| |
Summer Reads
The English Department asks that each student reads a book during the summer months in order to promote literacy and learning and to help prepare all students for their upcoming year in all subjects. Contact Department Chair Kate Kiefer with your questions at 847-838-7100 ext. 8031.
 |
English I, English I Seminar & English I Co-taught
Acceleration by Graham McNamee
It's a hot, hot summer, and in the depths of the Toronto Transit Authority's Lost and Found, 17-year-old Duncan is cataloging lost things and sifting through accumulated junk. And between Jacob, the cranky old man who runs the place, and the endless dusty boxes overflowing with stuff no one will ever claim, Duncan's just about had enough. Then he finds a little leather book. It's a diary filled with the dark and dirty secrets of a twisted mind, a serial killer stalking his prey in the subway. And Duncan can't make himself stop reading. What would you do with a book like that? How far would you go to catch a madman? And what if time was running out. . .
Click here for the summer reading assignment.
For more information about the novel and the author, click here. |
 |
English I Honors
Finding Miracles by Julia Alvarez
Milly Kaufman is an ordinary American teenager living in Vermont—until she meets Pablo, a new student at her high school. His exotic accent, strange fashion sense, and intense interest in Milly force her to confront her identity as an adopted child from Pablo’s native country. As their relationship grows, Milly decides to undertake a courageous journey to her homeland and along the way discovers the story of her birth is intertwined with the story of a country recovering from a brutal history. Beautifully written by reknowned author Julia Alvarez, Finding Miracles examines the emotional complexity of familial relationships and the miracles of everyday life.
Click here for the summer reading assignment.
To visit the author's website, click here. |
 |
English II & English II Co-taught
Twisted by Laurie Halse Anderson
High school senior Tyler Miller used to be the kind of guy who faded into the background–average student, average looks, average dysfunctional family. But since he got busted for doing graffiti on the school, and spent the summer doing outdoor work to pay for it, he stands out like you wouldn’t believe. His new physique attracts the attention of queen bee Bethany Milbury, who just so happens to be his father’s boss’s daughter, the sister of his biggest enemy–and Tyler’s secret crush. And that sets off a string of events and changes that have Tyler questioning his place in the school, in his family, and in the world.
Click here for the regular summer reading assignment.
Click here for the co-taught summer reading assignment.
For more information about the author, click here. |
 |
English II Honors
The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls
The Glass Castle is a memoir written by journalist, Jeannette Walls. Jeannette writes about her unique childhood, sharing her fond memories of her father and mother. She tells how they refused to conform to society's ideas of responsibility, leaving their children to fend for themselves for even the most basic of needs, such as food and shelter. Jeannette tells her story in a straightforward fashion that is not touched with anger or self-pity, belying events that often shock her readers with her almost innocent presentation of the facts. The Glass Castle is an astonishing memoir that will leave the reader both stunned by the tragic circumstances of Jeannette's childhood and awed by her strength.
Click here for the summer reading assignment.
Click here for more information about the book and the author. |
 |
English III & English III Seminar
The Dream by Harry Bernstein
During the hard and bitter years of his youth in England, Harry Bernstein's selfless mother struggles to keep her six children fed and clothed. But she never stops dreaming of a better life in America, no matter how unlikely. Then, one miraculous day when Harry is twelve years old, steamships tickets arrive in the mail, sent by an anonymous benefactor. Suddenly, a new life full of the promise of prosperity seems possible--and the family sets sail for America, meeting relatives in Chicago. Harry is mesmerized by the city: the cars, the skyscrapers, and the gorgeous vistas of Lake Michigan. For a time, the family gets a taste of the good life: electric lights, a bathtub, a telephone. But soon the harsh realities of the Great Depression envelop them. Skeletons in the family closet come to light, mafiosi darken their doorstep, family members are lost, and dreams are shattered.
Click here for the summer reading assignment.
Click here for more information about the author. |
 |
AP English Language & Composition
Ishmael by Daniel Quinn
Ishmael is a half-ton silverback gorilla. He is a student of ecology, life, freedom, and the human condition. He is also a teacher. He teaches that which all humans need to learn -- must learn -- if our species, and the rest of life on Earth as we know it, is to survive.
Click here for the summer reading assignment.
For more information about the book and the author, click here. |
 |
English IV
The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson
Seventeen-year-old Jenna Fox awakens after more than a year in a coma to find herself in a life—and a body—that she doesn't quite recognize. Her parents tell her that she's been in an accident, but much of her past identity and current situation remain a mystery to her: Why has her family abruptly moved from Boston to California, leaving all of her personal belongings behind? Why does her grandmother react to her with such antipathy? Why have her parents instructed her to make sure not to tell anyone about the circumstances of their move? And why can Jenna recite whole passages of Thoreau's Walden, but remember next to nothing of her own past? As she watches family videos of her childhood, strange memories begin to surface, and she slowly realizes that a terrible secret is being kept from her.
Click here for the summer reading assignment.
For more information about the book and the author, click here. |
 |
AP English Literature & Composition
How to Read Literature Like a Professor by Thomas C. Foster, plus one selection from the reading list
Often, there is much more going on in a novel or poem than is readily visible on the surface—a symbol, maybe, that remains elusive, or an unexpected twist on a character—and there's that sneaking suspicion that the deeper meaning of a literary text keeps escaping you. In this practical and amusing guide to literature, Thomas C. Foster shows how easy and gratifying it is to unlock those hidden truths, and to discover a world where a road leads to a quest; a shared meal may signify a communion; and rain, whether cleansing or destructive, is never just rain. Ranging from major themes to literary models, narrative devices, and form, How to Read Literature Like a Professor is the perfect companion for making your reading experience more enriching, satisfying, and fun.
Click here for the summer reading assignment.
For more information about the book and the author, click here. |
 |
English 100
Among the Hidden by Margaret Peterson Haddix
Luke has never been to school. He's never had a birthday party, or gone to a friend's house for an overnight. In fact, Luke has never had a friend. Luke is one of the shadow children, a third child forbidden by the Population Police. He's lived his entire life in hiding, and now, with a new housing development replacing the woods next to his family's farm, he is no longer even allowed to go outside. Then, one day Luke sees a girl's face in the window of a house where he knows two other children already live. Finally, he's met a shadow child like himself. Jen is willing to risk everything to come out of the shadows--does Luke dare to become involved in her dangerous plan? Can he afford not to?
Click here for the summer reading assignment.
For more information about the author, click here. |
 |
English 101/201
Hit Squad by James Heneghan
This is Mickey's first year at Grandview High. After transferring, all he wants to do is keep his head down, work hard and fit in with the upscale crowd. He is approached, because of his tough reputation, to join a group of students to take back the school from the bullies. Mickey finds himself caught up in a shadowy world of violence and retribution. When their planned payback goes horribly wrong, Mickey is forced to acknowledge the thin line between victim and victimizer.
Click here for the summer reading assignment.
To visit the author's website, click here. |
 |
English 301/401
Killing Mr. Griffin by Lois Duncan
Mark Kinney is a miss-led teenager who has had enough of his strict English teacher, Mr. Griffin. Mr. Griffin believes that an 'A' is perfect and no-one is perfect - so he gives his students average marks, which they believe are not appropriate. Mark therefore gets a group of unlikely teenagers together and he plots a plan to kidnap Mr. Griffin, to teach ‘him' a lesson. After much deliberation with his newly acquired group they start with the well-thought out plan. It all goes well until Susan McConnell hears that they left Mr. Griffin in the mountains overnight and she goes with her boyfriend, David Ruggles, to save him. Once up in the mountains they notice that Mr. Griffin is dead and they notify the rest of the group and now the new plot to cover up the death begins. With the missing person reports out, Mrs. Griffin questions Susan. Susan does her best not to give out too many signals when she lied while answering, but Mrs. Griffin gets suspicious. What will Mark do when he hears that the secret is out?
Click here for the summer reading assignment.
For more information about the novel and the author, click here. |
 |
English 103/203/303/403
Tex by S.E. Hinton
Easygoing, thoughtless, and direct, Tex at fifteen likes everyone and everything, especially his horse, Negrito, and Johnny Collins's blue-eyed sister, Jamie. He thinks life with his seventeen-year-old brother, Mason, in their ramshackle house would be just about perfect if only Mace would stop complaining about Pop. Pop hasn't been home in five months. Mace wants to get out of Oklahoma. Tex just seems to attract trouble and danger . . . Suddenly everything's falling apart.
Click here for the summer reading assignment.
For more information about the author, click here. |
|
|
