Summer Reading
Required Reading
For students enrolled in the following classes:
AP
AP 12
Love by Toni Morrison
Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving
AP 11
Honors
Students enrolled in Honors classes will need to read the one book required by grade listed below. Classes will begin with assessments/discussions of the assigned book. Be prepared. Write summaries of your reading as you finish each day (include the page numbers you read)--this will help you remember where certain things happened so you can easily refer to those spots during discussions and assessments.
Grade 9: David Copperfield by Charles Dickens (a tried and true classic)
Grade 10: Dracula by Bram Stoker (a different kind of classic)
Grade 11: Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut (read carefully; it jumps around)
Grade 12: Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad (a very different book)
All students MHS is dedicated to educating students to their highest potential. You all are expected to read. So, read a book! Read lots of books! Explore strange new worlds!* Seek out new lives and civilizations!* Boldly go where your mind has never gone before!* Share the experience with friends and family! Enjoy! Share it with your teacher when we return!
Below, your teachers and librarians have posted books that captured their attentions and sent them places they weren't expecting but were certainly glad to go!
Helpful hints in using this list:
- Feel free to scroll among the books or click on a teacher's name below to see which books the teacher recommends.
- Each book is accompanied by a blog-style comment from the teacher who recommended it--some books are recommended by more than one teacher and those books will have more than one blog entry.
- Click on the title of each book to have a summary of the book pop up to help you choose which book/s is/are right for you.
- A side note: A good way to get to know your upcoming English teacher is to read what he or she reads on the side. Take a look, however, at all of the books. Some English teachers have commented on book in other another teacher's list.
Enjoy your reading! We look forward to talking to you!
Mrs. Buono: A very personal, readable take on the genocide in Sudan. The narrative structure is what makes this book--some chapters are a first-person account of one of the "Lost Boys" and his life in both Sudan and the U.S. and the others are a third person account explaining, in an understandable way, the history of that wretched situation. Moments of hilarity and tragedy abound.
Mr. Ryan: Cheers, Mrs. Buono; personal is exactly the right word, which is part of what makes Deng's story (and Egger's style) so compelling. It's horrifying yet, somehow, relatable.
Mrs. Buono: I read this book at a friend's recommendation and then proceeded to read everything else Atwood has ever written one novel after another. This book is both strange enough to be intriguing and keep you reading and at the same time very relatable. Set in Boston in the near-future, so if you're familiar with that area it's even cooler.
Mrs. Buono: Outdoorsy-types unite! This memoir follows a native-Englishman's hilarious and trying attempt to hike the Appalachian Trail. Mishaps and strange encounters ensue. You need not be an outdoor enthusiast like me to like this book; in fact, you might like it better if you're not.
Mr. Ryan: Mrs. Buono recommended this to me last year, and while parts of it were funny, overall I'd give it an "ehhh." If books were food, Bryson's travel memoir would be oatmeal.
Mrs. Clough: I liked this biography(which I don't usually choose) because I learned so much about cell division, the South, the inequities of the world, and the indomitable spirit of one woman in a painless biography.
Love by Toni Morrison (2003)
Mrs. Clough: I love anything by Toni Morrison because she creates puzzles in her plots and I have to think and connect. She always shocks me, yet gives me hints. She writes powerful black female voices, stream of consciousness without any warning, and mixes her narrations. I have to re-read after I finish the book because I know these characters and want to keep them in my life. Toni Morrison's books haunt me. Love will not disappoint but make you work. I recommend the book in audio. Morrison's voice is enthralling.
Ms. Jones: Love is a book which lulls you into a calm, and then slams you with reality so hard you need to re-read the chapters ... twice. It is dark, but also thoughtful. If you have never read any Morrison, this is an excellent introduction to the power of her work.
Mrs. Clough: Little Bee is from Nigeria and she is delightfully funny; and then you learn her truth. Two powerful women narrate their shocking stories. I learned so much about modern Nigeria since I read Things Fall Apart. I found myself wondering...so just how much would I sacrifice to save someone's life?
Mrs. Clough: Another puzzle, this time from India. Life of Pi appearrs to be a story about a young zoo keeper who is faced with unthinkable tragedy. This book is about how he survives. I had to think and connect and of course re-read.
Ms. Feins: I can't stop trying to figure this one out. Three questions burning in my mind: Which story is true? Does it matter which story is true? And, most of all, what's with the acid? Seriously.
Mrs. Todd: If I just mention this title, my book club jumps into an animated discussion/debate --- and we read the book a couple of years ago.
Mrs. Criswell: A compelling biography about the man, Winston Churchhill, who faces many disappointments yet finds the resilience to continue.
Mr. Dillon: Wolf’s memoir of adolescence is a marvelous un- idealization of the feckless sincerity of youth. Much better than the movie.
Mrs. Todd: A good, real read about a teenage boy in a tough family situation.
Mr Dillon: Abe has an extraordinary gift for giving the ExistentialAbsurd a Japanese voice and Japanese eyes. Remarkably accessible, profound withoutdemanding intellectualization.
Ms. Feins: This work of nonfiction is for those who wonder how one thing becomes popular while its equal doesn't. There are many theories out there and this book gives one of them. Having read this theory has led me to read other theories. I find that this book is a good introduction to this kind of puzzle thinking/solving as it looks at some of the popular and enduring items such as Sesame Street and Blues Clues as well as looking at faded fads and what possibly affects different city lives. The smattering of topics held my attention as well. Most students who have taken classes know me and switching topics...
Mrs. Todd: Cool theory about the real, everyday world and its trends.
Ms. Feins: I love comic books and this one, a "graphic novel," did not disappoint. The artwork is simple which allowed my brain's ability and desire for mental gymanistics to focus on what's missing/implied in the story, setting and characters. I love those kinds of works--where you have to read between the lines (in this case, literally in spots). Part II of this work, however, is for maturer audiences. Remember, this is a memoir, so she is discussing her life as she lived it no holds barred (fictionalized a bit, of course). The author experimented with drugs and alcohol, had sex early on in a relationship (which she now admits she was just too young for), and she smokes. This is her memoir of her life, so she naturally included all of this. This work is an eye
view into growing up. However, this work does lead to a lot of questions about Iran and what was going on at the time and now. I also feel it doesn't quite do enough to explain the link to the title Persepolis. I would love to discuss this with mature readers who are willing to do a bit of research for these answers. On another note: I saw this author this past April at the MFA discuss this work (among other topics). She has a fantastic sense of humor, is highly intelligent, and was truly a kick--made me more of a fan.
Ms. Feins: My latest favorite. Talk about a man without a country! Salim is a Hindu Indian born, raised, and living in an Indian settlement in an unspecified place in Africa that fights for and achieves its independence from some kind of Colonialism. Imagine trying to blend in or figure out how you fit in...if you can fit in? I think we all at least have moments where we don't feel we fit in even though it's "our space". There are a couple of sexual situations in this book which go along with the character and his life and certainly don't deter from the narrative. Having read about the author, these scenes appear to be in the book so it wouldn't be as "dry" as his other books have been critiqued to be. Just wanted to give parents a heads up.
The Stand by Stephen King (1978--original; 1991--complete and uncut; go for the uncut)
Mr. Harmon: Steven King's post-apocalyptic masterpiece explores the elemental struggle of Good Vs. Evil. A nanosecond computer error allows a superflu (called "Captain Tripps") to spread worldwide in days, leaving few survivors. My annual summer read!
Mr. Harmon: A beautifully written version of Gaston Leroux's tale of the Phantom of the Opera, told from multiple points of view. Kay's phantom is born horrifically, rather than created by an accidental disfigurement. He is brilliant beyond belief, and this story has elements of romance and gothic horror which combine for a story that creates empathy for the Phantom.
Mr. Harmon: An amazing look at the back story to one of history's greatest achievements-as well as a tour of the world emerging from the Middle Ages into the Renaissance, an anthropological account of tribes, languages, and customs unknown to Europeans, and a chronicle of a desperate grab for commercial and political power.
Mr. Higgins: In high school, after beginning my life-long fascination with Wharton’s Ethan Frome, I proceeded to read as much as I could find by her. This was second on the list and has remained my favorite of hers ever since. The old adage “all the glistens is not gold” is apparent here in Wharton’s depiction of late 19th Century New York society during the Gilded Age. Wharton’s description is unparalleled, and the inner conflicts of her protagonists, Newland Archer and Ellen Olenska, are as relevant now as they were almost a century ago. (Pulitzer Prize, 1921)
Mr. Higgins: I read this novel in middle school and it has stayed with me ever since. Like My Antonia and Main Street, the plot revolves upon an unforgettable female character, Selena Peake De Jong, who has the will and wisdom to forge her own path, despite the disapproval of society. An additional benefit is the novel’s theme, that all individuals should cultivate the beauty/raw talent within themselves. (Pulitzer Prize, 1925)
Mr. Higgins: Shortly after college, having been disappointed in my search for a copy of Agee’s Let Us Now Praise Famous Men, I picked up this book instead. What resonates for me with this novel is its simple, realistic, human storyline. Agee’s focus is the unexpected death of a young husband and father, much like the early loss of his own father, and the repercussions felt by the man’s young son Rufus. The result is an achingly memorable account of the toll death leaves in its wake and how a family regathers itself and survives. (Pulitzer Prize, 1958)
Ms. Jones: The novel won the Booker Prize in 2008, but that is not the reason to pick up this book. Adiga is ruthless in creating Balram, the angry, racist taxi-driver who serves as the protagonist of the novel. There is not often much to like about Balram, but Adiga makes you feel invested. Balram is also relatable; he is angry at a world which claims to provide opportunity, but does nothing other than keep him in his place. The series of letters to the Chinese adds another interesting element as India and China square off to dominate the world's economy.
Ms. Jones: There are two significant reasons why this book is a good read. First, the characters; Pearl and May are two well-developed and interesting young women. You care what happens to them. The other driver is See's manipulation of history to reveal a time in both China and America which is not often discussed. The novel is skillful in weaving a story of depth with compelling characters. I stayed up all night to read the book in one sitting; it was that good.
Mrs. Criswell: This is an engaging read about two sisters, whose loyalty for each other is challenged by personal ambition. It is a page turner with unexpected outcomes.
Mr. Ryan: I've read this book a half-dozen times at least, but I won't tell you what it's about. I will say that it's sad, and funny, and it has a wonderful secrecy to it, as if to talk about it (directly) is to sully it. Better than Catcher, this is one of those stories that makes you ache.
Mr. Dillon: Easy to read. Good intro to Zen Buddhism a la occident. Has more of that Salingerquirky, NYC charm than Catcher.Students who liked Catcher and did not know why might really enjoy this.
Mr. Ryan: At its best Kerouac's writing is like watching fireworks while holding coffee while sledding while kissing, which is the third reason why you should read this book. The second reason? all your ill-advised road trip dreams had to come from somewhere. But most important (ie the number one reason): there are certain books that must be read young; if you skip this one now, you can't come back to it later.
Mrs. Sholds: Years ago -- knowing my love of Holden Caulfield -- a student recommended Perks to me. Actually, it was more of a daily pestering of "Did you buy it yet? Did you read it?" until she finally gave me her personal copy. I couldn't put it down. For two days I took that little green book with me everywhere until I finished. It was a great read. Totally relatable to high school students.
Mrs. Todd: When my seniors look back on what they read in high school, any who read this tell me I should encourage all students (esp. freshmen and sophomores) to read Perks as it captures early high school life/transitions/feelings well.
Mrs. Sholds: I'm not sure why, but after reading this book, I kept it in the back seat and then the trunk of my cars for years. Occasionally I'd hear it rattle around and take it out and read parts of it over and over again. I agree with Ms. Feins -- frustrated is a good word to describe my feelings at the conclusion of the book. If you want an excellent (although lengthy) read, give The Power of One a whirl. You won't be disappointed.
Ms. Feins: This book sticks with me. The main character is believable, and I certainly root for him. I'm not quite satisfied with the ending, though. Actually, I'm downright frustrated with it! I highly recommend listening to this one as an audiobook--that way, you can hear how the names are pronounced and hear the rhythm of the chants. Come talk to me about the ending--help me out!
Mr. Ryan: This was the assigned summer reading book before my freshman year of high school, and (all future-English-teacher-dorkiness aside) it was so good I finished it, had a snack, and then turned to page one and started all over again.
Mrs. Todd: I finally read this after six different students insisted I try it. My book club and I (as well as every student of mine who has read it) got very into it and felt very accomplished after reading it.
Mrs. Sholds: I remember being drawn to the pretty blue cover of The Lovely Bones -- how it faded from bottom to top and pictured a floating charm bracelet with a little house dangling from a link in the silvery chain. A number of my female students were reading this book and when I finally asked a student about it she said, "You'll love it, Mrs. Sholds. It's sad and disturbing, but you'll love it." She was correct. [Note: the 2009 movie was very different and a monumental disappointment. View with caution.]
Mrs. Todd: You want to meet an evil character? Steinbeck delivers. Be patient for the first hundred pages and you will be well rewarded. Set in the Salinas Valley as was Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men, this story explores the interconnected stories of two families.
Mrs. Buono: I can't really get enough Steinbeck in my diet. While on the longer side, the story never lags or gets boring. Pure good and pure evil manifest themselves in the characters and plot--you'll find yourself rooting for both sides at times. If you liked the characters, authentic dialogue, and conflicts in Of Mice and Men or The Grapes of Wrath, you'll enjoy this book.
Ms. Feins: I'm just blown away by the fact that such a simple phrase in the Bible from one of the shortest stories (Cain was sent to wander for life "east of Eden," in the land of Nod, for murdering his innocent brother Abel), sparked this highly engaging story with such rich characters.
Mrs. Todd: Students compelled me to read this true and powerful story of a child soldier in Sierra Leone. It delivers both the horror of drugged, AK47-toting, war-fighting kids as well as the hope from Beah's survival and ability to reclaim his humanity. The writing makes for easy reading; the content creates a compelling story.
Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier (1997)
Mrs. Todd: Truth be told, I hid in the back of Mrs. Landergan's classroom to finish this novel before my book club discussed it because I had to know how it ended. The novel, probably more appealing to girls, is slow to start and then riveting. In brief, a young woman falls in love with a rich Englishman, they wed and move to his estate where she is haunted by the legacy of his first wife.
Mrs. Turgel: This book reads like a diary! Skeeter, a recent college grad, social activist, and aspiring writer, returns home to Jackson, Mississippi, to write about the strained relationships between white middle-class women and their African American help. Gossip, cliques, and cat fights are all told through the lives of three women and written in the very real context of the nascent civil rights movement.
Mrs. Turgel: Dog lover? This one’s for you. All of life’s great lessons – love, death, custody battles, and race car driving - told through the voice of Enzo, a philosophically brilliant terrier mix!
Ms. Porter: hauntingly beautiful and wonderfully crafted. It is told from the point of view of Alma, a 14-year-old girl whose mother is devastated by Alma's father's death and whose brother thinks he may be the new Messiah. The story is also told by Leo, an elderly man who wrote the book that Alma's father was translating before he died. The connection between the two is very slowly revealed through artfully written pages and gorgeous language that cannot help but suck readers in. It captivated me on an incredibly long bus ride, at least!
*Opening narration to StarTrek, TOS. Samuel Peeples, August 1966; some modifications made by R. Feins to better suit the purpose on this page.
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