What's On NHS's 2012 Summer Reading List?

Needham Public Schools are out for the summer on Tuesday, June 19, but that doesn't mean the students are completely off the hook. Like most schools these days, requires students to pick up a book or two over the summer to keep their minds sharp and prepare them for the next grade level when they return to school in the fall.

Below is a look at the books Needham High School students should be reading this summer, 2012, courtesy of the school website, nhs.needham.k12.ma.us.

With the exception of the AP English students, all students must read one required book for their grade level as well as two others from an approved list of titles (see the PDF at right or download the list from the NHS Summer Reading Web page).

Students going into Accelerated English classes must read at least one book with a "C" designation.

Below is a list of required books all students in each grade must read this summer:

Grade 9

"The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time" by Mark Haddon—Despite his overwhelming fear of interacting with people, Christopher, a mathematically-gifted, autistic 15-year-old boy, decides to investigate the murder of a neighbor's dog and uncovers secret information about his mother.

Grade 10

"The Hobbit" by J.R.R. Tolkein—Written as a story for his children, this novel is Tolkein’s prequel to the Lord of the Rings trilogy and explains Bilbo Baggins’ journey to find the ring of power. Full of action and adventure, this first book introduces the elves, dwarves, Gandalf and the Shire.

Grade 11

"The Things They Carried" by Tim O’Brien—A collection of interrelated short fiction stories with recurring characters and an interwoven plot and theme. These stories recreate the Vietnam War experiences and its psychological effects on an American foot soldier.

Grade 12

"The Kite Runner" by Khaled Hosseini—The unforgettable, heartbreaking story of the unlikely friendship between a wealthy boy and the son of his father's servant that takes readers from Afghanistan in the final days of the monarchy to the atrocities of the present. An epic tale of fathers and sons, of friendship and betrayal, it is about the power of reading, the price of betrayal and the possibility of redemption.

Other Books

Students also must choose two titles from the approved book list, which is available as a PDF in the image gallery above or on the high school website. The list is divided into categories such as award-winners, historical fiction and sports. The reading levels range from A to C, with an "A" designating a book which should be accessible to all, and a "C" designating challenging reads. An asterisk (*) denotes a recommendation of any title by this author. Annotations are from the following sources: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Follett, Library Journal, Novelist, and Publisher’s Weekly.

Titles not on this list will not be accepted, including any texts taught as part of the NHS curriculum. No books read a prior year may be repeated for the purposes of summer reading.

Guidelines and Goals of Summer Reading

Please remember that the Needham High School English department prohibits the use of published or online notes such as CliffNotes and SparkNotes as a substitute for reading and studying the text. In the fall, English teachers will allot time for discussion and a formal assessment of the required text, in addition to an informal assessment of the other two books.

The goal is to provide students the experience of sharing and discussing a common text, while also providing the opportunity to read books that most interest them. If there are any misgivings about the appropriateness of the book, Needham High School staff urges parents to steer their children toward a more exclusive use of this summer reading list.

It is also strongly recommended that students purchase their own copies of the texts so that they can bring them to class in the fall.