Dear Parent,

The Calhoun High School Language Arts Department has as part of its curriculum a summer reading plan for the students of the four grade levels. This year we have made some major changes to the program. We have decided to make the entire summer reading program voluntary, with the exception of the 12^th grade AP students, who will have a mandatory reading assignment. Students may choose whichever book they wish to read from the list below, and then participate in related assessment activities when they return to school. Students who successfully complete the assessment activities will receive a 100 for a test grade. Students who choose not to participate in summer reading will be in no way penalized. The Literacy Award reading program will continue as before. We believe that the components of this program will not only prevent students from losing essential language arts skills over the summer, but also will help them increase their reading and literary skills, and expand their cultural literacy. Ultimately, it is our hope that this program will help them to develop a lifelong love of reading.

The process for choosing the books that have been selected as choices for the summer reading was extensive. Students were allowed to offer their input as well as the faculty as a whole.

The appropriate information for the respective grade levels is provided below. At the end of this past school year, students were provided with packets which included lessons and study guides for the reading assignments. Students were instructed to keep up with these packets, but in the event one is lost, another copy can be picked up at the school.  We ask that you assist in implementing this important program.

Sincerely,

The CHS Language Arts Department

Michael S. Hillman, Chair     

Allison Eubanks

Dawn Pruett

Crystal Veal

Summer Reading Books Summer 2008

Monster - Walter Dean Meyers

The Secret Life of Bees - Sue Monk Kidd 

The Seven Habits of Effective Teens – Sean Covey

I Am Legend- Richard Matheson

Quiet Strength: The Principals, Practices, and Priorities of a Winning Life- Tony Dungi 

AP 12^th Grade Mandatory Reading:

Things Fall Apart- Chinua Achebe 

“The Second Coming” a poem by William Butler Yeats

Literacy Award Reading:        

These books are not required, but student who read these books will earn the Literacy Award. The award will be given at each grade level. However, a larger award will be given at the grade 12 level for the students who have read all the books for each grade level. Copies are available in the CHS library. You may check them out there or at any other library to which you have access. If you prefer, you may purchase your own copy. These books are all considered classics, so any major (or even minor) bookstore should have them, or you can easily purchase them online. When students are finished reading them, they may consult their respective English teacher to learn how they may take the assessment for each book they’ve read. 

Grade 9                                                                     Grade 10

The Good Earth by Buck                                        The Sun Also Rises by Hemingway

The Count of Monte Cristo by Dumas                      Slaughterhouse 5 by Vonnegut

Grade 11                                                                    Grade 12 

Tess of the D’urbervilles by Hardy                          Grendel by Gardner

A Man for all Seasons by Bolt                                The Picture of Dorian Gray by Wilde

Suggested Reading:

These books are not required, but are selections that are suggested for readers who are interested in broadening their horizons in terms of the literature they read. All of the selections would be well-worth the time invested by students as they are selections on many lists of great literary works and frequently are discussed in literary circles.

Grade 9

Endurance: Shackleton’s Incredible Voyage by Lansing

Fantastic Voyage by Asimov

The Fellowship of the Ring by Tolkien

Fahrenheit 451 by Bradbury

Where the Lilies Bloom by Cleaver

Grade 10

Into Thin Air by Krakauer

The Catcher in the Rye by Salinger

The Maltese Falcon by Hammett

How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents by Alvarez

On the Road by Kerouac

Grade 11

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Carroll

And Then There Were None by Christie

Jane Eyre by Bronte, C.

The Time Machine by Wells

Time’s Arrow by Amis

Grade 12

All Quiet on the Western Front by Remarque

Lonesome Dove by McMurtry 

The Importance of Being Ernest by Wilde

Rebecca by DuMaurier

The Collected Tales of Nikolai Gogol by Gogal

The Calhoun High School Library will be open in the summer during the following hours: Monday-Friday 9:00-12:00 (With the exception of July 4^th)

The mandatory books will be available for checkout on June 5^th.