I was told that there is a list of suggested books that someone should
have read before beginning college. Do you know where I could find
such a list? The public library here told me that each school has its
own list, and I wondered if there is a generic one.

There is no single, official list of books that students should read
before entering college; each school has its own requirements.
However, there are lists of "suggested reading" that can be very
helpful in preparing for higher education. I've gathered several of
these for you. You will find a lot of duplication from list to list,
of course; some books are solid classics that appear on many lists.

I doubt that any university would expect a student to have read all
these books. I haven't read all of them myself, and I consider myself
to be a very well-read person. But these lists will give you an
overview of the kinds of literature that serve as groundwork for a
good liberal arts education.

Reading List for the College Bound
http://www.sms.org/books_co.htm

Outstanding Books for the College Bound 
http://www.ala.org/ala/yalsa/booklistsawards/outstandingbooks/outstandingbooks.htm

The 100 Most-Often-Recommended Works for College Freshman
http://kf001.k12.sd.us/suggested_reading_list.htm

College Bound Reading List
http://als.lib.wi.us/Collegebound.html

Education Planner: College Bound Reading List
http://www.educationplanner.com/education_planner/preparing_article.asp?sponsor=2859&articleName=College_Bound_Reading_List

101 Great Books Recommended for College-Bound Readers
http://www.collegeboard.com/article/0,3868,2-8-0-23628,00.html

Books for the College Bound
http://www.tempe.gov/library/youth/bfcb.htm

The Ultimate Reading List - Classics That Endure 
http://www.eagleforum.org/educate/1997/june97/list.html

Top 40 Most Important Works in the World  1927 - present 
http://www.ou.edu/worldlit/whatsnew/top40.html

These last two are not precisely on target, since they are lists of
books that should be read in college, rather than before entering
college, but the lists may be of interest to you:

Ten Books Every Student Should Read in College
http://members.humaneventsonline.com/article.php?id=743

International University Presidents Recommend Oldies
http://globaleducation.edu/papers/greatbookssurvey.shtml

My Google search strategy:

Google Web Search: "reading list" "college bound OR prep OR preparatory"
://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=%22reading+list%22+%22college+bound+OR+prep+OR+preparatory%22

I hope this is helpful! If anything is unclear or incomplete, please
request clarification; I'll be glad to offer further assistance before
you rate my answer.

Best regards,
pinkfreud

Thanks!  That was really fast, I never could have found it so quickly.
 How long did it take you to actually find everything?

Great lists.  The really good thing about these books is that they are
on the lists because they are good, enjoyable literature, fun to read.
If you are taking a foreign language and will be continuing with it in
college, I would suggest reading  some of the classics in that
language, sure, in translation if you are not yet so fluent, but, of
course, it would be better to plow through them in the original. 
Again, "good reads", and if you can follow the story you don't have to
treat the effort like a school assignment and look up every word.
I am sure that your teacher could point you towards books at your level.
You could also listen to recorded books, which would help your aural comprehension.
Enjoy!