Summer Reading

As a reading specialist and a person who loves to read, I am requiring that you read at least one book for the summer.  When you don’t read, your reading speed, comprehension, and vocabulary development become slower.  In other words, the more you practice the better your reading skills become.  When you don’t use it you lose it!  I don’t want to see anyone lose whatever you have gained during the course of this year.

Every student at Mainland is required to read over the summer.  I personally would like you to read a book based on your interests.  I will count the book you read for your English class as your summer reading, but if time allows, read another book that you are interested in reading.  Keep a chapter summary of the details in a notebook.  At the beginning of the school year, you will be required to complete a project based on your summer reading assignment.

Below is a list of websites for you to examine for book list suggestions.

Mainland Regional High School website lists the summer reading book lists for English classes

Http://www.mainlandregional.net

Yalsa list for reluctant readers is a list generated by the American Library Association.  It is a list of Quick Picks books that teens, ages 12-18, will pick up on their own and read for pleasure; it is geared to the teenager who, for whatever reason, does not like to read.  You can find this list of books at the following website:

http://www.ala.org/ala/yalsa/booklistsawards/quickpicks/quickpicksreluctant.cfm

The Adolescent Literacy website offers books lists and suggestions:

http://www.adlit.org/

Scholastic website provides books and descriptions:

http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/index.jsp

Finn, Alex

Breathing Underwater - Ms. Morgan is "impressed with this author's first novel", " "A gripping tale," a 16-year-old, who is considered perfect by his classmates, suffers a turbulent home life with an abusive father, and he himself follows the pattern of violence" (Publishers Weekly).

Werlin, Nancy

Rules of Survival - "Werlin reinforces her reputation as a master of the YA thriller, pulling off a brilliant departure in this dark but hopeful tale, with pacing and suspense guaranteed to leave readers breathlessly turning the pages" (Booklist)

Picoult, Jodi
My Sister's Keeper - Conceived to provide a bone marrow match for her leukemia-stricken sister, teenage Kate begins to question her moral obligations in light of countless medical procedures and decides to fight for the right to make decisions about her own body.

Three Little Words : a Memoir by Ashley Rhodes-Courter (2008) - Ashley spent nine years in foster care after being taken away from her mother. She endured many caseworkers, moving from school to school and manipulative, humiliating and abusive treatment from one foster family. See how she survives and eventually thrives against the odds. (Novelist)

Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher © 2007 - When high school student Clay Jenkins receives a box in the mail containing thirteen cassette tapes recorded by his classmate Hannah, who committed suicide, he spends a bewildering and heartbreaking night crisscrossing their town, listening to Hannah's voice recounting the events leading up to her death.(Novelist)