English Department:Glass Castle, by Jeannette Walls.
History Department: Chinua Achebe, Things Fall Apart (paperback, $10.95) Please note: This is required for both Modern World History and AP World History.
AP World History:In addition, after graduation Ms. Margolis will send each AP student an envelope with the detailed summer reading information.
French 4H. Le Petit Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry (first six chapters). Get packet from Ms. Miller.
Spanish 4H. "El delantal blanco" by Sergio Vodanovic contained in a packet from Ms. Gray.
All school book: Choose from the list of nominated books below:
Elsewhere, by Gabrielle Zevin (Young Adult). This book is about what happens after you die. When the main character dies, she finds that the dead journey to a land called Elsewhere, where they wait for their time to return to Earth.
The Fountainhead, by Ayn Rand (Adult Fiction). The Fountainhead is a novel that takes a philosophical look at the difference between good and evil, and what it means to stay true to a vision. Ayn Rand, the author, has a peculiar and particular outlook on life and those who live.
Persepolis, by Marjane Satrapi (Adult/Young Adult Nonfiction). Persepolis is Marjane Satrapi's wise, funny, and heartbreaking memoir of growing up in Iran during the Islamic Revolution. In powerful black-and-white comic strip images, Satrapi tells the story of her life in Tehran from ages six to fourteen.
The Realm of Possibility, by David Levithan (Young Adult).This book contains twenty different stories in twenty different young voices that together create one picture of one high school. Each teenage character has a unique voice and style, using his or her own kind of verse to say something about his or her life.
Seabiscuit: an American Legend, by Laura Hillenbrand (Adult Nonfiction). Seabiscuit is a compelling story about a champion thoroughbred race horse in the U.S.A.
A Thousand Splendid Suns, by Khaled Hosseini (Adult Fiction). This book gives great insight into the lives of women in Afghanistan (both before & after the Taliban). It shows the hardships they endured and the strength they had to keep their children & themselves safe."Note: This book contains some violence, especially against women. Check with your parents before reading it.
Water for Elephants, By Sara Gruen (Adult Fiction)This historical novel is wonderfully told by the point of view of an elderly man, Jacob Jankowski, who reminisces of his life working with the Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth Circus during the Depression.
What is the What, by Dave Eggers (Adult Fiction)This story is about a young refugee boy (one of the Lost Boys of Sudan). The story is relevant to the world today because the unrest in Sudan continues on and everyday more refugees must leave Sudan for Chad.
White Like Me, by Tim Wise (Adult Nonfiction)Tim Wise is an anti-racist activist, and his book is largely about white privilege. He shines a critical light on the deeply-embedded structural inequalities of our society, and also discusses innate racial biases, and how people can only truly keep them in check if they can first recognize them.