UMHS Summer Reading 2024
for incoming and current UMHS students
Recommended Summer Reading 2024
The purpose for summer reading is to continue to engage in language and critical thinking. All students are encouraged to read one or more novels of their choice over the summer. You may select from the following lists or choose titles that better suit your interests. Be prepared to work with and discuss what you read at the start of the school year.
CLASSROOM CONNECTIONS:
Upon their return to school, students will engage in small and large group discussion focused on their book of choice. Teachers will also utilize the summer reading titles as an opportunity to gain a sense of students' writing ability as they are assigned writing activities linked to the title they have read.
Click in the image below for more information. Scroll down to see each course.
Recommended Summer Reading for Incoming 9th Grade Students
The purpose for summer reading is to continue to engage in language and critical thinking. All students are encouraged to read one or more novels of their choice over the summer. You may select from the following lists or choose titles that better suit your interests. Be prepared to work with and discuss what you read at the start of the school year.
Recommended FRESHMAN Titles:
Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs (regular or graphic novel version)
Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson
Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds
The Other Wes Moore: One Name, Two Fates by Wes Moore
The Other Wes Moore book trailer
FRESHMAN HONORS:
In addition to the above selection, honors students are required to read The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger (Click HERE for the Online Version). Students will discuss and complete activities related to this book during the first weeks of school.
Recommended Summer Reading Incoming Sophomores
The purpose for summer reading is to continue to engage in language and critical thinking. All students are encouraged to read one or more novels of their choice over the summer. You may select from the following lists or choose titles that better suit your interests. Be prepared to work with and discuss what you read at the start of the school year.
Recommended SOPHOMORE Titles:
Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline
Online Version option + Book Trailer
Ghost Boys by Jewel Parker Rhodes
V for Vendetta by Alan Moore, illustrated by David Lloyd
Girl in Translation by Jean Kwok
1984 by George Orwell
Online option ONE or TWOHONORS:
In addition to the above selection, honors students are recommended to read George Orwell’s 1984 (online options: https://www.planetebook.com/free-ebooks/1984.pdf OR https://www.george-orwell.org/1984). We will continue discuss and reference this book as we read our first book, William Golding’s Lord of the Flies. Both are considered dystopian literature, so we’ll examine elements, oftentimes comparing the two. We recommend taking notes or writing in a journal. Think about the storyline, themes, and author’s purpose. Identifying/analyzing important quotes in your notes can also be an effective way to read this book. See the signposts for guided reading on the next page.
The Signposts Introduction (video)Summer Reading Incoming Juniors
The purpose for summer reading is to continue to engage in language and critical thinking. We recommend that All juniors read one or two novels of their choice over the summer. You may select from the following list or choose titles that better suit your interests. Be prepared to discuss what you read at the start of the school year.
Recommended:
The Help (Kathryn Stockett)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cwj_I2ODiSE
The Magic Strings of Frankie Presto (Mitch Albom)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m-Q_AImuovI
Road to Perdition (Max Allan Collins, graphic novel)
(movie trailer) https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0257044/videoplayer/vi696301081?ref_=tt_pv_vi_aiv_2
March (John Lewis, graphic novel)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Me_vev1Kyo
HONORS:
In addition, we recommend that honors students read a second book of their choice, not necessarily from the list above, to complete their summer reading requirements.
Recommended Summer Reading Incoming Seniors
The purpose for summer reading is to continue to engage in language and critical thinking. All seniors are asked to read one or two novels of their choice over the summer. You may select from the following list or choose titles that better suit your interests. Be prepared to discuss what you read at the start of the school year.
Recommended:
Little Bee (Chris Cleave)
Click HERE for the Little Bee Book Trailer
The One Hundred Nights of Hero: A Graphic Novel (Isabel Greenberg)
Click HERE for The One Hundred Nights Book Trailer
Bleachers (John Grisham)
Click HERE for The Bleachers Book Trailer
Ender’s Game (Orson Scott Card)
Click HERE for Ender's Game Book Trailer
HONORS:
In addition to the above selection, we recommend that honors students read a second book of their choice, not necessarily from the list above, to complete their summer time reading.Summer Reading Gifted Literacy A/B
All incoming Gifted Literacy students are recommended to read two books prior to the start of the upcoming school year.
Students enrolled in Honors Courses are expected to complete additional reading and assignments over the summer.
Students enrolled in the AP courses or Gifted Literacy, complete the assignments below instead of the grade level assignments.
2-1-2 Summer Reading Assignment
Pick ONE Novel:
Third and Indiana by Steve Lopez
The Hate You Give by Angie Thomas
Aya of Yop City (graphic novel) by Marguerite Abouet
As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner
Students will also be responsible for submitting a 5-paragraph essay that explains how the characters and/or events in the chosen title shape a particular theme
AP Language and Composition: Summer Reading Assignment
Upper Moreland High School/J. Martin
Welcome to AP Language and Composition.
The following assignment is designed to introduce you to some elements of rhetoric that we will address throughout the school year. Starting the course with an understanding of such elements will enhance your experience and overall appreciation for how communication is crafted visually and through the written and spoken word.
Step 1: Read TWO books from the following list:
The Coddling of the American Mind: How Good Intentions and Bad Ideas are Setting up a Generation for Failure by Greg Lukianoff and Jonathan Haidt
In Cold Blood by Truman Capote
What Unites Us by Dan Rather
Tyrant: Shakespeare on Politics by Stephen Greenblatt
Step 2: For the FIRST book of choice, complete the following tasks:
Select 20 passages from the book that represent one of the elements listed on the checklist below. Each passage you select must be at least one paragraph long. For each passage you select, you will identify the element and analyze the author’s stylistic choices. Simply identifying the elements will not suffice.
Tone: What is the author’s attitude about the subject matter? How does he/she express it?
SYNTAX (Sentence Structure): Discuss how the length and structure of sentences help to achieve a purpose. Pay attention to intentional run-ons, fragments, lists, short sentences, and long sentences. Consider the author’s use of imperatives (commands), declaratives (statements), exclamations (emotional expressions), and interrogatives (questions).
DICTION (Word Choice): What kind of words does the author use and why? Consider powerful verbs, adjectives, slang, archaic terms, concrete nouns, words with multiple meanings, colloquial language, and sophisticated/formal language.
PATTERNS OF DEVELOPMENT: Where does the author employ a certain structure, like compare/contrast, definition, cause/effect, process analysis (explains how things are done), narrative (tells a story of who, what, where, when, why), description (tells a story with sensory details), division and classification (organizes items/ideas into categories). To what effect?
CREDIBILITY/ETHOS: What about the author seems reliable? How do you know? Consider information presented that sounds valid. How/why? Conversely, where does the author or the material presented seem questionable or biased?
Step 3: For the SECOND book of choice, complete the following tasks:
Select 20 passages from the book that represents one of the elements listed on the checklist below. Each passage you select must be at least one paragraph long. For each passage you select, you will identify the element and analyze the author’s stylistic choices. Simply identifying the elements will not suffice.
Speaker: Who is the writer and what gives him/her the authority to speak on the subject? How does the writer’s personality shape the message of the text? Consider the writer’s background (experiences, education, ethnicity, religious beliefs, moral compass, etc.)
Audience: Who is the author trying to reach? Does the author effectively connect with his/her targeted audience? If so, how? If not, why?
Occasion: What has occurred politically, socially or personally that may have influenced the writer to address the topic?
Purpose: Is the author aiming to entertain, persuade, inform, defend, argue, or criticize? Does the author achieve his/her goal? If so, how? If not, why?
Subject: What topic does the author address? Why/how does the author convey the message that the subject is important?
Step 4: Complete the following reader response questions for ONE of the books you read. Each response should be no less than five sentences in length.
What was frustration, confusing, surprising, disappointing, suspenseful, infuriating, funny, or educational?
What passages were artistically/aesthetically appealing to you? Why?
The purpose of rhetoric is to inform, persuade, and motivate. Did this book do any of these things to you? Explain.
What personal, historical, literary, and/or social connections can you make?
What do you disagree/agree with and why?
Summer Reading AP Literature
Mrs. Fleck mfleck@umtsd.org
The first two weeks of our class will focus around these three works and the following assessments.
1. Test (first or second class day).
2. In-class essay (second or third class day).
3. Group presentation on ONE of the novels (teams to be announced).
Local Bookshops Where You Can Order Online:
Harriet’s Bookshop
https://www.harriettsbookshop.com
Hakim’a Bookstore
Uncle Bobbie’s
Brave New Worlds
https://stores.comichub.com/bravenewworldswillowgrove
The Upper Moreland Free Public Library...
also has many titles that you can access digitally. Information regarding how to access these digital titles can be find on the Library's website at
https://www.uppermorelandlibrary.org/elibrary/ebooks-downloadable-media/
Many e-books and e-audiobooks are available through OverDrive and the Libby app, hoopla, and Freading.
Individuality
Families are encouraged to work with their student to choose a book title that is consistent with any concerns that they may have regarding language or plot developments that are inconsistent with their family values. Some of the book titles offered do include profanity and adult themes.
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