Academic

North Pocono High School has a long-running and required Summer Reading Program for all students entering grades 9-12 in the fall. Each student entering or returning to the high school is required to read the assigned book(s) and complete the assignment(s) for the grade and course level the student will enter in the fall.

• Parents and students should read the Summer Reading Program introductory letter here.

• Parents and students should also review the Summer Reading Program Lost Book Policy here.

• Parents and students should be aware of the Summer Reading Program Transfer Students Policy here.

Locating Books to Complete Summer Reading Requirements

With the summer reading program emphasizing book choice, providing every student with every book is impractical both financially and logistically. Students are required to obtain the required summer reading books on their own. To reduce the expense incurred by the students, the English department has worked hard to select titles that are more affordable (few titles exceed $12 and many are under $10) and has produced the following list of potential cost-saving measures.

IN A COOPERATIVE EFFORT BETWEEN THE HIGH SCHOOL AND THE NORTH POCONO PUBLIC LIBRARY, COPIES OF EACH OF THE TITLES FOR SUMMER READING WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR STUDENTS TO BORROW THROUGHOUT THE SUMMER.

• A few students could purchase one book and share it.

• Purchase used copies from online booksellers.

• Purchase electronic copies which are often less expensive.

• Purchase / borrow copies from previous classes (i.e., book ‘hand-me-downs’)

North Pocono High School recognizes the purchase options may present a hardship for some families, and that the public library's hours or terms may not align with a particular family's abilities. In such cases, students may borrow books from the high school during the summer months. A supply of titles will be available before the end of school but a student may not borrow more than 2 books at a time. Books borrowed from the school must be returned to the school. Students who borrow books directly from the high school must complete the Summer Reading Program Book Loan Request Form.

Reading/Study Guides

To assist students in completing required summer reading, the English Department has located or created reading/study guides for numerous titles. Please click the link below for a list of all available reading/study guides.

Summer Reading Program Reading/Study Guides

NPHS GRADE 9 ACADEMIC ENGLISH SUMMER READING INSTRUCTIONS & LIST

Students enrolled in 9th Grade Academic English for the next school year must do the following:

Read two (2) of the following books.

In order to keep track and remember what you have read, you should take notes on the setting, the main characters, plot, and themes.

A test on the books will take place on the first Friday of school. The test will be a combination of true/false, matching, multiple choice, quotes, and essay. This evaluation will be your first grade for the first quarter.

Please check the website as some of the below titles may have reading guides.

Hoot by Carl Hiassen

In this humorous mystery, three unlikely teens lead a protest to save endangered burrowing owls that live on the property where a Mother Paula’s All American Pancake House is about to be built.

The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom

This is a story about an amusement park mechanic named Eddie who dies trying to save a little girl. The book begins by detailing Eddie’s movements during his last hour alive. When Eddie dies, he finds himself in heaven, where he soon learns that he will meet five people who will explain to him the meaning of his life.

Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys

The nations of Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia disappeared from maps in 1941 and did not reappear until 1990. As this is a story seldom told, the author wanted to give a voice to the millions of people who lost their lives during Stalin’s cleansing of the Baltic region.

Look Me In The Eye by John Elder Robinson

John Elder Robinson shares his, often hilarious life story, as someone who was diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome, a form of autism, but not until he was forty years old. He takes the reader on his adventures from an unhappy childhood, to developing exploding guitars for the rock band KISS, to pioneering talking electronic games in the late 1970’s, to marriage and fatherhood, and finally as a successful owner of an automotive business. His fantastic life story is engaging and encouraging.

The Honest Truth by Dan Gemeinhart

It's never too late for the adventure of a lifetime. In all the ways that matter, Mark is a normal kid. He's got a dog named Beau and a best friend, Jessie. He likes to take photos and write haiku poems in his notebook. He dreams of climbing a mountain one day. But in one important way, Mark is not like other kids at all. Mark is sick. The kind of sick that means hospitals and treatments. The kind of sick some people never get better from. So Mark runs away. He leaves home with his camera, his notebook, his dog, and a plan. A plan to reach the top of Mount Rainier…even if it's the last thing he ever does.