Brother Martin is changing the summer reading program for 2019 to meet the needs and interests of our students and our school mission. Research indicates that life-long learning through reading is more likely to take place if students have a choice of book to read and if these books are high interest and relevant to an adolescents’ lives.
All students in grades 9-12 will be expected to choose one book from a list, read it over the summer, and then engage in a small group discussion facilitated by a faculty member at the start of the school year.
Incoming 8th-grade students will read Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World by Jennifer Armstrong, a non-fiction title that recounts the attempt of explorer Ernest Shackleton and his crew to reach the South Pole and cross Antarctica. This book will be used during the Summer Enrichment Program, and all requirements will be completed BEFORE the start of the school year. Students who do not attend Summer Enrichment will be given the reading guide for their independent use during the summer.
There are over sixty titles on the summer reading list for students grades 9-12 from a variety of genres: war/diplomacy, spirituality, leadership, mystery, survival/adventure, science fiction, fantasy, and so on. Each book was recommended by a faculty member. Some books are only recommended for upperclassmen due to their subject matter. We encourage students to share their choice with their parents so that all family members are comfortable and excited about the title chosen.
Books can be purchased from any vendor. They will be available on MBS Direct, the online bookstore with whom we partner for all books required during the school year. Each student is required to have a print/paper copy of the chosen book present at the book discussion.
We will have a small group discussion as the culminating activity for summer reading; there will be no written assignment or test. We expect our students to be active contributors to this discussion.
Yes, students must “sign up” for a book. The week before Easter holidays, each student will be sent a “Sign Up Genius” notification via his school email so that he can sign up. Most books will have a limit of 15 students; a few will have a limit of 30. Once the maximum number of students is reached, that book is no longer an option, and he will have to choose another option.
Before we open the “Sign Up Genius,” we will post a list of books with their cover images and a brief blurb about their plot, as well as the recommended grade level, on Schoology and in the school library.
