Welcome to summertime, and you know what that means: summer reading assignments! Don't get stressed about it; take a book to the beach or the backyard and relax. A copy of the reading list was included with your report card, and you can find it here at any time.
Like last year, each honors student will read THREE books this summer; non-honors students will read TWO. Of these, only one is chosen for you. The others are up to you, with some stipulations.
The list for summer 2008:
- Freshmen ~ The Alchemist, but Paulo Coelho (incidentally, the book entering ULM students are reading)
- Sophomores ~ The Catcher in the Rye, by J. D. Salinger
- Juniors ~ 1984, by George Orwell
- Seniors ~ Bayou Farewell, by Mike Tidwell
Students will be asked to write an in-class essay when they return to school, based on topics provided by the teacher, using the book and an outline only.
As noted, the other selections are up to you. For each additional book, you will write a short report (referred to as a "reading guide"). Please observe the following when selecting additional books:
- Must NOT be a book the student has studied before
- Must be grade-appropriate (and appropriate for school)
- Must be at least 150 pages
Please note that parents should assist in the selection process. Due to the mature nature of some contemporary titles, parents are encouraged to preview selections or to choose a classic. For starters, try the following:
- Pulitzer Prize winners
- Printz Award recipients
- Outstanding Books for the College Bound (from YALSA)
- UC Berkeley's Annual Summer Reading List
Or, better yet, why not stop by a local bookseller's shop and browse?