Secondary Summer Reading List

TCA Secondary Summer Reading Requirements

All TCA students entering grades 7-12 must read two books before school begins. One book will be a classic work of literary merit (marked with an "L" on the list below), and the other will focus on Christian Growth (marked "CG").

Summer Reading Goals

To maintain students' reading and thinking skills over the summer months through reading and thoughtfully responding to quality books
To acquaint students with works of literary merit for enjoyment, enrichment and preparation for future AP English exams or college English courses
To engage students spiritually with works appropriate to their stage in life and/or related to the content of upcoming Bible coursework
To provide a smooth transition to the upcoming school year by integrating summer reading into the curriculum in Bible and English classes

Obtaining Books

While students may borrow books from a local library, they are encouraged to purchase their own copies of novels. This will allow them to underline, highlight, and take notes during reading. Used copies are fine, and TCA does not require any particular edition of books listed. Children's editions, student editions or condensed editions may not be used unless specified in the list below.

Going into...	Required Readings (Click on the title of the book for information regarding the assignments for that title.)

7th:	L: The Red Pony^# (John Steinbeck) CG: No More Victims* (Frank Peretti)
8th:	L: The Old Man and the Sea^#(Ernest Hemingway) CG: Do Hard Things (Alex and Brett Harris)

English I:	#L: Silas Marner^# (George Eliot) CG: The Case for Christ, Student Edition (Lee Strobel)

English II:	L: A Separate Peace (John Knowles) CG: The Outward Focused Life (Dave Workman)

English II (H):	L: A Separate Peace (John Knowles) and The Invisible Man^† (H.G. Wells) CG: The Outward Focused Life (Dave Workman)

English III:	L: The Invisible Man ^# (H.G. Wells) CG: Know Why You Believe (Paul Little)

English IV:	L: Animal Farm^# (George Orwell) CG: Through the Gates of Splendor (Elizabeth Elliot)

AP English Language:	L: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn^† (Mark Twinn) L: Choose two of the options below: The Great Gatsby (F. Scott Fitzgerald) Great Expectations (Charles Dickens) The Red Badge of Courage (Stephen Crane) A Farewell to Arms (Ernest Hemingway) CG: Know Why You Believe (Paul Little)

AP English Literature:	L: Wuthering Heights^† (Emily Bronte) L: Choose two of the options below: The Great Gatsby (F. Scott Fitzgerald) Great Expectations (Charles Dickens) The Red Badge of Courage (Stephen Crane) A Farewell to Arms (Ernest Hemingway) CG: Through the Gates of Splendor (Elizabeth Elliot)

^#These novels do not require written responses. Your teacher will lead your class in a unit of study during the first days of school that will require a thorough understanding of your novel. This unit of study will include graded assignments related to the book. If you've read the novel carefully, you will be able to succeed in these assignments.

^†These novels do not require written responses. A study guide will be available for these books at least 3 weeks before school (click on the book's title for the study guide) which will guide students as they read and prepare them for a unit of study within the first days of school.

*In conversations with area bookstores, we have been informed that Peretti's short book (64 pages) No More Victims is out of publication and may not be available in local bookstores. An internet search yielded a number of online retailers offering new and/or used copies of the book for purchase. A sampling of these online options for purchasing this and other books appears below. These retailers are not promoted by or affiliated with TCA. If No More Victims cannot be secured, Peretti's The Wounded Spirit may be used. This book addresses the same topics as No More Victims, but is longer (200+ pages) and is intended for an older audience (adults and older teens).