WHS Summer Reading

Students entering Honors are recommended to read one book of their choosing and one of the following books:   Mythology by E. Hamilton, Circe by Madeline Miller, Troy by Adele Geras, Lavinia by Ursula K. LeGuin, or The Help by Kathryn Stockett or any other Mythology books located in the book bin.

Students entering Level 1 are recommended to read two age-appropriate books of their choosing.

Questions to consider:

1. What theme or central idea is introduced in the story, and how does it evolve and develop?

2. How would you objectively summarize the text?

Students entering Honors are recommended to read one book of their choosing and one of  the  following:

             The Sword in the Stone by T. H. White

             Snow in August by Pete Hamill

Students entering Level 1 are recommended to read two age-appropriate books of their choosing.

Questions to consider:

1. Identify a character who has multiple or conflicting motivations.

2. How does the character’s development and interactions with other characters help advance the plot or develop the theme?

Students entering Honors are recommended to read the following books:

 Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates

The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead 

11 Honors American Lit students: we begin the year looking at American Literature through the lens of race - something always appropriate in our country. 

For several years we used classic texts like Uncle Tom's Cabin and Huck Finn as summer reading material. You'll still read Huck Finn, but instead of starting with the perspectives of white American authors, we will start this year with  texts written by African American authors. Both of these texts (already in our curriculum) have been making the lists of books on race that need to be read by every American. 

Ta-nehisi Coates' Between the World and Me, a 2015 best seller and National Book Award winner, is a memoir in epistolary form (that means it is a letter), in this case a letter to his black son about surviving in America in a black body. Colson Whitehead's The Nickel Boys, is a 2019 Pulitzer Prize winning, best selling novel based on a true story of a boys' reformatory school in Florida.  These will be challenging reads. Pay attention.

When we get back to school, we will also read the first essay in James Baldwin's The Fire Next Time, a 1963 best seller and still a necessary read if you wish to join the conversation about race in America. The first essay is the model for Coates' memoir; it is Baldwin's letter to his nephew about his future in America as a young black man. 

In September, we will also be looking at the textbook How to Read Literature Like a Professor. I provided a link to it here if you want to get ahead. 

Grade 11 and 12 students are recommended to complete a draft of the Common Application College Essay and read one book of their choice.  There are links on the WHS Writing Resources page to help you get started with the essay.  

Questions to consider with choice book:

1. What accomplishment, event, or realization sparked a period of personal growth for a character in your book?

2.  How does a character's background, identity, interest, or talent drive forward the events of the book?

3.  Select a quote from the novel and show how it illustrates the author's theme or message for that book.

• Students taking ECE 1007 (Roets) are required to read:

  • They Say I Say With Readings: The Moves that Matter in Academic Writing  (2009 Edition or 2018 Edition) by G. Graff, C. Birkenstein and R. Durst

  • Think Again by Adam Grant (Email Mrs. Szilagyi if you are interested in a digital copy)

  • See Mr. Roets' website or this document for a full explanation of the summer reading expectations and assignments.

  • And don't forget to make some time to enjoy a beach read or two. See some suggestions and links below!

• Students taking AP Literature and Composition (Mucinskas) should read the following texts over the course of the summer: 

• TWO of the choice novels listed here. Some are paired by theme or author. If you choose a pair, please read both books in the pair.

  • Jane Eyre, Charlotte Bronte and Wide Sargasso Sea, Jean Rhys

  • The Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns, Khaled Hosseini

  • The Kitchen God’s Wife and The Joy Luck Club, Amy Tan

  • Full Cicada Moon, Marilyn Hilton

  • the curious incident of the dog in the night time, Mark Haddon

  • The House on Mango Street, Sandra Cisneros

  • Beloved, Toni Morrison

  • All the Light We Cannot See, Anthony Doerr

  • Bel Canto, Ann Patchett

  • The Starless Sea, Erin Morgenstern

  • The Night Circus, Erin Morgenstern

  • If you have not read How to Read Literature like a Professor by Thomas Foster, or They Say I Say With Readings: The Moves that Matter in Academic Writing (2009 Edition) by G. Graff, C. Birkenstein and R. Durst, please consider reading these in addition to the other books on the list.

A Short History of the United States, Robert V. Remini (Sora ebook, Destiny audiobook)

See Mrs. Bradley’s  UConn/APUSH Webpage for  summer reading assignment details.

Note: This book fulfills the “choice” selection for the English, except for AP/UConn ECE English.

All Quiet on the Western Front, Erich Maria Remarque
The Life and Death of Nazi Germany (not available in Sora), Robert Goldston

If students cannot access The Life and Death of Nazi Germany, they may read an alternate book: Nazi Germany: A Very Short Introduction, Jane Caplan 

Dear Parents,

Remember that as students mature and prepare for the transition to college and career, they will encounter more adult themes and situations in literature.  You are strongly encouraged to read and discuss books with your child. These discussions provide great opportunities to help you guide your child through the themes and how they relate to our world. Given the large selection of literature available, parents may wish to review the content of the texts. If you or your child find a selection objectionable, please encourage your child to find a book which you feel would be more suitable. If they would like some guidance have them reach out to Mrs. Szilagyi, our teacher-librarian or the public library staff.

English Department and School Library Media Services