Pope High School

Pope Summer Reading Assignments 2008

Find the course you are scheduled to take and read the required titles under that course. College prep classes will read only one book; honors classes will read all titles listed under the course. For each grade level, one of the titles listed under the honors level is also listed as one of the choices for the college prep level. We do that in order to facilitate those students who may have registered for one level, but change to a different level before school starts. Generally, the honors level book will be a more demanding read than the college prep titles even though the length of the honors title book might be more enticing to the reluctant reader. Beware!

Summer reading should be completed before you come to class the first day. Each course will have an assessment that counts as a major grade. Do not let your resistance to reading during your summer break result in a rocky start to your new semester.

Ninth Grade: All College Prep (including Special Ed students)

1. Night (Elie Wiesel)

A young Jewish boy, Elie Wiesel, winner of the 1986 Nobel Peace Prize, gives his personal account of his life as a teenager in the Nazi death camps during World War II. Through the atrocities he witnesses and experiences, Wiesel loses his family, his innocence, and his faith in God.

Honors Ninth Grade (reads three books total)

1. Night (Elie Wiesel) MANDATORY

2. Anthem (Ayn Rand) MANDATORY

Ayn Rand’s novella Anthem is written as the diary of Equality 7-2521, a young man living in the dark ages of the future in which people have lost all knowledge of individualism. Individuals have no name, no independence, no sense of self. Everyone lives and works in collective groups. Equality 7-2521, however, begins to question the validity of such a society which leads him to the greatest discovery of his time.

3. Choose ONE of the following:

The Chosen (Chaim Potok)

Chaim Potok's The Chosen, set in the Williamsburg, New York, Jewish suburbs, examines and contrasts the Hasidic and traditional beliefs of the American Jewish culture. In addition, he addresses such issues as anti-semitism, initiation, and father-son relationships.

A Separate Peace (John Knowles)

John Knowles’ A Separate Peace takes place at Devon, a boys’ boarding school, in New England duringthe early years of World War II. The novel explores the friendship and rivalry of two boys, one a scholarand one a popular athlete.

Ethan Frome (Edith Wharton)

Ethan Frome is set in the cold landscape of Starkfield, Massachusetts, to parallel the cold and distantrelationship of Ethan and Zeena Frome. When a caregiver, Mattie Silver, comes into the setting, Ethan'sheart warms, and he longs for the life he could have had with money, education, and true love.

British Lit: College Prep (read ONE book from the following list )

1. Ophelia (Lisa Klein) female protagonist

A retelling of Hamlet from Ophelia’s point of view. In this YA novel, Lisa Klein has taken one of Shakespeare’s famous plays and added castles, adventure, secret romance, and a twist to make a tale that is a little more user friendly in today’s world.

2. The Last Kingdom (Bernard Cornwell) male protagonist

A tale of adventure during the Viking wars of ninth-century Britain. The story follows a young Anglo-Saxon as he is kidnapped, raised, and accepted by Vikings only to eventually ally himself with a young Alfred the Great to forge a unified England. Vikings were brutal and this book does describe some violent battle scenes.

3. Far From the Madding Crowd (Thomas Hardy)

One of Hardy’s earlier works, FFMC is not as “dark” as his later novels. Hardy presents a realistic view of nineteenth-century agrarian England before the onslaught of the industrial revolution “ruined” the rural way of life (according to Hardy). Hardy’s characterization (especially of the local people) provides a light-heartedness not generally associated with his works.

Honors Brit Lit (read BOTH books)

1. The Once and Future King (T. H. White) read all four sections

T. H. White provides the key stories of the King Arthur legend. The book presents the hero’s journey and explores themes of the power of man to overcome adversity and man’s struggle for the establishment of government/rules.

2. Far From the Madding Crowd (Thomas Hardy)

American Literature: College Prep (read ONE book from the following list)

1. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (Mark Twain)

Twain’s classic tale of a teenaged boy who narrates his adventures down the Mississippi River on a raft,accompanied by his friend, the runaway slave, Jim. One of the fundamental texts for the study of American Literature, the novel invites the reader to examine the meaning of friendship and teaches a moral lesson of judging people for the content of their character and not the color of their skin.

2. The Secret Life of Bees (Sue Monk Kidd)

This fictional novel does a superb job of teaching foreshadowing and allego ry with Kidd’s addition of an outside quote on the art of beekeeping to introduce each chapter. Lily offers readers a confident female protagonist to freshen the romantic hero role showing depth of character and breadth in point of view.

3. A Raisin in the Sun (Lorraine Hansberry)

Set in the ghetto of Chicago’s Southside during the 1950s, Hansberry’s tale tells of the inter-generational younger family who is faced with the decisions and the dreams of how to spend a $10,000 life insurance check. As a social realism drama, the play depicts the trials of an inter-generational family who discovers the importance of family, heritage, and a collective hope for a better future.

AP Lang/Honors American Lit. (read ALL titles)

1. Grapes of Wrath (John Steinbeck)

Story of the various members of the Joad family as they suffer through the hardships and oppression experienced by migrant workers during the Dust Bowl Era and the Great Depression.

2. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (Mark Twain)

3. Fast Food Nation (Eric Schlosser)

Contemporary non-fiction work that examines the rise of the fast food industry and its unplanned consequenceson the nation’s problems with obesity, farmers, meat packing industry, environment, and landscape.

Honors American Literature (read ALL titles)

1. Grapes of Wrath (John Steinbeck)

Story of the various members of the Joad family as they suffer through the hardships and oppression experienced by migrant workers during the Great Depression.

2. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (Mark Twain)

3. Raisin in the Sun (Lorraine Hansberry)

Set in the ghetto of Chicago’s Southside during the 1950s, Hansberry’s tale tells of the inter-generational Younger family who is faced with the decisions and the dreams of how to spend a $10,000 life insurance check. As a social realism drama, the play depicts the trials of an inter-generational family who discovers the importance of family, heritage, and a collective hope for a better future.

Honors World Literature (read ALL titles)

1. The Epic of Gilgamesh (N. K. Sandars translation)

The cycle of poems collected around the character of Gilgamesh, the great King of Uruk, tells of his long and arduous journey to the Spring of Youth, of his encounters with monsters and gods and of his friendship with Enkidu, the wild man from the hills. As a mixture of pure adventure, morality and tragedy, the story of Gilgamesh and his futile search for immortality revolves around fundamental forces and human problems common throughout the centuries.

2. The Tao of Pooh (Benjamin Hoff)

The book is an introduction to Taoism, using the fictional character of Winnie the Pooh. Hoff also wrote The Te of Piglet, a companion book. Hoff uses Winnie the Pooh and the other characters from A. A. Milne's stories to explain the basic principles of philosophical Taoism. The book also includes translated excerpts from various Taoist texts, from authors such as Lao Zi and Zhuang Zi.

3. Confucius Lives Next Door (T.R. Reid)

T. R. Reid, an NPR commentator who was the Washington Post’s Tokyo bureau chief for five years, offers a look at what he calls Asia’s “social miracle” in Confucius Lives Next Door, attributing the social cohesiveness to a shared set of Confucian values.

World Lit: College Prep (read ONE book from the following list)

1. Tao of Pooh (Benjamin Hoff)

This book is also on the honors level senior courses. It is a challenging read. The book is an introduction to Taoism, using the fictional character of Winnie the Pooh. Hoff also wrote The Te of Piglet, a companion book. Hoff uses Winnie the Pooh and the other characters from A. A. Milne's stories to explain the basic principles of philosophical Taoism. The book also includes translated excerpts from various Taoist texts, from authors such as Lao Zi and Zhuang Zi.

2. Snow Flower and the Secret Fan (Lisa See) female protagonist

In nineteenth-century China, when wives and daughters are foot-bound and live in almost total seclusion, the women in one remote Hunan county develop their own secret code for communication. This language, kept secret for a thousand years, forms the backdrop for this novel of two Chinese women whose friendship and love sustains them through their lives. Major themesinclude friendship, sisterhood, betrayal, atonement, and ties that bind. Although the story seems far removed from modern life, students will be encouraged to think about the ties that bind them today in their lives.

3. In the Pond (Ha Jin) male protagonist

Shao Bin is a young man working as a pipe fitter in a fertilizer factory in a northern Chinese province. Shao is also a scholar and an artist, and convinced that he is worthy of a better fate. Enraged at injustices in the commune, he lampoons the Party secretaries in a satirical cartoon, making them his enemies. The conflict escalates with surprising and amusing events, as Shao attempts to secure his better fate. A slim book about some big issues: power, vanity, art, injustice, and politics. The book works on multiple levels: character study, political allegory, bureaucratic satire, and slapstick humor.

Advanced Placement Literature/Composition (read ALL titles)

1. Crime and Punishment (Fyodor Dostoevsky)

A frequently listed work for the open-ended question on the Advanced Placement Literature Exam, this novel is an expose of social conditions in nineteenth-century Russia, a satirical analysis of liberal and radical politics, and a religious call for redemption through suffering. As an intensely dramatic study of the nature of good and evil, it is commonly considered a quintessential Russian novel.

2. Death of a Salesman (Arthur Miller)

This play is a poignant examination of the American Dream, family values, aging, and the life and death of a salesman.

3. The Awakening (Kate Chopin)

This novel explores the place of women in society and the conflicts that result when an individual’s desire and independence are harshly judged by the society in which she lives.

Advanced Placement English Language and Composition (seniors). (read ALL titles)

1. Fast Food Nation (Eric Schlosser)

In Fast Food Nation Eric Schlosser examines the history of the fast food industry in America. He discusses the rise and fall of companies, somewhat disturbing accounts of the beef industry, food quality and preparation, and workers’ conditions.

2. Death of a Salesman (Arthur Miller)

Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman is a poignant examination of the American Dream, family values, aging, and the life and death of a salesman.

3. Confucius Lives Next Door (T. R. Reid)

T. R. Reid, an NPR commentator who was the Washington Post’s Tokyo bureau chief for five years, offers a look at what he calls Asia’s “social miracle” in Confucius Lives Next Door, attributing the social cohesiveness to a shared set of Confucian values.

Advanced Comp & Research (this is a college prep class) (read ONE book)

1. The Perks of Being a Wallflower (Stephen Chbosky)

Reminiscent of Catcher in the Rye, the story takes the form of a series of letters to an anonymous friend written by the narrator, a teenager named Charlie. The Perks of Being a Wallflower takes place in a suburb of Pittsburgh during the 1991-1992 school year, when Charlie is a high school freshman. Charlie an unconventional thinker, and as the story begins he is shy and unpopular. Noted as one of the best crafted, modern coming of age novels, The Perks of Being a Wallflower helps students navigate the tangled world of High School and adolescence.

2. The Tao of Pooh (Benjamin Hoff)

Contemporary Lit (read ONE book from the following list)

1. October Sky (Homer Hickman)

Homer Hickman Jr. was a young boy from a West Virginia mining town who hungered for his father's approval. He knew he could earn it by following in his father's footsteps and spending his life down in the mines. But Homer had a dream; to go to college and to devote his life to rocket technology. October Sky is based on the true story of the pivotal events that led the teenage Hickam to move closer to his twin goals of reaching for the sky and gaining his father's respect. This contemporary novel provides students a lesson in goal setting and success.

2. A Thief of Time (Tony Hillerman)

A noted anthropologist vanishes at a moonlit Indian ruin where "thieves of time" ravage sacred ground for profit. When two corpses appear amid stolen goods and bones at an ancient burial site, Navajo Tribal Policemen Lt. Joe Leaphorn and Officer Jim Chee must plunge into the past to unearth the astonishing truth behind a mystifying series of horrific murders. This contemporary novel provides students with a lesson in adventure and suspense.

3. The Kite Runner (Khaled Hosseini)

The Kite Runner tells the story of Amir, a boy from the Wazir Akbar Khan district of Kabul, who is haunted by the guilt of betraying his childhood friend Hassan, the son of his father's Hazara servant. The story is set against a backdrop of tumultuous events, from the fall of the monarchy in Afghanistan through the Soviet invasion, the mass exodus of refugees to Pakistan and the United States, and the Taliban regime. The novel contains some mature content that may only be appropriate for mature seniors. This contemporary novel utilizes a backdrop of current world struggles to unveil themes that will teach student the values of relationships.

4. Tao of Pooh (Benjamin Hoff)

5. Ellen Foster (Kaye Gibbons)

In Ellen Foster, the title character is an 11-year-old orphan who refers to herself as "old Ellen." Ellen is an old woman in a child's body; her frail, unhappy mother dies, her abusive father alternately neglects her and makes advances on her, and she is shuttled from one uncaring relative's home to another before she finally takes matters into her own hands and finds herself a place to belong. Ellen is at the mercy of predatory adults, with only her own wit and courage--and the occasional kindness of others--to help her through. That she does, in fact, survive her childhood and even rise above it is the book's bittersweet victory. This contemporary novel provides the student with a context in which to discuss and examine societal and family issues of today.