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       Summer Reading

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NORTH OLMSTED HIGH SCHOOL

REQUIRED SUMMER READING

2010

     Students enrolled in English classes at North Olmsted High School are required to read novels during the summer.  Students registered for an honors level class will read the two novels from the right-hand column.  Students not registered for an honors level class may read any one of the novels listed for their grade level, but the novels from the left-hand column are recommended. One week after school begins, the students will be tested on their reading of the novels.  It is imperative that the students read the novels, particularly because their first grades in the classes will be based on the Summer Reading Test and the novels will be used and referred to throughout the year.

Non-Honors Reading List

GRADE 9

Whirligig—Paul Fleischman- Brent tries to commit suicide by driving into oncoming traffic, but he ends up killing a girl in another car instead.  Brent travels to the four corners of the United States to build whirligigs as a form of restitution for what he did.

Ender's Game—Orson Scott Card- Andrew "Ender" Wiggin is considered humanity's best hope for leading Earth to victory over the alien "bugger" fleet.  Officials isolate and test Ender as much as possible to mold him into the effective military leader that they so desperately need.

GRADE 10

Ironman—Chris Crutcher- Beauregard Brewster, a would-be ironman tri-athlete, insults an oppressive teacher and is forced to take an anger-management class with other troubled students

Elsewhere—Gabrielle Zevin- Fifteen-year old Liz dies in a car accident and goes to a place called Elsewhere.  She must try to forget her old life and live a new life as she ages backwards until she is ready to return to Earth.

GRADE 11

The Glass Castle: A Memoir—Jeannette Walls- This book chronicles the life of writer Jeanette Walls. Her dysfunctional family has a transient existence in which they live briefly in various places around the country. Jeannette and her siblings learn to fend for themselves as they weather their parents' betrayals and inability to take care of their children. Some mature language is included.

As Simple as Snow —Gregory Galloway- The story of a shy high school sophomore's unlikely love for a Goth girl (Anna Cayne) seems simple enough, but everything quickly gets complicated when Anna disappears and the narrator attempts to find out what happened to her. 

GRADE 12

The Bean Trees - Taylor Greer says goodbye to Kentucky to find a new life for herself.  She travels to Oklahoma where she is given a baby who has been the victim of abuse.  Eventually, Taylor and the baby settle in Tucson, Arizona where they meet some interesting people and have some life-changing experiences.

Anansi Boys  -- Neil Gaiman- After Fat Charlie's dad drops dead on a karaoke stage, he leaves Charlie things that make life interesting for Charlie because Charlie's dad wasn't just any dad. He was Anansi, a trickster god, the spider-god. Anansi is the spirit of rebellion, able to overturn the social order, create wealth out of thin air, and baffle the devil. Some said he could cheat even Death himself.

Honors Reading List

GRADE 9

Nineteen Minutes—Jodi Picoult- Sterling is a small town where nothing ever happens – until the day its complacency is shattered by a shocking act of violence.  In the aftermath, the town's residents must not only seek justice but also come to terms with the role they played in the tragedy. Some mature language is included.   

Rocket Boys (October Sky)—Homer Hickam- Fourteen-year-old Homer Hickam decided in 1957 to build his own rockets. They were his ticket out of Coalwood, West Virginia, a mining town that everyone knew was dying

GRADE 10

The Life of Pi—Yann Martel- The son of a zookeeper, Pi Patel has an encyclopedic knowledge of animal behavior and a fervent love of stories. When the ship carrying Pi’s family from India to North America sinks, Pi finds himself in a battle for survival.

Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close—Jonathan Safran Foer- Oskar Schell lives with his mother in Manhattan and terribly misses his father, who died in the attack on the World Trade Center in 2001.  Oskar discovers a strange key and message in his father's belongings and seeks to unravel the mystery behind these items

GRADE 11

Cat’s Cradle—Kurt Vonnegut- A mix of satire, fantasy and realism, this story deals with an atomic scientist and the end of the world.

A Farewell to Arms –Ernest Hemingway- Set against the background of World War I, this book is a strong indictment of modern warfare, as well as a bitter comment on the nature of love, life, and death.

GRADE 12

The Lords of Discipline-Pat Conroy- In this coming-of-age novel, a young man experiences life at a military academy. Some mature language is included.

The Kite Runner – Khaled Hosseini- Amir and his best friend Hassan live a charmed life in Kabul, Afghanistan in the 1960s.  Their favorite pastime is summer kite running.  As part of a racial minority, Hassan becomes a victim of a neighborhood bully, which changes the course of his life and Amir’s life forever.