Summer Reading Lists

Enhance your reading skills and prepare for the upcoming school year with quality literature

Why Summer Reading Matters

Summer Reading offers students an opportunity to enjoy quality literature while improving independent reading skills. This self-directed experience over the summer will allow students to reinforce skills previously learned over the course of the year, as well to prepare them for future learning.

When children have the chance to listen to, discuss, and read about topics of their own choosing, their independent reading skills improve. This choice will not only enhance their reading abilities but also support their language development, vocabulary growth, and even writing skills, keeping them academically sharp for the new school year.

Students reading and studying in a library with bookshelves

Rising 5th Grade

Required Reading Assignment

Required Book

The Magician's Nephew

by C.S. Lewis

This is the first book in the Chronicles of Narnia series and explains how Narnia was created. Students previously read "The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe" in 4th grade, making this a perfect continuation of their Narnia journey.

Reading Timeline

  • 📅

    15 chapters total

    Read one chapter per day (Monday-Friday)

  • 📝

    Chapter Notes

    Write 4-5 sentences after each chapter in a spiral notebook

  • 🎯

    Completion

    Book must be read before the first day of school

Creative Project Options

Choose one project to complete. Projects must include all required information and are due on the first day of school.

Shoe Box Diorama
File Folder Report
T-Shirt Report
Pizza Box
Book in a Bag
Hanger Report
Hand with Charms
Trifold Report
Required Project Elements:
  • Title of Book & Author
  • Beginning, Middle, End of Story
  • Characters & Setting
  • Plot Summary
  • Creative Display & Decorations

Rising 6th-10th Grades

Summer Reading Recommendations

6th Grade

  • Prince Caspian

    by C.S. Lewis

  • Where the Red Fern Grows

    by Wilson Rawls

  • Manic Magee

    by Jerry Spinelli

  • Out of My Mind

    by Sharon Draper

  • Restart

    by Gordon Korman

  • Counting by 7's

    by Holly Goldberg

  • Little Women

    by Louisa May Alcott

7th Grade

  • The Diary of Anne Frank

    by Anne Frank

  • The Bronze Bow

    by Elizabeth George Speare

  • The Call of the Wild

    by Jack London

  • Light in My Darkness

    by Helen Keller

  • Wonder

    by R.J. Palacio

  • Johnny Tremain

    by Esther Forbes

  • I am David

    by Anne Holm

8th Grade

  • The Adventures of Tom Sawyer

    by Mark Twain

  • Three Musketeers

    by Alexandre Dumas

  • Oliver Twist

    by Charles Dickens

  • David Copperfield

    by Charles Dickens

  • Fever, 1793

    by Laurie Halse Anderson

  • The Outsiders

    by S.E. Hinton

  • The Hiding Place

    by Corrie Ten Boom

  • Anne of Green Gables

    by L.M. Montgomery

9th & 10th Grades

  • The Book Thief

    by Markus Zusak

  • The Hobbit

    by J.R.R. Tolkien

  • Fahrenheit 451

    by Ray Bradbury

  • All Quiet on the Western Front

    by Enrich Maria Remarque

  • Lord of the Flies

    by William Golding

  • Of Mice and Men

    by John Steinbeck

High School Required Reading

11th and 12th Grade Assignments

Rising 11th Grade - English III

The Screwtape Letters

by C.S. Lewis

Assignment Requirements:
  • Read the entire book before the first day of school
  • Bring your copy of the book to class on day one
  • Complete reading journal for each chapter (5-7 sentences)
  • Include plot, characters, conflicts, and predictions
  • Typed assignment with proper formatting required

Important: Do not use SparkNotes or other study guides. Assignment is due on the first day of English class and will not be accepted late except under extreme circumstances.

Rising 12th Grade - English IV

The Case for Christ

by Lee Strobel

Baseball Card Project:
  • Create cards on 11" x 14" posterboard (no notebook paper)
  • Front: Name, qualifications, area of expertise
  • Back: Questions asked, answers given (minimum 5)
  • Summary of each person's "case for Christ"
  • Lee Strobel's conclusion from each interview

Bonus Points: Find and include actual photos of the people Lee Strobel interviewed. Assignment is due on the first day of English class.

Questions About Summer Reading?

Our teachers are here to help ensure your summer reading experience is both educational and enjoyable.