Summer Reading

When you get back in the fall, be prepared to write about, discuss, and share with your peers and your new English teacher what you've been reading. We will use it as the basis for an assignment in the first week of class.


Although most classes don't have specific reading assignments (though some do -- scroll down to find them!), we expect you to read because it's good for your brain and it builds your academic skills.


Read whatever you might be interested in reading. Read on any topics you choose, and in varying lengths, from short pieces, to novels and longer non-fiction. Connect your reading to any interest you have.



Reading is good for your mind and body!

Reading is a skill that needs to be practiced, just as we would practice shooting free throws, baking, or drawing. If we want to become stronger, faster readers, we have to read some each day.

Where can I find something to read?

Click here to find out how to access OCHS's online library to check out ebooks and audiobooks on your phone or tablet.

The OC Library's summer reading program is on! Check out how to get signed up and win some prizes just for reading!

There are Free Little Libraries all over the city. Find one near you so you can grab something new to read!

What should I read next?

Fiction and Nonfiction reading suggestions

Looking for a new book?

Goodreads: Goodreads links to social media accounts and can give recommendations based on other books/novellas/comics/anime that you have liked, and also has great lists from which to choose.

New York Times Book lists: The New York Times always has some good recommendations!

UC Berkley's 2021 Summer Reading List

College/University Common Reads: Here's a big list of the common read books colleges and universities around the country chose for 2020-2021.

101 Great Books for College-Bound Readers

Alex Award Winning Books: Check out some award-winning Young Adult literature!

Looking for some non-fiction?

Longform.org: Recommends new and classic non-fiction from across the web.

Narratively.com: Home to thousands of true, original human-interest stories fueled by highly-vetted network of journalists and storytellers.

  • The Coddling of the American Mind: How Good Intentions and Bad Ideas Are Setting Up a Generation for Failure by


Non-traditional reading: Podcasts and Movies (AKA Film as Literature)

Podcasts: There are so many great podcasts out there! Use your favorite podcast app to download or listen through Spotify or IHeartRadio.

Teen Life

  • Teen Girl Talk: Join the Cota siblings as they joyfully make their way through a menagerie of media (movies, books, tv shows, music and more) made for teens.

  • Teenager Therapy: Five stressed, sleep deprived, yet energetic teens sit down and talk about the struggles that come with being a teenager.

Informational

  • The Daily: From The New York Times, this podcast takes a current issue and brings you the news, as told by journalists.

  • Freakonomics: A podcast about the economics behind everyday things. Topics range from "Should Traffic Lights Be Abolished?" to "Can I Ask You a Ridiculously Personal Question?".

  • Radiolab: Radiolab is a platform for long-form journalism and storytelling; topics range from what happens after you flush the toilet to how things evolve (like your bum!).

  • Stuff You Missed in History Class: This podcast brings you the greatest and strangest Stuff You Missed In History Class.

  • Stuff You Should Know: If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further -- this podcast has you covered!

  • TED Radio Hour: This podcast takes an issue and brings together TED Talks to inspires us to learn more about the world, our communities, and most importantly, ourselves.

  • Today, Explained: This podcast is Vox's daily explainer podcast that tackles important current news stories.

Other interests

  • Dear Hank and John: Hank and John Green use their podcast platform to have listeners ask questions and receive dubious advice in exchange. Every week they bring you the news from Mars and AFC Wimbledon.

  • Fat Mascara: Beauty editors Jess & Jenn are plugged in to the industry's latest news and share their inside access along with candid stories of their beauty adventures, from celebrity interviews and freaky new facials to miracle products and epic beauty fails.

  • Hurdle: A wellness-focused podcast where inspiring individuals from top athletes to aspiring entrepreneurs talk about everything -- from their big wins to how they’ve gotten through some of life’s toughest moments.

  • The Moth: A person gets on stage alone and tells a story to an audience; the stories range on topics and are always intriguing.

  • Song Exploder: This podcast has artists break down their own songs explain how they all came together. Recent episodes feature Imagine Dragons, Girl In Red, and Glass Animals.

  • Switched On Pop: This podcast focuses on the making and meaning of popular music. Recent episodes discuss Lil Nas X, Silk Sonic, and AJR.

  • Welcome to Night Vale: Fictional storytelling in the style of community updates for the small desert town of Night Vale, featuring mysterious lights in the night sky, dark hooded figures with unknowable powers, and cultural events.

  • What's Good Games: A video game podcast "for the nerd-inclined" hosted by four friends with over 30 years combined gaming industry experience.

Movies: Movies are just another form of storytelling. Next time you watch a movie, look at the what makes it a good story told well!

Ready for a challenge?

Recent surveys of college students have found they report spending fourteen hours a week reading (which is even less than the expectation of the colleges). That averages out to two hours a day.


Developing your reading stamina and maintaining your ability to focus for longer periods of time is crucial to your success in life after high school, whether it be college or a skilled trade. Reading is fundamental to learning.


Other studies have shown that just reading an additional ten minutes per day can have an exponential effect on your academic performance by simply exposing you to more words (see chart).


Luckily, these skills are easy to develop at your age: all you have to do is put in the time and read. And even better, it doesn’t matter at all what you read. The simple act of reading is enough. So, find books that interest you. Explore topics you want to learn about, Discover authors that others are talking about and join the conversation.


Your teachers and librarians are here to help you find books that you will enjoy. We are here to help you challenge yourself and grow. We want you to develop your reading skill and stamina over all four years of high school.

Read more! Can you read for ten minutes more this week than you did last week? Can you read more pages next week than you did last week? Can you read a book a month?


Explore an author! Find an author that you are curious to read and then read as much as you can by them.


Switch up genres! Do you typically read science fiction? Try reading a mystery. Only read love stories? Try a thriller for a change.


Try some non-fiction! There are so many great books about every topic under the sun. The best of them are written like a good story so you feel the thrill of a narrative while reading about real life events.


Read books written for adults! No doubt, books about teenagers going through teenage situations are relatable. Reading about adults going through adult situations is a good way to prepare for the “real world.”


Read diverse authors! Challenge yourself to read books written by or about people whose life experiences are different from yours. The change in perspective can be eye-opening.


Try a classic! There’s a reason that they have stood the test of time. Why not find out what the big deal is all about?


Read a book with a friend! Start your own book club and talk about what you read together. Reading can be just as social as anything else if you make it so.

Google what you are reading! Curious what other people are saying about what you just read? Search it out online and see where the conversation is about.

Join an organized reading challenge! The OC Public Library and The New York Times Learning Network have great reading challenges complete with prizes!

Course-Specific Summer Reading Assignments

What is OCHS reading?

Mrs. Black

(Language Arts)

Ms. Crawford

(Language Arts)

"Oh so good!" books:

On deck for this summer:

Dr. Erickson

(Associate Principal)

Peace Like a River by Leif Enger

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

Holes by Louis Sachar

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Sacks by Rebecca Skloot

Sula by Toni Morrison

The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien


Mr. Hellman

(Language Arts)

My summer reading plans:

•Sapiens, by Yuval Noah Hurrari;

•Kindred, by Octavia Butler;

•Stamped From The Beginning, by Ibram X. Kendi;

•Darius The Great Is Not Okay, by Adib Khorram;

•And something about Greece! Maybe this one.

Mrs. Henson

(Language Arts)

Mr. Kline

(Language Arts)

My summer reading plans:


Ms. Kolb

(Language Arts)

Mr. Lynn

(Language Arts)

Some of my all-time favorites include:

Mr. McDonald

(Language Arts)

Mr. Mills

(Language Arts)

Mr. Springer

(Language Arts)

A few favorites, in no order:

Mr. Stull

(Librarian)

Ms. Varner

(AVID Coordinator & Instructional Coach)




Dr. Who

(Time Lord)