Wantagh High School Summer Reading List 2015
For Students Entering Grade 12
*Regents students must read ONE from the list below
Theme: Redemption
Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt
A memoir of the author's impoverished Irish childhood, McCourt, a former New York City school teacher, reveals his
storytelling roots.
On The Road by Jack Kerouac
Narrated by Sal Paradise, one of Kerouac's alter-egos, this book is a cross-country Bohemian odyssey that not only
influenced writing in the years since its 1957 publication, but penetrated into the deepest levels of American thought and
culture. (mature content)
If I Die In a Combat Zone, Box Me Up and Send Me Home by Tim O’Brien
A personal view of the horrors of the Vietnam War. (mature content)
Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse
A moral allegory set in ancient India, this story is about one soul's quest for the ultimate answer to the enigma of man's
role in this world. The hero, Siddhartha, undergoes a series of experiences to emerge in a state of peace and wisdom.
Native Son by Richard Wright
A novel about a black youth from the Chicago slums victimized because of his race. Written in 1940, it reflects the forces
of poverty, injustice, race and class that continue to shape society.
Into Thin Air: A Personal Account of the Mt. Everest Disaster by John Krakauer
“…a riveting first-hand account of a catastrophic expedition up Mount Everest. In March 1996, Outside magazine sent
veteran journalist and seasoned climber Jon Krakauer on an expedition led by celebrated Everest guide Rob Hall… at
once the story of the ill-fated adventure and an analysis of the factors leading up to its tragic end.” (Amazon.com Review)
Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
“With its spotlight on elephants, Gruen's romantic page-turner hinges on the human-animal bonds that drove her debut
and its sequel (Riding Lessons and Flying Changes)… The novel, told in flashback by nonagenarian Jacob Jankowski,
recounts the wild and wonderful period he spent with the Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth, a traveling
circus he joined during the Great Depression.” (Publisher’s Weekly) (mature content)
The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
The unforgettable, heartbreaking story of the unlikely friendship between a wealthy boy and the son of his
father's servant, The Kite Runner is a beautifully crafted novel set in a country that is in the process of being
destroyed.
Angels and Demons by Dan Brown
“… a novel that combines an ancient secret brotherhood, the Swiss Conseil Européen pour la Recherche Nucléaire, a
papal conclave, mysterious ambigrams, a plot against the Vatican, a mad scientist in a wheelchair, particles of antimatter,
jets that can travel 15,000 miles per hour, crafty assassins, a beautiful Italian physicist, and a Harvard professor of
religious iconology, Angels and Demons is a no-holds-barred, pull-out-all-the-stops, breathless tangle of a thriller.”
(Amazon.com Review)
The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference by Malcolm Gladwell
The tipping point is that magic moment when an idea, trend, or social behavior crosses a threshold, tips, and spreads like
wildfire. In this brilliant and groundbreaking book, New Yorker writer Malcolm Gladwell looks at why major changes in
our society so often happen suddenly and unexpectedly.