Embedded Files
Beginning in summer 2020, Southern Guilford High School English Department has expanded summer reading to include all students in a "One School, One Theme" project. Students in all grade levels will select reading materials from the same list organized around a common theme. A new theme will be selected each year.
During the summer, read your book. As you read, jot down some notes about the book's main ideas, plot, and characters. This is helpful if you don't have English until the spring semester. If you own the book, you can highlight and mark pages in it too.
During the first weeks of school, class activities will incorporate the materials from the summer reading list. Students will be asked to represent how their reading contributes to their understanding of the chosen theme and collaborate with classmates to synthesize multiple sources.
Note: Students taking AP English courses have a different assignment. Please see the 11th Grade AP or 12th Grade AP pages for the AP requirements.
2025: Minority Voices
2025: Minority Voices
What does it mean to be marginalized or disenfranchised? What is the affect of learning about background, cultures and experiences that are foreign and/or unfamiliar? Should we teach those who are different how to adjust to the world or should the world be taught how to accommodate those who are different? What is the significance of seeing one's self represented in literature?
This summer, our book list represents various groups that have been traditionally silenced and have recently been given agency to publish their stories and share a different perspective of the world in which we live. Some may read the word "minority" and think solely about race and ethnicity, but the term also includes women and those who have different religious beliefs, sexual orientations, gender identities, physical limitations, neurodivergence, mental disabilities and disorders, etc. Explore a different culture or experience than your own and gain a new understanding of someone else's struggles or discover a story that may reflect your own unique experience.
As you read, we recommend keeping notes on the major characters and how they navigate their differences in a world that may or may not accept them because of it.
Book Lists
Book Lists
Select one (or more) of the following books to read.
Select one (or more) of the following books to read.
Students must choose a book they have not read before. Books may be borrowed from a public library or purchased. Audiobook versions are acceptable; in fact, we encourage students who struggle with reading independently to use audiobooks paired with the print copy to maintain focus.
Some books on the list may contain strong language or content that may not be suitable for very young or sensitive readers. However, each book on this list has been included because we believe that it has educational value and can help students connect with our theme through a variety of perspectives. Students and parents with concerns about content are encouraged to preview content warnings using websites like Common Sense Media or Storygraph to choose a book that is suitable for them, and students may switch books at any time. Contact an English teacher, school media specialist, or a public librarian if you want help selecting a book that suits your comfort level.
Students and parents may request inclusion of a book not already on this list. Please contact Ms. Barnes (barnesa3@gcsnc.com) or your student's English teacher to ensure that the proposed book will work for the project that accompanies the summer reading. In general, the proposed book should connect to the theme, be appropriately advanced for a high school reader, and should be a book that the student has not read before.
This list is still under construction, so more books may be added in the future.
This list is still under construction, so more books may be added in the future.
The books below are organized two ways: First, by the marginalized voice represented, and then by genre. Some books may appear in more than one category.
BIPOC - Black, Indigenous, and People of Color
BIPOC - Black, Indigenous, and People of Color
Disability/Neurodivergence
Disability/Neurodivergence
More the Same Than Different
LGBTQ+
LGBTQ+
Women
Women
Non-Fiction
Non-Fiction
Fantasy/Science Fiction
Fantasy/Science Fiction
Historical Fiction
Historical Fiction
Realistic Fiction
Realistic Fiction
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