We will read several books during the semester.
Book I: Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass
This is a short book which we will read during the opening days of the semester. You will be given a copy to read.
Book II: The Glass Castle (Jeannette Walls)
Book III: In Cold Blood (Truman Capote)
Often considered a nonfiction novel, Capote’s In Cold Blood established a new genre in literature. The book relates the story of a 1959 murder in Kansas. Students will need to obtain a copy of the book.
Book IV: Group Selection
If Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell is available in paperback by the end of the semester, we may read the book as a class instead of selecting a book to read in groups. Student will separate into groups of three and then select a final book to read for the semester. Students may select one of the books listed below. Students will have two weeks to read the book. Students will participate in daily group discussions about the book.
Angela’s Ashes (Frank McCourt)
Complications: A Surgeon’s Notes on an Imperfect Science (Atul Gawande)
The Demon in the Freezer (Richard Preston)
Ecology of a Cracker Childhood (Janisse Ray)
Friday Night Lights: A Town, A Team, and A Dream (H.G. Bissinger)
The Professor and the Madman (Simon Winchester)
A Walk in the Woods (Bill Bryson)
