The 2019 SSFS All-School Read books are chosen to highlight the growth and joy that all individuals in a neurodiverse community can experience when it includes and embraces a wide variety of neuro-expressions. This year’s selections highlight the strengths and challenges of three neural patterns that are often labeled as disabling. Upper School students are asked to read Turtles all the Way Down by John Green. Click here for more info. 

English Department Summer Reading Titles 2019-2020

Note: Teachers will send students an email letter in July -August with overall course and summer reading instructions. 

9th Grade English

The 9th Grade English classes (both Reading Intensive and Expository Focus) should read the following short stories, provided as PDFs below. The Reading Intensive class should also read "The Prospectors."

• “American History” by Judith Ortiz Cofer
• “Rules of the Game” by Amy Tan
• “Harrison Bergeron” by Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.
• “Snapshot of a Dog” by James Thurber
• “The Prospectors” by Karen Russel (For 9th Grade English Reading Intensive class only)

10th Grade English

There is no required summer reading for 10th grade English. (Please see History section!)

11th and 12th Grade English

Required reading for 11th and 12th grade English classes are listed below.

AP British Literature

Atonement by Ian McEwan - ISBN 978-0385721790

AP Dramatic Literature

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time: The Play by Mark Haddon - ISBN-10: 1408173352

AP Language and Composition

Coming soon

African-American Literature I

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas - ISBN 978-0062498533

American Immigrants

The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo - ISBN 978-0062662804

Creative Nonfiction: The Private Sphere

Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood by Trevor Noah - ISBN 978-0399588198

Critical Writing I

Choose one of the following dystopian novels to read. Ghislaine will email you with more information in July.

• Cinder by Marissa Meyer
• Legend by Marie Lu 
• Love in the Time of Global Warming by Francesca Lia Block
• The House of the Scorpion by Nancy Farmer

Fictional Short Stories

The Spectacular Now by Tim Tharp - ISBN-10:9780385754309

The Power of Words I

The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch - ISBN 978-0316335614

World Literature I (both sections)

The Ramayana, translated by P.K. Narayan - ISBN 978-0143039679

Class reading and assignments are listed below. If there are any questions, please direct them to Kathy Laughlin, the History Department Chair, at kathy.laughlin@ssfs.org

AP US History and Government

All students entering AP United States History in the fall 2019 must complete the following assignment.  The assignment is due the first FULL day of class, September 5. LATE ASSIGNMENTS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.
See AP US History and Government summer assignments here

Please contact me if you have any questions about the above assignments or the course in general. Looking forward to our journey beginning in the fall!  Elizabeth.Anderson@ssfs.or

AP World History

For the school year 2019-2020, the AP College Board has redesigned the AP World History curriculum, eliminating the first three units of study which encompass the time periods 10,000 BCE to 1199 CE. However, it is impossible to understand the full context of World History without the background, context, and perspective of these dismissed millennia. As such, the summer reading assignment for AP World History is to read and answer the guided reading packets for chapters 3-9 of the textbook students will be using. These questions are due the first FULL day of class, September 5, and are to be shared with me in a Google Doc. ANY LATE ASSIGMENT WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED, AND STUDENTS WHO FAIL TO HAND THIS IN ON TIME MAY BE ASKED TO PERMANENTLY LEAVE THE COURSE.

Do NOT wait until the last minute to begin this assignment; it will be impossible to complete if you do. I recommend you do a chapter a week. If you have any questions, send emails to Kathy.laughlin@ssfs.org

See AP World History assignment here

World History I

A Little History of the World by EH Gombrich
See World History I assignment here

World History II

When China Ruled the Seas by Louise Levathes
See World History II assignment here

US History and Government

“All of the Real Indians Died Off” and 20 Other Myths About Native Americans by Rozanne Dunbar-Oristz and Dina Gilio-Whitacker
See US History and Government assignment here

AP Comparative Government and Politics

Chapter 1: AP Comparative Government and Politics: An Essential Coursebook by Ethel Wood 
See AP Comparative Government and Politics assignment here and PDF here

Latin American Studies

Open Veins of Latin America: Five Centuries of Pillage of a Continent by Eduardo Galeano
See Latin American Studies assignment here

AP Psychology

Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl
See AP Psychology assignment here

There is no required summer work for math. The Upper School Mathematics Department recommends the following free and interactive websites for students to review and practice the math skills they learned this year.

• Khan Academy: (also available on iPad app) - Video tutorials and practice problems for all levels of mathematics. Students can also personalize learning via the dashboard.
• CK-12: (also available on iPad app) - Written and video tutorials as well as practice problems for all levels of mathematics (note: Analysis is the non-trigonometry material in Precalculus)
• Code Combat: Online game introducing programming for students taking Introduction to Computer Science
• Brilliant: More challenging problems for students who would like to extend their skills

• Chinese Summer Review Packet
• French Summer Review Packet
• Spanish Summer Review Packet

2019-2020 AP Environmental Science students should read The Omnivore’s Dilemma by Michael Pollen this summer. It is available for free here. 
Students may also read the Young Reader’s edition, or listen to it as an audiobook.

Coming soon

Fall Sports and Training and Preseason schedule coming soon