Lansing, Alfred.  Endurance: Shakleton's Incredible Voyage.       

ÙÙÙÙÙ Tymon, 9th Gr

        When everything seems to be lost, the pure determination of these men pulls them from the freezing grasp of death.  The men have been out drifting for many months and the primary voyage across the continent has been scrapped, as of now every drop of strength is put to surviving.  As they drift along the Antarctic sea, they come across many a hindrance.  I would recommend this book to anybody in high school who likes a nice action adventure book.   

Larkin, Patrick.  The Tribune.     

ÙÙÙÙÙ Tyler M., ninth grade 

     The book The Tribune is about this very famous family in Rome. Lucius Aurelius Valens is the son of the very famous Roman senator, and his Grandfather was a high ranked officer. Lucius is a leader of the 6^th legion and is quickly moved to 3^rd gavilic cavalry in only about 6 months. When he is promoted to the 3rd he has to go on dangerous hunts for robbers who steal from the poor and people who haven’t paid Rome their taxes. When he and most of his men are going through the field out side a small poor Jewish village they see this man run out of the woods screaming, and crying when they get to him he says that there is about 7 dead bodies in them woods in a clearing.  When Lucius went into the woods he found out that the bodies where 3 Roman senators, and the rest where soldiers but the mystery one was that they where all strip of their weapons and armor except one. Then Lucius is on a hunt. 

Larson, Erik.  The Devil in the White City. 

website 

ÙÙÙÙÙ Mr. Greenlee 

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Lavender.  Just Jane.  

Lebert, Benjamin. Crazy. 

ÙÙÙÙÙ Danielle, eighth grade

     It’s crazy! This book is quite interesting. It takes place in a boarding school that Ben, goes to. When he gets there he meets some new friends. They’re a very different bunch. There’s Janosch- he’s pretty much like the leader of the group, Fat Felix, Skinny Felix, Troy, Florian, and Ben. 

       Ben is different; he’s a 16 year old that is repeating the 9th grade. He’s different because his left side doesn’t really function. Even though Ben has these disabilities, he finds ways to work with it, and the guys in his group accept him. 

        Crazy is a pretty good book. When he tells some of the things that he remembers, he really goes into detail. I would say this is a good book for kids that like books that are strange but can still find the humor out of the strange things. 

ÙÙÙÙÙ Emily, junior 

The novel Crazy is about a boy who has just recently moved to a boarding school.  It is mostly about what happens to him there.  He is sixteen and is repeating the ninth grade.  Benjamin Lebert is also half cripple meaning his left arm and left leg doesn't really work well.  This book is a great book for children 13 and up. 

Lee, Harper.  To Kill a Mockingbird.  New York: Warner Books.

ÙÙÙÙÙ Jane, 9th grader 

Scout faces difficult and changing times that would test even the bravest of human beings.  She and her brother Jem, start the three years (recorded in this book) playing games, and trying to get a peek at the town shut-in, but they end up turning into young adults.  Their father, Atticus Finch, is a lawyer in town, and is appointed to defend a local African American.  The town strongly disapproves, and takes it out on Atticus, and his children.    

Recommended by Lake 

To Kill a Mocking Bird is the story of Jean Louise (Scout) and Jeremy (Jem), two young siblings growing up in the south in the late 30's. This story tells of the small southern town that they children live in and of their trials and tribulations growing up in  the hard times of the 30's and in the cruelty of the south. For any reader who enjoys compassionate stories about growing up and everything associated with it, this is an excellent book.

ÙÙÙÙÙ Mr. Greenlee

Even though the main character practically disappears during the trial scene, this remains a top-notch novel - one many readers will come back to after time.  

Le Guin, Ursula K.  C Always Coming Home.    

Le Guin, Ursula K.  City of Illusions.  (Five Complete Novels)

The novels in the book Five Complete Novels can be read in any order.  

Le Guin, Ursula K.  The Farthest Shore.  (Sequel to The Tombs of Atuan),  New York: Bantam Books.

Le Guin, Ursula K.  Gifts. 

ÙÙÙÙÙ Mr. Greenlee.

In the highlands, each of the leaders of the great houses have a powerful "gift" - a magical ability inflicted with the pointing of the hand, a look of the eye, and a word.  Orrec,  the son of a leader, waits for the time when he is old enough for his gift to first appear, but when it does, he can't control it.  In a style that reminds me of Wuthering Heights,  

Le Guin, Ursula.  Left Hand of Darkness.  (Five Complete Novels - The novels in the book Five Complete Novels can be read in any order. ) 

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ÙÙÙÙÙ Mr. Greenlee. 

Only twelve books have ever won both the Hugo and Nebula Awards.   This is one of them.  (See also Dune and Ender's Game.)

Are you male or female?  It may be the most important factor in determining social expectation, self-image, self-identity.  What would humanity look like if everyone were the same?  In this novel, Ursula K. Le Guin explores that question.  She creates a believable world where people aren't divided by sex and creates not one but two national cultures that show what differences lack of sex might have. 

Le Guin, Ursula K.  Planet of Exile.  (Five Complete Novels)

ÙÙÙÙÙ Mr. Greenlee.

I found this to be the slowest and least interesting of the Five Complete Novels.  

Le Guin, Ursula K.  Rocannon's World.  (Five Complete Novels)

ÙÙÙÙÙ Mr. Greenlee.

While The Left Hand of Darkness and The Word for World is Forest received the critical attention and won the awards, Rocannon's World remains a favorite among her readers.  In a series that blends science fiction and fantasy, it is also the one in the collection that is the most fantasy.  

The novels in the book Five Complete Novels can be read in any order.  

Le Guin, Ursula K.  The Tombs of Atuan.  (Sequel to The Wizard of Earthsea)  New York: Bantam Books. 

Le Guin, Ursula.  The Wind’s Twelve Quarters

This is my favorite diverse short story collection by a single author (diverse meaning unlike Winesburg, Ohio or The Joy Luck Club). 

Le Guin, Ursula K.  The Wizard of Earthsea.  New York: Bantam Books. 

maps of Gont and of Earthsea

ÙÙÙÙÙ Mr. Greenlee 

While one of my favorite books, this novel nonetheless has a problem: it has a distant voice that puts many people off at the same time they can't put their finger on why they dislike it.  My advice: read through a few chapters and you should find yourself becoming accustomed to the tone.  Enjoy this novel.  

Le Guin, Ursula K.  The Word for World is Forest.  (Five Complete Novels)  

ÙÙÙÙÙ Mr. Greenlee. 

The novels in the book Five Complete Novels can be read in any order.  

L'Engle, Madeleine.   1: A Wrinkle in Time.  New York: Dell. 

«««««Paul W., 8th grade

Personally, this just wasn’t my favorite book because it never grabbed my attention. It also had too much fantasy and unrealistic things in it. This book would be more for a person into science-fiction and fantasy.  

L'Engle, Madeleine.    2: A Wind at the Door. New York: Dell. 

L'Engle, Madeleine.  3: A Swiftly Tilting Planet.  New York: Dell.

L'Engle, Madeleine.  A Ring of Endless Light.  New York: Dell.   

Leroux.  Phantom of the Opera

Levine, Karen.  Hana's Suitcase.  

ÙÙÙÙÙ Halee, 8th grade

The book Hana’s Suitcase tells about the struggles of The Holocaust. About how hard it was for a little girl named Hana, and her older brother George to go through it with no parents and knowing that at any moment the day would come that even they would be split up. However there are two different sides of this story, one telling of the struggles living through the Holocaust, and the other, the struggles on trying to find information on the two children living through it. I wasn’t impressed with this book because it went back and forth with Fumico trying to find evidence of Hana, and the struggle that Hana and her brother went through in the Holocaust. This book is not a very interesting book; it has no suspense and does not keep the reader wanting to read.    

Lewis, C. S.  1: The Magician's Nephew.  

ÙÙÙÙÙ Michael, ninth grade 

The Magicians Nephew was a good book with lots of adventure that kept you wondering. I liked it but not as much as some of the other Narnia books. It was about a boy who meets a girl while staying at his uncle and aunts house and also finds some adventure. His uncle is a crazy magician that finds a new world. Eventually they get themselves into trouble and have to fix stuff by going back into these newfound worlds. If you read this book you get a better understanding of how Narnia got started and it will be easier to read the rest of the series.  

Lewis, C. S.  2: Lion, Witch, & Wardrobe

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ÙÙÙÙÙ Caleb, tenth grade

     This was a very interesting book.  It does not start off very interesting but it gets a lot better as the book moves on.  They have recently made a movie on this book and it had quite a bit of action in the last battle, which they don’t describe very much in the book, beside the fact that Edmond destroys the witches’ wand.

      In the series of these books, the author tries to tie in his religious beliefs to the book, but not all of it has to do with that.  If you know anything about his beliefs and religion, you can follow along with the things that represent other things.  Even if a person knows nothing of it, it still makes a good book.

Lewis, C. S.  3: The Horse and His Boy.  

ÙÙÙÙÙ  Mr. Greenlee

Lewis, C. S.  4: Prince Caspian.  

ÙÙÙÙÙ Mr. Greenlee

Lewis, C. S.  5: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader.  

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ÙÙÙÙÙ Caleb, tenth grade

             This is the fifth book in the Chronicles of Narnia.  It is about Edmond, Lucy and there beastly cousin Eustace.  They travel into the land of Narnia and end up sailing on a ship headed to the end of the world, accompanied by the king of Narnia, Caspian. 

              The main thing about this story is the changing of Eustace’s attitude toward things and people.  Most of the time he has to learn the hard way but by the end of the book his attitude toward things is completely different.  I think that his adventures in Narnia have just begun.   

Lewis, C. S.   6: The Silver Chair. 

ÙÙÙÙÙ Mr. Greenlee

Lewis, C. S.  7: The Last Battle.

ÙÙÙÙÙ Mr. Greenlee

Lewis.  Young Fu of the Upper Yangtze.  

Lipsyte, Robert . One Fat Summer.

ÙÙÙÙÙ Todd F., 8th grade 

The book One Fat Summer was a very funny book.  It was very fun to read.  It was also very interesting and had a very good storyline.  The name character, a teenager named Robert is a rather large boy.  During the summer, he wanted to get a job and lose weight.  During the summer, he has many interesting adventures.  I would recommend this to anyone looking for a funny, interesting, and all-around good read.

ÙÙÙÙÙ Jeff, 9th grade

 One Fat Summer is a very realistic book.  The author, Robert Lipsyte, must have had a situation like the one in this book come up in his life, or it might not be so real.  It is definitely a “must read” book.  One Fat Summer follows an overweight teenage boy through his summer.  He hates summer, but on this particular one, he discovers the value of work, the horror of the real world, and maybe even a little love along the way.

ÙÙÙÙÙ Morgan, 8th grade

 Bobby Marks doesn’t have many friends, he is very fat, and hates summer. His best friend goes to the city for the summer so he is stuck with nothing to do. A man named Dr. Kahn hires him to work on his house all summer and Bobby isn’t liking his job at all. He is getting paid fifty cents an hour, and he thinks he is working to hard for little money. The summer got worse for Bobby and thinks he will be having a horrible summer till school starts but sometimes what he thinks is going to happen doesn’t always happen in this story. I thought this was a good book.

ÙÙÙÙÙ Thomas R, 9th grade 

.How would you enjoy being overweight and picked on a bunch your whole summer?  Robert is an obese kid who is picked on and wants to fix it, so he gets a job mowing a lawn for a rich snob. But it turns out people get mad at him for doing that and he gets gang beaten on the side of a road and threw him onto an island and after that he starts fending for himself and everything slowly gets better for him. This is an extremely good book and a very easy read. Almost anyone could read this book but there is some material in here that little kids shouldn’t be reading so it is recommend it for a little bit more mature kids.

ÙÙÙÙÙ Tyler M, 10th grade 

ÙÙÙÙÙ Tymon, ninth grade

ÙÙÙÙÙ Michael, ninth grade

ÙÙÙÙÙ Robert Chm., ninth grade

ÙÙÙÙÙ Mr. Greenlee

Lipsyte, Robert.  The Contender.  New York: HarperCollins Children's Books.  1981.  

Ben

This book is about a young man who decides to become a boxer.  He starts to train in the beginning of the summer and through out the entire story he is training to become a boxer until the end when he starts to box during training sessions.  He is continuously running in to trouble while on the street or at a pool hall where many people hang out.  He decides in the end of the story that boxing isn't for him.  Recommended by Ben for anyone that likes a story about a person beating the odds to become something.

London, Jack.   Call of the Wild.  New York: Airmont. 

ÙÙÙÙÙ Andrew, 8th grade 

This is the story of a dog that was stolen from his home and thrust into the Alaskan wilderness as a sled dog. He soon learns the law of club and fang. After ridding himself of several rivals he finds himself on top in one the sled dog teams in Alaska. The only problem with this book is that it is somewhat slow in the beginning. Other wise it isn’t bad.

ÙÙÙÙÙ Mr. Greenlee 

London, Jack.  The Sea Wolf. 

by Ben. 

This story written by Jack London, takes place on the open seas where the main character has to learn to become a sailor. It is a great book that is full of action. This is a good book for people over the age of twelve. There are constantly in a battle weather it is internal or external between the characters. This was well written and is an all around good book. If you liked Call Of The Wild than I think you will like this book. 

London, Jack.  White Fang. 

ÙÙÙÙÙ Shelbie M.

     Do you want an action packed book that makes you never want to stop until you have finished the last page? Then this is the book for you.   A dogsled team of two men and a body that they are supposed to be bringing to a fort and a pack of wolves is following them. When they get to the fort, it stops focusing on them and moves with the pack of wolves. I like this book. However I would not suggest it for kids any younger than I am. It has dog fights and has death. It would not be good for a younger child. 

ÙÙÙÙÙ Mr. Greenlee 

Lois, Lowry.  Messenger.  Laurel-Leaf Books.       

ÙÙÙ Fuller, 10th grade 

 Matty, a young village boy, living under immense conditions.  The village is guided by Seer, a blind elder known for his special ability of sight.  This was before the time of Postal Services, so Matty is chosen to deliver messages from village to village. He is given his most important delivery of all times, he is to deliver a message through the forest and return with Seer’s daughter.  I found this book to be quite hard to follow because it was action packed but it came in waves, one minute it was intense and keeping me reading but the next I was ready to drop the book.  I also found the book a little on the fake side; it should be more for the younger age.  One thing I found to be weird is Seer: he’s blind but can still sense motion and see movement. Seems a little unrealistic if you ask me.  Over all, I gave this book a three out of five stars because it was a quick and easy read and I did show some interest towards the plot of the story.   

Lovell, Jim.   Apollo 13.  AKA Lost Moon.  in our library at 629.4

Lowry, Lois.  Number the Stars.  New York: Dell.

Lowry, Lois.  The Giver. 

ÙÙÙÙÙ Morgan, 10th Grade

The Giver is an excellent book about a young boy living in an unusual community. Every person has their own assigned job, family unit, and everything is closely monitored. Jonas, a young boy living in this community and also the main character in this book, gets assigned a very special job. This job enables him to see beyond his confined community and makes him feel somewhat angry at the way he and everyone else is living. He then realizes that this way of life just isn’t for him. He ends up taking a drastic movie and it changes his life forever.

Lowry, Lois.  A Summer to Die.  New York: Bantam Books. 

Lowry, Lois.  Find a Stranger, Say Goodbye.  Boston: Houghton Mifflin. 

Lupica, Mike. The Big Field.  

ÙÙÙÙÙ Todd, 8th Grade

Lurie, Alison. Foreign Affairs.