West Allegheny School District
Summer Reading
Promoting Community Literacy
2015-2016
Today a Reader,
Tomorrow a Leader
Dear Parents, Guardians and Students,
Summer is a perfect time for students to practice reading to help them maintain or further progress their literacy skills. Research shows that one of the greatest reasons for achievement gaps is variation in the amount of time students spend reading outside of school. For example, one study found that students who spent 65 minutes per day reading outside of the school setting read 4,358,000 words per year and scored in the 98 th percentile or above on reading assessments. In contrast, students who did not read outside of the school setting scored in the 2 nd percentile or below on reading assessments. In order to narrow this gap and promote reading during the summer months, West Allegheny School District has developed a summer reading list for students entering grades 9-12. This aligns to the District’s commitment to ensuring all students read on or above grade level as part of our Priority 1: Academic Rigor, Equity and Excellence for All Students.
As you know, good readers and writers read and write daily. Students who read during the summer continue to build on the knowledge and skills they have been working on all year. Those who do not, are likely to experience the “summer slide,” meaning that they will actually experience learning loss. According to the
National Center for Educational Statistics, years of summers without access to books have the potential to add up to a four year reading achievement gap.
Below you will find the summer reading lists by incoming grade level from which students are asked to read a total of two books. This list is just a sampling of books appropriate for the suggested grade levels; however, we encourage children to read even more books that do not appear on the list.
We have also included reflection forms. Please have your child complete the indicated forms and return them to their teacher at the start of the 2015-2016 school year.
In closing, literacy is the single most significant skill needed to function effectively in school, the workplace and in society . . . it is vital to a successful education, career and quality of life.
On Behalf of the Superintendent, School Leaders and Literacy Teachers, we sincerely thank you for your support!
“A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies, and the man who never reads lives only one.”
George R.R. Martin

West Allegheny School District
Summer Reading
Promoting Community Literacy
2015-2016
Today a Reader,
Tomorrow a Leader
Below are the summer reading requirements by incoming grade level:
Required Reading #1
Incoming
Grade
All students are to read the required book below for their grade-level and complete Reflection Form #1 prior to the start of school.
9 th
10 th
11 th
12 th
Tuesdays with Morrie (Mitch Albom)
To Kill a Mockingbird (Harper Lee)
The Things They Carried (Tim O’Brien)
The Kite Runner (Khaled Hosseini)
Required Reading #2
All students are to CHOOSE at least one book from this list and complete Reflection Form #2 prior to the
start of school.
Enrique’s Journey by Sonia Nazario
Uglies by Scott Westerfield
Discovering Wes Moore: Young Adult Adaptation by
Wes Moore
Flags of Our Fathers by James Bradley
Into Thin Air by John Krakauer
13 Reasons Why by Jay Asher
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
Autobiography of a Face by Lucy Grealy
Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand
19 Minutes by Jodi Piccoult
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein
Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chobsky
Stiff by Mary Roach
The Watchmaker’s Daughter by Sonia Taitz
Into the Wild by John Krakauer
The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
The Storyteller by Jodi Piccoult
A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess
The Tipping Point by Malcom Gladwell
Chasing Lincoln’s Killer by James Swanson
Reading Lolita in Tehran by Azar Nafisi
“A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies, and the man who never reads lives only one.”
George R.R. Martin

West Allegheny School District
Summer Reading
Promoting Community Literacy
2015-2016
Today a Reader,
Tomorrow a Leader
Please Note: Families will be responsible for obtaining copies of the assigned summer reading books. In the event that you are unable to obtain a copy, please contact Dr. Assetta at cassetta@westasd.org or 724-695-
5204.
Copies of these books can easily be obtained from several sources:

Western Allegheny Community Library

Overdrive App

Half-Priced Books and www.hpbmarketplace.com
 www.amazon.com

Barnes & Noble and www.bn.com
 www.alibris.com
For your convenience, we have attached with this email a West Allegheny School District Library Card
Registration Form.
“A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies, and the man who never reads lives only one.”
George R.R. Martin

West Allegheny School District
Summer Reading
Promoting Community Literacy
2015-2016
Today a Reader,
Tomorrow a Leader
Reflection Form #1
Name__________________________________________Grade___________Date________________________
Title of Book_____________________________________Author______________________________________
As you read your assigned novel, please mark moments (e.g., phrases, sentences, paragraphs) that you find interesting, surprising, and important to the novel as a whole. The moments you mark should span the entire book. Please use this graphic organizer to record and explain the moments you choose.
Directions: In the left column of this organizer, please list each moment and circle whether you found it interesting, surprising, or important. In the middle column, please list the page number where the moment can be found, and in the right column, please jot a few words about why you marked each moment.
(circle whether the moment is interesting, surprising, or important)
Interesting/ Surprising/
Important
Interesting/ Surprising/
Important
“A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies, and the man who never reads lives only one.”
George R.R. Martin

West Allegheny School District
Summer Reading
Promoting Community Literacy
2015-2016
Today a Reader,
Tomorrow a Leader
Interesting/ Surprising/
Important
Interesting/ Surprising/
Important
Interesting/ Surprising/
Important
Interesting/ Surprising/
Important
“A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies, and the man who never reads lives only one.”
George R.R. Martin

West Allegheny School District
Summer Reading
Promoting Community Literacy
2015-2016
Today a Reader,
Tomorrow a Leader
Reflection Form #2
Assignment for student choice:
The purpose of this assignment is for you to evaluate the book you chose (whether fiction or nonfiction) for
literary merit. Please answer the following (that apply to your book) in complete sentences and provide evidence from the book to support your opinion. Be sure to include page numbers with your textual evidence.
1.
Explain how the book entertains and is interesting to the reader.
2.
Explain how the book does or does/not conform to the expectations of a single genre or stereotype.
3.
Do some research and discuss what critics, teachers, other writers, or the viewing public have said about the book. Explain why you agree or disagree.
4.
Explain how the book is timeless despite when the book was published.
5.
Explain the depth of the themes. Are the themes complex and do they have many layers of interpretation?
6.
Discuss the author’s style. Think about word choice, sentence structure, characterization, plot, and use of literary devices. What does the author do well in terms of writing?
7.
Discuss the social, political, or ideological impact of the book during the time it was written and after.
8.
Discuss the book’s universal appeal. Think about themes and insights gained from the book that are accessible to not just one culture or time period.
“A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies, and the man who never reads lives only one.”
George R.R. Martin