NEW SITE FOR UHS 2019 SUMMER READING

Whoops, you found last year's summer reading site! Click the image above or this link to get to this year's site.

Summer Reading Is Due on Wednesday, September 12!

Summer reading activities are due on Wednesday, September 12. Instructions are here, and submit your activity here. 

Please see Ms. Charpentier in the library during flex with any questions. Thank you!

This summer, you can earn 2 extra credit points applied to a first quarter class grade by reading one book and completing and submitting one of these activities by Wednesday, September 12, 2018.

If you wish to choose your own summer reading book, you must submit your choice to Ms. Charpentier for approval through the following Google Form: bit.ly/uhs-summer2018.

The recommended books, authors, and series below do not require prior approval; if you wish to read any of these books, you are all set.

Use the links on the right to narrow down the list of recommended books, or keep scrolling to browse the entire list.

Happy reading!

The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams (The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy #1)

Seconds before Earth is demolished to make room for a galactic freeway, an earthman is saved by his friend. Together they journey through the galaxy.

Recommended by Barry Giles, UCTV: “It’s outside the box.”

Learn more on Goodreads.

Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi (Legacy of Orïsha #1)

Seventeen-year-old Zélie , her older brother Tzain, and rogue princess Amari fight to restore magic to the land and activate a new generation of maji, but they are ruthlessly pursued by the crown prince, who believes the return of magic will mean the end of the monarchy.

Recommended by Rashaa Al-Sasah, Uxbridge Free Public Library Youth Services.

Learn more on Goodreads.

Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli (Creekwood #1)

Not-so-openly-gay Simon Spier is blackmailed into playing wingman for his classmate or else his sexual identity—and the identity of his anonymous pen pal—will be revealed.

Recommended by Ms. Charpentier, Librarian: “Sweet and funny. Essentially an episode of Catfish done as a romance rather than a mystery.”

Learn more on Goodreads.

The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom

A war veteran who believes his life is meaningless dies while trying to save a little girl's life and finds himself in heaven, where five people from his past—some loved ones, some strangers—explain what his years on Earth really meant, and whether or not he succeeded in saving the child.

Recommended by Mr. Bennett, English Teacher: “As we move through our lives, we often fail to understand the impact we make on others and the impacts they make on us. This book is fun, thought-provoking, and a quick read that explores that idea.”

Learn more on Goodreads.

The Crossover by Kwame Alexander

Fourteen-year-old twin basketball stars Josh and Jordan wrestle with highs and lows on and off the court as their father ignores his declining health.

Recommended by Ms. Charpentier, Librarian: “Sports and poetry turns out to be a great mix. The clash between Josh and Jordan as they grow apart and cope differently with changing family dynamics is the heart of the book.”

Learn more on Goodreads.

#Girlboss by Sophia Amoruso

Describes how to seek a unique path to success and relates the story of Sophia Amoruso who started by selling vintage clothing on eBay and eight years later had established a $100 million dollar online fashion business with more than three hundred fifty employees.

Recommended by a UHS student.

Learn more on Goodreads.

Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard (Red Queen #1)

In a world divided by blood—those with common, Red blood serve the Silver-blooded elite, who are gifted with superhuman abilities—Mare, a Red, discovers she has an ability of her own. To cover up this impossibility, the king forces her to play the role of a lost Silver princess and betroths her to one of his own sons. But Mare risks everything and uses her new position to help the growing Red rebellion, even as her heart tugs her in an impossible direction.

Recommended by Ms. Charpentier, Librarian: “Reading this book felt like reading The Hunger Games for the first time.”

Learn more on Goodreads.

The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken (The Darkest Minds #1)

Sixteen-year-old Ruby breaks out of a government-run 'rehabilitation camp' for teens who acquired dangerous powers after surviving a virus that wiped out most American children.

Recommended by Rashaa Al-Sasah, Uxbridge Free Public Library Youth Services. 

Learn more on Goodreads.

Beauty Queens by Libba Bray

When a plane crash strands thirteen teen beauty contestants on a mysterious island, they struggle to survive, to get along with one another, to combat the island's other diabolical occupants, and to learn their dances in case they are rescued in time for the competition.

Recommended by Ms. Charpentier, Librarian: “Hilarious book about what it means to be a girl. No matter what you’re expecting from this book, it will subvert your expectations (especially if you’re expecting The Lord of the Flies).”

Learn more on Goodreads.

World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War by Max Brooks

Max Brooks chronicles the fictitious "zombie wars" that nearly decimated the human population, with first-hand accounts from people who have had a brush with the undead and facts and figures documenting how many undead currently roam the planet.

Recommended by Mr. Halacy, Social Studies Teacher: “I really liked the book and it completely took me by surprise. Not at all what I expected.”

Learn more on Goodreads.

The Aeronaut’s Windlass by Jim Butcher (The Cinder Spires #1)

Since time immemorial, the Spires have sheltered humanity. Captain Grimm is offered a proposition—to join a team of agents on a vital mission. Even as Grimm undertakes this dangerous task, he will learn that the conflict between the Spires is merely a premonition of things to come.

Recommended by a UHS student: “Es bueno.”

Learn more on Goodreads.

Graceling by Kristin Cashore (Graceling Realm #1)

In a world where some people are born with extreme and often-feared skills called Graces, Katsa struggles for redemption from her own horrifying Grace of killing and teams up with another young fighter to save their land from a corrupt king.

Recommended by a UHS student: “It’s very feminist in a masculine world.”

Learn more on Goodreads.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

Charlie, a freshman in high school, explores the dilemmas of growing up through a collection of letters he sends to an unknown receiver.

Recommended by Mr. MacKenzie, English Teacher.

Learn more on Goodreads.

Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow

Presents a biography of Alexander Hamilton, one of the most important figures in the history of American politics never elected to the presidency, discussing his childhood as an orphan in the Caribbean, his marriage and family, and his death in a duel, and examining his multifaceted role in the formation of U.S. government. The basis for the Broadway musical Hamilton.

Recommended by Mr. Borden, English Teacher: “This book grips the reader from the opening page, and makes one realize that nothing is impossible if one has sufficient will to achieve it.”

Learn more on Goodreads.

City of Bones by Cassandra Clare (The Mortal Instruments #1)

Suddenly able to see demons and the Shadowhunters who are dedicated to returning them to their own dimension, Clary Fray is drawn into this bizarre world when her mother disappears and Clary herself is almost killed by a monster.

Recommended by a UHS student: “This is an interesting book in a series that I find interests a lot of people. Many of my friends have expressed interest in this book, too!”

Learn more on Goodreads.

Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

In the year 2044, Wade spends his waking hours in the limitless, utopian virtual world of the OASIS, where he finds he must compete with thousands of others—including those willing to commit murder—in order to claim a prize of massive fortune.

Recommended by Mr. Borden, English Teacher: “This book took me by surprise. You don’t often come across a book that is totally unlike anything you’ve read before.”

Recommended by Rashaa Al-Sasah, Uxbridge Free Public Library Youth Services.

Learn more on Goodreads.

The Great Santini by Pat Conroy

Eighteen-year-old Ben Meecham, a born athlete, struggles to reconcile his feelings about his father, Bull, a Marine officer whose standards and expectations for his family, and especially his firstborn son, are nearly impossible to meet.

Recommended by Mr. Rubin, Principal: “Honest, frank, and vivid, this book takes us into the life of a military family with their larger-than-life pilot father. It is one of the best novels I have ever read.”

Learn more on Goodreads.

Timeline by Michael Crichton

When a group of scientists learns how to travel through time, they enter life in fourteenth-century feudal France and threaten the history of the world.

Recommended by Mr. Halacy, Social Studies Teacher: "Timeline blends science fiction with history. Other books I recommend by Michael Crichton, Andromeda Strain and Terminal Man, are a little outdated but are relevant today as Andromeda Strain deals with an incurable plague and Terminal Man deals with a man surgically altered to control his behavior.”

Learn more on Goodreads.

Dreamland by Sarah Dessen

After her older sister runs away, Caitlin decides that she needs to make a major change in her own life and begins an abusive relationship with a boy who is mysterious, brilliant, and dangerous.

Recommended by a UHS student: “All Sarah Dessen’s books are so good!”

Learn more on Goodreads.

This Lullaby by Sarah Dessen

Raised by a mother who's had five husbands, Remy believes in short-term, no-commitment relationships until she meets Dexter, a rock band musician.

Recommended by a UHS student: “All Sarah Dessen’s books are so good!”

Learn more on Goodreads.

The City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau (Book of Ember #1)

In the year 241, twelve-year-old Lina trades jobs on Assignment Day to be a Messenger to run to new places in her decaying but beloved city, perhaps even to glimpse Unknown Regions.

Recommended by the grade 8 team.

Learn more on Goodreads.

The Family Romanov: Murder, Rebellion, and the Fall of Imperial Russia by Candace Fleming

Traces the story of the Russian Revolution, the lives of the Romanov family, and the story of their tragic deaths, in an account that draws on primary source materials and includes period photography.

Recommended by Rashaa Al-Sasah, Uxbridge Free Public Library Youth Services. 

Learn more on Goodreads.

Dark Places by Gillian Flynn

Libby Day, still haunted by the day she witnessed the murder of her family on their farm in Kinnakee, Kansas, and twenty-five-years after testifying that her fifteen-year-old brother Ben was the killer, Libby is contacted by the Kill Club and devises a money making scheme that leads her back into a killer's path.

Recommended by Mrs. Gaudet, Spanish Teacher: “I’ve loved all Gillian Flynn’s books - Gone Girl, Sharp Objects, and Dark Places - but Dark Places is my favorite.”

Learn more on Goodreads.

If I Stay by Gayle Forman (If I Stay #1)

While in a coma following an automobile accident that killed her parents and younger brother, Mia, a gifted cellist, weighs whether to live with her grief or join her family in death.

Recommended by a UHS student: “I’m really looking forward to reading the sequel!”

Learn more on Goodreads.

Spellsinger by Alan Dean Foster (Spellsinger #1)

Snatched through a portal into a land of magic, a young musician must use a mysterious instrument to rescue the world into which he has fallen before he can return to his own.

Recommended by Mr. Halacy, Social Studies Teacher: “I devoured all of Alan Dean Foster’s books when I was a kid. The Spellsinger series was a lot of fun, as were Midworld and Into the Out Of.”

Learn more on Goodreads.

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

The orphan Bod, short for Nobody, is taken in by the inhabitants of a graveyard as a child of eighteen months and raised lovingly and carefully to the age of eighteen years by the community of ghosts and otherworldly creatures.

Recommended by Rashaa Al-Sasah, Uxbridge Free Public Library Youth Services.

Learn more on Goodreads.

David and Goliath: Underdogs, Misfits, and the Art of Battling Giants by Malcolm Gladwell

Argues that the obstacles and disadvantages experienced by the underdog require adaptations that can lead to benefits and success in professional life, and draws upon examples from the world of business, sports, and culture.

Recommended by Mr. Halacy, Social Studies Teacher: “In my top five reads of the last few years.”

Learn more on Goodreads.

The Hard Hat: 21 Ways to Be a Great Teammate by Jon Gordon

An unforgettable true story about a selfless, loyal, joyful, hard-working, competitive, and compassionate leader and teammate, the impact he had on his team and program and the lessons we can learn from him.

Recommended by Mrs. Larkin, Science Teacher: “An easy read, an incredible message. This is a true story about a selfless and loyal young man who was a compassionate leader and teammate. This book inspired me to be a better leader and teammate.”

Learn more on Goodreads.

The Power of a Positive Team: Proven Principles and Practices That Make Great Teams Great by Jon Gordon

Jon Gordon shares the proven principles and practices that build great teams and provides practical tools to help teams overcome negativity and enhance their culture, communication, connection, commitment and performance.

Recommended by Mrs. Larkin, Science Teacher.

The Accidental Time Machine by Joe Haldeman

Grad-school dropout Matt Fuller accidentally creates a time machine and sends himself into the near future, where he discovers he is a murder suspect, prompting him to once again travel through time in search for a safe place, despite the fact that no place seems to be perfectly safe for Matt.

Recommended by Mr. Halacy, Social Studies Teacher: “Great read, and more realistic science fiction.”

Learn more on Goodreads.

The Forever War by Joe Haldeman (The Forever War #1)

Private William Mandella, drafted into an elite military unit to fight the alien Taurans, finds it difficult to adjust to life on Earth after he returns to find the world has aged nearly thirty years compared to his own one.

Recommended by Mr. Halacy, Social Studies Teacher: “Great read, and more realistic science fiction.”

Learn more on Goodreads.

To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han (To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before #1)

Lara Jean writes love letters to all the boys she has loved and let go of, then hides them in a hatbox until one day those letters are all accidentally sent.

Recommended by Ms. Charpentier, Librarian: “You can’t do better than this series for sweet, light romance.”

Learn more on Goodreads.

Seraphina by Rachel Hartman (Seraphina #1)

In a world where dragons and humans coexist in an uneasy truce and dragons can assume human form, Seraphina, whose mother died giving birth to her, grapples with her own identity amid magical secrets and royal scandals, while she struggles to accept and develop her extraordinary musical talents.

Recommended by Rashaa Al-Sasah, Uxbridge Free Public Library Youth Services.

Learn more on Goodreads.

The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins

Rachel takes the same commuter train every morning past a stretch of cozy suburban homes, which allows her to daily watch the same couple breakfasting on their deck. And then she sees something shocking.

Recommended by Mrs. Gaudet, Spanish Teacher: “Great thriller.”

Learn more on Goodreads.

Vincent and Theo: The Van Gogh Brothers by Deborah Heiligman

The true story of the relationship between brothers Theo and Vincent van Gogh.

Recommended by Rashaa Al-Sasah, Uxbridge Free Public Library Youth Services.

Learn more on Goodreads.

Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert A. Heinlein

After his arrival on Earth from his home on Mars, Valentine Michael Smith becomes the founder and pastor of a new religious sect.

Recommended by Mr. Halacy, Social Studies Teacher: “Appropriate with the SpaceX plan to go to Mars.”

Learn more on Goodreads.

Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption by Laura Hillenbrand

A biography of Olympic runner and World War II bombardier, Louis Zamperini, who faced a trial in which he was forced to find a way to survive in the open ocean after being shot down.

Recommended by Mrs. Guilmette, English Teacher, and Mr. Halacy, Social Studies Teacher.

Learn more on Goodreads.

The Perfect Storm: A True Story of Men Against the Sea by Sebastian Junger

Uses interviews, memoirs, radio conversations, and technical research to recreate the last days of the crew of the Andrea Gail, a fishing boat that was lost in a storm off the coast of Nova Scotia in October 1991.

Recommended by Mr. Halacy, Social Studies Teacher.

Learn more on Goodreads.

War by Sebastian Junger

A combat narrative based on Junger's experiences in Afghanistan in 2007 and 2008, during which he spent time intermittently embedded with a platoon of the 173rd Airborne brigade in Korengal Valley.

Recommended by Mr. Halacy, Social Studies Teacher.

Learn more on Goodreads.

The Physics of Superheroes by James Kakalios

Explains physics principles by exploring the forces and motion of comic book superheroes, explaining basic rules of thermodynamics, energy, and solid state physics as it relates to real world experiences.

Recommended by Mr. Lui, Science Teacher: “Simple, fun, and mostly math-free book that goes through physics concepts in the context of comic books. They may be science fiction and not reality, but they get it right more times than you think.”

Learn more on Goodreads.

Fallen by Lauren Kate (Fallen #1)

Suspected in the death of her boyfriend, seventeen-year-old Luce is sent to a Savannah, Georgia, reform school where she meets two intriguing boys and learns the truth about the strange shadows that have always haunted her.

Recommended by a UHS student: “Many amazing characters, interesting plot.”

Learn more on Goodreads.

Lilac Girls by Martha Hall Kelly

New York socialite Caroline Ferriday has her hands full with her post at the French consulate and a new love on the horizon. But Caroline's world is forever changed when Hitler's army invades Poland in September 1939—and then sets its sights on France.

Recommended by Mrs. Bernard, English Teacher: “The novel gives three different perspectives about World War II and gives insights into the events that occurred through different lenses.”

Learn more on Goodreads.

Ask the Passengers by A.S. King

Astrid Jones, who realizes that she is a lesbian, deals with the gossip and rejection she faces by sending love up to the people on airplanes as they pass over her.

Recommended by Ms. Charpentier, Librarian: “I love A.S. King’s characters.”

Learn more on Goodreads.

Please Ignore Vera Dietz by A.S. King

When her best friend, whom she secretly loves, betrays her and then dies under mysterious circumstances, high school senior Vera Dietz struggles with secrets that could help clear his name.

Recommended by Ms. Charpentier, Librarian: “I love A.S. King’s characters.”

Learn more on Goodreads.

The Gunslinger (The Dark Tower #1) by Stephen King

Follows the life of Roland Deschain, a haunting figure who goes on a journey into good and evil.

Recommended by UHS students.

Learn more on Goodreads.

Misery by Stephen King

Paul Sheldon is a bestselling novelist who has finally met his number one fan. Her name is Annie Wilkes, and she is more than a rabid reader—she is Paul's nurse, tending his shattered body after an automobile accident. But she is also furious that the author has killed off her favorite character in his latest book.

Recommended by UHS students: "It's a really good Stephen King book and ties in true struggles of addiction in which many people face, also having undertone themes of being stuck in ones own mental health.”

Learn more on Goodreads.

Shoeless Joe by W.P. Kinsella

An Iowa farmer builds a baseball stadium in his cornfield, hoping his hero, Shoeless Joe Jackson, will play in it.

Recommended by Mr. Bennett, English Teacher: “I just re-read Shoeless Joe, and it's a fun one that kids might like. It's about baseball, among other things, and it’s the book the movie Field of Dreams was based on.”

Learn more on Goodreads.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson (Millennium #1)

Hacker Lisbeth Salander assists Mikael Blomkvist, a crusading journalist, with the investigation of Harriet Vanger's disappearance decades earlier, and the two uncover a dark world of secrets about a wealthy Swedish family as well as a surprising connection between themselves.

Recommended by ????????

Learn more on Goodreads.

March: Book One by John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, and Nate Powell (March Trilogy #1)

Presents in graphic novel format events from the life of Georgia congressman John Lewis, focusing on his youth in rural Alabama, his meeting with Martin Luther King Jr., and the birth of the Nashville Student Movement.

Recommended by Ms. Charpentier, Librarian: “An important book, and the first of three graphic novel memoirs about John Lewis’s experiences during the civil rights movement.”

Learn more on Goodreads.