Required reading: Each student will read.

Remarque, Erich Maria. All Quiet on the Western Front

This novel has become one of the classics of western literature. Standing the test of time, it also presents universal conflicts that speak to this generation of young people in much the same way it has appealed to youth across the generations. Remarque puts a face on the enemy. Through the eyes of a young German soldier, students learn that hopes, dreams, and fears are common to each person regardless of the uniform he/she is wearing. Through this narration, the horrors of war become real and move beyond the glamorous appeal of shallow patriotism and video-gaming to an understanding of what it truly means to be a hero, a patriot, a martyr.

We find ourselves, once again, in a time of war. Young men and women are coming home maimed both physically and mentally. The death tolls are climbing on all sides. We owe our children the truth about war—the ugliness, the death, the waste. Remarque’s presentation is sensitive and honest.

Some of the descriptions are quite graphic. Readers should be encouraged to discuss the events in the book and express their feelings as they arise. It can be a frightening story. It is about war.

Optional reading: Please choose one of the following.

House, Silas. A Parchment of Leaves.

This novel is set in Appalachia and will appeal to any person wanting to read a story about a marriage that crosses cultural boundaries and a people as strong as the mountains on which they live. Silas House successfully articulates the spirit of people wanting to survive despite the odds against them. His writing conveys the Appalachian values of family, faith, hospitality, and self-sufficiency.

Some of the characters are admirable and some are loathsome. Such characterization makes the novel believable and interesting. Students today like a good story and Silas House does not disappoint. In addition to entertaining them, the book challenges their senses of right and wrong and glorifies good judgment. Further, the gifts of love and trustworthiness shine forth through one of the main characters in such a way that thoughtful students will want to emulate that behavior.

Fforde, Jasper. The Eyre Affair: A Thursday Next Novel

This is a fun and fantastic mystery novel. This book is for the student who loves to read and enjoys books about reading. The more advanced the reader the more enthusiasm he/she will experience for this book. Fforde uses time travel, literary allusion, satire, logic, and extra-sensory perception (and much more) to tell a story so clever that its subtlety may evade even the most erudite reader’s wisdom. Suspension of disbelief is a must. To enjoy this book the reader must become fully immersed in the life of Thursday Next. This book is an adventure and a pleasure. Enjoy!

Cormier, Robert. Heroes

What does it really mean to be a survivor? What does it mean to be transformed? What does it mean to obsess to the point of destruction? What does it mean to say that war changes everything? What does it mean to lose your innocence, your youth?

Do not be fooled by the brevity of this book. The depth of the book is immeasurable and the story leaves an indelible mark on the hearts of the readers.

Through this story Cormier puts faces on the bitter horrors of war. His tragic character who has lost his face tells a story that is unforgettable.