A Time to Kill by John Grisham

Recommended
I loved the book and I think it would make a good Junior Theme book.  I think it gives a clear image of life in the South during the mid/late 20th Century.

Summary
A Time to Kill is set in Mississippi during the mid 20th century. The story follows the case of Carl Lee Hailey; a black man who killed two white men in revenge of the rape of his daughter.

Who would be interested in this book?
You would like this book if you were interested in racial bias in the South.

My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult

Recommended
Yes, because it is easy to understand and is a more current story.  There are also a lot of ways you can go from this book in terms of topics.

Summary
A girl named Kate is born with leukemia.  Her parents decide to have another kid so that so that the new kid can donate blood and other things to the sick daughter.  Things don't go over as one would expect.

Who would be interested in this book?
You would be interested in this book if you are into medicine or if you like a sad but meaningful story.

Rose Under Fire by Elizabeth Wein

Recommended
Yes, because it provides a clear description of inter-relations between the prisoners in a concentration camp. Cultural differences and opinions are clearly seen, but the fusing of these to form basic means of survival is evident as well.

Summary
After being captured by the German air force, Rose is labeled as a political prisoner and sent to Ravensbruck camp. Here she is stuck fighting to maintain her own sanity with the help of others in similar situations.

Who would be interested in this book?
You would like this book if you are interested in WWII, concentration camps and women's roles in war time.

Winter's Bone by Daniel Woodrell

Recommended
I would recommend this book as a future Junior Theme book.  It is very current in its view on the American family and the 21st century way of life.  It is exciting and very real and honest.

Summary
It is a book about a young teenage girl named Ree who must find her father after he escapes court for being a meth dealer.

Who would be interested in this book?
You would like this book if you are interested in the new dynamic of an American family in the 21st Century, and how the American Dream changed over time with the new society created through the almost recession.

A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hoisseini

Recommended
Yes, it was a very interesting book that was also very inspirational. After reading the book, I thought a lot about my own life and how fortunate I am.

Summary
In A Thousand Splendid Suns, the author takes you through the life of Laila, a woman living in Afghanistan. You learn about her life growing up and her value as a woman in an un-accepting culture.

Who would be interested in this book?
You would like this book if you are interested in cultural differences.

Tell the Wolves I'm Home by Carol Brant

Recommended
Yes, I would recommend this book.  I really liked that the story was different from anything I have read before. The story is fresh and I really liked the first person narration.

Summary
Greta's world is really altered when her favorite Uncle dies of AIDS. She can't forget him, and her family is nowhere near as upset as she is. She meets and befriends her Uncle's boyfriend, Toby, when she sees him at the funeral.  When her family finds out about the friendship, everything goes wrong.

Who would be interested in this book?
People would like this if they're looking for something different or if they are interested in medical history.

The Andromeda Strain by Michael Chrichton

Recommend
I would recommend this book for junior theme because it has a very general and flexible theme for any war, politics or biology related topics.

Summary
In the early 1970's, an experimental government satellite in search of outer atmospheric life crashes in a small town of Arizona. With the town's people all dead, a team of scientists rush to determine whether the new pathogen can help them in war, or hurt them at home.

Who would be interested in this book?
You would like this book if you are interested in space, politics, biology, technology or the Cold War.

It's Kind of a Funny Story by Ned Vizzini

Recommended
Yes, because this book follows a boy through his depression and talks about how it happened and how he is treated and what he's going to do to stop it from happening next time.

Summary
Craig has high expectations for himself and wants to excel at a selective high school, but the pressure almost causes him to commit suicide and he checks himself into the hospital.

Who would be interested in this book?
You would like this book if you are interested in what happens when a teenager gets depression and checks himself into the psychiatric wing in the hospital.

Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell

Recommended
I would recommend this book as a future junior theme book because it deals with lots of issues that could be useful in finding a topic.  It is also an easy read because it is written in the perspective of two characters, switching between them.

Summary
This book is about two very different high school students, Eleanor and Park, who end up falling in love with each other for the first time.  Despite being outsiders, they relate to each other as their personal stories are told.

Who would be interested in this book?
You would be interested in this book if you enjoy teenage romance books and can handle topics like bullying, domestic violence and other teen issues.

Ragtime by E.L. Doctorow

Recommended
I would recommend this book to any junior who wants to write about a pre-WWII era of industrialism and immigration.  Not for someone who wants to write about the pop culture of the time. It goes into the lives of various characters and their experiences at that time. For me, someone who wanted to write about how music has changed since that time, it wasn't a great entrance to explore that topic.

Summary
Ragtime is a story told through the eyes of different characters, all of them starting their new lives in New Rochelle, NY.  The story is told with many different layers of adversity and hostility. All of the different characters face similar challenges on the way to making a new life like, death, bankruptcy, corruption and much more.

Who would be interested in this book?
Someone writing about the history of the early 1900's in the U.S. and looking to write about immigration and the American Dream would be interested in this book.

The Nature of Jade by Deb Caletti

Recommended
Yes, I would recommend this book because as a Junior in High School, I find it very relate-able even if people haven't gone through the same things. The story line and characters are all relate-able in some way or another.

Summary
This book is about a teenager in her senior year of high school, that has panic disorder.  She begins volunteering at a nearby zoo and seems to take an interest. At the same time, also meeting new people trying to navigate her way through life.

Who would be interested in this book?
I think this book is more geared towards girls/boys who are in their teens.

Orphan Train by Chistina Baker Kline

Recommended
Yes, because it was enjoyable(for me), and it provides a decent amount of information that can pertain to a variety of topics.

Summary
Vivian, a rich old lady, hires a young orphan, Molly, to clean her attic. As the two become friends, Molly learns about Vivian's history and that she is also an orphan.

Who would be interested in this book? 
You would like this book if you enjoy learning about and understanding experiences of others, you enjoy following the lives of others and you are sympathetic to the hardships of others.

Little Brother by Cory Doctorow

Recommended
I would definitely recommend this book as a Junior Theme book because it is filled with information. This book is also an easy read even though it is 360 pages with an Epilogue.

Summary
Marcus Yallow has to unite with his friends to stop the overpowering government after a terrorist attack in San Francisco.

Who would be interested in this book?
You would be interested in this book if you are into technology and how it works and if you like controversial topics.

The Contender by Robert Lipsyte

Recommended
I would recommend this book as a future junior theme book, but only for people using a sports related theme. I believe that for broader themes there are better books, but for someone set on doing a sports one, this is the book I would recommend.

Summary
Basically the book starts off with the main character, Alfred Brooks, in a group of friends who are into some bad habits. After Alfred is blamed by the group for getting one of their own imprisoned, he turns to boxing and begins a boxing career.

Who would be interested in this book?
You would like this book if you are interested in sports and/or racial equality issues.

I, Robot by Isaac Asimov

Recommended
I would recommend this book as a future Junior Theme book.  Even though the events in the book will most likely not occur as written, given the dates in which they occur, the events have well-known parallels with our world, and the underlying message of the book is applicable to our own technology.

Summary
Humankind and Robotkind; the two separate entities have been known to cooperate, with mutual benefits. Humanity is ready to take the next step, giving robots more and more of a resemblance to humans.  But, two questions must still be answered: How far will it go? And, will it go too far?

Who would be interested in this book?
You would like this book if you are a fan of science fiction and robotics, or simply if you are curious about technology. This book is also a popular book, and if you are looking for a well known book to read, this is a good choice for you.

Out of the Easy by Ruta Sepetys

Recommended
I would recommend it because I enjoyed how the main character, Josie, found her way out of her old town and went against the odds to follow her dream of getting a college education and leave her old life.

Summary
It starts with Josie explaining a little about her life as a prostitute's daughter. From the beginning the complicated relationship of Josie and her mother become quite clear and as she grows up she realizes she doesn't want to end up like her. She dreams of leaving New Orleans and become educated while her mom cares about appearances more.

Who would be interested in this book?
I honestly think girls would be more into this book, but since it shows what it's like to have a tough relationship with a parent who disapproves of their child's decisions can be relative to anyone, I recommend it to guys too. It's also about family bringing your dreams down and anyone could be interested in that.

And the Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseini

Recommended
For those of you planning to base your paper on "war" I would not recommend it because the topic plays an almost insignificant role in the book.  The story concentrates on the aspect of human interaction.

Summary
The book focuses on how your life can impact the lives of others and it shows the process of how one and another intertwine. With many characters from seemingly different settings, Hosseini does well in connecting each of these characters.

Who would be interested in this book?
Someone who is studying human relationships and morality of an action would enjoy this book. If you were to write your junior theme somewhere along philosophy, this is the book for you.

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey

Recommended
I would recommend this book as a future Junior Theme book.  I highly enjoyed reading the book and there is a lot of information on the topics of this book for writing the Junior Theme essay.

Summary
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest is the story of McMurphy, a scam artist who goes to a mental hospital to avoid jail or hard labor. He befriends numerous other patients and tries to help them stand up against the abusive head nurse, Ms. Ratched.

Who would be interested in this book?
You would probably like this book no matter who you are, as it is very well written.  However, anyone with a specific interest in mental hospitalization or the way we treat mentally ill people will like this book even more.

State of Wonder by Ann Patchett

Recommended

Yes, I would recommend this book because it relates to the medical research topic in a very interesting way.  It is full of information and has an interesting plot.

Summary

Dr. Marina Singh is called to check up on a research project in the Amazon after her partner is pronounced dead.  Marina needs to locate her old professor Dr. Swenson which no one has heard from for years and needs to determine her progress on the drug research.  Marina travels to the Amazon to find Dr. Swenson and figure out the reason for her partners death.

Who would be interested in this book?

You would like this book if you are interested in medical drug research or any medical field.

Cat's Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut

Recommended
I would recommend this book as a Junior Theme Book. It has themes of technology, religion and how we perceive "the truth". I think the book overall isn't difficult, but a lot of the story can feel like it side tracks to other random topics with little focus at times.

Summary
The book is about John/Jonah and how he is writing a book called "The Day the World Ended". As the title foreshadows, it explains an apocalyptic tale of modern men and their madness. It recounts Jonah's experiences and research for his book and the purpose for why he wrote it.

Who would be interested in this book?
You would like this book if you enjoy a lot of randomness, you like thinking about technology and how it influences us, and the impact of "fictional science".

Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein

Recommendation
I would recommend this book as a future Junior Theme book because it had several identifiable topics that are suitable for a Junior Theme. A few themes are friendship and women's roles in World War II.  It was an overall engaging book.

Summary
Told as a written confession, Code Name Verity is about two friends both working as special operatives during World War II.  Julie is a spy and an interrogator and Maddie flies planes transporting spies and captives during the night.  Julie gets captured by the Nazis during a mission.  She is forced to write a confession, detailing everything she knows, but instead of the confession they were expecting, she writes a story of friendship.

Who would be interested in this book?
You would like this book if you like stories about war and internal struggles that accompany war. This book is also told from two different points of view, but the narratives are intertwined as each character recalls the same events, making them clearer.  If a complicated plot and a different writing style is interesting to you, this is an excellent book/

The Help by Kathryn Stockett

Recommended:
I would recommend this book because I found it very interesting and not that hard to read, although it was a bit long. This book focuses a lot on segregation and discrimination so when writing a research question there are many examples you can take from the book making the book a good choice to write a junior theme on.

Summary:
The Help takes place in Jackson Mississippi and explains the white and black society that is repeated throughout the country.  The book focuses on the treatment of black maids and what their lives are like working for rich white women in the 1960's.  When a white lady decides to interview a few black maids and write a book exploiting the mistreatment they experience everyday, her life and the maid's lives become more dangerous than ever. 

Who would be interested in this book?
You would be interested in this book if you enjoy drama as well as reading about themes such as family, love and equality.

How it Went Down by Kekla Magoon

Recommended?
I would recommend this book as a future Junior Theme book because it relates to today's society and it is very clear as to what the author thinks is a big problem in the United States. It is also a really interesting and well written book that has a unique way of telling the story by using interpretations of different people.

Summary
It is a story about a 17 year old African American boy who is shot by a white man. The story takes place in a very dangerous neighborhood that is occupied by two gangs.  Almost everyone is affected by this violence and the killing of this young teen.  But what are the consequences of his killer? And how does this incident bring a community together?

Who would be interested in this book?
You would like this book if you like books relating to present day topics.  You would also like this book if you like books that show you all sides of the story.  This book uses the perspective of many different characters to tell the story.

We are All Completely Beside Ourselves by Karen Joy Fowler

Recommended?
Yes, I would recommend this book as a future junior theme book. It is very enticing from the start which makes the book enjoyable to read. It also incorporates some facts and background/scientific information that is very useful.

Summary:
When Rosemary was a little girl, she talked nonstop. She and her sister Fern were inseparable, but when Fern leaves one day, Rosemary stops talking. The book is in Rosemary's perspective and she is very relateable.

Who would be interested in this book?
You would like this book if you are interested in animal rights, animal testing, or the relationships between humans and primates.

Catch-22 by Joseph Heller

Recommended?
Yes, although portions of this book feel useless and confusing, a more significant part provides a well written commentary on the dark side of war. Each chapter is meant to feel chaotic, but also be funny in order to convey how the soldiers are affected by the horrors of war.

2nd Recommendation
The book was very easy to read despite its length. I would recommend this book because it is interesting and covers the topic of war very well.

Summary:
The book is told from the perspective of Yossarian, a bomber pilot in WWII, and some of his fellow soldiers. Each chapter is a different short story about a ridiculous or humorous scenario which doesn't faze Yossarian and the other soldiers.
2nd Summary
A pilot in the Air Force during World War II refuses to fly any more missions.  He is willing to do anything to avoid flying.

Who would be interested in this book?
You would like this book if you are interested in war, comedy and soldier morale.
Who would be interested in this book?


You would like this book if you like to laugh.

The Gospel According to Larry by Janet Tashjian

Recommended?
I would recommend this book as a future junior theme book if the person was interested in anti-consumerism and defying society. I enjoyed reading the book, it wasn't long and was very interesting.

Summary:
An intelligent teenager creates a blog to rant  and hate on American culture while still being anonymous. When his blog gets extremely popular he finds himself caught in some extreme decisions.

Who would be interested in this book?
Someone might like this book if they are interested in the materialistic society we live in and are passionate about anti-consumerism.

No Country for Old Men by Cormac McCarthy

No Country for Old Men by Cormac McCarthy

Recommended?

Yes, I would recommend it, but later into the book there are a few confusing passages where the book seems to jump to something else.
2nd Recommendation
I would recommend this book because it is a great read. However, as a Junior Theme book it became difficult to make a thesis.

Summary:

The Mexican Drug Cartel meets up in the middle of nowhere, Texas, but mysteriously are all killed. Llewelyn Moss finds this meet up and uncovers several million in cash. Moss moves out, but is being chased by a ruthless man until he dies.

Who would be interested in this book?

You would like this book if you like mystery, books about always being on the run or being chased by a psychopath or stories where the government is slow to help and you are on your own.

I think that if you are a person who loves a lot of action in books, and likes to be on the edge of your seat, you would love this book.