Bishop Grimes – Summer Reading Lists 2016
The following is a list of the Summer Reading titles and the assignment directions for each grade level.
Directions for Grade 7 and Grade 8 Students
During the summer, students entering Grade 7 and 8 are required to read one but may choose to read more of
the following recommended books. In September, students will indicate which book(s) they have read.
Students will then review plot, characters, and theme in preparation for a test on that particular book. The test
will be graded for Marking Period 1.
Reading List Grade 7
These three novels of fiction focus on a young adult as the protagonist.
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Wonder, Polacio
Auggie, born with a rare facial deformity, has been home schooled to protect him from the
cruelty of “ordinary” children. Auggie insists on going to school, so his parents enroll him in
Beecher Prep Middle School. Auggie’s first year at school is fraught with challenges, but
eventually Auggie, his classmates, and his family all learn the meaning of acceptance and
kindness.
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When You Reach Me, Stead
Twelve-year-old Miranda lives an ordinary life in 1978 New York City with her mother until she
starts receiving anonymous notes that seem to foretell the future. Miranda is hard pressed to
solve this compelling mystery.
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Crossover, Alexander
Written in verse, Crossover relates the challenges faced by twins Josh and Jordan (JB) Bell,
two middle school basketball stars. Josh’s narrative is a combination of exciting play by play
game details and insightful observations on middle school life and family relationships.
Reading List Grade 8
In these four books of historical fiction, places and events from history are seen through the eyes of fictional
characters.
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Iron Thunder, Avi
Iron Thunder is the tale of the Monitor and the Merrimac—the Civil War moment that brought
two ironclad ships to battle for the first time. 13 year old Tom Carroll, an assistant to the
Monitor’s inventor, experiences intrigue and danger.
o
Catherine, Called Birdy, Cushman
Catherine, living in 13th century medieval England, is a spirited individual who keeps a diary of
her day to day life. Entries in Catherine’s diary emphasize her resistance to her father’s
determination to marry her off to any rich man, no matter how awful.
o
Prisoner B-3087, Gratz
Historical fiction based on the true life of Jack Gruener, this book relates his story of survival
from the Nazi occupation of Poland, when he was 11 years of age, through several
concentration camps, to his liberation at Dachau six years later in 1945.
o
Thin Wood Walls, Patneaude
In Thin Wood Walls, Joe Hanada grows up quickly in a changed world after the Japanese
bombed Pearl Harbor. Joe and his family experience discrimination as they and other Japanese
American citizens have to endure life in a relocation camp during WWII.
2
Directions for 9th through 11th Grade Students
During the summer, students entering grades 9-11 should choose books from the following recommended
reading list that correspond to the grade the student will enter in September. Students should keep a log for all
the books read as well as a brief report on each book. The brief report, one for each book, and the reading log
will be turned in during the student’s first full week of school.
Reading List - Grade 9
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Lord of the Rings, Tolkien
The Giver, Lowry
Something Wicked This Way Comes,
Bradbury
In These Girls, Hope is a Muscle, Blais
Out of the Dust, Hesse
The Other Side of Dawn, Marsden
Sleeping Freshman Never Lie, Lubar
Reading List – Grade 11
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Black Boy, Wright
Dust Tracks on a Road, Hurston
For Whom the Bell Tolls, Hemingway
Invisible Man, Ellison
The Night Thoreau Spent in Jail,
Lawrence and Lee
Reading List - Grade 10
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Christy, Marshall
Desert Exile, Uchida
Go Tell It on the Mountain, Baldwin
Night, Wiesel
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, Smith
Tuesdays with Morrie, Albom
Directions for 12th Grade Students
Choose one book from any of the three reading lists to read during the summer. The first outside reading essay
test will be completed during the student’s first full week of school.
Classic Literature
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Wuthering Heights, Bronte
Doctor Faustus, Marlowe
Dracula, Stoker
Great Expectations, Dickens
Contemporary Literature
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A Prayer for Owen Meany, Irving
The Secret Life of Bees, Kidd
A Lesson Before Dying, Gaines
The Kite Runner, Hosseini
Global Literature
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In the Skin of a Lion, Ondaatje
The Namesake, Lahiri
Hullabaloo in the Guava Orchard, Desai
The Handmaid’s Tale, Atwood
Directions for AP Literature and Composition Students
Students should have picked up their summer reading assignment by June 19, 2015. Follow the instructions
carefully. If there are any questions or concerns, please contact Mrs. Kelley at [email protected]