Rising 9th Grade Summer Reading Page | 1

The Lakeway Christian Academy English Department is excited to share information about the Summer Reading Program, an effort to encourage ongoing learning and student growth beyond the confines of the school year. By participating in the Summer Reading Program, students actively combat the educational regression that naturally occurs over the summer months. Reading over the summer months is an important opportunity for students to stay engaged and to develop a lifelong commitment to reading and learning. The Lakeway English Department recommends all students to read one book over the summer. The titles were selected with the purposes of student engagement and preparation for the coming year. Families will find the specific information for 9th grade attached to this letter. The books cover a variety of genres, topics, difficulty, and length. For this reason, we recommend that you review the GoodReads info provided and research the book prior to locating a copy to read. These books are available for purchase in stores such as Books-A-Million and McKay’s. Students may also purchase the book through an online warehouse or marketplace such as Amazon (and may even purchase the book as an electronic download if available). The public library has many of these titles available as well. We recommend you set aside time to read your book: 20 minutes each day at the same time each day. Find a quiet and convenient location that is free from distractions so that you can fully enjoy the story in front of you. If you do this, you will finish before the start of the next school year. Students must complete their summer reading by the first week of school. After this time, teachers will incorporate activities into their lessons that address the required summer reading. Thank you for continuing to invest in reading and education. Remember, the most important part of Summer Reading is that you enjoy it! The attached books contain fantastic stories and interesting characters. Have a great summer and happy reading!

Step-by-Step to Summer Reading 1. Choose a book from the list attached. It must be a book that you have not yet read.

2. Read the book over the summer. Complete the reading by the first week of school.

3. Be prepared to complete an assignment over the book in the first two weeks of the upcoming school year.

Rising 9th Grade Summer Reading Page | 2

Pride and Prejudice By Jane Austen

Genre: Romance Difficulty: Moderate ISBN: 9780141439518 Since its immediate success in 1813, Pride and Prejudice has remained one of the most popular novels in the English language. Jane Austen called this brilliant work "her own darling child" and its vivacious heroine, Elizabeth Bennet, "as delightful a creature as ever appeared in print." The romantic clash between the opinionated Elizabeth and her proud beau, Mr. Darcy, is a splendid performance of civilized sparring. And Jane Austen's radiant wit sparkles as her characters dance a delicate quadrille of flirtation and intrigue, making this book the most superb comedy of manners of Regency England.

The A.B.C. Murders By Agatha Christie

Genre: Mystery Difficulty: Easy ISBN: 9781579126247 When Alice Asher is murdered in Andover, Hercule Poirot is already on to the clues. Alphabetically speaking, it's one down, twenty-five to go.

There's a serial killer on the loose. His macabre calling card is to leave the ABC Railway guide beside each victim's body. But if A is for Alice Asher, bludgeoned to death in Andover; and B is for Betty Bernard, strangled with her belt on the beach at Bexhill; then who will Victim C be?

Pudd’nhead Wilson By Mark Twain

Genre: Mystery Difficulty: Moderate ISBN: 9780553211580 At the beginning of Pudd'nhead Wilson a young slave woman, fearing for her infant's son's life, exchanges her light-skinned child with her master's. From this rather simple premise Mark Twain fashioned one of his most entertaining, funny, yet biting novels. On its surface, Pudd'nhead Wilson possesses all the elements of an engrossing nineteenth-century mystery: reversed identities, a horrible crime, an eccentric detective, a suspenseful courtroom drama, and a surprising, unusual solution. Yet it is not a mystery novel. Seething with the undercurrents of antebellum southern culture, the book is a savage indictment in which the real criminal is society, and racial prejudice and slavery are the crimes. Written in 1894, Pudd'nhead Wilson glistens with characteristic Twain humor, with suspense, and with pointed irony: a gem among the author's later works. Rising 9th Grade Summer Reading Page | 3

The Innocence of By G. K. Chesterton

Genre: Mystery Difficulty: Moderate ISBN: 9780809592531 Chesterton portrays Father Brown as a short, stumpy Roman Catholic priest, with shapeless clothes and a large umbrella, and an uncanny insight into human evil. "How in Tartarus," cried Flambeau, "did you ever hear of the spiked bracelet?" -- "Oh, one's little flock, you know!" said Father Brown, arching his eyebrows rather blankly. "When I was a curate in Hartlepool, there were three of them with spiked bracelets." Not long after he published , G. K. Chesterton moved from London to Beaconsfield, and met Father O'Connor. O'Connor had a shrewd insight to the darker side of man's nature and a mild appearance to go with it--and together those came together to become Chesterton's unassuming Father Brown. Chesterton loved the character, and the magazines he wrote for loved the stories. The Innocence of Father Brown was the first collection of them, and it's a great lot of fun. Students may also read The Wisdom of Father Brown.

The Last of the Mohicans By James Fennimore Cooper

Genre: Adventure Difficulty: Moderate ISBN: 9780553213294 The wild rush of action in this classic frontier adventure story has made The Last of the Mohicans the most popular of James Fenimore Cooper’s Leatherstocking Tales. Deep in the forests of upper New York State, the brave woodsman Hawkeye and his loyal Mohican friends Chingachgook and Uncas become embroiled in the bloody battles of the French and Indian War. The abduction of the beautiful Munro sisters by hostile savages, the treachery of the renegade brave Magua, the ambush of innocent settlers, and the thrilling events that lead to the final tragic confrontation between rival war parties create an unforgettable, spine-tingling picture of life on the frontier. And as the idyllic wilderness gives way to the forces of civilization, the novel presents a moving portrayal of a vanishing race and the end of its way of life in the great American forests.

Oliver Twist By Charles Dickens

Genre: Adventure Difficulty: Moderate ISBN: 9780451529718 This tale of the orphan who is reared in a workhouse and runs away to London is a novel of social protest, a morality tale, and a detective story. Oliver Twist presents some of the most sinister characters in Dickens--the master thief Fagin; the leering Artful Dodger; the murderer Bill Sikes--along with some of his most sentimental and comical characters. Only Dickens can give us nightmare and daydream together. Rising 9th Grade Summer Reading Page | 4

Indian Captive By Lois Lenski

Genre: Historical Fiction Difficulty: Easy ISBN: 9780064461627 In this classic frontier adventure, Lois Lenski reconstructs the real life story of Mary Jemison, who was captured in a raid as young girl and raised amongst the Seneca Indians. Meticulously researched and illustrated with many detailed drawings, this novel offers an exceptionally vivid and personal portrait of Native American life and customs.

Whose Body? By Dorothy Sayers

Genre: Mystery Difficulty: Easy ISBN: 9780486473628 The stark naked body was lying in the tub. Not unusual for a proper bath, but highly irregular for murder -- especially with a pair of gold pince-nez deliberately perched before the sightless eyes. What's more, the face appeared to have been shaved after death. The police assumed that the victim was a prominent financier, but Lord Peter Wimsey, who dabbled in mystery detection as a hobby, knew better. In this, his first murder case, Lord Peter untangles the ghastly mystery of the corpse in the bath.

Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea By Jules Verne ISBN: 9781853260315 Genre: Science Fiction Difficulty: Advanced An American frigate, tracking down a ship-sinking monster, faces not a living creature but an incredible invention -- a fantastic submarine commanded by the mysterious Captain Nemo. Suddenly a devastating explosion leaves just three survivors who find themselves prisoners in Nemo's death ship on an underwater odyssey around the world, as Captain Nemo -- one of the most horrible villains ever created -- takes his revenge out on society. This novel, written in 1870, foretells with uncanny accuracy the inventions and advanced technology of the 20th century, and has become a literary stepping-stone for generations of science-fiction writers. Rising 9th Grade Summer Reading Page | 5

Out of the Silent Planet By C.S. Lewis

Genre: Science Fiction Difficulty: Moderate ISBN: 9780020868804 The first book in C. S. Lewis's acclaimed Space Trilogy, which continues with Perelandra and That Hideous Strength, Out of the Silent Planet begins the adventures of the remarkable Dr. Ransom. Here, that estimable man is abducted by a megalomaniacal physicist and his accomplice and taken via spaceship to the red planet of Malacandra. First published in 1943, Out of the Silent Planet remains a mysterious and suspenseful tour de force.

Perelandra By C.S. Lewis

Genre: Science Fiction Difficulty: Moderate ISBN: 9780020869504 The second book in C. S. Lewis's acclaimed Space Trilogy, which also includes Out of the Silent Planet and That Hideous Strength, Perelandra continues the adventures of the extraordinary Dr. Ransom. Pitted against the most destructive of human weaknesses, temptation, the great man must battle evil on a new planet Perelandra when it is invaded by a dark force. Will Perelandra succumb to this malevolent being, who strives to create a new world order and who must destroy an old and beautiful civilization to do so? Or will it throw off the yoke of corruption and achieve a spiritual perfection as yet unknown to man? The outcome of Dr. Ransom's mighty struggle alone will determine the fate of this peace-loving planet.

That Hideous Strength By C.S. Lewis

Genre: Science Fiction Difficulty: Moderate ISBN: 9780007157174 The third novel in the science-fiction trilogy by C.S. Lewis. This final story is set on Earth, and tells of a terrifying conspiracy against humanity. The story surrounds Mark and Jane Studdock, a newly married couple. Mark is a Sociologist who is enticed to join an organisation called N.I.C.E. which aims to control all human life. His wife, meanwhile, has bizarre prophetic dreams about a decapitated scientist, Alcasan. As Mark is drawn inextricably into the sinister organisation, he discovers the truth of his wife’s dreams when he meets the literal head of Alcasan which is being kept alive by infusions of blood. Jane seeks help concerning her dreams at a community called St Anne’s, where she meets their leader – Dr Ransom. Rising 9th Grade Summer Reading Page | 6

The Kid from Tomkinsville By John R. Tunis

Genre: Sports Difficulty: Easy ISBN: 9780152056414 Roy Tucker, the rookie pitcher from Connecticut, is the whiz kid for the Brooklyn Dodgers this year. Not only does he have incredible stuff on the mound, but he can hit, too. Things are looking good for the Dodgers. But the season is just getting hot when the team falls apart. Dave Leonard, the veteran catcher, is released, and Razzle, the star pitcher, gets suspended after a temper tantrum. To top it off, Roy takes a hard fall on his pitching arm. The Dodgers have some big decisions to make; they must save the team from complete ruin. But can the Dodgers make a comeback without their star rookie?

Ben Hur: A Tale of the Christ By Lewis Wallace

Genre: Historical Fiction Difficulty: Advanced ISBN: 9781934648209 Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ (1880) by Lew Wallace is one of the most popular and beloved 19th century American novels. This faithful New Testament tale combines the events of the life of Jesus with grand historical spectacle in the exciting story of Judah of the House of Hur, a man who finds extraordinary redemption for himself and his family. A classic of faith, fortitude, and inspiration.

Banner in the Sky By James Ramsey Ullman

Genre: Adventure Difficulty: Easy ISBN: 9781934648209 The Citadel. It stands unconquered, the last great summit of the Alps. Only one man has ever dared to approach the top, and that man died in his pursuit. He was Josef Matt, Rudi Matt's father. At sixteen, Rudi is determined to pay tribute to the man he never knew, and complete the quest that claimed his father's life. And so, taking his father's red shirt as a flag, he heads off to face the earth's most challenging peak. But before Rudi can reach the top, he must pass through the forbidden Fortress, the gaping chasm in the high reaches of the Citadel where his father met his end. Rudi has followed Josef's footsteps as far as they will take him. Now he must search deep within himself to find the strength for the final ascent to the summit -- to plant his banner in the sky. His father died while trying to climb Switzerland's greatest mountain -- the Citadel -- and young Rudi knows he must make the assault himself.