2010-11 Summer Reading

Download the printable English 6 Summer Reading List

II. Hoot, Carl Hiaasen
Roy Eberhardt is the new kid--again. This time around it's Trace Middle School in humid Coconut Grove, Florida. But it's still the same old routine: table by himself at lunch, no real friends, and thick-headed bullies like Dana Matherson pushing him around. But if it wasn't for Dana Matherson mashing his face against the school bus window that one day, he might never have seen the tow-headed running boy. And if he had never seen the running boy, he might never have met tall, tough, bully-beating Beatrice. And if he had never met Beatrice, he might never have discovered the burrowing owls living in the lot on the corner of East Oriole Avenue. And if he had never discovered the owls, he probably would have missed out on the adventure of a lifetime. Students will need two to three digital pictures of their summer activities for a beginning of the year project.

Download the printable English 7 Summer Reading List

I. When You Reach Me, Rebecca Stead
"I am coming to save your friend's life, and my own," reads the note that sixth-grader Miranda discovers among her things, and this isn't the only puzzling note she finds. She begins to wonder how these notes keep appearing in random places, what exactly they mean, and how this unknown writer knows so much about her. While she struggles to unravel the mystery of the notes, she must also contend with changing friendships, her first crush, her mother's game show quest, and the crazy guy on the corner of her street.

II. The Wednesday Wars, Gary Schmidt
What could be worse than spending Wednesday afternoons with your teacher while your friends and classmates go off on other ventures? How about spending those afternoons reading Shakespeare as well? Middle-schooler Holling Hoodhood is about to find out exactly what that’s like! Set during the Vietnam War, Holling must work through the numerous difficulties he faces at school, at home, in his community, and in the world.


Download the printable English 8 Summer Reading List

I. When You Reach Me, Rebecca Stead
"I am coming to save your friend's life, and my own," reads the note that sixth-grader Miranda discovers among her things, and this isn't the only puzzling note she finds. She begins to wonder how these notes keep appearing in random places, what exactly they mean, and how this unknown writer knows so much about her. While she struggles to unravel the mystery of the notes, she must also contend with changing friendships, her first crush, her mother's game show quest, and the crazy guy on the corner of her street.

II. The Wave, Todd Strasser
Laurie Saunders is a high-school student put to the test and must have the courage to stand up to her classmates. Based on a true event that occurred in Palo Alto, California in 1969, The Wave shows what can happen when a classroom experiment goes too far. Mr. Ross, a history teacher, brings his subject alive for his students but with dire consequences. A few brave students set out to stop a school-wide movement started in history class before it’s too late.

III. No More Dead Dogs, Gordon Korman
Do you swear to tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth? Wallace Wallace does, so much so that he can't write the kind of book review his English teacher requires. Wallace, the town's football hero, is put in after school detention indefinitely until he fulfills the assignment, which keeps him from football practice. Instead, he is stuck in the drama club and their rendition of the lame book Wallace is supposed to praise in his report. What will this painfully honest athlete do?

Golding’s classic novel chronicles the lives of a group of British schoolboys after they are stranded on a deserted island without any adult supervision. Decades before Mark Burnett and Survivor, Golding’s novel explored the thin line between civility and savagery, and how quickly that line can be crossed.
Look for:

• the significance of the title to the theme of the novel.
• what each character symbolizes in the novel.
• themes in the novel: the general points that Golding makes about mankind and society.

II. Haroun and the Sea of Stories, Salman Rushdie
In 1988, critically acclaimed writer Salman Rushdie published his fourth novel Satanic Verses. This work, accused by some as a blasphemy against Islam, outraged the orthodox leadership of Iran who pronounced a death sentence against Rushdie. Forced into hiding for over seven years, Rushdie continued to write and publish. His first work after the fatwa was issued is this novel, written for his son.
Look for:

• Haroun's growth throughout the story
• How the novel shows what Rushdie values most.
• themes in the novel: the general points Rushdie makes about individuals, societies and imagination.

III. Persepolis, Marjane Satrapi
Satrapi's graphic novel chronicles her life growing up in Tehran in the 1970's during the Islamic Revolution. Satrapi "allows us to learn as she does the history of this fascinating country and of her own extraordinary family." Persepolis is "intensely personal, profoundly political, and wholly original."
Look for:

• ways in which the artwork enhances your understanding of Satrapi's story
• ways in which her struggle toward independence echo every teenagers, despite her unusual circumstances.
• themes in the novel: the general points Satrapi makes about mankind and society.

Download the printable English 10 Summer Reading List

I. Greek Gods and Heroes, Robert Graves
Graves retells the major ancient Greek myths in an easy-to-read version for modern readers. Any student of Western literature must be acquainted with the Greek myths to appreciate fully the literature that we have inherited from Europe.

II. The Odyssey, Homer (translation by Fagles)
In The Iliad and The Odyssey, Homer set the stage for all of Western literature — and its revelations of the culture that we have inherited — with his recording of the oral stories that had come down to him. While we would love for students to read The Iliad first, we recognize that we do not have time to cover that text; nevertheless, The Odyssey is an adventurous tale to which we think students may easily relate. We ask, therefore, that they make use of the copious notes that Fagles provides at the end of the text.

III. The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie: A Flavia de Luce Mystery, Alan Bradley
Bradley, after an accomplished career in radio and television, took early retirement in 1994 to write full time. He was working on another book when Flavia "hijacked the story." Bradley writes: "She just materialized. I can't take any credit for Flavia at all. I've never had a character who came that much to life. I've had characters that tend to tell you what to do, but Flavia grabbed the controls on page one. She sprung full-blown with all of her attributes - her passion for poison, her father and his history - all in one package. It surprised me." Read the first novel in this critically and commercially acclaimed mystery
series.

Download the printable English 11 Summer Reading List

I. The Crucible, Arthur Miller
English 11 is a survey course of American literature, considered in its historical and cultural contexts, from Colonial to contemporary times. Although The Crucible is set during the Salem witch trials of the 1690s and establishes background information about the early English colony in Massachusetts, the play was written in the 1950s to oppose McCarthyism.
Look for:

• the attitude of Puritans toward outsiders and dissenters
• the dangers and injustices of theocratic rule
• the Puritans’ attitudes toward nature, especially the wilderness surrounding them

II. Slaughterhouse Five, Kurt Vonnegut
Kurt Vonnegut's absurdist classic Slaughterhouse-Five introduces us to Billy Pilgrim, a man who becomes unstuck in time after he is abducted by aliens. We follow Pilgrim through all phases of his life simultaneously, concentrating on his (and Vonnegut's) horrifying experience as an American prisoner of war who witnesses the firebombing of Dresden. Slaughterhouse-Five is widely regarded not only as Vonnegut's most powerful book, but also as his most important: “It fashions the author's experiences in the Second World War into an eloquent and deeply funny plea against butchery in the service of authority. Slaughterhouse-Five boasts the same imagination, humanity, and gleeful appreciation of the absurd found in Vonnegut's other works, but the book's basis in rock-hard, tragic fact gives it a unique poignancy — and humor.”
Look for:
III. Choose ONE from the following list of novels:
In any of the novels, look for:

• themes that are universal (that is, applicable in all times and places) and themes that are uniquely American.
• how the fantastic setting acts as an allegory for contemporary society.
• commentary about the ethics of governmental control, the protagonist’s search for identity,  and how he/she overcomes injustice and evil.

Ender’s Game, Orson Scott Card
Winner of the Nebula and Hugo awards, this novel follows the exploits of young Ender Wiggin. An extraordinary intellect, Ender is enrolled in the “Battle School” and finds that his talent for analyzing systems serves him well in his training as a leader in the war to prevent Earth’s destruction. Although Ender is a genius and his futuristic world is fictional, the stages in his growth to maturity are universal and compelling.

The Hunger Games, Suzanne Collins
Set on a post-apocalyptic Earth, where every year the Capitol hosts the Hunger Games to remind the districts of their vulnerability and of the Capitol’s supreme power. One boy and one girl from each region are selected by random lottery to participate in a fight to the death, broadcast live on TV. When Katniss Everdeen steps forward to take her sister’s place, she has no idea she will actually become a contender, but she does. She becomes determined to win the game at all costs, but to become victor, Katniss “will have to start making choices that will weigh survival against humanity and life against love.”

Catching Fire (the Sequel to The Hunger Games), Suzanne Collins
In this hotly anticipated sequel, Katniss returns home to find herself more the center of attention than ever. Catching Fire is divided into three parts: Katniss and Peeta’s mandatory Victory Tour through the districts, preparations for the 75th Annual Hunger Games, and a truncated version of the Games — compared to the first Games in novel one.
Look for:

• Katniss's struggle to embrace her status as the rebels’ symbolic leader.
• Collins's sometimes scathing social commentary of governmental control.
• Themes of freedom, revolution, responsibility, identity and love.

Download the printable English 11 Summer Reading List

I. How to Read Literature Like a Professor: A Lively and Entertaining Guide to Reading between the Lines, Thomas C. Foster
This is the ultimate literary de-coder. In a voice that is friendly, down to earth, and even amusing at times, Foster de-mystifies the process of literary analysis and offers rich insights, practical techniques, and clear examples.
Look for:

II. Choose ONE from the following list of NONFICTION.
In all of the nonfiction books, look for:

• the author’s thesis and tone toward the topic.
• methods of development (e.g., facts, examples, statistics, anecdotes, visual evidence) and appeals to readers’ emotions, logic, and ethics.
• relevancy to you and your world.

The World Is Flat: A Brief History of the Twenty-first Century, Thomas L. Friedman
Everyone talks about globalization, and many decry it, but Friedman clarifies its complexities and maps this second brave new world with an insightful, logical, and provocative account of how the world has grown smaller, faster and flatter. Storytelling is one of Friedman’s methods, and trend-spotting is his talent.

Outliers, Malcolm Gladwell
Asking why some people succeed brilliantly, Gladwell examines the lives of “outliers,” from Mozart to the Beatles to Bill Gates, and refutes the concept of the “self-made man.” Instead, he agues that successful people rise on a tide of advantages, “some deserved, some not, some earned, some just plain lucky.” Those “advantages” follow a strange, surprising, and provocative logic.

Reading Lolita in Tehran: A Memoir in Books, Azar Nafisi
After her expulsion from the University of Tehran for refusing to wear the veil, Professor Nafisi and her students defied the government with their secret meetings to study Western novels. Their discussions explored the relationships between fiction and reality, freedom and creativity, and theocracy and totalitarianism.

The Omnivore’s Dilemma, Michael Pollan
Pollan traces four types of food — industrial, organic or alternative, and foraged food—from its source to the dinner plate, and thus describes the American way of eating. He considers such sources as cornfields, feedlots, laboratories, and hunting grounds, and always focuses on “our dynamic coevolutionary relationship with the handful of plant and animal species we depend on” (http://www.michaelpollan.com).

Googled , Ken Auletta
New Yorker columnist Auletta profiles Google’s “mixture of business acumen and naïve idealism (Don't Be Evil is the corporate slogan); its brilliant engineering feats and grad-students-at-play company culture; its geek founders, Sergey Brin and Larry Page…, and its pseudo-altruistic quest to offer all the world's information for free while selling all the world's advertising at a hefty profit.” He also examines ReGoogle’s “apocalyptic upheavals in the media and entertainment industries” (Publisher’s Weekly).

Mountains beyond Mountains: The Quest of Dr. Paul Farmer, a Man Who Would Cure the World, Tracy Kidder
Award-winning author Tracy Kidder makes Dr. Paul Farmer’s story as exciting and suspenseful as a novel and shows that one visionary can make an inspiring difference in a world of poverty, disease and despair. Farmer’s work to eradicate infectious disease and bring modern medicine to the poorest of the poor in Haiti stems from deeply-held ideals but is pragmatic and successful in its approach.

III. Choose ONE from the following list of FICTION and DRAMA:
In any of these works, look for:

• themes that are universal (that is, applicable in all times and places) and themes that are uniquely American.
• the author’s tone toward the themes.
• twentieth- and twenty-first century style characteristics that differ from those of earlier novels you’ve studied.

 

All the King’s Men (1946), Robert Penn Warren The Crucible (1953), Arthur Miller Catch 22 (1961), Joseph Heller All the Pretty Horses (1992), Cormac McCarthy

Empire Falls (2001), Richard Russo The History of Love (2005), Nicole Krauss March (2005), Geraldine Brooks Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close (2006), Jonathan Safran Foer

Download the printable English 12 Summer Reading List

I. The Once and Future King, T. H. White
Knighthood as a way of life in medieval times is a significant topic throughout most of the first semester literary study in this course. Thus, a careful reading of The Once and Future King, White’s re-telling of the Arthurian legend, contributes to a clearer understanding of the course literature while providing a chance to enjoy some of the best-loved stores in English literature.
Look for:

• the code of chivalry
• the role of women
• the influence of the Church
• beliefs in magic and the supernatural

II. Mister Pip, Lloyd Jones
On a sun-drenched island ravaged by war, Mr. Watts, the only educated islander, reads to the schoolchildren every day from Charles Dickens’ novel Great Expectations. Enthralled with the tale of Pip, thirteen-year-old Matilda is transported to the streets of London, even as artillery echoes in the mountains behind her village. In the midst of impending violence and threatened death, Matilda confronts the challenges of growing up in a world gone mad.
Look for:

• Matilda’s developing moral code and growing expectations
• The explosive relationship between daughter and mother
• Jones’s ability to draw on Dickens’ tale and showcase its relevance

III. A biography of your choice that is on (at least) a twelfth-grade reading level
Please be certain that the biography you select is truly a biography — a book about a person’s life that is written by another person. The book should NOT be an autobiography, a memoir, or a ghost-written autobiography. Choose wisely: A well-written biography will provide you with a model for the biography you will write during the first semester.
Look for:

• descriptions of people and places important to the subject
• anecdotes and other techniques that convey the subject’s nature
• the biographer’s interpretation of events in the subject’s life

Download the printable English 12 Summer Reading List

Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen
One should not take this novel too seriously: after all, it is a comedy of manners, for which Austen set the tone in her opening sentence. Students should pay attention to the author’s satirizing of different types of personalities.

Sons and Lovers, D.H. Lawrence
Lawrence’s semi-autobiographical story of a young man’s coming of age reveals the protagonist’s struggle between allegiance to his mother and to his female friends. Students who have read Oedipus Rex will note that legend’s influence in the conflicts of this novel.

The King Must Die, Mary Renault
Renault’s novel is a modern retelling of the legend of Theseus. Greek myths and legends are significant in understanding and evaluating modern literature, but students should also note the story’s revelation of other ideas from ancient Greece. Theseus embodies the ideals of a hero, many of which we admire
even today.

The Picture of Dorian Gray, Oscar Wilde
Wilde, considered one of the wittiest writers of English prose, has given us a dark satire of Victorian aristocrats who debate morality and other issues of life. This novel can be compared with Christopher Marlowe’s play Dr. Faustus, which students will read later in the year.