vettes of the 1950s to the new Corvette Stingray. PorscheCar and Driver has chronicled this high-end German brand from its first commercial automobile, the 356 Roadster, to its modern lineup of supercars, super sedans, and even super SUVs. This volume presents its most informative and entertaining articles from 1975 to today. Camaro With more than 30 years of Camaro articles and reviews from the experts at Road & Track, this volume covers the launch, the racers, the duds, and, of course, the Camaro&’s triumphant return. You&’ll find road tests, reviews, and comparisons, along with interviews with the folks behind the scenes and columns from Matt DeLorenzo and Peter Egan. Mustang The original pony car, the Ford Mustang is a beloved American icon. Culled from 50 years of Road & Track coverage, this volume presents road tests, reviews and articles on everything from Ford&’s game-changing win at Le Mans in 1966 to the dark years of the Mustang II. BMW M Series This eBook collects Road & Track&’s coverage of the acclaimed BMW M Series from 1985 to 2014, including features, reviews, comparison tests, and interviews on everything from the M3 and M5 to the short-lived M1 supercar, and even today&’s M-badged SUVs.