Are you looking for something fun to do this summer? Why not join the War Eagle Summer Reading Program? The program is the first of its kind at Wakulla High School. Principal Mike Crouch said, “We know reading is the most important skill to maintain over the summer, and we also know that kids need to enjoy their summer. This program makes reading fun, because these 13 books offer something appealing for every reader.”
Reading research shows that students who read in the summer are more likely to maintain their reading achievement scores. In fact, summer reading is a key factor in high student achievement, and students who continue to read over the summer actually gain skills. “Wakulla County students are leading the state with their FCAT scores. The summer reading program is a great way for students to stay prepared and for their families to join in the fun,” said Superintendent of Schools David Miller.
How Will Students Choose Their Book(s)?
The 13-novel summer reading list is below. Students are required to read one book this summer, although we hope they will read several! The list gives a short description of the book, the genre and the number of pages. A limited number of books are available for check out from the Wakulla High School front office and the Wakulla County Public Library. The cost of the book is also listed if you want to buy your own copy.
Rules of the Read
To get school credit, first select at least one of the books from below. Then read the book(s) and either journal while reading or create a book poster. The journal consists of 10 responses either summarizing the what you’ve read, predicting what might happen next, drawing character sketches, writing scene descriptions, etc. Be creative! Click here to view the Summer Reading Journal Requirements. View a complete list of suggested responses and download a blank Journal.
The poster should be between 12x14 inches and 22x28 inches. You must include at least one graphic that clearly demonstrates your understanding of the book, and at least two descriptions, such as one of a character, how a passage created an image in your mind, your personal reaction to the story, etc. View a complete list of poster requirements.
During the first week of school, turn in your journal and/or poster to your first period teacher. If your book response meets criteria, you will receive a “Drop Quiz” coupon, which can be used in any class during the school year to drop one quiz or assignment grade (with teacher approval). You can receive up to three coupons for summer reading and use one coupon per class.
How Can Parents Help?
♦ Encourage your teens to read for enjoyment during the summer break.
♦ Strengthen communication and rapport with your teens by reading the same book they are and discuss it with them.
♦ Take your teens to the library regularly, and set a good example by reading every day!
Summer Book Titles for Wakulla High’s Summer Reading Program
Reading difficulty of books is rated from one star (easy) to three stars (difficult).
* SLEEPING FRESHMEN NEVER LIE (David Lubar)
Scott Hudson has one goal for his freshman year in high school: to survive! A hilarious look at how one freshman finds his niche while maneuvering through a year of homework, high school activities, friendships and family. Fiction. 288 pages, $6.99
* SOUL SURFER (Bethany Hamilton, Sheryl Berk, and Rick Bundschuh)
Some say Bethany Hamilton has saltwater in her veins. This is the amazing true story of a thirteen-year-old surfer girl, who lost her arm in a shark attack, but never lost her faith, and of her triumphant return to competitive surfing. Autobiography. 240 pages, $12
* SILENT TO THE BONE (E.L. Konigsburg)
What caused Bramwell Zamborska to suddenly become mute during a 911 call? Using a code they both understand, his friend, Conner, begins visiting him at the behavioral center, where he has been sent while his baby sister, Nikki remains in a coma at the hospital. With the help of his half-sister and some canny detective work, Connor uncovers a complex, multilayered tale of human desires, adolescent confusion, and a touch of menace. Fiction. 272 pages, $5.99
* ROMIETTE AND JULIO (Sharon M. Draper)
African American Romiette and Hispanic Julio meet online, and realize they both go to the same high school. Romance blooms, but some people don’t like seeing them together, and danger threatens. Will they survive? A contemporary retelling of Shakespeare's drama with a twist of West Side Story. Fiction. 336 pages, $6.99
** H.I.V.E. (Mark Walden)
Thirteen-year-old master of mischief, Otto Malpense, is kidnapped and taken to H.I.V.E., a super academy dedicated to worldwide wickedness. Can Otto and his friends defeat the all-seeing computer system, the assassin in black, and a giant carnivorous plant and attempt an escape? Those who love superhero stories will love this one! Fantasy. 320 pages, $6.99
** THE BEAST (Walter Dean Myers)
To help him gain admission to a better college, Anthony “Spoon” Witherspoon leaves his Harlem neighborhood and his girlfriend, the beautiful poet Gabi, to spend his senior year at a private school in Connecticut. When he returns for Christmas break, he finds Gabi changed. She has lost the road that once ran through her life to her future, thrown off track by the “beast”: drugs. A powerful read. Fiction. 192 pages, $6.99
** JENNIFER SCALES AND THE ANCIENT FURNACE (MaryJanice Davidson and Anthony Alongi)
She knew that growing up would mean changing. But Jennifer wasn't prepared for the blue scales or the claws, since no one had told her that she came from a bloodline of weredragons. Her greatest challenge? Protecting herself from her family's ancient enemies and preparing herself for fierce battles. And that's a lot to expect of a girl just coming into her own. Fantasy. 224 pages, $6.99
** BLOOD BROTHERS (S.A. Harazin)
Med Tech One Clay Gardner’s best friend, Joey, seemed to have it all, while Clay can’t even afford to go on to college and pursue his dream of becoming a doctor. Now Joey lies in a hospital clinging to life after he seemingly overdoses at a party. Although people are quick to assign blame, Clay knows his best friend, and will fight to find out what really happened at the party. A gritty, fast-paced mystery. Fiction. 240 pages, $15.99
** RUNNER (Carl Deuker)
When a marina office employee offers to pay him $250 a week to pick up occasional packages at a tree along his running route, Chance is deeply suspicious of what they may contain but desperate enough to accept this opportunity to pay the bills. An enticing adventure of crime, class, ineffective parenting, and a teen’s questions about an uncertain future. A fast-paced story with a gripping climax complete with SWAT teams, terrorists, and heroism. Fiction. 224 pages, $7.99
*** THE HOUSE OF THE SCORPION (Nancy Farmer)
A futuristic novel about the empire of Matteo Alacran, a feudal drug lord in the country of Opium, formerly Mexico. Young Matt, his clone, experiences the evils at work in Opium and the corruptive power of greed. This haunting story explores the value of life, the responsibilities of society, and what it means to be human. Science fiction. 400 pages, $6.99
*** THE SECRET LIFE OF BEES (Sue Monk Kidd)
It’s 1964, the year of the Civil Rights Act, in Sylvan, SC, and fourteen-year-old Lily is on the lam with motherly Rosaleen, fleeing Lily’s abusive father T. Ray and the police who battered Rosaleen for defending her new right to vote. The fugitives follow the only remembrance Lily has of her dead mother, a picture of a Black Madonna, and find refuge with the beekeeping Calendar sisters in Tiburon, SC. A wonderfully satisfying coming-of-age story chock-full of brave, kind, and wonderfully peculiar women. Historical fiction. 320 pages, $14
*** COPPER SUN (Sharon M. Draper)
Fifteen year-old Amari is stolen from her village and sold to the highest bidder. Despite unimaginable horrors and humiliations, a spirit of hope drives her struggle to survive. Will she ever be able to find Fort Mose in Spanish St. Augustine, Florida and the freedom her heart desires? A brutal and historic story of the African slave trade in America. Historical fiction. 336 pages, $8.99
*** THE BOOK THIEF (Marcus Zusak)
Death, the narrator of this story, first meets the book thief, 9-year old Liesel, when he comes to take her little brother. At her brother’s graveside Liesel steals her first book, The Grave Digger’s Handbook. Living with foster parents near bleak Nazi Munich, learning to read opens up new worlds for Liesel. She rescues a book from a pile being burned by the Nazi’s, and then begins stealing more books from the mayor’s wife. Books sustain her during the darkest times, and it is a book she is writing herself that, ultimately, saves her life. More sophisticated readers will enjoy this searing narrative of life in Nazi Germany. Historical fiction. 576 pages, $11.99
This information originally published on May 29, 2008.
Schools 
Are you looking for something fun to do this summer? Why not join the War Eagle Summer Reading Program? The program is the first of its kind at Wakulla High School. Principal Mike Crouch said, “We know reading is the most important skill to maintain over the summer, and we also know that kids need to enjoy their summer. This program makes reading fun, because these 13 books offer something appealing for every reader.”
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