Summer Reading & Assignments for Language Arts

Details of summer assignments are included below. Click the course name to expand the topic and see details.

Content Accordion - Custom Version

9th-12th Non-AP Summer Independent Reading 2023-24

Summer Independent Reading 2023-24

Note: Summer assignments for students in Advanced Placement courses are in the other sections on this page. The mission of Parkview High School is to engage and inspire the hearts and minds of every learner every day. It is our shared vision to become a thriving community of learners in an environment that embraces a culture of thinking. Within this culture of thinking, reading is expected, valued, and celebrated. During the school year, our curriculum provides opportunities for students to build their critical reading skills and develop an appreciation for reading. Summer is a time for students to continue to build upon that foundation. Research shows that leisure reading can contribute to many important practices such as supporting reading comprehension, increasing vocabulary development, and creating self-confidence and positive attitudes towards reading. Summer reading is an opportunity for you to broaden your life experience through the eyes of an author. Enjoy this reading assignment, expand your vocabulary and reading repertoire without the pressure and demands of the school year. Your summer reading assignment is extra credit, so get a jumpstart on next semester! Suggestions to help you do well on your extra credit assignment next semester: Keep a journal on characters who have an impact on the events in the book, events that influence characters’ actions and motivations, and universal themes explored throughout the book. You should be able to recall specific people’s names and their contributions to the overall story or theme.

Please follow the minimal requirements for your book selection

• The book meets the challenge of a young adult or adult reader.
• The book HAS NOT BEEN MADE INTO A MOVIE / TV SHOW / SERIES!
• Do not “recycle” a book from a previous class or independent reading assignment.
• Avoid texts used for classroom study listed on the following page.

The Do’s and Don’ts of Choosing a Summer Reading Book

DO use these resources.

The following resources can help in selecting books that are relevant, interesting, and have the appropriate reading level, values, and interests for you.

• YALSA Teen Book Finder Database
  • YALSA - Outstanding Books for the College-Bound
  • YALSA - Best Fiction Book List
  • YALSA - Quick Picks for Reluctant Readers

  Do NOT choose any of the books listed below.

  Because we will study many of these books together in class, we will not accept an extra credit assignment based on these texts.

  9th Grade

  • Romeo and Juliet
  • To Kill a Mockingbird
  • Homer’s The Odyssey
  • The Glass Castle
  • Anthem
  • The Secret Life of Bees
  • All American Boys
  • The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
  • Night
  • Born a Crime

  10th Grade

  • Lord of the Flies
  • Oedipus
  • Antigone
  • A Midsummer Night’s Dream
  • Julius Caesar
  • Things Fall Apart
  • All Quiet on the Western Front (gifted only)
  • Kafka’s The Metamorphosis
  • Fahrenheit 451
  • The Alchemist
  • A Doll's House

  11th Grade

  • The Great Gatsby
  • Of Mice and Men
  • Their Eyes Were Watching God
  • The Scarlet Letter
  • The Crucible
  • Red Badge of Courage
  • A Raisin in the Sun
  • The Sound and the Fury

  12th Grade British Literature

  12th Grade Multicultural Literature

  • American Born Chinese
  • Between the World and Me
  • Interpreter of Maladies
  • The Distance Between Us

  Advanced Placement Courses

  AP courses have specific summer assignments listed in the other sections on this page.

  AP Seminar - 10th and 11th grade

  Advanced Placement Seminar - 10th and 11th Grade

  • Join the Google Classroom
    • 10th grade Join Code - 6ect3j3
    • 11th grade Join Code - 2uq42oy

    AP Lang - 11th grade

    Advanced Placement Language - 11th Grade ONLY

    • Join the Google Classroom: Join Code - rfp3mno
    • Here you will find your assignment along with any resources you may need to complete the work over the summer.
    • You can use the Google Classroom to email any questions you may have. In a collegiate environment, the expectation is that you will complete similar work independently.
    • We will respond to your questions as quickly as we can, but, please bear in mind that we are away from our classrooms for the summer.
    • If you are new or cannot access Google Classroom, please use the PDF-only version of the assignment.
    • This assignment is also available in a Google Doc.

    AP Lang - 12th grade

    Advanced Placement Language - 12th Grade ONLY

    • Join the Google Classroom: Join Code - pkxgasn
    • Here you will find your assignment along with any resources you may need to complete the work over the summer.
    • You can use the Google Classroom to email any questions you may have. In a collegiate environment, the expectation is that you will complete similar work independently.
    • We will respond to your questions as quickly as we can, but, please bear in mind that we are away from our classrooms for the summer.
    • If you are new or cannot access Google Classroom, please use the PDF-only version of the assignment.
    • This assignment is also available in a Google Doc.

    AP Lit - 12th grade

    AP Lit Summer Reading 2023

    1. How to Read Literature Like a Professor by Thomas C. Foster
       • You need to read the Preface, Introduction, and Chapter 1 of this book by Mr. Thomas C. Foster.
       • We will continue reading this book during the school year.
       • If you have read this book before, make sure you refamiliarize yourself with the content.
       • I’d love for you to have a copy of this text, but if circumstances prevent it, here is a link to its PDF:
         How to Read Literature Like a Professor Revised: A Lively and Entertaining Guide to Reading Between the Lines
    2. Choose ONE novel from the list below (or go crazy and read more, then pick one!):

    MAKE SURE YOU DISCUSS AND HAVE APPROVAL FROM YOUR PARENTS FOR YOUR SUMMER READING CHOICE. AS THIS COURSE IS INTENDED FOR COLLEGE CREDIT, SOME OF THESE NOVELS HAVE MATURE CONTENT.

    19th century governess finds secret in the attic. It’s awesome.

    Cutting for Stone

    Two twins born of a nun try to unravel the mystery of their lives.

    All the Light We Cannot See

    World War II drama, a blind girl, a young Nazi, and a magic stone

    Wide Sargasso Sea

    Acclaimed prequel to Jane Eyre about the secret’s origin

    Terrorists take over an embassy during a party: love and music

    St John Mandel

    Global pandemic leads to a world without technology

    An author’s comic journey to avoid his ex’s wedding

    The Handmaid’s Tale

    Dystopian patriarchy in a post-fertility world

    Leave The World Behind

    A family in a vacation house confronts the apocalypse

    The Haunting of Hill House

    Ghosts inhabit a family’s dream home

    A young woman’s coming of age in Nigeria

    Neuroscience grad student grapples with life and family issues

    The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao

    Nerdy guy tries to find love despite everything

    The Nickel Boys

    Racism and institutionalized violence in a Florida reform school

    A North Vietnamese spy is embedded in a community in the US

    You will receive your summer reading assignments on the first day of school. Please read and annotate/take notes on both texts before the first day. Questions? Email David Thompson.

    AP Research - 12th grade

    Advanced Placement Research - 12th Grade

    • AP Research Summer Assignment PDF
    • AP Research Summer Assignment Google Slide