Summer Reading 2017
9th Grade
Over the summer, Seattle Academy students must read specific grade-level books. We want our
students to start the year with a reading experience so that we can begin to practice writing and
discussion.
Incoming ninth-graders must select one of the options listed below through which to
experience a hero’s journey story (though you are encouraged to read more than one!). The list
below offers a range of choices and styles, and all stories will allow us to examine the hero’s
journey cycle, though some are more obvious hero stories than others. Some students will have
no doubt read a few of the following books either on their own or in a class during their middle
school education; therefore, we ask that you please select a novel that is new to you for the
summer reading.
Writing assignment: After finishing their novels, students should complete the short summer
reading writing assignment (details on the pages to follow), as well as the pre-writing chart,
which will help organize the writing. The writing assignment should be printed and brought to
school in the fall.
Choices (for more detail on any of the following, read the descriptions and reviews on
Amazon.com or a comparable site, or visit a local bookstore):
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams: Seconds before the Earth is
demolished to make way for a galactic freeway, Arthur Dent is plucked off the planet and
thrown into the world of adventure with his friend Ford Prefect, a researcher for the
revised edition of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie: A funny and direct
coming of age story about Junior, a Spokane Indian, who lives with his family on a
reservation. Frustrated with his odds of success and searching for better opportunities,
Junior leaves his home to attend an all-white farm town high school where the only other
Indian is the school mascot.
Great Expectations by Charles Dickens: This classic 19th century tale by Dickens
features a poor, orphaned boy named Pip whose encounter with an escaped convict
changes his life forever. Pip, in love with a cold girl named Estella who he meets through
the eccentric Miss Havisham, dreams of changing his life and sets off on a journey to
accomplish this goal.
Alif the Unseen by G. Willow Wilson: In an unnamed Middle Eastern security state, a
young Arab-Indian hacker shields his clients – dissidents, outlaws, Islamists, and other
watched groups – from surveillance and tries to stay out of trouble. The aristocratic
woman Alif loves has jilted him for a prince chosen by her parents and his computer has
just been breached by the state’s electronic security force, putting his and his own neck
on the line. When Alif discovers The Thousand and One Days, the secret book of the
jinn, Alif must struggle for life or death, aided by forces seen and unseen.
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon: Christopher John
Francis Boone knows all the countries of the world and their capitals and every prime
number up to 7,057. He relates well to animals but has no understanding of human
emotions. He cannot stand to be touched. And he detests the color yellow. This
improbable story of Christopher's quest to investigate the suspicious death of a
neighborhood dog makes for one of the most captivating, unusual, and widely heralded
novels in recent years.
The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman: A complex fantasy novel where the setting very
much resembles our world with some subtle differences. It is a universe in which science,
theology, and magic are closely intertwined. People there have a personal daemon, the
manifestation of their soul in animal form. Lyra, the protagonist, is a scrappy orphan who
escapes villains, seeks adventure, and ends up on a path that is more perilous than she
ever imagined.
Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood (Books One and Two) by Marjane Satrapi: A
graphic novel and autobiography about a young girl’s life under the Islamic Revolution in
Iran. Satrapi’s voice is honest and humorous while her art is powerful and unforgettable.
She skillfully presents a child's view of war and her own shifting ideals during tumultuous
times.
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith: A classic, American coming of age story about
a young girl growing up in Brooklyn in the early 20th century. Francie Nolan is an
endearing character with a keen awareness of the world who, despite her family’s
struggle to stay afloat given hard times and a difficult family dynamic, remains hopeful
and idealistic.
The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein: A heart-warming and emotional story told
from the perspective of man’s best friend: the dog. Enzo knows he is different from other
dogs: a philosopher with a nearly human soul (and an obsession with opposable
thumbs), he has educated himself by watching television extensively, and by listening
very closely to the words of his master, Denny Swift, an up-and-coming race car driver.
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak: Narrated by Death, this novel set in Germany during
the era of WWII tells the story of Liesel Meminger, a young girl who starts stealing books
because reading helps her to navigate a difficult and strange world. Praised for its
experimental style, this book is a heart-breaking journey with many twists.
Anyone who wants additional suggestions for summer reading should consider books from the
following lists:
National Endowment for the Humanities list for college bound readers:
http://edsitement.neh.gov/feature/edsitements-recommended-reading-list-college-boundstudents
Seattle Public Library will make you a personalized reading list: http://www.spl.org/aboutthe-library/library-news-releases/teens-can-get-personalized-reading-lists-at-the-seattlepublic-library
Modern Library’s 100 Best Novels List: http://www.modernlibrary.com/top-100/100-bestnovels/
9th Grade Summer Reading Pre-Writing Assignment
Seattle Academy of Arts and Sciences
According to Joseph Campbell, the Hero’s Journey can be called archetypical (a story pattern
that is common to human experience across cultures and that occurs frequently in literature)
because all heroes’ journeys follow a similar pattern. Following are what Campbell considers the
key elements of such a journey. Look for connections between your story and the elements in
this outline. Fill out what you can with some notes, but don’t worry if you can’t fill in all in spaces
or if you have questions that you need answered during the first week of school about one of the
stages.
Stages
The call to Adventure:
The future hero is first given
notice that his or her life is
going to change. He/she is
called on to take the
adventure.
Refusal of the call: The
future hero often refuses to
accept the Call to Adventure.
The refusal may stem from a
sense of duty, an obligation,
a fear, or insecurity.
Gathering of Spiritual
Guides:
Once the hero commits to the
quest, her guide is made
known. This is often a wise
individual, or multiple, with
supernatural powers or, in
realistic stories, great
influence.
Crossing the Threshold:
The hero crosses into the
realm of adventure; danger
lurks on this side of the
threshold. This is often, but
not always, a physical place.
Road of Trials: A series of
tests, challenges, obstacles
or difficulties that the hero
must face. She often fails at
least one.
Belly of the Whale: Hero
disappears from the world,
and appears to have died.
The hero shows willingness
to undergo metamorphosis.
Example following Harry Potter
Harry gets his and learns that he
is a wizard and is invited to
Hogwarts.
Harry tells Hagrid, "I think you
must have made a mistake. I don't
think I can be a wizard."
Harry meets Hermione and Ron
on the train. Hagrid and
Dumbledore can be considered
his guides as well.
Harry enters Diagon Alley for the
first time, or crosses through the
ticket barrier onto Platform 9 3/4.
Every challenge Harry has had to
overcome --for example, the
enchantments guarding the
Philosopher's Stone. Remember,
the hero usually fails at one or
more of the tasks in The Road of
Trials. Harry has already
experienced loss, but he hasn't
suffered outright defeat yet.
Harry's "death" is figurative,
symbolized by him falling
unconscious for three days.
Summer Reading
Atonement with Father: The
hero must confront the thing
that holds ultimate power in
his life or his driving force. In
some hero stories (Star Wars
for example) this force is
literally a father, but in many,
it is anything or one who
holds the hero back that he
must confront.
Apotheosis: An Epiphany
that sets the hero on the final
path—she realizes something
that gives her the strength to
move forward.
Harry faces off with Voldemort, a
symbolic representation of a
father figure.
Ultimate Boon: This is the
goal of the quest; it’s why the
person went on the journey in
the first place.
Harry wins the House Cup for
Gryffindor and defeats Professor
Quirrell.
Return Threshold: The hero
returns to the real world, or
the place he was trying to
return to, and must accept it
as his place.
Master of Two Worlds: The
hero can exist in both the
world of adventure, and the
normal world.
Harry doesn't want to return to the
Dursleys'.
Harry realizes his power and
magical strength.
At the end of the school year,
Harry has gained a sense of
fulfillment and confidence. He
takes this feeling with him back
into the Muggle world and feels
that life with the Dursleys will be
better than before.
Summer Reading Writing Assignment – Grade 9
Seattle Academy of Arts and Sciences
Professor and mythology scholar Joseph Campbell first “discovered” the Hero’s Journey
pattern in myths and folktales across a tremendous variety of human cultures. Though the
settings and names they use may be different, many human cultures tell stories of heroes who
venture out of their ordinary worlds to journey into the unknown, finding adventure along the way
and coming back changed from what they were.
When you arrive at SAAS Upper School in the fall, embarking on a new personal journey of your
own, we will be reading a famous epic – Homer’s Odyssey – that in many way fits this ancient
mold. But it’s not just the Odyssey that fits the Hero’s Journey pattern – many modern books do
as well, including the selection we have made for your summer reading.
After you finish reading your selected summer reading book, we would like you to write a short
response (1-2 pages double-spaced) that explores how this story follows - or perhaps in some
instances, deviates from - the Hero’s Journey archetype.
Before writing, use the Pre-Writing Chart to help you draw connections between the Hero’s
Journey and the events in your novel. If you would like some additional information and
examples of the Hero’s Journey, you can read more here:
http://mythologyteacher.com/documents/TheHeroJourney.pdf
Once you are ready, please craft a response of 1-2 double-spaced pages that explores your
thoughts on the ways in which your story follows or perhaps deviates from the Hero’s Journey
pattern. Do not feel like you need to address every single stage of the pattern; instead, think
about choosing a few of the most interesting or revealing examples from your book. Some
questions to get you started: what stage of the Hero’s Journey best fits what happens in your
book? What’s a stage that is not present, and why? Which stage did you find to be most
dramatic in your book, and why?
Structure your writing as you see fit. You are free to use the first-person if you would like. We
will be collecting this assignment, but it is for us to get a sense of your writing and voice, and it
will not serve as a major grade.