Pecos High School Mrs. Britton/Mrs. Mccomb

Pecos High School Mrs. Britton/Mrs. McComb Summer Reading List 2015-2016

Grades 9-12 SUMMER READ-IN SUMMER WRITE-ON

The Pecos High School English department requires students to continue the development of their literacy skills over the summer. Students receive extra credit in English for each book read, if the reading responses are submitted in August. It is crucial students complete the reading and work required.

All students: Read three (3) books total, the one required and two from the list. Required book for all high students:

Looking for Alaska By John Green

“Miles "Pudge" Halter's whole existence has been one big nonevent, and his obsession with famous last words has only made him crave the "Great Perhaps" (François Rabelais, poet) even more. He heads off to the sometimes crazy, possibly unstable, and anything-but-boring world of Culver Creek Boarding School, and his life becomes the opposite of safe. Because down the hall is Alaska Young. The gorgeous, clever, funny, sexy, self-destructive, screwed- up, and utterly fascinating Alaska Young, who is an event unto herself. She pulls Pudge into her world, launches him into the Great Perhaps, and steals his heart.” GoodReads Review

Parents/Guardians are encouraged to be involved with their student’s summer reading. The titles suggested are regarded as some of the best adolescent and young adult books available. Some may contain issues and themes that should be previewed and approved by parents/guardians. If you feel a title is objectionable, simply have your student select a different title.

Assessments: Reflective Journal (Extra Credit): Choose your books and keep a reflective journal on each while you read. Every fifty (50) pages, write a one-page entry in your journal. (Standard sized paper or 300 words typed.) The journal should NOT be a summary, but a response to the literature. It should include entries about your thoughts and feelings about the book while reading: questions, observations, comments, predictions about character and plot, connections to your life. Please use one journal for all of your entries and bring it to school the first day. English class Writing Assessment (Classwork grade): During the first week of school, you will complete an in- class writing assessment on one of the books you have read. This will be your first grade for the 1st 9-week grading period.

Finding the Novels: You can check many of the titles out from the Santa Fe Public Library, or you can purchase new or used books. We recommend Book Mountain (on Cerrillos, across the street from Dion’s Pizza); you can take paperbacks and trade them for new-to-you books. You can also purchase any of the titles for a small price and download them onto your iPads, Kindles, or other ereaders.

Suggested Titles

You can log onto Amazon.com to read brief descriptions of each book title. You may select books not on this list. Please make sure that the books you read are at your grade level or higher.

Westerns/Horses/Outdoors/Mystery

The Cold Dish-Craig Johnson or any of the Walt Longmire Series Recommended by Britton and McComb!

Dry Bones- Craig Johnson or any of the Walt Longmire Series

The Hearts of Horses – Molly Gloss

Falling Off Horses – Molly Gloss Mrs. Britton’s favorites! East of the Border – Johnny D. Boggs Any book by Boggs will be accepted. Santa Fe author!

The Sacketts – Louis L’amour Any L’amour book will be accepted.

Dance Hall of the Dead – Tony Hillerman Any Hillerman book will be accepted.

Romance/Historical Fiction

Pride and Prejudice – Jane Austen Any Austen book will be accepted.

Dragonfly in Amber – Diana Gabaldon Any book from the Outlander series will be accepted.

The White Queen – Phillippa Gregory

Informational Text

The Running Dream – Wendelin VanDraanen

My Losing Season: A Memoir – Pat Conroy Basketball memoir

Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee – Dee Brown

Born to Run:

A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen – Christopher McDougall

The Teen’s Guide to World Domination: Advice on Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Awesomeness – Josh Shipp

Band of Brothers - Stephen Ambrose World War II

Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair That Changed America – Erik Larsen

The Devil’s Highway: A True Story – Luis Alberto Urrea

Blood and Thunder – Hamilton Sides

Mystery/Fantasy/Suspense

Mortal Instruments – Cassandra Clare (Any book in this series.)

13 Reasons Why – Jay Asher

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time – Mark Haddon

Any Stephen King novel

We will accept any book you chose to read, as long as it is at your reading level and you do the required responses.

If you have any questions over the summer, you may contact: Mrs. MaryBeth Britton [email protected] Mrs. Valerie McComb [email protected]