SUMMER READING LIST
SUMMER READING LIST
NORTH ROCKLAND
CENTRAL SCHOOL
DISTRICT
Fieldstone Secondary School
Farley Middle School
Haverstraw Middle School
Willow Grove Middle School
North Rockland High School
Fieldstone Secondary School
North Rockland High School
Ileana Eckert , Supt.
Dr. Sally Harrison, Asst. Supt.
Lisa Sambora-Chase, Director of Curriculum and Instruction
Dr. Cynthia Chambless, ELA Coordinator
GRADES 7-12
2011 - 2013
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Grades 7-12
From the English Coordinator, 7-12
Directions
Please be reminded that all students within the school
district, grades 1-12, are required to read during the
summer. Directions for grades 7-12, Honors, RCC, and
AP, can be found on Page 3. Read this page carefully.
Though some students are avid readers and others are
not, we want, nonetheless, for all students to be firstclass readers. Should you, however, be amongst those
who do not take reading seriously, permit me to open
this conversation with you:
We know that you will be missing an
array of important information, ideas, and
experiences should you choose to invest little
time and effort in reading, We also know that
your lack of reading can diminish your
capacity to compete with others in the world as
you get older. With that said, be reminded that
reading can be pleasurable, thrilling, exciting
and, yes, fun.
Lastly, on behalf of your teachers, please keep
physically fit and stay mentally alert. We will see you
in the fall.
Dr. C. Chambless
Grades 7-12 (For Non-Honors , RCC, and AP
Students):
You are required to read at least one (1) book from
the Summer Reading List, or a book of your choosing.
Your choice, outside of the Summer Reading List, must
be on or above your grade level.
In the fall, you will be given a writing task. This
task will involve some of the relevant reading concepts
noted on Page 48.
Grade 9 Honors:
Your reading instructions are on Page 26.
Grade 10 Honors:
Your reading instructions are on Page 32.
Grade 11 Honors:
Your reading instructions are on Page 37.
Grade 12 Honors & RCC:
Your reading instructions are on Page 44.
Grade 11 AP:
Your reading instructions are on Page 38-40.
Grade 12 AP:
Your reading instructions are on Page 45-47.
Grade 7 Reading List
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Grade 7 Reading List
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Bloomability, Sharon Creech
When her aunt and uncle take her from New Mexico to
Lugano, Switzerland to attend an international school,
thirteen-year-old Dinnie discovers her world expanding.
Color of My Words, Lynn Joseph
When life gets difficult for Ana Rosa ( a twelve-year-old
would-be-writer living in a small village in the
Dominican Republic), she depends on her older brother
to make her feel better. A life-changing event occurs on
her thirteenth birthday.
W
illow Grove Middle School
A Killing Frost, John Marsder
Ellie, her friends, and a small band of teenagers, trying
to survive in the Australian countryside, continue to
resist enemies who have invaded their country.
A Single Shard, Linda Sue Park
Tree-ear, a thirteen-year-old orphan in medieval Korea,
living under a bridge in a potter’s village, longs to learn
how to throw the delicate Celadon ceramics.
Bat 6, Virginia Euwer Wolff
In small town, post-World War II Oregon, twenty-one
sixth grade girls recount the story of an annual softball
game. One girl’s bigotry comes to the surface.
Belle Prater’s Boy, Ruth White
Cousins living in a Virginia coal town experience the
loss of someone dear to them.
Dark Side of Nowhere, Neal Shusterman
Fourteen-year-old Jason faces an identity crisis after
discovering that he is the son of aliens.
Dave at Night, Gail Carson Levine
When orphaned, Dave is sent to a Hebrew home for
boys. He is treated harshly. He sneaks out at night and
is welcomed into the music world of the Harlem
Renaissance.
Grade Reading List
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Grade 7 Reading List
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Dicey’s Song, Cynthia Voigt
Now that the four abandoned Tilerman children are
settled in with their grandmother, Dicey must decide
what she wants for her siblings and herself.
Ghost Dance, Susan Price
Unable to stand by and do nothing while her Arctic
homeland is plundered, a Shaman’s apprentice decides
to use her strong, but still undeveloped powers.
Face on Milk Carton, Caroline B. Cooney
A photograph of a missing girl on a milk carton leads
Janie on a search for her real identity.
Ghost Fox, James Houston
In the 1750’s, Abnaki Alogoquians abducts Sarah Wells
(Ghost Fox), 17, from her farm home.
Finding My Voice, Marie G. Lee
As she tries to enjoy her senior year and select which
college she will attend, Korean American, Ellen Sung,
must deal with the prejudices of some of her classmates
and the pressures from her parents to get good grades.
Homecoming, Cynthia Voigt
Abandoned by their mother, four children begin to
search for a home and an identity.
Fortune’s Journey, Bruce Coville
Sixteen-year-old, Fortune Plunkett, faces many
challenges on an overland journey to California in 1853.
Gathering Blue, Lois Lowry
Kira is mysteriously removed from her squalid village to
live in the palatial Council Edifice.
Ghost Canoe, Will Hobbs
Nathan, a fourteen-year-old, fishing with the Makah in
the Pacific Northwest, finds himself holding a vital clue
when a mysterious stranger comes to town looking for
Spanish treasure.
Homeless Bird, Gloria Whelan
Kali discovers that what her husband and parents chose
for her is sickly.
How I Changed My Life, Todd Strasser
Overweight high school senior, Bo, decides to change
her image.
If I Had One Wish, Jackie French Koller
Alec wishes his little brother had never been born, but
when his wish comes true, his whole life changes, and
not necessarily for the better.
Jacob Have I Loved, Katherine Paterson
Feeling deprived all her life of schooling, Louise finally
begins to find her identity.
Grade 7 Reading List
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Journey of the Sparrows, Fran Leeper Buss
Maria and her brother and sister (Salvadorian refugees)
are smuggled into the United States in crates. They try
to eke out a living in Chicago.
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Missing May, Cynthia Rylant
After the death of her beloved aunt who raised her,
twelve-year-old Summer and her Uncle Ob leave their
West Virginia trailer to find life’s meaning.
Journey to Topaz, Yoshiko Uchida
After the Pearl Harbor attack, an eleven-year-old
Japanese-American girl and her family are forced to go
to an alien camp in Utah.
King of Shadows, Susan Cooper
While in London, as part of an all-boys’ acting company
preparing to perform in a replica of the famous Globe
Theatre, Nat Field suddenly finds himself transported
back to 1599.
Kissing Doorknobs, Terry Spencer Hesser
Fourteen-year-old Tara describes how her increasingly
strange compulsions begin to take over her life and
affect her relationships with her family and friends.
Letters from Rifka, Karen Hesse
In letters to her cousin, a young Jewish girl chronicles
her family’s flight from Russia in 1919.
Man Who Was Poe, Avi
In Providence, Rhode Island in 1848, Edgar Allen Poe
investigates the problems of an eleven-year-old,
Edmund, whose family has mysteriously disappeared.
Missing Angel Juan, Francesca Lia Block
Witch Baby follows Angel Juan to New York City and
meets the ghost of her almost grandfather, Charlie Bat.
Haverstraw Middle School
Nory Ryan’s Song, Patricia Reilly Giff
When a terrible blight attacks Ireland’s potato crop in
1845, twelve-year-old Nory Ryan’s courage and
ingenuity helps her family and neighbors survive.
Our Only May Amelia, Jennifer A. Holm
As the only girl in a Finnish American family of seven
brothers, May Amelia Jackson resents being expected to
act like a lady while growing up in 1899.
Phoenix Rising, Karen Hesse
Fifteen-year-old, Ezra, who was exposed to radiation
leaked from a nearby plant, comes to stay at her
grandmother’s Vermont farmhouse.
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Prairie Songs, Pam Conrad
Louisa’s life in a loving pioneer family on the Nebraska
prairie is altered by the arrival of a new doctor and his
fragile wife.
P.S. Longer Letter Later, Paula Danziger & A.Martin
Twelve-year-old best friends, Elizabeth and Tara Starr,
continue their friendship through letter-writing after Tara
Starr’s family moves to another state.
Ransom, Louis Duncan
A typical school bus ride home for five teenagers turns
into a nightmare.
Runaway to Freedom, Barbara Smucker
Two young slave girls escape from a plantation in
Mississippi and travel a hazardous route to Canada via
the Underground Railroad.
Sarah Bishop, Scott O’Dell
Left alone after the deaths of her father and brother,
Sarah Bishop struggles to shape a new life for herself in
the wilderness.
Slake’s Limbo, Felice Holman
Thirteen-year-old Aremis Slake, hounded by his fears
and misfortunes, flees into New York City’s subway
tunnels, never again (he believes) to emerge.
Standing Up to Mr. O, Claudia Mills
Twelve-year-old Maggie comes to dread biology class
because her favorite teacher insists that she dissect a
worm, an assignment that awakens her to the issues of
animal rights.
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Stormbreaker, Anthony Horowitz
After the death of an uncle who had been his guardian,
fourteen-year-old Alex Rider is coerced to continue his
uncle’s dangerous work for Britain’s intelligence
agency.
Stotan, Chris Crutcher
A high school coach invites members of his swimming
team to a memorable week of rigorous training that tests
their moral fiber as well as their physical stamina.
The Best Little Girl in the World, Steven Levenkron
Francesca, a model daughter and student, begins losing
large amounts of weight and refuses to eat.
The Disappearance, Rosa Guy
The disappearance of a seven-year-old daughter from
a Brooklyn family casts suspicion on a juvenile offender
from Harlem who recently came to live with them.
The Friends, Rosa Guy
Phylisia eventually recognizes that her own selfish pride,
rather than her mother’s death and her father’s tyrannical
behavior, created the gulf between her and her best
friend.
The Ghost in the Tokaido Inn, Dorothy Hoobler
While attempting to solve the mystery of a stolen jewel,
Seikei, a merchant’s son, longs to be a Samurai.
The Hero and the Crown, Robin McKinley
Aerin, with the guidance of the wizard, Luthe, and the
help of the blue sword, wins the birthright due her as
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she’s the daughter of the Damarian king and the witch
women of the mysterious demon-haunted North.
The Hideout, Eve Bunting
Feeling unloved by his mother and new stepfather, Andy
hides out in a luxurious San Francisco hotel and stages
his own kidnapping.
The Jazz Kid, James Collier
Paulie Horvath obsession with becoming a jazz musician
leads him into conflict with his parents and into the
tough underworld of Chicago in the 1920’s.
The Last Book in the Universe, Rodman Philbrick
After an earthquake has destroyed much of the planet, an
epileptic teenager, nicknamed Spaz, begins the heroic
fight to bring human intelligence back to the Earth.
The Leopard, Cecil Bodker
An Ethiopian boy finds his life endangered when he
discovers that a disguised blacksmith, not a leopard, is
responsible for a great many missing cattle in the area.
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The River, Gary Paulsen
Because of his success surviving alone in the wilderness
for 54 days, fifteen–year-old Brian profoundly changed
his life in the wild. He is asked to undergo a similar
experience to help scientists learn more about the
psychology of survival.
Tomorrow When the War Began, John Marsder
Seven Australian teenagers return from a camping trip in
the bush to discover that their country has been invaded
and they must hide to stay alive.
When the Legends Die, Hal Borland
A young Ute grows up in Colorado from 1910 to 1920
and, when he becomes civilized, his actions reflect his
conflicts.
Winning Kicker, Thomas J. Dygard
This story relates what happens when a girl place-kicker
joins a champion high school football team.
The Light in the Forest, Conrad Richter
As part of a peace treaty between the Delaware Indians
and British settlers in 1764, a young man (who had been
kidnapped at the age of four) is returned to the settlers.
He has difficulty adjusting.
There’s a Girl in My Hammerlock, Jerry Spinelli
Thirteen-year-old Maise joins her school’s formerly allmale wrestling team and tries to last through the season
despite opposition from her best friends, her own team
mates, and other students.
Farley Middle School
Grade 8 Reading List
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After, Francine Prose
In the aftermath of a school shooting, a grief and crisis
counselor takes over Central High School.
A Gift of Magic, Lois Duncan
Until she learns to control it, Nancy’s gift of
extrasensory perception brings her more trouble than she
can handle.
All Creatures Great and Small, James Herriot
An English veterinarian reminisces about his life, career,
and animal patients in a small village.
A Long Way from Chicago, Richard Peck
A boy recounts his annual summer trip, visiting his
larger-than-life grandmother, in rural Illinois with his
sister during the Great Depression.
Amazing Gracie, Ann Edwards
A girl has a lot to deal with in her sophomore year when
her beloved mother remarries.
Banner in the Sky, James Ramsey Ullman
Sixteen-year-old Rudi dreams of being the first to climb
the Citadel, the highest mountain in Switzerland.
Briar Rose, Jane Yolen
The bright tale of “Sleeping Beauty,” the dark tale of the
Holocaust twining together in a story you will never
forget.
Grade 8 Reading List
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Can You Sue Your Parents for Malpractice, Paula
Danzinger
Confused about her life at home and at school, fourteenyear-old Lauren learns the importance of being her own
person.
Children of the River, Linda Crew
Having fled Cambodia four years earlier to escape the
Khmer Rouge army, seventeen-year-old Sundara is torn
between remaining faithful to her own people and
adjusting to life in her Oregon high school.
Dancing on the Edge, Han Nolan
A young girl from a dysfunctional family creates for
herself an alternative world that nearly results in her
death.
Dragonflight, Anne McCaffrey
Exciting adventure as Lessa of Pern wages a singlehanded secret battle against her sworn enemies, the
dragon men.
Dragonsinger, Anne McCaffrey
Pursuing her dream to be a Harper of Pern, Menolly
studies under the Master Harper learning that more is
required than a facility with music and a clever way with
words.
Driver’s Ed, Caroline Cooney
Three teenagers’ lives are changed forever when they
thoughtlessly steal a stop sign from a dangerous
intersection.
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Eyes of the Dragon, Stephen King
In the kingdom of Delain, a young prince must struggle
against powerful forces.
I Thought My Soul Would Rise and Fly, Joyce Hansen
Twelve-year-old Patsy keeps a diary of the ripe, but
confusing times following the end of the Civil War.
Hoops, Walter Dean Myer
A teenage basketball player from Harlem is befriended
by a former professional player who, after being forced
to quit because of a point shaving scandal, hopes to
prevent other young athletes from repeating his mistake.
Jason’s Gold, Will Hobbs
Fifteen-year-old Jason embarks on a ten-thousand-mile
journey in 1897 in hopes of striking it rich.
Hoot, Carl Hiaasen
Roy, who is new to his small Florida community,
becomes involved in another boy’s attempt to save a
colony of burrowing owls at a proposed construction
site.
If I Should Die Before I Wake, Han Nolan
Hilary, a Neo-Nazi initiate, lies in a coma. She is
transported back to Poland at the onset of World War II
into the life of a Jewish teenager.
Ironman, Chris Crutcher
While training for the triathlon, seventeen-year-old Bo
attends an anger management group at school that leads
him to examine his relationship with his father.
It Happened to Nancy, Anonymous
This is Nancy’s own story taken from her diary. It
reveals her personal feelings from the wonderful
romantic fantasies of first love to the nightmare of
AIDS.
Kokopelli’s Flute, Will Hobbs
Thirteen-year-old Tepary discovers an old flute in a cliff
dwelling in New Mexico and, through its power, learns
about ancient Native American magic.
Midget, Tim Bowler
Subject to strange fits (physically abnormal, and
psychologically disturbed from the constant torment and
abuse of his older brother), a fifteen-year-old midget
finds himself in control of his life for the first time when
he gets his own sailboat and discovers untapped mental
powers.
Nothing to Fear, Jack French Koller
Danny struggles to help his family during the Great
Depression.
One-Eyed Cat, Paula Fox
An eleven-year-old shoots a stray cat with his new air
rifle.
Petey, Ben Mikaelsen
In 1922, Petey, who has cerebral palsy, is mis-diagnosed
as an idiot and institutionalized.
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Remember Me, Cheryl Lanham
Caught shoplifting, Leeanne is sentenced to community
service at a local hospice. There she meets and becomes
close friends with Gabriel, a dying young man, who
teaches her a valuable lesson about life and death.
Running Out of Time, Margaret Peterson Haddix
When a diphtheria epidemic endangers her 1840 village,
thirteen-year-old Jessie discovers it is actually a 1995
tourist site under unseen observation by heartless
scientists. It is up to Jessie to escape the village and
save the lives of the dying children.
Shades of Gray, Carolyn Reeder
At the end of the Civil War, twelve-year-old Will
reluctantly leaves his city home to live in the Virginia
countryside with his aunt.
Silent Spring, Rachel L. Carson
Houghton Mifflin presents facts about the effects of
pesticides on the environment, on health and on genetics.
Song of the Buffalo Boy, Sherry Garland
Seventeen-year-old Loi, shunned and mistreated because
of her mixed heritage, is determined to avoid an
arranged marriage by running away.
Stand Tall, Joan Bauer
Tree, a six-foot, three-inch twelve-year-old, copes with
his parents’ recent divorce and his failure as an athlete
by helping his grandfather.
Grade 8 Reading List
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Stranger with My Face, Lois Duncan
A seventeen-year-old senses she is being spied on and
probably impersonated.
The Boxes, William Sleator
When she opens two strange boxes left in her care by her
mysterious uncle, fifteen-year-old Annie discovers a
swarm of telepathic creatures that unleash powers
capable of slowing down time.
The Cat Who Went into the Closet, Lillian Braun
After a reporter, Jim Quilleran, rents a Florida mansion,
a Siamese cat, Koko, drags items from several closets
that provide clues to the suspicious death of the
mansion’s elderly and eccentric owner.
The Number Devil, Hans Magnus Enzensberger
Annoyed with his math teacher who assigns word
problems and won’t let him use a calculator, twelveyear-old Robert finds help from the number devil in his
dreams.
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The Pistachio Prescription, Paula Danzinger
A high school “freshperson” attempts to rise above the
inconveniences of life.
The Storyteller’s Beads, Jane Kurtz
During the political strife and famine of the 1980’s, two
Ethiopian girls, one Christian and the other Jewish and
blind, struggle to overcome many difficulties, including
their prejudices about each other.
The Surprise Party, R. L. Stine
Meg receives phone calls, threats, and bizarre acts of
violence after she plans a surprise party for Ellen.
The Trap, Joan Lowlry Nixon
Sixteen-year-old Julie agrees to spend the summer at her
great-aunt and uncle’s ranch in Texas, but gets more
than she bargains for.
The Watcher, James Howe
As she sits watching a seemingly perfect family and a
handsome lifeguard on the beach, a lonely, troubled girl
develops a fantasy of their lives and inserts herself into
it.
When Zachery Beaver Came to Town, Kimberly Willis
Holt
During the summer of 1971, in a small Texas town ,
thirteen-year-old Toby and his best friend, Cal, meet the
star of a side-show act: a 600 pound boy, the fattest in
the world.
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Downriver, Will Hobbs
Fifteen-year-old Jessie and the other rebellious teenage
members of a wilderness survival school team abandon
their adult leader, hijack his boats, and try to survive the
dangerous White Water at the bottom of the Grand
Canyon.
Eiger Dreams, Jon Krakauer
In this collection of his finest works, Krakauer explores
the subject from the unique perspective of his experiences. He has battled mountain peaks like K2, Denali,
Everest and, of course, Eiger.
Final Flight, Stephen Coonts
The most daring-and-deadly terrorist plot of all time is
about to unfold aboard the super carrier, USS United
States. If it succeeds, the balance of nuclear power will
tilt in favor of a remorseless Arab leader. It looks as if
no one can stop it, except navy “jet jock,” Jake Grafton.
Hang Time: Days and Dreams with Michael Jordan,
Bob Greene
This book, a biography, captures past, present, and
future the innermost feelings of the Bulls’ basketball
player, Michael Jordon,
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I Never Promised You a Rose Garden, Joanne
Greenberg
This novel involves the battle of a mentally ill teenage
girl who is battling the maddening world of her mind.
With the help of a loyal doctor, she gains the strength to
understand and respect herself.
Plucking Reggie Jackson, James Bennett
High school baseball star, Coley Burk, tries to deal with
an ankle injury, back spasms, a pregnant girlfriend,
academic failure, pressure from his father, and the
legacy of his dead older brother.
Kit’s Wilderness, David Almond
The Watson family moves to Stoneygate, an old coalmining town, to care for Kit’s recently widowed
grandfather. When Kit meets John Askew, another boy
whose family had both worked and died in the mines, he
invites her to join him in playing a game of death.
Rules of the Road, Joan Bauer
Between her mom divorcing her alcoholic dad and her
grandma with Alzheimer’s disease, Jenna Boller leads a
pretty tough life. The one thing in her life she really
enjoys is selling shoes. She thought her summer would
be full of that, but when the owner of the store hires her
to drive from Chicago to Texas, her summer turns out to
be a real adventure.
Lizard, Dennis Covington
Sent by his guardian to live at a Louisiana school for
retarded boys, Lizard, a bright, deformed boy, escapes
with the help of a visiting actor who gives him a role in
his repertory company’s production of Shakespeare’s,
“The Tempest.”
Speak, Laurie Halse Anderson
A traumatic event near the end of the summer has a
devastating effect on Melinda’s freshman year in high
school.
Monster, Walter Dean Myers
Steve Harmon, 16, is accused of participating in a
Harlem drugstore murder/robbery. He awaits trial in
prison. Steve relates a riveting story about his
experiences there. He tries to prove to himself that he is
not a monster.
The Angel Factory, Terence Blacker
Spurred on by his best friend, twelve-year-old Thomas
uncovers two major family secrets. He was adopted. His
perfect-seeming family is part of another worldly
organization.
The Education of Little Tree, Forrest Carter
A young boy, in the 1930’s, is orphaned and goes to live
with his Cherokee grandmother and grandfather in an
Appalachian Mountain cove. Here, Little Tree receives
his education from the earth, nature, the Cherokees, and
simple traditions of the mountain people.
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The Lottery Rose, Irene Hunt
In a horrifying psychological study of child abuse and
recovery, Georgie Burgess struggles to survive in a
hostile boys’ school environment amid a world of
spirituality.
The Notebook, Nickolas Sparks
In a Southern nursing home, an eighty-year-old man
reads from his diary to his wife who is suffering from
Alzheimer’s. This is a story of their teenage romance,
followed by years of separation (he was from the wrong
class), followed by her decision, on his return from
World War II, to be her own woman and marry him.
The Song of the Lark, Willa Cather
This book charts the story of a young woman’s
awakening as an artist against the backdrop of the
western landscape. Thea Kronborg, and aspiring singer,
struggles to escape from the confines of her small
Colorado town to the world of possibility, the
Metropolitan Opera House.
They Cage the Animals at Night, J. M. Burch
Burch was left at an orphanage and never stayed at any
one foster home long enough to make any friends. This
is
the story of how he grew up and gained the courage to
reach out for love.
Ties that Bind: Ties that Break, Lensey Namioka
Ailin has watched her two older sisters go through the
painful process of having their feet bound. Knowing
she will never run again once her feet are bound, she
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rebels and refuses to follow this torturous tradition.
Ailin finds that her family is no longer willing to support
her.
Touching the Spirit Bear, Ben Mikaelsen
Fifteen-year-old Cole Matthew is a victim of beatings
and neglect at the hands of alcoholic parents. Now an
abuser himself, he viciously beats a classmate. To
escape prison, he enters the Native Circle justice system.
When I Was Puerto Rican, Esmerelda Santiago
Emerelda and her seven siblings lived in a corrugated
metal shack in Puerto Rico. She goes to New York to be
with her grandmother. She must rely on her intelligence
and talents if she is to survive her alien world.
Where Are the Children, Mary Higgins Clark
Nancy Harmon had fled from the heartbreak of her first
marriage, the macabre deaths of her two little children,
the hostile front-page newspaper stories, and the
shocking charges against her. She changes her name,
dyes her red hair sable brown, and leaves California for
the wind-swept peace of Cape Cod. She re-marries, has
two more beautiful children, and her pain begins to heal.
One morning, when she looks in her back yard for her
little boy and girl, she only finds one red mitten. Her
pain begins again.
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Grade 10 Reading List
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Honors
Almost a Woman, Esmeralda Santiago
In her new memoir, the acclaimed author of When I Was
Puerto Rican continues the riveting chronicle of her
emergence from the barrios of Brooklyn to the theaters
of Manhattan.
Note: The two (2) books listed below are
required reading (mandatory).
Mythology for Teens: Classical Mythology in Today’s
World, Zachary Hamby
This book contains a collection of Greek and Roman
myths researched from various classical sources. The
author has chosen to tell stories in the form of drama
instead of prose thereby allowing each play’s dialogue,
instead of prose, to retell the myths.
The Once and Future King, T.H. White
It is the magical epic of King Arthur and his shinning
Camelot, of Merlin and Owl and Guinevere, of beasts
who talk and men who fly, and of wizardry and war.
Annie John, Jamaica Kincaid
This is the story of a young girl coming of age in
Antigua. Kincaid explores the theme that lies at the
heart of all her novels: the ambivalent and essential
bonds created by a mother’s love.
A Thief of Time, Tony Hillerman
The creation of the first truly accurate clock starts a race
both for and against time. If the clock is completed,
time will stop. Death calls on his granddaughter to stop
the plot of the Auditors who wish to catalog everything,
but find humanity a bit too unpredictable.
Charm School, Nelson DeMille
Poised against the very heartland of America is a vast
and astounding KGB enterprise known as “The Charm
School.” Young KGB agents are taught how to be U.S.
inside Russia, a young American tourist picks up a most
unusual passenger with an incredible secret.
He Sees You When You’re Sleeping, Mary Higgins
Clark
Before gaining entrance to heaven, a deceased man,
Sterling Brooks, must return to earth to help a troubled
seven-year-old girl whose father and grandmother are in
the Witness Protection Program.
Grade 10 Reading List
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Grade 10 Reading List
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“H” Is for Homicide, Sue Grafton
This is a vivid, funny portrait of life in an ethnic
underworld viewed without judgment. The story takes
Kinsey into a Los Angeles barrio, into jails, into
hospitals, and into a grungy bar named the Meat Locker.
On a Pale Horse, Piers Anthony
When Zane shot Death, he learns too late that he would
have to assume his place, speeding over the world riding
his pale horse, and ending the lives of others.
Lords of Discipline, Pat Conroy
Pat Conroy takes the readers to a military academy and
sweeps them into the turbulent world of four young men
who are friends, cadets, and blood brothers in their days
of hazing, heartbreak, pride, and betrayal.
Magic Kingdom, Terry Brooks
A gripping story of mystery and adventure in a magical
kingdom far removed from our own. It is sure to delight
fantasy readers everywhere.
Murder on Capitol Hill, Margaret Truman
Between them, Senator Cale Caldwell and his blueblooded wife control as much power on Capitol Hill as
the law would allow. Sadly, it wasn’t sufficient to
protect him from a killer. The senator’s death could
benefit many people: a bitter political adversary, an
ambitious talk-show host, and a master of spin who
makes even murder look good.
Mutation, Robin Cook
Dr. Victor Frank genetically alters an embryo to create a
perfect child. But the result is far from perfect. Instead
of creating the child of his dreams, he has invented a
living nightmare.
Reaper Man, Terry Pratchett
The sudden vacancy in the post of Grim Reaper has
some very decisive impact on the Disco World. For
example, the dead are not going anywhere. Some force
themselves back into their bodies, while others just hang
around with all sorts of interesting effects.
Rocket Boys, Homer Hickam
A powerful story of growing up and getting out. In
1957, after the Soviet satellite Sputnick shot across the
Appa-lachian sky, Sonny and his teenage friend decided
to do their bit for the U.S. space race by building their
own rockets.
Suzanne’s Diary for Nicholas, James Patterson
A tale of two parallel love stories. The first focuses on
Kate Wilkinson, who thinks she has found the perfect
man to love. He suddenly disappears without
explanation. The second, Kate searches for answers and
finds them in a diary that a young mother has written for
her infant son.
The Chosen, Chaim Potok
The classic story of two fathers and two sons and the
pressures on them to pursue the religion they share in a
way best suited to each. As the boys grow into young
men, they discover in the other a lost spiritual brother.
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Grade 10 Reading List
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The Crystal Cave, Mary Stewart
Merlin is the object of both envy and ridicule. His
strange powers and predictions earn him greater status as
an outcast. He leaves home as a pre-adolescent,
returning years later as a young man. He finds himself
caught in a current of shifting kingdoms
Watership Down, Richard Adams
Fleeing the intrusion of man and the certain destruction
of their ancestral home, a band of rabbits encounters
harrowing trials posed by predators and hostile warrens.
The Immigrants, Howard Fast
A tale of passion, adventure, and ambition set against the
streets of San Francisco. From Nob Hill to the harbor,
San Francisco comes alive through three immigrant
families: Italian, Irish, and Chinese, whose intertwining
dreams are propelled by the emotional events of
America’s coming of age.
The Junction Boys, Jim Dent
The legendary Bear Bryant is recognized as one of the
greatest coaches ever. So why did he always cite his 1-9
Texas A & M team of 1955 as his favorite? This is a
story of courage, determination, and sheer guts based on
the experiences of Paul “Bear” Bryant’s Texas A & M
football training camp.
Treasure, Clive Cussler
Charts of lost gold, breathtaking art, rare volumes, and
maps of hidden oil and mineral deposits could change
the world’s balance of power. Suddenly, anarchists
reach their deadly tentacles into the heart of the United
States.
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Grade 11 Reading List
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Honors
After the First Death, Robert Cormier
Events of the hijacking of a bus of children by terrorists,
seeking the return of their homeland, are described from
the perspectives of a hostage, a terrorist, and an Army
general.
Note: The two (2) books listed below are
required reading (mandatory).
The Book of Genesis – Any modern English version.
A Prayer for Owen Meany, John Irving.
Young Owen Meany, the social outcast, has enormous
influence on Johnny Wheelwright. The only baseball
Owen ever hits causes the death of Johnny’s mother.
A Study in Scarlet, Arthur Conan Doyle
Although Doyle grew weary of Holmes and devised his
death, the public could not get enough of Dr. Watson
and his nemesis, Moriarity. He was forced eventually,
by popular demand, to restore the life of Holmes.
Fallen Angels, Walter Dean Myers
This story is about Perry, a Harlem teenager who
volunteers for the Service when his dream of attending
college falls through. Sent to the front lines, Perry and
his platoon come face-to-face with the Vietcong and the
real horrors of warfare. But violence and death aren’t
the only hardships. As Perry struggles to find virtue in
himself and his comrades, he questions why black troops
are given the most dangerous assignments, and why the
U.S. is there at all.
Firehouse, David Halberstam
We watch a typical day in a firehouse. The men are
called to duty while their families wait anxiously for
news of them. In addition, we come to understand the
culture of the firehouse.
In the Company of Heroes, Michael Durant and Steven
Hartov
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Grade 11 Reading List
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How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents, Julia Alvarez
This sensitive story of four sisters, who must adjust to
life in America after having to flee from the Dominican
Republic, is told through a series of episodes beginning
in adulthood and moving backwards to their wealthy
childhood.
Kitchen Privileges, Mary Higgins-Clark
Suspense writer, Clark, tells the story of her Bronx
upbringing, of her development as an author, and of her
struggles( as a single parent with five young children) to
make ends meet. She offers sincere and sound advice.
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, Maya Angelou
An unforgettable memoir of growing up black in the
1930’s in a tiny Arkansas town. Angelou’s grandmother
owned a store in the heart of the community where
whites seemed to blacks to be aliens from another planet.
I’ll Be Seeing You, Mary Higgins Clark
Meghan Collins, a television news reporter, is covering a
story in the emergency room of a large metropolitan
hospital where a young woman is rushed in on a
stretcher, a victim of a stabbing. What Meghan sees in
that terrible moment begins a chain of discovery that
exposes the secret lives of the people closest to her.
In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship
Essex, Nathaniel Philbrick
In 1819 the Essex, with 20 crew members, left
Nantucket for the South Pacific. Their boat was rammed
and sunk by an angry sperm whale. The crew, drifting
more than 90 days, took drastic measures in order to
survive.
Rain, V.C. Andrews
Rain grew up in the Washington, D. C. ghetto. Life was
hard. She discovers that her biological mother is a rich
white woman and goes to live with her family. She
finds the world of rich whites hard also.
The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon, Stephen King
On a six-mile hike on the Maine-New Hampshire branch
of the Appalachian Trail, nine-year-old Trisha
McFarland quickly tires of the constant bickering
between her older brother and recently divorced mother.
She wanders off. She becomes lost in a wilderness
maze full of peril and terror.
The Nanny Diaries, Emma McLauglin and Nicola
Kraus
Nanny, struggling to graduate from NYU and keep her
studio apartment, takes a position caring for the son of a
wealthy family. She learns of the insane amount of
juggling involved to ensure that the mother, who doesn’t
do anything, has a smooth day.
The Right Stuff, Tom Wolfe
Friday Night Lights, H.G. Bissinger
A look at a Texas town, its teens, and its coaches. Their
football teams have the most state wins.
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The Testament, John Grisham
A suicidal billionaire, a burnt-out Washington litigator
and a woman who has forsaken technology to work in
the wilds of Brazil are all brought together by an
astounding mystery of the testament.
The Truth, Terry Pratchett
The hero of “The Truth,” William de Worde, a
disenfranchised member of wealth, earns a meager living
selling specialized “newsletters.” With the advent of
moveable type, business picks up and he becomes
involved in a revolutionary publication, The AnknMorpork Times, whose erroneous typeset motto is “The
Truth shall Make You Free.”
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Honors
Note: You are required to read any two (2) of
the books listed below:
East of Eden, John Steinbeck
I Know This Much Is True, Wally Lamb
Main Street, Sinclair Lewis
This is a novel about life in a quiet Midwestern town
which exposes complacency and hypocrisy.
Notes of a Native Son, James Baldwin
These searing essays on life in Harlem (the protest
novel, movies and Americans abroad) remain as
powerful today as when they were written.
The Reivers, William Faulkner
This is the story of three unlikely thieves, eleven-yearold Lucius Priest and two of his family’s retainers. They
set out from Mississippi for Memphis in a stolen
motorcar.
The Rule of Four, Ivan Caldwell and Dustin Thomson
This Side of Paradise, F. Scott Fitzgerald
Amory Blaine, wandering through his early years,
attempts to use the power of his personality to woo and
fall in love with a variety of women.
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Grade 11 Reading List (AP Lit. & Comp)
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Note: Some of these college-level texts below contain
mature and sensitive issues. You may wish to discuss
your selection with your parents/guardians.
Mandatory Reading
(You should take prolific notes as best you can on the
basic elements of fiction. Such elements to be
considered are plot, character, setting, theme,
narrative, point of view, etc.)
Mandatory Readings
How to Read Literature Like a Professor: A Lively and
Entertaining Guide to Reading Between the Lines,
Thomas C. Foster
In this valuable handbook for English literature, students
and enthusiasts alike, Foster (English, Univ. of
Michigan) shares his love of the subject, encouraging
readers to explore multiple meaning when reading
literary works rather than be daunted by strict or limiting
interpretations.
Biblical Selections
Select One
These selections below provide the necessary
background you will need for the denser, more richly
allusive texts we will be studying.

The Book of Genesis - Any modern English
version

The Book of Exodus - Any modern English
version

The Book of Revelations - Any modern English
version
The Namesake, Jhumpa Lahiri
The novel takes the Ganguli family from their traditionbound life in Calcutta through their fraught
transformation into America. When Gogol is born, the
task of naming him betrays their hope of respecting old
ways in a new world.
Their Eyes Were Watching God, Zora Neal Hurston
The novel follows the fortunes of Janie Crawford, a
woman living in the black town of Eatonville, Florida.
Janies’s voyage to understanding of herself includes
three marriages and a trial for murder of one of her
husbands.
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Grade 12 Reading List
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Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, Jonathan Safran
Foer
Oskar Schell is a nine-year -old amateur inventor,
jewelry designer, astrophysicist, tambourine player, and
pacifist. He turns his naively precocious vocabulary to
the understanding of historical tragedy as he searches
New York for the lock that matches a mysterious key
left by his father who was killed in the September 11
attacks.
Slaugherhouse-Five, Kurt Vonnegut
Billy Pilgrim is a man who becomes unstuck in time
after he is abducted by aliens from the planet
Tralfamador. He is also an American prisoner of war
who witnessed the firebombing of Dresden.
A Hope in the Unseen, Ron Suskin
A talented black teenager struggles to succeed in one of
the worst high schools.
Beloved, Toni Morrison
In the troubled years following the Civil War, the spirit
of a murdered child haunts the Ohio home of a former
slave. This angry, destructive spirit breaks mirrors,
leaves its fingerprints in cake icing, and generally makes
life difficult for Sethe and her family. Nevertheless,
Sethe finds the haunting oddly comforting.
Grade 12 Reading List
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Flyboys, James Bradley
The true story of young American airmen who were shot
down over Chichi Jima. Eight men, taken prisoners,
were captured by Japanese troops. Another was rescued
by an American submarine and went on to become
President. The reality of what happened to the eight
prisoners has remained a secret for almost 60
years.
Leadership, Rudolph Giuliani
After the terrible events of 9/11, Rudolph Giuliani came
to be known worldwide as a figure of authority and
command. He provides insight into his own ideas and
values and offers profound and practical lessons on
leadership.
Monkey Island, Paula Fox
Forced to live on the streets of NY after his mother
disappears from their hotel room, eleven-year-old Clay
is befriended by two men who helped him survive.
My American Journey, Colin Powell
This is the story of an American black man’s rise to
power and greatness.
Native Son, Richard Wright
A young man, hardened by life in the slums, finds that
efforts to free himself proves hopeless. Involved in a
wealthy woman’s death, he finds himself the object of a
relentless hunt. He finally realizes his individuality by
facing his death.
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Stillwatch, Mary Higgins Clark
Politics, mystery, and romance combine as a female
senator uncovers terrible secrets.
The Lovely Bones, Alice Sebold
On her way home from school on a snowy December
day in 1973, 14 year-old Susie Salmmon (“like the fish”)
is lured into a makeshift underground den, in a cornfield,
and brutally raped and murdered. She became the latest
victim of a serial killer - the man she knew as her
neighbor, Mr. Harvey.
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Grade 12 Reading List (AP Lang. & Comp.)
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Honors & RCC
Mandatory
Note: You are required to read any two (2) of
the books listed below.
Executive Orders, Tom Clancy
Jack Ryan tries to rebuild the government after a
terrorist attack. (Counts as two (2) books)
Flyboys, James Bradley
The true story of young American airmen who were shot
down over Chichi Jima. Eight men, taken prisoners,
were captured by Japanese troops. Another was rescued
by an American submarine and went on to become
President. The reality of what happened to the eight
prisoners has remained a secret for almost 60
years.
Reading Like a Writer, Francine Prose
In this excellent guide, Prose explains what she means
by close reading, drawing attention to the brick and
mortar of outstanding narratives: words, sentences,
paragraphs, character, dialogue, details and more.
Select One of the Following Books
Note: Contingent upon instructor approval, students
may select their own appropriate work of non-fiction.
You must notify Mr. Anderson of your selection via
email, danderson@nrhs.nrced.org, no later than
Friday, June 24th. Diet and self-help books are not
considered appropriate works.
Return of the Native, Thomas Hardy
Set in the brooding heath lands of England, the novel
lays bare the frailties of human love.
Growing Up, Russell Baker
This book is touching and funny, a hopeless muddle of
sadness and laughter that bears suspicious resemblance
to real life.
Life of Pi, Yann Martel
A 16 year-old boy struggles with survival, identity, and
faith while shipwrecked in the Pacific Ocean on a 26
foot lifeboat for 227 days with a 450 pound Bengal tiger
and three other animals.
A Walk in the Woods, Bill Bryson
With a slightly adenoidal, British/American, engaging
accent, you immediately get a hint of the humor that lies
ahead as Baker voiced his longing to walk the many
miles of the Appalachian trail.
Zen and the Art Motorcycle Maintenance, Robert
Pirsig
This book, an autobiography of the mind and body, takes
the reader literally into the mind of the author’s
emotional and philosophical feelings.
The Road from Coorain, Jill Ker Conway.
From the shelter of a protective family to the lessons of
tragedy and independence, this is an indelible portrait of
a remarkable woman’s life.
Grade 12 AP Language and Composition
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An American Childhood, Annie Dillard
A vivid, reminiscence memoir of growing up in
Pittsburg, the 1950’s.
Nichle and Dimed: On (Not) Getting by in America,
Barbara Ehrenreich.
To understand life beyond boom-time America,
Ehrenreich spent months laboring as a cleaning woman,
a waitress, and a Wal-Mart sales clerk.
Everything They Had: Sports Writing from David
Halberstam, David Halberstam
Halberstam writes about some of the most compelling
sports figures of our era.
Trying to Save Piggy Sneed, John Irving
A delightful collection of shorter works both fiction and
nonfiction. This book includes a living portrait of
Irving’s grandmother, a never-before-published essay,
six scintillating short stories, and two essays on Charles
Dickens.
The Man Who Mistook His Wife for A Hat, Oliver
Sacks
Sacks recounts the case histories of patients lost in the
bizarre, apparently inescapable world of neurological
disorders.
Fast Food Nation, Eric Schlosser. Schlosser argues that
the fast food industry has triggered the growth of malls,
widened the gap between rich and poor, fueled an
epidemic of obesity, and propelled American cultural
imperialism abroad.
Grade 12 AP Language and Composition
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Mandatory
Columnist Assignment
You are required to read a minimum of three
contemporary columns by the same writer. Notice the
language and subject choices that the writer makes. You
will need to analyze each of the three columns and
submit a reaction to each of them on the first day of
school. Copies of the column must be submitted with
your analyses.
In your analysis, pay particular attention to the
following:
-
Subject - the topic.
Occasion - what prompted the particular
column?
Purpose - to inform, persuade, vent, etc.
Tone - the feeling of the piece.
Possible columnist choices are noted below. You can, if
you wish, choose your own.
Clive Barnes
Nicholas D. Kristof
Dave Barry
Paul Krugman
Jimmy Breslin
James P. Pinkerton
Marie Cocco
Ann Quindlen
Frank Deford
William Raspberry
Ellen Goodman
Rick Reilly
Clyde Haberman
ER Shipp
Bob Herbert
Andrew Sullivan
Charles Krauthammer
George Will
Summer Reading Notes All Grades
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Name ________________________________________
1. Title ______________________________________
2. Author ____________________________________
3. Setting ____________________________________
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
4. Characters ________________________________
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
5. Plot_______________________________________
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
6. Conflict ___________________________________
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
7. Theme ____________________________________
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
8. Point of View_______________________________
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
9. Irony _____________________________________
_____________________________________________
10. Symbolism________________________________
_____________________________________________
11. Social Value_______________________________
_____________________________________________