Rounding out our series of posts with recommendations for children’s summer reading, we’re happy to present to you our suggestions for High Schoolers.
There are so many great books on the published reading lists across the country, it was difficult to choose just a few. We tried to include a variety of classics to appeal to different interests and reading levels. As usual, we also chose books that should be readily available at your local library. If you would like to add these books to your personal collection, please feel free to click through the Amazon link we’ve included, where a portion of your purchase will go towards keeping LessonPathways.com free.
**Hot Tip** The audio version of many of these books can also be found on LibriVox.org for FREE***
Here’s are picks for High School Summer reading, along with links to free study guide resources:
Summer Reading Grades 9 – 12
Sense & Sensibility by Jane AustenBook Description: Jane Austen’s first published novel, tells the story of the lives, loves, and longings of two sisters, the sensitive, romantic Marianne and the practical, even-tempered Elinor. With its extended cast of supporting characters, including the garrulous Mrs. Jennings, the stern Mr. Palmer, and the censorious Mrs. Ferrars, Sense and Sensibility revolves around two narratives: the possible romances of Elinor and Marianne Dashwood and the day-to-day existence of everyone else. The constant anxiety that pervades the story stems from the possibility that the sisters may have to make do with the mundanity of country life, cluttered with gossip, clamor, and superficiality, instead of being swept away by the men of their dreams. In typical Austen fashion we are made aware from the outset that Marianne’s choice of suitor, the dashing and theatrical Willoughby, may be a disaster. Elinor’s more subdued love object, the shy and awkward Edward Ferrars, on the other hand, just might prove himself worthy if he could manage to articulate a full sentence. Printable Questions & Quiz (Adobe Reader required) |
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The Good Earth by Pearl S. BuckBook Description: This 1932 Pulitzer Prize winning novel is still a standout today. Deceptive in its simplicity, it is a story built around a flawed human being and a teetering socio-economic system, as well as one that is layered with profound themes. The cadence of the author’s writing is also of note, as it rhythmically lends itself to the telling of the story, giving it a very distinct voice. No doubt the author’s writing style was influenced by her own immersion in Chinese culture, as she grew up and lived in China, the daughter of missionaries. Lesson Plans (Adobe Reader required) Online Quiz (Part 1 – Scroll down for parts 2 & 3) |
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Looking Backward: 2000-1887 by Edward BellamyBook Description: Looking Backward: 2000-1887 written by legendary author Edward Bellamy is widely considered to be one of the greatest books of all time. This great classic will surely attract a whole new generation of readers. For many, Looking Backward: 2000-1887 is required reading for various courses and curriculums. And for others who simply enjoy reading timeless pieces of classic literature, this gem by Edward Bellamy is highly recommended. Published by Classic Books America and beautifully produced, Looking Backward: 2000-1887 would make an ideal gift and it should be a part of everyone’s personal library. | ||
The Chocolate War by Robert CormierBook Description: The school year is almost at an end, and the chocolate sale is past history. But no one at Trinity School can forget The Chocolate War. Devious Archie Costello, commander of the secret school organization called The Vigils, still has some torturous assignments to hand out before he graduates. In spite of this pleasure, Archie is troubled by his right-hand man, Obie, who has started to move away from The Vigils. Luckily Archie knows his stooges will fix that. But won’t Archie be shocked when he discovers the surprise Obie has waiting for him? And there are surprises waiting for others. The time for revenge has come to those boys who secretly suffered the trials of Trinity. The fuse is set for the final explosion. Who will survive? Printable Study Guide with Questions (Adobe Reader required) |
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The Red Badge of Courage by Stephen CraneBook Description: Young Henry Fleming had always dreamed of performing heroic deeds in battle. But as a raw recruit in the American Civil War, Henry experiences both fear and self-doubt. Will war make him a coward—or a hero? Printable Study Guide (Adobe Reader required) |
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The Grapes of Wrath by John SteinbeckBook Description: Novel by John Steinbeck, published in 1939. Set during the Great Depression, it traces the migration of an Oklahoma Dust Bowl family to California and their subsequent hardships as migrant farm workers. It won a Pulitzer Prize in 1940. The work did much to publicize the injustices of migrant labor. The narrative, interrupted by prose-poem interludes, chronicles the struggles of the Joad family’s life on a failing Oklahoma farm, their difficult journey to California, and their disillusionment once they arrive there and fall prey to a parasitic economic system. The insularity of the Joads–Ma’s obsession with family togetherness, son Tom’s self-centeredness, and daughter Rose of Sharon’s materialism–ultimately gives way to a sense of universal community. Printable Teacher’s Guide (Adobe Reader required) Printable Questions & Quizzes (Adobe Reader required) |
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Uncle Tom’s Cabin by Harriet Beecher StoweBook Description: The moving abolitionist novel that fueled the fire of the human rights debate in 1852 and melodramatically condemned the institution of slavery through such powerfully realized characters as Tom, Eliza, Topsy, Eva, and Simon Legree. First published more than 150 years ago, this monumental work is today being reexamined by critics, scholars, and students. |
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The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark TwainBook Description: Mark Twain’s classic novel, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, tells the story of a teenaged misfit who finds himself floating on a raft down the Mississippi River with an escaping slave, Jim. In the course of their perilous journey, Huck and Jim meet adventure, danger, and a cast of characters who are sometimes menacing and often hilarious. Though some of the situations in Huckleberry Finn are funny in themselves (the cockeyed Shakespeare production in Chapter 21 leaps instantly to mind), this book’s humor is found mostly in Huck’s unique worldview and his way of expressing himself. Describing his brief sojourn with the Widow Douglas after she adopts him, Huck says: “After supper she got out her book and learned me about Moses and the Bulrushers, and I was in a sweat to find out all about him; but by and by she let it out that Moses had been dead a considerable long time; so then I didn’t care no more about him, because I don’t take no stock in dead people.” Underlying Twain’s good humor is a dark subcurrent of Antebellum cruelty and injustice that makes The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn a frequently funny book with a serious message Printable Study Guide with Questions (Adobe Reader needed) |
This concludes are series of recommendations. Did we include your favorites, or did we forget one? Let us know in the comments section below!
This post was written by Christina S. She lives in Detroit with her family. They have just finished their 11th year of homeschooling and look forward to all the adventures life with 2 teenagers will bring!
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This looks like a great list. I really appreciate the synopsis for each book, and I like the links for the study guides. I always forget about the possibility of audio books at LibriVox.org We like audio books a LOT.
We love LibriVox too! If you or your teen have an iPhone or iPod Touch, they even have a free app so you’re not tethered to your computer.