SOUTH MECKLENBURG HIGH SCHOOL
ENGLISH SUMMER READING
Rising 9th Grade
2018-2019
English I (all levels): Read one (1) book from the following lists:
(summaries from Amazon.com):
Speak by Anderson, Laurie Halse
"Speak up for yourself--we want to know what you have to say." From the first moment of her freshman year at Merryweather High, Melinda knows this is a big fat lie, part of the nonsense of high school. She is friendless, outcast, because she busted an end-of-summer party by calling the cops, so now nobody will talk to her, let alone listen to her. As time passes, she becomes increasingly isolated and practically stops talking altogether. Only her art class offers any solace, and it is through her work on an art project that she is finally able to face that trama of what really happened at that terrible party.
Go Ask Alice by Anonymous
It started when she was served a soft drink laced with LSD in a dangerous party game. Within months, she was hooked, trapped in a downward spiral that took her from her comfortable home and loving family to the mean streets of an unforgiving city. It was a journey that would rob her of her innocence, her youth -- and ultimately her life. For thirty-five years, the acclaimed, bestselling first-person account of a teenage girl's harrowing decent into the nightmarish world of drugs has left an indelible mark on generations of teen readers. As powerful -- and as timely -- today as ever, Go Ask Alice remains the definitive book on the horrors of addiction.
I, Robot by Asimov, Isaac
In I, Robot, Asimov chronicles the development of the robot through a series of interlinked stories: from its primitive origins in the present to its ultimate perfection in the not-so-distant future--a future in which humanity itself may be rendered obsolete. Here are stories of robots gone mad, of mind-read robots, and robots with a sense of humor. Of robot politicians, and robots who secretly run the world--all told with the dramatic blend of science fact and science fiction that has become Asmiov's trademark.
Ender's Game by Orsen Scott Card
A veteran of years of simulated war games, Ender believes he is engaged in one more computer war game when in truth he is commanding the last fleet of Earth against an alien race seeking the complete destruction of the planet.
The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd
After her "stand-in mother," a bold black woman named Rosaleen, insults the three biggest racists in town, Lily Owens joins Rosaleen on a journey to Tiburon, South Carolina, where they are taken in by three black, bee-keeping sisters.
Fallen Angels by Walter Dean Myers
Seventeen-year-old Richie Perry, just out of his Harlem high school, enlists in the Army in the summer of 1967 and spends a devastating year on active duty in Vietnam.
Eragon by Christopher Paolini
In Alagaèesia, a fifteen-year-old boy of unknown lineage called Eragon finds a mysterious stone that weaves his life into an intricate tapestry of destiny, magic, and power, peopled with dragons, elves, and monsters.
Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi
Persepolis is the graphic novel true story of Satrapi's unforgettable childhood and coming of age in Tehran during the Islamic Revolution; of the private and public life in a country plagued by political upheaval; of her high school years in Vienna far from her family; of her homecoming--both sweet and terrible; and, finally, of her self-imposed exile from her beloved homeland. Persepolis is a stunning work from one of the most highly regarded, singularly talented graphic artists at work today.
Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
Huxley's classic work of science fiction still serves as a warning to readers today. The society depicted seems to be a utopia. Life appears to be perfect because no one has the concerns associated with the modern world. Warfare and poverty do not exist, and everyone is happy. The irony occurs when the reader realizes that the ideal society is created by eliminating individual identity and freedom. Huxley's prediction of the future asks the reader to reconsider the effects and pitfalls of our fast-paced society and of our reliance on governmental control.
Out of the Silent Planet by CS Lewis
Out of the Silent Planet begins the adventures of the remarkable Dr. Ransom. Here, that estimable man is abducted by a megalomaniacal physicist and his accomplice and taken via spaceship to the red planet of Malacandra. The two men are in need of a human sacrifice, and Dr. Ransom would seem to fit the bill. Once on the planet, however, Ransom eludes his captors, risking his life and his chances of returning to Earth, becoming a stranger in a land that is enchanting in its difference from Earth and instructive in its similarity. First published in 1943, Out of the Silent Planet remains a mysterious and suspenseful tour de force.
The Lonely Crossing of Juan Cabrera by J. Joaquin Fraxedas
In the middle of a moonless night on a deserted beach east of Havana three men lash inner tubes together to make a flimsy raft they slide into the surf. Desperate to escape a society gone wrong, they risk an incredible journey across the more than ninety miles of treacherous waters that separate the island of Cuba from the Florida Keys. In this powerful and lyrical novel, J. Joaquin Fraxedas has crafted an epic story of three courageous men, men willing to endure the hazards of the open sea, men caught in the mindless violence of a hurricane with nothing to hang on to but an inner tube, men willing to die in their attempt to gain freedom. Superbly written, this is a profoundly moving tribute to one of the great tragedies of our time.
A Lesson Before Dying by Ernest J. Gaines
From the author of A Gathering of Old Men and The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman comes a deep and compassionate novel, winner of the National Book Critics Circle Award. A young man who returns to 1940s Cajun country to teach visits a black youth on death row for a crime he didn't commit. Together they come to understand the heroism of resisting.
Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom
Someone older, patient and wise, who understood you when you were young and searching, helped you see the world as a more profound place, gave you sound advice to help you make your way through it. For Mitch Albom, that person was Morrie Schwartz, his college professor from nearly twenty years ago. He rediscovered Morrie in the last months of the older man's life. Knowing he was dying, Morrie visited with Mitch in his study every Tuesday, just as they used to back in college. Their rekindled relationship turned into one final “class”: lessons in how to live.
The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros
Acclaimed by critics, beloved by readers of all ages, taught everywhere from inner-city grade schools to universities across the country, and translated all over the world, The House on Mango Street is the remarkable story of Esperanza Cordero. Told in a series of vignettes – sometimes heartbreaking, sometimes deeply joyous – it is the story of a young Latina girl growing up in Chicago, inventing for herself who and what she will become. Few other books in our time have touched so many readers.
Please note: In a 2009 government web cast, Secretary of Education Arne Duncan described summer learning loss as “devastating.” This is what researchers have often referred to as the “summer slide.” It is estimated that school summer breaks will cause the average student to lose up to one month of instruction, with disadvantaged students being disproportionately affected. Additionally, students in the United States have lost ground in reading ability compared with students around the world. The global reading test was administered in 2001 and again in 2006. Americans dropped further behind other countries, falling from the fourth highest scores in the world in 2001 to tenth place in 2006. Please encourage your child to read 4-5 books this summer.
ENGLISH SUMMER READING
Rising 9th Grade
2018-2019
English I (all levels): Read one (1) book from the following lists:
(summaries from Amazon.com):
Speak by Anderson, Laurie Halse
"Speak up for yourself--we want to know what you have to say." From the first moment of her freshman year at Merryweather High, Melinda knows this is a big fat lie, part of the nonsense of high school. She is friendless, outcast, because she busted an end-of-summer party by calling the cops, so now nobody will talk to her, let alone listen to her. As time passes, she becomes increasingly isolated and practically stops talking altogether. Only her art class offers any solace, and it is through her work on an art project that she is finally able to face that trama of what really happened at that terrible party.
Go Ask Alice by Anonymous
It started when she was served a soft drink laced with LSD in a dangerous party game. Within months, she was hooked, trapped in a downward spiral that took her from her comfortable home and loving family to the mean streets of an unforgiving city. It was a journey that would rob her of her innocence, her youth -- and ultimately her life. For thirty-five years, the acclaimed, bestselling first-person account of a teenage girl's harrowing decent into the nightmarish world of drugs has left an indelible mark on generations of teen readers. As powerful -- and as timely -- today as ever, Go Ask Alice remains the definitive book on the horrors of addiction.
I, Robot by Asimov, Isaac
In I, Robot, Asimov chronicles the development of the robot through a series of interlinked stories: from its primitive origins in the present to its ultimate perfection in the not-so-distant future--a future in which humanity itself may be rendered obsolete. Here are stories of robots gone mad, of mind-read robots, and robots with a sense of humor. Of robot politicians, and robots who secretly run the world--all told with the dramatic blend of science fact and science fiction that has become Asmiov's trademark.
Ender's Game by Orsen Scott Card
A veteran of years of simulated war games, Ender believes he is engaged in one more computer war game when in truth he is commanding the last fleet of Earth against an alien race seeking the complete destruction of the planet.
The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd
After her "stand-in mother," a bold black woman named Rosaleen, insults the three biggest racists in town, Lily Owens joins Rosaleen on a journey to Tiburon, South Carolina, where they are taken in by three black, bee-keeping sisters.
Fallen Angels by Walter Dean Myers
Seventeen-year-old Richie Perry, just out of his Harlem high school, enlists in the Army in the summer of 1967 and spends a devastating year on active duty in Vietnam.
Eragon by Christopher Paolini
In Alagaèesia, a fifteen-year-old boy of unknown lineage called Eragon finds a mysterious stone that weaves his life into an intricate tapestry of destiny, magic, and power, peopled with dragons, elves, and monsters.
Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi
Persepolis is the graphic novel true story of Satrapi's unforgettable childhood and coming of age in Tehran during the Islamic Revolution; of the private and public life in a country plagued by political upheaval; of her high school years in Vienna far from her family; of her homecoming--both sweet and terrible; and, finally, of her self-imposed exile from her beloved homeland. Persepolis is a stunning work from one of the most highly regarded, singularly talented graphic artists at work today.
Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
Huxley's classic work of science fiction still serves as a warning to readers today. The society depicted seems to be a utopia. Life appears to be perfect because no one has the concerns associated with the modern world. Warfare and poverty do not exist, and everyone is happy. The irony occurs when the reader realizes that the ideal society is created by eliminating individual identity and freedom. Huxley's prediction of the future asks the reader to reconsider the effects and pitfalls of our fast-paced society and of our reliance on governmental control.
Out of the Silent Planet by CS Lewis
Out of the Silent Planet begins the adventures of the remarkable Dr. Ransom. Here, that estimable man is abducted by a megalomaniacal physicist and his accomplice and taken via spaceship to the red planet of Malacandra. The two men are in need of a human sacrifice, and Dr. Ransom would seem to fit the bill. Once on the planet, however, Ransom eludes his captors, risking his life and his chances of returning to Earth, becoming a stranger in a land that is enchanting in its difference from Earth and instructive in its similarity. First published in 1943, Out of the Silent Planet remains a mysterious and suspenseful tour de force.
The Lonely Crossing of Juan Cabrera by J. Joaquin Fraxedas
In the middle of a moonless night on a deserted beach east of Havana three men lash inner tubes together to make a flimsy raft they slide into the surf. Desperate to escape a society gone wrong, they risk an incredible journey across the more than ninety miles of treacherous waters that separate the island of Cuba from the Florida Keys. In this powerful and lyrical novel, J. Joaquin Fraxedas has crafted an epic story of three courageous men, men willing to endure the hazards of the open sea, men caught in the mindless violence of a hurricane with nothing to hang on to but an inner tube, men willing to die in their attempt to gain freedom. Superbly written, this is a profoundly moving tribute to one of the great tragedies of our time.
A Lesson Before Dying by Ernest J. Gaines
From the author of A Gathering of Old Men and The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman comes a deep and compassionate novel, winner of the National Book Critics Circle Award. A young man who returns to 1940s Cajun country to teach visits a black youth on death row for a crime he didn't commit. Together they come to understand the heroism of resisting.
Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom
Someone older, patient and wise, who understood you when you were young and searching, helped you see the world as a more profound place, gave you sound advice to help you make your way through it. For Mitch Albom, that person was Morrie Schwartz, his college professor from nearly twenty years ago. He rediscovered Morrie in the last months of the older man's life. Knowing he was dying, Morrie visited with Mitch in his study every Tuesday, just as they used to back in college. Their rekindled relationship turned into one final “class”: lessons in how to live.
The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros
Acclaimed by critics, beloved by readers of all ages, taught everywhere from inner-city grade schools to universities across the country, and translated all over the world, The House on Mango Street is the remarkable story of Esperanza Cordero. Told in a series of vignettes – sometimes heartbreaking, sometimes deeply joyous – it is the story of a young Latina girl growing up in Chicago, inventing for herself who and what she will become. Few other books in our time have touched so many readers.
Please note: In a 2009 government web cast, Secretary of Education Arne Duncan described summer learning loss as “devastating.” This is what researchers have often referred to as the “summer slide.” It is estimated that school summer breaks will cause the average student to lose up to one month of instruction, with disadvantaged students being disproportionately affected. Additionally, students in the United States have lost ground in reading ability compared with students around the world. The global reading test was administered in 2001 and again in 2006. Americans dropped further behind other countries, falling from the fourth highest scores in the world in 2001 to tenth place in 2006. Please encourage your child to read 4-5 books this summer.