Summer Reading Assignments

Grades 6 to 9

The way to get better at anything is to practice. This is true for reading. For anyone to get better at reading, they must continue to read—all the time, during the school year and also when school is not in session. Reading has many benefits (see below). Therefore, we are asking all our students to read over the summer.

Why should you read?

(see the graphic, right)

1. Reading is rewarding.

2. Reading Builds a Mature Vocabulary (fights word poverty).

3. Reading makes you a better writer.

4. Reading is hard and “hard” is necessary.

5. Reading makes you smarter.

6. Reading prepares you for the world of work.

7. Reading is financially rewarding.

8. Reading opens the door to college and beyond.

9. Reading arms you against oppression.

 

Before school ends, you will:

• Help to create an online summer reading book list of possible titles to read. 

• Set your own summer reading goals.

• Set up a list where you will record what you read over the summer.

Grades 6 to 9 Book List

Over the summer, you will:

• Read like crazy!

• Keep track of the books you read in your Google doc.  If you are a new student to Dock, you can keep track in your own google document or on a piece of paper.  You will bring the paper or share the electronic file with your teacher in the fall. 

• Think about the books you’re reading and the ways you are growing as a reader.

 

In the first couple days of school, you will:

• Review your reading goals.

• Reflect back on your reading achievements, disappointments, and your lives as readers over the summer.

• Talk to your classmates and teacher about your reading.

• Teachers will also set goals and report back.

 

Questions to consider (and for you to discuss with your classmates) as you read:

• What’s something that surprised you about your reading this summer?

• What was your reading goal for this summer and how did it work out?

• What one book that you read this summer would you recommend that everyone read?

• How would you describe your life as a reader this summer?

(P.S. Your reading teacher will be doing all of these things too, including setting goals and reading!)

Expectations for Summer Reading Groups

AP Language & Composition (see AP section below)

Honors American Literature

Being an honors student means making a conscious choice to challenge yourself to grow as a reader and writer. Your first opportunity to practice making this choice for Honors American Literature will be your summer reading. The information below outlines what’s expected of you.

Over the summer, honors students are expected to . . .

1. Participate in school wide summer reading groups. (Sign up form was posted on Schoology.)
2. Select a “stretch read” in addition to your school wide summer reading selection, preferably by a classic or contemporary American author. You’ll need to read your book in full and track your thinking as you go.

What is a “stretch read”? Here are some criteria to guide you . . .

●      A “stretch read” exercises your stamina and skill as a reader. In other words, the difficulty level should be manageable, yet should push you to the top of your game as a reader.

●      A “stretch read” has complex themes and ideas that provoke the reader to deep, critical thinking. It’s a book that goes beyond mere entertainment, allowing for thoughtful reflection about yourself, the world, the experience of being human, etc.

●      A “stretch read” is not the same for every person. Don’t compare yourself to others; rather, consider your own strengths and weaknesses as a reader when making your selection.

Here are some books you may want to consider for a “stretch read”:

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain

The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton

The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver

Caste by Isabel Wilkerson

Educated by Tara Westover

The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah

Gilead by Marilynne Robinson

The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck

The Help by Kathryn Stockett

Jayber Crow by Wendell Berry

Kindred by Octavia Butler

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

My Antonia by Willa Cather

Nickel and Dimed by Barbara Ehrenreich

The Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane

The Sunflower Sisters by Martha Hall Kelly

 

*Feel free to choose something not on this list and/or to talk with English teachers as you decide. You are free to change your selection over the summer; just get in touch with me to discuss the change.

You’ll need to prepare for one-on-one conferences with your teacher and in-class conversation with peers about your stretch read. Do this by tracking your thinking as you read. Tracking your thinking means making note of your own thoughts, reactions, and connections while reading. (It is NOT summarizing.)

Here are some options for tracking your thinking:

●      Annotation: put your thinking on paper by making notes in the margin as you read. Write down questions, reactions, and/or connections. Underline or star passages you find striking, beautiful, and/or crucial to the central ideas of the text.

●      Sticky notes: if you don’t want to write in your book, use post-it notes to track your thinking as you go.

●      Journaling: use a separate space (physical notebook or digital notebook) to write down your thoughts as you read. Could be done continuously or after each chapter, section, etc. Include favorite quotes, discuss central ideas, and record your opinions--you could even include sketches and doodles!   

You don’t need to do all three; choose the option (or combination of options) that will best allow you to think more deeply about your reading and keep a record of your thoughts that you can return to later. If you have a different idea for how to track your thinking, let me know.

Next Steps:

1. Sign up for your school wide summer reading choice (if you haven’t already).
2. Select a stretch read from the list above, or find your own reading selection.
3. Email Miss Kolb (jmkolb@dock.org) by Wednesday, June 9th with the following information:
   1. Introduction (I don’t know most of you, so please tell me about yourself!)
   2. Your stretch read selection and why you chose it
   3. Explanation of how this book meets the stretch read criteria for you
   4. How you plan to track your thinking
   5. Any questions you have about summer reading or the class in general
4. Purchase a copy of your stretch read (or borrow from someone who doesn’t mind if you keep it for a really long time). You’ll need to have a copy to read over the summer and then bring to class in the fall, so a library book will not work. I recommend purchasing your own copy so that you have the option to annotate. Keep in mind that many of these options can be purchased second-hand at very reasonable prices.
5. Let the reading begin!

I am excited to read and write and learn with you this fall! Please feel free to reach out to me with anything you want to ask or share between now and then.

Honors World Literature

Being an honors student means making a conscious choice to challenge yourself to grow as a reader and writer. Your first opportunity to practice making this choice for Honors American Literature will be your summer reading. The information below outlines what’s expected of you.

Over the summer, honors students are expected to . . .

1. Participate in school wide summer reading groups. (Sign up form was posted on Schoology.)
2. Select a “stretch read” in addition to your school wide summer reading selection, preferably by a classic or contemporary American author. You’ll need to read your book in full and track your thinking as you go.

What is a “stretch read”? Here are some criteria to guide you . . .

●      A “stretch read” exercises your stamina and skill as a reader. In other words, the difficulty level should be manageable, yet should push you to the top of your game as a reader.

●      A “stretch read” has complex themes and ideas that provoke the reader to deep, critical thinking. It’s a book that goes beyond mere entertainment, allowing for thoughtful reflection about yourself, the world, the experience of being human, etc.

●      A “stretch read” is not the same for every person. Don’t compare yourself to others; rather, consider your own strengths and weaknesses as a reader when making your selection.

Here are some books you may want to consider for a “stretch read”:

British Literature Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen Wuthering Heights by Charlotte Bronte A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens Far From the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy Flush by Virginia Woolf White Teeth by Zadie Smith The Once and Future King by T.H. White And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie A Room With a View by E.M. Forster

World Literature The Hunchback of Notre Dame by Victor Hugo 100 Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez Bridge of Clay by Markus Zusak The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingslover Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy In the Time of Butterflies by Julia Alvarez A Long Way Gone by Ishmael Beah Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery Lady Oracle by Margaret Atwood

 

There are plenty of other options—the world is at your disposal! Note: If you decide to change your “stretch read” for whatever reason over the summer, please email me to discuss your change.

You’ll need to prepare for one-on-one conferences with your teacher and in-class conversation with peers about your stretch read. Do this by tracking your thinking as you read. Tracking your thinking means making note of your own thoughts, reactions, and connections while reading. (It is NOT summarizing.)

Here are some options for tracking your thinking:

●      Annotation: put your thinking on paper by making notes in the margin as you read. Write down questions, reactions, and/or connections. Underline or star passages you find striking, beautiful, and/or crucial to the central ideas of the text.

●      Sticky notes: if you don’t want to write in your book, use post-it notes to track your thinking as you go.

●      Journaling: use a separate space (physical notebook or digital notebook) to write down your thoughts as you read. Could be done continuously or after each chapter, section, etc. Include favorite quotes, discuss central ideas, and record your opinions--you could even include sketches and doodles!   

You don’t need to do all three; choose the option (or combination of options) that will best allow you to think more deeply about your reading and keep a record of your thoughts that you can return to later. If you have a different idea for how to track your thinking, let me know.

Next Steps:

1. Sign up for your school wide summer reading choice (if you haven’t already).
2. Select a stretch read from the list above, or find your own reading selection.
3. Email Miss Kolb (jmkolb@dock.org) by Wednesday, June 9 with the following information:
   1. Introduction (I don’t know most of you, so please tell me about yourself!)
   2. Your stretch read selection and why you chose it
   3. Explanation of how this book meets the stretch read criteria for you
   4. How you plan to track your thinking
   5. Any questions you have about summer reading or the class in general
4. Purchase a copy of your stretch read (or borrow from someone who doesn’t mind if you keep it for a really long time). You’ll need to have a copy to read over the summer and then bring to class in the fall, so a library book will not work. I recommend purchasing your own copy so that you have the option to annotate. Keep in mind that many of these options can be purchased second-hand at very reasonable prices.
5. Let the reading begin!

I am excited to read and write and learn with you this fall! Please feel free to reach out to me with anything you want to ask or share between now and then.

Contact Miss Metzler for your assignments. These should also be posted on Schoology.

Miss Metzler's AP Environmental Science students will research three species that live in our/your region and make a 5-10 minute video with YOUR footage of these species. Students are to give visual or audio information about where these species are originally from, how they interact with other living things in the environment, and if there are any threats to their habitat. Have fun with this and get creative! If you have any questions about how to do this summer work, contact me at vametzler@dock.org.

Being an AP student means making a conscious choice to challenge yourself to grow as a reader and writer. Your first opportunity to practice making this choice for AP English will be your summer reading. The information below outlines what’s expected of you. Remember: strong readers become strong writers. One of the best things you can do to prepare yourself for this course is to keep pushing yourself as a reader this summer.

Over the summer, AP students are expected to . . .

1. Participate in school wide summer reading groups. (Sign up form was posted on Schoology.)

2.  Select a “stretch read” in addition to your school wide summer reading selection. You’ll need to read your book in full and track your thinking as you go.

What is a “stretch read”? Here are some criteria to guide you . . .

●      A “stretch read” exercises your stamina and skill as a reader. In other words, the difficulty level should be manageable, yet should push you to the top of your game as a reader.

●      A “stretch read” has complex themes and ideas that provoke the reader to deep, critical thinking. It’s a book that goes beyond mere entertainment, allowing for thoughtful reflection about yourself, the world, the experience of being human, etc.

●      A “stretch read” is not the same for every person. Don’t compare yourself to others; rather, consider your own strengths and weaknesses as a reader when making your selection.

Here are some books you may want to consider for a “stretch read”:

The Aeneid by Virgil

Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver

Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy

Beloved by Toni Morrison

David Copperfield by Charles Dickens

East of Eden by John Steinbeck

Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi

In the Time of the Butterflies by Julia Alvarez

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brönte

Lost Roses by Martha Hall Kelly

Midnight’s Children by Salman Rushdie

The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander

The Omnivore’s Dilemma by Michael Pollan

The Once and Future King by T.H. White

The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver

Wuthering Heights by Emily Brönte

 

*Feel free to choose something not on this list and/or to talk with English teachers as you decide. You are free to change your selection over the summer; just get in touch with me to discuss the change.