RBHS Summer Reading 2009

The Assessment: All students will be assessed (tested) in their English class during the first week of school. Students are encouraged to note such things as character descriptions, themes, setting, plot, mood, tone, symbols, the significance of the title, and author's techniques. Historical context, relationship to personal or world events, and evidence of author bias are other aspects to consider. Students may be permitted to refer to their notes during the assessment. If the student owns the book, he/she is encouraged to take notes, or to highlight important aspects or passages during a second reading -- the first time through should be just for pure enjoyment.

You may wish to use the attached graphic organizer to gather notes to use on your assessment. Click HERE to download the Word document.

To Buy or To Borrow the Book?: The local public libraries will purchase copies of all our required books, and they encourage our students to visit them and borrow the books. Students may certainly do well on the assessment if they read a book from a library and take notes on paper to help them remember important aspects. The RB Library will also own at least two copies of each required book as well as many of the titles on the "free choice" list, but students should not count on those being available if they wait until school begins in the fall to begin their reading.

If a student wants to make notes directly on the pages of the book, he/she must purchase a personal copy. Students may visit any of a number of local bookstores - they have been notified of our list, and may have extra copies on hand. (See list of participating bookstores below.) Online bookstores also are sources for purchasing a copy.

Advanced Placement Requirements: Students enrolled in all Advanced Placement classes must read the specific book(s) required for that class. Students enrolled in more than one AP class need to fulfill the requirements for all of their AP classes.

Required Reading List
If you're enrolled in this English class for 2009-10 . . .	. . . you MUST read this book:
English 9 (Regular, Honors, or SEE Team)		Touching Spirit Bear, by Ben Michaelson After his anger erupts into violence, Cole, in order to avoid going to prison, agrees to participate in a sentencing alternative based on the Native American Circle Justice, and he is sent to a remote Alaskan island where an encounter with a huge Spirit Bear changes his life.
English 9 (Special Education self-contained)		Tears of a Tiger, by Sharon Draper Drinking and driving are the causes of an accident that kills Andy's best friend and captain of his high school team. This event haunts Andy, and he can't stop blaming himself.
English 10 (Regular or Honors)		*It's Not About the Bike: My Journey Back to Life*, by Lance Armstrong Autobiography of a cyclist telling about his life from his childhood through early success, his nearly fatal cancer, recovery, and survivorship, and his winning of the 1999 Tour de France, marriage and fatherhood.
English 10 (Special Education self-contained)		The First Part Last, by Angela Johnson Bobby's carefree teenage life changes forever when he becomes a father and must care for his adored baby daughter.
English 11 (Regular)		A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail, by Bill Bryson The Appalachian Trail stretches from Georgia to Maine and covers some of the most breathtaking terrain in America – majestic mountains, silent forests, sparkling lakes. If you’re going to take a hike, it’s probably the place to go. And Bill Bryson is surely the most entertaining guide you’ll find. He introduces us to the history and ecology of the trail and to some of the other hardy (or just foolhardy) folks he meets along the way–and a couple of bears. Note: if you were on the SEE Team 2 years ago and already read this book, please expect to be assessed on A Walk in the Woods this fall. We invite you also to read at least one of the "extra free-choice" books from the list below, for extra credit.
English 11 (Special Education self-contained)		Bunker 10, by JA Henderson Something is going terribly wrong at the top secret Pinewood Military Installation, and the teenage geniuses who study and work there are about to discover a horrible truth as they lead a small military force trying to retrieve data and escape before the compound self-destructs.
		OR
		Fever 1793, by Laurie Halse Anderson In 1793 Philadelphia, sixteen-year-old Matilda Cook, separated from her sick mother, learns about perseverance and self-reliance when she is forced to cope with the horrors of a yellow fever epidemic.
AP Language & Composition		A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail, by Bill Bryson The Appalachian Trail stretches from Georgia to Maine and covers some of the most breathtaking terrain in America – majestic mountains, silent forests, sparkling lakes. If you’re going to take a hike, it’s probably the place to go. And Bill Bryson is surely the most entertaining guide you’ll find. He introduces us to the history and ecology of the trail and to some of the other hardy (or just foolhardy) folks he meets along the way–and a couple of bears. Note: if you were on the SEE Team 2 years ago and already read this book, please expect to be assessed on A Walk in the Woods this fall. We invite you also to read at least one of the "extra free-choice" books from the list below, for extra credit.
All seniors taking a class for English credit other than AP Lit or special education self-contained (i.e. Broadcast Journalism, Contemporary Literature, World Literature, etc.)		Flight, by Sherman Alexie The year is 2007; the hero, a throwaway kid named Zits. Half-Native American, half- Irish, an orphan since the age of 6, Zits is a self-proclaimed blank sky, a solar eclipse. He inherited his mother's green eyes and his father's acne. At 15, he has lived in 20 different foster homes, gone to 22 different schools and owns just enough clothing to fill a backpack. Then one day, looking for revenge, he takes a trip back in time and gets a chance at redemption.
English 12 (Special Education self-contained)		The Things They Carried, by Tim O'Brien A fictionalized "memoir" of the author's experiences before, during, and after his participation in the Vietnam War. "Weapons and good-luck charms carried by U.S. soldiers in Vietnam here represent survival, lost innocence and the war's interminable legacy. O'Brien's meditations--on war and memory, on darkness and light--suffuse the entire work with a kind of poetic form, making for a highly original, fully realized novel." (Publisher's Weekly)
AP Literature & Composition Description, suggestions, and requirements for summer reading for AP Lit		Old School, by Tobias Wolff "The narrator, whose name is never given, is a scholarship student at an unnamed New England all male prep school in 1960-61. The school's primary emphasis is literature. Each year, three famous writers come to the school. The students, including the narrator, compete for a chance to have a private conversation with each visiting writer. The competition consists of writing a story or poem. The best one wins. Robert Frost, Ayn Rand and Ernest Hemingway are the three writers for the year 1960-61. The narrator comes to realize that he will not be a good writer until he can be honest about himself, both in his life and in his writing." (Susanna Marlowe, Resident Scholar allreaders.com)
		"*Big Two-Hearted River*" (Parts 1 and 2) [Short Story], by Ernest Hemingway (click HERE to download the story)
		"Indian Camp" [Short Story], by Ernest Hemingway (click HERE to download the story)
		"Birches" and "Mending Wall" [Poems], by Robert Frost (click HERE to download the story)

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Extra Books - read as many as you wish to earn prizes, credit, and recognition!
	Easy Reading Level	Intermediate Reading Level	Challenging / Adult Reading Level
	Aftershock by Kelly Easton Witnessing his parents' death in a car crash in Idaho, 17-year-old Adam's mind is sent spinning as he begins to walk his way back home to Rhode Island in an attempt to deal with the tragedy he knows will forever alter the only life he has ever known. 176 pages	An Abundance of Katherines by John Green Having been recently dumped for the nineteenth time by a girl named Katherine, recent high school graduate and former child prodigy Colin sets off on a road trip with his best friend to try to find some new direction in life while also trying to create a mathematical formula to explain his relationships. Lexile 890	Cane River by Lalita Tademy A fact-based novel in which the author draws upon her own family history to trace four generations of African-American women from slavery on a Creole plantation to the pre-civil rights South. Lexile 970
	Avalon High by Meg Cabot Having moved to Annapolis, Maryland with her medievalist parents, high school junior Ellie enrolls at Avalon High School, where several students may or may not be reincarnations of King Arthur and his court. Lexile 800	The Book Thief by Markus Zusak Trying to make sense of the horrors of World War II, Death related the story of Liesel -- a young German girl whose book-stealing and story-telling talents help sustain her family and the Jewish man they are hiding, as well as their neighbors. Lexile 730 576 pages	The Good Guy by Dean Koontz Chatting with a nervous stranger sitting at a local bar, Timothy Carrier soon realizes that he has been mistaken for a killer-for-hire and has been given an envelope full of cash and a contract on a pretty young woman whose photograph and address accompany the money. Lexile 880
	City of Bones by Cassandra Clare Suddenly able to see demons and the Darkhunters who are dedicated to returning them to their own dimension, fifteen-year-old Clary Fray is drawn into this bizarre world when her mother disappears and Clary herself is almost killed by a monster. Lexile 740	The Christopher Killer: A Forensic Mystery by Alane Ferguson On the payroll as an assistant to her coroner father, 17-year-old Cameryn Mahoney uses her knowledge of forensic medicine to catch the killer of a friend, while putting herself in terrible danger. Lexile 800	The Haunting of Alaizabel Cray by Chris Wooding In a world similar to Victorian London, Thaniel, a seventeen-year-old hunter of deadly, demonic creatures called the wych-kin, takes in a lost, possessed girl, and becomes embroiled in a plot to unleash evil on the world. Lexile 970
	Gym Candy by Carl Deuker Groomed by his father to be a star player, football is the only thing that has ever really mattered to Mick Johnson, who works hard for a spot on the varsity team his freshman year, then tries to hold onto his edge by using steroids, despite the consequences to his health and social life. Lexile 710	Does My Head Look Big in This? by Randa Abdel-Fattah Year Eleven at an exclusive prep school in the suburbs of Melbourne, Australia, would be tough enough, but it is further complicated for Amal when she decides to wear the hijab, the Muslim head scarf, full-time as a badge of her faith--without losing her identity or sense of style. Lexile 850	I’d Tell You I Love You, But Then I’d Have to Kill You by Ally Carter As a sophomore at a secret spy school and the daughter of a former CIA operative, Cammie is sheltered from "normal teenage life" until she meets a local boy while on a class surveillance mission. Lexile 1000
	Leaving Paradise by Simone Elkeles In alternating chapters, 17-year-olds Caleb and Maggie relate the difficulties of readjusting to school, and changing relationships with family, friends, and one another, a year after a drunk driving accident sent her to the hospital with a crippling leg injury and him to prison. Lexile 680	Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen accidentally becomes a contender in the annual Hunger Games, a grave competition hosted by the Capitol where young boys and girls are pitted against one another in a televised fight to the death. Lexile 810	A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier by Ishmael Beah In a heart-wrenching, candid autobiography, a human rights activist offers a firsthand account of war from the perspective of a former child soldier, detailing the violent civil war that wracked his native Sierra Leone and the government forces that transformed a gentle young boy into a killer as a member of the army. www.alongwaygone.com Lexile 920
	Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer Through journal entries sixteen-year-old Miranda describes her family's struggle to survive after a meteor hits the moon, causing worldwide tsunamis, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions. Lexile 770	Inexcusable by Chris Lynch High school senior and football player Keir sets out to enjoy himself on graduation night, but when he attempts to comfort a friend whose date has left her stranded, things go terribly wrong. Lexile 810	Look Me in the Eye: My Life With Asperger’s by John Elder Robison In an entertaining and inspirational memoir of living with Asperger's Syndrome, the author describes life growing up different in an unusual family, his unusual talents, his struggle to live a "normal" life, his diagnosis at the age of forty with Asperger's, and the dramatic changes that have occurred since that diagnosis. 304 pages
	Rash by Pete Hautman In a future society that has decided it would “rather be safe than free,” 16-year-old Bo’s anger management problems land him in a tundra jail where he survives with the help of his running skills and an artificial intelligence program named Bork. Lexile 730	A Lion Called Christian: The True Story of the Remarkable Bond between Two Friends and a Lion by Anthony Bourke and John Rendall A remarkable story of how Ace and John, in 1969, bought the boisterous lion cub, named Christian, in the pet department of Harrods. Christian is later flown to Kenya and fully integrated into the wild. Incredibly, when Ace and John returned to Kenya to see Christian a year later, they received a loving welcome from their lion – a true story of an indelible human-animal bond. 256 pages	The Luxe by Anna Godbersen In Manhattan in 1899, five teens of different social classes lead dangerously scandalous lives, despite the strict rules of society and the best-laid plans of parents and others. Lexile 990
	Rooftop by Paul Volponi Still reeling from seeing police shoot his unarmed cousin to death on the roof of a New York City housing project, 17-year-old Clay is dragged into the whirlwind of political manipulation that follows. Lexile 780	Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult The people of Sterling, New Hampshire, are forever changed after a shooting at the high school leaves ten people dead, and the judge presiding over the trial tries to remain unbiased, even though her daughter witnessed the events and was friends with the assailant. Lexile 890	The Omnivore’s Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals by Michael Pollan Follows the three major food chains that feed humans – industrial, organic, and hunter-gatherer—from the earth to four meals, exploring the ethical and political effects of one’s food choices. 464 pages in paperback
	Rules of Survival by Nancy Werlin 17-year-old Matthew recounts his attempts, starting at a young age, to free himself and his sisters from the grip of their emotionally and physically abusive mother. Lexile 660	Peeps by Scott Westerfeld Cal Thompson is a carrier of a parasite that causes vampirism, and must hunt down all of the girlfriends he has unknowingly infected. Lexile 840	What is the What by David Eggers A fictionalized memoir of Valentino Achak Deng, a Sudanese refugee who was forced from his home by the Second Sudanese Civil War and faced many difficulties before coming to the United States. 560 pages
	Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr 17-year-old Aislinn, who has the rare ability to see faeries, is drawn against her will into a centuries-old battle between the Summer King and the Winter Queen, and the survival of her life, her love, and summer all hang in the balance. Lexile 700	Pride of Baghdad by Brian Vaughan A pride of lions escapes from the Baghdad Zoo during the Iraq War and questions the meaning of freedom. Inspired by true events. Graphic novel format. 136 pages
		Sold by Patricia McCormick Lakshmi, 13, knows nothing about the world beyond her village shack in the Himalayas of Nepal, and when her family loses the little it has in a monsoon, she grabs a chance to work as a maid in the city so she can send money back home. What she doesn’t know is that her stepfather has sold her into prostitution. Lexile 820

At Riverside Brookfield High School we value reading for both recreational and curricular purposes. The philosophy for our summer reading program encompasses both of those purposes. There is one required read for each English class. Some Advanced Placement classes may have additional requirements. Students will prepare for an assessment on their required reading. Some classes are providing a study guide to help guide the reading and understanding of the required reading. There is no choice available for the required reading for either English or any AP class. In addition, *new in 2009*, students are encouraged to choose at least one additional book to read for pleasure. There is a list provided below, with brief summaries to help student choose. Various incentives (prizes, extra credit, public recognition, etc.) will be offered as a reward for students choosing to increase their participation in Summer Reading.
Answers to some of your questions:
The Assessment in your English class	To buy or to borrow the book?	Advanced Placement Requirements
Contact information, if you have other questions

The Lists
Required Reading List for English
AP U.S. History letter to students about requirements	AP Literature
AP European History	AP Language & Composition

Borders Books of LaGrange and Oakbrook	Barnes and Noble, Oakbrook (Rt. 83)
B. Dalton in North Riverside	Magic Tree in Oak Park

General Questions Doreen Fritz Department Chair of Library & Instructional Technology E-mail: fritzd	AP, Regular, and Honors English Requirements George Miller Department Chair - English E-mail: millerg	AP History Requirements John Beasley Department Chair - Social Studies E-mail: beasleyj	Special Education English Requirements Gayle Brankin Department Chair - Special Education E-mail: branking
All e-mail addresses are @rbhs208.org

AP European History
See letter with specific instructions about your summer requirements
	*1453: The Holy War for Constantinople and the Clash of Islam and the West, by Roger Crowley On May 29, 1453, Ottoman forces, under the leadership of Mehmet II, concluded their long and bloody siege of Constantinople by storming the city and overtaking it. According to Crowley, who works in publishing in England; the Ottoman conquest of the city brought to an end centuries of conflict between the Byzantine Empire and Islam. Crowley chronicles the story of an ancient city and its attraction to members of two major religions. Before Mehmet's conquest, Constantinople had faced various unsuccessful sieges. The most destructive events came between 1341 and 1371, when earthquakes and the Black Death devastated the city, turning it into a forlorn series of villages. Although the Byzantine capital recovered enough of its former glory to entice Mehmet to its walls, even he felt tremendous disappointment, finding the city didn't live up to its reputation. Perhaps the author's most instructive point, made by others as well, is that Mehmet turned the city into one where religious toleration and multiculturalism flourished. amazon.com*
	outline Chapter 12 in McKay (*History of Western Society*), our textbook. See letter with specific instructions about your summer requirements
	also, purchase for the school year: Dennis Sherman's Western Civilization, Renaissance to the Present, 7th edition, (purple and black cover)

AP United States History
See letter with specific instructions about your summer requirements
	Mayflower: A Story of Courage, Community, and War, by Nathaniel Philbrick. New York: Penguin Press, 2006. Impeccably researched and expertly rendered, Philbrick's account brings the Plymouth Colony and its leaders, including William Bradford, Benjamin Church and the bellicose, dwarfish Miles Standish, vividly to life. More importantly, he brings into focus a gruesome period in early American history. (amazon.com)
	[outline the first two chapters of your textbook, Inventing America (pick up a copy from Mr. Gouwens, Mr. Field, or Mr. Gibbons)