Apponequet Summer Reading Program
Grade Nine HONORS


The English/Language Arts Department has established a summer reading program to promote the enjoyment of reading outside the academic environment and to encourage lifelong reading habits and experiences.

During the first full week of the school year, students will take an objective examination based on three (3) of the required readings. The exams and essays are designed to discourage the use of abridged editions and film adaptations. Encourage your child to take notes and review them prior to the exams and essays. The results of the exams and essays will be averaged with the grades for the first quarter. This list has been distributed to the town library and local bookstores. You might want to consider purchasing used books, or borrowing them from other students.

Your student must read three of the four books listed below.

The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck

The Color Purple by Alice Walker*

A Lesson Before Dying by Ernest J. Grains

Our Town by Thornton Wilder

The Color Purple has some graphic descriptions, which might be considered unsuitable for some freshmen. In lieu of this book, A Lesson Before Dying is an alternative.