Summer Reading List for Year 10

Read one modern and one classic. They are great stories. Also visit Book Drum to get extra information about your books:
http://www.bookdrum.co m/profiles.html

Love Reading 4 Kids is a great web site to get further reading suggestions and you can download a chapter of the novel to see if it hooks you.
http://www.lovereading4kids.co.uk/

Classic Texts:

The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins

A young drawing teacher, Walter Hartright, takes up a new position in Cumberland, and soon falls in love with his student, the lovely Laura Fairlie. But although she reciprocates his love, she is already promised to a baronet with designs upon her fortune. Sir Percival Glyde is not the only threat to Lauras happiness and sanity; his alarming associate, Count Fosco, adds further complications to a sinister and intricate plot. Will Walter and Lauras half -sister Marian be able to save the unfortunate bride? Everything, it seems, hinges on the mysterious and potentially unhinged woman in white. Why you should read it Celebrated as the forerunner of the modern suspense novel, The Woman in White is a gripping read from start to finish. Hidden identities, murky motives and bizarre coincidences mean that nothing is what is seems. With a plot full of mystery, twists and cliff-hangers, The Woman in White is frequently cited as one of the greatest novels of all time.

David Copperfield by Charles Dickens

One of the most enduring classics of English literature, David Copperfield traces the journey of a boy from a wretched childhood at the hands of his brutal stepfather through to a successful adulthood as a famous author.

Why you should read it A story of tyranny and treachery, love and rejection, degradation and success, life and death - this book is at times funny, tragic, enchanting, whimsical, distressing and uplifting: it is always engaging. More than anything else he has penned, this semi-autobiographical novel will bring you close to the life and times of Dickens himself.

Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens

The classic story of a young boy who seeks his fortune on the streets of London. After Oliver Twist asks nasty Mr Bumble for more food, he has to flee the workhouse for the streets of London. Here he meets the Artful Dodger, who leads him to Fagin and his gang of pickpockets. When a thieving mission goes wrong, Oliver narrowly avoids prison and finds himself in the care of kind Mr Brownlow. But Fagin and the brutal Bill Sikes go in search of the young orphan, determined to drag him back . . .

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

Mrs Bennet has five daughters, all of whom need husbands if their futures are to be secured. The rich and charming Mr Bingley seems perfect for sweet-natured Jane. But will Elizabeth, who has resolved to marry only for love, find anything to like in proud, haughty Mr Darcy? Why you should read it Quite simply one of the worlds best loved books, this novel of manners, misunderstanding, marriage and love is exquisitely crafted and perfectly observed. Even after numerous film and television adaptations, this is a story that remains fresh and impossible to resist two centuries on.

Tess Of The D'Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy

When Tess Durbeyfield is persuaded by her impoverished but hopeful parents to claim a connection with the noble D'Urberville family, she ends up disgraced and ruined. A new life and love are held out to her by gentlemanly Angel Clare, but Tess must decide whether to confess her shameful past and risk losing him forever. Why you should read it Teeming with exquisite descriptions and heart-wrenching observations, Hardy's most famous novel evokes a world we have lost filled with dilemmas and tensions that are still rife today.

The Mayor of Casterbridge by Thomas Hardy

In a fit of drunken anger, Michael Henchard sells his wife and baby daughter for five guineas at a

country fair. Over the course of the following years, he manages to establish himself as a respected and prosperous pillar of the community of Casterbridge, but behind his success there always lurk the shameful secret of his past and a personality prone to self-destructive pride and temper. Subtitled 'A Story of a Man of Character', Hardy's powerful and sympathetic study of the heroic but deeply flawed Henchard is also an intensely dramatic work, tragically played out against the vivid backdrop of a closeknit Dorsetshire town.

Jane Eyre

by Charlotte Bronte

Orphaned Jane Eyre grows up in the home of her heartless aunt and then an awful charity school, where she endures loneliness and cruelty. But when she finds love with her sardonic employer, Rochester, the discovery of his terrible secret forces her to make a choice. Should she stay with him and live with the consequences, or follow her convictions, even if it means leaving the man she loves?

The Hound of the Baskervilles by Arthur Conan Doyle

Doyle actually stole the story from a legend of the Moors. Generations ago, a hound of hell tore out the throat of devilish Hugo Baskerville on the moonlit moor. Poor, accursed Baskerville Hall now has another mysterious death: that of Sir Charles Baskerville. Could the culprit somehow be mixed up with secretive servant Barrymore, history-obsessed Dr. Frankland, butterfly-chasing Stapleton, or Selden, the Notting Hill murderer at large? Someone has been signalling with candles from the mansion's windows. Supernatural forces cannot be ruled out. Can Dr. Watson (left alone by Sherlock Holmes to sleuth in fear for much of the novel) save the next Baskerville, Sir Henry, from the hound's fangs? Perhaps not one for the dog lovers amongst you, but a gripping tale none the less.

The Mill on the Floss by George Eliot

This novel, based on George Eliot's own experiences of provincial life, is a masterpiece of ambiguity in which moral choice is subjected to the hypocrisy of the Victorian age. As the headstrong Maggie Tulliver grows into womanhood, the deep love which she has for her brother Tom turns into conflict, because she cannot reconcile his bourgeois standards with her own lively intelligence. Maggie is unable to adapt to her community or break free from it, and the result, on more than one level, is tragedy.

Modern Texts: The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

The parties he throws in his Long Island mansion are legendary, the rumours about his past legion. But there is only one thing the mysterious and fabulously wealthy Jay Gatsby wants to recapture his first love. Yet when Daisy Buchanan reappears in his life, she sparks a chain of events that lead to tragedy and destruction. Why you should read it In his iconic masterpiece, Fitzgerald paints an irresistible picture of the gilded Roaring Twenties, only to undermine it completely with humanitys basest traits. This is the quintessential story of the American Dream, complete with the decadence, corruption and disaster that so often follow.

The Color Purple by Alice Walker

A young black girl struggling against poverty and racism in the American South is beaten and raped by her 'Pa' and her husband. But Celie's life begins to change when a very different kind of woman comes to town, bringing with her music, sex, and the joy of being alive. Why you should read it This Southern classic gives voice to a silenced people. In Celie we have a narrator who fights her way to freedom and reunites with those she loves. Not just a great classic but a great read.

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

Two boys grow up as best friends in 1970s Afghanistan, until a horrific crime on the day of Kabul's kite fighting tournament drives them apart. When Afghanistan falls to the Soviets, Amir struggles with his guilt in exile, only finding a way to atone for his treatment of Hassan years later. But the price he must pay is a terrifying confrontation with the Taliban. Why you should read it For many people struggling to understand Afghanistan after the 2001 US/UK invasion, Hosseini's book was a perfectly timed guide. A decade later, its powerful story of friendship, betrayal and guilt remains as compelling as its historical context is fascinating.

Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier

After a whirlwind courtship in Monte Carlo, a young bride arrives at Manderley, the ancestral home of her new husband Maxim de Winter. She receives a hostile reception from Mrs Danvers, the housekeeper, and finds herself becoming obsessed with Rebecca, Maxims deceased first wife. She has an overwhelming sense of Rebeccas continuing presence in the house. As the second Mrs de Winter gradually pieces together the mysteries of Manderley

and its inhabitants, she is led to a shocking revelation which has profound consequences for them all. Why you should read it This beautifully-crafted mystery sustains an atmosphere of suspense and lingering evil which will hold the reader's attention from start to finish. Endlessly referenced in popular culture, it remains one of the best loved novels in the English language.

Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt

Frank McCourt's compelling memoir of his "miserable Irish Catholic childhood," growing up in the slums of Limerick in the 1930s and 1940s. Tragedy is heaped upon tragedy, and Frank's alcoholic father finally abandons his destitute family. But he leaves Frank with a precious gift the love of language, music and story-telling. Why you should read it The energy of Frank McCourt's story-telling, the sharpness of his observation, his soaring visual prose and wonderful sense of humour often in desperately sad circumstances make this a powerful account of the young republics underclass. Written from the perspective of a child, McCourt's sometimes nave observations and misunderstandings are always credible and often hilarious in this unsentimental memoir.

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer

While his war-damaged grandparents write letters of searing loss which they will never send, a young boy knocks on the doors of strangers in post-9/11 New York to find a box that only one key can open. Why you should read it Read it for an unforgettable protagonist, a vivid vision of love, and a journey around a city full of oddities and humour. A raucous reflection on the struggle to choose life in the midst of grief.

To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee

A child's eye view of a terrible miscarriage of justice in segregated 1930s Alabama, To Kill A Mockingbird is at the same time a disturbing portrait of a deeply flawed society and a heartwarming tale of innocence and discovery. Why you should read it

Harper Lee's only novel has sold 30 million copies and remains one of the best loved books taught in English classes all over the world. This is a child's story with important lessons for any grown-up.

The Beach by Alex Garland

In the tradition of grand adventure novels, Richard, a rootless traveller rambling around Thailand on his way somewhere else, is given a hand-drawn map by a madman who calls himself Daffy Duck. He and two French travellers set out on a journey to find this paradise. On the beach the sudden illness of the community, a shark attack, the arrival of the two Harvard boys and some Germans, and a war with the drug lords of the island lead to division, hostility, and eventually, chaos.

Fever Pitch by Nick Hornby

Fever Pitch is both an autobiography and a footballing bible rolled into one. Nick Hornby pinpoints 1968 as his formative year the year he turned 11, the year his parents separated, and the year his father first took him to watch Arsenal play. The author quickly moved "way beyond fandom" into an extreme obsession that has dominated his life, loves, and relationships.(see also About A Boy, High Fidelity etc)

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson

The greatest crime novel of the last decade, Larssons story is an instant classic. Harriet Vanger disappeared off a rich family's private island. Nobody saw her leave, there was no sign of her disappearance and no corpse. Her uncle, however, is convinced that a family member murdered her. Forty years later, journalist Mikael Blomqvist takes on the investigation of her disappearance, hooking up with Lisbeth, an intelligent but defiant 23 year-old hacker. This thrilling novel encompasses serial killers, sex and corruption. (See also the other books in the Millenium Trilogy)

Nineteen Eighty Four by George Orwell

The greatest dystopian novel ever written. Hidden away in the Record Department of the sprawling Ministry of Truth, Winston Smith skilfully rewrites the past to suit the needs of the Party. Yet he inwardly rebels against the totalitarian world he lives in, which demands absolute obedience and controls him through the all-seeing telescreens and the watchful eye of Big Brother, symbolic head of the Party. In his longing for truth and liberty, Smith begins a secret love affair with a fellow-worker Julia, but soon discovers the true price of freedom.

Noughts and Crosses by Malorie Blackman

Sephy is a Cross - a member of the dark-skinned ruling class. Callum is a nought - a 'colourless' member of the underclass who were once slaves to the Crosses. The two have been friends since early childhood. But that's as far as it can go. Until the first steps are taken towards more social equality and a limited number of Noughts are allowed into Cross schools. Against a background of

prejudice and distrust, intensely highlighted by violent terrorist activity by Noughts, a romance builds between Sephy and Callum - a romance that is to lead both of them into terrible danger.

The Knife of Never Letting Go: Book 1 in the Chaos Walking Trilogy by Patrick Ness
Imagine you're the only boy in a town of men. And you can hear everything they think. And they can hear everything you think. Imagine you don't fit in with their plans. Todd Hewitt is just one month away from the birthday that will make him a man. But his town has been keeping secrets from him. Secrets that are going to force him to run.

Gone by Michael Grant

In the blink of an eye, all the adults in Perdido Beach, California, disappear. Suddenly there are no adults, no answers and the world has no rules. only those under 15 are left behind and they must do all they can to survive. But everyone's idea of survival is different. For Sam and Astrid it's a race against time as they try to solve the questions that now dominate their lives... What is the mysterious wall that has encircled them and trapped everyone within? Why have some kids developed strange super-human powers? And what will happen when they turn 15 - will they disappear too?

Exposure by Mal Peet

Revered as a national hero... married to the desirable Desmerelda... cherished by the media... soccer star, Otello, has it all. But a sensational club transfer sparks a media frenzy, and when he is wrongly implicated in a scandal, the footballer's life turns into a tragic spiral of destruction. An ingenious modern version of Shakespeares Othello.

Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

Guy Montag is a book-burning fireman undergoing a crisis of faith. His wife spends all day with her television "family", imploring Montag to work harder so that they can afford a fourth TV wall. Their dull, empty life sharply contrasts with that of his next-door neighbour Clarisse, a young girl thrilled by the ideas in books, and more interested in what she can see in the world around her.. When Clarisse disappears mysteriously, Montag is moved to make some changes, and starts hiding books in his home. Eventually, his wife turns him in, and he must answer the call to burn his secret cache of books.

Notes from a Small Island by Bill Bryson

Before leaving his much-loved home in North Yorkshire to return to America, Bryson insisted on taking one last trip around Britain, a sort of valedictory tour of the green and kindly island that had so long been his home. His aim was to take stock of modern-day Britain, and to analyze what he loved so much about a country that had produced Marmite, zebra crossings, and place names like Farleigh Wallop, Titsey, and Shellow Bowells. With wit and irreverence, Bill Bryson presents the ludicrous and the endearing in equal measure.

The Daydreamer by Ian McEwan

Peter Fortune is a daydreamer. He's a quiet ten year old who can't help himself from dropping out of reality and into the amazing world of his vivid imagination. His daydreams are fantastic and fascinating - only in the bizarre and disturbing world of dreams can he swop bodies with the family cat and his baby cousin, Kenneth, or wipe out his entire family with vanishing cream.