English Language Arts (ELA)

            The Gospel According to Larry, Janet Tashijian                    

Fever, 1793, Laurie Halse Anderson

Ender’s Game, Orson Scott Card

The Right Stuff, Tom Wolfe

Little Women, Louisa May Alcott

The Book Thief, Markus Zusak

Belzhar, Meg Wolitzer

 (Students entering 9th grade:  go to this link to see a book-talk video by Larissa Farrell, Young Adult Librarian at the Duxbury Free Library.)

Entering Grade 10 (Honors and College Prep) ­ Students choose one:

Whistling Past the Graveyard, Susan Crandall

The Invention of Wings, Sue Monk Kidd

Dracula, Bram Stoker 

Slow Getting Up, Nate Jackson

Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore, Robin Sloan

                                                         An Invisible Thread, Laura Schroff                                                              

Entering Grade 11 (Honors and College Prep) ­ Students choose one:

Into Thin Air, Jon Krakauer

Let the Great World Spin, Colum McCann

The Devil in the White City, Erik Larson       

Boys in the Boat, Daniel James Brown

Where'd You Go, Bernadette, Maria Semple

                                                                       

Entering Grade 11 (AP) ­ Students read all of the following:

Thank You for Arguing by Jay Heinrichs provides and overview of the basic tools of argument that are the foundation of AP English Language using contemporary examples and illustrations.

The Professor and the Madman by Simon Winchester chronicles the contributions of Dr. William Minor in the development of the Oxford English Dictionary.  It is not only a testament to the changing nature of language, but a highly engaging work of non-fiction.

On Writing by Stephen King, which is part memoir and part writing manual, follows the development of one highly successful writer who shares his secrets of success.

Eats, Shoots and Leaves by Lynn Truss argues for clarity in writing by pointing out some of the most abused rules of Standard Written English as well as providing insight into the historical development of punctuation.

Mountains Beyond Mountains by Tracy Kidder follows Paul Farmer as he establishes a first world medical center in Haiti while working to eradicate tuberculosis.  The biography traces the career of an exceptional doctor from his unorthodox upbringing to an internationally renowned champion of social justice.

 

Entering Grade 12 (Honors and College Prep) ­ Students choose one of the following (picking a book related to one of the semester courses they plan to take).

A Walk in the Woods, Bill Bryson (Humor and Satire / Stories of Survival)

Right Ho, Jeeves, P. G. Wodehouse (Humor and Satire)

Death on the Nile, Agatha Christie (Crime Literature / Stories of Survival)

Raylan, Elmore Leonard (Crime Literature)

The Buried Giant, Kazuo Ishiguro (Contemporary Social Issues / Creative Writing)

The Samurai's Garden, Gail Tsukiyama (Stories of Survival / Creative Writing)

Ball Four, Jim Bouton (Sports Literature)

The Breaks of the Game, David Halberstam (Sports Literature)

Slaughterhouse-Five, Kurt Vonnegut (Stories of Survival / Contemporary Social Issues)

Dead Fathers Club, Matt Haig (Shakespeare)

 

Entering Grade 12 (AP) ­ Students read all five texts below.  All students are required to discuss these texts on Schoology at intervals over the course of the summer.  Use this join code to access the Schoology class:  56PK9-4XRRH.  You will find the discussion threads, with deadlines for posting, in the “Materials” folder.  If you have difficulty meeting the deadlines (perhaps because of vacation or work), you may get an extension if and only if you email Dr. Baynes (kbaynes@duxbury.k12.ma.us) several days in advance of the deadline.

How to Read Literature Like a Professor by Thomas C. Foster will provide students with an understanding of literary archetypes, timeless themes in literature, methods for close reading, and common literary allusions.  Students will apply their understanding of these topics to their reading of all AP texts throughout the school year. Written responses due July 8.

The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien will prepare students to understand the shifting realities and truths present in literature of the 20th Century. Students will apply their understanding of this post-modernist work to their reading of Waiting for Godot, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead, and/or A Passage to India. Written responses due July 22.

Right Ho, Jeeves by P. G. Wodehouse provides students with the foundations of farce and satire.  Students will appreciate Wodehouse’s mastery of the English language.  Farcical elements of this text will help students to understand Theater of the Absurd (studied in the second semester of the school year in texts such as Waiting for Godot and Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead).  Written responses due August 1.

Enrique’s Journey by Sonia Nazario asks students to consider both sides of the immigration debate through the story of one young boy as he travels from Honduras to the U.S. in search of his mother.  Students may make connections during the school year between this text (a core text for all 12th grade students) and The Odyssey.  Written responses due August 12.

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte chronicles the experiences of a young woman working as a governess in a wealthy household. On the surface, this text is part love story and part commentary on the untenable position held by many middle class women in the 19th Century.  The novel contains multiple layers, however, and should be read with a view to understanding the psychology of the two main characters, Jane Eyre and Mr. Rochester.  This text will provide students with a foundation for their reading of Hamlet and works by Dickens.  Written responses due August 28