English 90 Approved Books List
Updated: Fall 2013
The following is the list of approved books for English 90. Please see the notes to help you choose your books and learn more about how it might be used in the class. Also, note the following Readability Levels for the various books:
High: Instructional Level readings: These are challenging books for students and require significant scaffolding and activities to help the students understand the text.
Medium: These readings are, by and large, easily understood but also have some passages or concepts that are difficult for students and require in-class attention by the instructor.
Low: Independent Reading: These are books that students can pick up on their own and understand the basics such as plot, characters, etc. While there may be more complex concepts and connections that could be developed by the instructor, the text writing level is simple for the students.
Non-Fiction
Church and State, Kathlyn Gay
I am a Stranger Here Myself, Bill Bryson
I Am Malala, Malala Yousafzai and Christina Lamb (listed as a Contributor)
I Will Teach You to be Rich, Ramit Sethi
Lakota Woman, Mary Bird Crow Dog
Letter to a Christian Nation, Sam Harris
Never in My Wildest Dreams, Belva Davis & Vicki Haddock
On Writing, Stephen King
Rumors of Peace, Ella Leffland
This Boy’s Life, Tobias Wolff
Fiction
The Assistant, Bernand Malamud
Bless me Ultima, Rudolfo Anaya
Catching Fire, Suzanne Collins
A Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time, Mark Haddon
Handmaid’s Tale, Margret Atwood
Kindred, Octavia Butler
Purple Hibiscus, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Ship Breaker, Paolo Bacigalupi
Shoeless Joe, W.P Kinsella
Sprout, Dale Peck
Things They Carried, Tim O’Brien
Tortilla Curtain, T.C. Boyle
Water for Elephants, Sara Gruen
Textbooks
Between Worlds, Bachmann and Barth
Contemporary Reader, Goshgarian
English 90 Sentence Skills Workbook by Altman/SF State (Customized by JoAnn through Cengage)
A Sequence for Academic Writing by Behrens and Rosen (Customized by Karen through Pearson)
Texts and Contexts, 7th edition by Robinson & Tucker
The Writer’s Response, McDonald & Salomone
Handbooks
The Little English Handbook; Corbett and Finkle
Rules for Writers, Diana Hacker
A Troubleshooting Guide for Writers, 7th edition; Barbara Fine Clouse
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NON-FICTION
Church and State, Kathlyn Gay
Readability: Medium, 116 pages, nonfiction/history/politics
Note: This book (originally published in 1992 by The Millbrook Press; Brookfield, CT.) is out-of-print, but the Department (via Jeff Mitchell) has written permission from the author to copy and distribute it to students, either printed or as a .pdf file. This short nonfiction book, written for grades 8 -12, discusses the division between government and religion in the United States and examines relevant contemporary issues such as prayer in public schools, public displays of religious symbols, the Pledge of Allegiance, conscientious objectors, church tax exemptions, faith-healing, euthanasia, and abortion. Gay emphasizes the fact that the fundamental American doctrine of Church-State separation is continually evolving and that it is clarified, modified, or altered by constitutional interpretation. Gay effectively uses historical as well as recent quotes, and cites frequent illustrative cases to clarify further the pros and cons of past court decisions. The final chapter reviews the process for challenging laws or government actions and reminds readers why and how we respect religious diversity in America. -- Jeff Mitchell; 11/2013
I Am a Stranger Here Myself, Bill Bryson
Readability: Medium; Paperback, 304 pages
Publisher: Broadway; June 6, 2000)
ISBN: 978-0767903820
Stranger follows Bill Bryson’s thoughts as he reacquaints himself with America after having lived for 20 years in the UK. In short chapters originally written for a weekly magazine, he tackles both trivial and important issues with humor and irony, and every one of my students has found something to relate to in this book. Because it was originally written for a British audience and published in a weekly magazine (an issue Bryson addresses in his introduction to the US publication), Stranger makes it easy to discuss audience awareness, writer’s intent, and numerous other issues having to do with adapting work intended to be marked in one place and then marketed in another (or, for our students, the difference between writing for one discipline versus another). It also brings up important political issues and sparks dialogue on immigration and cultural differences, something that nearly all of our students can relate to since many of them are themselves immigrants or first or second generation. I usually teach this book in conjunction with readings by other immigrants or first- and second-generation Americans, and my students respond very favorably to the themes raised. -- Dabney Lyons; 11/2013
I Am Malala, Malala Yousafzai and Christina Lamb (listed as a Contributor)
Readability: Medium
Publisher: Little, Brown, and Company (October 8, 2013)
ISBN: 978-0316322409
At age 15, Malala Yousafzai was shot in the head by the Taliban for fighting for equal education for girls. A year later she was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. A native of Pakistan’s Swat Valley (on the border with Afganistan), Malala’s story shows what happens when radicalism takes root. In this case, girls are forced out of public life and schools. For this reason, this book is ideal for themes relating to patriarchy or sexism. And because of Malala’s fight against this oppression, this book also works with themes of activism. It’s important for young people, like college students, to understand that they can make a difference in the world around them. And Malala is as good of an example as I’ve ever seen of this. For instructors (like me) who enjoy interweaving supplemental bits of history, there is a lot that can be done here. Malala covers a fair bit of history in order to put what’s happening in Swat now in context. And it is well explained. But there is still room to flesh it out more if you desire. For instance, Malala covers the creation of Pakistan and its separation from India. The aftermath of this arbitrarily drawn line on a map has resulted in much strife over the years. And it was the result of decisions made in Europe and not in India or Pakistan. The aftermath of Colonialism is often like this. It could be interesting to relate to other such examples. Malala is a media darling, having appeared on the Daily Show, among many others. So there’s no shortage of relevant supplemental materials to draw from. Works for themes involving: equal rights, sexism, social justice, self-reliance, dreams, patriarchy, control, and loss of innocence. -- Richard Cartwright; 3/2014
I Will Teach You to be Rich, Sethi, Ramit
Readability: Medium, nonfiction/business, Paperback: 266 pages
Publisher: Workman; (March 23, 2009)
ISBN: 978-0761147480
I Will Teach You to be Rich is written for young adults in their twenties and thirties to learn about and gain responsibility for money decisions. It is written in a humorous, breezy style that belies it's very serious purpose. It covers budgeting, investing as a young person, saving, and also student loans, buying a house, a car and whether or not to have an expensive wedding. Although the approach is fairly light hearted, the concepts are not always easy to understand and on the Bloomberg Taxonomy most discussions are quite analytical. I begin with the chapter on budgeting and have the students read, comprehend and write a letter to a 5th grade explaining how to do simple budgeting. By the end of the six weeks (at the end of the semester), students are looking at cultural differences in spending and saving, race and poverty levels and the American Dream. This book works well as a stepping off place for many economic and racial themes. Students are able to analyze complex charts and data points and synthesize them in their compare/contrast and persuasive essays. -- Barbara Austin; 11/2013
Lakota Woman, Mary Bird Crow Dog
Readability: Medium. Paperback: 288 pages
Publisher: Harper Perennial (March 28, 1991)
ISBN: 978-0802145420
Lakota Woman is a nonfiction text narrated by Mary Crow Dog, a Native American woman who recounts her fight against oppression from the American government and struggle to resist assimilation in favor of embracing her ancestral traditions. The book is fairly easy to comprehend at an English 90 level, but can go off on tangents, which some of the students like and others find repetitive. The book focuses on themes such as oppression, social justice, tradition, spirituality and family. I’ve used the book twice and both times received favorable reviews from most of the students. -- Sara Toruno-Conley; 11/2013
Letter to a Christian Nation, Sam Harris
Readability: Medium. Paperback: 144 pages
Publisher: Vintage (January 8, 2008)
ISBN: 0307278778
Three weeks is plenty of time to get through this little book. Its petite nature makes it very non-threatening to students. This brief volume waste no time in getting to the point: Christianity either is what it claims to be, or it isn't. There is no middle ground in this debate. (And by extension, Harris' arguments are applicable to all religions.) While fundamentalist believers are convinced that their faith is true, valid, and without error, Harris brings up many inconsistencies from both the Old and New Testaments that point to a man-made origin for Christianity, rather than the divine beginning students have often been taught. His arguments are pointed and, most importantly for our students who are just beginning to learn how to think critically, impeccably logical. Students often have a healthy emotional response to Harris' ideas since he doesn't present the conventional view of Christianity. Instead, Harris uses the Bible's own words in much of his reasoning, while in other places, he uses simple logic that students easily “get”. Interestingly, I have never had a student view this book as an as an assault on religion. I remind students that their religion (if they have one) ought to be strong enough to stand up to a little criticism and scrutiny, and that if their faith is so fragile that it crumbles under Harris' thrust, then it wasn't very robust to begin with. Ultimately, Harris provides an an excellent context for believers to examine their beliefs and gain some perspective regarding their religion. --Jeff Mitchell; 11/2013
Never in My Wildest Dreams, Belva Davis & Vicki Haddock
Readability: High; Paperback: 272 pages. (Approximately 230 pages if the index is excluded)
Publisher: Berrett-Koehler Publishers (February 6, 2012)
ISBN: 978-1609944667
20 Chapters + a brief Foreword by Bill Cosby. One chapter at a time would be best in most cases, given the distinctive themes found in each chapter. The nature of the material lends itself easily to supplementation.) This memoir covers Belva Davis’s life from her poor black 1930’s Louisiana roots, to her trailblazing rise in the 1960’s as the first African American woman television anchor “west of the Mississippi,” and finally to her current role as an elder stateswoman of Bay Area journalism and longtime host of “This Week in Northern California” on KQED. Her story is very much the story of the Bay Area over the past 70 years. In particular, it’s the story of Bay Area Civil Rights. This memoir covers meetings and interviews with such notables as Muhammad Ali (then Cassius Clay), Lenny Bruce, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Robert Kennedy, Diane Feinstein, Willie Brown, Alex Haley, The Jackson 5, Malcom X, Fidel Castro, etc. Important events/issues covered include The Black Panthers, the Zebra Murders, AIDS, the assassinations of Mayor Moscone and Harvey Milk, Jonestown, Apartheid in South Africa, People’s Park, etc. Mostly though, this is a book about Davis’s lifelong struggle to break down barriers for herself and for others. This book would be an excellent pairing for Warriors Don’t Cry, and would be best as the 2nd book read for the course, as where Melba leaves off Belva picks up with the career in journalism. It’s also a more complex read. NOTE: There’s a lot of local history in here, and not all of it comes with sufficient background for students. Instructors should be prepared to supplement the reading and provide context. The good news is there’s no shortage of applicable video on youtube. Works for themes involving racism, sexism, social justice, self-reliance, dreams, and loss of innocence. -- Richard Cartwright; 11/2013
On Writing, Stephen King
Readability: Low; Paperback: 288 pages
Publisher: Scribner; (July 6, 2010)
ISBN: 978-14391-5681-0
King starts off with a wide range of very unusual childhood experiences that taught him everything he needed to know to be a successful writer. These include writing lessons that King intended for fiction writers but can easily be applied to our nonfiction writing by asking students to use their critical thinking skills. However, the most memorable lessons King's presents-and the ones with which students identify the most-are the life lessons we all must learn. Even students who have never read King's books or seen his movies appreciate the hard work and effort he put in and the obstacles he had to overcome-including substance abuse-to become successful. Class discussions using this book are lively, and the resulting essays cover a variety of themes and messages. -- Lisa Duran; 11/2013
Rumors of Peace, Ella Leffland
Readability: Medium; Paperback: 389 pages.
Publisher: Harper Perennial (2011)
ISBN-13: 978-0-06-201528-0
This semi-autobiographical novel takes place in Mendoza, California, during World War II. Mendoza is described as being located geographically where the Carquinez Straits and Suisun Bay meet. It’s also directly across the water from Benicia. In essence, it’s Martinez, California, where the author grew up. Suse Hansen is 10 years old when the Japanese attack Pearl Harbor. Suddenly her hometown, Mendoza California, a refinery town, is swept up in the war effort. And Suse is swept up in the same fervor as many of the kids and adults surrounding her to “hate” the enemy. Over 4 years, Suse gradually learns to “unpack” her bigotry, examine it, and understand it for what it is… a crutch… “sloppy thinking” as her genius friend, Helen Maria, tells her. From 1941 to 1945, she matures from a tomboy with green hair (from the chlorine) into an intellectual and independent young woman. Newspaper headlines (often racially insensitive) are cleverly used to advance the reader through the war years along with Suse and to its end. The culmination of Suse’s full circle journey is the dropping of the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima. She is left wondering who the real enemy is. Using the “child’s” perspective for narration is not new, but it is often powerful. Rumors of Peace, for this reason, has similar themes to To Kill a Mockingbird. It also has a similar effect. A child can ask questions the adult cannot or would not. And a child can remain a sympathetic figure when falling victim to the trap of bigotry, just so long as she fights her way clear of the “sloppy thinking.” As with Scout in To Kill a Mockingbird, Suse as narrator is able to walk the reader through a complex issue and make us understand the right and the wrong of it all. Also, the language is beautiful. NOTE: 64 Chapters (Chapters generally run 4-6 pages. The nature of the material lends itself easily to supplementation.) There’s a lot of local history in here, and not all of it comes with sufficient background for students. Instructors should be prepared to supplement the reading and provide context. The good news is there’s no shortage of applicable video on youtube. Works for themes involving racism, sexism, social justice, self-reliance, dreams, and loss of innocence. -- Richard Cartwright; 11/2013