2017 BHS Summer Reading
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Grade/Course
All Freshmen
All Sophomores
Junior Standard
Junior Honors
Senior Standard
Senior Honors
Reading Selection(s)
Select one or more books of your choice.
Choose books that interest you and that you
will enjoy. It is important that you choose a
book that is “new” to you. Do not re-read a
book that you have read previously. Review
and confirm all choices with parents/guardians.
As you select a book, consider the Lexile level.
Choose a level that is appropriate with your
grade and reading ability. Do not be afraid to
challenge yourself! Below are a few reading
selections with their corresponding Lexile level:
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Romeo and Juliet, 800
Julius Caesar, 810
The Scarlet Letter, 1340
Jane Eyre, 1040
Average ACT selections, 1180
University level reading, 1395
Sample Book Lists: While you do not have to
choose a book from the following list, you may
wish to explore and select an award-winning
novel from the sites below.
 Pulitzer Prize Winners,
http://www.pulitzer.org/
 The Man-Booker Prizes,
http://themanbookerprize.com/
 Nobel Prize for Literature,
http://www.nobelprize.org/
Follow-up Assessments
English teachers will prepare activities to
engage and explore your choices when
you return to school.
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Grade/Course
AP Language
Reading Selection(s)
1. The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel
Hawthorne (Do NOT read the
introduction: “The Custom House.”)
2. Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom
You will need to procure your own copies, for
in this class we practice annotating texts—
requiring you to write, in blue or black ink,
and within the margins, your reactions to the
text. Your annotations prove that you have
been involved intellectually with the text and
the ideas. Do not expect your annotations to
be perfect or sophisticated yet; but instead,
strive to get involved in the intellectual
journey and to record your involvement by
your annotations. Your annotating skills will
improve as the year progresses.
So, what do you annotate? Reactions. Your
reactions. Your reactions to character
comments, use of symbols, settings, conflicts,
aphorisms, reflections, possible themes,
editorial comments of the narrator. Your
annotations should not be summaries, but
reflections, references, observations,
personal epiphanies. In other words, they are
an ink trail of your interaction with and
analysis of the texts. Annotating is a key skill
for optimal success in this class and in your
future collegiate studies.
Follow-up Assessments
Be prepared to discuss these texts
during the first two weeks of school,
to beef up your annotations, and to
both answer multiple-choice questions
and write a variety of essays
addressing the rhetorical strategies,
points of view, and abstract truths of
the selected works.
Grade/Course
 AP Literature
Reading Selection(s)
1. Siddhartha by Herman Hesse, ISBN
number 9780553208849
2. “Across the Creek is the Other Side
of the River” by Charles Wright
3. StrengthFinders 2.0 by Tom Rath,
ISBN number 9781595620156
Follow-up Assessments
1. As you read Siddhartha, annotate and
highlighting key literary elements and how these
contribute to the overall meaning of the work. If
you just finished AP Lang, you should know how
to annotate. If you have not taken AP Lang,
please see the note above regarding annotation.
This novel centers on the journey, the quest, and
the ultimate discovery of one’s identity. You must
discern and analyze how the author (Hesse)
serves as the architect to create this world,
contributing to our own self-discovery and
universal truths for each of us.
2. As you read, “Across the Creek is the Other Side
of the River,” annotate a printed copy of the
poem. Pay special attention to how the literary
elements contribute to the meaning/intent of the
poem. Include your own connections and
perceptions in your annotations.
3. Please complete the reading of StrenghtFinders
and the survey provided within the book prior to
class on Friday August 11, 2017
4. Complete a college essay. You may complete an
essay required by your college of choice or a
Common Application essay. By the end of your
explorations, discernments and gleaned insights
from the required summer reading, you should
be able to create viable/worthy draft of a college
essay.