Radnor High School's English department assigns summer reading for all of its English courses. For your reference, we have made this webpage, complete with the list of titles for all classes, to help you complete the summer reading requirements.
Students are expected to return in September having read the book(s) and prepared to work with it (them). Teachers will teach the book(s) as part of an opening unit and/or ask students to write about it on one of the first days of school.
Summer reading books can be found at your local public library. Find public library links here; search for print books, ebooks or audiobooks.
Ninth Grade Honors (English 0110)
Students are to read any TWO of the following:
Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen (fiction)
Life is all about getting married for many girls in England around the year 1800, but snobbery, stereotyping, greed, pride, and rumors can make that quest sometimes funny, or strange, or otherwise difficult . . . especially for a poor family with five daughters. This classic novel, a famous depiction of society and romance, follows the feisty Elizabeth Bennet and her sisters through a slew of troubles and successes.
The Other Wes Moore, by Wes Moore (non-fiction)
Two kids named Wes Moore were born blocks apart within a year of each other. Both grew up fatherless in similar Baltimore neighborhoods and had difficult childhoods; both hung out on street corners with their crews; both ran into trouble with the police. How, then, did one grow up to be a Rhodes Scholar, decorated veteran, White House Fellow, and business leader, while the other ended up a convicted murderer serving a life sentence? Wes Moore, the author of this fascinating book, sets out to answer this profound question. In alternating narratives that take readers from heart-wrenching losses to moments of surprising redemption, The Other Wes Moore tells the story of a generation of boys trying to find their way in a hostile world.
Cinder, by Marissa Meyer (science-fiction)
Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl. Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future. Author’s website http://www.marissameyer.com/
The Fault in Our Stars, by John Green (fiction)
Incredibly, sixteen-year-old Hazel has survived . . . but she has lost a lot in the process: high school, friends, normalcy. Chemo and an oxygen tank keep her alive, and may keep her alive a long time. She wonders: for what? Enter Augustus Waters, a cancer survivor with whom she has been matched by a support group, who is both shockingly handsome and even more shockingly (to Hazel) interested in her. As Goodreads.com notes, "Being with Augustus is both an unexpected destination and a long-needed journey, pushing Hazel to re-examine how sickness and health, life and death, will define her and the legacy that everyone leaves behind." Click here to watch the book trailer.
1984, by George Orwell (fiction)
George Orwell's masterpiece 1984—the title derived by reversing the last digits of the year of its completion—is a dystopian novel depicting an oligarchical, collectivist society. Winston Smith, the protagonist, practices "thoughtcrime"—he lets his mind wander in ways the government would disapprove of—and it is through him that we discover the atrocities of the society. Orwell wrote this novel after he wrote Animal Farm; both works wanted to depict the downfalls of a Communist regime. 1984 has been particularly influential, and one of its creations, "Big Brother," has found a prominent place in pop culture.
The Secret Life of Bees, by Sue Monk Kidd (fiction)
There are novels out there that deal with race and justice, novels that deal with teenagers, and novels that deal with all of these factors--but not many that also deal with bees. This innovative historical (civil rights era) novel about a girl trying to remember her murdered mother has a lot to say about the American South and about bees . . . but it is mostly about human nature.
The Hot Zone: A Terrifying True Story, by Richard Preston (non-fiction)
A horror story in which the monster is something we cannot see--and it is all true. This combination of science and suspense leaves doctors and researchers trying to stop a deadly and incurable Ebola virus.
Ninth Grade College Prep (English 0112)
Students are to read any ONE of the following:
Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen (fiction)
Life is all about getting married for many girls in England around the year 1800, but snobbery, stereotyping, greed, pride, and rumors can make that quest sometimes funny, or strange, or otherwise difficult . . . especially for a poor family with five daughters. This classic novel, a famous depiction of society and romance, follows the feisty Elizabeth Bennet and her sisters through a slew of troubles and successes.
The Other Wes Moore, by Wes Moore (non-fiction)
Two kids named Wes Moore were born blocks apart within a year of each other. Both grew up fatherless in similar Baltimore neighborhoods and had difficult childhoods; both hung out on street corners with their crews; both ran into trouble with the police. How, then, did one grow up to be a Rhodes Scholar, decorated veteran, White House Fellow, and business leader, while the other ended up a convicted murderer serving a life sentence? Wes Moore, the author of this fascinating book, sets out to answer this profound question. In alternating narratives that take readers from heart-wrenching losses to moments of surprising redemption, The Other Wes Moore tells the story of a generation of boys trying to find their way in a hostile world.
Cinder, by Marissa Meyer (science-fiction)
Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl. Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future. Author’s website http://www.marissameyer.com/
The Fault in Our Stars, by John Green (fiction)
Incredibly, sixteen-year-old Hazel has survived . . . but she has lost a lot in the process: high school, friends, normalcy. Chemo and an oxygen tank keep her alive, and may keep her alive a long time. She wonders: for what? Enter Augustus Waters, a cancer survivor with whom she has been matched by a support group, who is both shockingly handsome and even more shockingly (to Hazel) interested in her. As Goodreads.com notes, "Being with Augustus is both an unexpected destination and a long-needed journey, pushing Hazel to re-examine how sickness and health, life and death, will define her and the legacy that everyone leaves behind." Click here to watch the book trailer.
The Secret Life of Bees, by Sue Monk Kidd (fiction)
There are novels out there that deal with race and justice, novels that deal with teenagers, and novels that deal with all of these factors--but not many that also deal with bees. This innovative historical (civil rights era) novel about a girl trying to remember her murdered mother has a lot to say about the American South and about bees . . . but it is mostly about human nature.
The Hot Zone: A Terrifying True Story, by Richard Preston (non-fiction)
A horror story in which the monster is something we cannot see -- and it is all true. This combination of science and suspense leaves doctors and researchers trying to stop a deadly and incurable Ebola virus.
Students are to read ONE novel and ONE memoir, and watch ONE film.
The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay, by Michael Chabon (fiction)
AND
A memoir that considers growing up in America and looking at adult issues through a child's eyes. Choose ONE:
The Glass Castle, by Jeannette Walls (memoir)
This Boy's Life, by Tobias Wolff (memoir)
AND
The Godfather (film, directed by Francis Ford Coppola, 1972)
Note: RTSD Board policy states that any R-rated film to be used in class must be a part of the curriculum and requires parent permission for viewing. Get your parents' permission before viewing The Godfather; if your parents do not want you to watch this film, please contact the teachers to tell us, and we will provide you with an alternative.
There is a website for this course -- click this link to go see it!
Focused Reading/Writing 11/12 (1582)
Students will read any one book of their choosing.
Twelfth Grade Advanced Placement English (English 0140)
Students are to read:
The Story of Edgar Sawtelle, by David Wroblenwski (fiction)
Twelfth Grade College Prep (English 0141)
Students are to read ONE of the following:
Emma, by Jane Austen (fiction)
Eye of the Needle, by Ken Follett (fiction)
In the Presence of the Enemy, by Elizabeth George (fiction)
The Other Boleyn Girl, by Philippa Gregory (fiction)
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time, by Mark Haddon (fiction)
Your reading assignment depends on your section assignment: Hostetler/Myers or Civitella/Verguldi-Scott. When your course assignment appears on HAC, you will know what to read.
Hostetler/Myers students read both of these:
Galápagos, by Kurt Vonnegut (fiction)
The Presidential Difference: Leadership Style from FDR to Barack Obama (third edition), by Fred Greenstein (non-fiction)
Civitella/Verguldi-Scott students read both of these:
A great selection of audiobooks is availabe to you this summer! Choose from a list of classic titles, such as Jane Eyre or newer titles like Raven Boys: http://www.audiobooksync.com/
c.Username/Password: Use your RHS NETWORK LOGIN. You will have to select
Radnor School District from the dropdown list.
Select the letter “R", then select “Radnor High School."
d.Search Albert Einstein. Watch the first
30 seconds and write down 1 fact that you learn about him:
___________________________.
2.Download the Follett Digital Reader App (Free!)
from your app store.
See Mrs. Wetzel when
all tasks are complete for a piece of candy. You will also be entered into a
drawing for a $25 Barnes and Noble gift card. The winner will be announced on
Monday, April 22nd.
