A couple of books to kick off the new season!

Hello Aim High Book Club Bloggers~
I have been searching for a couple of book titles that will kick off the new book club season and word on the street is that the following two books are must reads. Check them out and let me know what you think. :) Michelle @ Aim High

Book: Flowers For Algernon, by Daniel Keyes
Until he was thirty-two, Charlie Gordon --gentle, amiable, oddly engaging-- had lived in a kind of mental twilight. He knew knowledge was important and had learned to read and write after a fashion, but he also knew he wasn't nearly as bright as most of the people around him. There was even a white mouse named Algernon who outpaced Charlie in some ways. But a remarkable operation had been performed on Algernon, and now he was a genius among mice. Suppose Charlie underwent a similar operation...

Book: Stargirl, by Jerry Spinelli
When Stargirl enrolls at Mica High, all of the students are in awe, but she especially captures the attention of Leo Borlock, a junior at Mica. With her long flowing brown hair, plain face, and rather eccentric outfits, her classmates don't know whether to love her for having the guts to be different, or hate her for breaking the rules of high school. In fact they react by doing a little bit of both. First they embrace her uniqueness by imitating her, and then, just as quickly, they turn on her for being unusual. Despite her status as outcast, Leo and Stargirl become a couple, and he experiences what it's like to be shunned. In hopes of gaining acceptance Leo encourages her to become normal. Together both Leo and Stargirl learn a lesson about conforming to the will of the group versus being yourself.

A Call for Aim High Student Suggestions!!!

Hello Aim High~

It's that time of year again when the Aim High summer program is wrapping up and we have a few weeks before the new school year begins. This is a great time to check in with us at Aim High to let us know what some of your favorite book authors are. Over the next couple of weeks I will be putting together a new book list for the Aim High Teen Book Club. I have some thoughts of my own and would love to include your thoughts and ideas.
You can post your suggestions on this blog or email Michelle, studentcenter@aimhigh.org.
I am looking forward to hearing from you!!!!!!!
:) Michelle @ Aim High

AIM HIGH TEEN BOOK CLUB GUIDELINES

HOW TO PARTICIPATE:

1. PICK A BOOK TO READ FROM THE BOOKS LISTED IN THE BLOG POSTINGS BELOW.
2. WHEN YOU COMPLETE THE BOOK LET US KNOW WHAT YOU THINK BY POSTING A BOOK REVIEW. IN YOUR REVIEW PLEASE DESCRIBE THE BOOK AND SHARE YOUR REACTION TO IT. WHAT DID YOU ENJOY, OR NOT ENJOY AND WHY. THEN GIVE THE BOOK A RATING FROM THE BOOK REVIEW RATING KEY.
3. EMAIL ME, MICHELLE, AT studentcenter@aimhigh.org. LET ME KNOW WHO YOU ARE SO THAT I CAN SEND YOU A PRIZE!
4. HAVE FUN!

THIS IS A NEW ADVENTURE FOR AIM HIGH SO KINDLY LET US KNOW WHAT YOU THINK.
ALSO, PLEASE LET US KNOW WHAT BOOK TITLES AND AUTHORS THAT YOU ENJOY FOR FUTURE BOOK LISTS.
:) I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO BLOGING WITH YOU!

AIM HIGH BOOK LIST & BOOK REVIEW RATING

HELLO AIM HIGH!

BELOW IS THE CURRENT AIM HIGH TEEN BOOK CLUB BOOK LIST. EACH POSTING BELOW IS A BOOK AND A DESCRIPTION. PLEASE NOTE THAT THERE IS A LIST OF BOOKS THAT WE HAVE A FEW COPIES OF IN THE OFFICE THAT YOU CAN BORROW IF YOU WOULD LIKE. JUST CONTACT ME, MICHELLE, AT studentcenter@aimhigh.org. I KNOW THAT THE LIST IS LONG, BUT I AM NEW AT THIS AND WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE IS SOMETHING THAT WILL APPEAL TO MANY DIFFERENT PEOPLE. SO LETS GET STARTED!

~BOOK REVIEW RATING KEY~

One Shout Out - A tree died to make it and I had to read it. Everybody loses!
Two Shout Outs - Not worth a paper cut.
Three Shout Outs - Worth a look, bu check the return policy before buying it.
Four Shout Outs - Check it out!
Five Shout Outs - Put one in every hotel drawer in America!

When I was a soldier: A memoir (Isreal), by Valerie Zenatti

The true story of one girl’s experience in the Israeli national army where strict routines, grueling marches, poor food, and lack of sleep are the norm, but service has it’s rewards as well.

Little Green: Growing Up During Chinese Cultural Revolution (China)

By Chun Yu

In this autobiography, Chun Yu describes her experiences during the reign of Chairman Mao.

Boy Kills Man (Columbia), by Matt Whyman

Two thirteen-year-old boys, blood brothers and best friends, get drawn into a dangerous, violent world on the streets of a troubled Columbian city.

The Boy in the Burning House, by Tim Wynne-Jonew

Fourteen-year-old Jim tries to solve the mystery of his father’s disappearance from their rural Canadian community.

Homeless Bird (India), by Gloria Whelan

When thirteen-year-old Koly enters into an ill-fated arranged marriage, she must either suffer a destiny dictated by India’s tradition or find the courage to oppose it.

The Kidnapping of Suzie Q (Ireland), by Martin Waddell

When Susie Quinn is kidnapped by robbers from a supermarket in Northern Ireland, she mush use all her cunning and courage to escape.

Taste of Salt: A Story of Modern Haiti (Haiti), by Frances Temple

In the hospital after surviving a beating and fire-bombing, seventeen-year-old Djo tells the story of his life to a young woman who has been working to fight repression in Haiti.

Chanda’s Secret (Fictional Southern Africa), by Allan Stratton

Poverty and AIDS epidemic around her, Chanda survives molestation and struggles to an education while caring for siblings and friends.

Shiva’s Fire (Inida), by Suzanne Fisher Staples

In India, a talented dancer sacrifices friends and family for her art.

The Dirty War (Argentina), by Charles H. Slaughter

Fourteen-year-old Atre witnesses a terrifying government takeover in 1976.

The Ink-Keeper’s Appentice (Japan), by Allen Say

A fourteen-year-old boy lives on his own in Tokyo and becomes apprenticed to a famous Japanese cartoonist.

Persopolis (Iran), by Mariane Satrapi

This graphic novel tells the true story of how Marjane came of age during the Iranian Revolution.

Angus, Thongs and Full-frontal Snogging: Confessions of Georgia Nicolson (England)

By Louise Rennison

Fourteen-year-old Georgia tries to reduce the size of her nose, stop her mad cat from terrorizing the neighborhood animals, and win the love of a hunk named Robbie.

The Crossing (Mexico), by Gary Paulsen

Fourteen-year-old Manny, a street kid fighting for survival in Ciudad Juarez, develops a friendship with an emotionally disturbed American soldier who decides to help him get across the border.

Habibi (Palestine), by Naomi Shihab Nye

When fourteen-year-old Liyanne Abbovd and her family move from St. Louis to Jerusalem, they are swept into the fierce tensions between Israelis and Palestinians.

No Turning Back (South Africa), by Beverly Naidoo

Sipho runs away from an abusive home to the streets of post-apartheid Johannesburg.