M
OFFICE OF ELA/ SOCIAL STUDIES 7-12, ESL & LIBRARIES
167 Myers Corners Road, Suite 200
Wappingers Falls, New York 12590
(845) 298-5000 x 40156
Fax (845) 298-7085
Lizzette Cintron, Coordinator
Member
Middle States Association
of Colleges and Schools
Member
Grades 9-12 Summer Reading Program 2015
Dear Parents and Students,
Summer is a wonderful time to enjoy reading! This summer, we are providing incoming 9th,
10th, 11th, and 12th graders with a list of suggested books. Please look over the titles, authors,
pictures, and summaries to select a few that interest you. If you would rather choose your own
titles, we encourage you to do that! After all, life is too short to read a book you don’t like!
Goals for Summer Reading
Personal
-Foster a love of reading
-Advance literacy by engaging in reading activities
-Increase reading through self-selected, voluntary
reading
Academic
-Enhance a sense of community
-Provide a common reading experience
-Stimulate discussion and critical thinking
Reflect on Yourself as a Reader
-I
-I
-I
-I
-I
How do I best demonstrate that I comprehend the
text?
reread parts of the book.
make predictions.
ask questions.
make connections.
summarize parts of the book.
When and where do I best concentrate on reading?
-In the morning
-Before going to sleep
-At my desk
-On my bed
-Lying on the floor
Back-to-School Activity
You are not required to submit a written assignment upon your return to school in the fall.
However, you will be asked to discuss and write about what you read.
As you read, consider such questions as: How does the character’s personality evolve or change over time? How are
themes developed? What are important events that contribute to the plot? You may wish to take notes or keep a
reading journal. If the book is yours, you may want to highlight, annotate, or use sticky notes to emphasize
important or interesting parts.
Parent Tips to Encourage Reading
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Set a schedule for reading. Make it the same time every day.
Read with your child and model good reading habits.
Talk about your child’s book. Ask him/her questions about it!
Celebrate reading with rewards!
Remember that if your child reads 4-5 books this summer, they will maintain their skill level
and grow as readers, which will help them perform better in all subjects.
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Summer Reading
Chick Lit
The Moon and More by Dessen, Sarah
During her last summer at home before leaving for college, Emaline begins a whirlwind romance
with Theo, an assistant documentary filmmaker who is in town to make a movie.
Eleanor and Park by Rowell, Rainbow
Set over the course of one school year in 1986, this is the story of two star-crossed misfits –
smart enough to know that first love almost never lasts, but brave and desperate enough to try.
Summer Love by Santopolo, Jill
A unique romance novel whereby readers are prompted to choose how to proceed with the plot,
leading them to one of eleven different love interests and thirteen possible endings.
at true love.
Dystopia
Homeland by Doctorow, Cory
When Marcus, once called M1k3y, receives a thumbdrive containing evidence of corporate and
governmental treachery, his job, fame, family, and well-being, as well as his reform-minded
employer's election campaign, are all endangered.
Hungry by Swain, H.A.
In Thalia's world there is no more food and no need for food, as everyone takes medication to
ward off hunger. But when she meets a boy who is part of an underground movement to bring
food back, she realizes that the meds are not working.
Under the Empyrean Sky by Wendig, Chuck
Angry with the oppressive dictates of the Empyrean government, Heartlander and Captain of the
Big Sky Scavengers Cael McAvoy discovers a secret, illegal garden and Cael, together with his
crew, decides to make his own luck ... a choice that will bring down the wrath of the Empyrean
elite and change life in the Heartland forever.
Fantasy
Take Back the Skies by Saxon, Lucy
To escape from a planned arranged marriage, teenaged Cat Hunter disguises herself as a boy and
stows away on a smuggler's airship where she discovers a world of excitement and adventure.
Allies & Assassins by Somper, JustinMelanie Tamaki follows her mother to the Half World,
a place where people sit in limbo between the human world and the afterlife, and hopes to find a
way to return alive, something no one has managed to do before.
Poison by Zinn, Bridget
When sixteen-year-old Kyra, a potions master, tries to save her kingdom by murdering the
princess, who is also her best friend, the poisoned dart misses its mark and Kyra becomes a
fugitive, pursued by the King's army and her ex-boyfriend Hal.
Girls Who Take Charge
Beauty Queens by Bray, Libba
When a plane crash strands thirteen teen beauty contestants on a mysterious island, they
struggle to survive, to get along with one another, to combat the island's other diabolical
occupants, and to learn their dance numbers in case they are rescued in time for the
competition.
Graceling by Cashore, Kristin
In a world where some people are born with extreme and often feared skills called Graces, Katsa
struggles for redemption from her own horrifying Grace of killing and teams up with another
young fighter to save their land from a corrupt king.
Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by Lockhart, E.
Frankie Landau-Banks attempts to take over a secret, all-male society at her exclusive prep
school, and her antics with the group soon draw some unlikely attention and have unexpected
consequences that could change her life forever.
Good Reads from Real Life (Nonfiction)
For the Good of Mankind: The Shameful History of Human Medical
Experimentation by Wittestein, Vicki O.
Discusses the history of human experimentation and its impact on medical discoveries.
The Freedom Summer Murders by Mitchell, Don
A look at how the disappearance and murders of civil rights workers Mickey Schwerner,
Andrew Goodman, and James Chaney would help bring about civil rights and social
justice.
Frozen in Time: An Epic Story of Survival and a Modern Quest for Lost Heroes of
World War II by Zuckoff, Michael
In November 1942, a U.S. cargo plane crashed into the Greenland ice cap, the B-17 sent
on the search-and-rescue mission got caught in a storm and also crashed, miraculously
all nine men aboard survived. A second rescue operation was launched, but the plane,
the Grumman Duck, flew into a storm and vanished. The survivors of the B-17 spent 148
days fighting to stay alive while waiting for rescue by famed explorer Bernt Balchen.
Then in 2012 the U.S. Coast Guard and North South Polar mount an expedition to solve
the mystery of the vanished plane and recover the remains of the lost plane's crew.
Guy Reads
Scan by Jury, Walter
Tate Archer outruns armed government officials as he tries to keep his now dead father's strange
invention out of the wrong hands, alien hands.
Curveball: The Year I Lost My Grip by Sonnenblick, Jordan
After an injury ends former star pitcher Peter Friedman's athletic dreams, he concentrates on
photography which leads him to a girlfriend, new fame as a high school sports photographer,
and a deeper relationship with the beloved grandfather who, when he realizes he is becoming
senile, gives Pete all of his professional camera gear.
The Gospel According to Larry by Janet Tashjian
Seventeen-year-old Josh, a loner-philosopher who wants to make a difference in the world, tries
to maintain his secret identity as the author of a web site that is receiving national attention.
Historical Fiction
Wicked Girls: A Novel of the Salem Witch Trials by Hemphill, Stephanie
A fictionalized account, told in verse, of the Salem witch trials, told from the perspective of three
young women living in Salem in 1692--Mercy Lewis, Margaret Walcott, and Ann Putnam, Jr.
Never Fall Down: A Novel by McCormick, Patricia
When soldiers arrive in his hometown in Cambodia, Arn Chorn Pond is separated from his
family and sent to a labor camp, where he works in the rice paddies until he volunteers to learn
to play an instrument—a decision that both saves his life and lands him in battle.
The Berlin Boxing Club by Sharenow, Rob
In 1936 Berlin, fourteen-year-old Karl Stern, considered Jewish despite a non-religious
upbringing, learns to box from the legendary Max Schmeling while struggling with the realities
of the Holocaust.
Horror
Identity Theft by Davies, Anna
When someone creates a fake Facebook profile in Hayley's name and posts incriminating
photographs of her, Hayley discovers that she has an identical twin sister who was adopted by
another family and that her twin sister is plotting to take over her life.
Scowler by Kraus, Daniel
In the midst of a 1981 meteor shower in Iowa, a homicidal maniac escapes from prison and
returns to the farm where his nineteen-year-old son, Ry, must summon three childhood toys-Mr. Furrington, Jesus Christ, and Scowler--to protect himself, his eleven-year-old sister, Sarah,
and their mother.
Don’t You Forget About Me by Quinn, Kate Karyus
Every four years madness takes over the teenagers of Gardnerville and Skylar must find a way to
end the towns murderous cycle after her sister Piper leads her classmates on a midnight death
march into a watery grave.
LGBTQ in Fiction
The Miseducation of Cameron Post by Danforth, Emily M.
In the early 1990s, when gay teenager Cameron Post rebels against her conservative Montana
ranch town and her family decides she needs to change her ways, she is sent to a gay conversion
therapy center.
Moon at Nine by Ellis, Deborah
In 1988, the deeply conservative and religious government controls every facet of life in Iran.
Fifteen-year-old Farrin falls in love with her friend Sadira, but it is against the law to be a
homosexual in Iran, punishable by death. Despite their efforts to keep their relationship secret,
the girls are discovered and arrested.
Openly Straight by Konigsberg, Bill
Tired of being known as "the gay kid", Rafe Goldberg decides to assume a new persona when he
comes east and enters an elite Massachusetts prep school--but trying to deny his identity has
both complications and unexpected consequences.
Mystery
Seconds Away by Coben, Harlan
When tragedy strikes close to home, Mickey Bolitar and his new friends find themselves at the
center of a murder mystery.
No One Else Can Have You by Hale, Kathleen
As sixteen-year-old Kippy of Friendship, Wisconsin, reads her best friend Ruth's diary, she is
shocked at what she learns and spurred to solve Ruth's murder, certain that the boy who was
arrested is innocent.
She is Not Invisible by Sedgwick, Marcus
A London teenager, who is blind, and her younger brother travel to New York to find their
missing father, using clues from his notebook.
Paranormal
Mortal Danger by Aguirre, Ann
Agreeing to join the mysterious Kian's magical faction to exact revenge on a group of bullies who
have tormented her, Edie transforms into a beautiful girl and begins to sabotage the bullies'
inner circle only to discover dark truths about Kian's world.
Dance of Shadows by Black, Yelena
Fifteen-year-old Vanessa follows her sister Margaret to an elite Manhattan ballet school, not only
gaining admission but also earning the lead in a production of the Firebird, while trying to
uncover why and how Margaret and other lead dancers have disappeared.
Tremor by Carman, Patrick
In the year 2051, one group of telekinesis masters attempts to use their powers to stop another
group of telekinesis masters from destroying the world.
Realistic Fiction
Let’s Get Lost by Alsaid, Ali
During her cross-country adventures following the tragic death of her family, Leila touches the
lives of four strangers--Hudson, Bree, Elliot, and Sonia. While forever changing the lives of these
four, Leila also discovers an important truth about herself.
There Will Come a Time by Arcos, Carrie
Overwhelmed by grief and guilt after his twin sister Grace's accidental death, seventeen-year-old
Mark Santos is persuaded by her best friend to complete the "bucket list" from Grace's journal.
We Were Liars by Lockhart, E.
Spending the summers on her family's private island off the coast of Massachusetts with her
cousins and a special boy named Gat, teenaged Cadence struggles to remember what happened
during her fifteenth summer.
Science Fiction
White Space by Bick, Ilsa J.
A seventeen-year-old girl jumps between the lines of books and into the white space where
realities are created and destroyed--but who may herself be nothing more than a character
written into being from an alternative universe.
Nil by Matson, Lynne
Transported through a "gate" to the mysterious island of Nil, seventeen-year-old Charley has 365
days to escape--or she will die.
Grasshopper Jungle by Smith, Andrew
Austin Szerba narrates the end of humanity as he and his best friend Robby accidentally unleash
an army of giant, unstoppable bugs and uncover the secrets of a decades-old experiment gone
terribly wrong.
Sports in Fiction
Payback Time by Deuker, Carl
Overweight, somewhat timid Mitch reluctantly agrees to be the sports reporter for the Lincoln
High newspaper because he is determined to be a writer, but he senses a real story in Angel, a
talented football player who refuses to stand out on the field--or to discuss his past.
Foul Trouble by Feinstein, John
College recruiters are clambering to sign up Terrell Jamerson, the #1 high school basketball
player in the country. But not all of these recruiters are straight shooters, and Terrell will have to
think fast if he wants to stay in the game.
Center Field by Lipsyte, Robert
Mike lives for baseball and hopes to follow his idol into the major leagues one day, but he is
distracted by a new player who might take his place in center field, an ankle injury, problems at
home, and a growing awareness that something sinister is happening at school.
Out of Nowhere by Padian, Maria
Performing community service for pulling a stupid prank against a rival high school, soccer star
Tom tutors a Somali refugee with soccer dreams of his own.
Steampunk
Clockwork Scarab by Gleason, Colleen
In 1889 London, young women are turning up dead, and Evaline Stoker, relative of Bram, and
Mina Holmes, niece of Sherlock, are summoned to investigate the clue of the not-so-ancient
Egyptian scarabs--but where does a time traveler fit in?
Falconer by May, Elizabeth
In 1844 Edinburgh, eighteen-year-old Lady Aileana Kameron is neither an ordinary debutante
nor a murderess--she is a Falconer, a female warrior born with the gift for hunting and killing
the faeries who prey on mankind and who killed her mother.
Leviathan by Westerfeld, Scott
In an alternate 1914 Europe, fifteen-year-old Austrian Prince Alek, on the run from the Clanker
Powers who are attempting to take over the globe using mechanical machinery, forms an uneasy
alliance with Deryn who, disguised as a boy to join the British Air Service, is learning to fly
genetically-engineered beasts.
Undead Reads (Zombie Books)
Zomburbia by Gallardo, Adam
Teenager Courtney Hart wants to move from Salem, Oregon, to New York and her only way out
is to sell Vitamin Z, which contains zombie brains as the secret ingredient, at her place of
employment, The Bully Burger.
The Dead by Higson, Charles
Ed, Jack, Bam, and the other students at Rowhurst Academy must run for their lives when a
mutant disease attacks the adults and turns them into flesh-eating monsters.
Immortal Rules by Kagawa, Julie
Allison Sekemoto survives in the Fringe, the outermost circle of a vampire city, until she too
becomes an immortal vampire. Forced to flee into the unknown, outside her city walls, she joins
a ragged band of humans who are seeking a legend--a possible cure to the disease that killed off
most of humankind and created the rabids, the mindless creatures who threaten humans and
vampires alike.
Urban Fiction
How it Went Down by Magoon, Kekla
When sixteen-year-old Tariq Johnson is shot to death, his community is thrown into an uproar
because Tariq was black and the shooter, Jack Franklin, is white, and in the aftermath everyone
has something to say, but no two accounts of the events agree.
Darius & Twig by Myers, Walter Dean
Two best friends, a writer and a runner, deal with bullies, family issues, social pressures, and
their quest for success coming out of Harlem.
Caged Warrior by Sitomer, Alan Lawrence
From age three, McCutcheon Daniels, now sixteen, has been trained in Mixed Martial Arts and
must keep winning to feed his five-year-old sister and father, but chance presents an
opportunity to get out of the Detroit slums using his brain instead of his fighting skills.
Vampire Tales
The Coldest Girl in Coldtown by Black, Holly
When seventeen-year-old Tana wakes up following a party, she finds herself in the aftermath of
a violent vampire attack, and along with her ex-boyfriend and a mysterious vampire boy, the
only other survivors, she travels to Coldtown, a quarantined Massachusetts city full of vampires.
The Hunt by Fukuda, Andrew Xia
Seventeen-year-old Gene has passed as a vampire for years, carefully following every rule, but
now, just as he finds a girl worth fighting for, he is chosen to participate in the hunt for the last
remaining humans among ruthless vampires who soon suspect his true nature.
The Forever Song by Kagawa, Julie
Allie will do anything to destroy psychopathic vampire Sarren, who murdered Zeke, and she, her
creator Kanin, and her blood brother, Jackal must protect, at any cost, the last vampire-free
zone on Earth, Eden.
Before you leave for the summer, it’s a good idea to have some titles of books in mind that you might enjoy reading.
On the lines below, list the titles and authors of three books that you will explore as your summer reading options.
If the attached list of suggested books doesn’t strike your fancy, get a recommendation from a friend, teacher
(current or former!), or your friendly (and well-stocked!) librarian. Browse your local bookstore or Amazon’s wide
selection of Kindle books for your eReader, tablet, or smartphone. Remember, you don’t need to stick with any of
the books you write down. If a book is too difficult, or doesn’t interest you, try a different one. The important thing
is that you enjoy what you read!
Title and author 1.______________________________________________________________________
Title and author 2:______________________________________________________________________
Title and author 3:______________________________________________________________________
Summer is a great time to challenge yourself to do something you may not have done before. Choose from the list of
goals below and put a check next to what you want to be able to complete. You can make it a goal to read a certain
number of books or pages. You may check more than one (but check at least one).
_______I will complete one book.
_______I will complete _________ books.
_______I will read ________ pages. (Attached is a reading log for your pleasure!)
Student’s Signature:____________________________________________________________________
Parents/Guardians: Please review the summer reading program with your child and sign below. If you have any
questions, feel free to write them in the space provided.
*Our local Barnes and Nobles will have The WCSD Summer Reading suggested books in
stock and please check with your local library, they have our reading list as well.
Parent/Guardian Signature:________________________________________________________________
Questions?
Additional Summer Reading for Honors Students
All incoming 9 and 10th grade honors students are expected to fulfill the
previous reading suggestion AND read one assigned book. Incoming AP
students need to contact their teachers.
Incoming 9th Graders
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
Incoming 10th Graders
The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
Incoming 11 AP and 12 AP
See your AP English Teacher
Back-to-School Activity
GOAL: Students are not required to submit a written assignment upon their return to school
in the fall. However, you will be asked to discuss and write about what you read.
As you read, consider: How does the character’s personality evolve or change over time? How are themes developed?
What are important events that contribute to the plot? You may wish to take notes or keep a reading journal. If the
book is yours, you may want to highlight or use sticky notes to emphasize important or interesting parts.
ALL ENGLISH CLASSES will have a day or more to celebrate summer reading. Get ready to talk
about one of the books you read!
***BOOK CHALLENGE*** How many pages or how many books can you read
this summer?
Optional Reading Log
Summer Reading 7-8 for Wappingers Central School District
Read, Read, Read!
Challenge yourself to read ____ pages or ____ books! Record below:
Date
Title
Author
Impress your teacher! Show this log to him or her in September!
Pages Read
Book
Completed?