11^th GRADE

MULTICULTURAL/ ARTS/ TECHNOLOGY/

PHYSICAL EDUCATION

Anaya, Rudolfo Bless Me, Ultima

Mexican American Antonio is influenced by a healer, Ultima, who comes to live with the family. Through her spiritual guidance, Antonio learns to think for himself.

Armstrong, Lance It’s Not About the Bike: My Journey Back to Life

Armstrong tells the story of his life from his early years as the child of a single parent, to his diagnosis with cancer as a young man. Through it all he was and is a world class athlete and cyclist, and the book is a testament to the strength of spirit evident in this man.

Blais, Madeleine In These Girls, Hope is a Muscle

The girls’ high school basketball team of Amherst Massachusetts is chronicled over a year…from a disappointing season’s end to a triumphant one the following year. Well-bred, upper middle class girls learn to be tough on the playing field.

Chevalier, Tracy Girl With a Pearl Earring

Based on one of Vermeer’s paintings, this novel is speculative historical fiction. Although we know little about the circumstances surrounding this particular painting, the author imagines a very complex story.

Colton, Larry Counting Coup: A True Story of Basketball and Honor on the Little

Big Horn

Colton follows the girls’ high school basketball team in Crow, Montana for one year. He is particularly interested in one player, Sharon LaForge, who is a gifted athlete, but at the same time she is distracted by the problems in her community and tribe : alcoholism, domestic abuse, shoddy education, and low personal expectations.

Hafner, Katie Where Wizards Stay Up Late: the Origins of the Internet

At last! The story behind the internet. It began in the 1950’s with the organization ARPANET (Advanced Research Projects Agency). We are introduced to the personalities and breakthroughs that made the creation of the internet possible.

Huxley, Aldous Brave New World Revisited

Huxley compares the modern

day world to his past prophecies. He covers such issues as brainwashing, overpopulation, and propaganda.

Katz, Jon Geeks: How Two Lost Boys Rode the Internet Out of Idaho

Although the capacity of the internet is far greater today, it is interesting and useful to look back on the 90’s when geek culture was coming into its own. Two young teenage computer wizards, Jesse and Eric, are the heroes of this ethnography. Because of their computer expertise they are able to leave their small town and make something of themselves, despite the lack of a privileged background.

Kudlinski, Kathleen The Spirit Catchers: An Encounter with Georgia O’Keefe

A fictionalized account of a young boy who stumbles onto O’Keefe’s ranch in New Mexico. After getting caught stealing a camera from her, he agrees to work for her for one month. During this time she teaches him photography and subsequently launches his future career.

Mah, Adeline Yen Chinese Cinderella: The True Story of an Unwanted Daughter

The story of an unwanted child in 1940’s China. Her mother died giving birth to her and her family never forgave her . It is an insightful look into a painful childhood during the Communist revolution in China.

Rodriquez, Richard Hunger of Memory: The Education of Richard Rodriquez

Mexican American Rodriquez began his schooling in California knowing just 50 words of English. To get ahead, he alienated himself from his family and culture. This story addresses the issues of affirmative action and bilingual education.

Santiago, Esmeralda When I Was Puerto Rican

An inspiring memoir of a young girl who moved from the barrios of San Juan to the projects of Brooklyn, New York. The author excelled in school and used her academic talents to leave behind a life of poverty.

Stone, Irving Lust for Life

A story based on letters written by Van Gogh to his brother, Theo. Although it is fictional, an accurate picture of the tortured, violent artist is portrayed.