Recommended titles from the students and staff at Dover Bay.

Top Junior Fiction | Top Senior Fiction | Sports Titles | Literary Titles
Dover Bay Reads ~ Student Recommendations

Top Junior Fiction

• Acceleration (Graham McNamee)
  Seventeen year old Duncan finds the diary of a serial killer and is determined to stop him - alone.
  
  
• The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants (By Ann Brashares)
  Then number one favourite for girls. Three in this series.
  
  
• The Outsiders (S.E. Hinton)
  Written in 1969 and still very popular. Readers who like this book also tend to like Rumble Fish, by the same author.
  
  
• The Golden Compass (Philip Pullman)
  Very popular fantasy series, with two more titles - The Subtle Knife and The Amber Spyglass
  
  
• Monster (Walter Dean Myers)
  Steve Harmon is only 16 but he's about to go on trial for murder
  
  
• The Tiger Rising (Kate DiCamillo)
  
  
• Coram Boy (Jamilla Gavin)
  Mystery, adventure, tragedy, and joy are bound together in this story based on real events. A few scenes are disturbing.
  
  
• The Mediator Series (Jenny Carroll)
  Mediators help guide wayward spirits back to where they belong - sometimes a dangerous job. Titles in this series include Shadowland , Ninth Key and Reunion .
  
  
• Shade's Children (Garth Nix)
  In a futuristic world no human lives past their 14th birthday. On a person's 14th birthday evil Overlords harvest the human body parts to construct machine-like creatures.
  
  
• Speak (Laurie Halse Anderson)
  A traumatic event forces Melinda to call the police to end a wild summer party. Now entering grade 9 she is an outcast. She wants to explain but just can't find the words or even speak at all.
  
  
• Swallowing Stones (Joyce McDonald)
  Michael MacKenzie's life changes forever when he fires a single shot from the rifle he's just received for his seventeenth birthday and accidentally kills the father of a classmate.
  
  
• Mortal Engines (Philip Reeve)
  In the far future giant cities roam the devasted Earth hunting and consuming other cities for their scarce and valuable "resources". Now with a sequel.

Top Senior Fiction

• Shadows (Tim Bowler)
  " Thrilling! Great story about a kingdom---with an odd twist."
  
  
• Away Laughing on a Fast Camel (Louise Rennison)
  "Makes you laugh out loud!"
  
  
• Girl with a Pearl Earring (Tracey Chevalier)
  History, art, fiction, romance--a wonderful adult novel inspired by Vermeer's painting of the same title
  
  
• Angus, Thongs and Full-frontal Snogging (Louise Rennison)
  All titles are favourites in this very popular series.
  
  
• Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy (Douglas Adams)
  A late seventies classic, there are four titles in this very popular series ending with, So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish .
  
  
• The Partner (John Grisham & Cathy Hopkins)
  
  
• Ender's Game (Orson Scott Card)
  
  
• Dancing Naked (Shelley Hrdlitschka)
  Kia is sixteen and pregnant. Her decisions are difficult and lonely. Her story is powerful.
  
  
• The Keys of Hell (Jack Higgins)
  
  
• The Search (Iris Johansen)
  Sarah and her golden retriever Monty belong to an elite search and rescue team finding what no one else can. This time their mission is deadly and involves a sadistic killer. All of Johansen's titles are page turners.
  
  
• Junk (Melvin Burgess)
  The strong voices of the characters draw the reader into their tormented world. The author's note declares, "it's all true, every word".

Best Sports Fiction

• Night Hoops (Carl Deuker)
  Nick Abbott dreams of being the star player on the high school basketball team but must deal with his parent's divorce and serious threats from a disturbed teammate. Basketball brings both players together to form an uneasy but powerful duo, with Nick's intuition for the game complementing Trent's aggressive but talented skills. For those who like descriptive and accurate basketball plays.
  
  
• Whale Talk (Chris Crutcher)
  Told by narrator T.J. Jones who is “black, Japanese and white”, this story is about facing down bullies with a team of unlikely misfits, who are dedicated to their sport and each other. Road trips, competitive swimming, friendship and life this is an absorbing read.
  
  
• Three Clams and an Oyster (Randy Powell)
  The “Three Clams” need a replacement player to be the fourth on their flag football team. Funny, moving and thoughtful this story is as much about friendships, loyalty, and life as it is about sport.
  
  
• The Squared Circle (James Bennett)
  For older readers. At six-foot seven and one of the best first year college players in the state, Sonny Youngblood thinks of nothing but basketball. Then the NCAA launches an investigation into accusations that Sonny received special gifts and favours throughout his high school career. Sonny is stunned by what the investigation uncovers.
  
  
• Playing Without the Ball (K.A. Applegate)
  At seventeen Jay is living on his own and finishing high school. Basketball is his life and he knows he has talent but the coach passes him up in favour of younger players for the team. He finds a pick-up team and possibly a girlfriend, his other interest. Great for those who like lots of basketball talk in a sports story.
  
  
• Home of the Braves (Carl Deuker)
  In his final year of high school Joe is the star player and captain of a mediocre soccer team and is secretly falling in love with the girl who's been one of his best friends since he was 7 years old. This is a powerful novel about soccer rivalry, broken hearts, and an unending cycle of school violence. Will Joe change the path he is on?
  

• How to be like Mike (Pat Williams)
  A very human portrayal of Michael Jordan with short stories and anecdotes about his life. Using interviews with people who've known him personally, this book is about what makes Michael Jordan great. By using some of the skills Jordan applies to his life we can learn “how to be like Mike”.
  

• Tangerine (Edward Bloor)
  Paul Fisher loves playing soccer but he's legally blind, according to his parents. When the family moves to the odd town of Tangerine, Florida a series of very unusual events sets his life on a new path. Gradually Paul begins to see his family lives a lie and he starts to learn the truth about his blindness. Lots of soccer action and suspense.

Literary Titles ~ Best Serious Reads

• Crow Lake (Mary Lawson)
  

• Memoirs of a Geisha (Arthur Golden)
  

• The Red Tent (Anita Diamant)
  

• The Kite Runner (Khaled Hosseini)
  

• The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime (Mark Haddon)
  

• The Lovely Bones (Alice Sebold)
  

• The Power of One (Bryce Courtenay)
  

• Gone To Soldiers (Marg Piercy)
  

• Regeneration (Pat Barker)
  

• The Kitchen God's Wife (Amy Tan)
  

• The Secret Life of Bees (Sue Monk Kidd)

Dover Bay Reads
...students make recommendations of their favourite titles.

• Daughters of the Moon – Series, by Lynne Ewing
  “ This series is fantastic. I got hooked on the first book, Goddess of the Moon. It is suspenseful and mysterious.

• Ender’s Game, by Orson Scott Card
  “ A masterpiece of wishing, it’s a heartfelt and adventurous journey of Ender dealing with his hopes dreams problems and trying to save the world. A wonderfully crafted book with the perfect ending.”
  

• Eldest, by Christopher Paolini
  “ Can Eragon and Saphira prevail over the mighty King Galbatorix? Find out in this exciting sequel to the best seller Eragon.”
  

• Eragon, by Christopher Paolini
  “ A great, long novel, with plenty of action. Great storyline, a thrilling fantasy novel.”
  

• Hole In My Life, by Jack Gantos
  “ A once in a lifetime mistake leads to a major jail sentence. But jail won’t destroy his sense of humour.”
  

• I Was A Teenage Fairy, by Francesca Lia Block
  “ This book is an amazing story about a teenage fairy, real or not, helping a young model through tough times.”
  

• Lightning, by Dean Koontz
  “ If you haven’t read this book you don’t know what you’re missing! Suspense, Mystery and Intrigue!”
  
  
• Skateboard Shakedown, by Lesley Choice
  “ This book is inspiring and on the edge for skateboarders everywhere I give this book 3 hairy thumbs up.”
  
  
• The Sight, by David Clement-Davies
  “ This book is an intriguing story that takes you away to another world and you never know what will happen next.”
  
  
• Stoner and Spaz, by Ronald Koertge
  “ The book was devastatingly gripping! You really feel for the protagonist in the book. It definitely broke boundaries in terms of style and dialogue. Your finger was already wet to turn the next page! Highly recommended!”

• Arthur, King of the Middle March (Kevin Crossley-Holland)
  "Thrilling! Great story about a kingdom---with an odd twist."
  

• Away Laughing on a Fast Camel (Louise Rennison)
  "Makes you laugh out loud!"
  

• Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency (Douglas Adams)
  "Mystery, comedy, amazing dialogue, unforgettable characters."
  

• The Horizontal Man (Michael Dah)
  "Interesting, exciting, you want to keep reading"
  

• Land of Loss (Everworld Series - K.A. Applegate)
  "Fantasy adventure series - full of great characters, monsters, bad guys, and interesting creatures."
  

• Mates, Dates and Sleepover Secrets (Cathy Hopkins)
  "Great Chick-Book! Deals with teen girl problems."
  

• Night Hoops (Carl Dueker)
  "I could really relate to this sports story."
  
  
• Sabriel (Garth Nix)
  "Exciting fantasy/adventure full of new challenges. Great descriptive writing."
  
  
• Sanctuary (Meg Cabot)
  "Psychic mystery. Lots of suspense."
  
  
• Swallowing Stones (Joyce McDonald)
  " ...Best suspense mystery book I've read!"