Brave New World by Huxley, Aldous
In the "brave new world" of 632 A. F. (After Ford), universal human happiness has been achieved. (Well, almost.) Control of reproduction,
genetic engineering, conditioning--especially via repetitive messages delivered during sleep--and a perfect pleasure drug called "Soma" are the cornerstones of the new
society. Reproduction has been removed from the womb and placed on the conveyor belt, where reproductive workers tinker with the embryos to produce various grades of
human beings, ranging from the super-intelligent Alpha Pluses down to the dwarfed semi-moron Epsilons...
Into The Forest by Hegland, Jean
Set in the near future, this is a powerfully imagined first novel that focuses on the relationship between two teenage sisters living alone in
the Northern California forest. Over 30 miles from the nearest town, Nell and Eva struggle to survive as society begins to collapse around them. There is talk of war
overseas and upheaval in Congress, but it still comes as a shock when the electricity runs out and gas is nowhere to be found. As they come of age, the sisters must learn
to abandon their ideas of life in a modern society and adapt accordingly. Their arrival into adulthood is a renegotiation of self to the environment, a reformation of what it
means to be human, female, and alive in the forest.
Jonathan Livingston Seagull by Bach, RichardThe tale that sent Bach soaring to fame tells the story of a seagull who
practices for a lifetime to begin to know the meaning of kindness and love. Jonathan Livingston Seagull is no ordinary bird. He believes it is every gull's right
to fly, to reach the ultimate freedom of challenge and discovery, finding his greatest reward in teaching younger gulls the joy of flight and the power of dreams.
The Man Who Planted Trees by Giono, Jean (Illustrator:Mccurdy, Michael Foreword By:Goodrich, Norma Lorre)
A compelling story of a simple man who eases his grief over the loss of his family by spending his life planting one hundred acorns a day in a desolate, barren
section of Provence in the south of France. The result was a total transformation of the landscape-from one devoid of life, with miserable, contentious inhabitants, to one filled
with the scent of flowers, the songs of birds, and fresh, flowing water.
