Everyone will read two books.

All students are required to read Siddhartha.

Siddhartha by Herman Hesse.

“In the shade of a banyan tree, a grizzled ferryman sits listening to the river. Some say he's a sage. He was once a wandering shramana and, briefly, like thousands of others, he followed Gotama the Buddha, enraptured by his sermons. But this man, Siddhartha, was not a follower of any but his own soul. Born the son of a Brahmin, Siddhartha was blessed in appearance, intelligence, and charisma. In order to find meaning in life, he discarded his promising future for the life of a wandering ascetic.” --Amazon Book Review

This book is a perfect prelude to 12th grade studies in literature and theology.

Mrs. Lycan says, “Inspiring read—sit under a tree or by a stream and enjoy! Students love this story.”

The students may choose from among the following for the second book.

Lavinia by Ursula Le Guin

“A time-traveling Virgil meets the young wife he tosses off in a few lines in The Aeneid, and gasps, ‘I thought you were a blonde.’ Le Guin’s wit and scholarship burnish this beautiful, rewarding and unjustly overlooked novel, for which she retooled her grasp of Latin. A believable immersion into an ancient world and the antique virtues of loyalty and grace.” — Karen Long, Book Editor, Cleveland Plain Dealer, Sunday, December 14, 2008.

Mrs. Lycan says, “Beautifully written! Fantastic!! If you love everything Latin/Roman, then this is a book for you.”

The Good Thief by Hannah Tinti

Editorial Review - Kirkus Reviews
“In this dark but rousing 19th-century picaresque about a one-handed orphan who falls in with rogues, Tinti (stories: Animal Crackers, 2004) pays homage to 19th-century biggies, particularly Twain, Dickens and Stevenson, creating a fictional world unique yet hauntingly familiar. Abandoned as a baby wearing a jacket with the initials REN sewn in the collar, 12-year-old Ren lives in St. Anthony's Home for Boys.”

Mrs. Lycan says, “A little creepy and suspenseful!! A favorite among students.”

The Bards of Bone Plain by Patricia A. McKillip

“Scholar Phelan Cle is researching Bone Plain-which has been studied for the last 500 years, though no one has been able to locate it as a real place. Archaeologist Jonah Cle, Phelan's father, is also hunting through time, piecing history together from forgotten trinkets. His most eager disciple is Princess Beatrice, the king's youngest daughter. When they unearth a disk marked with ancient runes, Beatrice pursues the secrets of a lost language that she suddenly notices all around her, hidden in plain sight.” --Goodreads.com

Mrs. Lycan says, “If you love poetry, mystery, fantasy, medieval settings, forests, and archaeology, then read this book!”

The students may read or order any editions.