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Recommended Reading for grade 9.

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Here is a list of books our teacher editors suggest for students in grade 9. Our selections include titles for both girls and boys who have a variety of interests. These selections include both "academic" and "recreational" reading suggestions. Check the synopsis for the book that might interest your student.

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The Agony and the Ecstasy - by Irving Stone

The biography of Renaissance sculptor and artist Michelangelo, this book does just what its title promises-showing the torment and triumph of this gifted genius. It is a book you will never forget.

Both Sides of Time - by Caroline Cooney

A romantic story about a young girl who escapes the marital discord and tension in her own home by retreating to a mansion. Little does she know that the mansion will transport her back in time to the 1890's.

Franny and Zooey - by J.D. Salinger

Meet Franny and Zooey Glass-siblings in the famous Glass family of geniuses. The book-a series of short stories-presents characters you will never forget.

Friday Night Lights - by H.G. Bissinger

The amazing true story of a high school football team. See how the Permian Panthers of Odessa, Texas transformed their community.

The Good Earth - by Pearl S. Buck

Set in China in the early twentieth century, this story chronicles the life of a peasant family. Told in simple and realistic style, it is an unforgettable story .

Hatchet - by Gary Paulsen

A young man survives a small plane crash and must make his way through the wilderness armed only with a hatchet.

The Hobbit - by J. R. R. Tolkien

Enter the world of magic and mystery created in this classic tale of good vs. evil.

In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex - by Nat Philbrick

This New York Times bestseller is the chilling story of survival and adventure on board the Essex. It recounts the true events that inspired Moby Dick.

Johnny Tremain - by Esther Forbes

Julius Caesar - by William Shakespeare

Shakespeare tackles politics and betrayal in this classic tragedy.

The Old Man and the Sea - by Ernest Hemingway

Hemingway's story of a fisherman and the fish he catches is far more than a fish story.

The Road from Coorain - by Jill Ker Conway

Jill Ker Conway's event-filled memoir of growing up on the wild Australian outback.

Romeo and Juliet - by William Shakespeare

A romantic tragedy about teen romance and feuding families.

A Separate Peace - by John Knowles

This classic story of friendship and emotion is set in a boarding school during WW II.

She Said Yes: The Unlikely martyrdom of Cassie Bernall - by Misty Bernall

Winner of the 2000 Christopher Award, the book tells the story of the courage an conviction of Cassie Bernall , one of the young victims of the Columbine shooting.

Siddhartha - by Herman Hesse

The classic coming-of-age novella traces the journey of a young man as he attempts to discover the meaning of life through prayer, sacrifice and mystical experience.

A Tale of Two Cities - by Charles Dickens

This classic tale of the French Revolution has it all-scenes of bravery and of horror, scenes of love and of despair, scenes of compassion.

The Tao of Pooh - by Benjamin Hoff

Learn about the Daoist philosophy from that most reflective of bears, Winnie the Pooh!

Teen Angst? Naaah . . . A Quasi-autobiography - by Ned Vizzini

A young man's memories of what growing up is really like.

The Red Pony - by John Steinbeck

Timeline - by Michael Crichton

A fast-paced thriller that makes history and physics fun - by the author of Jurassic Park.

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn - by Betty Smith

A wonderful book about a girl growing up. Although set in the early 1900's, the tribulations faced by the young heroine will ring true with readers of the new millennium.

War of the Worlds - by H.G. Wells

First published in 1898, Wells classic "pseudo-scientific" tale tells of an invasion from Mars.

The Watsons Go to Birmingham - by Christopher Paul Curtis

It is 1963 and an African American family from Michigan heads for Birmingham for a family visit. There they find hatred and more.

Winterdance: The Fine Madness of Running the Iditarod - by Gary Paulsen

The first hand account of the Iditarod - the 1150 mile dog sled race between Anchorage and Nome Alaska.

Wringer - by Jerry Spinelli