The Holy Bible: Book of Ruth

AUTHOR: Samuel

GENRE: Religious Text

SUMMARY: The setting for the Book of Ruth begins in the heathen country of Moab, a region northeast of the Dead Sea, but then moves to Bethlehem. This true account takes place during the dismal days of failure and rebellion of the Israelites, called the period of the Judges. A famine forces Elimelech and his wife, Naomi, from their Israelite home to the country of Moab. Elimelech dies and Naomi is left with her two sons, who soon marry two Moabite girls, Orpah and Ruth. Later both of the sons die, and Naomi is left alone with Orpah and Ruth in a strange land. Orpah returns to her parents, but Ruth determines to stay with Naomi as they journey to Bethlehem. This story of love and devotion tells of Ruth’s eventual marriage to a wealthy man named Boaz, by whom she bears a son, Obed, who becomes the grandfather of David and the ancestor of Jesus. Obedience brings Ruth into the privileged lineage of Christ.

Tales from the Odyssey: Part 1

AUTHOR: Mary Pope Osborn

GENRE: Mythology, Fantasy, Fiction

SUMMARY: Brave Odysseus is far from home, tossed by stormy seas, and cursed by an angry one-eyed giant. If he ever wants to see his family again, he will have to face hungry cannibals, outwit a beautiful witch, and sail past a six-headed serpent. His journey is the ultimate test of endurance and courage.

When Mischief Came to Town

AUTHOR: Katrina Nannestad

GENRE: Historical Fiction

SUMMARY: In the tradition of ANNE OF GREEN GABLES and PIPPI LONGSTOCKING comes a heart-warming novel about love, family, grief, joy and the power of laughter and imagination.
When Inge Maria arrives on the tiny island of Bornholm in Denmark to live with her grandmother, she’s not sure what to expect. Her grandmother is stern, the people on the island are strange, and children are supposed to be seen and not heard. But no matter how hard Inge tries to be good, mischief has a way of finding her. Could it be that a bit of mischief is exactly what Grandmother and the people of Bornholm need?

Hook’s Revenge: The Pirate Code

AUTHOR: Heidi Schulz

GENRE: Fantasy Fiction

SUMMARY: Fresh off a fearsome encounter with the Neverland crocodile, Jocelyn Hook decides the most practical plan is to hunt down her father’s famous fortune. After all, she’ll need the gold to fund her adventuring in the future. (And luckily, Hook left her the map.) But the map proves to be a bit harder to crack than Jocelyn had hoped, and she’s convinced that the horrible Peter Pan might be the only one with the answers. Of course, he doesn’t really feel like helping her, so Jocelyn takes the only reasonable course of action left to her: she kidnaps his mother. Evie, though, is absolutely thrilled to be taken prisoner, so Jocelyn’s daring ploy doesn’t have quite the effect she’d planned for. Along with the problem of her all-too-willing captive, Jocelyn must also contend with Captain Krueger, whose general policy is that no deed is too dastardly when it comes to stealing Hook’s treasure. And with the ever-shifting Whens of the Neverland working against her as well, Jocelyn, Evie, Roger, and the rest of the Hook’s Revenge crew have their work cut out for them. In this rambunctious showdown between characters new and old, Jocelyn puts her own brand of pirating to the test in a quest to save her future and those she loves.

Number the Stars

AUTHOR: Lois Lowry

GENRE: Historical Fiction

SUMMARY: As the German troops begin their campaign to “relocate” all the Jews of Denmark, Annemarie Johansen’s family takes in Annemarie’s best friend, Ellen Rosen, and conceals her as part of the family. Through the eyes of ten-year-old Annemarie, we watch as the Danish Resistance smuggles almost the entire Jewish population of Denmark, nearly seven thousand people, across the sea to Sweden. The heroism of an entire nation reminds us that there was pride and human decency in the world even during a time of terror and war.

Rules

AUTHOR: Cynthia Lord

GENRE: Fiction

SUMMARY: Twelve-year-old Catherine just wants a normal life. Which is near impossible when you have a brother with autism and a family that revolves around his disability. She’s spent years trying to teach David the rules — from a peach is not a funny-looking apple to keep your pants on in public — in order to stop his embarrassing behaviors. But the summer Catherine meets Jason, a paraplegic boy, and Kristi, the next-door friend she’s always wished for, it’s her own shocking behavior that turns everything upside down and forces her to ask: What is normal?

Glennall’s Betrayal

AUTHOR: Paul McCusker

GENRE: Fiction

SUMMARY: During his desperate attempt to run away from home, James Curtis is startled when he encounters a wandering band of gypsies in a battered wagon! Needing a ride, he recklessly accepts an offer to join them — and soon finds he is no longer in the familiar place and time he just came from,

James’s confusion turns to terror when he witnesses a young man being attacked and thrown down a mineshaft! Seeking to help the poor victim, James is instantly entangled in a dark family feud that leaves him bound, gagged, and at the mercy of brutal strangers!

A prisoner in an exotic land full of unknown dangers and suspicious people, James desperately searches for an escape. The future seems hopeless. Will he be sentenced to a life of slavery? Or is there some higher purpose to this deadly predicament?

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Last Battle

AUTHOR: C.S. Lewis

GENRE: Fantasy Fiction

SUMMARY:The Last Battle tells the story of the last war of Narnia, when King Tirian and his loyal followers fight the Calormene invaders and their allies. This conflict leads to the end of the old world of Narnia and the beginning of a new adventure in Aslan’s real country.

Partial Book List for 2024-2025

Season seven of SALT is getting a head start. Here are the first 8 books on our 2024-2025 reading list that all divisions will read:

  • Book of Ruth NIV Bible
  • Glennall’s Betrayal by Paul McCusker
  • Hook’s Revenge: The Pirate Code by Heidi Schulz
  • Number the Stars by Lois Lowry
  • Rules by Cynthia Lord
  • Tales from the Odyssey: Part 1 by Mary Pope Osborn
  • The Chronicles of Narnia: The Last Battle by C.S. Lewis
  • When Mischief Came to Town by Katrina Nannestad

You can find details about the first 8 books here on the website. Watch for the remaining books to be announced this Fall.