Let the Reading Begin!

After much thought and discussion, faculty in the three school divisions have developed student reading lists for the summer of 2006.

The Lower School does not have a list of required books, but rather recommendations for fun and worthwhile reading gleaned from students, teachers and other resources. In a division Newsletter, Lower School Director Nooha Ahmed-Lee explains the importance of summer reading for young children.

Students in the three Middle School grades have both required and "choice" books, plus required writing assignments.

All students in grades 9-12 will be required to read "The Poisonwood Bible," by Barbara Kingsolver. Upper School students also have a list of books to choose from for additional reading, and required writing assignments.

This summer is the third time in recent memory that Upper School students in all four grades have shared a required summer reading book. In the summer of 2004, students read John Steinbeck's "East of Eden," and in 2005 "The Kite Runner," by Khaled Hosseini.

Jesse Dougherty, head of the English Department, said members of the department felt that the contemporary nature of "The Poisonwood Bible" would encourage discussions across disciplines. Kingsolver tells the story of an American missionary who relocates his wife and four daughters to the Belgian Congo in 1959.

"The story focuses on American girls, who are sisters, growing up in Africa," said Dougherty. "Each chapter is told from the perspective of a new sister. We felt that the idea of perspective is an interesting one for students to consider. At the same time, we felt that this is a good time to talk about how Americans handle themselves abroad."

Upper School Summer Reading

Middle School Summer Reading

Lower School Summer Reading - list of recommendations coming in June. In a newsletter last summer, Lower School Director Nooha Ahmed-Lee wrote about the importance of summer reading for young children.