2025 Ninth Grade to Tenth Grade Summer Reading Book List Ninth to Tenth Grade Summer Reading Book List Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley StartupJohn CarreyrouElizabeth Holmes, hailed as the next Steve Jobs, founded Theranos promising revolutionary blood-testing tech. Valued at $9 billion, the company captivated investors. But the technology failed, risking patient safety. Holmes and partner Sunny Balwani suppressed critics, hiding the truth behind a groundbreaking facade that ultimately unraveled.Fast Food NationEric SchlosserEric Schlosser’s study exposes how fast food reshaped America, increasing inequality, driving obesity, and changing global food production. It urges readers to question the food system’s impact on society. This eye-opening book has transformed millions’ views on eating and sparked the modern food movement.PersepolisMarjane SatrapiPersepolis is Marjane Satrapi’s black-and-white graphic memoir of growing up in Tehran amid revolution and war. Through a child’s eyes, it reveals Iran’s political upheaval, family struggles, and the cost of repression. Personal, political, and touching, it blends history with humor and resilience.BecomingMichelle ObamaMichelle Obama’s memoir Becoming shares her journey from Chicago’s South Side to First Lady. With honesty and wit, she reflects on family, work, and public life, revealing triumphs and challenges. Her story inspires resilience, empowerment, and breaking expectations with warmth and wisdom.Born a CrimeTrevor NoahTrevor Noah’s Born a Crime tells his journey growing up mixed-race in apartheid South Africa, where his very existence was illegal. With humor and honesty, he shares stories of survival, his fearless mother’s love, and navigating poverty, violence, and identity in a dangerous world, shaping a powerful, moving memoir.HamiltonRon ChernowRon Chernow’s biography redefines Alexander Hamilton, revealing a complex, driven patriot behind America’s foundation. From orphan to founding father, Hamilton shaped the nation’s economy and politics despite fierce opposition. Chernow humanizes him, exploring his ambitions, relationships, scandals, and his tragic death in a duel with Aaron Burr.The Princess Spy: The True Story of World War II Spy Aline GriffithLarry LoftisAline Griffith, a young New Yorker, joins the OSS during WWII after persistent effort. Trained as a coder and spy, she infiltrates high society in Spain, using her charm and connections to gather intelligence. Even after marrying a Spanish count, she continues secret espionage missions abroad, blending glamour with danger.Good TalkMira JacobMira Jacob’s half-Jewish, half-Indian son, Z, asks tough questions as 2016 election tensions rise. Mira reflects on her own experiences with race, identity, and love to answer him. This heartfelt, humorous graphic memoir celebrates honest conversations and the hope found in grappling with difficult questions.Warriors Don’t CryMelba Pattillo BealsWarriors Don’t Cry is Melba Pattillo Beals’ powerful memoir of integrating Little Rock’s Central High in 1957. Facing threats, violence, and hatred, she and eight Black students bravely challenged segregation, becoming symbols of the Civil Rights Movement. Their courage helped dismantle Jim Crow and inspire lasting social change.Into the WildJon KrakauerAfter college, Chris McCandless abandons possessions and money to live freely in nature as Alexander Supertramp. His journey into the wilderness becomes fatal. Jon Krakauer explores McCandless’s complex quest for meaning, revealing the risks, hopes, and tragic consequences of his search for true freedom.In Cold BloodTruman CapoteIn 1959, the Clutter family was brutally murdered in Holcomb, Kansas. Truman Capote’s groundbreaking nonfiction novel reconstructs the crime, investigation, and trial, weaving suspense with deep empathy. In Cold Blood explores American violence, justice, and humanity, leaving a lasting impact on true crime storytelling.The Boys in the BoatDaniel James BrownDuring the Great Depression, nine working-class boys from the University of Washington defied all odds to compete at the 1936 Berlin Olympics. Central to their journey is Joe Rantz, who rows to reclaim his life and identity. This inspiring true story celebrates grit, hope, and triumph. To Kill a MockingbirdHarper LeeTo Kill a Mockingbird is a beloved classic about growing up in a prejudiced Southern town. Told through a young girl’s eyes, it follows her father, a lawyer defending a Black man wrongly accused of a crime. The novel explores injustice, courage, and compassion, touching millions worldwide through books and film.Animal FarmGeorge OrwellAnimal Farm is Orwell’s sharp satire of a farm’s animals overthrowing their human owner to build equality. Their idealistic revolution quickly turns into a brutal totalitarian regime, mirroring Stalinist Russia. This timeless allegory warns how power corrupts and freedom can be lost under any oppressive system, remaining relevant today.The Perks of Being a WallflowerStephen ChboskyThe Perks of Being a Wallflower follows Charlie, a sensitive teen navigating adolescence: first dates, family issues, drugs, loss, and friendship. Observing life’s highs and lows, he struggles to grow up and find himself. A bestselling, heartfelt novel that captures the wild, emotional ride of youth with humor and honesty.InternmentSamira AhmedSet in a near-future America, 17-year-old Layla Amin and her family are imprisoned in a Muslim internment camp. With new friends, her boyfriend outside, and a surprising ally, Layla leads a rebellion against the camp’s harsh regime. Internment is a gripping call to resist silence and injustice today.The Hate U GiveAngie ThomasSixteen-year-old Starr Carter lives between her poor neighborhood and wealthy school. Her world shatters when she witnesses her unarmed best friend Khalil’s fatal shooting by police. As protests erupt and pressure mounts, Starr faces a dangerous choice: speak out and risk everything or stay silent and protect herself.The Sun is Also a StarNicola YoonNatasha, a science believer facing her family’s looming deportation, never expects to fall for Daniel, a dutiful son who dreams secretly. Their unexpected romance in New York challenges their beliefs about fate, love, and destiny, intertwining their lives amid struggles and hope for a brighter future together.Fahrenheit 451Ray BradburyGuy Montag, a fireman who burns illegal books, lives a dull life with his detached wife. Meeting Clarisse, an inquisitive neighbor, opens his eyes to a past of free thought and a world beyond TV’s mindless chatter. He begins to question his role and the society he serves.The Tattooist of AuschwitzHeather MorrisLale Sokolov, a Slovakian Jew, is sent to Auschwitz in 1942 and forced to tattoo fellow prisoners. Witnessing horrors and bravery, he risks his life to help others survive. Meeting Gita, he vows to marry her. The Tattooist of Auschwitz is a powerful story of love and resilience amid darkness.Of Mice and MenJohn SteinbeckGeorge, small and sharp, and Lennie, a large man with a childlike mind, are laborers in California dreaming of owning land. They find work on a ranch, hoping to achieve their dream. But Lennie’s innocence and trouble with a flirtatious woman threaten their fragile hope and future together.Crazy Rich AsiansKevin KwanRachel Chu visits Singapore with her boyfriend Nick, expecting a simple summer. Instead, she finds his family’s lavish palace, his status as the nation’s top bachelor, and a social minefield of wealth, gossip, and scheming relatives. Her vacation quickly becomes a challenging journey through opulence and rivalry.The Great GatsbyF. Scott FitzgeraldThe Great Gatsby depicts the tragic story of Jay Gatsby, a self-made millionaire, and his pursuit of Daisy Buchanan, a wealthy young woman who is his former lover. His doomed love story for the ultimately unattainable Daisy is considered an American dream that is never fulfilled.FrankensteinMary ShelleyMary Shelley’s Frankenstein tells the haunting tale of Victor Frankenstein and his tragic creation. Born from a whim during a gathering with Lord Byron, this gothic novel has captivated readers for generations, inspiring horror and suspense stories with its timeless exploration of ambition, creation, and unintended consequences.The Grapes of WrathJohn SteinbeckJohn Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath (1939) follows the Joad family as they flee Dust Bowl devastation, seeking a better life in California during the Great Depression. This Pulitzer Prize-winning epic explores injustice, resilience, and human dignity amid America’s deep social divides, making it a timeless American classic.A Tale of Two CitiesCharles DickensA Tale of Two Cities is set during the French Revolution, following Dr. Manette’s release from the Bastille and reunion with his daughter in London. Two men, Charles Darnay and Sydney Carton, are connected by love for Lucie Manette, facing danger and sacrifice amid Paris’s violent Reign of Terror.How Much of These Hills Is GoldC. Pam ZhangAfter their parents die, immigrant siblings Lucy and Sam face a harsh land that denies their existence. They embark on a journey to bury their father and find freedom, encountering family secrets, rivalries, and a haunting landscape. How Much of These Hills Is Gold explores race, belonging, and the meaning of home.Death of a SalesmanArthur MillerDeath of a Salesman tells Willy Loman’s tragic story: a salesman chasing the American Dream but blinded by illusions of success. His struggles with identity, family, and unmet hopes lead to a heartbreaking unraveling. The play explores dreams, reality, and sacrifice, ending with Willy’s tragic choice to secure his family’s future.The Things They CarriedTim O’BrienThe Things They Carried is a powerful exploration of war, memory, and storytelling, following soldiers of Alpha Company during Vietnam. Blending fact and fiction, Tim O’Brien reflects on courage, fear, and loss. This groundbreaking work remains essential reading, challenging how we understand truth, trauma, and redemption.MacbethWilliam ShakespeareIn 1603, James I’s rise sparked interest in Scottish history. Shakespeare’s Macbeth explores violence, treason, and witchcraft, inspired by James’s beliefs. The play probes whether Macbeth is driven by fate or ambition and examines why his murderous rise to power ultimately leads to ruin and destruction. About VSA Future Learning CenterFounded in 2015, VSA Future Learning Center offers engaging academic enrichment to students in Kindergarten through 12th grade. In Reading & Writing, Math, Public Speaking, SAT, and more, they’ve developed active learning models in their classrooms, where students have the chance to engage with new concepts, participate in meaningful group discussions, and build confidence in small-group settings, both virtually and in person. Between 2021 and 2025, 118 VSA students have earned regional and national awards in the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards. VSA enrollment is open for its summer camp, summer evening classes in ELA, Vocabulary, and Reading Comprehension, and its full slate of 2025–26 school year classes in English, Math, Reading & Writing, and Public Speaking. Learn more at www.vsafuture.com, call 973-951-9600, and visit at 600 S. Livingston Ave, Ste 105, Livingston, NJ 07039.
