Friday Night Lights: A Town, A Team, & A Dream

Friday Night Lights: A Town, A Team, & A Dream is by H.G. Bissinger. A classic nonfiction exploration of Texas high school football. The Permian Panthers of Odessa, Texas, live for one thing - football. This is the story of the 1988 team and their quest for the State Championship. Bissinger looks at the team: it's members and coaches, and the town and its history and challenges. Having grown up in a small Texas town that still managed to seat over ten thousand in the high school football stadium, I related to this book in many ways. Anyone who lives in a town dominated by a sport of any kind will enjoy this book. 

Ratings: 11th grade - 9 out of 10 - P (profanity) - AC (mature thematic content). 

Hot Pterodactyl Boyfriend

Hot Pterodactyl Boyfriend is by Alan Cumyn. A very bizarre fantasy romance. Shiels rules Vista View High School, she is in charge of organizing everything at the school. One day a new student transfers into the school, he's hot and he's a teenage pterodactyl - that's right a human/pterodactyl hybrid. Where does he come from? No one knows. But once he arrives at the school Shiels finds her life turned upside down. This book is very strange, yet a fun read. 

Ratings: 10th grade - 7 out of 10 - P (profanity) - AC (mature thematic content). 

Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight: An African Childhood

Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight: An African Childhood is by Alexandra Fuller. Fuller's autobiography of her childhood in Africa with her eccentric parents. Fuller's family lived in various African nations over the years; they were involved in civil wars, under the rule of despots, and struggled with drought and famine. Yet, her family never lost their love for each other or their sense of humor. Fuller's story is powerful and unflinching. 

Ratings: 11th grade - 8 out of 10 - P (profanity) - AC (mature thematic content) - V (violence). 

Unfreedom of the Press

Unfreedom of the Press is by Mark Levin. Another nonfiction masterpiece by Mark Levin. Levin researches the history of journalism in the country and how it has changed and the danger to our way of life if the press ceases to perform its constitutional function and becomes the weapon of a particular political party or ideology. 

Ratings: 11th grade - 9 out of 10. 

The Rise of Nine

The Rise of Nine is by Pittacus Lore. The third book in the science fiction Lorien Legacies series. Four and Nine head west to look for Sarah and Sam. Six goes to Spain and meets Seven and Ten and they all head to India to find Eight. Can all of the Loriens get together in time to stop the Mogs from destroying them, as well as Earth? Fans of the series will enjoy this installment. 

Ratings: 9th grade - 7 out of 10. 

The Splendid and the Vile: A Saga of Churchill, Family, and Defiance During the Blitz

The Splendid and the Vile: A Saga of Churchill, Family, and Defiance During the Blitz is by Erik Larson. Another magnificent nonfiction work by the master of contemporary nonfiction. This is the story of Churchill's first year as Prime Minister. It follows his election, the creation of his cabinet, and the beginning of the Blitz. The book also gives us an inside look into Churchill's personal life and that of his family and friends, and other Brits of the time. Fans of Larson will not be disappointed by this book. Fans of Churchill will discover new tidbits about the man who, in the eyes of many, helped save the world from Hitler. A Reader's Corner Highly Recommended Read. 

Ratings: 11th grade - 10 out of 10. 

The Help

The Help is by Kathryn Stockett. A wonderful historical fiction novel set in the South in the 1960s. This is the story of a group of African-American maids and the white families they work for. The story takes place in Jackson, Mississippi at the beginning of the Civil Rights movement. Aibileen, Minny, and several other maids decide to work with a white woman to tell their stories, despite the extreme danger these revelations could cause them in the South of the time. A poignant and moving story and examination of human nature and race relations. 

Ratings: Adult - 8 out of 10 - AC (mature thematic content). 

Oliver Twist

Oliver Twist is by Charles Dickens. The classic historical fiction story of an orphan boy in 19th century London. Oliver is born in a workhouse to a mother who dies shortly after his birth leaving him an orphan and few clues as to his family. He is raised in the horrendous orphanages of his day, apprenticed to a coffin maker, and after running away, finds himself in the company of the numerous thieves and pickpocket gangs that frequented London at the time. The story follows a miraculous set of events that lead to Oliver finding his true family and heritage. A Reader's Corner Highly Recommended Read! One of Dickens' most poignant and powerful tales. 

Ratings: 10th grade - 9 out of 10 - V (violence) - AC (mature thematic content).