Summer Reading 2006

In case anyone is wondering what Blair students read these days, Selden Bacon, dean of academics, elaborates on Blair’s recommendations for summer reading. “Because reading widely is an essential component of a good education, the Blair faculty support reading throughout the year. The summer is no exception. The general expectation for all students is a minimum of four books (fiction/non-fiction) to be read over the summer. We hope that students will read five and experience shows that many read more. Often, families will read books together, and the resulting discussions can be wonderful. As you might expect, any of the books required by the courses below should be included in the total; in addition, obviously longer books may be counted as two titles. Depending on the course(s) you are taking next year, you may be examined – written or oral format – on one or more of your choices from the list below. However, the faculty’s central concern is that students read during the summer and that they explore fiction and non-fiction choices.”

Specific Expectations for Selected Courses for 2006/2007:

English 1: students select one of the following books and may read more if they choose.
    The Chosen (Potok)
    The Catcher in the Rye (Salinger)
    I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (Angelou)
English 2: Brave New World (Huxley)
English 2H: The Kite Runner (Hosseini)
English 3: Old School (Wolff)
English 3H: Frankenstein (Shelley)
English 4 – (all seniors not taking English AP): Prep: A Novel (Sittenfeld)
English 4AP – Literature: Atonement (McEwan)
English 4AP – Language: In the Heart of the Sea (Philbrick)


World History: Animal Farm (Orwell)
US History 1: Animal Farm (Orwell)
Western Civilization: Animal Farm (Orwell)
US History 2: His Excellency: George Washington (Ellis)
US History AP: Paul Revere’s Ride (Fischer) and Founding Brothers (Ellis)
European History AP: Darkness at Noon (Koestler)

Posted 6/1/06

Return to 2005-2006 Table of Contents

return to top