Dear Students and Families,

Summer reading is designed to help students keep their minds active during the fun and more flexible time of summer. We encourage them to read books both that they enjoy and that expand the way they look at themselves and the world around them. 

Rising Seniors do not have specific summer reading assignments (with the exception of seniors taking AP Language). Diploma students will focus on their Extended Essay over the summer. Seniors taking Contemporary Literature & Composition are encouraged to spend time reading fiction or nonfiction, following current events, and/or working on the Common Application. You can expect instruction to begin the first day of school and to have a summative assessment based on that instruction during week two. 

Rising 9th through 11th graders will be assessed on the summer reading assigned to them. Honors- and general-level students have the same reading requirements. All students are welcome to read more than what is required. During the second week of school, students will write a graded in-class response to their summer reading. Students who have not completed the reading and are not able to do the assessment will be assigned to Saturday School and/or WIN time with the expectation that they will read one of the identified books for their class and complete the in-class writing assignment at that time. 

Many of the books are available as a free eBook or can be checked out from the public library. They are also available for purchase online or at a local bookstore like Little Shop of Stories or Brave + Kind Bookshop.

Where choice is allowed, the book list is organized by Lexile Level to help students better identify books that suit them. The Lexile Level of a book solely assesses the complexity of its vocabulary and sentence structures, not the depth or sophistication of its content. Readers at higher levels may still choose to read books with lower Lexile Levels, as all books on the list encompass sophisticated and engaging content. It is important that students and guardians decide together whether the content is suitable, considering a student’s individual needs and sensitivities.

We look forward to students finding and reading books they enjoy and to them sharing their newfound understandings in the fall!

Sincerely,
Decatur High School ELA Teachers