Parkview
High School
Suggested
Summer Reading List
The Parkview Language Arts
Department encourages all students to find pleasurable reading during the
summer. If students aren’t sure of
where to begin, here are some suggestions from classics to contemporary works.
Watership Down by Richard Adams
On the one hand this book is
about intelligent rabbits seeking a home when developer takes over their
land. On the other hand, it’s a
political satire. Either way, it’s an
epic story. (Tom Beuglas)
Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom
Tuesdays with Morrie is the autobiographical account of a
sports writer who makes weekly visits to his dying college professor after a
twenty-year lapse in their friendship.
During these weekly "lessons," Albom gains more insight into
his own life--a brief, inspiring book, appropriate for all high
school students. (Lorraine Fussell)
Foundation by Isaac
Asimov
The main plot is a classic
tale of struggle similar to Star Wars.
However, for those interested in thinking about the book, the subplot of
predicting human behavior with math equations is really interesting. (Chris Moffet)
A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson
Hike the Appalachian Trail
with author Bill Bryson. He describes
his encounters and experiences on the Trail as he hikes with his out of shape
friend, Katz. This book made me laugh
out loud! (Christy Meyers)
The Amazing Adventures
of Kavalier and Clay by Michael
Chabon
Two Jewish cousins living in
Brooklyn in the 1930’s despair of the looming war. One of the cousins, Joe, has been able to escape Poland before
Hitler takes over, but he leaves behind parents and a younger brother. The only way the talented artist can fight
back is to create a comic book hero called “The Escapist,” who, through the
pages of the comic, can defeat Hitler. An absolutely brilliant book. (Tara
Finco)
I Am One of You
Forever by Fred Chappell
In a series of loosely
related vignettes, Fred Chappell tells stories of a family living in rural
North Carolina in the 1930’s. Through
these vignettes he is able to transition easily from deeply moving stories to
hilarious stories we can all relate to. (Tara Finco)
Autobiography of a Face by Lucy Grealy
Lucy Grealy’s memoir is of growing up with cancer, radiation, and reconstructive surgeries that constantly changed her face throughout high school. The book is a thoughtful consideration of beauty and identity.
The Secret Life of
Bees by Sue Monk Kidd
A Southern gothic
coming-of-age novel that deals with race relations and a girl’s search for the
truth behind a family story in which she, under unclear circumstances,
accidentally shot and killed her mother. (Susan Henderson)
Anastasia: The Riddle
of Anna Anderson by Peter Kurth
The book examines the
mystery of Anna Anderson, a woman who provided intriguing evidence for 60 years
that she was the Grand Duchess Anastasia. (Lisa Tilley)
She Walks these Hills by Sharyn McCrumb
Beautifully written mystery
that weaves an 18th century episode with contemporary
Appalachia. In modern times an old man
escapes from prison; in 1799 it’s the story of a girl kidnapped by Native
Americans. (Lisa Tilley)
Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk
As a simple story it’s a
book about an underground ring that becomes a terrorist group; as a more
complex read, it’s a commentary on the conformity of a consumer driven society
and the cultural shallowness that results.
(Jack Gayle)
The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand
An exhortation to remain
true to yourself and not succumb to society’s pressure to conform. The story’s hero is modeled on the legendary
architect Frank Lloyd Wright. (Susan Henderson)
Ecology of a Cracker Childhood by Janisse Ray
A memoir of growing up in a south Georgia junkyard alternates with
essays on South Georgia ecology. Great
hunting and fighting stories!
The Expendables by Leonard B. Scott
A coming of age story set
during the Vietnam War. The novel is a
great history lesson with great character depth. (Jack Gayle)
Teen Rights: A Legal
Guide for Teens and the Adults in their Lives by Traci Truly
This book has wide appeal
and contains useful information.
Relevant court cases are summarized in an easy-to-read manner. At times the author offers advice to teen
readers, but it is not so overblown as to be ‘preaching.’ (Chris Moffet)
Jane Austen Emma, Pride and
Prejudice
Daniel Defoe Robinson Crusoe
Charles Dickens Oliver Twist
George Eliot Silas Marner
Robert Louis Stevenson Treasure Island
Jonathan Swift Gulliver’s Travels
Daphne DuMarier Rebecca
Gustav Flaubert Madame Bovary
Franz Kafka The
Metamorphosis
C.S. Lewis The Screwtape
Letters
Virginia Woolf Mrs. Dalloway
Edith Wharton House of Mirth
Pat Frank Alas, Babylon
Olive Ann Burns Cold Sassy Tree
Isabel Allende The House of
Spirits
Pat Conroy The Great
Santini
Annie Dillard Pilgrim at Tinker
Creek
Ralph Ellison The Invisible Man
Charles Frazier Cold Mountain
Terry Kay To Dance
with the White Dog
Tim O’Brien The Things They
Carried
Chiam Potok The Chosen
J. D. Salinger The Catcher in the
Rye
Richard Wright Native Son
Arthur C. Clarke 2001: A Space Odyssey
Zora Neale Hurston Their Eyes Were Watching
God
Maxine Hong Kingston Woman Warrior
Lance Armstrong It’s Not about the Bike
Katharine Graham Personal History
Sylvia Nasar A Beautiful Mind
Joseph J. Ellis His Excellency
George Washington
Bill Bryson A Short
History of Nearly Everything
Edward Albee Who’s Afraid of
Virginia Woolf?
August Wilson The Piano Lesson
David Auburn Proof
Margaret Edson W;t
August Wilson Fences
Henrik Ibsen A Doll House