Summer Reading

SUMMER READING

Summer reading is required of all students in grades 9-12 and is used as a starting point for discussion and writing in classes.

If a link is posted, simply download the resource from this site. If there is no link, you should look for a copy of the book which should be readily available at used book stores, through the GTACS Uniform and Book Facebook group, or from students in the grades ahead of your student.

St. Francis High School 

Honors Brit Lit (please use this link for specific ISBN)

In the early twentieth century, a poet of order enlists in a group of philosophical secret policeman to infiltrate an international ring of anarchists and stop them from assassinating the president of France.  Then things get weird.

The Man Who Was Thursday by G.K. Chesterton
AP Lit (please use this link for specific ISBN) You must read the Stanley Corngold translation.
Gregor Samsa isn’t very surprised to find one morning that he has transformed into a giant dung beetle, but he is worried that he might miss work and disappoint his parents and sister.  Things either get better or worse for him and his family from there;  literary critics haven’t really decided.
The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka

Freshmen English
Four Selected Short Stories Download PDF

American Literature & Honors American Literature
Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card

British Literature
Farmer Giles of Ham by J.R.R. Tolkien Download PDF

Honors British Literature
An Ideal Husband by Oscar Wilde

AP Language & Composition
The Glass Castle by Jeanette Walls

Senior Literature & Composition
Senior Literature & Composition Download PDF 24/25

St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Middle School
Updated June 4, 2024

The primary goal of summer reading is to encourage a love of reading. While middle school students do not have specific required reading during the summer, sustaining a student’s reading level is important. Summer is a great time to read at the beach, relax in a hammock or favorite spot, and enjoy some great books!

Parents are strongly encouraged to research book titles for an appropriate book level and, more importantly, content. You know your child best and what you would like your child to read. This can be difficult for parents, especially when hidden agendas are being pushed on our children.  

One of the best sites for deciphering an appropriate book (or movies, TV, or games) is: www.commonsensemedia.org  Once there, you can see the overall age level for a book. Then, you can find a specific breakdown for different categories that breaks down levels of appropriateness based on content. You can also read other parents’ reviews of books to determine if the book is a right fit for your child.  

Additionally, www.arbookfind.com will give you specific book reading levels which is helpful. While their content rating is not as comprehensive as Commonsense Media, their interest levels are useful as a starting point. MG = Middle Grades (appropriate content for 6-8 grade), MG+ (could be appropriate for 7th through 9th grade), and UG (could be appropriate for 8th grade). This is a basic guideline and should not be used as a singular parental guide. 

Finally, if the library at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton (SEAS) doesn’t have a title, there is probably a good reason for that. Proceed with caution. You can browse the SEAS library collection at this link: https://opac.libraryworld.com/opac/home.php 

GREAT BOOK OPTIONS

6TH GRADE 

The One and Only Ivan by Applegate
From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E Frankweiler by Konigsburg
Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life by Mass
Harry Potter series by Rowling
Percy Jackson series by Riordan
Treasure Hunters series by Patterson
The Sisters Grimm series by Buckley
Alex Rider series by Horowitz
The Ascendance series by Nielson
Hatchet by Paulson 

7TH GRADE 

All of the above books, plus: 

Tuesdays with Morrie by Albom
Heaven is for Real by Burpo
Survivor’s Club by Bornstein
Unbroken (Young Adult Adaptation) by Hillenbrand
The Boys Who Challenged Hitler by Hoose
Towers Falling by Rhodes
Ghost (Track Series) by Reynolds
Crossover by Alexander
The Metropolitans by Goodman
Short by Sloan
Keeper of the Lost Cities Series by Messenger
IQ Series by Smith
The Michael Vey Series by Evans
Masterminds series by Korman
Mark of the Thief series by Nielson
Alan Gratz, author (any of his books) 

8TH GRADE

All of the above books, plus: 

Invisible Thread Young Reader adaptation by Schroff
How Angel Peterson Got His Name by Paulson
Chasing Lincoln’s Killer by Swanson
I am a Seal Team Six Warrior by Wasdin
Boys in the Boat for Young Adults by Brown
I Will Always Write Back by Ganda and Alifirenka
Kennedy’s Last Days, Lincoln’s Last Days, Hitler’s Last Days, and The Last Days of Jesus (all by Bill O’Reilly)
Margaret Peterson Haddix, author
The Book Thief by Zusak
C.S. Lewis, author
Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie by Sonnenblick