Students/Parents/Guardians:
Current research maintains that summer reading is a benefit to the continued academic achievement of students. Therefore, the teachers at Bishop McCort Catholic High School are encouraging students to take time over the summer to read at every opportunity!
Summer Reading 2023-2024
In addition to books of personal choice that students may select to read on their own, students are required to read over the summer as a part of their English Language Arts classes. All students will complete an Accelerated Reading (AR) test on their two Summer Reading books during the first week of school. The AR test scores (20 points per test) will be recorded in the first quarter marking period. The expectation is that students will have read the books by exam time. Summer Reading books may be used by classroom teachers for a class project or other assignment at any time during the academic year.
The Summer Reading book selections for 2023-2024 are listed on the attached page for each grade level. A short synopsis of each book has been included for preview purposes. Please note: Students may read a book and test on it through AR only once. If students have previously read and completed an AR test for a book on the Summer Reading list, please contact Miss Rice by email by June 30. Students should check their personal AR book list BEFORE leaving school for the summer as the AR website will be unavailable in June, July, and August. If a student has already completed an AR test on a Summer Reading-assigned book, the department will assign an alternate, comparable title.
Students are responsible for obtaining the Summer Reading book they need to read for their grade. These books are available at most bookstores, public libraries, the school library, online sources (Amazon, Barnes & Noble, etc.), and for download to e-readers. In addition, most books are available in audio format (Audible, etc.), which can aid a reader who is following along with a print format. The school has ordered 5 copies of each Summer Reading book. When the books arrive and are available, we will send an email with information regarding how to borrow.
Furthermore, all students will be participating in the AR program throughout the school year. Each quarter, students will be required to read two books independently and complete tests online through the AR platform. The AR test scores will be part of each student’s grade for the marking period during which the books are read. These tests also equal 40 points per quarter. These selections are made by the student but are subject to teacher approval.
Thank you for your partnership in helping BMCHS students become Crusher Readers for Life!
On behalf of the English Department,
Laura Rice, Chair
7th Grade Summer Reading 2023-2024
From Hatchette Book Group:
Eggs is a quirky and moving novel about two very complicated, damaged children. David has recently lost his mother to a freak accident, his salesman father is constantly on the road, and he is letting his anger out on his grandmother. Primrose lives with her unstable, childlike, fortuneteller mother, and the only evidence of the father she never knew is a framed picture. Despite their age difference (David is 9, Primrose is 13), they forge a tight yet tumultuous friendship, eventually helping each other deal with what is missing in their lives.
“…a book that sparks discussion and red hot emotions…” — A Fuse #8 Production
Jerry Spinelli:
Two-time recipient of the Newberry Medal
Dorothy Canfield Fisher Children’s Book Award
Anne V. Zarrow Award for Young Readers’ Literature
Golden Kite Award for Fiction
From Amazon.com:
…[A] beloved classic that captures the powerful bond between man and man’s best friend: Billy has long dreamt of owning not one, but two, dogs. So when he’s finally able to save up enough money for two pups to call his own—Old Dan and Little Ann—he’s ecstatic. It doesn’t matter that times are tough; together they’ll roam the hills of the Ozarks.
Soon Billy and his hounds become the finest hunting team in the valley. Stories of their great achievements spread throughout the region, and the combination of Old Dan’s brawn, Little Ann’s brains, and Billy’s sheer will seems unbeatable. But tragedy awaits these determined hunters—now friends—and Billy learns that hope can grow out of despair, and that the seeds of the future can come from the scars of the past.
“One of the great classics of children’s literature . . . Any child who doesn’t get to read this beloved and powerfully emotional book has missed out on an important piece of childhood for the last 40-plus years.” —Common Sense Media
A Top 100 Children’s Novel, School Library Journal
A Must-Read for Kids 9 to 14, NPR
A Great American Read's Selection (PBS)
Winner of Multiple State Awards
8th Grade Summer Reading 2023-2024
From Lauraruby.com:
Thirteen-year-old Lily Crabtree is infuriated when she’s forced to move again after her mother’s break up with the latest loser boyfriend. Now they’re broke and they’ll have to spend the winter in Uncle Wes’s creepy summerhouse in Cape May, New Jersey. And the place is crawling with ghosts. From the spiteful teenager who mistakes Lily for her high school nemesis to the restless spirit of her eccentric Uncle Max, Lily is haunted by a host of unhappy phantoms. But why are they here? And what do they want? With the help of her new friend, local boy Vaz, Lily tries to find out. But just as they are on the verge of piecing together the mystery, a casual family dinner turns into a beachfront showdown with guests both invited and unexpected, both corporal and supernatural. And the outcome is anything but certain.
“A cast of eccentric characters plays out this intriguing story. Readers will be hooked right up to the surprise ending.”—School Library Journal
A 2004 Edgar® Award Nominee for Best Juvenile
A 2003 Parent’s Choice Silver Honor for Fiction
One of the Chicago Public Library’s “Best of the Best”
A Sunshine State Award Book
A Garden State Book Award Nominee
A Rhode Island State Award Nominee
From Amazon.com:
When Parker Pettengill and Matt Armentrout find a dead man at the edge of Indian Creek, their camping trip comes to a close -- and a detective hunt begins. Evans, the creepy new boyfriend of Parker's mom, Pam, was seen at -- the place of the crime -- but there's no solid evidence that he committed the murder. Parker is convinced that Pam's boyfriend is to blame, and he will not rest until he has proof. And when Parker and Armentrout hide out in Pam's antique store and spy on Pam and Evans, they find out more than they bargained for....
"A combination of crackling language and plenty of suspense, this fast-paced yarn is likely to appeal to even the most reluctant readers." —Publishers Weekly
An ALA Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult Readers
An IRA Children’s Choice
An American Bookseller Pick of the Lists
9th Grade Summer Reading 2023-2024
From Booklist:
When star basketball player Robert Washington and his three closest friends mix drinking and driving in a postgame victory celebration, Robert is killed in an auto accident. The driver, Andy Jackson, is unable to resolve his feelings of guilt and remorse. Neither Andy's parents nor his psychologist accurately perceive the depth of Andy's depression, with tragic results… The story emerges through newspaper articles, journal entries, homework assignments, letters, and conversations…
‘raw energy and intense emotion” —Publishers Weekly
Sharon M. Draper:
Recipient of the Margaret A. Edwards Award
Five-time recipient of the Coretta Scott King Award
Recipient of the Charlotte Huck Award
National Teacher of the Year, 1997
From goodreads.com:
Percy Jackson is a good kid, but he can't seem to focus on his schoolwork or control his temper. And lately, being away at boarding school is only getting worse--Percy could have sworn his pre-algebra teacher turned into a monster and tried to kill him.
When Percy's mom finds out, she knows it's time that he knew the truth about where he came from, and that he go to the one place he'll be safe. She sends Percy to Camp Half Blood, a summer camp for demigods (on Long Island), where he learns that the father he never knew is Poseidon, god of the sea. Soon a mystery unfolds and together with his friends--one a satyr and the other the demigod daughter of Athena--Percy sets out on a quest across the United States to reach the gates of the Underworld (located in a recording studio in Hollywood) and prevent a catastrophic war between the gods.
“He has a knack for showing readers a crazy good time.” —New York Times Book Review
“There are two levels of fun in The Lightning Thief. One is the fast-paced quest of a young hero and his friends to save the world...Another level of fun here – laughing at the wicked ways the author has updated the gods and monsters for the 21st century.” —Common Sense Media
Best Book of 2005, School Library Journal
One of the Chicago Public Library’s “Best of the Best”
The Mark Twain Award
Young Reader’s Choice Award
100 Greatest Books for Kids, Scholastic Parent & Child Magazine
10th Grade Summer Reading 2023-2024
From goodreads.com:
Three different kids. One mission in common: ESCAPE.
Josef is a Jewish boy in 1930s Nazi Germany. With the threat of concentration camps looming, he and his family board a ship bound for the other side of the world…
Isabel is a Cuban girl in 1994. With riots and unrest plaguing her country, she and her family set out on a raft, hoping to find safety and freedom in America…
Mahmoud is a Syrian boy in 2015. With his homeland torn apart by violence and destruction, he and his family begin a long trek toward Europe…
All three young people will go on harrowing journeys in search of refuge. All will face unimaginable dangers–from drownings to bombings to betrayals. But for each of them, there is always the hope of tomorrow. And although Josef, Isabel, and Mahmoud are separated by continents and decades, surprising connections will tie their stories together in the end.
“Refugee looks readers straight in the eye, challenging them to truly see these kids who are battling the worst moments of our recent history.” — author Margaret Neville
Over 60 awards and nominations, including
National Jewish Book Award Winner for Young Adults
Global Read Aloud Books
New York Public Library Top 100 Best Books for Kids
Sakura Medal Shortlist
Tennessee Volunteer State Book Award Winner
From goodreads.com and Amazon.com:
Jason has a problem. He doesn’t remember anything before waking up on a school bus holding hands with a girl. Apparently she’s his girlfriend Piper, his best friend is a kid named Leo, and they’re all students in the Wilderness School, a boarding school for “bad kids.” What he did to end up her, Jason has no idea—except that everything seems very wrong.
In a brand-new series from blockbuster best-selling author Rick Riordan, fans return to the world of Camp Half-Blood. Here, a new group of heroes will inherit a quest. But to survive the journey, they’ll need the help of some familiar demigods.
“Riordan’s storytelling is as polished as ever, brimming with wit, action, and heart—his devotees won’t be disappointed.” —Publishers Weekly
West Australian Young Readers' Book Award (WAYRBA) for Older Readers
Evergreen Teen Book Award
Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for Young Adult Fantasy and for Favorite Book
11th Grade Summer Reading 2023-2024
From Amazon.com:
Maybe it was a grandparent, or a teacher, or a colleague. Someone older, patient and wise, who understood you when you were young and searching, helped you see the world as a more profound place, gave you sound advice to help you make your way through it.
For Mitch Albom, that person was Morrie Schwartz, his college professor from nearly twenty years ago.
Maybe, like Mitch, you lost track of this mentor as you made your way, and the insights faded, and the world seemed colder. Wouldn’t you like to see that person again, ask the bigger questions that still haunt you, receive wisdom for your busy life today the way you once did when you were younger?
Mitch Albom had that second chance. He rediscovered Morrie in the last months of the older man’s life. Knowing he was dying, Morrie visited with Mitch in his study every Tuesday, just as they used to back in college. Their rekindled relationship turned into one final “class”: lessons in how to live.
Tuesdays with Morrie is a magical chronicle of their time together, through which Mitch shares Morrie’s lasting gift with the world.
“…[T]his is a book that should be read not only for its vivid drama but for its urgent message about the untapped power of girls.... It is difficult to imagine a chronicle of a war more moving, apart from perhaps the diary of Anne Frank. With the essential difference that we lost that girl, and by some miracle, we still have this one.”―Washington Post
“Mitch Albom’s book is a gift to mankind.”—Philadelphia Inquirer
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
From Amazon.com:
Caden Bosch is on a ship that's headed for the deepest point on Earth: Challenger Deep, the southern part of the Marianas Trench. Caden Bosch is a brilliant high school student whose friends are starting to notice his odd behavior. Caden Bosch is designated the ship's artist to document the journey with images. Caden Bosch pretends to join the school track team but spends his days walking for miles, absorbed by the thoughts in his head. Caden Bosch is split between his allegiance to the captain and the allure of mutiny. Caden Bosch is torn.
“Both male and female readers will find this compelling while acquiring a deeper compassion and understanding.” ―Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA)
Golden Kite Award for Fiction
Winner, National Book Awards for Young People’s Literature
12th Grade Summer Reading 2023-2024
From goodreads.com and Amazon.com:
At the dawn of the next world war, a plane crashes on an uncharted island, stranding a group of schoolboys. At first, with no adult supervision, their freedom is something to celebrate; this far from civilization the boys can do anything they want. Anything. They attempt to forge their own society, failing, however, in the face of terror, sin and evil. And as order collapses, as strange howls echo in the night, as terror begins its reign, the hope of adventure seems as far from reality as the hope of being rescued. Labeled a parable, an allegory, a myth, a morality tale, a parody, a political treatise, even a vision of the apocalypse, Lord of the Flies is perhaps our most memorable novel about “the end of innocence, the darkness of man’s heart.”
“Lord of the Flies is one of my favorite books. That was a big influence on me as a teenager, I still read it every couple of years.” —Suzanne Collins, author of The Hunger Games
“As exciting, relevant, and thought-provoking now as it was when Golding published it in 1954.”
—Stephen King
100 Most Influential Novels, BBC News
Modern Library’s 100 Best Novels (Editor’s List, Reader’s List)
100 Best Young Adult Books of All Time, Time Magazine
From Amazon.com:
"Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again..."
With these words, the reader is ushered into an isolated gray stone mansion on the windswept Cornish coast, as the second Mrs. Maxim de Winter recalls the chilling events that transpired as she began her new life as the young bride of a husband she barely knew. For in every corner of every room were phantoms of a time dead but not forgotten—a past devotedly preserved by the sinister housekeeper, Mrs. Danvers; a suite immaculate and untouched, clothing laid out and ready to be worn…With an eerie presentiment of evil tightening her heart and the conviction that her ghost haunts the place, the second Mrs. de Winter walked in the shadow of her mysterious predecessor, determined to uncover the darkest secrets and shattering truths about Maxim's first wife—the late and hauntingly beautiful Rebecca.
“A brilliant piece of writing, with … atmosphere and suspense and pace…it has besides a depth of characterization and soundness of psychological conflict…A haunting sense of impending tragedy keeps one breathless to the end. It is fascinating reading.—Kirkus
“Du Maurier is in a class by herself.” — New York Times
100 Most Inspiring Novels, BBC News in 2019
A PBS Great American Read Top 100 Pick