What to read for August?

Here are the choices for August. Be sure to vote for as many as sound interesting. Books with votes will return to the polls next month along with new suggestions. Please add your book suggestions in the comments section to be considered for the following month.



The Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan


"What should we have for dinner?" To answer this question, he follows four meals, each derived through a different food-production system, from their origins to the plate. Along the way, Pollan examines the ethical, political, and ecological factors that are intertwined in the industrial, large-scale organic, local, and personal (hunted-gathered) food chains, while describing the environmental and health consequences that result from food choices within these chains.




1984 by George Orwell


A classic dystopian novel published in 1949, focuses on a repressive, totalitarian regime. The story follows the life of one seemingly insignificant man, Winston Smith, a civil servant assigned the task of perpetuating the regime's propaganda by falsifying records and political literature. Smith grows disillusioned with his meager existence and so begins a rebellion against the system that leads to his arrest and torture.




Airman by Eoin Colfer


Conor Broekhart discovers a conspiracy to overthrow the king. He is branded a traitor, imprisoned, and force4d to mine diamonds under brutal conditions. He plans a daring escape.

Someone Named Eva, by Joann Wolf

Kidnapped from her village, Milada struggles to remember who she really is as she grows up in a Nazi reeducation school. This book is based on a true story.

Waiting for Normal by Leslie Connor

When twelve-year-old Addie and her mother go to live in a small trailer by the railroad tracks on the outskirts of Schenectady, New York, Addie tries to cope with her mother's erratic behavior.

Night of the Howling Dogs, by Graham Salisbury

A Boy Scout campout in Hawaii turns into a struggle for survival that tests courage and friendship. This story is inspired by real events following a devastating tsunami.

Schooled by Gordon Korman

Homeschooled by his hippie grandmother, Capricorn (Cap) Anderson has never watched television, tasted a pizza, or even heard of a wedgie. But when his grandmother lands in the hospital, Cap lands in public school.

The Candy Shop War by Brandon Mull

Fifth-graders Nate, Summer, Trevor, and Pigeon meet the owner of the new candy store in town and are given a magical candy that endows them with super powers. They find that along with benefits are also dangerous consequences.