May 2017

Dear Students and Parents,

At Belmont Hill we value highly the reading our students do outside of class. Each form has required commonly read selections that are listed below. In addition to the required books for each form, boys need to choose a faculty- sponsored book. A list was provided to all boys via email, and they should have signed up for a title before leaving school. They should read this title carefully and write a one-page reader's response. This can be analysis of the important themes, of the characters, and of the plot and/or your personal reaction to the book. We also have one book, Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood by Trevor Noah, which will be read by all boys in Forms III-VI.

Forms III-VI: Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood, Trevor Noah

I: Curveball: The Year I Lost My Grip, Jordan Sonnenblink; Wonder, R.J. Palacio II: New Boy, Julian Houston III: The Real All Americans, Sally Jenkins IV: The Kite Runner, Khaled Hosseini V: Hillbilly Elegy, J.D. Vance VI: Black Flags: The Rise of ISIS, Joby Warrick

Just to complicate matters, some of our AP courses require summer reading. Required titles follow:

AP European History (History 4): Fall of Giants, Ken Follet AP Environmental Science: The Sixth Extinction, Elizabeth Kolbert AP French Language: Le Petit Prince, Antoine de Saint Exupéry AP Spanish Language: Devolver al remitente by Julia Álvarez

We hope these selections will help foster a love of reading in all of our students. Families are required to purchase these titles independently.

Sincerely,

Michael Grant Dean of Studies [email protected] Faculty Sponsored Summer Reading Books 2017

Dr. Tift Bel Canto by Ann Patchett (Form V, Form VI only) “Maybe there would be a bad outcome for some of the others, but no one was going to shoot a soprano.” Inspired by a true story that took place in the Japanese embassy in Peru, Bel Canto brings to life an extraordinary hostage-holding crime event, in which a rebel group invades an upscale South American gala and detains almost 200 guests for a lengthy amount of time. Patchett goes far beyond recreating the details of a crime to imagine the thoughts and feelings of both the hostages and those who imprison them, taking on those illicit roles for a multitude of reasons and motivations. The mansion becomes its own society with relationships built on deep love as well as deep hatred, language barriers and bridges, and unexpected cross-cultural discoveries on all sides. Music is a powerful theme of the novel as well: One of the most prominent guests is an opera star Roxanne Coss—who sings “as if she was saving the life of every person in the room”—and another character turns out to be musically ingenious, as well.

Mr. McAlpin Cannery Row by John Steinbeck (1945) Cannery Row is a funny and affectionate tale with some of the most vividly realized characters I have ever encountered. It is set in Monterey, California during the economic unraveling of the Depression on the cusp of the end of a way of life as the fish canning industries are closing. This tumbled down and ramshackle community supports a colorful cast of unemployed vagabonds who have rejected the constraints of work and career to live simply and irreverently and free of the burdens of responsibility. There are “laugh out loud” passages in this book when Mack and the boys go on a misguided frog hunt for Doc, a marine biologist who collects specimens for a supply house and serves as the glue for this unlikely community of misfits. The book is short (181 pages), the writing is magical, the characters are unforgettable, and the stories reveal a cross section of humanities strengths and foibles. Here is the opening paragraph of the book! “Cannery Row in Monterey in California is a poem, a stink, a grating noise, a quality of light, a tone, a habit, a nostalgia, a dream. Cannery Row is the gathered and scattered, tin and iron and rust and splintered wood, chipped pavement and weedy lots and junk heaps, sardine canneries of corrugated iron, honky tonks, restaurants and whore houses, and little crowded groceries, and laboratories and flophouses. Its inhabitant are, as the man once said, "whores, pimps, gamblers and sons of bitches," by which he meant Everybody. Had the man looked through another peephole he might have said, "Saints and angels and martyrs and holymen" and he would have meant the same thing.” Mr. Hegarty Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis by J.D. Vance (2016) (Rising Juniors may not choose this book as it is already required for your form) A book that was on many "Best of 2016" lists for non-fiction, Hillbilly Elegy has been called by many reviewers, "essential reading," "a riveting book," and the "most important book about America" in 2016. Mr. Vance writes about growing up in the Appalachian regions of Kentucky and Ohio. He reflects on the disappearance of the American Dream for many of the white working class in the Midwest, due in some cases to outside forces such as globalization, but also, because of poor choices by many members of his extended family. If you are interested in finding out one of the reasons why Hillary Clinton lost many of the counties in the Midwest (previously won by President Obama), to Donald Trump, Hillbilly Elegy will help you understand why now President Trump appealed to many of the voters in the Midwest in the 2016 election. In the words of The Economist, “J.D. Vance’s memoir, Hillbilly Elegy offers a starkly honest look at what that shattering of faith feels like for a family who lived through it. You will not read a more important book about America this year.” Doc Fast Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison, (1952) For rising Fifth and Sixth Formers. I have always been an advocate of this narrative, saying over and over that, in my view, it should be a must read for every boy in the school before he graduates. It is a long narrative (581 pages) but well worth the investment. I would especially recommend this novel, as a point of reference, to anyone electing Literature of Social Reflection or Pathways to Social Justice. Invisible Man is often deemed the greatest American novel in the second half of the twentieth century. R. W. B. Lewis describes it as follows: “When this novel was first published in 1952, it wrenched thousands of readers into a sudden recognition of what it was like to be black in a country where black people were invisible. Today Invisible Man remains just as powerful––not because its truths are wholly new, but because it delivers them with a visceral immediacy that is at once painful, frightening and exhilarating. “Invisible Man is the story of several passages in a young man’s life––from the deep South to the streets of Harlem, from living on his knees to standing defiantly on his feet, from a tearful denial to a passionate embrace of his American [identity]. It is a Dantesque journey through the subterranean strata of black society in the era between the wars, related in a voice that prays and incites, sings the blues and plays the dozens.” Mr. Martin Power Down by Ben Coes This is the first in a series about Dewey Andreas A major North American hydroelectric dam is blown up and the largest off-shore oil field in this hemisphere is destroyed in a brutal, coordinated terrorist attack. But there was one factor that the terrorists didn't take into account when they struck the Capitana platform off the coast of Colombia--slaughtering much of the crew and blowing up the platform--and that was the Capitana crew chief Dewey Andreas. Dewey, former Army Ranger and Delta, survives the attack, rescuing as many of his men as possible. But the battle has just begun.

Mr. Butler When the Game Stands Tall In 2003, high-school football coach Bob Ladouceur and his De La Salle Spartans completed an incredible 151 consecutive victories and 12-straight state championships. While the team's seniors receive offers from colleges all over the country, the advancing juniors look forward to making their mark. However, beloved "Coach Lad" has a brush with calamity, while the Spartans face their most-challenging, most-unpredictable season yet.

Mr. Mooney The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, trans. Richard Howard (1943; 2000) "Grown-ups never understand anything by themselves, and it is exhausting for children to have to provide explanations over and over again." Among the most widely translated and well-known books of literature enjoyed by adults and children alike, The Little Prince was published less than a year before its author, man of letters and pioneering aviator Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, disappeared midflight over the Mediterranean. Its protagonist--also a pilot--makes a crash landing in the Sahara Desert, where he encounters "an extraordinary little fellow" who recounts the story of his life while teaching lessons at once unfamiliar and universal. Containing encounters with anthropomorphic, interplanetary, and human figures alike, The Little Prince revels in reimagining the impossible and mystifying the mundane. As the Prince observes of Earth, "What a peculiar planet! It's all dry and sharp and hard. And people here have no imagination. They repeat whatever you say to them. Where I live I had a flower: She always spoke first..."

Mr. Musler Dispatches - vignettes about certain battles during the Vietnam War by Michael Herr Written on the front lines in Vietnam, Dispatches became an immediate classic of war reportage when it was published in 1977. From its terrifying opening pages to its final eloquent words, Dispatches makes us see, in unforgettable and unflinching detail, the chaos and fervor of the war and the surreal insanity of life in that singular combat zone. Michael Herr’s unsparing, unorthodox retellings of the day-to- day events in Vietnam take on the force of poetry, rendering clarity from one of the most incomprehensible and nightmarish events of our time.

Ms. Zener Agent Zigzag: A True Story of Nazi Espionage, Love, & Betrayal by Ben Macintyre If you like spy or crime thrillers, conspiracy theory, or wartime code-breaking and subterfuge, this is the book for you. It tells the real-life story of Eddie Chapman, a British safecracker who offers to work as a spy for the Nazis in order to avoid prison time in Britain. But then, he turns the tables and offers himself as a spy to the Brits. Or does he...? Part of this book's fun is that it's hard to figure where Eddie's real loyalties lie. Alongside Eddie's adventures, the story involves the origins of Britain's MI5 and some of the brilliant codebreaking and subterfuge used by MI5 during the Battle of Britain. Though it's extensively researched and based on recently released wartime files, the book reads like a great adventure story. I loved it and hope you will too.

Mr. Schneider The Disappearing Spoon: And Other True Tales of Madness, Love and the History of the World from the Periodic Table of the Elements by Sam Kean “Why did Gandhi hate iodine (I, 53)? How did radium (Ra, 88) nearly ruin Marie Curie's reputation? And why is gallium (Ga, 31) the go-to element for laboratory pranksters?” The Periodic Table is a crowning scientific achievement, but it's also a treasure trove of adventure, betrayal, and obsession. These fascinating tales follow every element on the table as the play out their parts in human history, and in the lives of the (frequently) mad scientists who discovered them. The Disappearing Spoon masterfully fuses science with the classic lore of invention, investigation, and discovery. The New York Times best selling author Sam Keen explores the connection of science to the real world with funny and sometimes chilling tales associated with many elements that we (as non chemists) think we are familiar with.

Ms. Robison Cat on a Hot Tin Roof by Tennessee Williams This dramatic play from the Modern Period is a fascinating story of family, marriage, gender roles, and the fight for the self. The story centers around a dying patriarch and three marriages - - Maggie and Brick, Big Daddy and Big Mama, and Mae and Gooper – all of which are fraught with conflict, tension, and unequal footing as the husbands ignore their wives’ needs while their wives fight to be heard. Maggie, the metaphorical cat on the hot tin roof, is one of Williams’ most endearing female characters. This wonderful work of literature won the Pulitzer Prize in 1955 and is suitable for students in Forms V and VI.

Dr. T. Davis Homer’s Iliad translated by Richard Lattimore Western literature begins with Homer’s Iliad. It was the foundational text for Greek literature and, in many ways, for Greek culture. As a result, it had an enormous influence upon the Romans, and through them upon subsequent Western literature. To read the Iliad is to explore the origins of our shared cultural heritage. Awesomely, that exploration will be fun! The Iliad survives today not because it was influential 3,000 years ago, but because it continues to resonate will readers today. On the surface, it’s a war story – politics, battles, raids, duels, blood, guts, and more. Beneath, it is a story about love, hate, honor, revenge, loyalty, betrayal, life, and death. It asks big questions – What does it mean to be a hero? What does it mean to be a man? What does it mean to be human? Is it preferable to have a good life or a good death? What constitutes each? Nearly 500 years after it was written, Alexander the Great was so moved by the Iliad that he brought it with him wherever he went, sleeping with it under his pillow. Maybe you will too.

Mr. Zamore The Accidental Billionaires and the script for The Social Network This summer reading project focuses on the story of the founding of Facebook in Ben Mezrich's The Accidental Billionaires and Aaron Sorkin's script for The Social Network. We will read Mezrich's nonfiction work, parts of the Sorkin script, which is available on line, and see the movie directed by David Fincher which won the 2010 Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay. We will focus on the qualities of story that drew Sorkin to write the script: "the story is as old as storytelling, the themes of friendship, loyalty, jealousy, class and power." We will also consider the ways in which the book, the film - and the social network of Facebook itself - all ask serious questions about the stories we create and the difficulty of ascertaining truth in any account of overlapping human experience.

Mr. George Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (1979) by Douglas Adams This book is the first of what ultimately became a 5-part “trilogy” chronicling the somewhat reluctant intergalactic travels of Arthur Dent, whose journey begins after his friend, Ford Prefect -- who is not the unemployed actor Arthur thought he was but instead a writer from a planet near Betelgeuse employed by a galactic encyclopedia/travel guide from which this book takes its name – rescues him moments before Earth is destroyed to make way for a galactic bypass. Hitchhiker’s Guide is a satire of science fiction novels that also plays with ideas of art, politics, culture (particularly British), time, probability, and questions of “life, the universe, and everything.”

Mr. Doar A Sense of Where You Are by John McPhee Before Lonzo Ball at UCLA, Kevin Durant at Texas and Steph Curry at Davidson, there was Bill Bradley at Princeton. A Sense of Where You Are follows Bradley in his senior year and his team's march through Ivy League play and the 1965 NCAA tournament. Bradley was considered one of the greatest college basketball players of all time and would go on to be a Rhodes Scholar and US Senator. He epitomizes what it means to be a student-athlete. This book is not only for sports fans, but also for anyone who is interested in the unconventional star and what it takes to excel.

Mr. Armstrong and Ms. Montanaro The Book Thief by Markus Zusak This story opens in Nazi Germany, 1939, The Book Thief centers on a young girl (Liesel) and her struggles during these dark times. One way she deals with extreme difficulty is through reading. She locates books to read wherever she can – hence the title. I like this book because of its historical context, because it illustrates human cost and struggle amidst Germany’s quest for power, and because it is so creatively and well written. The story and characters within appeal to all ages and so it is a book for young and old alike.

Dr. Melvoin and Mr. Curran A River Runs Through It by Norman Maclean This American literary classic, tells a story of family and fishing. Growing up in Missoula, Montana, with a Presbyterian minister for a father, Maclean captures his journey through boyhood and his return to Missoula after finishing his undergraduate degree at Dartmouth as a man. Fly fishing, an art of meter, precision, and patience, serves as a great love for Maclean and his brother yet also as a means of negotiating life, love, and loss. A River Runs Through It also captures two very different brothers, one a model of success rooted in hard work and perseverance, one naturally gifted, rebellious, and charismatic. Maclean’s novella, with its detailed descriptions of fishing, nature, and the world of early 20th century Montana, offers a glimpse into a quickly changing, vibrant America, one that evokes Thoreau and Hemingway, yet one that is distant from the world in which we live today.

Mr. Trautz All Souls by Michael Patrick MacDonald All Souls is a powerful memoir by Michael Patrick MacDonald who grew up in South Boston, Boston's Irish Catholic enclave, during the 1970’s. “South Boston was a proudly insular neighborhood with the highest concentration of white poverty in America at that time.” The book examines the multitude of ways in which the media and law enforcement agencies exploit marginalized working-class communities. “MacDonald having grown up in the Old Colony housing project, describes his neighbors' indigence and pride of place, as well as their blatant racism (in 1975 the anti-busing riots in Southie made national headlines) and their deep denial of the organized crime and entrenched drug culture that was destroying the youth and social fabric.” This is a well-written and gripping true-life story. I was fascinated by MacDonald and his family’s plight from page one.

Mr. Kaplan House by Tracy Kidder Owning your own house is the American dream. Hiring an architect and having it custom built to get exactly what you want is even better! Tracy Kidder's creative nonfiction delves into the twists and turns of working on a budget, having things go wrong and the complex relationships of a couple, an architect and a custom home builder. By weaving history and environmental sustainability issues into a story of craftsmanship, job management and negotiations, this book will appeal to anyone who believes there is something more than what meets the eye. I first read this book when I was working as a carpenter and it inspired me to pursue a life of designing and building (furniture and sculpture).

Mr. Murphy The Miracle of St. Anthony by Adrian Wojnarowski. The book is an all access pass to the St. Anthony's basketball team and their Hall of Fame coach Bob Hurley for a season. The coach and team face adversity and have to overcome obstacles whether it on the court, in the classroom, on the street or fundraising to keep the doors of the school open.

Dr. Buckley, Mr. Brownell, and Mr. Martellini Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry Simply put, “if you read only one western novel in your life, read Lonesome Dove.” (USA Today) In his Pulitzer-Prize winning novel, Larry McMurtry tells the epic journey of two former Texas Rangers as they embark on a 3,000 mile cattle drive from a one-saloon, dusty Texan border town along the Rio Grande to the unsettled, wide expanses of Montana. On one hand it is a classic western tale of life on the American frontier, with a cast of unforgettable cowboys, outlaws, prostitutes, Indians, and settlers. Yet McMurtry wrote this novel to demystify the West, to paint a realistic portrait of the brutal hardships and challenges faced by those who lived in its unforgiving landscape. Ironically his refusal to glorify the West only draws us deeper into mystic reverence. The friendships forged on the western plains, sustaining stampedes, river crossings, gunfights, and long days in the saddle, will stay with you long after the last page of Lonesome Dove. You will miss the banter, the wit, and the unspoken words. The landscape will beckon you to travel west to the rivers, mountains, and open spaces that shaped Augustus McCrae and Woodrow Call, and that continue to shape our American identity. And who knows, you just might name your dog after one of the main characters…

Mr. Sweeney The Eight by Katherine Neville Upper School Only Upon rereading The Eight over spring vacation, I found myself wondering how I could best describe it. It is a multi-layered story that both the author and Dan Brown say lead to such books as The Da Vinci Code. Part of this story is set in Europe beginning in 1790, around the time of the French Revolution. The other action takes place in 1970 and loosely ties into the group of OPEC as an international force. The book is easy to read and has many references to the game of chess as well as other mathematical puzzles or codes. I very much enjoyed the references to historical figures. Robespierre and Marat may not be familiar to all, but Napoleon and William Wadsworth are just a few of the people you may recognize from your studies. This is a fun and fast moving adventure that might be described as being full of action and intrigue. The plot involves the stories of two women as they seek to understand the mysterious power within a chess set which was given to King Charlemagne around the year 800 A.D.

Mr. Mahoney Manhunt:The Twelve-Day Chase for Lincoln's Killer by James Swanson The book begins as the Civil War has ended, and depicts the elaborate conspiracy planned by actor John Wilkes Booth to assassinate President Abraham Lincoln, Vice President Andrew Johnson, and Secretary of State William Seward. Only the assassination of Lincoln would prove successful. What follows is an account of what the author describes as the greatest manhunt in history, for Booth and his fellow conspirators. Aside from presenting an illuminating picture of the country at this pivotal time in history, the book is also a thrilling and entertaining page turner.

Mr. Sundel The Golden Compass, by Phillip Pullman This fantasy novel, the first in the His Dark Materials series, follows young Lyra Belacque and her shape-shifting Daemon, Pan, as they adventure through an alternate world. At first, the pair set out to find Lyra's friend and her Uncle, Lord Asriel, both of whom have disappeared. Soon, however, the two become unlikely heroes on a tale that spans all types of worlds and danger. Evil Empire? Check. Bildungsroman? Check. Fight Scenes? Check. Fantastical beasts? Check. Magic? Check. Good triumphing over Evil...Well, you'll need to read this novel and find out for yourself. Bottom line: if you like Lord of the Rings, The Chronicles of Narnia, The Hunger Games, or Star Wars, then this novel is for you.

Ms. Hamilton Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson The story, set during the Revolutionary War in 1776, is one of courage, resilience, and loyalty. Thirteen-year-old Isabel faces adversity and fights for her freedom. Isabel and her sister, Ruth, become the property of The Locktons, a cruel couple in New York City. They have no sympathy for the American Revolution. Then Isabel meets Curzon, a slave with connections to the Patriots. Curzon encourages Isabel to spy on her owners, a dangerous business indeed! The Locktons have details of British plans of invasion. This is a great historical fiction book full of details and action. The story hooks you right away and takes you on quite a ride. Recommended to students entering 7th or 8th grade.

Mr. Smith Overthrow: America's Century of Regime Change By Stephen Kinzer Stephen Kinzer's Overthrow chronicles 100 years of the United States engaging in regime change throughout the developing world. The book investigates America's decision to create the nation of Panama to build an isthmian canal, takes a harsh look at CIA operations in Guatemala and Iran at the height of the Cold War in the 1950's, and critiques the faulty intelligence that prompted America's war in Iraq in 2003. Kinzer's account of each regime change is written in compelling fashion and prompts the reader to examine their own conceptions of American foreign policy.

Mr. Holland Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand. A tale about resilience and the potential of the human spirit to overcome overwhelming obstacles, this incredible true story chronicles the life of Louis Zamperini (the Torrance Tornado) and his evolution from a wayward young boy to a legendary American hero. After reaching the 1936 Olympics in Berlin, Louis was poised to make a run at the 1500M world record in 1940 when the Western world was plunged into WWII. Joining the military as an airman, Louis' plane was shot down above the Pacific in May 1943 setting him on a path that would test his will to live in the face of harrowing circumstances. The book provides perspective and inspiration to anyone faced with a new challenge in life. For those who are looking for a fast-paced and inspiring read, this is the book for you!

Mr. Leonardis Galapagos by Kurt Vonnegut When the world is destroyed by poverty and nuclear war, all of humanity is wiped out except for a small group of mismatched people who get stranded on one of the Galapagos Islands while vacationing. A million years later, from this group, humans evolve into something different, something better adapted for their environment. This book is imaginative and interesting. Adaptation, mutation, survival of the fittest. If you are impressed with the theory of evolution or you want to know more, this book is for you.

Dr. E. Davis The Handmaid’s Tale (1985) by Margaret Atwood Form V and VI only This dystopian novel set in a future United States imagines a world in which a totalitarian theocratic government has taken over the United States, now called the Republic of Gilead. In this new regime a class system has evolved in which woman no longer have any rights, and are destined for positions in society and jobs based primarily upon their fertility. The story’s narrator, Offred, tells her story in both the present and in flashbacks, showing how the previous society gave way to the rise of Gilead. Much like George Orwell’s 1984, it is a timely read.

Mr. Grant Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates Grades 9-12.

In a series of essays, written as a letter to his son, Coates confronts the notion of race in America and how it has shaped American history, many times at the cost of black bodies and lives. Thoughtfully exploring personal and historical events, from his time at Howard University to the Civil War, the author poignantly asks and attempts to answer difficult questions that plague modern society. In this short memoir, the Atlantic writer explains that the tragic examples of Michael Brown, Trayvon Martin, and those killed in South Carolina are the results of a systematically constructed and maintained assault to black people—a structure that includes slavery, mass incarceration, and police brutality as part of its foundation. From his passionate and deliberate breakdown of the concept of race itself to the importance of the Black Lives Matter movement, Coates powerfully sums up the terrible history of the subjugation of black people in the United States. A timely work, this title will resonate with all teens—those who have experienced racism as well as those who have followed the recent news coverage on violence against people of color.

Ms. Vailas After Dark, by Haruki Murakami Grades 9-12 In After Dark, Haruki Murakami’s dreamlike and deeply metaphysical novel, characters do not seem to matter as much as the book’s atmosphere. The entirety of the 200-page novel takes place within a single evening in downtown Tokyo, and the events of the story unfold in real time over the course of the night. The novel meets our protagonist, Mari, in a Denny’s, and though there’s soon a horrific crime and an impending chase, the narrative weaves hypnotically into the lives of its characters and into contemplation of the fixedness of time and space. As one character points out, “Time moves in its own special way in the middle of the night. You can't fight it.” A fantastic work of contemporary fiction, Murakami’s novel is a spellbinding and surrealist treatise on what happens in the twilight of the city after dark.