Required Summer Reading for All Incoming Tenth Grade Students

All students must read J.D. Salinger’s novel THE CATCHER IN THE RYE and complete a packet of journal questions which will be provided by the MRHS English department. The journal questions will be collected, and students will complete an in-class essay assignment when they return to school. This reading/essay assignment will be worth 10% of the first marking period grade.

Required Summer Reading for Incoming Honors Tenth Graders (L402, L412)

In addition, all students in Honors A or B English classes must read one book from the three listed below during the summer. Each student will be required to write about one aspect of this book during the first week of school. It would be advantageous to take notes on the characters, plot, and author’s writing style while reading the selected book.

NARRATIVE OF THE LIFE OF FREDERICK DOUGLASS, AN AMERICAN SLAVE—This dramatic autobiography of the early life of an American slave was first published in 1845. After he achieved freedom, Frederick Douglass became a noted author and speaker on slavery.

A HOPE IN THE UNSEEN: AN AMERICAN ODYSSEY FROM THE INNER CITY TO THE IVY LEAGUE by Ron Suskind—This is a nonfiction narrative following Cedric Jennings, a talented black teenager who struggled to succeed in one of the worst high schools in Washington D.C., as he graduates and goes to Brown University. Cedric relies on his intelligence and determination to keep alive his hope to succeed.

THE COLOR OF WATER by James McBride – This memoir tells the remarkable story of Ruth McBride Jordan, the two good men she married, and the 12 good children she raised. Jordan, born Rachel Shilsky, a Polish Jew, immigrated to America soon after birth; as an adult she moved to New York City, leaving her family and faith behind in Virginia. Jordan met and married a black man, making her isolation even more profound. The book is a success story, a testament to one woman's true heart, solid values, and indomitable will. Ruth Jordan battled not only racism but also poverty to raise her children and, despite being sorely tested, never wavered. In telling her story--along with her son's--The Color of Water addresses racial identity with compassion, insight, and realism. It is, in a word, inspiring, and you will finish it with unalloyed admiration for a flawed but remarkable individual. And, perhaps, a little more faith in us all.

*Students must complete the summer reading assignment to remain in Honors English.