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Great Books for High School
The titles annotations with an asterisk were prepared by the Portland, Oregon Public Schools Literacy Leaders.
Breaking Through. Jimenez, Francisco.*
Francisco Jiminez continues the moving tale of his early youth begun with a dozen autobiographical short stories in The Circuit. Breaking Through chronicles the author's teenage years. At the age of 14, Francisco and his family are caught by la migra (immigration officers) and forced to leave their California home, but soon find their way back. The author explores the prejudice and challenges they face while also relaying universal adolescent experiences of school, dances and romances. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. 2001. 193 pages. ISBN 9780618342488
Bronx Masquerade. Grimes, Nikki.*
Open Mike Friday is everyone's favorite day in Mr. Ward's English class. On Fridays, his 18 high-school students dare to relax long enough to let slip the poets, painters, readers, and dreamers that exist within each of them. Raul Ramirez, the self-described "next Diego Rivera," longs "to show the beauty of our people, that we are not all banditos like they show on TV, munching cuchfritos and sipping beer through chipped teeth." And while angry Tyrone Bittings finds dubious comfort in denying hope: "Life is cold. Future?...wish there was some future to talk about. I could use me some future," overweight Janelle Battle hopes to be seen for what she really is: "for I am coconut / and the heart of me / is sweeter / than you know" They are all here: the tall girl, the tough-talking rapper, the jock, the beauty queen, the teenage mom, the artist, and many more. While it may sound like another Breakfast Club rehash, Grimes uses both poetry and revealing first-person prose to give each character a distinct voice. By book's end, all the voices have blended seamlessly into a multicultural chorus laden with a message that is probably summed up best by pretty girl Tanisha Scott's comment, "I am not a skin color or a hank of wavy hair. I am a person, and if they don't get that, it's their problem, not mine." But no teen reader will have a problem with this lyrical mix of many-hued views. A gateway book to literature for 9th/10th grade students. Good to pair with the movie Slam. Works well with a poetry unit.
Deadly, Unna. Gwynne, Phillip*
This Australian book won the Children Book Council of Australia’s Book of the Year Award in 1999. Blacky (Gary Black) and Dumby Red play for the same football team, but they come from different worlds. Blacky lives in town with his seven siblings, his long-suffering mother and his alcoholic father. Dumby lives on the point, in the Aboriginal settlement. At first, Blacky thinks he hasn't got much in common with Dumby, but when Dumby saves his skin by defending him, Gary realizes Dumby is his friend. Unfortunately, its might be okay for a Nunga and a Gunya to play football together, but it isn't so easy for them to be friends. Through his friendship with Dumby, Blacky starts to see his town through different eyes. He starts to question some of the things which he has previously accepted - racist jokes, rude graffiti, and the separation of black and white. Deadly Unna is a story about racism, but it is also a story about much more - friendship, family and self-identity being among the themes explored. Adoption committee members were split on the book. Teachers who tried it found that boys loved it. Recommended as a 10th grade coming of age story. Puffin Books (Penguin Books Australia) 1997
Imani All Mine. Porter, Connie.*
Told in poetic, street-savvy language, Imani All Mine is the story of an African American teen named Tasha. Pregnant as the result of rape, Tasha is an independent, thoughtful young woman who finds that the teen who raped her is attending her high school. Porter depicts Tasha’s world in clear, often stark, terms. As Tasha details family and community ills, the novel becomes a window into a youth’s interpretation of inner-city life. Imani explores issues relevant to our students from the perspective of one of their own. Besides rape and teen pregnancy, issues of race, class, and gender are developed. Graphic language and images. Grade 10. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1999. 212 pages.
Kindred. Butler, Octavia.*
Thematically and textually, this historical science-fiction novel is about crossing boundaries. As Butler tells the story of a young African American woman who is transported from her southern California home in 1976 to the American South just after the Civil War, she examines deep-rooted questions about the long lasting impact of slavery. This story is also about literacy, gender roles, power and resistance. Students find the work compelling to read; however, the novel contains vivid depictions of violence, racism, and racial epithets. Grade 11-12. Boston: Beacon Press, 1979. 264 pages. 
Mama’s Girl. Chambers, Veronica.*
An autobiographical account of her childhood in Brooklyn during the 70s and 80s, Mama’s Girl recounts Veronica Chambers’ rise to academic success despite many obstacles. Chambers mother was often abusive, and almost always completely closed emotionally toward her daughter. Born the only daughter of African American parents with Caribbean lineage, Chambers follows her mother after her parents’ bitter divorce. While Chambers’ story is dramatic and at points painful, it is the sense of optimism and determination that makes this story shine. Grade 10-12. NY: Riverhead Books, 1996. 194 pages. ISBN 9781573225991
Martrys' Crossing. Wilentz, Amy.*
Amy Wilentz's first novel is distressingly timely in its release. Arab-Israeli strife is back with a vengeance. Israel is bombing Lebanon; Hamas and Hezbollah are bombing Israel; the Israeli army is strafing Gaza; the Palestinian police are strafing Israeli checkpoints. Israelis suffer, Palestinians suffer, and Westerners shake their heads in disbelief. The conflict is told through the story of an Israeli soldier and the family of a Palestinian boy who sat a checkpoint, unable to cross to receive medical attention. This novel helps readers move from the geo political to the very real lives of Israelis and Palestinians. Grade 11 and 12. New York: Ballatine Books, 2001. 311 pages.
Monster. Myers, Walter Dean.*
Steve Harmon is a 16-year-old African-American who is on trial for his supposed role in the fatal shooting of a convenience-store owner. However, it remains unclear for the reader as to whether or not Steve is guilty. Myers’ novel, written more as a teleplay is a quick and appealing read for teens. The story develops some critical, contemporary issues regarding age, race, and class. Grade 10. New York: Harper Collins, 1999. 281 pages.
A Place to Stand. Baca, Jimmy Santiago.*
In this memoir, Baca describes prison as "the most frightening nightmare I have ever experienced" (5). Learning to read and write provided Baca the means to stave off insanity through long months in isolation and years in the system. He recalls his own family dynamics throughout the book, looking at the root causes of family violence. Readers are also introduced to many fellow prisoners and their stories. The book is also hopeful, for Baca's use of reading and writing--his ability to construct a counter narrative to the one created for him by society and prison officials--allowed him to be a witness rather than a victim. "I was a witness for those who for one reason or another would never have a place of their own, would never have the opportunity to make their lives stable enough because resources weren't available or because they just could not get it together. My job was to witness and record the "it" of their lives, to celebrate those who don't have a place in this world to stand and call home." (244). This has been a hit book at Roosevelt. Danica Fierman, at Jefferson, says she can’t keep a copy on the shelf. NY: Grove Atlantic. 264 pages.
Right By My Side. Haynes, David.*
Marshall Field Finney is a high school sophomore who lives in a housing project in St. Louis. Throughout this book, Marshall questions his family, his friends, and himself. He is angry about many things and develops a very tough, wisecracking exterior. Haynes creates a very believable and empathetic character in Marshall, one that many high school students will be able to identify with. Right By My Side is the 1994 winner of the ALA’s Best Book for Young Adults Award. Grade 9/10. Minneapolis, MN. : New River Press, 1993. 181 pages.
The Skin I’m In. Flake, Sharon.*
Maleeka Madison is an African American seventh grader who suffers from low self-esteem as a result of teasing about her skin color. Trying to convince herself and others that these taunts mean nothing to her, she gets herself into trouble. She feels isolated until she meets Miss Saunders, a teacher who understands her feelings. This story is written in an easy, uncomplicated prose, making is accessible to most all students. Themes of race, self-esteem, and gender play prominently in the book. Grade 9. (Used by many middle schools) NY: Jump at the Sun/Hyperion Books for Children, 1998. 131 pages.
Speak. Anderson, Laurie Hale.*
Melinda is entering high school and the only person she is talking to is the reader. “Every time I try to talk to my parents or a teacher, I sputter and freeze…” Melinda’s family is emotionally remote, and classmates shun her at school because they blame her for busting up a big party. This novel deals with very difficult themes, but one cannot help but come away from this book a more compassionate person. Easy reading but mature subject matter. This story centers on the trauma of sexual assault. Teachers will likely want to consider whether their individual classes are emotionally equipped for the difficult details about rape. Grade 9-12. NY: Farrar, Straus, Giroux, 1999. 197 pages. 
Two Old Women: An Alaska Legend of Betrayal, Courage, and Survival. Wallis, Velma.*
Author Wallis grew up in northern Alaska, and in this book she pays homage to a familiar tribal legend. The story is a recreation of a native Alaskan tale about two old women who are abandoned by their tribe during a time of famine. This version, which has a happy conclusion, won the 1993 Western States Book Award. Deals with issues of age, hunger, solidarity, and struggle. Grade 9. Fairbanks: Epicenter Press, 1993. 145 pages. 
Warriors Don’t Cry. Beals, Melba Patillo.*
Melba Patillo Beals, one of the nine Little Rock Arkansas students to integrate Central High School in 1957, recounts their struggle to overcome segregation and institutionalized racism. Blending adult commentary with teenage experience, this book grants the reader insight into one of the most compelling civil rights battles in our nation’s history. The story underscores that, regardless of age, people can enact change. The text reads easily, but does not spare the details of the physical and psychological abuse suffered. Also, racial epithets are cited in the text. Because of the political and emotional content, the teacher should be prepared to open the classroom to intense discussions and activities around race and racism. Recommended for 9th or 10th grades. New York: Simon & Schuster Inc, 1994. 312 pages.
Wild Meat & Bully Burgers. Yamanaka, Lois Ann.*
In her debut novel, the author presents the history of a Japanese American family living in Hawaii in the 1970s. The narrator, Lovey Nariyoshi, tells her story of growing up in a white ("haole") culture that keeps her family segregated. "No japs on TV," observes Lovey, "except Mrs. Livingston and Kay-to." This engrossing novel is strongly woven together, with chapters that swing from the heartfelt, childhood memories of Lovey's father, Hubert, to the fiendish behavior of her neighbors. Harvest Books. 288 pages.
Teacher Resource
Spoken Soul. Rickford, John.*
The definitive book on the controversial Ebonics issue, written by a Professor of Linguistics and Director of the African and African American Studies program at Stanford University (John) in conjunction with his son (Russell), a freelance writer who has worked at the Philadelphia Inquirer and other newspapers. New York: Wiley. 267 pages.
