Dear George, I'd like to respectfully disagree with your comment that the books suggested will not have enough traction to hold the attention of 17 year olds with diverse interests. I myself read A Sand County Almanac with many other 16-17 yr olds in high school and also read much of Barbara Kingsolver's work (her books were recommended by my english teacher at the time) also in high school and thoroughly enjoyed them. They were far more interesting and applicable than many of the lectures I sat through. Many of my classmates at the time enjoyed these works as well and have gone off into a range of careers not necessarily related to the environment (ie. computer programming, auto mechanics, art, sculputure, teaching) but we still discuss A Sand County every now and then when we get together. That book in particular really made an impact on many of us regardless of our career paths.
As an additional note, the average 17 year old is bored with the low expectations of the average introductory college course these days and will excel far more when the instructor challenges them with the great modern literature that is available such as the numerous books listed by folks here. I strongly encourage you to give the students a chance to prove you wrong about you believe to be their opinions of a good read. If you are excited about the books you choose, they will be too. I hope they prove you wrong :) Respectfully, Sarah (age 26) -- Sarah Braun Citizen Science Director Beaver Creek Reserve Fall Creek, WI 54742 (715) 877-2212
