Purpose: The Summer Reading Program encourages students to enjoy, think about, and evaluate what they read.
Reading/Writing Requirements: Summer reading is worth up to 10% of your first-quarter grade. Read the book closely and be prepared for an assessment during the first week of school in September.
EXTRA CREDIT for CP students: You may earn extra credit by reading a second book from this list and keeping a journal using the summer reading journal prompts.
Hoops
by Walter Dean Myers Year Published:
Seventeen-year old Lonnie Jackson is practicing with his team for a city-wide basketball Tournament of Champions. His coach, Cal, believes that he has what it takes to be a professional basketball player, but when some bettors demand that Cal bench Lonnie so that they lose the tournament, it comes down to the final seconds of the game. What will Cal and Lonnie do?
Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo Year Published:
A thrilling tale of double-crosses, buried secrets, and one fantastical heist. Bardugo drops readers right into the midst of her richly imagined fantasy world and the lives of a dynamic team of thieves, artfully weaving details and backstories throughout the speedy plot.
Fist, Stick, Knife, Gun by Geoffrey Canada Year Published:
A memoir of coming of age in the South Bronx; teenagers deal with the terrible consequences that adult violence has brought to their world.
All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr Year Published:
The beautiful, stunningly ambitious instant New York Times bestseller about a blind French girl and a German boy whose paths collide in occupied France as both try to survive the devastation of World War II.
Turtles All the Way Down by John Green Year Published:
Sixteen-year-old Aza never intended to pursue the mystery of fugitive billionaire Russell Pickett, but there’s a hundred-thousand-dollar reward at stake and her Best and Most Fearless Friend, Daisy, is eager to investigate. So together, they navigate the short distance and broad divides that separate them from Russell Pickett’s son, Davis. Aza is trying. She is trying to be a good daughter, a good friend, a good student, and maybe even a good detective, while also living within the ever-tightening spiral of her own thoughts.
Almost American Girl by Robin Ha Year Published:
For as long as she can remember, it’s been Robin and her mom against the world. Growing up as the only child of a single mother in Seoul, Korea, wasn’t always easy, but it has bonded them fiercely together. So when a vacation to visit friends in Huntsville, Alabama, unexpectedly becomes a permanent relocation—following her mother’s announcement that she’s getting married—Robin is devastated. A memoir in graphic novel form.
Hoop Dreams by Ben Joravsky Year Published:
The desperate, and usually impossible, dream of making it in professional sports is exposed with heartbreaking truthfulness. It is the story of Chicago high school basketball and dreams of the NBA.
Stamped: Racism, Anti-Racism, and You by Jason Reynolds and Ibram X. Kendi Year Published:
“This is NOT a history book.
This is a book about the here and now.
A book to help us better understand why we are where we are.
A book about race.”
The construct of race has always been used to gain and keep power, to create dynamics that separate and silence. This remarkable reimagining of Dr. Ibram X. Kendi's National Book Award-winning Stamped from the Beginning reveals the history of racist ideas in America, and inspires hope for an antiracist future. It takes you on a race journey from then to now, shows you why we feel how we feel, and why the poison of racism lingers. It also proves that while racist ideas have always been easy to fabricate and distribute, they can also be discredited.
Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Saenz Year Published:
Aristotle is an angry teen with a brother in prison. Dante is a know-it-all who has an unusual way of looking at the world. When the two meet at the swimming pool, they seem to have nothing in common. But as the loners start spending time together, they discover that they share a special friendship—the kind that changes lives and lasts a lifetime.