Starting in 2017, Central Catholic High School adopted an All-School Summer Reading List. Rather than dictating a specific book to each grade-level, each year a list of title choices is created, sometimes on a theme, and students are free to choose from that list.
There are two main reasons why:
The 2021 list consists of six books chosen by administrators and faculty that we feel speak to the character values of Central Catholic High School, and will be of high interest to our students. It was also intentional about having primarily positive and inspirational stories.
Note to Parents, Guardians, and other Responsible Adult Caretakers
As much as we would like our students to “own” their choice, there may be selections on the reading list that you would prefer your student not choose to read. As a responsible caretaker you have the right to be involved in your student’s selections, and we absolutely respect that right. We worked hard to create a list that should have something to meet every reader’s needs, and our goal is not to force challenging reading, but to foster discussion on the theme and keep students engaged in reading over the summer.
“You don’t have to burn books to destroy a culture. Just get people to stop reading them.”
—Ray Bradbury, The Seattle Times