Upper School Summer Reading List
The goal of summer reading at Roland Park Country School
is consistent with the School’s Philosophy in
that it “strives to instill in its students a
lifelong love of learning as well as the motivation
to look within and beyond themselves” while also
promoting the importance of reading a variety of works.
It is hoped that students will choose titles
from a variety of disciplines throughout their years
at RPCS. Students will propose a personalized reading
list to their advisor in the preceding spring. It is
hoped that many advisories will choose to have a “group
read” so
that they can have book discussions in the fall. Students
are expected to prepare for a discussion of their
summer reading during advisory in early fall.
Required reading for all grades
The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver
Grade Level Required Reading
Ninth graders should read The Secret Life of Bees (Sue Monk Kidd), The Illustrated Man (Bradbury) and The Old Man and the Sea (Hemingway). We encourage you to read at least one other summer reading book for fun.
Tenth graders should read The Help (Stockett) and Lord of the Flies (Golding). We encourage you to read at least two other summer reading books.
Eleventh graders are required to read The Things They Carried (Tim O'Brien). Also, read Antigone (Sophocles) if you have time (optional). We encourage you to do additional reading choices over the summer.
AP English students are required to read The Things They Carried (Tim O’Brien), The Scarlet Letter (Nathaniel Hawthorne), plus at least one of the following choices: 1) In Cold Blood (Capote); 2) Brave New World (Huxley) and 3) Wuthering Heights (Brontë).
Required Reading for Senior Electives
Reading and Writing Poetry students are required to read The Best American Poetry.
Love and War Literature students should read Corelli’s Mandolin (Berniéres)
Note: Coordinated junior English and U.S. History courses may have their unique additional reading requirements. Please check with your teacher (at Bryn Mawr, Gilman, or RPCS) for further details.
AP courses, since they are elected by the individual student, may require additional summer reading/work if it is necessary to complete the curriculum. The specific requirements and the rationale for the requirement must be approved through the Upper School Head.
Please click to access the AP Summer Reading List
Please click below to access the different reading
lists.
*Updated May 2011