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.

• Primary
• Elementary
• Middle
• High

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