Somers Public Schools
Somers, CT 06071
2015
Summer Reading List
Grades PreK–12
www.somers.k12.ct.us
Links on each of the school’s web pages
The Somers Summer Reading List is revised each year in late spring. The
updated list will be published on the web site in May of each year.
The Somers Public Schools is committed to equal opportunity for all students, applicants and employees. The District does not discriminate
in any employment practice, education program, or educational activity on the basis of race, color, religious creed, sex, age, national origin,
ancestry, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability (including, but not limited to, intellectual disability, past or
present history of mental disorder, physical disability or learning disability), genetic information, or any other basis prohibited by Connecticut
state and/or federal nondiscrimination laws. In addition, it provides equal access to the Boy Scouts and other designated youth groups.
Inquiries regarding the District’s nondiscrimination policies should be directed to Ms. Kathleen Pezza, Title IX Coordinator, 1 Vision
Boulevard, Somers, CT 06071, (860) 749-2270 x2039
Should an accommodation for a disability be required, please contact Dr. Denise Messina, Director of Pupil Services and Section 504
Coordinator, 1 Vision Boulevard, Somers, CT 06071, (860) 749-2270 x2052. (Revised 7/22/14)
Revised May 22, 2015
2
Somers Elementary School
Dear Parents:
This summer invite your child into a world of adventure, journeys and discovery through the
enjoyment of reading books. We encourage your support of literacy and hope that you will engage
your child's interest in any of the following books or the thousands of others at your library or
bookstores. These are some suggestions and guidelines that you may find helpful.
Reading aloud to your young children is very beneficial. As Joseph Addison said: “Reading is to the
mind what exercise is to the body.”
Guidelines for Choosing Books for Children
Preschool and Kindergarten
Children at this age:
•
Are delighted by Mother Goose and rhyming stories and love to hear them over and over. They
will begin to recite verses by themselves.
•
Enjoy pop-up books and books with flaps to flip which provide opportunities for active participation
and storytelling.
•
Are stimulated by wordless books which allows them to creativity tell stories and provides them
with opportunities for expression and conversation.
Grade 1
Children at this age:
•
Read aloud picture books with good storylines.
•
Enjoy alphabet and counting books, fairy tales, and easy informational books.
•
Are attracted to books with vibrant pictures that support the storyline and have repetitive patterns.
Grade 2
Children at this age:
•
Enjoy listening to chapter books of some complexity.
•
Start to read easy chapter books.
•
Continue to enjoy having parents share picture books with them.
•
Begin to enjoy particular authors or series books.
Grade 3
Children at this age:
•
Read chapter books independently.
•
Begin to explore books from various genres such as mysteries, historical fiction and science
fiction.
•
Continue to enjoy being read aloud to several times per week.
•
Like to select their own reading material at school and public libraries.
•
Take pride in showing off their reading skills.
•
Understand more complex stories and chapter books than they can read themselves.
•
Continue to enjoy having chapter books read to them.
Grade 4
Children at this age:
•
Are fascinated with unusual facts, record books, and biographies.
•
Prefer tall tales over fairy tales.
•
Enjoy realistic fiction with happy endings.
•
Select sports stories and stories about heroes.
•
Enjoy animal stories and nonfiction animal fact books.
•
Find science fiction interesting.
3
Grade 5
Children at this age:
•
Enjoy biographies.
•
Appreciate funny books and have a well-developed sense of humor.
•
Like adventure, spine-tingling and fantasy stories.
•
Like historical fiction stories.
•
Like statistical collections (sports).
•
Enjoy how-to books for parent-child projects.
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Summer Reading List
Entering Preschool
Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? by Bill Martin and Eric Carle
Carrot Seed (The) by Ruth Krauss
Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin
Dear Zoo by Rod Campbell
Dr. Seuss (series) by Dr. Seuss
Each Peach Pear Plum by Janet and Allan Ahlberg
Freight Train by Donald Crews
Good Dog Carl by Alexander Day
Have You Seen My Duckling? by Nancy Tafuri
Jessie Bear, What Will You Wear? by Nancy Carlstrom
Little Bear by Elsa Minarik
Little Engine That Could (The) by Watty Piper
Make Way For Ducklings by Robert McCloskey
Mother Goose by Tomie dePaola
On Market Street by Arnold Lobel
Rosie’s Walk by Pat Hutchins
Snowy Day (The) by Ezra Jack Keats
Three Little Bears (The) by Paul Galdone
Titch by Pat Hutchins
Wheels On The Bus (The) by Maryann Kovalski
Suggested Authors
Eric Carle
Donald Crews
Don Freeman
Paul Galdone
Pat Hutchins
Mercer Mayer
Bernard Most,
Robert Munsch
Maurice Sendak
Dr. Seuss
Martin Waddell
5
Summer Reading List
Entering Kindergarten
Action Alphabet by Marty Neumeler and Byron Glazer
Alphabatics by Suse MacDonald
Annabelle Swift, Kindergartner by Amy Schwartz
Anno's Alphabet by Mitsumasa Anno
Carl books by Alexandra Day
Corduroy by Dan Freeman
Curious George by H.A. Rey and Margret Rey
Dinotrux Books by Chris Gall
Fairy Tales
First Discovery books by Scholastic
Goodnight, Goodnight Construction Site by Sherri Duskey Rinker
Good Night Gorilla by Peggy Rathmann
Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown
Harold and the Purple Crayon by Crockett Johnson
Hungry Thing (The) by Jon Slepian and Ann Seidler
If You Give A Mouse A Cookie (series) by Laura Numeroff
Little Bear by Elsa Manklin
M&M Counting Book by Barbara Barbieri McGrath
Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey
Miss Bindergarten Gets Ready for Kindergarten by Joseph Slate
Mother Goose by Tomie dePaola
Olivia by Ian Falconer
Pete the Cat Books by James Dean
Read Aloud Rhymes for the Very Young edited by Jack Prefutsky
Ten Black Dots by Donald Crews
Ten, Nine, Eight by Molly Brown
We're Going On A Bear Hunt by Michael Rosen
Where The Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak
Whistle for Willie by Ezra Jack Keats
Suggested Authors
Jan Brett
Eric Carle
Jamie Lee Curtis
Anna Dewdney
Lois Ehlert
Mem Fox
Gail Gibbons
Kevin Henkes
Tana Hoban
Pat Hutchins
Bill Martin
Mercer Mayer
Bernard Most
Robert Munsch
Dr. Seuss
David Shannon
Nancy Elizabeth Wallace
Mo Willems
Audrey and Dawn Wood
6
Summer Reading List
Entering Grade 1
Note: Raz-Kids accounts will remain active over the summer. Please visit this website for
additional titles: www.raz-kids.com
Here are some titles to get your summer reading off to a great start! Please note that the reading
level of the books suggested varies. If your child is already reading, have him or her read a page of
the book aloud to you to see if the book is a good fit. If they struggle with more than a few words on
the page, the book is probably too difficult for independent reading, but would make a great readaloud! The librarian in the children's section of the public library is another wonderful resource to help
with your child's summer reading journey!
Read Aloud & Read Together
A Bad Case of Stripes by David Shannon
A Pizza the Size of the Sun by Jack Prelutsky
Bark, George! by Jules Pfeffer
Click, Clack, Moo: Cows that Type by Doreen Cronin
Go Away, Big Green Monster by Ed Emberley
How I Became a Pirate by Melinda Long
Leo the Late Bloomer by Robert Kraus
Make Way for Ducklings by Rober McCloskey
My Tooth is About to Fall Out by Grace Maccarone
Officer Buckle and Gloria by Peggy Rathmann
Skippyjon Jones by Judy Schachner
The Big Orange Splot by Daniel Pinkwater
The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein
The Little Engine That Could by Watty Piper
The Three Little Pigs by David Wiesner
The True Story of the Three Little Pigs by Jon Scieszka
We're Going on a Bear Hunt by Michael Rosen
Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein
Book Series to Read with Your Child
Amelia Bedelia by Peggy Parish
Biscuit series by Alyssa Satin Capucilli
Clifford books by Norman Bridwell
Fancy Nancy series by Jane O’Connor
Froggy books by Jonathan London
Geronimo Stilton by Elisabetta Dami
Hello Reader series
Henry and Mudge series by Cynthia Rylant
I Can Read books
Little Bear books by Elsie Minarik
Little Critter books by Mercer Mayer
Pigeon series by Mo Willems
Pinkalicious series by Victoria and Elizabeth Kann
Pinky and Rex by James Howe
Step into Reading books
The Bunny series by Kathryn Lasky
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Non-Fiction
Books by Gail Gibbons
Books by Jerry Pallotta
Books by Tana Hoban
Books by Martin Jenkins
I Spy books by Walter Wick and Jean Marzollo
Other Favorite Authors: Jan Brett, Eric Carle, Nancy Carlson, Donald Crews, Tomie dePaola,
Lois Ehlert, Kevin Henkes, Ezra Jack Keats, Bruce Lansky, Helen Lester, Leo Lionni, Robert Munsch,
Laura Numeroff, Dr. Seuss, Audrey Wood
8
Summer Reading List
Entering Grade 2
Note: Raz-Kids accounts will remain active over the summer. Please visit this website for
additional titles: www.raz-kids.com
Leveled Reading Books
If you want to find out if a book your child chooses is a “Just Right” book, you can go to Scholastic Book
Wizard at www.scholastic.com/bookwizard/ to find the book level.
Reading Level
D
D
D
E
E
F
F
F
F
G
G
G
G
G
G
H
H
H
H
H
H
H
H
H
H
I
I
I
I
Reading Level
J
J
J
J
J
J
J
J
Approaching Grade Level
Bears on Wheels by Jan and Stan Berenstain
Chick and the Duckling (The) by Mirra Ginsbury
Feathers for Lunch by Lois Ehlert
All By Myself by Mercer Mayer
Morris the Moose by Bernard Wiseman
Here Are My Hands by Bill Martin
Just Like Daddy by Frank Asch
Octopus Under the Sea by Connie Roop
Rosie’s Walk by Pat Hutchins
Biscuit Goes To School by Allyssa Satin Capucilli
Biscuit’s New Trick by Allyssa Satin Capucilli
Biscuit Wins a Prize by Allyssa Satin Capucilli
Each Peach Pear Plum by Alan Ahlberg
Ten Red Apples by Pat Hutchins
Titch by Pat Hutchins
Big Red Barn by Margaret Wise Brown
Circus Shapes by Stuart J. Murphy
Danny and the Dinosaur Go to Camp by Syd Hoff
Flying Bats by Faye Robinson
From Caterpillar to Moth by Jan Kottke
Happy Birthday, Danny & the Dinosaur by Syd Hoff
Just Me and My Babysitter by Mercer Mayer
Just Shopping by Mercer Mayer
Living Near a River by Joanne Winne
Which Witch is Which? By Pat Hutchins
Are You My Mother? By Philip D. Eastman
Froggy Goes to School by Jonathon London
Happy Birthday Sam by Pat Hutchins
Leo the Late Bloomer by Robert Kraus
Grade Level
Clifford’s Christmas by Norman Bridwell
Clifford’s Puppy Days by Norman Bridwell
Clifford’s Thanksgiving Visit by Norman Bridwell
Curious George and the Pizza by Margaret Rey
Froggy’s Day with Dad by Jonathon London
Froggy Gets Dressed by Jonathon London
Froggy Goes to the Doctor by Jonathon London
Henry and Mudge Series by Cynthia Ryland
9
Reading Level
K
K
K
K
K
K
K
K
K
K
K
K
K
K
K
K
Click, Clack, Moo by Doreen Cronin
Clifford, the Big Red Dog by Gene Zion
Duck for President by Doreen Cronin
Franklin and the Tooth Fairy by Bourgeois & Clark/Scholastic
Franklin Goes to School by Bourgeois & Clark/Scholastic
Franklin Rides a Bike by Bourgeois & Clark/Scholastic
Frog and Toad by Arnold Lobel
Giggle, Giggle, Quack by Doreen Cronin
Golly Sisters Go West by Betsy Byars
Golly Sisters Ride Again (The) by Betsy Byars
Manatee Winter by Kathleen Zoefeld
Molly the Brave and Me by Jane O’Connor
Noisy Nora by Rosemary Wells
Orca Song by Michael C. Armour
Pied Piper of Hamelin (The) by Deborah Hautzig
Veteran’s Day by J.Cotton
Reading Level
L
L
M
M
M
N
N
O
Grade Level
Above Grade Level – Can be a good read aloud.
Berenstain Bears by Jan and Stan Bereinstain
Going Home by Eve Bunting
A-Z Mysteries by Ron Roy
Jane Martin Dog Detective by Eve Bunting
Magic Tree House by Mary Pope Osborne
Chalk Box Kid (The) by Clyde Robert Bulla
Dive: A Book of Deep Sea Creatures by Melvin Berger
Mr. Maxwell’s Mouse by Frank Asch
Book Series
Title
Level
Henry and Mudge Series by Cynthia Rylant
J
Frog and Toad by Arnold Lobel
K
Nate the Great by Marjorie Weinman Sharmat
K
Berenstain Bears by Jan and Stan Berenstain
L
Arthur and D.W. by Marc Brown
Curious George by H.A. Rey
I,J,K,L,M
H,I,J,K
Magic Tree House by Mary Pope Osborne
M/N
N/Double Orange Dots
A-Z Mysteries by Ron Roy
M/N
Who Was Series Illustrated by Nancy Harrison Different Authors for Different Books.
Different Levels for Different Books
10
Read Aloud and Read Together
Title
Amazing Grace by Mary Hoffman
Charlotte's Web by E. B. White
Great Kapok Tree (The) by Lynne Cherry
Ira Sleeps Over by Bernard Waber
Lon Po Po by Ed Young
Mary Marony and the Snake by Blanche Sims
Miss Nelson Is Missing by Harry Allard
Monarch Butterfly by Gail Gibbons
Owl Moon by Jane Yolen
Polar Express (The) by Chris Van Allsburg
Popcorn Book (The) by Tomie dePaola
Random House Book of Poetry For Children (The) edited by Jack Prelutsky
Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein
Suggested Authors
Harry Allard
Frank Asch
Marc Brown
Eve Bunting
Norman Bridwell
Eric Code
Donald Crews
Doreen Cronin
Tomie dePaolo
Mem Fox
Kevin Henkes
Sid Hoff
Pat Hutchins
Steven Kellog
Arnold Lobel
Bernard Most
Mercer Mayer
Cynthia Rylant
Maurice Sendak
Dr. Seuss
11
Summer Reading List
Entering Grade 3
Note: Raz-Kids accounts will remain active over the summer. Please visit this website for
additional titles: www.raz-kids.com
If you want to find out if a book your child chooses is a “Just Right” book, you can go to Scholastic Book
Wizard at www.scholastic.com/bookwizard/ to find the book level.
Reading Level
I
J,K,L
J/K
K
K
K
L
L
L
L
L
L
L
L
L
L
L/M
Reading Level
M
M
M
M
M
M
M
M
M
M
N
N
N
N
Approaching Grade Level
Dragon series by Dav Pilkey
DK Readers (Level 2): Beginning to Read Alone (nonfiction titles) by various
authors
Henry and Mudge series by Cynthia Rylant
Commander Toad series by Jane Yolen
Frog and Toad series by Arnold Lobel
Joe and Sparky Series by Jamßie Michalak
All Aboard Reading (Level 2) various nonfiction titles by various authors
Bunnicula: Ready to Read series by James Howe
Cam Jansen Mystery series by David Adler
Herbie Jones series by Megan McDonald
Horrible Harry series by Suzy Kline
Judy Moody series by Megan McDonald
Magic Tree House series by Mary Pope Osborne
Marvin Redpost series by Louis Sachar
Splat the Cat Series by Rob Scotton
See More Readers (Level 1) various nonfiction titles by Seymour Simon
Rainbow Fairies by Daisy Meadows
Grade Level
Bad Kitty Series by Nick Bruel
Bailey School Kids series by Debbie Dadey and Marcia Thornton Jones
Jake Drake series by Andrew Clements
Junie B. Jones series by Barbara Park
Katie Kazoo series by Nancy Krulik
Littles (The) series by John Peterson
Magic Tree House series by Mary Pope Osborne
Matt Christopher series (sport themes) by Matt Christopher
Rescue Princesses (The) by Paula Harrison
Pete the Cat Series by James Dean
A to Z Mysteries series by Rob Roy
Magic Finger, The Enormous Crocodile (The) by Roald Dahl
Notebook of Doom by Troy Cummings
Secrets of Droon series by Tony Abbott
12
Reading Level
M/O
M-Q
N-Q
O
O
O
O
P
P
P
Q
Q
Q
R
Above Grade Level – Can be a good read aloud.
Nonfiction: Eyewitness Books, Ranger Rick, Sports Illustrated for Kids
and National Geographic for Kids magazines
Any nonfiction book by Gail Gibbons
Big Nate Series by Nick Bruel
Clementine series by Sara Pennypacker
Gooney Bird Greene series by Lois Lowry
Socks; Mouse and the Motorcycle by Beverly Cleary ß
Who Would Win? series by Jerry Pallotta
Fantastic Mr. Fox by Roald Dahl
Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys Series
Puppy Patrol Series- Jenny Dale
Bunnicula Series- James Howe
Fudge; Double Fudge by Judy Blume
Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing by Judy Blume
Big Nate Series by Lincoln Peirce
13
Summer Reading List
Entering Grade 4
Note: Raz-Kids accounts will remain active over the summer. Please visit this website for
additional titles: www.raz-kids.com
If you want to find out if a book your child chooses is a “Just Right” book, you can go to Scholastic Book Wizard
at www.scholastic.com/bookwizard/ to find the book level.
Reading
Level
K
L
M
M
M
M
M
Easy
N
N
N
N
N
O
O
O
Two Foolish Cats (The) by Yoshiko Uchida
Free Throw by Jake Maddox
Alligator Alley by Irene Shultz
Art Lesson (The) by Tomie dePaola
Copper Lady (The) by Alice and Kent Ross
Moongobble and Me series by Bruce Coville
Talking Eggs: A Folktale from the America South (The) by Robert D.
San Souci
Andrew Lost series by J.C. Greenburg
Bozo the Clone by Dan Greenburg
My Dog, My Hero by Betsy Byars
Secrets of Droon series by Tony Abbot
Wagon Wheels by Barbara Brenner
Gloria's Way series by Ann Cameron
Muggie Maggie by Beverly Cleary
Owl Moon by Jane Yolen
P
P
Q
Q
R
R
Average
Arctic Tundra by Michael Forman
My America series by Patricia Hermes
Funny Frank by Dick King-Smith
Mr. Popper's Penguins by Richard Atwater
Because of Winn Dixie by Kate DiCamillo
Birdbrain Amos series by M.C. Delaney
S
S
S
S
S
T
T
V
Challenging
Bear Named Trouble by Marion Dane Bauer
Ben and Me by Robert Lawson
I Was a Sixth Grade Alien by Bruce Covill
Million Dollar Shot (The) by Dan Gutman
Mummies and Their Mysteries by Charlotte Wilcox
Baseball Card Adventure series by Dan Gutman
Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C. S. Lewis
Ann of Green Gables by Lucy Maude Montgomery
14
Other Book Series
Reading Level
O
S
S/T
Easy
Reading Level
Boxcar stories by Gertrude
Chandler Warner
Step Into Reading series
(Level 4-easy
J/P
P/Q
Q
R
Challenging
Lightning Thief Series
Time for Kids Biography
Series
Average
Encyclopedia Brown stories
by Donald J. Sobol
History Maker Biographies
Series
American Girls Collection
Strawberry Girl by Lois
Lenski
Suggested Authors
The Public Library does not have all authors, but they do have some of the series books. Feel free to
substitute books by the same author.
Series Books
Beverly Cleary,
Ronald Dahl,
Laura Ingalls Wilder
Sports
Matt
Christopher
Adventure
Avi
Funny Stories
Judy Blume
Biographies
Jean Fritz
Biographies
Poetry
Jack
Prelutsky
Joanna Cole
Dean Hughes
Peg Kehret
Paula Danziger
Barthe DeClements
Alfred Slote
Gary Paulsen
Barbara Dillon
Bill Wallace
Johanna Hurwitz
Suzy Kline
Patricia Polacco
Jerry Spinell
.
15
Summer Reading List
Entering Grade 5
Required Summer Reading For All Incoming 5th Graders!
Each student entering 5th grade in the fall of 2015 is required to read
Jacqueline Davies’ Lemonade War
Evan Treski is people-smart. His sister Jessie is math-smart. With just five days left of
summer vacation, Evan and Jessie launch an all-out war to see who can sell the most
lemonade before school starts. As the battleground heats up, there really is no telling who
will win — or if their fight will ever end.
*If the student has already read the Lemonade War, he or she may read one of the other books in the
series and complete the Story Map and Bookmark for that book.
Task: Each student must come to school the first day having read the book AND
completed the following items:
Story Map & Student Created Bookmark
Story maps and bookmark handouts were distributed at the end of the year to all 4th graders. These
handouts can also be downloaded from the fifth grade teachers’ websites or picked up at the SES
school office.
16
Fifth Grade Suggested Summer Reading
(For students entering grade 5)
If you want to find out if a book your child chooses is a “Just Right” book, you can go to Scholastic Book Wizard
at www.scholastic.com/bookwizard/ to find the book level.
Reading
Level
N
O
O/P
Q/R
R
R
R/S
R/S
R/S
S
S
T
T
U
U
V
V
V
V
V
W
W
W
W
Magic Finger (The) by Roald Dahl
Mouse and the Motorcycle (The) by Beverly Cleary
Ramona (The) series by Beverly Cleary
Fudge (The) series by Judy Blume
Iggie’s House by Judy Blume
Report Card (The) by Andrew Clements
Dive, Everest and Shipwreck (The) series by Gordon Korman
Hate That Cat by Sharon Creech
On the Run series by Gordon Korman
Matlida by Roald Dahl
Mississippi Bridge by Mildred D. Taylor
Blubber by Judy Blume
Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Patterson
BFG (The) by Roald Dahl
Loser by Jerry Spinelli
Crash by Jerry Spinelli
Holes by Louis Sachar
Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli
Swindle by Gordon Korman
Things Not Seen by Andrew Clements
Inside Out & Back Again by Thanhha Lai
Crispin by Avi
The City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau
The Black Pearl by Scott O'Dell
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NEWBERY MEDAL AWARD BOOKS
For students entering grades 4 and 5
YEAR
1936
1941
1946
1951
1954
1959
1960
1961
1963
1968
1970
1971
1972
1973
1975
1977
1978
1980
1981
1984
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
TITLE
Caddie Woodlaw
Call It Courage
Strawberry Girl
Amos Fortune, Free Man
…And Now Miguel
The Witch Of Blackbird Pond
Onion John
Island Of The Blue Dolphins
A Wrinkle In Time
From The Mixed-Up Files Of Mrs. Basil E.
Frankweiler
Sounder
Summer Of The Swans
Mrs. Frisby And The Rats Of Nimh
Julie Of The Wolves
M.C. Higgins The Great
Roll Of Thunder, Hear My Cry
Bridge To Terabithia
A Gathering Of Days
Jacob Have I Loved
Dear Mr. Henshaw
Sarah, Plain And Tall
The Whipping Boy
Lincoln
Joyful Noise: Poems For Two Voices
Number The Stars
Maniac Magee
Shiloh
Missing May
The Giver
Walk Two Moons
The Midwife’s Apprentice
The View From Saturday
Out Of The Dust
Holes
Bud, Not Buddy
A Year Down Yonder
A Single Shard
Crispin: The Cross of Lead
The Tale of Despereaux: Being the Story of
a Mouse, a Princess, Some Soup, and a
Spool of Thread
Kira-Kira
Criss Cross
The Higher Power of Lucky
AUTHOR
Carol Ryrie Brink
Armstrong Sperry
Lois Lenski
Elizabeth Yates
Joseph Krumgold
Elizabeth George Speare
Joseph Krumgold
Scott O’Dell
Madeleine L’Engle
E.L. Konigsburg
William Armstrong
Betsy Byars
Robert C. O’Brien
Jean Craighead George
Virginia Hamilton
Mildred D. Taylor
Katherine Paterson
Joan W. Blos
Katherine Paterson
Beverly Cleary
Patricia Maclachlan
Sid Fleischman
Russell Freedman
Paul Fleischman
Lois Lowry
Jerry Spinelli
Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
Cynthia Rylant
Lois Lowry
Sharon Creech
Karen Cushman
E.L. Konigsburg
Karen Hesse
Louis Sachar
Christopher Paul Curtis
Richard Peck
Linda Sue Park
Avi
Kate DiCamillo
Cynthia Kadohata
Lynne Rae Perkins
Susan Patron
18
NEWBERY MEDAL AWARD BOOKS
For students entering grades 4 and 5
YEAR
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
TITLE
Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! Voices from a
Medieval Village
The Graveyard Book
When You Reach Me
Moon Over Manifest
Dead End in Norvelt
The One and Only Ivan
Flora & Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures
The Crossover
AUTHOR
Laura Amy Schlitz
Neil Gaiman
Rebecca Stead
Clare Vanderpool
Jack Gantos
Katherine Applegate
Kate DiCamillo
Kwame Alexander
19
Summer Reading List
Entering Grade 6
During the long, hot summer you will need to find a cool, comfortable place to curl up with a good
book. You must read TWO books over the summer. Select ONE book from the 2015 Nutmeg Award
Teen Nominees. The second book that every student will read is Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli. These two
books need to be completely read before you return to school in August. During the first two weeks of
school you will be required to participate in class discussions about the books you have read. The
teachers have developed assignments for each book. Assignments were given to you during Step-Up
Day and additional copies are available in the Mabelle B. Avery Middle School Office, as well as, on
the sixth grade team website. The teachers will collect the assignments on the first day of school.
Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli
From the day she arrives at quiet Mica High in a burst of color and sound, hallways
hum “Stargirl.” She captures Leo Borlock’s heart with one smile. She sparks a
school-spirit revolution with one cheer. The students of Mica High are enchanted.
Until they are not. Leo urges her to become the very thing that can destroy her normal.
2015 NUTMEG BOOK AWARD
TEEN NOMINEES
See You at Harry’s by Jo Knowles
Twelve-year-old Fern feels invisible in her family, where grumpy older sister, Sarah, is working in
the family restaurant, her brother, Holden, is dealing with bullies at school, and adorable, three yearold Charlie is always the center of attention. When tragedy strikes, the fragile bond holding the
family together is stretched almost to the breaking point.
Don’t Turn Around by Michelle Gagnon
When computer genius, Noa, wakes up on a table in a warehouse with an IV in her arm and
no memory of how she got there, she starts to wish she had someone on her side. Enter Peter
Gregory, a rich kid and the leader of a hacker alliance, and he needs people with Noa’s talents
on his team. But what Noa and Peter don’t realize is that Noa holds the key to a terrible secret, and
there are those who’d stop at nothing to silence her for good.
One for the Murphy’s by Lynda Mullaly Hunt
Carley uses humor and street smarts to keep her emotional walls high and thick. But the day she
becomes a foster child, and moves in with the Murphys, she’s blindsided. This loving, bustling
family shows Carley the stable family life she never thought existed - until her mother wants her back
and Carley has to decide where and how to live.
20
The Last Dragonslayer by Jasper Fforde
Fifteen-year-old Jennifer Strange runs an agency for underemployed magicians in a world where
magic is fading away. It seems, though, that Big Magic is brewing in the world again when visions
of the death of the world’s last dragon begin. Stranger still, all signs point to Jennifer being the
newest and perhaps, final, Dragonslayer.
Eye of the Storm by Kate Messner
Jaden’s summer visit with her meteorologist father, who has just returned from spending four
years in Russia conducting weather experiments not permitted in the United States, fills her with
apprehension and fear as she finds living at her father’s planned community, Placid Meadows, is
anything but placid.
The Final Four by Paul Volponi
When the heavy favored Michigan Spartans and the underdog Troy Trojans meet in the first semifinal
game of March Madness, four players find their fates entwined. As the teams race to find
victory, the stories of how each player arrived there are revealed.
Guitar Notes by Mary Amato
When forced to share a practice room, and a guitar, perfect student, Lyla, and loner, Tripp, begin to
correspond through a series of heated notes. A friendship develops as they discover that they truly
“get” one another, but can they overcome the differences that others see in them to maybe become
more?
The Raft by S.A. Bodeen
When Robie’s plane crashes into the Pacific Ocean, she must depend on the plane’s co-pilot, Max,
and a life raft for survival. As their water disappears and the evidence of sharks in the water mounts,
Robie isn’t really sure that they’ll make it until a team can rescue them.
Insignia by S.J. Kincaid
An elite military academy recruits Tom Raines to train to become a soldier in outer space, and he
can’t believe his good fortune. As his training begins, though, Tom finds he might have to sacrifice
more than he’d ever thought in order to succeed.
The False Prince by Jennifer Nielsen
In a country threatened by civil war, four orphans get recruited to compete for the role of imposter.
The winner will play the King’s long-lost son, inherit the Kingdom, and become a puppet for one
noble who wants the crown for himself. Sage knows his life depends on winning this Princely role.
21
Name__________________________________
6th Grade Summer Reading
Book Talk
Select ONE book from the 2015 Nutmeg Award Teen Nominees list and prepare a “Book Talk” for
your arrival to the middle school. Please use the chart below to help create and present a successful
Book Talk.
Use the following chart and the Checklist for Success (on the back) to help you prepare for your
presentation. Select and circle at least two from each row for your presentation.
Brief synopsis of the
plot…
What the story was
about.
What was your
favorite part? Read a
short excerpt from the
text.
Was there anything in
the book that was
confusing or you
didn’t like?
Setting. Where does
the story take place?
When does the story
take place? Past,
present, or future?
Point of View.
How is the story
written? First person
point of view or third
person narrator?
Is it effective?
Did you have any
predictions that came
true?
Twists and surprises.
Explain some of the
unexpected twists in
the plot.
Author’s style. What
is it about the author’s
writing that sets
him/her apart from
other writers?
Personal
connections. Give
specific examples of
times you felt a deep
connection with the
story, the characters,
or the plot.
Book to book
connections. What
other books does this
remind you of? Is there
something in your book
that has happened in
another book you’ve
read?
Book to world
connections. Can you
make a connection with
something that is
happening in the world
today? In our country
or around the world.
Conflicts. How did the
main character
overcome the conflict?
What do you
characters WANT?
Follow the main and
supporting characters
in the story and share
what they WANT. Do
they ever get what they
desire?
Colorful language.
Share some examples
of similes, metaphors,
figurative language, or
alliteration.
Unanswered
questions. If you could
ask the author any
question, what would it
be?
Rate the book from 110. Explain why you
have given the score
you have selected.
22
Checklist for Success
_____ I have read one book from the 2015 Nutmeg Teen Nominee List.
_____ I have selected at least two of the suggested talking points from each row
(at least 8 of the 16 must be used).
_____ I have written my talking point notes on 4 x 6 inch index cards.
_____ I have practiced reading my Book Talk to myself in a mirror or to a friend
to help prepare for my oral presentation.
_____ I have timed my Book Talk, and it is approximately two and a half minutes long. (Between 2-3
minutes).
_____ Project your voice to the back of the room.
_____ Be expressive, use hand gestures.
_____ Have confidence in your abilities.
I have followed the Checklist for Success and shared my Book Talk with my parents. (Sign and return
on the first day of school.)
Student Signature
Parent Signature
23
WHAT MAKES YOU UNIQUE?
6TH GRADE SUMMER READING
Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli
As you read Stargirl, by Jerry Spinelli, think about what qualities make her a unique, one of a kind,
character. How does this relate to you? What makes you unique? What qualities and traits make you
a one of a kind person?
Using the attached STAR, create a colorful and unique representation of yourself. You can use words
and pictures. Use the following guidelines for each point of the star.
•
Center: Picture (photo) of you with your name
•
Point 1: What you want to be when you grow up
•
Point 2: Favorite Food
•
Point 3: Favorite Hobby
•
Point 4: Favorite Place
•
Point 5: Goal for this year
Cut out your star. STARS will be collected on the first day of school and will be displayed for others to
see. Remember: Quality work – make your star be a great first impression!
24
25
Summer Reading List
Entering Grade 7
2015
Keep cool this summer and choose TWO summer reading books from the list below.
One for the Murphys by Lynda Mullaly Hunt-One for the Murphys, the first novel by Lynda Mullaly
Hunt, is the moving story about a foster child learning to open her heart to a family's love. Carley uses
humor and street smarts to keep her emotional walls high and thick. But the day she becomes a foster
child and moves in with the Murphys, she's blindsided. This loving, bustling family shows Carley the
stable family life she never thought existed, and she feels like an alien in their cookie-cutter-perfect
household.
Ungifted by Gordon Korman-Ungifted is an entertaining story about a struggling troublemaker who
is accidentally transferred to a school for highly-gifted genius-level students. To say he doesn't fit in
would be an understatement. But while Donovan Curtis in no way belongs, he does find things he can
contribute. How long will it take for the school to realize he doesn't belong?
The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate-The One and Only Ivan is the story of an
easygoing gorilla who lives at the Exit 8 Big Top Mall and Video Arcade. He has grown accustomed to
humans watching him through the glass walls of his domain and rarely misses his life in the jungle.
Ivan thinks about TV shows he's seen and about his friends Stella, an elderly elephant, and Bob, a
stray dog. But mostly Ivan thinks about art and how to capture the taste of a mango or the sound of
leaves with color and a well-placed line. When he meets Ruby, a baby elephant taken from her family,
she makes Ivan see their home—and his own art—through new eyes.
The Running Dream by Wendelin Van Draanen-The Running Dream won the 2012 Schneider
Family Book Award. The story's main character, Jessica, thinks her life is over when she loses a leg in
a car accident. She's not comforted by the news that she'll be able to walk with the help of a prosthetic
leg. Who cares about walking when you live to run? As she struggles to cope with crutches and
prosthetic, people who don't know what to say, act like she's not there. She could handle her situation
better if she weren't so aware of how she has done the same thing to a girl with cerebral palsy named
Rosa who is now going to tutor her through all the math she's missed
The Young Man and the Sea by Rodman Philbrick-Twelve-year-old Skiff Beaman's mom just died,
and his fisherman dad is too depressed to drag himself off the couch and go to work. So these days
Skiff has to take care of everything himself. But when his dad's boat sinks, Skiff discovers it will cost
thousands to buy a new engine. Skiff's lobster traps won't earn him enough, but there are bigger fish
in the sea -- bluefin tuna. If he can catch one of those monster fish, Skiff just might save the boat -and his family.
26
Touching Spirit Bear by Ben Mikaelson-Cole Matthews has been fighting, stealing, and causing
trouble for years. So his punishment for beating Peter Driscal senseless is harsh. Given a choice
between prison and Native American Circle Justice, Cole chooses Circle Justice: He'll spend one year
in complete isolation on a remote Alaskan island. In the first days of his banishment, Cole is mauled
by a mysterious white bear and nearly dies. Now there's no one left to save Cole, but Cole himself.
Close To Famous by Joan Bauer-When twelve-year-old Foster and her mother land in the tiny town
of Culpepper, they don't know what to expect. But folks quickly warm to the woman with the great
voice and the girl who can bake like nobody's business. Soon, Foster who dreams of having her own
cooking show one day, lands herself a gig baking for the local coffee shop and gets herself some
much-needed help in overcoming her biggest challenge - learning to read.
Chasing Lincoln’s Killer by James L. Swanson- A Riveting account of the chase for Abraham
Lincoln’s assassin. Chasing Lincoln’s Killer is a fast-paced thriller about the pursuit and capture of
John Wilkes Booth: a wild twelve-day chase through the streets of Washington, D.C., across the
swamps of Maryland, and into the forests of Virginia.
“The President Has Been Shot!”: The Assassination of John F. Kennedy by James L.
SwansonA riveting account of the Kennedy assassination. Readers are transported back to one of the most
shocking, sad, and terrifying events in American history to experience the story of the JFK
assassination as it has never been told before.
The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan-In Mary's world there are three simple truths. The
Guardians will protect and serve. The Unconsecrated will never relent. And you must always mind the
fence that surrounds the village, the fence that protects the village from the Forest of Hands and
Teeth. When the fence is breached and her world is thrown into chaos, she must choose between
her village and her future—between the one she loves and the one who loves her.
Michael Vey-Prisoner of Cell 25 by Richard Paul Evans-To everyone at Meridian High School,
fourteen-year-old Michael Vey is nothing special, just the kid who has Tourette’s syndrome. But in
truth, Michael is extremely special—he has electric powers. Michael thinks he is unique until he
discovers that a cheerleader named Taylor has the same mysterious powers. Their investigation into
their powers soon brings them to the attention of a powerful group who wants to control the electric
teens—and through them, the world.
The 11th Plague by Jeff Hirsch-In the aftermath of a war, America’s landscape has been ravaged
and two-thirds of the population left dead from a vicious strain of influenza. Fifteen-year-old Stephen
Quinn and his family were among the few that survived and became salvagers, roaming the country in
search of material to trade. But when Stephen’s grandfather dies and his father falls into a coma after
an accident, Stephen finds his way to Settler’s Landing, a community that seems too good to be true.
27
2015 SUMMER READING
Grade 7
As you read each summer reading book, fill in the chart below to get ready to make your
Farcebook page.
Novel:
Author:
Main character’s name:
Physical appearance:
THREE words that
describe him/her:
1.
2.
Page #
Artist:
Page #
Choose a “theme song” for him/her
Setting
(Where?):
Setting
(When?)
3.
Page #
Title:
LIKE OR DISLIKE (Circle one)
Interests of main character:
Friends (name three):
#1
#2
#3
What lesson is learned?
What is the theme or moral of the story?
Favorite quotation (as you read, look
for a quote that you find interesting,
inspiring, etc.)
Quote:
Write down THREE new words you learned
(with definitions):
1.
2.
3.
Definition:
Definition:
Definition:
What was the PROBLEM in the novel?
What was the SOLUTION in the novel?
28
Summer Reading List
Entering Grade 8
2015
“A man practices the art of adventure when he breaks the chain of routine and renews his life through
reading new books, traveling to new places, making new friends, taking up new hobbies, and adopting
new viewpoints.” Abraham Lincoln
You will be tested on the two books you have read. Use specific story details to complete the 5 W’s
organizers attached. The charts will be used to complete a test on one of the readings and to write an
essay on the other.
Fiction
The Clockwork Three by Matthew J. Kirby - Three ordinary lives are changed forever when they
become hopelessly entangled due to a series of coincidences- or are they? Giuseppe is a young
street musician who dreams of sailing back to Italy; and after finding a green violin that it much more
than it appears, he find himself embroiled with conflicts involving treasure, clockwork automatons, and
perilous danger. Also pulled into this tumult of events are Hannah and Frederick, the former a hotel
maid struggling to make ends meet, while the other is a talented clockmaker with a secret project.
These three strangers soon discover that their aspirations are nearly in reach, but only after
overcoming the dangers and pitfalls of living in late 19th century America. Challenging
Inkheart by Cornelia Funke, - 12 year-old Meggie learns that her father Mo, a bookbinder, can
“read” fictional characters to life when an evil ruler named Capricorn, freed from the novel Inkheart
years earlier, tries to force Mo to release an immortal monster from the story. Challenging
Also consider the sequels: Inkspell or Inkdeath
Okay for Now by Gary Schmidt - Fourteen-year-old Doug Swieteck has just moved to a small town.
With the help of an unlikely new friend, Lil, and a local librarian, Doug struggles to prove to the town
that he is not just another thug. He learns to deal with his abusive father and survive the return of a
brother scarred by Vietnam. Easy
Paper Towns by John Green - Although they were friends as kids, Margo is now at the center of the
popular crowd, and Quentin just idolizes her from afar. Then one night, Margo shows up at Quentin's
window and, mysteriously, asks him to help her do "eleven things," including five that involve a
"getaway man." Quentin is still reliving their adventures the next day when he learns that Margo has
disappeared. He thinks she must be ". . . doing Margo stuff. Making stories. Rocking worlds." But as
he follows the trail of clues she left behind, he discovers a far different Margo from the one he thought
he knew. Moderate
Stones in Water by Donna Jo Napoli - After being taken away by German soldiers from a local
movie theater along with boys including his Jewish friend, Roberto is forced to work in Germany,
escapes into the Ukrainian winter, before desperately trying to make his way back home. Easy
Sequel: Fire in the Hills
Sunrise Over Fallujah by Walter Dean Myers - Robin, a young man from Harlem enlists in the army
after 9/11, much to his father’s angry disapproval. His unit is supposed to follow the fighting troops
and help win the hearts and minds of the Iraqi people. But in the confusion Robin finds himself in
combat. This book is very realistic and contains rough language and violence. It would be rated PG13. Moderate
29
Non Fiction
Code Talker: A Novel About the Navajo Marines of World War Two by Joseph Bruchac - After
being taught in a boarding school run by whites that Navajo is a useless language, Ned Begay and
other Navajo men are recruited by the Marines to become Code Talkers, sending messages during
World War II in their native tongue. Moderate
Outcasts United: The Story of a Refugee Soccer Team that Changed a Town by Warren St.
John - Just a few miles from Atlanta, the city of Clarkston became a settlement for families of
refugees from war-torn countries. Soccer coach Luma Mufleh formed the Fugees, a soccer team
consisting of boys from various countries and backgrounds. This inspiring book explores the array of
challenges the team faced on and off the field and how determination prevailed. Moderate.
Written in Bone: Buried Lives of Jamestown and Colonial America by Sally Walker - This book
is the work of forensic scientists who are excavating grave sites in James Fort in Jamestown, Virginia,
to understand who lived in the Chesapeake Bay area in the 1600s and 1700s. It uncovers the lives of
a teenage boy, a ship's captain, a colonial officer, an African slave girl, and others. Nearly every page
has at least one illustration, a color photo or helpful diagram, a map, or a period document. Moderate
Soldier’s Heart by Gary Paulsen- Eager to enlist, fifteen year-old Charley has a change of heart
after experiencing both the physical horrors and mental anguish of Civil War combat. Easy (May be
read only with Resource Room teacher recommendation)
30
Summer Reading List
Entering Grade 8
2015
Graphic Organizer for Fiction
Review the following questions and take notes as you read. You may use a bullet format. Your notes
should be concrete with specific details, as you will be allowed to use these notes for the in-class
assessments on the books you have read. Use additional paper if needed.
Name:
Title:
Author:
5 W’s and How Question Frame
WHO: (Physical and personality characteristics)
Main characters:
WHAT:
Main problems or conflicts (include main events of plot.)
Message or theme: (What is the message the author wants us to understand about the character’s
change?)
Setting:
WHERE:
Setting (place): (Use descriptive details.)
WHEN:
Setting (time):
HOW:
•
How does the main character deal with each of the conflicts he/she faces?
•
Are the conflicts resolved in the end?
WHY: (connections)
•
•
Does the book remind you of any other books (or movies, TV shows, etc.) you have read?
Does it remind you of a situation you or someone you know has been in?
SUMMARY: Write a summary of the plot in 10 sentences.
31
Summer Reading
Entering Grade 8
2015
Graphic Organizer for Nonfiction
Review the following questions and take notes as you read. You may use a bullet format. Your notes
should be concrete with specific details, as you will be allowed to use these notes for the in-class
assessments on the books you have read. Use additional paper if needed.
Name:
Title:
Author:
Learn about People, Places, Events
Topic: _______________________________________________________________
ORGANIZE TO UNDERSTAND
WHO:
People:
WHERE:
Place:
WHAT:
Challenges:
WHAT:
WHY:
Choices:
HOW:
Changes:
32
Determine the Central Idea and Main Ideas of the text.
Summarize the key supporting details and ideas.
One MAIN IDEA form the text
that helps to explain the central idea:
Another MAIN IDEA from the text
that helps to explain the central idea:
Supporting information for this idea:
Supporting information for this idea:
Supporting information for this idea:
Supporting information for this idea:
Write a short summary of the text.
33
SOMERS HIGH SCHOOL
DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH—SUMMER READING LIST
ENTERING GRADE 9
Honors English 9 : Please read the 2 required texts and 1 additional text from the list below.
Required Text 1: Great Expectations by Charles Dickens – Dickens spins a suspenseful tale of
young Pip who desires greatness in pursuit of the beautiful but elusive Estella.
Required Text 2: Into Thin Air by John Krakauer - A bank of clouds was assembling on the not-sodistant horizon, but journalist-mountaineer Jon Krakauer, standing on the summit of Mt. Everest, saw
nothing that "suggested that a murderous storm was bearing down." He was wrong. The storm, which
claimed five lives and left countless more--including Krakauer's--in guilt-ridden disarray, would also
provide the impetus for Into Thin Air, Krakauer's epic account of the May 1996 disaster.
Assessments: As you read each text, please take detailed notes on four (4) major issues (ex. greed,
loyalty, acceptance, identity, etc.) contributing to the conflicts within the story, and note the author's
message (theme) related to each issue. Be prepared to submit the notes to Turnitin.com to check for
plagiarism and to use the notes as study guides for quizzes and/or tests. No outside sources may be
used beyond the text and your thoughtful mind.
--------Life of Pi by Yann Martel – After being lost at sea for 227 days on a lifeboat with a Bengal tiger, Pi
Patel tells the story of his survival much to the disbelief of his rescuers who demand to know the truth.
Pi tells a second, more believable story, but which is really true?
All Creatures Great and Small by James Herriot – The author’s first years as a veterinarian are
related in this warm account.
Angela's Ashes: A Memoir by Frank McCourt – Raised in the slums of Limerick, Ireland by a loving
mother, Frank McCourt recounts with warmth and humor his Irish Catholic childhood spent in rags
and near-starvation at the hands of his alcoholic father. McCourt's story is one of pain, poverty,
enduring love, and incredible forgiveness. (nonfiction; mature content)
A Separate Peace by John Knowles – Two adolescents come to understand each other and
themselves after a tragic accident.
Black Boy by Richard Wright - Richard Wright's autobiography is an honest and gritty portrayal of
growing up black in the Jim Crow south. Despite social injustice, abuse, anger, and rage, Wright
emerges victorious and rises above these conditions through self-discipline and education. (mature
content)
The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls – Jeannette and her brothers and sisters live the wandering life
with their free-spirited, untraditional parents. But as the dysfunction in the family grows, the siblings
must find ways to fend for themselves and survive. (nonfiction)
Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare – Shakespeare's popular play about two couples
blends humor and romance. Hero and Claudio are professed lovebirds while Beatrice and Benedick
find a more roundabout way to love, flinging insults at one another as each plays hard to get in this
funny, clever, battle-of-the-sexes comedy.
34
Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen – Catherine Morland, a young woman fond of Gothic romances,
visits the estate of family friends where her imagination runs wild, finding ominous meaning in events
that transpire at Northanger Abbey.
The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien – Treading a fine line between fantasy and reality, Vietnam
veteran Tim O'Brien weaves together semi-autobiographical vignettes into a mesmerizing novel of the
tangible and intangible things soldiers in the Vietnam War carry with them on and off the battlefield.
(mature content)
35
College English 9
Read the (1)* required book plus one (1) other. Read a total of 2 books.
Assignment: 1 notation log for each of the books you read for a total of 2 notation logs.
Notation Log Directions: Take notes for each of the books you read. Your notes should incorporate
the identification of: significant quotations, important character changes, development of critical
themes, brief summary, and unknown vocabulary. The purpose of these logs is to help you identify
important information as you go and to help work through your confusion by asking (and perhaps later
answering) questions. Please be prepared for any variety of assessments that will be given during the
first month of school. Notes should be typed in Times New Roman 12 point font and double-spaced
with one-inch margins and will be submitted to turnitin.com the first week of school. Please be sure to
save your work in a digital location.
****Only the novel should be used to complete this assignment. No outside sources should be used,
under any circumstances. Do not copy work from friends either. Work will be checked for plagiarism.
REQUIRED *Miss. Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs – As a kid, Jacob
formed a special bond with his grandfather over his bizarre tales and photos of levitating girls and
invisible boys. Now at 16, he is reeling from the old man's unexpected death. Then Jacob is given a
mysterious letter that propels him on a journey to the remote Welsh island where his grandfather grew
up. There, he finds the children from the photographs--alive and well--despite the islanders’ assertion
that all were killed decades ago.
The Foreshadowing by Marcus Sedgwick – Historical fiction and mystery that involves a brave
young woman who is willing to risk her life in search of her brother in WWI. She feigns as an army
nurse to follow her premonitions. Are her premonitions true? Is her disguise at the risk of others’ lives?
Frozen Fire by Tim Bowler – It starts with a phone call. “I’m dying,” a voice tells Dusty. Who is he and
how did he get her phone number? Dusty wants no part of this strange boy…until he begins saying
things that only someone who knows her intimately could say. And saying things that lead her to think
he knows the whereabouts of her brother, who disappeared over two years ago.
Under the Persimmon Tree by Suzanne Fisher Staples - Najmah, a young Afghan girl whose name
means “star,” suddenly finds herself alone when her father and older brother are conscripted by the
Taliban and her mother and newborn brother are killed in an air raid. An American woman, Elaine,
whose Islamic name is Nusrat, is also on her own. She waits out the war in Peshawar, Pakistan,
teaching refugee children under the persimmon tree in her garden while her Afghan doctor husband
runs a clinic in Mazar-i-Sharif, Afghanistan.
Everybody Sees the Ants by A.S. King - "If you were to commit suicide, how would you do it?" is
the question that gets Lucky Linderman in trouble at school. On top of that he's dealing with the high
school bully, watching his family fall apart, and devising a way to save his grandfather who went
missing in the Vietnam War. Can a trip to Arizona save Lucky's life? (Contains violence and coarse
language.)
All Creatures Great and Small by James Herriot- Take an unforgettable journey through the English
countryside and into the homes of its inhabitants-- four-legged and otherwise-- with the world's bestloved animal doctor.
36
The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne: When Bruno returns home from school one day, he
discovers that his belongings are being packed in crates. His father has received a promotion and the
family must move from their home to a new house far far away, where there is no one to play with and
nothing to do. A tall fence running alongside stretches as far as the eye can see and cuts him off from
the strange people he can see in the distance.
But Bruno longs to be an explorer and decides that there must be more to this desolate new place
than meets the eye. While exploring his new environment, he meets another boy whose life and
circumstances are very different to his own, and their meeting results in a friendship that has
devastating consequences.
Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys: Lina is just like any other fifteen-year-old Lithuanian girl
in 1941. She paints, she draws, she gets crushes on boys. Until one night when Soviet officers barge
into her home, tearing her family from the comfortable life they've known. Separated from her father,
forced onto a crowded and dirty train car, Lina, her mother, and her young brother slowly make their
way north, crossing the Arctic Circle, to a work camp in the coldest reaches of Siberia. Here they are
forced, under Stalin's orders, to dig for beets and fight for their lives under the cruelest of conditions.
Lina finds solace in her art, meticulously-and at great risk-documenting events by drawing, hoping
these messages will make their way to her father's prison camp to let him know they are still alive. It is
a long and harrowing journey, spanning years and covering 6,500 miles, but it is through incredible
strength, love, and hope that Lina ultimately survives. Between Shades of Gray is a novel that will
steal your breath and capture your heart.
37
ENTERING GRADE 10
Honors English 10
Required Text: The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
Choice Texts: Read two (2) other texts of your choice from among the list below
Tasks:
Take notes for each of the books you read. Your notes should incorporate the identification of:
significant quotations, important character changes, critical themes, brief summary, and unknown
vocabulary. The purpose of these logs is to help you identify important information as you go and to
help work through your confusion by asking (and perhaps later answering) questions. Please be
prepared for any variety of assessments that will be given during the first month of school. Notes
should be typed in Times New Roman 12 point font and double-spaced with one-inch margins and will
be submitted to turnitin.com the first week of school. Please be sure to save your work in a digital
location.
****Only the novel should be used to complete this assignment. No outside sources should be used,
under any circumstances. Work will be checked for plagiarism.
Books that are no longer under copyright protection are available in e-form at no cost. Go to
http://qutenberg.org/wiki/ main page to find list of available books.
A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway – One of the most poignant love stories ever written. Set
in World War I Italy.
Cold Mountain by Charles Frazier – Inman, a Confederate soldier trying to escape the chaos and
cruelty of war, makes a daring attempt to return to his home in the Blue Ridge Mountains while his
love, Ada, struggles to survive alone on her father's farm. Moving and full of adventure, Frazier's
characters are transformed as they experience the best and worst of humanity.
My Antonia by Willa Cather – Against Nebraska’s panoramic landscape, Cather recreates the life of
an immigrant girl who becomes the epitome of strong and dignified womanhood.
Native Son by Richard Wright – Powerful novel about a black youth from the Chicago slums
victimized because of his race. It reflects the forces of poverty, injustice, race and class that continue
to shape society.
The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver – Taylor Greer flees her harsh life in Appalachia and heads
west in this memorable novel of love and friendship, abandonment and belonging.
The Color Purple by Alice Walker – Triumphant novel of a black woman’s life in the South.
The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck – Powerful chronicle of dispossessed landowners who
leave Oklahoma during the Great Depression and head for the “promised land” of California.
Half Broke Horses by Jeannette Walls – This is the story of Lily Casey Smith, Jeannette Walls’s nononsense, resourceful, and spectacularly compelling grandmother. Lily survived tornadoes, droughts,
floods, the Great Depression, and the most heartbreaking personal tragedy. (nonfiction)
38
Where Men Win Glory by John Krakauer - After being told he was “too small” to play football, Pat
Tillman ends up playing for the NFL and later gives up a multi-million dollar contract to enlist in the
Army after 9-11. Who is this remarkable man and why was his death in Afghanistan the subject of a
conspiracy? (nonfiction: graphic violence, coarse language)
All Things Bright and Beautiful by James Herriot - Herriot journeys among the remote hillside farms
and valley towns of the Yorkshire Dales, caring for their inhabitants---both two- and four-legged.
Throughout, Herriot's deep compassion, humor, and love of life shine out as we laugh, cry, and delight
in his portraits of his many, varied animal patients and their equally varied owners.
39
College English 10:
Read the one (1) required text below and one (1) other book from the choice list.
Required Book: Animal Dreams by Barbara Kingsolver
"Animals dream about the things they do in the daytime just like people do. If you want sweet dreams,
you've got to live a sweet life." So says Loyd Peregrina, a handsome Apache trainman and latter-day
philosopher. But when Codi Noline returns to her hometown, Loyd's advice is painfully out of her
reach. Dreamless and at the end of her rope, Codi comes back to Grace, Arizona, to confront her past
and face her ailing, distant father. What she finds is a town threatened by a silent environmental
catastrophe, some startling clues to her own identity, and a man whose view of the world could
change the course of her life.
Blending flashbacks, dreams, and Native American legends, Animal Dreams is a suspenseful love
story and a moving exploration of life's largest commitments.
Assessments: Please complete 10 double-entry journals along with your reading. Double-entry
journals will be used in discussion, collected, graded, and submitted to Turnitin.com to check for
plagiarism. Only the book may be used; outside sources are not allowed for any reason. Follow the
template below to complete your double-entry journals.
Quote with page number
What does it say?
(paraphrase the quote)
What does it mean?
(analyze the quote)
“I’d spent my whole childhood
as an outsider to Grace. I
was willing to march
downtown and submit myself
to butchery this minute if that
would admit me to the club.
I’d led such an adventurous
life, geographically speaking,
that people mistook me for an
adventurer. They had no
idea. I’d sell my soul and all
my traveling shoes to belong
some place” (30).
Codi has always felt like an
outsider in Grace. Although
she has traveled the world,
she wants to feel like she
belongs somewhere.
Codi has returned to her
hometown of Grace with
hopes that she can find a
place for her to belong.
Unlike Hallie, Codi has found
it difficult to find her place in
society.
Books that are no longer under copyright protection are available in e-form at no cost. Go to
http://qutenberg.org/wiki/ main page to find list of available books.
40
Choice Book List:
*a project will be assigned in the beginning of the school year
A Dog's Purpose by W. Bruce Cameron- Bailey is reborn into his new life as a rambunctious golden
retriever after having lived a short life as a stray mutt. Over the course of his next few dog lives, he
seeks his purpose and an answer to life's most challenging question: Why are we here?
All Things Bright and Beautiful by James Heriott – Heriott's sequel to All Things Great and Small
provides warm, sensitive, and humorous stories as the newlywed Heriott travels the Yorkshire
countryside taking care of the town's furry residents.
Half Broke Horses by Jeannette Walls – This is the story of Lily Casey Smith, Jeannette Walls’s nononsense, resourceful, and spectacularly compelling grandmother. Lily survived tornadoes, droughts,
floods, the Great Depression, and the most heartbreaking personal tragedy. (nonfiction)
Killing Lincoln: The Shocking Assassination that Changed America Forever by Bill O'Reilly and
Martin Dugard – Described as “history that reads like a thriller,” Killing Lincoln chronicles the manhunt
for John Wilkes Boothe after his successful murder of Abraham Lincoln at Ford's Theater. (nonfiction)
Killing Kennedy: The End of Camelot by Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard – Former Marine Corps
sharpshooter Lee Harvey Oswald guns down President Kennedy while on campaign in Texas, 1963.
Oswald escapes but is caught and executed while in police custody. As the story of Kennedy's murder
unfolds, it's the events prior to the assassination that prove equally as shocking. (nonfiction)
Plain Truth by Jodi Picoult – Eighteen year-old Katie, an unmarried Amish girl, is accused of having
given birth to an infant that she then smothered, yet despite medical evidence, she denies both the
birth and death of the child. Her lawyer, Ellie Hathaway, moves to the farm to better understand the
Amish way of life and quickly learns that truth, justice, and the “American way” have a very different
meaning within the closed community of the “plain.”
Sold by Patricia McCormick – Written in spare and evocative prose poems, this powerful novel
renders a world that is as unimaginable as it is real and a girl who not only survives but triumphs. This
is a novel written for young adults; however, the topic is difficult, for it focuses on young females being
sold into a life of prostitution.
The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume I: The Pox Party by
M.T. Anderson – Octavian is a young African boy living in Revolution-era Boston with his mother, an
exiled princess. Raised in isolation by a group of nameless radical philosophers known only by
numbers, Octavian begins to realize that he is being held captive as part of a horrific experiment and
comes to understand what it means to be a slave.
Where Men Win Glory by John Krakauer - After being told he was “too small” to play football, Pat
Tillman ends up playing for the NFL and later gives up a multi-million dollar contract to enlist in the
Army after 9-11. Who is this remarkable man and why was his death in Afghanistan the subject of a
conspiracy? (nonfiction: graphic violence, coarse language)
41
ENTERING GRADE 11
Honors English 11
Read the two (2) * required books plus one (1) other.
Assignment: 1 notation log for each of the books you read for a total of 3 notation logs.
Notation Log Directions: Take notes for each of the books you read. Your notes should incorporate
the identification of: significant quotations, important character changes, critical themes, brief
summary, and unknown vocabulary. The purpose of these logs is to help you identify important
information as you go and to help work through your confusion by asking (and perhaps later
answering) questions. Please be prepared for any variety of assessments that will be given during the
first month of school. Notes should be typed in Times New Roman 12 point font and double-spaced
with one-inch margins and will be submitted to turnitin.com the first week of school. Please be sure to
save your work in a digital location.
****Only the novel should be used to complete this assignment. No outside sources should be used,
under any circumstances. Work will be checked for plagiarism.
Books that are no longer under copyright protection are available in e-form at no cost. Go to
http://qutenberg.org/wiki/ main page to find list of available books.
Required Books:
*1984 by George Orwell – A chilling, prophetic vision of a totalitarian “future” which, in many respects,
has come to pass. 1984 is about an oppressed people who are persecuted for any independent
thinking or rebellion against Big Brother. In this society the government controls what people read and
by extension what they think. In 1984 war is peace, freedom is slavery, and ignorance is strength.
*Brave New World by Aldous Huxley – A fantasy of the future, which sheds a blazing, critical light on
the present. The government’s motto in Brave New World is COMMUNITY~IDENTITY~STABILITY.
What price is society willing to pay for such a social order? Brave New World is a dystopian novel
about a society that has abolished human individuality, feelings, creativity, thinking, and authentic
learning.
__________________________________________________________________
Directions for the Choice Books: (1) Read the book, (2) complete the reading log, (3) (4) Be
prepared to write an essay during the first week of school comparing your reading of the book
to your viewing of the film.
Choice Books:
King Lear by William Shakespeare – An old king seeks to set aside his crown and divide his realm
among his three daughters. But treachery and madness lie ahead for King Lear.
Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen – Two high-spirited sisters search for true love in a straitlaced society.
Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë. – A savage, tormented orphan falls in love with the daughter of
his benefactor.
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë – The searching portrayal of a passionate mid-nineteenth-century
woman.
42
College English 11
Read one (1)* of the required books.
Assignment: 1 notation log.
Notation Log Directions: Take notes for each of the books you read. Your notes should incorporate
the identification of: significant quotations, important character changes, critical themes, brief
summary, and unknown vocabulary. The purpose of these logs is to help you identify important
information as you go and to help work through your confusion by asking (and perhaps later
answering) questions. Please be prepared for any variety of assessments that will be given during the
first month of school. Notes should be typed in Times New Roman 12 point font and double-spaced
with one-inch margins and will be submitted to turnitin.com the first week of school. Please be sure to
save your work in a digital location.
****Only the novel should be used to complete this assignment. No outside sources should be used,
under any circumstances. Work will be checked for plagiarism.
Books that are no longer under copyright protection are available in e-form at no cost. Go to
http://qutenberg.org/wiki/ main page to find list of available books.
*Brave New World by Aldous Huxley – A fantasy of the future, which sheds a blazing, critical light on
the present. The motto of Brave New World is COMMUNITY~IDENTITY~STABILITY. What price is
society willing to pay for such a social order? Brave New World is a dystopian novel about a society
that has abolished human individuality, feelings, creativity, thinking, and authentic learning.
OR
*1984 by George Orwell – A chilling, prophetic vision of a totalitarian “future” which, in many respects,
has come to pass. 1984 is about an oppressed people who are persecuted for any independent
thinking or rebellion against Big Brother. In this society the government controls what people read and
by extension what they think. In 1984 war is peace, freedom is slavery, and ignorance is strength.
43
Academic English 11
Read any two (2) of the following books:
Books that are no longer under copyright protection are available in e-form at no cost. Go to
http://qutenberg.org/wiki/ main page to find list of available books.
Dairy Queen by Catherine Murdock – After spending her summer running the family farm and training
the quarterback for her school's rival football team, sixteen-year-old D.J. decides to go out for the
sport herself, not anticipating the reactions of those around her.
Firehouse by David Halberstam – "In the firehouse, the men not only live and eat with each other,
they play sports together, go off to drink together, help repair one another's house, and, most
important, share terrifying risks; their loyalties to each other must, by the demands of the dangers they
face, be instinctive and absolute." This is the story of the dozen men from FDNY Engine 40 Ladder 35
who were lost at the World Trade Center on 9/11/01, and the morning that united them forever. (nonfiction)
Paper Towns by John Green - Quentin Jacobson, 17, has been in love with his neighbor and popular
girl Margo Roth Spiegelman since they were kids. After a night of pranks, Margo disappears and clues
seem to have been left behind just for him. As Quentin searches for Margo, he begins to wonder if
there are two Margos: the real and the imagined one. (coarse language, mature content)
The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein – A unique book written from the perspective of Enzo,
the family dog, who reveals the dynamics that can bring a family together and pull them apart. His
introspective voice reveals his humor, compassion, and insight.
The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger – Cynical and humorous Holden Caulfield, kicked out of yet
another prep school, takes a journey through New York City and shares his observations about life,
love, phonies, and much more in this iconic novel of the coming-of-age experience.
The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky. – The author captures the voice of a boy
teetering on the brink of adulthood. He’s a wallflower—shy and introspective, and intelligent beyond
his years, if not very savvy in the social arts. (mature content)
The Rag and Bone Shop by Robert Cormier – Trent, an ace interrogator from Vermont, works to
procure a confession from an introverted twelve-year-old accused of murdering his seven-year-old
friend in Monument, Massachusetts.
The Things They Carried by Tim O’ Brien – The protagonist, who is named Tim O’Brien, begins by
describing an event that occurred in the middle of his Vietnam experience. The Things They Carried
catalogs the variety of things his fellow soldiers in the Alpha Company brought on their missions.
Wake by Lisa McMann – Going to sleep isn’t a big deal for most of us, but for Janie, falling asleep
means getting sucked into other people’s dreams. The supernatural ability she’s always considered a
nuisance quickly becomes a nightmare when she blunders into a dream and witnesses a murder.
44
ENTERING GRADE 12
Advanced Placement English 12
Read the two (2)* required books plus one (1) other. Taking notes on summary, analysis,
important quotations, and any questions is highly recommended. Prepare for any variety of
assessments.
Books that are no longer under copyright protection are available in e-form at no cost. Go to
http://qutenberg.org/wiki/ main page to find list of available books.
*Cry, The Beloved Country by Alan Paton – The most famous and important novel in South Africa's
history, an impassioned novel about a black man's country under white man's law. It is the deeply
moving story of the Zulu pastor Stephen Kumalo and his son Absalom set against the background of
a land and a people driven by racial injustice. The novel is a classic work of love and hope, courage
and endurance, born of the dignity of man.
*Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison – One of the lasting masterpieces of American literature. It chronicles
the existential journey of an unnamed black man attempting to discover his identity and role in a
hostile and confusing world that refuses to acknowledge his existence.
All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque – Experiences of bewildered German
soldiers fighting and suffering through the chaos of World War I.
Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy – Set in nineteenth-century Russia, the moving story of people whose
emotions conflict with the dominant social mores of their time.
Catch 22 by Joseph Heller – A savagely funny war novel: military madness and civilian insanity in
World War II.
Obasan by Joy Kogawa – Based on the author's own experiences, this award-winning novel was the
first to tell the story of the evacuation, relocation, and dispersal of Canadian citizens of Japanese
ancestry during World War II.
Return of the Native by Thomas Hardy – Thomas Hardy's sixth novel and probably his best known.
In fact, many critics assert that Eustacia Vye is one of the most memorable characters in English
literature. The story focuses on the lives and loves of residents in the fictional county of Wessex,
England, a setting based upon on the rural area where Hardy was raised.
A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini - An incredible chronicle of thirty years of Afghan
history and a deeply moving story of family, friendship, faith, and the salvation to be found in love.
Born a generation apart and with very different ideas about love and family, Mariam and Laila are two
women brought jarringly together by war, by loss and by fate. As they endure the ever-escalating
dangers around them--in their home as well as in the streets of Kabul--they come to form a bond that
makes them both sisters and mother-daughter to each other, and that will ultimately alter the course,
not just of their own lives, but of the next generation. With heart-wrenching power and suspense,
Hosseini shows how a woman's love for her family can move her to shocking and heroic acts of selfsacrifice, and that, in the end, it is love, or even the memory of love, that is often the key to survival.
45
College English 12
Read the (1)* required book plus one other.
Books that are no longer under copyright protection are available in e-form at no cost. Go to
http://qutenberg.org/wiki/ main page to find list of available books.
Summer Reading and Writing
Requirements:
(Reading) -Outliers: The Story of Success by Malcolm Gladwell (America) - An intellectual journey
through the world of "outliers"--the best and the brightest, the most famous and the most successful.
Gladwell asks the question: what makes high-achievers different? Outliers doesn’t analyze what
successful people are like, but focuses on the hidden connections based on where successful people
are from: that is, their culture, their family, their generation, and the idiosyncratic experiences of their
upbringing. Along the way, Gladwell explains the secrets of software billionaires, what it takes to be a
great soccer player, and what made the Beatles the greatest rock band.
(Writing): 1 draft of College Essay according to Common App. prompts (listed below):
1. Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe
their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your
story.
2. The lessons we take from failure can be fundamental to later success. Recount an incident or
time when you experienced failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the
experience?
3. Reflect on a time when you challenged a belief or idea. What prompted you to act? Would you
make the same decision again?
4. Describe a problem you've solved or a problem you'd like to solve. It can be an intellectual
challenge, a research query, an ethical dilemma-anything that is of personal importance, no
matter the scale. Explain its significance to you and what steps you took or could be taken to
identify a solution.
5. Discuss an accomplishment or event, formal or informal, that marked your transition from
childhood to adulthood within your culture, community, or family
Choice Books (read 1):
Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (Nigeria) - Fifteen-year-old Kambili’s world is
circumscribed by the high walls and frangipani trees of her family compound. Her wealthy Catholic
father, under whose shadow Kambili lives, while generous and politically active in the community, is
repressive and fanatically religious at home. When Nigeria begins to fall apart under a military coup,
Kambili’s father sends her and her brother away to stay with their aunt, a University professor, where
they discover a life and love beyond the confines of their father’s authority. The visit will lift the silence
from their world and, in time, give rise to devotion and defiance that reveal themselves in profound
and unexpected ways.
46
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer (America) - Nine-year-old Oskar
Schell has embarked on an urgent, secret mission that will take him through the five boroughs of New
York. His goal is to find the lock that matches a mysterious key that belonged to his father, who died
in the World Trade Center on the morning of September 11. This seemingly impossible task will bring
Oskar into contact with survivors of all sorts on an exhilarating, affecting, often hilarious, and
ultimately healing journey.
Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe (Africa) - Two intertwining stories, both centering on Okonkwo,
a “strong man” of an Ibo village in Nigeria. The first, a powerful fable of the immemorial conflict
between the individual and society, traces Okonkwo’s fall from grace with the tribal world. The
second, as modern as the first is ancient, concerns the clash of cultures and the destruction of
Okonkwo's world with the arrival of aggressive European missionaries. These perfectly harmonized
twin dramas are informed by an awareness capable of encompassing at once the life of nature,
human history, and the mysterious compulsions of the soul.
And the Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseini (Middle East) - This novel about how we love, how
we take care of one another, and how the choices we make resonate through generations revolves
around not just parents and children but brothers and sisters, cousins and caretakers.
Hosseini explores the many ways in which families nurture, wound, betray, honor, and sacrifice for
one another; and how often we are surprised by the actions of those closest to us, at the times that
matter most. Following its characters and the ramifications of their lives and choices and loves around
the globe—from Kabul to Paris to San Francisco to the Greek island of Tinos—the story expands
gradually outward, becoming more emotionally complex and powerful with each turning page.
One Hundred Years of Solitude- by Gabriel Garcia Marquez (South America) - This novel tells the
story of the rise and fall of the mythical town of Macondo through the history of the Buendía family. It
is a rich and brilliant chronicle of life and death, and the tragicomedy of humankind. In the noble,
ridiculous, beautiful, and tawdry story of the Buendía family, one sees all of humanity, just as in the
history, myths, growth, and decay of Macondo, one sees all of Latin America. Love and lust, war and
revolution, riches and poverty, youth and senility -- the variety of life, the endlessness of death, the
search for peace and truth -- these universal themes dominate the novel.
Hiroshima by John Hersey (Japan) - When the atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima, few could
have anticipated its potential for devastation. Pulitzer prize-winning author John Hersey recorded the
stories of Hiroshima residents shortly after the explosion and, in 1946, Hiroshima was published,
giving the world first-hand accounts from people who had survived it and a face to the statistics that
saturated the media and solicited an overwhelming public response.
47
Academic English 12:
*Read the required book plus (1) one other.
Books that are no longer under copyright protection are available in e-form at no cost. Go to
http://qutenberg.org/wiki/ main page to find list of available books.
*Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck – George has agreed to help take care of Lennie. Lennie has
difficulty learning, and he doesn’t know his own strength. What seems like a fun task at first for
George transforms into an enormous responsibility.
Acceleration by Graham McNamee – Duncan is miserable working in the lost and found department
in the subway station until suddenly he discovers a diary. While at first he is intrigued by the journal,
which seems like a scrapbook of tragic events, Duncan quickly realizes he could be holding evidence
that could lead him to a crime scene or even worse.
Breathing Underwater by Alex Flinn – Alex has been informed that anger management classes are
mandatory, but he thinks this is ridiculous. Was he really out of control? Alex reveals his side of the
story through his journals and flashbacks of time spent with his girlfriend, Caitlin. The male
perspective of a challenging high school relationship is revealed.
Lucky by Alice Sebold – Sebold is also the author of the best seller, Lovely Bones. Lucky is a
memoir of a college freshman who endures a traumatic, life-altering event. Her struggle for
understanding, hope, and resolution is a passionate account.
Manic by Terri Cheney – A New York Times bestseller reveals the horrifying memoir of Terri’s
turbulent life with bipolar disorder. Terri unleashes heart wrenching details, chilling accounts, and
hope for others who suffer the stigma of mental illness and the battle to conquer it on a daily basis.
True insight into the enigma of bipolar and the struggle of both the person living with illness and all
those who encounter it.
Maus by Art Spielgman – A holocaust survivor’s tale that will capture your attention quickly. A graphic
novel which documents the horrific and terrifying experience but also the resilience and courage of
many. The cartoon format, which incorporates cats to represent the Nazis and mice to represent the
Jews, does not minimize the experience, but rather conveys the remarkable history in a revolutionary
and dynamic portrayal.
Promise Not to Tell by Jennifer McMahon – There is always the one child who is mercilessly
ridiculed by other kids. A secret friendship emerges between Del and Kate. Kate cannot be Del’s
friend at school because she fears having her connection to this outcast discovered. What forces
Kate to return to her hometown as an adult, and why is she plagued with guilt and fear? This novel is
deeply disturbing as it uncovers murder, deception, hidden loyalty, abuse, and the unnerving
realization that even those close to us can lie to protect, to deceive, to hide shame, and to escape.
The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary Pearson – What would you be willing to do to save someone
you love? As Jenna awakens from an accident she starts to view videos from her past to create a
sense of who she is, but what is different? What secrets could she uncover? Does the past make us
who we are or do we define ourselves by the present? What she discovers unravels more questions
and greater uncertainty about the future for all of us.
The Killer’s Cousin by Nancy Werlin – Recently acquitted of murder, seventeen year old David, has
moved to a new school to hopefully have a new beginning. Can he start fresh when thoughts of the
trial linger, and he feels tormented by living in his house where his cousin committed suicide? Why is
his new house filled with silence and what secrets are buried deep within the family?
48
The Rules of Survival by Nancy Werlin – Matthew had decided to write it all down for his little sister
Emmy. He needed to make sense of his fear, the chaos, the doubt, and the unpredictable life with his
mother. He wanted his sister to know how much he tried to protect his sister even if it appeared
otherwise. He desperately reaches for answers, closure, and contentment.
Waiting for Normal by Leslie Connor – What is truly a family? Is a genetic link essential to make you
family or can love and compassion suffice? Addie struggles to make sense of her family, which is “like
a road that keeps taking twists and turns.” Addie remains optimistic despite the diverse paths her
family takes.
49