English courses are a requirement for completing our high school career, and there have been a few changes to summer reading. Thus, Patriot Pages has decided to break down this year’s summer reading for incoming and attending English students.

Do keep in mind that these books will vary depending on one’s grade level and if a course is regular, honors, or AP.

The current reading material for those incoming 9th graders is J.R.R Tolkien’s The Hobbit. The Hobbit, otherwise known as ‘There and Back Again,’ is a fairly light-hearted story written in 1937 that has something that each reader of every age will enjoy. 

10th graders will be exposed to more serious novels this year with Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston & James D. Houston’s Farewell to Manzanar. This book is biographical in nature, with both elements or entire sections being autobiographical. This classic brings explores an aspect of American history as seen by those who experienced these events. 

11th graders will get to experience the tragedies of the American dream during the great depression with John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men. The book is a harsh look and commentary on the subject of dreams and ideologies that many Americans at the time, and even now, hold dear. While slow in build-up, it’s a thrilling story that will keep their readers waiting for the other shoe to drop.

In addition to reading Of Mice and Men, those in the AP Lang course will also get to experience How to Read Nonfiction Like a Professor by Thomas C. Foster. This book teaches readers how to find accurate information and apply critical thinking skills.

Seniors will get to experience the narrative rollercoaster of Mary Shelley’s science fiction classic Frankenstein. This book tells the story of the life and times of Victor Frankenstein and how he discovered how to create life. This story brings the reader on a journey of philosophical proportions, asking the reader about the nature of man, life and morality. For those bibliophiles among our student body, this book is a must-read.

AP Lit students will read Frankenstein, but they will also get to read another work of Thomas C. Foster, How to Read Literature Like a Professor. Fun times, indeed.