Summer Reading
To prepare our students for life, we consider no habit of mind so important as reading- reading for information, for inspiration, for connections, for perspectives, and yes, for enjoyment. To that end we ask students to read at least THREE BOOKS over the summer vacation. There are many choices which should appeal to different age groups and different interests. Students will complete response sheets [PDF 62 kb] for each book.
Summer reading complements the St. Margaret's curriculum. During the school year there is much emphasis on guided reading throughout the curriculum. Students study literary techniques, themes, and vocabulary in a formal manner. Students analyze literature using a variety of genres and become involved in literary criticism. During the summer students may continue formal analyses and may also make some choices in what they wish to read. We want students to take ownership of their reading program and know the pleasure of independence; we would like families to engage in lively conversations with daughters about reading and learning. For that reason the reading list is fairly extensive and contains brief annotations which provide the prospective reader with some idea of the content of each book. See our Guidelines and Choices page.
Part of the reading program involves student response sheet [PDF 62 kb] to the books read. Again, there are deliberate options for responses. In responding to what they read, students make connections between their own lives and the themes, plots, characterizations, and settings of the books of their choice. Our summer reading provides a way for students to grow in understanding personally and globally, learning about themselves and about the opportunities and challenges in the lives of those near and far, past and present. Click here for a Sample Response report [PDF 114 kb].
The summer reading booklet is given to new and returning students and may be accessed at any time from the Summer Reading Link. Each book is linked to Amazon.com for easy purchasing and more detailed descriptions and reviews. We always encourage students to visit their local library or bookstore and challenge themselves to read widely during the summer months.
Summer Reading PDF Downloads
| Complete Summer Reading Package Includes Introduction, guidelines, response sheet, response sample and complete reading list. |
407 Kb |
| Summer Reading Response Sheet |
62 Kb |
| Summer Reading Sample Response |
114 Kb |
