Grade 12—What is this Book About?Book Summaries

The Book ThiefMarkus ZusakTrying to make sense of the horrors of World War II, Death relates the story of Liesel--a young German girl whose book-stealing and story-telling talents help sustain her family and the Jewish man they are hiding, as well as their neighbors.

A Thousand Splendid SunsKhaled HosseiniAfghan women Mariam and Laila grow close, despite their nearly twenty-year age difference and initial rivalry, as they suffer at the hands of a common enemy--their abusive, much-older husband, Rasheed.

The Once and Future KingT.H. WhiteTells the story of the youth and reign of King Arthur, the establishment of the Round Table, and the search for the Holy Grail.

BecomingMichelle ObamaAn autobiography of lawyer and American First Lady Michelle Obama.

Into Thin Air: A Personal Account of the Mount Everest DisasterJon KrakauerThe author relates his experience of climbing Mount Everest during its deadliest season and examines what it is about the mountain that makes people willingly subject themselves to such risk, hardship, and expense.

Fast Food NationEric SchlosserSchlosser documents the effects of fast food on America's economy, its youth culture, and allied industries, such as meatpacking, that serve this vast food production empire. Starting with a young woman who makes minimum wage working at a Colorado fast-food restaurant, Schlosser relates the oft-told story of Ray Kroc's founding

of McDonald's. The author also tells about the development of the franchise method of business ownership and the health and nutrition implications of fast-food consumption.

1984George OrwellThe cautionary tale of a man caught in a political nightmare in which the power of a totalitarian state is pitted against the personal freedom of the individual.

The AlchemistPaulo CoelhoSantiago, a shepherd boy, sets out from his home in Spain to the Egyptian desert in search of buried treasure, but through his encounters with a Gypsy woman, a man who calls himself a king, and an Alchemist, he learns the value of the treasures found within him.V for VendettaAlan Moore and David LloydA graphic novel, this is a powerful story about loss of freedom and individuality. V FOR VENDETTA takes place in a totalitarian England following a devastating war that changed the face of the planet. In a world without political freedom, personal freedom and little faith in anything comes a mysterious man in a white porcelain

mask who fights political oppressors through terrorism and seemingly absurd acts. It's a gripping tale of the blurred lines between ideological good and evil.

Six of CrowsLeigh BardugoSix dangerous outcasts. One impossible heist. Kaz's crew is the only thing that might stand between the world and destruction--if they don't kill each other first. Fantasy Fiction.