Partial Book List for 2022-2023

Our fifth season of SALT is quickly approaching. Here are the first 10 books on our 2022-2023 reading list:

7TH-8TH GRADE DIVISION

  • Book of Genesis NIV Bible (Chapters 1-25)
  • The Bronze Bow by Elizabeth George Speare
  • The Horse and His Boy by C.S. Lewis
  • The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Perilous Journey by Trenton Lee Stewart

3RD-4TH & 5TH-6TH GRADE DIVISIONS

  • A Wolf Named Wander Rosanne Parry
  • Book of Genesis NIV Bible (Chapters 1-25)
  • Misty of Chincoteague by Marguerite Henry
  • Peter and the Starcatchers by Dave Barry
  • The BFG by Roald Dahl
  • The Horse and His Boy by C.S. Lewis
  • The Wild Robot Escapes by Peter Brown
  • Theodore Boone: Kid Lawyer by John Grisham

These first 10 books are listed with details here on the website. Watch for the remaining books to be announced in October. Enjoy the rest of your summer!

The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Perilous Journey

AUTHOR: Trenton Lee Stewart

GENRE: Adventure Fiction, Science Fiction

SUMMARY: The Mysterious Benedict Society is back with a new mission: to go on a mind-bending international scavenger hunt designed to engage their individual talents. As they search for all the clues and riddles Mr. Benedict has hidden for them, Reynie, Sticky, Kate, and Constance faces an unexpected challenge that will reinforce the reasons they were brought together in the first place and require them to fight for the very namesake that united them.

The Bronze Bow

AUTHOR: Elizabeth George Speare

GENRE: Historical Fiction

SUMMARY: This gripping, action-packed novel tells the story of eighteen-year-old Daniel bar Jamin—a fierce, hotheaded young man bent on revenging his father’s death by forcing the Romans from his land of Israel. Daniel’s palpable hatred for Romans wanes only when he starts to hear the gentle lessons of the traveling carpenter, Jesus of Nazareth. A fast-paced, suspenseful, vividly wrought tale of friendship, loyalty, the idea of home, community… and ultimately, as Jesus says to Daniel: “Can’t you see, Daniel, it is hate that is the enemy? Not men. Hate does not die with killing. It only springs up a hundredfold. The only thing stronger than hate is love.” A powerful, relevant read in turbulent times.

“He trains my hands for battle; my arms can bend a bow of bronze.” (from the Song of David) 2 Samuel 22:35

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Horse and His Boy

AUTHOR: C.S. Lewis

GENRE: Fantasy Fiction

SUMMARY: A stirring and dramatic fantasy story that finds a young boy named Shasta on the run from his homeland with the talking horse, Bree. When the pair discover a deadly plot by the Calormen people to conquer the land of Narnia, the race is on to warn the inhabitants of the impending danger and to rescue them all from certain death.

Theodore Boone: Kid Lawyer

AUTHOR: John Grisham

GENRE: Mystery, Legal Drama

SUMMARY: A perfect murder. A faceless witness. A lone courtroom champion knows the whole truth… and he’s only thirteen years old. Meet Theodore Boone.

In the small city of Strattenburg, there are many lawyers, and though he’s only thirteen years old, Theo Boone thinks he’s one of them. Theo knows every judge, policeman, court clerk—and a lot about the law. He dreams of being a great trial lawyer, of a life in the courtroom.

But Theo finds himself in court much sooner than expected. Because he knows so much—maybe too much—he is suddenly dragged into the middle of a sensational murder trial. A cold-blooded killer is about to go free, and only Theo knows the truth.

The stakes are high, but Theo won’t stop until justice is served.

Misty of Chincoteague

AUTHOR: Marguerite Henry

GENRE: Fiction

SUMMARY: “You’ll never catch the Phantom,” says Grandpa. “That horse is fast as the wind. She’s escaped from every roundup on the island!”
But Paul and Maureen want the beautiful wild mare for their very own.
“I’m going to capture her myself,” says Paul.

When Paul finally overtakes the Phantom, he makes a surprising discovery. Running at her side is a brand-new, silvery-gray colt—Misty!

The Wild Robot Escapes

AUTHOR: Peter Brown

GENRE: Adventure, Science Fiction

SUMMARY: Shipwrecked on a remote, wild island, Robot Roz learned from the unwelcoming animal inhabitants and adapted to her surroundings—but can she survive the challenges of the civilized world and find her way home to Brightbill and the island?

A Wolf Called Wander

AUTHOR: Rosanne Parry

GENRE: Adventure Fiction

SUMMARY: Swift, a young wolf cub, lives with his pack in the mountains learning to hunt, competing with his brothers and sisters for hierarchy, and watching over a new litter of cubs. Then a rival pack attacks, and Swift and his family scatter.

Alone and scared, Swift must flee and find a new home. His journey takes him a remarkable one thousand miles across the Pacific Northwest. The trip is full of peril, and Swift encounters forest fires, hunters, highways, and hunger before he finds his new home.

Inspired by the true story of a wolf named OR-7 (or Journey).

The BFG

AUTHOR: Roald Dahl

GENRE: Fantasy Fiction

SUMMARY: The BFG is no ordinary bone-crunching giant. He is far too nice and jumbly. It’s lucky for Sophie that he is. Had she been carried off in the middle of the night by the Bloodbottler, or any of the other giants—rather than the BFG—she would have soon become breakfast. When Sophie hears that the giants are flush-bunking off to England to swollomp a few nice little chiddlers, she decides she must stop them once and for all. And the BFG is going to help her!

The Holy Bible: Book of Genesis

AUTHOR: Moses

GENRE: Religious Text

SUMMARY: The book of Genesis is the first book of the Bible, and opens with one of the most famous first sentences of any literary work: “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” It’s where we find the famous stories of Adam and Eve, Cain and Abel, Noah and the ark, Abraham and Isaac, and a well-dressed dreamer named Joseph.

On its own, the book of Genesis reads like a string of epic stories: a semi-tragic saga of a world that just keeps going wrong, despite its Creator’s intentions. But Genesis isn’t a stand-alone book. It’s the first installment of Israel’s origin story—the history of how the nation of Israel got its population, its land, and its religion. It’s also the story of the promises God made to humans—promises that God begins to carry out through the rest of the Bible.

In fact, if the main thrust of Genesis were summed up in one verse, it would be these words that God said to Abraham:

“I will establish my covenant as an everlasting covenant between me and you and your descendants after you for the generations to come, to be your God and the God of your descendants after you.” Genesis 17:7, NIV