Stonington High School
Summer Reading Assignment, 2013
The Summer Reading List will be available on the SHS Website.
ASSIGNMENT EXPECTATIONS

Students must read two books from the appropriate grade level list of books for
summer reading. The list is leveled by grade; students should choose from the list for
the grade they will be in during the 2013-2014 school year. Two other lists are also
provided, the Nutmeg Nominees for 2014 and the Governor’s Reading Challenge 2013.
Students may read from these lists as well.
For each book, students are asked to copy two brief passages of significance to them (3 to 5
sentences) onto index cards- one passage from the beginning and one from the end of the
book. The cards should include the student’s name, grade, book title, and author. Students will
be required to bring these cards to home-base during the first week of school and to
participate in a book discussion group. Students will receive a “pass” or “fail” grade based on
completing the reading, submitting the cards, and participating in the book discussion.
 Students with IEPs may choose from this list or list approved at PPT (available from
program manager).
 All AP students may choose one title in addition to completing their summer work from
their AP teachers. A word to the wise, the top three titles on each list will help you
broaden your reading horizons AND expand upon choices on the AP Literature free
response question. Also, be reminded that your AP 11 teachers strongly encourage AP
Language students to choose Little Princes, the One book, One region selection.
CRAFTING THE LISTS
 We generated the 2013 list with the support of many people and resources. If you don’t think
you like to read, maybe you just haven’t found the right book. Our grade level lists have
something for every reader. The list includes contributions from students, staff members,
Maris Frey, Stonington Free Teen Librarian, and the titles from Connecticut READS, the 2012
Governor’s Summer Reading Challenge. New this year, the list also includes the first ever high
school selections for Nutmeg Book Award 2014 nominees.
GET MORE ENJOYMENT BY…
 Reading with a friend: Explore titles with your friends or advisory group and agree to read the
same book.
 Tasting the food before you eat it: Read the first few pages of five or six books on your list.
Then, choose the one you liked the best and keep going.
 Allowing yourself to change your mind: Maybe the book isn’t for you because of its topics;
maybe you just cannot “get into it.” Change books to find one you’ll enjoy.
 Giving yourself a challenge: The first three titles on each list could help you if you want to study
literature in college or take AP Literature 12. Some of these are paired with a Young Adult
book with a similar theme. So, try to read a “paired” selection.
 Giving yourself an escape: Choose a book that is nothing like your own life.
 Getting help! Having a hard time getting a book that is right for you, go to your library and see
the teen librarian. She has the list and would love to help you!
 Making time to read before the first week of school!
SHS Summer Reading, 2013- Page 1
THE TITLES
Stonington High School
Summer Reading Assignment, 2013
ALL STUDENTS HAVE THE OPTION OF CHOOSING THE ONE BOOK, ONE REGION
SELECTION, Little Princes, by Connor Grennan.
Additionally, all students have the option of choosing titles from the Governor’s
Summer Reading List, grades 9-12 and the High School Nutmeg Nominees, 2014.
These two lists are after the grade level lists.
Grade 9
Great Expectations, by Charles Dickens
Prometheus Unbound, by Aeschylus
Mark of Athena, by Rick Riordan paired with The Power of Myth, by Joseph Campbell
Moneyball, by Michael Lewis
Moving the Chains: Tom Brady and the Pursuit of Everything, by Charles P. Pierce
Marcelo in the Real World, Francisco X. Stork
Anya’s Ghost, by Vera Brosgol
Matched, by Ally Condie OR other titles in the same series
The Book Thief, by Markus Zusak
Steve Jobs: The Man Who Thought Different, by Karen Blumenthal
Never Fall Down, Patricia McCormick
Code Name Verity, by Elizabeth Wein
The Lions of Little Rock, Kristin Levine
Student Home Base Pick:
Tunnels, the series by Roderick Gordon
Grade 10
The Grapes of Wrath, by John Steinbeck
The Glass Menagerie, by Tennessee Williams
The Taste of Salt, by Frances Temple paired with Brother, I am Dying, by Edwidge
Danticat
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian, by Sherman Alexie
Bleachers, by John Grisham
Hot Zone, by Richard Preston
Delirium, Lauren Oliver
Ship Breaker, by Paolo Bacigalupi OR it’s sequel Drowned Cities
The Future of Us, by Jay Asher and Carolyn Mackler
Peak, by Roland Smith
Drama, by Raina Telgemeier
Never Fall Down, Patricia McCormick
Student Home Base Pick:
Maus I, by Art Spiegelman
SHS Summer Reading, 2013- Page 2
Grade 11
Invisible Man, by Ralph Ellison
The Piano Lesson, by August Wilson
Monster, by Walter Dean Myers paired with Native Son, by Richard Wright
Room Full of Mirrors: A Biography of Jimi Hendrix, by Charles Cross
Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac, by Gabrielle Zevin
Wake, by Lisa McMann
The Fault in Our Stars, by John Green
Shift, by Jennifer Bradbury
Walk in the Woods, by Bill Bryson
Stick Figure: A Diary of my Former Self, by Lori Gottlieb
Breaking Night, by Liz Murray
The Glass Castle, by Jeannette Walls
The Rock and the River, by Kekla Magoon
Every Day, by David Levithan
Student Home Base Picks:
A Child Called It, David Pelzer (or any in the series)
The Hate List, Jennifer Brown
Grade 12
Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen
A Doll House, by Henrik Ibsen
All Good Children, by Catherine Austen paired with Brave New World, by Aldous Huxley
House Rules, by Jodi Picoult
Empire Falls, by Richard Russo
Chronicles, by Bob Dylan
The Glass Castle, by Jeannette Walls
Bel Canto, by Ann Patchett
Blink or Outliers, by Malcolm Gladwell
The Letters of Vincent VanGogh, Author Van Gogh, Editor Mark Roskill
My Most Excellent Year, by Steve Kluger
Where Men Win Glory, by Jon Krakauer
The Fault in Our Stars, by John Green or other titles by John Green
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, by Rebecca Skloot
Student Home Base Picks:
The Kite Runner, Khaled Hosseini
The Story of My Life: An Afghan Girl on the Other Side of the Sky, Farah Ahmedi
An Act of Love, Nancy Thayer
SHS Summer Reading, 2013- Page 3
The 2014 Nutmeg Book Award High School Nominees, All grade levels
Click here for the link with annotations.
Daughter of Smoke and Bone, by Laini Taylor
Everybody Sees the Ants, by A.S. King
Hold Me Closer, Necromancer, by Lish McBride
Kings of Colorado, by David Hilton
Legend, by Marie Lu
The Night Circus, by Erin Morgenstern
Paper Towns, by John Green
Shine, by Lauren Myracle
The Watch That Ends the Night, by Allan Wolf
Wintergirls, by Laurie Halse Anderson
The CT Dept. of Education, Governor’s Reading Challenge: Dig Into Reading, 9-12
All grade levels
Click here for the link with annotations.
Everneath, by Brodi Ashton
Tales of the Madman Underground, by John Barnes
Bone Dance, by Martha Brooks
Guardian of the Dead, by Karen Healey
Mudbound, by Hillary Jordan
The Traitor in the Tunnel, by Y.S. Lee
The Beet Fields: Memories of a Sixteenth Summer, by Gary Paulsen
Buried Onions, by Gary Soto
The Crystal Cave, by Mary Stewart
Daughter of Smoke and Bone, by Laini Taylor
Salvage the Bones, by Jesmyn Ward
Code Name Verity, by Elizabeth Wein
Tunneling to the Center of the Earth, by Kevin Wilson
Pitch Black, by Youme Landowne and Anthony Horowitz
There’s a Hair in My Dirt!: A Worm’s Story, by Gary Larson
Ludie’s Life, by Cynthia Rylant
Corpses, Coffins, and Crypts: A History of Burial, by Penny Colman
Coal: A Human History, by Barbara Freese
Shadow Divers, by Robert Kurson
Black Gold, by Albert Morin
Stiff, by Mary Roach
The Ditchdigger’s Daughters, by Yvonne S. Thornton
SHS Summer Reading, 2013- Page 4
THE TITLES, Annotated
Stonington High School
Summer Reading Assignment, 2013
ALL STUDENTS HAVE THE OPTION OF CHOOSING THE ONE BOOK, ONE REGION
SELECTION, Little Princes, by Connor Grennan.
Additionally, all students have the option of choosing a book from the Governor’s
Summer Reading List, grades 9-12 and the High School Nutmeg Nominees, 2014.
These two lists are at the end of this document.
Grade 9
Great Expectations, by Charles Dickens
After harsh early years, Pip, an orphan growing up in Victorian England, is given the
means to become a gentleman by an unknown benefactor and learns that outward
appearances can be deceiving.
Prometheus Unbound, by Aeschylus
This tragedy is based on the myth of Prometheus, a Titan who was punished by the god Zeus
for giving fire to mankind.
Mark of Athena, by Rick Riordan
Uniting with Jason, Piper, and Leo after the quest in "The Son of Neptune," Percy, Hazel,
and Frank wonder who will be chosen to fulfill the Prophecy of Seven, completing their
group, and sail with them to find the Doors of Death.
paired with
The Power of Myth, by Joseph Campbell
The noted mythologist discusses the relationship of ancient myths to modern life,
including discussions of recent heros, tales of love and marriage, the power of myth, and
mythic themes
Moneyball, by Michael Lewis
Explains how Billie Beene, the general manager of the Oakland Athletics, put into play a
new kind of thinking and ball playing--a compilation of statistics, locker room knowledge
and players rethinking what they know about playing baseball--demonstrating how
success can be obtained without spending enormous sums of money.
Moving the Chains: Tom Brady and the Pursuit of Everything, by Charles P. Pierce
Chronicles NFL quarterback Tom Brady's rise to the top of his profession and examines
how he stays there in this study of highly honed skills, discipline, and making the most of
good fortune.
SHS Summer Reading, 2013- Page 5
Marcelo in the Real World, Francisco X. Stork
Marcelo Sandoval, a seventeen-year-old boy on the high-functioning end of the autistic
spectrum, faces new challenges, including romance and injustice, when he goes to work
for his father in the mailroom of a corporate law firm.
Anya’s Ghost, by Vera Brosgol
Anya, embarrassed by her Russian immigrant family and self-conscious about her body,
has given up on fitting in at school, but when she falls down a well and makes friends
with the ghost there, she thinks she's found just what she needs--or has she?
Matched, by Ally Condie OR other titles in the same series
Cassia has always trusted the Society to make the right choices for her, so when Xander
appears on-screen at her Matching ceremony, Cassia knows he is her ideal mate--until Ky
Markham's face appears for an instant before the screen fades to black.
The Book Thief, by Markus Zusak
Living with a foster family in Germany during World War II, a young girl struggles to survive
her day-to-day trials through stealing anything she can get her hands on, but when she
discovers the beauty of literature, she realizes that she has been blessed with a gift that must be
shared with others, including the Jewish man hiding in the basement.
Steve Jobs: The Man Who Thought Different, by Karen Blumenthal
The book traces the inspiring life and career of the late founder of Apple, covering topics
ranging from his struggles as an adopted child and a college dropout to his Buddhist faith
and friendship with Steve Wozniack, in a portrait framed around his inspirational
Stanford University commencement speech.
Never Fall Down, Patricia McCormick
Separated from his family and assigned to a labor camp when soldiers invade his home in
Cambodia, young Arn volunteers to become a musician for the army and uses his wits to
survive and steal food for other child prisoners before he is conscripted as a boy soldier.
Code Name Verity, by Elizabeth Wein
In 1943, a British fighter plane crashes in Nazi-occupied France and the survivor tells a
tale of friendship, war, espionage and great courage as she relates what she must do to
survive while keeping secret all that she can.
The Lions of Little Rock, Kristin Levine
In 1958 Little Rock, Arkansas, painfully shy twelve-year-old Marlee sees her city and
family divided over school integration, but her friendship with Liz, a new student, helps
her find her voice and fight against racism.
Student Home Base Pick:
Tunnels, the series by Roderick Gordon
When Will and his friend Chester embark on a quest to find Will's archaeologist father,
who has disappeared, they are led to an underground world full of sinister inhabitants
with evil intentions toward "Topsoilers" like Will.
SHS Summer Reading, 2013- Page 6
Grade 10
The Grapes of Wrath, by John Steinbeck
Depicts the hardships and suffering endured by the Joads as they journey from Oklahoma
to California during the Depression
The Glass Menagerie, by Tennessee Williams
In this drama a strong willed woman attempts to impose her shattered dreams into the life of
her reclusive daughter. Crippled Laura Wingfield momentarily accepts reality and breaks free
from the imaginary world of her glass animals when her mother arranges for her to have a
gentleman caller.
The Taste of Salt, by Frances Temple
In the hospital after being beaten by Macoutes, seventeen-year-old Djo tells the story of
his impoverished life to a young woman who, like him, has been working with the social
reformer Father Aristide to fight the repression in Haiti
paired with
Brother, I am Dying, by Edwidge Danticat
In a deeply personal memoir, a best-selling author describes her relationships with the
two men closest to her--her father and his brother, Joseph, a charismatic pastor with
whom she lived after her parents emigrated from Haiti to the U.S.--in a poignant story of
family, love, grief, tragedy, hope, and triumph.
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian, by Sherman Alexie
Budding cartoonist Junior leaves his troubled school on the Spokane Indian Reservation
to attend an all-white farm town school where the only other Indian is the school mascot.
Bleachers, by John Grisham
This is a nostalgic novel about high school football in a small Texas town, a place in which
football has become a religion.
Hot Zone, by Richard Preston
Describes how a strain of lethal virus showed up in 1989 at a Virginia laboratory, and
relates the efforts of a military biohazard SWAT team to identify and contain the virus.
Delirium, Lauren Oliver
Lena looks forward to receiving the government-mandated cure that prevents the
delirium of love and leads to a safe, predictable, and happy life, until right before her
eighteenth birthday and her treatment, when she falls in love.
Ship Breaker, by Paolo Bacigalupi
In a futuristic world, teenaged Nailer scavenges copper wiring from grounded oil tankers
for a living, but when he finds a beached ship with a girl in the wreckage, he has to decide
if he should strip the ship or rescue the girl.
OR it’s sequel
SHS Summer Reading, 2013- Page 7
Drowned Cities, by Paolo Bacigalupi
In a future America that has devolved into unending civil wars, Mahlia and Mouse barely
escape the war-torn lands of the Drowned Cities, but their safety is soon threatened and
Mahlia will have to risk everything if she is to save Mouse.
The Future of Us, by Jay Asher and Carolyn Mackler
Receiving her first computer and an America Online CD-ROM in 1996, student Emma and
her best friend, Josh, log on and discover themselves on Facebook, fifteen years in the
future, and learn astonishing things about their adult selves.
Peak, by Roland Smith
After being arrested for scaling a New York skyscraper and then sent to live with his longlost father and fellow climber, Peak Marcello finds it difficult to rebuild their bond, thus
when his father suddenly pushes him to climb Mt. Everest, Peak must take into
consideration his father's questionable motives.
Drama, by Raina Telgemeier
Designing sets for her middle school's play, Callie tries to overcome limited carpentry
skills, low ticket sales and squabbling crew members only to find her efforts further
complicated by the arrival of two cute brothers.
Never Fall Down, Patricia McCormick
Separated from his family and assigned to a labor camp when soldiers invade his home in
Cambodia, young Arn volunteers to become a musician for the army and uses his wits to
survive and steal food for other child prisoners before he is conscripted as a boy soldier.
Student Home Base Pick:
Maus I, by Art Spiegelman
The author-illustrator traces his father's imprisonment in a Nazi concentration camp
through a series of disarming and unusual cartoons arranged to tell the story as a novel.
Grade 11
Invisible Man, by Ralph Ellison
A Black man's search for success and the American dream leads him out of college to
Harlem and a growing sense of personal rejection and social invisibility
The Piano Lesson, by August Wilson
When Boy Willie wants to sell the family's prized upright piano to purchase some land,
the family must re-evaluate the piano's true worth.
Monster, by Walter Dean Myers
While on trial as an accomplice to a murder, sixteen-year-old Steve Harmon records--as a
film script--his experiences in prison and in the courtroom as he tries to come to terms
with the course of his life.
SHS Summer Reading, 2013- Page 8
paired with
Native Son, by Richard Wright
This book traces the fall of a young black man in 1930s Chicago as his life loses all hope of
redemption after he kills a white woman.
Room Full of Mirrors: A Biography of Jimi Hendrix, by Charles Cross
Meticulously researched and based on more than three-hundred interviews with those
who knew him best, a landmark book recounts the entire arc of the guitar legend's life,
from his troubled childhood in Seattle's projects to his struggles against racial prejudice
as a young musician and his rapid ascent to the top amidst the swinging London scene,
and finally to headlining Woodstock in 1969 and his death a year later.
Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac, by Gabrielle Zevin
A toss of the coin ends up changing Naomi's life after a slip on the stairs results in
amnesia, a disconnect with the life she once led, and a new relationship with a young man
with a questionable past.
Wake, by Lisa McMann
Tired of being dragged into other people's dreams and watching their subconscious
fantasies and fears revealed in all their glory, Jane's powers take a dangerous turn after
she discovers herself in a terrifying dream in which she is not only an observer but an
unwilling participant.
The Fault in Our Stars, by John Green
Despite the tumor-shrinking medical miracle that has bought her a few more years, Hazel
has never been anything but terminal, her final chapter inscribed upon diagnosis, but
when a gorgeous plot twist named Augustus Waters suddenly appears at the Cancer Kid
Support Group, Hazel's story is about to be completely rewritten.
Shift, by Jennifer Bradbury
When best friends Chris and Win go on a cross country bicycle trek the summer after
graduating and only one returns, the FBI wants to know what happened.
Walk in the Woods, by Bill Bryson
This book traces the author's adventurous trek along the Appalachian Trail past its
natural pleasures, human eccentrics, and offbeat comforts.
Stick Figure: A Diary of my Former Self, by Lori Gottlieb
Based on diaries written in 1978, when she was eleven years old, the author offers a
chronicle of her battle with anorexia and the pressures from family, peers, and society
that led her to starve herself.
Breaking Night, by Liz Murray
The author offers an account of her journey from a fifteen-year-old living on the streets
and eating garbage to her acceptance into Harvard, a feat that prompted a Lifetime movie
and a successful motivational-speaking career.
SHS Summer Reading, 2013- Page 9
The Glass Castle, by Jeannette Walls
Having grown up with parents whose ideals and nonconformity were both their curse
and their salvation, Jeannette Walls shares her story of triumph against all odds, and the
unconditional love in a family that, despite its profound flaws, gave her the fiery
determination to carve out a successful life on her own terms.
The Rock and the River, by Kekla Magoon
In 1968 Chicago, thirteen-year-old Sam Childs is caught in a conflict between his father's
nonviolent approach to seeking civil rights for African Americans and his older brother,
who has joined the Black Panther Party.
Every Day, by David Levithan
Waking up in the body of a different person every day and struggling to pass through each
experience without raising alarm, "A" endures a lonely existence before falling in love with a
girl named Rhiannon, with whom he endeavors to reunite.
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, by Rebecca Skloot
Documents the story of how scientists took cells from an unsuspecting descendant of freed
slaves and created a human cell line that has been kept alive indefinitely, enabling discoveries
in such areas as cancer research, in vitro fertilization and gene mapping.
Student Home Base Picks:
A Child Called It, David Pelzer (or any in the series)
Tells the story of a child's abuse at the hands of his alcoholic mother
The Hate List, Jennifer Brown
Sixteen-year-old Valerie, whose boyfriend Nick committed a school shooting at the end of
their junior year, struggles to cope with integrating herself back into high school life,
unsure herself whether she was a hero or a villain.
Grade 12
Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen
A story of Lizzy Bennet, proud Mr. Darcy, of true love, families, villains and heroes and of
course, pride and prejudice. This work offers a satire of human foibles and earlynineteenth-century manners in a classic romantic comedy.
A Doll House, by Henrik Ibsen
The Helmers are all set to enjoy Christmas. Torvald has been promoted and Nora is delighted.
In this play everything at last seems to be going right, until a visitor arrives uninvited and
causes them to question just how perfect is their marriage.
All Good Children, by Catherine Austen
Seventeen-year-old prankster Maxwell Connors tries to maintain his identity in a midtwenty-first century world where the children of his elite corporate town of New
Middletown are treated with a drug to turn them into obedient, well-mannered citizens.
SHS Summer Reading, 2013- Page 10
paired with
Brave New World, by Aldous Huxley
Aldous Huxley’s classic prophetic novel capturing the socialized horrors of a futuristic
utopia remarkably explores the now-timely themes of cloning, individual creativity and
freedom, and the role of science, technology, and drugs in humankind's future.
House Rules, by Jodi Picoult
Unable to express himself socially but possessing a savant-like knack for investigating
crimes, a teenage boy with Asperger's Syndrome is wrongly accused of killing his tutor
when the police mistake his autistic tics for guilty behavior.
Empire Falls, by Richard Russo
Milo Roby tries to hold his family together while working at the Empire Grill in the oncesuccessful logging town of Empire Falls, Maine, with his partner, Mrs. Whiting, who is the
heir to a faded logging and textile legacy.
Chronicles, by Bob Dylan
An autobiographical portrait of the acclaimed musical performer recounts personal and
professional experiences.
The Glass Castle, by Jeannette Walls
Having grown up with parents whose ideals and nonconformity were both their curse
and their salvation, Jeannette Walls shares her story of triumph against all odds, and the
unconditional love in a family that, despite its profound flaws, gave her the fiery
determination to carve out a successful life on her own terms.
Bel Canto, by Ann Patchett
When terrorists seize hostages at an embassy party, an unlikely assortment of people is
thrown together, including American opera star Roxane Coss, and Mr. Hosokawa, a
Japanese CEO and her biggest fan.
Blink by Malcolm Gladwell
Drawing on a range of case studies, Gladwell explores the process by which people make
decisions, explaining how the difference between good and bad decision making is
directly related to the details on which people focus, and counsels readers on how to
become better decision makers in every aspect of life.
Outliers, Malcolm Gladwell
The author identifies the qualities of successful people, posing theories about the cultural,
family, and idiosyncratic factors that shape high achievers, in a resource that covers such
topics as the secrets of software billionaires, why certain cultures are associated with
better academic performance, and why the Beatles earned their fame.
The Letters of Vincent VanGogh, Author Van Gogh, Editor Mark Roskill
This volume features a chronologically arranged collection of letters, mostly written to
van Gogh's art dealer and brother, Theo, that reveal the joy and inspiration he derived
from literature, art, and nature as well as his romantic disappointments, poverty, and
relationships with fellow artists.
SHS Summer Reading, 2013- Page 11
My Most Excellent Year, by Steve Kluger
Three teenagers in Boston narrate their experiences of a year of new friendships, first
loves, and coming into their own.
Where Men Win Glory, by Jon Krakauer
This book traces the controversial story of NFL player and soldier Pat Tillman, describing
the military's efforts to hide the truth about his death by friendly fire, in an account that
draws on Tillman's journals and letters as well as interviews with family members and
fellow soldiers.
The Fault in Our Stars, by John Green or other titles by John Green
Despite the tumor-shrinking medical miracle that has bought her a few more years, Hazel
has never been anything but terminal, her final chapter inscribed upon diagnosis, but
when a gorgeous plot twist named Augustus Waters suddenly appears at the Cancer Kid
Support Group, Hazel's story is about to be completely rewritten.
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, by Rebecca Skloot
Documents the story of how scientists took cells from an unsuspecting descendant of freed
slaves and created a human cell line that has been kept alive indefinitely, enabling discoveries
in such areas as cancer research, in vitro fertilization and gene mapping.
Student Home Base Picks:
The Kite Runner, Khaled Hosseini
This novel traces the period between the final days of Afghanistan's monarchy through
the horrific rule of the Taliban and follows the unlikely friendship between a wealthy
Afghan boy and the son of his father's servant.
The Story of My Life: An Afghan Girl on the Other Side of the Sky, Farah Ahmedi
Born in Kabul, Afghanistan at the peak of the war between the Soviet Union and the
mujahideen, a young woman's memoir intertwines the story of her childhood in the wartorn country with her experiences as a Afghan American adolescent in Chicago.
Act of Love, Nancy Thayer
Writers Owen and Linda McFarland have a seemingly perfect life with their two children,
but when Linda's daughter, Emily, is institutionalized for attempted suicide, she claims
that her stepbrother raped her, and the truth threatens to tear apart a lifetime of
illusions--and a marriage.
SHS Summer Reading, 2013- Page 12