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MALIBU LIBRARY SUMMER DISCOVERY PROGRAM: Share in LA County Library’s 2023 Summer Discovery Program, an annual celebration of reading and curiosity that encourages people of all ages to read and learn all summer long. This year’s program runs June 1 - August 13. To learn more about this summer’s reading game, programs, activities, and more, visit: https://lacountylibrary.org/Summer-Discovery or https://lacountylibrary.org/malibu-library/#
English Department Summer Reading SuggestionsIn thinking about how to best serve our students, the MHS English Department has made the decision that this summer there will be no formal reading assignments - note that there may be separate AP assignments (scroll down for AP assignments and recommendations). Thus, we would still like to offer these “suggestions” which will NOT be tied to any academic grade or assignment when we get back to school in the fall. We encourage students to explore these purely optional selections as selected with thought and care by the individual teachers in our department. We release these suggestions in good faith and hope that our academic community might benefit from the joy of reading.
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Bonnie Thoreson
Summer Reading Recommendations
Akata Witch / Akata Warrior / Akata Woman by Nnedi Okorafor
I recently discovered Okorafor, a Nigerian-American fantasy and science fiction author, and I LOVE her writing. The Akata Witch series (she is currently writing the third book) features a 12-year-old girl whose sense of not fitting in is turned on its head when she discovers a parallel magical world in which one’s supposed disabilities are actually the source of personal power. If you love Harry Potter, these books pose a very interesting contrast to Rowling’s magical universe.
The Girl with the Louding Voice by Adi Dare
A powerful, emotional debut novel told in the unforgettable voice of a young Nigerian woman who is trapped in a life of servitude but determined to fight for her dreams and choose her own future. Adunni is a fourteen-year-old Nigerian girl who knows what she wants: an education. This, her mother has told her, is the only way to get a “louding voice” — the ability to speak for herself and decide her own future. But instead, Adunni's father sells her to be the third wife of a local man who is eager for her to bear him a son and heir. When Adunni runs away to the city, hoping to make a better life, she finds that the only other option before her is servitude to a wealthy family. As a yielding daughter, a subservient wife, and a powerless slave, Adunni is told, by words and deeds, that she is nothing. That is until she finds the resolve to speak, however she can — in a whisper, in song, in broken English — until she is heard. - powells.com
Scholomance series by Naomi Novik
With flawless mastery, Naomi Novik creates a school bursting with magic like you've never seen before, and a heroine for the ages--a character so sharply realized and so richly nuanced that she will live on in hearts and minds for generations to come. - powells.com
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Eric Carrier
Summer Reading Recommendations
The Three-Body Problem by Cixin Liu
Set against the backdrop of China's Cultural Revolution, a secret military project sends signals into space to establish contact with aliens. An alien civilization on the brink of destruction captures the signal and plans to invade Earth. Meanwhile, on Earth, different camps start forming, planning to either welcome the superior beings and help them take over a world seen as corrupt, or to fight against the invasion. The result is a science fiction masterpiece of enormous scope and vision. - powells.com
Sandman by Neil Gaiman
An occultist attempting to capture the physical embodiment of Death to bargain for eternal life traps her younger brother Dream instead. After his seventy-year imprisonment and eventual escape, Dream, also known as Morpheus, goes on a quest for his lost objects of power to reclaim his reign. From there, one of the greatest series in the history of the graphic novel genre begins… Gaiman created an unforgettable tale of the forces that exist beyond life and death by weaving ancient mythology, folklore and fairy tales with his own distinct narrative vision. This graphic novel--a perfect jumping-on point for any reader--includes the introductions of Morpheus, Lucifer and The Endless, all intricate parts of this enduring series that is still as relevant today as ever. - powells.com
Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry
The Pulitzer Prize–winning American classic of the American West that follows two aging Texas Rangers embarking on one last adventure. An epic of the frontier, Lonesome Dove is the grandest novel ever written about the last defiant wilderness of America. Journey to the dusty little Texas town of Lonesome Dove and meet an unforgettable assortment of heroes and outlaws, whores and ladies, Indians and settlers. Richly authentic, beautifully written, always dramatic, Lonesome Dove is a book to make us laugh, weep, dream, and remember. - powells.com
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Alex Mayle
Summer Reading Suggestions
East of Eden by John Steinbeck
When asked what my favorite book is, I always say this Steinbeck classic because it’s perhaps the most compelling novel I’ve read as an adult. East of Eden is the work in which Steinbeck created his most mesmerizing characters and explored his most enduring themes: The mystery of identity, the inexplicability of love, and the murderous consequences of love’s absence. A masterpiece of Steinbeck’s later years, East of Eden is a powerful and vastly ambitious novel that is at once a family saga and a modern retelling of the Book of Genesis. - Penguin Twentieth Century Classics
American Wolf: A True Story of Survival and Obsession in the West by Nate Blakeslee
Now, of all the books I’ve read recently, this is the book that I recommend the most often. I found myself mysteriously drawn to these wild animals by reading about their families, their victories and defeats, and I think there’s a reason for that. In exploring the details of their behavior, wolves, in the way they cooperatively survive in a harsh environment, have much in common with humans. This is the story of wolves’ reintroduction to Yellowstone, the conflict, triumphs, and epiphanies that follow. Blakeslee, in a true analysis of conflict in nature and what happens when that conflict infringes upon the human world, paints a complete picture of wolves’ struggle for survival in America today.
Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates
In a series of essays, written as an extended letter to his son, Coates confronts the notion of race in America and how it has shaped American history, many times at the cost of black bodies and lives. Thoughtfully exploring personal and historical events, from his time at Howard University to the Civil War, the author poignantly asks and attempts to answer difficult questions that plague modern society. At its heart, the purpose of literature is to help the reader understand the human experience. Coates’ insights help us to understand the complexity of the most important challenges our country faces.
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Jennifer Gonzalez
Summer Reading Recommendations
The Chaneysville Incident by David Bradley
The legends say something happened in Chaneysville. The Chaneysville Incident is the powerful story of one man's obsession with discovering what that something was--a quest that takes the brilliant and bitter young black historian John Washington back through the secrets and buried evil of his heritage. Returning home to care for and then bury his father's closest friend and his own guardian, Old Jack Crawley, he comes upon the scant records of his family's proud and tragic history, which he drives himself to reconstruct and accept. This is the story of John's relationship with his family, the town, and the woman he loves; and also between the past and the present, between oppression and guilt, hate and violence, love and acceptance. - powells.com
The Elephant Whisperer: My Life With the Herd in the African Wild by Lawrence Anthony
The true story of a South African wildlife conservationist and his efforts to save a renegade elephant herd. It is filled with challenges, heart breaks and victories as he works to create a bond with the elephants and save them from death. You will have a newfound appreciation for elephants and wildlife conservationists after reading this!
The Princess Bride by William Goldman
One of the few books that truly is a joy to read. A classic fairytale with a lot of action and unexpected twists, this book hooked me on reading. It has comedy, satire, love, pirates, intrigue….
Born a Crime by Trevor Noah
Noah was born a crime, the son of a white Swiss father and a black Xhosa mother, at a time when such a union was punishable by five years in prison. Born a Crime tells the story of a mischievous young boy who grows into a restless young man as he struggles to find himself in a world where he was never supposed to exist. These interwoven stories are equally the story of Trevor’s fearless, rebellious, and fervently religious mother — a woman determined to save her son from the cycle of poverty, violence, and abuse that ultimately threatens her own life. Whether subsisting on caterpillars for dinner during hard times, being thrown from a moving car during an attempted kidnapping, or just trying to survive the life-and-death pitfalls of dating in high school, Trevor illuminates his curious world with wit and honesty. His stories weave together to depict a lovable delinquent making his way through a damaged world in a dangerous time, armed only with a keen sense of humor and a mother’s unconventional, unconditional love. - powells.com
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Rachel Stowell
Summer Reading Suggestions
In the mood for something dark and prophetic?
Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler
Written after the 1992 LA riots, this dystopian novel takes us to a Los Angeles that has no water, the police and fire departments demand payment for help, and a deadly drug is ravaging the streets. One young woman navigates this world to search for a safe place and a new way of thinking.This book feels so current that it’s frightening. I have never forgotten how it affected me and how I view the world, even after all these years. I am still planting fruit trees to survive the apocalypse!
In the mood for light magic?
Nevermoor: The Trials of Morgan Crow by Jessica Townsend
The first in a series of books about a young girl who is considered cursed by her entire town. Yet she is taken to a magical world where she must pass a series of trials to save herself.This is by far the best fantasy series I’ve read in a decade. If you love world-building and inventiveness, give this a try (and come talk to Ms. Auer or me about it in the Fall. We both love it! Each book in the series gets better and better (I promise!). And the new one comes out in November, so you can read it with us!
In the mood for something calming?
Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teaching of Plants by Robin Wall Kimmerer
Botanist and teacher Kimmerer takes us on a journey learning about plants, their connection to humans and how they weave through culture and family.I recommend reading this on audiobook. Her voice is so soothing and full of emotion. Use it as meditation and as a new way to see the world around you.
In the mood for some good, old, plain fun?
Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
Arthur Dent has no idea what's happening as he gets scooped up into a space adventure with only his odd friend Ford from the planet Betelguese and his handy guide to the galaxy there to help him.
I often go back to re-read these books and am amazed by how well they hold up after all these years.
