The Greenwich Country Day School
9
th
Grade English
SUMMER READING AND WRITING
Please complete the following during the summer months:
1. Read the following required work:
ANNE FRANK: THE DIARY OF A YOUNG GIRL
by Anne Frank
ISBN 978-0-385-48033-8
This book will be the first piece of literature discussed in English class in September. Please
highlight and annotate your copy of the book; it is yours to keep, and your notes and ideas will
definitely help in our discussion.
2. Complete the assigned written response, a two-page creative paper inspired by the novel.
3. Read and summarize at least three (3) other books, one of which must be from the list of
suggested titles on pages 3-4 of this packet. Of course, we encourage you to read more
books than required if you have the time and inclination! You may type your summaries or
use the attached reading log.
4. Sign the Honor Code form (last page of packet) pledging that you have completed the work
without assistance.
Please bring your completed summer packet—comprised of your creative written response, your
reading log, and your Honor Code pledge—to the Ninth Grade barbeque, Monday, September 5,
2016. Be sure that your name is on your packet and that there are no loose papers.
Be on the lookout for the 2016 EX MULTIS,
our Upper School literary magazine.
We encourage both parents and students to peruse it,
as it showcases some of our students’ best writing efforts.
The Greenwich Country Day School
9
th
Grade English
SUMMER BOOK: WRITTEN RESPONSE
Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl
Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl is the compelling true story of the experiences of a young Jewish girl
growing up in Amsterdam during World War II.
To escape persecution for being Jewish, the Frank family has left Germany and moved to Amsterdam before
World War II broke out. When Hitler invades the Netherlands, the family is forced into hiding, and the
“Secret Annex,” an apartment hidden in her father’s office building, becomes Anne’s 24/7 home. Workers
from Mr. Frank’s company bring them supplies and news from the outside world. Anne begins writing in her
diary, which she affectionately calls “Kitty,” when she receives it as a gift for her 13th birthday, June 12, 1942.
As you read, be mindful of the historical and personal realities in which Anne finds herself. Also remember
that she wrote her most private thoughts in a journal that she never thought would be published. You will
see Anne as a normal girl who has been forced, by tragic circumstances beyond her control, to become a hero
and role model to future generations who find themselves oppressed and brutalized, as well as a symbol of
the ultimate transcendence of the human spirit.
As you’ve practiced throughout your Upper School years, please annotate your book as you read. Whenever
you find passages that strike you as important, truthful, eye-opening, or interesting, highlight them. Write
notes in the margin so you can quickly find information on important characters, events, or symbols. Careful
annotation will definitely help when you discuss the novel during the first few weeks of school.
Creative Writing Assignment
Please type your paper, double-spacing in a legible 12-point font. Your response should be at least two pages, thoughtfully written
and thought-provoking. Use vivid verbs, interesting wording, figurative language, and so on. And proofread carefully!
Just as Anne Frank chronicled her own story and experiences in her diary, write about a piece of your family’s
history. You may have heard a poignant anecdote about, for instance, how your family came to America, or a
significant move or decision that changed the course of your family’s experience. There may be a ritual that is
unique to your family, such as a yearly summer reunion or a special holiday tradition. Talk to your parents or
grandparents or other relatives to find out some important details, and let your imagination fill in the rest.
There is one other important requirement for this paper: Tell your family’s story from the perspective
of…something else. Anne’s diary is significant to her family’s story and experience, but it has also become
a symbol in its own right. Write from the point of view of an object that is important to your family, such as
that of a house, a beloved pet, a piece of heirloom jewelry, or the like. Have fun with this! Writing from a
totally different perspective should free you completely and allow your creative energies to flow.

IMPORTANT NOTE: You will be handing in this paper along with your reading log and signed pledge at
the Ninth Grade barbecue, Monday, September 5, 2016. Be sure your name is on your work, number
the pages, and staple them together.
The Greenwich Country Day School
9
th
Grade English
SUGGESTED TITLES FOR SUMMER READING
 Choose at least one of the books from this list in addition to the required reading of Anne
Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl.
Remember, you are also to read two other books of your choice, any genre, over the
summer. Summarize and review the books you read using the attached reading log or
typing a separate document. You will be reading a total of four books including Anne Frank
and one book from the list below.
Pride and
Prejudice
Jane Austen
Mothers, lock up your sons! In this hilarious novel, Elizabeth Bennet’s mother is
determined to marry Elizabeth off as soon as possible. Elizabeth cannot seem to
find anyone. Then she meets odious Mr. Darcy, who is snooty and rude. Will her
over-anxious mother ever find husbands for Elizabeth and her four sisters?
Fahrenheit 451 This novel is set in a future society in which books are burned, not read. In this
Ray Bradbury society, simple happiness is the ultimate goal; knowledge and education
supposedly quell happiness. A man named Guy Montag must decide whether he
prefers the dull happiness of television and lack of knowledge over a more
interesting and perhaps painful life of books.
The Power
of One
Bryce
Courtenay
Your English teachers, along with many GCDS ninth graders from past years,
guarantee you will enjoy living in Peekay’s world—of boxing, botany, music, and
individual power. In this sometimes hilarious, sometimes frightening, but always
entertaining novel, Peekay, a white South African, endures bullying and many
other hardships with the help of an unlikely friend (a chicken), a lovable mentor
(a German professor named Doc), and many other delightful characters.
Rocket Boys
Homer H.
Hickam, Jr.
Inspired by the Russian launch of Sputnik in October 1957, Sonny Hickam starts a
rocket club at his high school and eventually designs prize-winning rockets. But
first he has to overcome the skepticism of his small West Virginia town and of his
own father, a mining foreman. This memoir, a favorite of GCDS ninth graders
for many years, is the basis for the popular 1999 movie October Sky.
The Kite
Runner
Khaled
Hosseini
Amir is wealthy and privileged, living an indulged life in Kabul, Afghanistan, in
the 1970s. He has an unlikely friendship with his father’s servant’s son, Hassan,
who is poor and disabled. Against the backdrop of the Taliban’s rise to power,
this moving story deals with the universal themes of friendship and betrayal and
ultimate redemption—including a suspenseful surprise ending.
List continues…
The Greenwich Country Day School
9
th
Grade English
The Bean Trees You’ll love traveling cross-country with Taylor Greer, who sets out from the rural
South to find her destiny in the West—specifically, Arizona. Along the way she
Barbara
adopts a three-year-old native American girl named Turtle. This first novel by
Kingsolver
American writer Barbara Kingsolver is beautifully written, funny and poignant.
You’ll especially enjoy the passage on “how they eat in heaven.”
Woman
Warrior:
Memoirs of a
Girlhood
Among Ghosts
Maxine Hong
Kingston
In this wonderful collection of short stories, memoir and talk-stories (Chinese
oral folklore) combine with Kingston’s imaginative prose to form a thoughtful
reflection on Chinese-American culture. Kingston focuses these stories on
women in her life. The reader is left to consider which women are warriors—or
if Kingston herself is the most brave for writing these stories down. If you are
considering going on the China trip with Mr. Jepson, this could be the summer
read for you!
The Chosen
Chaim Potok
Two boys meet by chance during a game of baseball and become fast friends
despite their religious differences. As they grow older and begin to learn more
about each other’s families, these differences become more pronounced. Will
they remain friends?
Ghost Light
Frank Rich
This compelling memoir chronicles the life of Frank Rich, the acclaimed former
theater critic for The New York Times. In his highly dysfunctional family, Rich
experiences abuse, divorce, and abandonment—all by the time he is twelve. He
ultimately finds escape in musicals and modern dramatic plays. Ghost Light is a
poignant account of how the theater saves a young boy’s life.
The Once and
Future King
T.H. White
Wizards, knights, King Arthur, and swords stuck in stones are all found in this
definitive book. Read about Guinevere, Merlyn, and Owl as well as love and war
in this classic fantasy.
I Am Malala
Malala
Yousafzai,
Christina
Lamb
When the Taliban took control of Pakistan’s Swat Valley, girls were forbidden to
go to school. Unwilling to give up her dream of becoming a doctor, Malala
Yousafzai spoke out for her right to an education. She almost paid the ultimate
price when, riding the bus home from school, she was shot in the head by a
member of the Taliban. Against the odds, Malala recovered and has become a
global symbol of peaceful protest and the youngest nominee ever for the Nobel
Peace Prize. This memoir will make you believe in the power of one person’s
voice to inspire change in the world.
The Greenwich Country Day School
9
th
Grade English
SUMMER READING LOG
Name: ______________________________________________
By writing my name here, I certify that I have completed all the books listed below.
Incoming ninth graders must read a minimum of four (4) books over the summer, including the required
novel, The Diary of Anne Frank. At least one of the books must be from the list of suggested titles on
pages 3-4 of the summer packet. You are encouraged to read more if you are so inclined! Type or use
this log to summarize the books you read (see sample below).
You will submit your reading log at the Ninth Grade barbecue, Monday, September 5, 2016.
TITLE and AUTHOR: Spite Fences by Trudy Krisher
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SUMMARY: Maggie is a white teenager who lives with her family in a small Georgia town in the
early 1960s. Her family, which is poor, has problems getting along, and many of the people in her town
are prejudiced against blacks. Maggie becomes friendly with some black activists and then witnesses the
horrible beatings they receive.
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The Greenwich Country Day School
th
Grade English
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Please feel free to photocopy this sheet if you need to.
The Greenwich Country Day School
9
th
Grade English
UPPER SCHOOL
SUMMER PACKET HONOR CODE
Name (please print): ______________________________
I did all the work in this summer packet independently. I did not receive help from any tutor or
outside source.
Student Signature ____________________________
Parent Signature _____________________________
Date ____________________
This form should be signed and handed in with your completed summer work.