SUMMER READING LIST
SUMMER READING LIST
NORTH ROCKLAND
CENTRAL SCHOOL
DISTRICT
Fieldstone Secondary School
Farley Middle School
Haverstraw Middle School
Willow Grove Middle School
Fieldstone Secondary School
North Rockland High School
Dr. Brian D. Monahan, Supt.
Mrs. Ileana Eckert, Deputy Supt.
Mrs. Cynthia Chambless, English Coordinator
North Rockland High School
GRADES 7-12
2009 & 2010
REVISED
(2)
From the English Coordinator –
As you have already noticed, summer is upon us.
Once again we are hopeful that this summer will be the
best ever for you, and that you will use some of this time
to read.
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 can be found on
Page 3. Read this page carefully.
Though some students are avid readers and others are
not, we want, nonetheless, all students to be first-class
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, Furthermore, we
know that your capacity to compete with others
in the world diminishes as you get older. Speak
to your teachers and parents about this. Besides,
we know, like avid readers know, that reading
can be pleasurable, thrilling, exciting and, yes,
fun. So, what is your response?
Lastly, on behalf of your teachers, please keep
physically fit and stay mentally alert. See you in the
fall.
- C. Chambless
Grades 7-12
(3)
Directions
Grade 7-12:
You are expected to read at least two (2) books, one from this
booklet and one of your choosing. Note:
1. Choose one (1) book from your grade’s reading list.
2. Choose one (1) book from any source that you wish. That
book must be on or above your grade’s reading level.
(Your grade is the grade that you will enter the fall of 2009.)
Grade 9 Honors:
You are required to read two (2) books. You must read
Mythology by Edith Hamilton. You must also read an additional
book from the Honors book list within your grade level.
Grade 10 - 12 Honors:
You are required to read two (2) books from the Honors’
book list within your grade level.
Grade 11 AP:
You are required to read three (3) books. Your reading
instructions can be found on Page 40.
Grade 12 AP:
Please see your instructions on Page 45.
All Grades:
Look on the last page. There are 10 items listed. These items
should be helpful in providing focus and direction to your reading.
The summer reading fall assessment will take place during
your regular English class on Monday and/or Tuesday, the first full
week of school. The grade of this assessment will count as one full
test grade.
Don’t forget that reading lists can be accessed online.
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.
Willow 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.
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.
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.
Grade 7 Reading List
Grade 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.
Grade 7 Reading List
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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 abduct 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.
Grade 7 Reading List
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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.
Grade 7 Reading List
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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.
Grade 7 Reading List
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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’s 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” and the dark tale of
the Holocaust are brought 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.
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.
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.
Grade 8 Reading List
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I Thought My Soul Would Rise and Fly, Joyce
Hansen
Twelve-year-old Patsy keeps a diary of the riped but
confusing times following the end of the Civil War.
Jason’s Gold, Will Hobbs
Fifteen-year-old Jason embarks on a ten-thousand-mile
journey in 1897 in hopes of striking it rich.
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.
Grade 8 Reading List
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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.
Grade 8 Reading List
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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.
Grade 9 Reading List
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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 Jordan,
Grade 9 Reading List
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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.
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.
Lizard, Dennis Covington
Sent by his guardian to live at a Louisiana school for
boys, Lizard, a bright 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.”
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.
Grade 9 Reading List
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(Honors)
Mythology, Edith Hamilton
This book contains a collection of Greek and Roman
myths gotten from various classical sources. It is
arranged in sections on the gods, on early heroes, love
and adventure stories before and during the Trojan War.
(Honors)
Obasan, Joy Kogawa
This is a story about the indignities and injustices of a
Japanese family and their people living in Canada during
WWII.
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.
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.
(Honors)
Siddhartha, Herman Hesse
It is a moral allegory, set in ancient India, about one
soul’s quest to find the ultimate answer to the enigma of
man’s role in this world.
Grade 9 Reading List
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Grade 9 Reading List
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(Honors)
Shoeless Joe, W. P. Kinsella
“If you build it, they will come.” Those mysterious
words of an Iowa baseball announcer, Ray Kinsella, led
him to carve a baseball diamond in his cornfield to honor
his hero, Shoeless Joe Jackson, a baseball legend,.
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.
(Honors)
Terminal, Robin Cook
The Forbes Cancer Center, Miami, has an unprecedented cure rate for patients stricken with medulloblastoma. Sean Murphy, a Harvard medical student, is
warned to stay away from the center.
(Honors)
(Honors)
The Count of Monte Cristo, Alexandre Dumas
Dumas’ classic story traces the adventures of Edmond
Dantes, a young man falsely accused of treason. The
story of this young man’s imprisonment, escape, and
revenge makes this novel one of the most loved classics.
(Honors)
The Eagle Has Landed, Jack Higgins
This is an exciting story of espionage that takes place
during World War II. A widow and an IRA assassin set
a plan for the ultimate act of revenge against Adolf
Hitler’s orders.
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.
Sister Carrie, Theodore Dreiser
The novel tells the story of a rudderless, but pretty small
town girl who comes to the big city filled with vague
ambitions. She is used by men and uses them in turn to
become a successful Broadway actress.
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.
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 Notebook, Nicholas 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
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class), followed by her decision, on his return from
World War II, to be her own woman and marry him.
(Honors)
The Once and Future King, T.H. White
It is the magical epic of King Arthur and his shining
Camelot, of Merlin and Owl and Guinevere, of beasts
who talk and men who fly, and of wizardry and war.
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, an 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
rebels and refuses to follow this torturous tradition.
Ailin finds that her family is no longer willing to support
her.
Grade 9 Reading List
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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
Esmerelda 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.
Grade 10 Reading List
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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.
(Honors)
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.
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.
citizens by American POW’s. On a dark road deep
inside Russia, a young American tourist picks up a most
unusual passenger with an incredible secret.
Grade 10 Reading List
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(Honors)
Dracula, Bram Stoker
When Jonathan Harker visits Transylvania to help Count
Dracula purchase a London house, he makes horrifying
discoveries in his client’s castle. Soon afterwards,
disturbing incidences unfold in England.
(Honors)
Emma, Jane Austen
In Victorian England, charming Emma Woodehouse
amuses herself by planning other people’s lives. When
her interfering backfires, she learns several important
lessons.
(Honors)
Foundation, Isaac Asimov
When the Galactic Empire starts to die, Selden, the great
psycho-historian, gathers together the best minds in the
empire and sets up the Foundation to preserve human
culture and save mankind.
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.
“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.
Grade 10 Reading List
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Grade 10 Reading List
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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.
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.
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, their control 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.
On a Pale Horse, Piers Anthony
When Zane shot Death, he learned too late that he would
have to assume his place, speeding over the world riding
his pale horse, and ending the lives of others.
Rocket Boys, Homer Hickam
It’s a powerful story of growing up and getting out. In
1957, after the Soviet satellite Sputnick shot across the
Appalachian sky, Sonny and his teenage friend decid to
do their bit for the U.S. space race by building their own
rockets.
Suzanne’s Diary for Nicholas, James Patterson
It’s 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. In 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.
Grade 10 Reading List
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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.
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.
(Honors)
The Handmaid’s Tale, Margaret Atwood
In a stifling future world, a once independent woman is
valued only if she bears a child for a Commander. Her
rebellion to this situation is sparked by memories of her
past freedoms.
The Immigrants, Howard Fast(OUT of PRINT)
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.
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.
Grade 11 Reading List
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After the First Death, Robert Cormier
The hijacking of a bus of children by terrorists, seeking
the return of their homeland, is described from the
perspectives of a hostage, a terrorist, and an Army
general.
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.
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.
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.
(Honors)
East of Eden, John Steinbeck
I Know This Much Is True, Wally Lamb
In the Company of Heroes, Michael Durant and
Steven Hartov
Grade 11 Reading List
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Grade 11 Reading List
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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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
(Honors)
Main Street, Sinclair Lewis
This is a novel about life in a quiet Midwestern town
which exposes complacency and hypocrisy.
(Honors)
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.
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.
(Honors)
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 Right Stuff, Tom Wolfe
(Honors)
The Rule of Four, Ivan Caldwell and Dustin Thomson
Grade 11 Reading List
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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 AnkMorpork Times, whose erroneous typeset motto is “The
Truth Shall Make You Free.”
(Honors)
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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Directions
11th Advanced Placement Students
I. Mandatory Reading Assignment Annie Dillard - An American Childhood
Pulitzer Prize-winning author Annie Dillar writes a
poignant and vivid memoir of growing up in Pittsburgh
in the 1950’s. This is a charming and delightful reminiscence that helps cement Annie Dillard’s reputation as
one of our major writers.
II. Select one of the following Russell Baker – Growing Up
Growing Up is touching and funny, a hopeless muddle
of sadness and laughter that bears a suspicious
resemblance to real life…. Like all the best humor,
Baker is grounded in truth and mellowed by a sense of
the sadness in things.
Jill Ker Conway – The Road from Coorain
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.
Jared Diamond – Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates
of Human Societies
In this Pulitzer Prize-winning book, Jared Diamond
argues that both geography and the environment played
major roles in determining the shape of the modern
world. Here is truly a world history. Warning: May
induce drowsiness.
Grade 11 Reading List
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Grade 11 Reading List
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11th Advanced Placement Cont.
11th Advanced Placement Cont
Barbara Ehrenreich – Nickel and Dimed: On (Not)
Getting by in America
To understand life beyond boom-time America, Barbara
Ehrenreich spent months laboring as a cleaning woman,
as a waitress, and as a Wal-Mart sales clerk. Her
revelations about these hard, supposedly “unskilled”
jobs and the difficulty of making ends meet in the U.S.
gives this book a powerful, personal edge.
Eric Schlosser - Fast Food Nation
Journalist Schlosser argues that the fast food industry
has triggered the growth of malls in America , fueled an
epidemic of obesity, and propelled American cultural
imperialism abroad.
John Irving – Trying to Save Piggy Sneed
This book is a collection of shorter works, both fiction
and nonfiction. It includes a living portrait of Irving’s
grandmother, a new never-before published essay, six
scintillating short stories, and two essays on Irving’s
favorite19th-century novelist, Charles Dickens.
IV. Summer Journal - see Mr. Anderson for details.
William Irwin, Mark Conrad, Aeon Skoble – The
Simpsons and Philosophy
In this enlightening and entertaining book, you will learn
what Bart has in common with Nietzsche (the “bad boy
of philosophy”); how Maggie’s silence speaks volumes
according to Sartre; and why Marx would think The
Simpsons is the ultimate way to poke fun at society.
Stephen King – On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft
This superb book contains a revealing and practical view
of the writer’s craft. He reveals the basic tools every
writer must have to be successful.
III. Columnist assignment - see Mr. Anderson for
details.
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Grade 12 Reading List
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A Hope in the Unseen, Ron Suskin
A talented black teenager struggles to succeed in one of
the worst high schools.
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.
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.
(Honors)
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.
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.
(Honors)
Return of the Native, Thomas Hardy
Set in the brooding heath lands of England, the novel
lays bare the frailties of human love.
Stillwatch, Mary Higgins Clark
Politics, mystery, and romance combine as a female
senator uncovers terrible secrets.
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Grade 12 Reading List
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(Honors)
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.
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.
(Honors)
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.
Directions
12th
Grade Advanced Placement
Choose any three lists and read one work from each.
\
List 1: The Journey
As I Lay Dying, Willaim Faulkner
Members of the Bundren family take the body of their
matriarch, Addie, on a macabre pilgrimage to town.
Along the way, we listen to each member.
Heart of Darkness, Joseph Conrad
Marlow, an introspective sailor, journeys up the Congo
River to find Kurtz, a man of idealism and great abilities.
His journey to find Kurtz becomes a journey into the
nature of evil and the nature of mankind.
House Made of Dawn, N. Scott Momaday
A Young Native American, Abel lives in two worlds –
one of his father’s and that of the 20th Century. Home
from the war, he is torn; he is descending into hell.
On the Road, Jack Kerouac
A writer, Sal Paradise (holed up in his aunt’s house), is
inspired by the mercurial Dean Moriarty to hit the road,
to see America. He writes of his cross-country
adventure.
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain
A teenage misfit (Huck), floating on a raft, with an
escaping slave (Jim), goes on a perilous and adventurous
journey down the Mississippi River.
Grades 7-12
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Gades 7-12
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12th Grade Advancement Placement Cont.
12th Grade Advancement Placement Cont.
List 2: The Search for Identity
List 3: The Crisis of Conflict
Ceremony, Leslie Marmon Silko
Tayo, returning home to the reservation from World War
II and the Veteran’s Hospital, must cure himself of
mental anguish as well as bring rain back to his
community. Ceremony interweaves the life of Tayo and
his people.
Arrow of God. Chinua Achebe
Set in the Ibo of Eastern Nigeria, one of Africa’s best
known writers describes the conflict between old and
new in its most poignant aspect and the personal struggle
between father and son.
Everything Is Illuminated, Jonathan Safran Foer
A young Jewish American – who just happens to be
called Jonathan Safran Foer – travels to the Ukraine in
the hope of finding the woman who saved his grandfather from the Nazis.
Equus, Peter Shaffer
Alan Strang , a disturbed youth with a dangerous horse
obsession, commits an unspeakable act of violence.
Psychiatrist, Martin Dysart, struggles to understand the
motivation behind this violence. He is increasingly
drawn into Alan’s web and forced to question his own
sanity.
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, Jonathan Safran
Foer
Oska Schell, a nine-year old amateur inventor, jewelry
designer, astrophysicist, tambourine player and pacifist,
turns his vocabulary to the understanding of historical
tragedy as he searches New York for the lock that
matches a mysterious key left by his father killed in the
September 11 attacks.
Invisible Man, Ralph Ellison
An invisible man chronicles the travels of its narrator, a
young, nameless black man, as he moves through the
hellish levels of American intolerance and cultural
blindness.
The Crying of Lot 49, Thomas Pynchon
The highly original satire about Oedipa Maas, a woman
who finds herself enmeshed in a worldwide conspiracy.
She meets some extremely interesting characters.
Their Eyes Were Watching God, Zora Neale Hurston
A woman, Janie Crawford (living in the black town of
Eatonville, Florida), comes to understand herself after
three failed marriages and a murder trial of one of them.
The Joy Luck Club, Amy Tan
This book explores the tender and tenacious bond
between four daughters and their mothers.
Heartwarming and bittersweet, this is a novel for
mothers, daughters, and those who love them.
Wuthering Heights, Emily Bronte
This is the story of a tormented foundling who falls in
love with the daughter of his benefactor, and of the
violence and misery that result from their thwarted
longing for each other.
Gades 7-12
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Gades 7-12
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12th Grade Advancement Placement Cont.
Summer Reading Notes All Grades
List 4: The Funny Bone…Thoughtful Laughter
A Confederacy of Dunces, John Kennedy
Ignatius J. Reilly, a 30 year-old medievalist living at
home with his mother in New Orleans, pens his magnum
opus and relays to any who listens his traumatic
experiences.
Gulliver’s Travel, Jonathan Swift
Lemuel Gulliver encounters a shipwrecked castaway that
gives him new and bitter insight into human behavior.
Slaughterhouse-Five, Kurt Vonnegut
A man, Billy Pilgrim (after being abducted by aliens
from the planet Tralfamadore), becomes unstuck in
time. We follow him simultaneously through all phases
of his life.
The Importance of Being Earnest, Oscar Wilde
Cecily and Gwendolen are both in love with the same
mythical suitor. They fight. Only a senile nursemaid and
an old discarded handbag can save the day.
Name ________________________________________
1. Title ______________________________________
2. Author ____________________________________
3. Setting ____________________________________
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4. Characters ________________________________
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5. Plot_______________________________________
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6. Conflict ___________________________________
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7. Theme ____________________________________
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8. Point of View_______________________________
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9. Irony _____________________________________
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10. Symbolism _______________________________