Spring Reading
The shift to digital learning is a great time to find a few activities that don't involve screen time, and reading is one of those! We asked our students, faculty and staff to share their book recommendations for this time at home (and beyond). With recommendations for students and parents, there is something for everyone!
Student Reading List
This list was compiled by faculty, staff, and students of Forest Ridge. When a submission was made by faculty or staff, the book genre and suggested grade level for each work is included. All submissions include statements regarding why they would recommend these works to others.
- A Young People's History of the United States by Howard Zinn and Rebecca Stefoff
- Keeper of the Lost Cities by Shannon Messenger
- Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass by Frederick Douglass
- A Mango Shaped Space by Wendy Mass
- Skyward Series by Brandon Sanderson
- The Maze Runner by James Dashner
- The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater
- Secrets Can Kill by Carolyn Keene
- The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents by Terry Pratchett
- Wishtree by Katherine Applegate
- Song of the Lioness Quartet by Tamora Pierce
- Cinder by Marissa Meyer
- The Year of Living Biblically: One Man's Humble Quest to follow the Bible as Literally as Possible by AJ Jacobs
- The War I Finally Won by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley
- Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi
- Year of the Dog, Year of the Rat, Dumpling Days, Where the Mountain Meets the Moon, Starry River of the Sky by Gracie Lin
- Icerigger by Alan Dean Foster
- Malala - My Story of Standing Up for Girls' Rights or I am Malala by Malala Yousafzai
- The Serpent’s Secret by Sayantani DasGupta
- How Dare the Sun Rise by Sandra Uwringiyimana
- A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park
- The 57 Bus by Daska Slater, Robin Miles
- Chinese Cinderella by Adeline Yen Mah
- Words on Fire by Jennifer Nielson
- Americanized: Rebel Without a Green Card by Sara Saedi, Lameece Issaq, et al.
- Internment by Samira Ahmed
- Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus by Dusti Bowling
- The Girl with Seven Names: A North Korean Defector’s Story by Hyeonseo Lee
- Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward
- Born a Crime by Trevor Noah
- Puzzled by P.J. Nichols
- From What Is to What If by Ron Askew
- Hatchett by Gary Paulsen
- Esperanza Rising by Pam Ryan
- Swimming to Antarctica: Tales of a Long-Distance Swimmer by Lynne Cox
- Rocket Men: The Daring Odyssey of Apollo 8 and the Astronauts Who Made Man's First Journey to the Moon by Robert Kurson
- The Land of Stories by Chris Colfer
- Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsburg
- Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli
- Arc of a Scythe Series by Neal Shusterman
- Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
- Guts by Reina Telgemeier
- Front Desk by Kelly Yang
A Young People's History of the United States by Howard Zinn and Rebecca Stefoff
Keeper of the Lost Cities by Shannon Messenger
Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass by Frederick Douglass
A Mango Shaped Space by Wendy Mass
Skyward Series by Brandon Sanderson
The Maze Runner by James Dashner
The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater
Secrets Can Kill by Carolyn Keene
The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents by Terry Pratchett
Wishtree by Katherine Applegate
Song of the Lioness Quartet by Tamora Pierce
Cinder by Marissa Meyer
The Year of Living Biblically: One Man's Humble Quest to follow the Bible as Literally as Possible by AJ Jacobs
The War I Finally Won by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley
Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi
Year of the Dog, Year of the Rat, Dumpling Days, Where the Mountain Meets the Moon, Starry River of the Sky by Gracie Lin
Icerigger by Alan Dean Foster
Malala - My Story of Standing Up for Girls' Rights or I am Malala by Malala Yousafzai
The Serpent’s Secret by Sayantani DasGupta
How Dare the Sun Rise by Sandra Uwringiyimana
A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park
The 57 Bus by Daska Slater, Robin Miles
Chinese Cinderella by Adeline Yen Mah
Words on Fire by Jennifer Nielson
Americanized: Rebel Without a Green Card by Sara Saedi, Lameece Issaq, et al.
Internment by Samira Ahmed
Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus by Dusti Bowling
The Girl with Seven Names: A North Korean Defector’s Story by Hyeonseo Lee
Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward
Born a Crime by Trevor Noah
Puzzled by P.J. Nichols
From What Is to What If by Ron Askew
Hatchett by Gary Paulsen
Esperanza Rising by Pam Ryan
Swimming to Antarctica: Tales of a Long-Distance Swimmer by Lynne Cox
Rocket Men: The Daring Odyssey of Apollo 8 and the Astronauts Who Made Man's First Journey to the Moon by Robert Kurson
The Land of Stories by Chris Colfer
Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsburg
Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli
Arc of a Scythe Series by Neal Shusterman
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
Guts by Reina Telgemeier
Front Desk by Kelly Yang
Parent Reading List
This list was compiled by faculty and staff of Forest Ridge. Those making the recommendations submitted book genres and statements regarding why they would recommend these works to others.
- The Great Influenza: The Epic Story of the Deadliest Plague in History by John M. Barry
- Ordinary Grace by William Kent Krueger
- When the Emperor Was Divine by Julie Otsuka
- Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri
- A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson
- Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us by Dan Pink
- www.wanderinginn.com by pirateaba
- Salt Fat Acid Heat by Samin Nosrat
- The Flavor Matrix by James Briscione
- The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg
- Heaven by Rowan Ricardo Phillips
- Enough as She Is by Rachel Simmons
- The Broken Earth Trilogy by N.K. Jemisin
- Under Pressure by Lisa Damour
- The River Why by David James Duncan
- Mathematical Mindsets by Joe Boehler
- How to Raise an Adult by Julie Lythcott-Haims
- Unsheltered by Barbara Kingsolver
- How to Hide an Empire: A History of the Greater United States by Daniel Immerwahr
- The Attention Merchants by Tim Wu
- Arc of a Scythe Series by Neal Shusterman
- Weapons of Math Destruction: How Big Data Increases Inequality and Threatens Democracy by Cathy O'Neil
- Land of Love and Drowning by Tiphanie Yanique
- How to Lie with Statistics by Darrell Huff
- Saving Fish from Drowning by Amy Tan
- The Lady Astronaut Novels by Mary Kowal
- Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln's Killer by James L. Swanson
- Untangled: Guiding Teenage Girls Through the Seven Transitions into Adulthood by Dr. Lisa Damour
- Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead by Brene Brown
- Elwha: A River Reborn by Lynda Mapes
- All Souls Trilogy by Deborah Harkness
- Dare to Lead by Brene Brown
- Visionary Women: How Rachel Carson, Jane Jacobs, Jane Goodall, and Alice Waters Changed Our World by Andrea Barnet
- Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When the Stakes Are High by Patterson, Grenny, McMillan, & Switzler
- Ceremony by Leslie Marmon Silko
- Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis by JD Vance
- The Changeling by Victor LaValle
- Middle School Matters: The 10 Key Skills Kids Need to Thrive in Middle School and Beyond – and How Parents Can Help by Phyllis L. Fagell
- Underland by Robert MacFarlane
- Faro's Daughter, The Grand Sophy, and others by Georgette Heyer
- Almost Everything: Notes on Hope by Anne Lamott