Independent Reading rationale -

According to the College Board, "research indicates that the best way for students to improve their reading skills is to engage often in independent reading for extended periods of time."

Guidelines for the independent reading are:

• Texts should be short enough for students to read outside of class in two weeks and engaging enough that students will be motivated to read them
• Texts should have a first person narrator who conveys a strong voice
• Texts should have an identifiable cultural context perhaps including, but not litmited to, such elements as food, sports, hobbies, religion, clothes, family, music, art, education, gender, ethnic identity, etc

Possible titles and authors include:
Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi (graphic novel)
Funny in Farsi by Firoozeh Dumas (memoir)
Chicana Falsa by  Michelle Serros
How to Be a Chicana Role Model by Michelele Serros
Brighton Beach Memoirs by Neil Simon (a drama)
Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt (memoir)
The Freedom Writers Diary by Erin Gruwell (memoir)
Always Running by Luis Rodriguez (memoir)
Yello-Oh Girls! by Vickie Nam
Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan (novel)