The final post in our summer reads series – this time we focus on books for young adults and high school aged students. These books will engage and challenge students with deep emotional story lines, and are set everywhere from small familiar towns to far off places.
Top 5 Summer Reads for High School Students
Any athlete or even sports fan will enjoy Believe: My Faith and the Tackle That Changed My Life by Eric LeGrand & Mike Yorkey. In 2010, LeGrand suffered a severe spinal cord injury at MetLife Stadium, as the Rutgers Scarlet Knights took on the Army Black Knights. It was believed that he would have a 0-5% regain full brain function, breathe on his own, or move from the neck down. The book chronicles the beginning of his journey to defy the odds, receive his degree and become a positive figure for young athletes. LeGrand is still making strides in his recovery and vows to walk again.- The film adaptation of Me, and Earl and The Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews hits theaters this summer (with a PG13 rating) and is expected to have continued success after a successful debut at the Sundance film festival. Always follow the advice of reading the book before the movie; if you pick up this one, students will follow the story of Greg, who is forced to befriend Rachel, a Leukemia patient because their parents think it would be a good idea – and everything that happens after.
YA best-selling author Judy Blume releases her highly anticipated new novel In the Unlikely Event this summer, which will take readers back to the 1950’s in a small New Jersey town. The characters deal with the aftermath of 3 plane crashes and how each of them has been affected. Blume, who is praised for her coming of age themes in her novels, examines the tragedy of loss, humanity and love.- The Sunlit Night, by Rebecca Dinerstien takes place in Lofoten, a small collection of islands in Norway where the sun never sets. The two main characters show readers, that even in attempts to illogically escape problems, solutions are possible. Various reading guides are already available online to accompany this novel, which was released in early June of 2015.
Looking for something more classic? According to the Center for Learning and Teaching of Literature, these are the top 10 books taught in American public high schools. They may pop up on your “required” summer reading list, but are also great books for understanding the history and significance of some of these great pieces:
- Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare
- Macbeth by William Shakespeare
- Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
- Julius Caesar byWilliam Shakespeare
- To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
- The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne
- Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
- Hamlet by William Shakespeare
- The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
- Lord of the Flies by William Golding
We would love for you to share your favorite summer reads with us in the comments below!
