FLORAL PARK MEMORIAL HIGH SCHOOL
ENGLISH DEPARTMENT
(516) 488-9323
May 2013
Dear Parent or Guardian:
Educational research continually confirms the long held belief that reading provides children with many of the skills
necessary for success. In addition to preparing our students for the challenging state assessments, reading regularly
improves comprehension, vocabulary, and both literacy and verbal skills. Recognizing the benefits of encouraging
reading, the FPM English Department worked diligently with parents and students to revise the summer reading
assignment. Students will be expected to read one required book and one book of their choice. Students may not read
books that are part of the ELA curriculum, including books studied in elementary school and the following:
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
So Far From the Bamboo Grove
The Contender
Lord of the Flies
To Kill a Mockingbird
The Secret Life of Bees
The Things They Carried (excluding 11AP)
Nightjohn
Warriors Don’t Cry
Fast Food Nation
Freakonomics
Catch 22
A Christmas Carol
A Raisin in the Sun
A View From the Bridge
The Witch of Blackbird Pond
The Diary of a Young Girl
Ender’s Game
That Was Then, This is Now
Homecoming
The Book Thief
Water for Elephants (excluding 12AP)
The Skin I’m In
Speak
In Cold Blood
Silver Linings Playbook
Slake’s Limbo
The Crucible
A Streetcar Named Desire
The Glass Menagerie
A Wrinkle in Time
Shakespeare’s Works
Of Mice and Men
The Late Great Me
The Outsiders
The Color of Water
The Kite Runner
Nory Ryan’s Song
House of the Scorpion
Flesh and Blood So Cheap
The Scarlet Letter
Million Pound Bank Note
Fences
The Hunger Games
Death Of A Salesman
Students entering Floral Park Memorial High School as seventh graders will read the following required text:
Required Texts:
7 Grade: My Brother Sam is Dead
During the first weeks of school, teachers will review the book with their students, and students will be given a shortanswer test.
Attached is a list of titles, suggested by your child’s peers, separated into junior high and high school texts. You are
strongly encouraged to contact your local librarian for suggestions. In addition, you may wish to contact the New York
Public Library, Office of Young Adult Services, at teenlink.nypl.org for assistance. In September students will be
expected to return with one of the creative assignments completed for their independently chosen book. Students will
present these assignments to the class after they have received a rubric explaining how they will be assessed on the
creativity of the project, rather than on the book’s content.
The Elmont Public Library and the Floral Park Public Library have been informed of this assignment in the event your
child would like to borrow the book from the library.
Please make every effort to become involved in the process of reading with your child. We hope your child will find this
experience enjoyable. If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to contact my voicemail at 516-488-9323 before
June 21. Please leave your name and number, and I will return your call. I thank you in advance for your assistance.
Respectfully,
Dorothy Drexel
English Chairperson
Independent Reading Assignments
(Students will read a book of their choice and complete ONE of the following creative projects)
Junior High Students:
(**grades 7 and 8)
* Choose an astrological sign for each of the main characters and explain why the character fits the
sign’s criteria.
* Create an original book cover.
* Choose a scene in the book and create a two-minute soundtrack for the scene.
* Design and draw costumes for the main characters.
* Write a letter to one of the characters about an incident in the book.
* Create a comic book of one of the events in the novel.
* Write a poem that expresses the novel’s theme.
Senior High Students:
(**grades 9-12)
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
Retell part of the story from the point of view of another character.
Create a board game that reflects the plot of the novel.
Compose a two-minute soundtrack that expresses the theme of the novel.
Write an alternative ending for the book.
Write a news story on an important event in the novel.
Create a comic book of the novel.
Create a power-point presentation of the novel.
Write diary entries for the main characters during crucial points in the story.
The length of written assignments should be between one and two pages.
**The grade levels listed above indicate the grade in which a student will be enrolled
during the 2013-2014 school year.
Titles suggested by junior high students
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
Around the World in 80 Days
Bud not Buddy
Car Trouble
The Cases that Haunt Us
City of Ember
Corner of the Universe
Dollhouse Murders
Eldest
Eragon
Gathering Blue
The Harry Potter series
Hatchet
Holes
Hoo
House of Tailors
Inkheart
Inkspell
Journey to the Center of the Earth
Last Shot
Library Card
Little Women
The Lost Boy
Maximum Ride
The Million Dollar Shot
A Murder for Her Majesty
Nancy Drew Mystery Series
Number the Stars
Race for the Sky
Series of Unfortunate Events
Star Girl
Stranger with My Face
The Supernaturalist
The Swiss Family Robinson
Treasure Island
Vanishing Act
The Uglies Trilogy [one of them]
The Watsons go to Birmingham
The Wave
The Westing Game
The Witches
Titles suggested by high school students
All Around the Town
America
Angels and Demons
Annie’s Baby
Anthem
Are Men Necessary?
Artemis Fowl
Black Hawk Down
Blood and Chocolate
The Bluest Eye
The Body of Christopher Creed
The Boy Who Saved Baseball
Bright Lights Big City
Candide
Children of the Mind
Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister
Cross
Daddy’s Little Girl
Daughters of the Moon
The DaVinci Code
Deception
Define Normal
The Devil Wears Prada
Diary Lullaby
Don’t Die My Love
Doors of the Moon and Suns of the
Dark
Eldest
Emma and Me
Enough About Me
Eragon
Everything is Illuminated
Extremely Loud and Incredibly
Close
The Fabric of the Universe
Fast Food Nation
Fight Book
The Five People You Meet in
Heaven
The Other Boleyn Girl
The Red Tent
Flags of our Fathers
The Fountainhead
George’s Passion
Girl Interrupted
Go Ask Alice
Green Angel
Harry Potter Series
The Hobbit Series
I’m Not Who You Think I am
Infinite Jest
Just Listen
Leadership Secrets of Attila the
Hun
Letters From Rifka
Life Expectancy
The Life of Pi
Lily’s Crossing
London Bridges
The Lovely Bones
Loves Music, Loves to Dance
Madame Bovary
The Memory Keeper’s Daughter
Middlesex
A Million Little Pieces
My Sister’s Keeper
The Namesake
New Moon
No Second Chance
The Notebook
On the Road
Only if You Could See Me Now
The Origin of Time
Over the Wall
The Pact
Painting the Black
Pandora’s Box
Perks of Being a Wallflower
The Picture of Dorian Gray
The Prince
The Princess Bride
The Princess Diaries
Prozac Nation
Rainbow Six
The Real Panda
Running With Scissors
The Secret
The Scarlet Letter
Sherlock Holmes Series
Sophie’s Choice
Story of a Girl
The Tender Bar
The Thirteenth Tale
The Time Machine
They Cage the Animals at Night
Tuesdays With Morrie
Twilight
Uncle Tom’s Cabin
War and Peace
Wicked