• Summer Reading Rationales, Requirements, and Lists

    Fauquier County Public Schools

     

    Rationale for Recommended Reading:

    What do we want students in Fauquier County to be able to do as readers?  We take our lead from Kelly Gallagher, a nationally recognized expert in the field.  Gallagher’s In the Best Interest of Students makes the case for developing readers who read for enjoyment

    Gallagher points out that the standards movement has caused many schools to ignore recreational reading.  Sadly, “students who are not given a chance to read for enjoyment are much more likely to become adults who do not read for enjoyment” (145). 

    As Fauquier County Public School educators, we believe that students learn to read by reading interesting, quality literature and responding to it through reflection, discussion, and writing.  However, we also believe that students learn to LOVE to read (and write) when they have high-interest choices and when accountability measures (additional work beyond the reading itself) are meaningful and motivational.  Therefore, the majority of our teachers recommend summer reading rather than requiring particular works with lengthy assignments attached.

    In addition to reading for pleasure, summer break should provide students with opportunities to read for personal enrichment, as well.  Research has shown that students who do not read during the summer months can experience a loss of some of their reading skills.  In order to prevent summer “fall-back,” and to prepare students for the coming academic year, Fauquier County English teachers recommend that students choose at least two titles from the lists below for their summer reading or, perhaps, two appropriate works of their own choosing.  In the fall, students should let their new English teachers know what their choices were and share a few things they liked and did not like about those choices.  Teachers love receiving this information at the beginning of a new school year either through conversations, notes, or letters to them! 

     

    Rationale for Required Reading in High School Honors and AP English:

    In addition to the above guidelines, high school Honors and AP English teachers may publish Council-approved required reading lists and assignments deemed necessary for the success of advanced students preparing for the rigorous AP exams in high school.  Students who are preparing for Honors and AP classes typically respond to their reading, both recreational and required, by writing reflective journal entries or preparing a graphic organizer (like the 3-Square Journal or Major Works Data Sheet) to be ready for follow-up discussion by the end of the first marking period.  Note:  Students’ reading comprehension of these books may (or may not) be assessed by their classroom teachers. Teachers should provide easy access to their own specific requirements and necessary materials including novels and books.

     


    Reading for all grade levels recommended by the Virginia State Reading Association’s Readers Choice 2022-2023 Program.


    Additional Recommended Reading for High School:

    Rising Freshmen:

    Animal Farm – Orwell

    Anthem – Rand

    Ender’s Game – Card

    House on Mango Street – Cisneros

    I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings - Angelou

     

    Rising Sophomores:

    1984 - Orwell

    A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court - Twain

    Hot Zone - Preston

    Fahrenheit 451 – Ray Bradbury

    Inherit the Wind – Lawrence & Lee

     

    Rising Juniors:

    A Lesson Before Dying - Gaines

    In Cold Blood – Capote

    Johnny Got His Gun – Trumbo

    The Devil in the White City - Holmes

    Warriors Don’t Cry - Beals

     

    Rising Seniors:

    A Thousand Splendid Suns - Hosseini

    David Copperfield - Dickens

    Dracula - Stoker

    Jane Eyre - Bronte

    The Joy Luck Club - Tan



VA Readers Choice