To create a shared literary experience in the community, Rivers requires its students to participate in a summer reading program.
To create a shared literary experience in the community, Rivers requires its students to participate in a summer reading program. The books listed below, by department and class, are required for students and will be discussed and written about in their classes in the fall.
ALL UPPER SCHOOL BOOK
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, by Mark Haddon
The goal of this all-Upper School required reading is to create a shared literary experience for all Upper School students, teachers, and advisors, one that will allow us a wide range of follow-up opportunities next fall. All students are expected to complete this book by the start of the 2005-2006 academic year. Hopefully, this selection will be an entertaining, enriching read.
ENGLISH DEPARTMENT
Grade 9
The Color of Water, by James McBride
12 Angry Men, by Reginald Rose (and watch the Henry Fonda film)
Grade 9 Honors
The Power of One, by Bryan Courtenay
Eleni, by Nicholas Gage
12 Angry Men, by Reginald Rose (and watch the Henry Fonda film)
Grade 10
The Bean Trees, by Barbara Kingsolver
A Lesson Before Dying, by Ernest Gaines
Grade 10 Honors
A Prayer for Owen Meany, by John Irving
A Separate Peace, by John Knowles
Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress, by Dai Sijie
Grade 11
Snow Falling on Cedars, by David Guterson(Required)
You must read one of the following books in addition:
The Color Purple, by Alice Walker or
The Lovely Bones, by Alice Sebold or
A Farewell to Arms, by Ernest Hemingway
Grade 11 AP
Snow Falling on Cedars, by David Guterson
Huck Finn, by Mark Twain (Penguin Edition)
East of Eden, by John Steinbeck (Penguin Edition)
Grade 12 AP
Atonement, by Ian McEwan
The God of Small Things, by Arundhati Roy
Henry V, by Shakespeare (and watch the Branaugh film)
Grade 12 Electives
Psychological Literature: The Lottery and Other Stories, by Shirley Jackson (Farrar ed. ISBN 0-374-51681-2)
Journalistic Writing: All the President’s Men, by Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward
Autobiography: Angela’s Ashes, by Frank McCourt
Literature of Moral Conflict: Catch-22, by Joseph Heller
Expository Writing: Best American Essays of the Century, ed. Robert Atwan (ISBN 0-618-15587-2)
You must read the essays by these writers: Twain, James, Hemingway, Hurston, Stein, Frost, Baldwin, Herr, Thomas, and Early. Also read five other essays of your choice in this text.
HISTORY DEPARTMENT
AP U.S. History
Undaunted Courage, by Stephen Ambrose
LANGUAGE DEPARTMENT
Latin II Honors
Art of Nemesis, by Stephen Saylor
Latin III Honors
Catilina’s Riddle, by Stephen Saylor
Latin IV Honors
Venus Throw, by Stephen Saylor
Latin V Advanced Placement
The Aeneid, translation by Allen Mandelbaum
French III Honors
Le Petit Nicolas et les Copains, Continental Book Company
French IV Honors
Cinq Contes, by Guy de Maupassant, Continental Book Company
French V Advanced Placement
Les Fourberies de Scapin, by Moliere, Continental Book Company
Spanish II Honors
Pásalo bomba Packet (prepared by Rivers Spanish teachers, available in the Rivers bookstore)
Spanish III Honors
Lazarillo de Tormes, EMC Publishing
Spanish IV Honors
Congreso en Granada, to be mailed after purchase in Spain.
Spanish V Advanced Placement
Don Quijote de la Mancha, Primera parte y Segunda parte, EMC Publishing
MIDDLE SCHOOL
As part of the Middle School curriculum, students must read extensively for pleasure. Students should remember to keep track of what they’ve read and remember to turn in their form on the first day of classes.
In addition, Middle School students must choose and read one book from the following list:
The Tale of Despereaux: Being the Story of a Mouse, a Princess, Some Soup, and a Spool of Thread, by Kate Dicamillo
A Mango Shaped Space, by Wendy Mass
The Bomb, by Theodore Taylor
Maus, by Art Spiegelman
Detectives in Togas & Mystery of the Roman Ransom, by Henry Winterfeld (Note: Both books must be read with this choice.)
Hatchet, by Gary Paulsen
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, by J. K. Rowling
The Man Who Counted: A Collection of Mathematical Adventures, by Malba Tahan
Life of Pi, by Yann Martel
The Lovely Bones, by Alice Sebold
The Pearl, by John Steinbeck
Nory Ryan’s Song, by Patricia Reilly Giff
The Sea of Trolls, by Nancy Farmer
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, by Mark Haddon
Rivers admits academically qualified students and does not discriminate against students or families on the basis of race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, disability, or ethnic or national origin in the administration of its educational programs, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, athletic programs, and other school-administered programs.