Summer Reading

If you have already read Scythe, read another book in the series. Although you are not required to "annotate," it is important to take notes so that you can use the books in August. Be prepared to write about your books in the first full week of school. Tips for annotations and brain-friendly reading are located in General Suggestions.

Also, all 9th graders are required to take a summer typing course through typing.com. You will find this course on Canvas. If you can already type proficiently, you will be able to test out of the course. When you come to school in August, you should be a minimally proficient typist. 

Rising sophomores, please choose two of the following books to read this summer.  Be prepared for your individual teacher’s assignments and activities upon returning to school in August as well as some cross-sectional activities. 

• All American Boys by Jason Reynolds and Brandon Kiely (Diversity and social justice, Community and identity, Self-discovery, Ripped from the headlines)
• All My Rage by Sabaa Tahir (Fiction, Romance, Cross-cultural experiences, Self-discovery, Coming of Age, Family and relationships)
• Blackout by Clayton, Jackson, Stone, Thomas, Woodfolk, Yoon (Short Stories, Romance, Diversity and social justice, Coming of Age)
• Dry by Neal Shusterman (Dystopia, Necessity of Resilience, Moral dilemmas, Environmental Issues)
• A Flicker in the Dark by Stacy Willingham (Crime/Mystery/Thriller, Louisiana setting, some adult themes)
• In the Wild Light by Jeff Zentner (Fiction, Coming of Age, Self-discovery, Family and relationships)
• I Must Betray You by Ruta Sepetys ( Historical Fiction, Romance and Adventure elements, Family Secrets)
• Rez Ball by Byron Graves (Sports Fiction, Indigenous Culture, Family and relationships)
• Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt (Mystery, Aquatic creatures, Unique perspectives, Relationships)

Reminders:

• Be an active reader! Annotate and make notes about your book to prepare for class assignments and activities
• Please use these reading guides and resources to help:
  • Discussion questions for each book
  • Nonfiction close reading
  • Fiction close reading
  • What is annotation?

• For your summer reading, you will read two books, one free choice from the authors on this list and A Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime. Rather than complete an accompanying project, you will be expected to work with your books when school resumes. Make notes, annotate, and do whatever will help you be able to engage the material when you begin English III. Expect to discuss and write about the book during the first week of class.
• For further reading support, check out ​General Suggestions, which includes an annotation infographic, a summer reading bingo card, and other helpful resources.

Your first AP Lang (AP English III) challenge, writers, is to read below carefully and follow the directions!

1. ​First, read "On Keeping a Notebook" by Joan Didion and "Why I Write" by George Orwell, two essays by very different writers answering the same question. As you read, move away from summary or just "getting it." Read with a writer's eye rather than just a student's ear. Notice what their writing sparks in you. What resonates? What surprises? What connections can you make to your own experience? Don't just consider what they are saying but also how they are saying it. When you've read and contemplated the essays, create a “reading plan” for your next book on the back of the summer reading bookmark I provided. Post a pic of your plan on the discussion board. Your plan should go beyond when to read to HOW to read. 
2. Read the following texts, in any order. Use your reading plan in reading the first book. Respond to the reading in any way you’d like, being sure to think about the text in terms of your reading plan and trying to "read like a writer." Be open to noticing things that you haven't before or for which you don't normally read. For your final book, adjust your reading plan based on your previous reading experience.. A Canvas course will be provided to house support documents and to support your reading throughout the summer. Visit the course site for periodic discussion board check-ins throughout the summer, but you must post once each book and respond to two others. As you are reading, you should be posting. Check your email for updates. 

• The Anthropocene Reviewed: Essays on a Human-Centered Planet by John Green
• Read either 1984 by Orwell or Brave New World by Huxley, two classic dystopian novels. 

Check out the Summer Support section (the beachball) on our Canvas page for more specific instructions. If you have any questions, please email Mrs. Duke. 

Read the two books listed under 12th Grade and a third only for AP Lit students, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest by Ken Kesey. 

Ken Kesey wrote this novel after working the night shift in a psychiatric ward, and he based many characters on actual patients. Kesey was a leading figure in the counterculture movement of the 1950s and 1960s, resisting government control and oppression. For extra income, he participated in government studies with hallucinogenic drugs. Consider this information as you enjoy the text.

Engage in a close and active reading of the novel. Read like a detective: interact with the text and annotate. Notice aspects of style, language, plot, characterization, point of view, and symbolism. Ask questions, make connections, construct meaning, and be conscious of the author’s choices. 

For each part of the novel (four in all), write a one-and-a-half to two-page journal entry where you comment and reflect on your reading. This work is due on the first day of school. Our course Canvas page will be available for summer support.