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Summer Reading 2018

Home Page for Summer Reading 2018, including book selection guide, topic support materials, and more!

Summer Reading List 2018

All-School Summer Reading List, 2018

"Justice in Action"

ALL SCHOOL SUMMER READING CHOICES

ADDITIONAL HONORS/AP REQUIRED READING

Every single student, regardless of grade or track, chooses and reads one of these books.

Honors/AP students ALSO read the book below that corresponds to their course. Honors/AP Students read a total of 2 books.

All American Boys - Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely

Barking to the Choir - Fr. Gregory Boyle, SJ

The 57 Bus - Dashka Slater

The Hate U Give - Angie Thomas

How Dare the Sun Rise - Sandra Uwiringiyimana, with Abigail Pesta

Just Mercy - Bryan Stevenson

Moxie - Jennifer Mathieu

The Nowhere Girls - Amy Reed

Piecing Me Together - Renée​ Watson

The Silence of Our Friends - Mark Long, ill. Nate Powell

Honors I (9th):

The White Tiger - Aravind Adiga

 

Honors II (10th):

A Long Way Gone - Ishmael Beah

 

Honors III (11th):

Snow Falling on Cedars - David Guterson

 

AP (12th):

The Things They Carried - Tim O'Brien

 

Hypothetical Examples:

  • Nina Ninthgrader is entering English I (9th grade),  she chooses to read:  The 57 Bus from the list. Yay!
  • Norman Nines is entering Honors English I (9th grade), he chooses to read: Moxie from the list, AND WILL ALSO READ The White Tiger.
  • Terry Twelvsies is entering English IV (12th grade), they choose to read: The Silence of Our Friends from the list.  Done.
  • Torquil Twelvingham is entering AP English (12th grade), he chooses to read: The Hate U Give from the list, AND WILL ALSO READ The Things They Carried.
  • Eamonn Elevensie, and Tamika Tenners use pattern-recognition and knowledge of their schedules to choose books from the list, and also read required books as necessary if they are in Honors.

More information: About Summer Reading.

Link to Book List in our Library Catalog.

For each book on the list, we have prepared a short guide that includes background material, context as to why the book is relevant, resources to go deeper, and questions to think about to help guide your reading, as well as links to places to find a copy of the book.  You can find those links in the left-hand column of this page.

When we return to school in the fall, we will engage in classroom activities that will be based on the Guiding Questions found below.

What Do You Plan to Read?

**Returning Students: What Do You Plan to Read? (Survey)**

You're not stuck with this choice, but we'd love to know what you think you might read. Please click on the survey link below (Thanks!!!)...

Guiding Questions

THEMATIC DISCUSSION QUESTIONS FOR ALL BOOKS

These are the kind of questions you should be prepared to answer and discuss in the fall, using evidence and quotations from the book you chose. 

All of the books on the reading list relate to these questions in some way, and you will be discussing these questions with people who have read other books.

There are also useful guiding questions on the pages for each individual book. Being able to answer those questions will help you participate in the conversation, and find supporting textual evidence.

Theme-based Questions for Any Book on the Reading List

Theme-based Guided Questions for All Books

Consider these questions as you are reading your book. Having answers to them, with quotations from the book (cite the  page number) as supporting evidence will be very helpful when it is time to discuss and assess your reading.

Before you start reading ... How do you (the reader) define "justice"?

While you read the book
  • How did your book define "justice", and what evidence could you provide to support that definition?
  • Did your own perception of justice or injustice change as you read your book, and if so, how?"

What injustices are present in your book?

In each book one or more issues of social injustice is present (ex. Racism, Sexism, Poverty,  etc.).  Be prepared to list specific examples and events from your book. These injustices often lead to conflicts between people (person vs person) and society or cultures (person vs society).

Consider also:
  • How are the characters or people in the book affected by injustice?
  • What conflicts arise between people and the society or culture surrounding them?
  • How are the injustices connected? (if you see more than one injustice in the book)
  • How are the injustices addressed? How are the conflicts resolved?
    • How did you feel about the way the injustices were addressed and/or the conflicts resolved?
    • Would you suggest another way to address the injustices or resolve the conflicts?

Who takes action for Social Justice in this book?

Consider also:
  • are they the main characters of the story, other people, both?
  • are they those who have suffered injustice? Direct witnesses of injustice? Well-meaning outsiders?
  • What finally inspires them to action?  What obstacles stand in their way?
  • What conflicts do those who take action face?

What actions are taken to address injustice? How successful are those actions?

Consider also:
  • Are they large actions, small actions? Local? National? International?
  • How do they attempt to address or make changes to the injustice?
  • How are those actions received? Do they generate any conflicts?
  • What is their impact on culture or society?
  • What challenges are faced in taking action?