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Bradbury, Potok, London and Wakatsuki-Houston are the most commonly read authors in the summer before freshman year - find out what they're all about!
The end of school is quickly approaching, but the summer of reading is just beginning. Each June students get assigned summer reading, which is usually not looked upon too fondly. But what of it? Across the country, major patterns emerge as to which books are being read by what ages. The following are the most commonly read books in the summer for incoming freshman:
Call of the Wild Jack London’s classic about surviving the Alaskan wilderness sparked life into a genre still gaining popularity with newer books like Into the Wild. Published in 1903, London uses his days of prospecting for gold in Canada, and a great deal of his philosophy of existence and perseverance gained there to help him tell the story of the dog Buck and his adventures. Buck is passed on from owner to owner in the wilderness of Alaska, as readers are taken on his adventures in the tough life of a sled dog. Martian Chronicles Though not a typical school novel, Bradbury’s book brings together a number of short stories about humans’ odysseys to Mars and the Martians response to such travels. Though many stories are humorous, the book overall retains a somewhat somber tone as Bradbury does an excellent job of opening a window for us to see how we have always treated any group of people we consider “other.” Though Bradbury was asking his 1940’s audience to use their imaginations and imagine the world of 1999, even a more futuristic audience will appreciate Bradbury’s wit, humor, and social commentary. Farewell to Manzanar Jeanne Wakatsuki-Houston introduces the reader to her main character: herself at the age of 8, as this book begins to follow a Japanese-American family from the west coast throughout World War II. Their lives are turned upside down after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, and all Japanese-Americans are suspected of alliances with the Japanese, regardless of a lack of any real evidence. The Wakatsuki’s are no different, and they are hauled off to Manzanar, an internment camp in California where Jeanne is forced to grow up and discover that, regardless of how people treat her, she still had her own distinct and valuable identity, and she had something to say to the world. The Chosen Although the opening chapter is long and gives an extremely detailed description of a baseball game, this is hardly telling of the rest of the book. A page-turning and often heart-wrenching story of two young boys of the Jewish faith and their struggle to find acceptance both outside the Jewish community, and within their own community has more applications to teens’ lives than they first think. The boys embark on an adventure that includes hospital time, adventure in the library and trying to tell their parents that they want to retain their own identity while still staying true to the faith in which they were raised. Event after event makes this an intriguing summer read. If your school district does not provide a way for you to purchase the summer reading books, do not forget that your local library will have these copies (although get them early before classmates beat you to it). Amazon.com is also a good option to get the books quickly and inexpensively. Enjoy your reading!
The copyright of the article Summer Reading - 9th Grade in Teen Fiction is owned by Laura L. Johnson. Permission to republish Summer Reading - 9th Grade in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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