The Professional Thief

This is a book about the underground life and stories of a professional thief. The book is written by Chic Conwell, a professional thief. His accounts, explanations and stories were then interpreted by Edwin Sutherland and spiced up with comments form other thieves of the professional tier. The second part of the book nicely summarizes this life through a very sociological perspective. I would recommend this book to any one who is interested in thieves or stories of crime. - Kevin, Class of 2009

The Autobiography of an LA Gang Member

Sanyika Shakur aka "Monster" Kody Scott wrote this book while he was serving 6 years in a maximum security prison. This book is the true account of his life and the experiences he went through in gang life. The book starts out when he first joined the gang the Crips in LA. It goes through his life journey with all of the murders and things he had to do. IT was very graphic and a little intense and scary at times. The truthfulness and the experiences that he went through kept me reading. I think that high school students should read this to understand what is really going on in our world today. It was a very good book about gang life in general and the details that many people don't know about. - Rosemary, class of 2009

The Penelopiad

Margaret Atwood is among the most-honored authors of fiction in recent history. While she is best known for her work as a novelist, her poetry is noteworthy. Many of her poems have been inspired by myths, and fairy tales, which were an interest of hers from an early age. One of her more recent books,The Penelopiad, is a compilation of poetic ring chants and Homeric similes.

In this novel, she documents Penelope's account of Homer's The Odyssey and how she coped with her husband's twenty year absence. Although this is not the most entertaining and captivating piece of literature, Atwood's use of mythological references keeps students with historic mindsets intrigued. Her incorporation of Greek mythology helps to enhance prior knowledge of well-known myths and legends.

Catherine Taylor of Independent on Sunday says that "Atwood introduces a new and significant angle to Penelope's narrative -- the insistent chorus of her 12 maids...the distressing image of their execution...recurs throughout Atwood's account, as in turn she utilizes poetry, burlesque, mock trial and, less successfully, dour sociological tract." If you're someone who's interested in mythology or simply hearing the thoughts of someone who's seen it all then The Penelopiad is the novel for you. Wouldn't you like to see the past from someone else's eyes? - Kali, Aubrey, Lisa, Jackie, Danielle, class of 2009

Gang Leader for a Day

On Gang Leader for a Day by Sudhir Vanakash:
This book is about Sudhir who is a student studying sociology at the University of Chicago. He befriends a gang leader, and hangs out with him. You learn a lot about how the gang works, and what what life is like living in the projects. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn about a gang or the project, or someone doing a sociology reading project. It's really good! - Emily, class of 2009

The Eyes of the Dragon

Stephen King, author of The Dark Tower series and The Stand, has done it again. He has created a masterpiece of a book. It has everything a good fantasy book should have, magic, mythical creatures, battle, a little romance, and a group of people you really can get to know and connect with. The book is about young brothers and princes Peter and Thomas and their effort to thwart the evil wizard Flagg. Flagg uses Thomas as his pawn to create all sorts of havoc in the kingdom of Delain. Peter is imprisoned and must fight to regain the throne that was unrightfully taken from him. This book kept me guessing as to what will happen next and was written so peculiarly that I couldn't put it down. I think that anyone who liked The Dark Tower series or The Stand or just likes a good old fantasy book will deeply enjoy this book. Wouldn't you like to know if Delain is saved from the evil clutches of Flagg? - Jake, class of 2009

Raiders Night

Raiders Night by Robert Lipsyte reveals the struggles that many football players face everyday. In Matt's case, he will do whatever it takes to be the best. Matt struggles with outside influences and pressure from his father, coach, and friends. He fights himself to do what is morally right, even if it means destroying the schools reputation and ending his season. Will Matt fall into peer pressure or speak up against the crowd? Matt's ability to be a leader outside of football is what kept me reading. I think any high school student would find this interesting because it depicts a similar image of what high school is really like. - Jimmy, class of 2009

Other America

The Other America by Michael Harrington gives readers a great insight to the “invisible” poverty America doesn’t see. In this informative yet shocking book about the truth of poverty, Michael Harrington describes the reality of the world we live in. He hits on all types of people that are hit hard by economic crisis, racism, and even just being born into the wrong family. This book is mainly facts of things the middle and upper classes are missing because of our unawareness of poverty or the “other America”. I would recommend this book to people who are interested in the topic of poverty in the United States and are interested in reading a factional, dry book. The Other America opened my eyes to a world I’m missing within the world I live in. - Dana, class of 2009

Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs

Chuck Klosterman, the author of Killing Yourself to Live and Fargo Rock City, has written a book about the media and its effect on society within our culture today. I have found this book, Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs, to be very entertaining. It contains a lot of witty humor, sexual references and some foul language, but overall I found the book to be a page turner. The book is made up of a compilation of essays he has written about the media, on all different subjects. Some of the different subjects the book includes are: The Sims, Coldplay, Pamela Anderson, Star wars, cocoa puffs and porn. I suggest this book to anyone who enjoys learning more about the media and it's effects on people, and also for people who enjoy a good laugh. I do not suggest it to people who do not appreciate cussing, sexual references or The Real World. - Emily, class of 2009

The Sociological Imagination by C. Wright Mills

I picked up this book interested in what it had to say and just slowly realized I bit off a bit more than I can chew. It a dense, rhetorical analysis book so if you don't like theories and big words this might already not be for you. Don't get me wrong, it starts out great. The author looks closely at certain topics like marriage, war, teamwork, self, values, power, order, politics, society, etc. He looks deep into why certain events occur and provides a new lens to look at that topic through. But over time you realize the author pretty much pushed most of the interesting stuff to the front of the book and I found myself struggling to even get to the end. This is not a story, it is a sociologist's views on sociology and him proving himself right (and other sociologists wrong). So just know what you're getting into before you jump right into this book, I think if you keep a level mind you can finish and learn this book with no problem. But in the end it seemed like finishing the book is the battle, not stepping into someone else's shoes like it was intended to. - Luke, class of 2009

Snark

Snark: It's Mean, It's Personal, and Its Ruining Our Conversation by David Denby
Snark is not only a form of teasing, nagging and eventually a style of cutting people down, it is also book that defines and analyzes the past and present in the use of this form of expression. It explains how and why snark is used and includes the nine principles of it. I reccomend this book if you are interested in finding out the difference between ruthless snarky comments and a form of comedy that requires skill like satire and irony. This book is really recent, so aside from the beginning of the book it uses examples of magazines and people you actually know, which makes it interesting and semi- humorous. - Kellie, class of 2009

Columbine by Dave Cullen

Dave Cullen tells the chilling tale of what exactly happened at Columbine and the events leading up to the brutal killing spree of 13 people. It explains the investigations, the lives of the 13 families and how the Colorado town grieved in the aftermath. Dave Cullen explores the minds of two trouble teenagers and gives a remarkable true story what had occurred. It is a book for all ages. - Kirstin, class of 2009

Branded: the Buying and Selling of Teenagers

Alissa Quart is the author of 3 previous books. Branded, was a bunch of interviews and first hand experiences the author had with people that work in the retail business. The main idea of the book was to show how our generation is branded by logos. She talks to many different people raging from many different ages, and gets their opinion on weather or not they believe this generation is branded. She also gives her opinion on the matter. Overall, this book was very informative. Branded, was boring at times, and difficult to read, but was very educational, and a good eye opener. The audience i would recommend this book to would be any one from the ages of 15-20. - Danielle, class of 2009

Dateline: Troy

Paul Fleischman, the author of Dateline: Troy, has also written numerous award winning novels such as Joyful Noise: Poems for Two Voices, Graven Images, and Bull Run. The conflict arises when Paris, a prince of Troy, runs off with Helen, Menelaus’ wife and Queen of Sparta. This causes Menelaus to seek the help of his brother King Agamemnon and other Greek kings. Together, they set sail to Troy in hopes of rescuing Helen and destroying the powerful city of Troy. The exciting journeys of Achilles, Hector, and the rest of the Trojan War heroes will keep the audience reading as they eagerly await the outcome of these heroes. This book is recommended for anyone who enjoys mythology or is interested in learning about the basic background of the Trojan War. Not only does “Dateline: Troy” follow the thrilling adventures of the Trojan War heroes, but it also connects modern news to specific events from the Trojan War. - Bryan & Megan, class of 2009

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The author Paul Fleischman does all kinds of work. This varies from fiction to poetry to plays. He won the Newbery medal for Joyful Noise: Poems for Two Voices in 1989, which takes readers to the perspective of insects. He also won the Scott O’Dell Award for Bullrun, his multi-character account of the Civil War. Fleishman creates his books so that they are easily understood for young readers. His book Dateline: Troy is a retelling of the Trojan War. He tells the story clearly, but it is really short. Inside Dateline: Troy, he has newspaper clippings from the first World War, all the way up to the War on Terror on each page. As the story unfolds, similarities between the Iliad and our world today become clear. The thing that made us keep reading this book was how Achilles, Cassandra, and all the rest our reflected in our leaders and enemies. The recommended audience for Dateline: Troy is anyone who is interested in the Trojan War. It is especially suitable for younger adults because it is an easy read. We liked the way Paul Fleischman opened the book by saying, "Though their tale comes from the distant Bronze Age, it's as current as this morning's headlines." - Toby & Jeff, class of 2009

The Hunger Games

Wow, The Hunger Games (written by Suzanne Collins) was an intense, quick, and enjoyable read! as the beginning of a new series, The Hunger Games brings the reader into the area known as District 12 (located in post war United States of America). It is one of 12 districts owned by the Capitol, which is basically a corrupted version of Washington D.C. Every year the Capitol forces the districts to summon one boy and one girl to do a battle royal in a secret location... and it's a fight to the death! The main character Katniss is ultimately chosen after some dramatic events, and she is dropped into the world of the Hunger Games... will she survive? find out! The Hunger games was nothing short of a page turner, this book was insane! Now I had heard that this book may appeal more to the ladies before i picked it up, but let me tell you... it was awesome. Katniss was the coolest girl protagonist that has ever existed. She was a quick thinking, person hunting, Artemis-inspired, lady. The mixture of epic, adventurous, and romantic plot along with the great character development which Suzanne Collins has strung will satisfy anybodies' book reading needs. A great book for teens and up! - Nick, class of 2009

Cupid: A tale of love and desire

The story of Cupid & Psyche is a classic story of love and betrayal and the consequences that come with certain decisions. The unison of Cupid & Psyche shows what it means for love & soul to finally unite, despite the odds and obstacles, which there are plenty provided. Who doesn't love having a cranky, goddess for mother-in-law? In Julius Lester's retelling of the mythological story of Cupid & Psyche, he manages to convey the basic points of the myth, however he finds himself frequently distracted and off topic. For those with previous mythological knowledge it may seem tedious, but at the same time, it lends a different way of understanding and viewing the interactions among the Roman gods. In the end, the general gist of the story remains apparent, despite his embellishings. Despite some of its short comings, the book is written well enough that someone with no knowledge previously of the myth could enjoy it; however, those who know the story well should probably chose a different book. This book also has an elementary quality in the way Lester speaks, making the retelling more appropriate for middle school to sophomore aged students, not that a senior wouldn't find enjoyment as well. - Ashley & Ashley, class of 2009

Tweak

Nic Sheff wrote Tweak as a complete story of his life growing up on drugs. He hasn't written any previous books. Nic had been in and out of rehabs started at a young age and couldn't get away from these harmful drugs. He got involved with the wrong people and didn't have enough self control to quit this lifestyle of using on a daily basis. He was never confident with his body, looks, or personality, and this caused him to try and fit in, in any way possible. He always wanted to impress people and make them proud of him, but he couldn't handle all this pressure, so he collapsed and fell into a world of drugs beyond belief. I found Nic to be a very interesting person because he didn't seem like the type to use like he did. He had a personality of trying to impress everyone and not letting them down. He wants everyone to like him, which is weird due to his habits of using meth, crack, heroin, coke, and many other serious drugs. Not many people would like someone who is constantly high on these drugs throughout the day. This book was interesting because he described his feelings and what he did when he was high, and it made it hard to imagine being that messed up. He ran into many problems from girls to money to having no where to go, and finally reaching the point of him not knowing how much longer he would live if he kept this up. I think teens would really like this book because this is when everything gets introduced to them, high school. It really helps them realize that living a lifestyle like Nic's would be absolutely terrible. - Johnna, class of 2009

Chuck Klosterman IV: A Decade of Curious People and Dangerous Ideas

Chuck Klosterman is most widely known for his work Sex, Drugs and Cocoa Puffs which is, just as this one, a collection of essays from his time as a writer for Spin Magazine, The New York Times, and Esquire. This book is a study of culture and why things are this way from a sociological perspective based mostly on interviews and experiences in mass media scenarios. This book [is] a very humoring and exciting read about random topics from Britney Spears, to the adventures of eating only Chicken McNuggets for a whole week, to what the movie "I, Robot" truly means for our society. It is a funny and insightful read of culture and the world around us. This book would go best for people with open minds and interest in a broad range of topics, artists, and a lot of music. High schoolers or the liberal sort would love this read. An Example from the book: "Think of someone who is your friend (do not select your best friend, but not an acquaintance). This friend is going to be attacked by a grizzly bear. Now, there is a 100% chance the person will survive the attack, however the extent of his injuries is unknown. He might just get scratches, or lose a limb (or several limbs), he might leave the hospital in 24 hrs with a great story, or he might spend the rest of his life in a wheelchair. Somehow, you magically have the power to stop this bear attack from happening. But his or her salvation will come at a peculiar price: if you chose to stop the bear, it will always rain. Sometimes it will pour, and sometimes it will drizzle, but it will never NOT be raining. The rain won't be over the totality of the earth, nor will the hydrological cycle be disrupted; these storm clouds will be isolated, and they will focus entirely on your specific whereabouts. You will never see the sun again. Do you stop the bear and accept a lifetime of rain?" -Katie, class of 2009

The Overworked American

At first, I thought that The Overworked American by Juliet Schor would be nothing more than an assignment for me in sociology that I would forget once I graduate. However, the insights in this book are far too valuable to throw away. The Overworked American gives insights on why we work so hard in our culture, why the amount hours that we put in our jobs everyday is unusual, and the adverse effects on society and our lives if work consumes us. Anyone who is interested in having a happy life or is planning to have children in the future should read this book because it shows how one can balance time and spend time with family without having to worry about a demanding job. The book is also filled with statistics regarding who is working and how hard, including data of who is working at home. The chapters are split into sections that focus on a single topic at a time, such as the behavior of factory workers in the start of the industrial revolution, and as a result, the book is easy to read and comprehend. Overall, I recommend this book to anybody who wants to think outside of the box when looking at our society. - Trevor, class of 2009

A Long Way Gone

I thought this book was great. It is about child soldiers in Sierra Leone. I had no idea that any of this type of thing happens. A Long Way Gone by Ishmael Beah is the true story of Ishmael when he was a boy. He was running away from the civil war in his country. Throughout the story he comes face to face with death many times and always seems to out run it. He also tells about his addiction to cocaine, Brown brown (cocaine mixed with gun powder) and adrenaline pills. I think this book was so good that i would recommend it to everyone, interested or not. - Pat, class of 2009

Self-Made Man

Self-Made Man: One Woman's Year Disguised as a Man
Norah is a columnist for the new york times, who one day decided that it might be fun to write a book about life as a guy. Problem number one, she's a she. duh. problem two, she's also a [lesbian], and even admits that it's because guys are so "different." So, she dresses up in drag for over a year, putting herself in different situations that only men get to be in; gentlemen's clubs; support groups for guys; all guy bowling team (and yes, she threw like a girl), and more. No one she met as male-norah, AKA ned, knew that she was really a woman unless she spilled the beans. Any guy with femininity issues, or a lack thereof, or girl who wants to know why they are the way they are, should read this book. It was realy wierd, and got me thinking about things that i had never before considered. this is deffinitly a far out, yet intellectual book, and its hard not to get into ned's way of thinking, even though it's realy just norah with a tight sports bra and a fake beard. -Angela, class of 2009

The Glass Castle

The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls

It was a true story of a family living a very poor life. It is a sad book but the parents almost like being poor. Jennette's mother is a free spirit and an artist and her dad is an alcoholic. She has an older sister and a young brother and sister. The family makes things work and the parents usually do it with a smile on there face. The parents often push there kids to do things which seem totally unfair and even mean. You would never believe the children could amount to anything close to normal. Jeannette is the second oldest and is young though out the book but seems a lot more older and mature. The book keeps you wanting to read. It can bring you to tears but it also makes you laugh.I really do not like reading and i actually enjoyed this book and read the the whole thing in anticipation. - Abby, class of 2009

The Lightning Thief

The Lightning Thief was written by Rick Riordan who is known around the United States as a proven mythological author. The Lightning Thief deals with the son of Poseidon’s hero journey to save the world from World War three. With a slip up between Zeus, Hades, and Poseidon that caused World War two, the three agreed to never have children again…..

Percy Jackson is a smart kid but he can’t seem to focus on his schoolwork or stop himself from getting into fights even with his teachers. While at a museum Percy was thrown into battle as his Pre-algebra teacher turned into a Fury in an attempted to kill him. When Percy’s mom finds out about the different crazy scenarios that has happened to him, she decides it’s time that he knew the truth about who his father is and the reasons for the monsters coming after him. She realizes his life is endangered and its time for her to send Percy to Camp Half-Blood, Camp Half-blood a summer camp for demigods, which are half mortal and immortal.

While running into various mythological monsters and traps they make their way across the country to confront the one they think stole it and prevent a catastrophic war between the gods. This book is full of surprises, suspense, and will keep the pages turning through out the whole book. This book is a good fit for anyone who enjoys Heroes and adventures but it is more directed towards the teenage boy audience for a nice quick read of adventure and myster. - Ben & Dan, class of 2009