Junior American Literature and Composition Summer Reading List

As part of our efforts here at CCHS to improve reading scores (ACT), the faculty and administration require all students to participate in the summer reading program. The truth is that students simply do not read as much as they have in the past. Sadly, this is often reflected in graduation rates, ACT scores, and low freshman college grades. Good reading and writing skills are imperative for future success in all areas of life. Therefore, like many schools in this state and nation, summer reading is part of the curriculum at CCHS. Summer reading is a way of completing part of the REQUIRED reading for English classes ahead of time. These assignments WILL be graded. This summer I want you to read from the following list of works. Please have them completed by the first day of school in August. Within the first three weeks of school you will complete an Accelerated Reader test for each book or play. These grades will be the first grades you receive in English class, no matter which teacher you have. With that being said, you will not be able to take an AR test for a book on which you have already tested; therefore, you must choose a book that you have not read or tested on previously. Summer reading is just that: SUMMER READING. All students will be given an opportunity to take an AR test in the library during those first three weeks. It is you responsibility to avail yourself of that opportunity. No grade will be given for tests taken after the closing date. **Students should read ONE book. No Promises in the Wind by Irene Hunt Wonder by R. J. Palacio A Night to Remember by Sir Walter Lord The Summer of my German Soldier by Bette Greene Monster by Walter Dean Myers The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom (for its relevance to American history) Ice Castles by Leonore Fleischer The Light in the Forest by Conrad Richter The Cross and the Switchblade by David Wilkerson Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Café by Fannie Flag The Autobiography of Malcolm X as told to Alex Haley Rocket Boys by Homer Hickman, Jr. The Greatest Generation by Tom Brokaw The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck Christy by Catherine Marshall The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury The Color Purple by Alice Walker Little Women by Louisa May Alcott East of Eden by John Steinbeck Sister Carrie by Theodore Dreiser Roots by Alex Haley My Antonia by Willa Cather In the Lake of the Woods by Tim O’Brien

You may find these books at any bookstore, public library, or you may check them out from our library. Listen for announcements concerning checkout times. In addition, many of these books are available online at no cost to you at googlebooks.com. E-book formats are also available free of charge from a number of providers (i.e. librivox.org, Kindle, and project Gutenberg). Finding copies for the summer is YOUR responsibility. When I say READ, I do mean READ. Watching the movie or reading the Sparknotes version is not satisfactory. The tests you will take on the books are based on the books, and the movies always get something wrong. A Word of Caution: The books listed for summer reading are meant to give you a positive, literary experience of powerful writing. Some are adult novels, and many are written from a mature perspective. Some of the books on the list contain scenes of graphic violence, drug usage, sexuality, or language that some may feel is offensive. Students need to exercise good judgment in reading these books. Reading works that investigate difficult ethical choices and actions does not ever condone or celebrate the choices these characters make. English classes are designed to allow students to see how the English language is used to convey the human experience in vivid, dramatic, and unforgettable ways. If you need help choosing a book for summer reading, please ask a librarian or teacher for help. Sincerely, Kay Tippett [email protected]