Summer Reading Assignments: Love Them or Hate Them?

[AACPL]

While we're waiting for our next book discussion title, I thought I'd ask a question that's been getting a lot of interest on our Facebook page.

What do you think of Summer Reading assignments for high school students? What books stand out from your own high school experience as being really great or really terrible?

[Gail]

I don't remember ever getting a summer reading assignment 4 H.S.---elementary school---yes: we were 2 read as many public school books as we could & 2 do book reports on them 4 extra credit in the Fall school classes, but it wasn't required reading.

[Amber]

My son has an elementary assignment that is optional, but he gets an ice cream party at school if he completes it. I think it's a wonderful idea to encourage summer reading and I think they should do the same for high school. I wish my high school had done it, I'd have been all over that. In fact I'm doing my own assignments with my son so he can see that it's important to always reading, no matter your age or grade or whether it's summer break.

[Doug]

Amber wrote: "My son has an elementary assignment that is optional, but he gets an ice cream party at school if he completes it. I think it's a wonderful idea to encourage summer reading and I think they should ..."

Good for you, Amber! I believe that one of the two or three most important "gifts" a family can give to children is reading. Reading unlocks the door of knowledge and the door of pleasure, for a lifetime.

[Jason]

Trying to choke down Jane Eyre for 10th grade summer reading sticks out in my head as being pretty rough ha ha. I also remember reading The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn for summer reading going in to 9th grade I think and it still stands as one of my favorite books. For me, Huck is the greatest American literary hero.


I do think think that summer reading is excellent for high school and middle school students though. The more you read, the better vocabulary you will have which will not only help with a student's ability to write effective papers in all subjects, but will set them up to better succeed when taking standardized tests like the SAT.

[Chris]

I definitely didn't get summer reading assignments--way back when. I just read on my own all summer long. My son's class (going into 8th grade) has to annotate a book this summer. I was very pleased with the suggested list, only one "classic," and that was The Hound of the Baskervilles. And he had no problem getting approval for a book not on the list: Neil Shusterman's Unwind

[AACPL]

I love that you're showing your son the importance of being a lifelong reader! I'll bet he carries that with him throughout his life! Amber wrote: "My son has an elementary assignment that is optional, but he gets an ice cream party at school if he completes it. I think it's a wonderful idea to encourage summer reading and I think they should ..."

[AACPL]

There are some good points made here! You may be interested in this recent article from NPR about what we may be giving up by assigning kids more popular reading for school. Hopefully there is room for both classics to educate and popular books to foster a love of reading! Offering two (or more) classics at the same reading level to choose from, though, may be preferable to forcing someone to slog through a book they aren't interested in! Jason wrote: "Trying to choke down Jane Eyre for 10th grade summer reading sticks out in my head as being pretty rough ha ha. I also remember reading The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn for summer reading going i..."

[Chris]

Very interesting article. Thanks for sharing. While I agree that some of the more popular modern books may not have the level of vocabulary that "classics" do, I'm not convinced that reading Thomas Hardy, or even some Dickens, gives students a particular advantage. While studies may show students prefer sci-fi/fantasy, there are plenty of excellent realistic novels out there: Thirteen Reasons Why, The Fault in Our Stars, and The Perks of Being a Wallflower to name just three. Young people would be far better served discussing the themes, character development, and authors' meanings in books like these, all of which are much more relevant to their lives, than trying to parse the sentences of 200-year-old tomes. When was the last time you used "incommodius" in a sentence?

[Amber]

I agree with Chris. Classics are wonderful, and should be read, but forcing them on kids that aren't interested could deter young minds from wanting to read. There are plenty of new novels that can teach the same basic principles as the classics, but that use vocabulary today's readers can relate to. While it's good to challenge the student, it overwhelms the senses and takes the fun out of reading if you have to run to the dictionary every third or fourth word.

[Stephanie]

I never have, but what a great word. I may have to try it out! :) You're right, though, there is some challenging modern literature there directed at a teen audience. May I add Code Name Verity to that list? And How I Live Now by Meg Rosoff. Chris wrote: "Very interesting article. Thanks for sharing. While I agree that some of the more popular modern books may not have the level of vocabulary that "classics" do, I'm not convinced that reading Thomas..."

[Jenna]

I have just received my first summer reading assignment and i loved the book. I think that as long as the book is entertaining and you get something out of it, summer reading assignments are cool. It gives you the opportunity to read books that you normally wouldn't ever read.

[AACPL]

What a great perspective! May I ask what the book was?


Jennnnnnna wrote: "I have just received my first summer reading assignment and i loved the book. I think that as long as the book is entertaining and you get something out of it, summer reading assignments are cool. ..."