Maranatha Christian Academy Summer Reading Program · 2017-04-03 · This autobiographical work ......
Transcript of Maranatha Christian Academy Summer Reading Program · 2017-04-03 · This autobiographical work ......
1
Maranatha Christian Academy Summer Reading Program
A summer reading program will help students move up not catch up ldquoThe best predictor of
summer learning loss or summer gains is whether or not a student reads during the summerrdquo (Anne McGill-Franzen and Richard Allington Bridging the Summer Reading Gap)
Table of Contents Instruction 1
Evaluation 1
Incoming 7th Grade 2
Incoming 8th Grade 4
Incoming 9th Grade 6
Incoming 10th Grade 8
Incoming 11th Grade 10
Incoming 12th Grade 12
PhilosophyRational 14
Disclaimer 14
Instruction
Students are required to read TWO books during the summer break Note that there is one
required (teacherrsquos choice) book for the grade level they will enter in August and a second book
(studentrsquos choice) chosen from the list Students should select a book based on personal interest
and their familyrsquos standards Students are required to purchase a paper copy of the required
teacherrsquos choice book and bring it to class on the second day of school The studentrsquos choice
may be found in the public library
Evaluation
Teacherrsquos Choice Students should bring a paper copy of the teacherrsquos choice book and be
ready to discuss it on the second day of school The links to individual teacherrsquos instructions for
the assignments are listed on the school web page (MCA Family Secondary Summer Reading
List Grade 7 Reading Instructions)
Incoming 7th
Grade Books
Incoming 8th
Grade Books
Incoming 9th
Grade Books
Incoming 10th
Grade Books
Incoming 11th
Grade Books
Incoming 12th
Grade Books
Studentrsquos Choice The studentrsquos choice will be tested on the eighth full day of school All
English classes will have a culminating assessment worth fifty points The assessment will
cover the basic elements of the novel including the plot characters setting themes and biblical
2
Maranatha Christian Academy Summer Reading Program
world view application Each student may be given an essay or writing assignment related to the
book There is no additional assignment for the student choice book ndash just read the book
Incoming 7th Grade
Book ONE ndash TEACHERrsquoS CHOICE REQUIRED READING
The Bronze Bow by Elizabeth George Speare
In this Newbery Medal-winning novel Daniel bar Jamin is fired by only one passion to
avenge his fathers death by crucifixion by driving the Roman legions from his land of
Israel He joins an outlaw band and leads a dangerous life of spying plotting and
impatiently waiting to seek revenge Headstrong Daniel is devoid of tenderness and
forgiveness heading down a destructive path toward disaster until he hears the lessons taught by
Jesus of Nazareth
Book TWO ndash STUDENTrsquoS CHOICE - Choose ONE from the following list
Cheaper by the Dozen by Ernestine Gilbreth
The biography of the Gilbreth family in Nineteenth Century America whose father a
time management expert died In order to make ends meet their mother went to work
in their fatherrsquos stead ndash unheard of in that time
Good Bye Mr Chips by James Hilton
In 1870 Charles Edward Chipping is engaged as the new Latin master at Brookfield
School where he leads a rather lackluster life Then his friend Staefel persuades
Chipping to accompany him on a walking tour of the Alps where he encounters
Katherine Bridges with whom he falls in love
Hounds of the Baskervilles by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
The dramatic death of Sir Charles Baskerville brings Sherlock Holmes to the lonely
mysterious Devon moors to investigate the mystery He is asked to investigate the tale
of a hound that haunts the moors around the Baskervilles ancestral home
The Call of the Wild by Jack London
Buck is a dog born to luxury but his life changes dramatically when he is sold to be a
sled dog in the Yukon Territory First published in 1903 this masterpiece of
adventure and survival continues to enthrall readers almost a century later
3
Maranatha Christian Academy Summer Reading Program
Incoming 7th Grade (continued)
The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle by Avi
As the only passenger and the only female on a transatlantic voyage in 1832 thirteen-
year-old Charlotte finds herself caught between a murderous captain and a mutinous
crew
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine LrsquoEngle
Thirteen-year-old Meg Murry her little brother Charles Wallace and their friend Calvin
are guided by unearthly strangers as they go on a journey through space and time to
search for Megs and Charles scientist father who disappeared while experimenting with
a new form of space travel
Martin Luther by Mike Fearon
Another one-evening biography from the Men of Faith series During the more than 400
years since the death of Martin Luther more books have been written about him than
any other figure in history with the exception of Jesus A Catholic priest who became a
professor of theology at the University of Wittenber Luthers discovery that salvation is
received by faith alone as a gift of God transformed his life--and the world
In The Presence of My Enemies by Gracia Burnam
This is the story of Gracia and her husband Martin Burnham who were New Tribes
Missionaries captured by Abu Sayyaf - a group of Islamic Terrorists associated with
Osama Bin Laden - in the Philippines in May 2001
4
Maranatha Christian Academy Summer Reading Program
Incoming 8th Grade
Book ONE ndash TEACHERrsquoS CHOICE REQUIRED READING
The Hiding Place by Corrie ten Boom
This is the story of a family hiding the Dutch Jews during WW II and how ldquoThe light
of Godrsquos love penetrates the darkest placesrdquo
Book TWO ndash STUDENTrsquoS CHOICE - Choose one from the following list
Kidnapped by Robert Louis Stevenson
The young orphan David Balfour is sent to live with his Uncle Ebenezer When he
discovers that he may be the rightful heir to his unclersquos estate he finds himself
kidnapped and cast away on a desert isle Kidnapped deals with true historical events
relating to the Jacobite Rising and has won the admiration of an adult audience
Across Five Aprils by Irene Hunt
Jethro Creighton the protagonist is young and idealistic when the Civil War begins At
first he thinks the war will be exciting full of marching soldiers and demonstrative
patriotism Soon he learns the reality of war as he watches his three brothers his
cousin and his teacher go off to fight
White Fang by Jack London
The story takes place in the Yukon Territory Canada during the Klondike Gold Rush
It is a story about a wolf-dogrsquos journey to domestication White Fang is a companion to
The Call of the Wild is Londonrsquos best known work about a dogrsquos ability to survive and
thrive in the wild
Little Women or Meg Jo Beth and Amy by Louisa May Alcott
This is the story of the adventures of Meg Jo Beth and Amy as they grow into young
women in mid-nineteenth century New England
5
Maranatha Christian Academy Summer Reading Program
Incoming 8th Grade (continued)
Let the Circle Be Unbroken by Mildred D Taylor
This is a story of a small Mississippi town in the 1930s and the troubles that plague its
black community Picking up where its precursor Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry leaves
off Mildred Taylor recounts the trials of this small community through the characters
of the Logan family
Up From Slavery an Autobiography by Booker T Washington
The son of a slave Booker Taliaferro Washington worked his way out the salt furnaces
and coal mines to develop the esteemed Tuskegee Institute This autobiographical work
demonstrates his forceful and potent voice in the fight for African-American equality in
turn-of-the-century America
Holes by Louis Sachar
Stanley is just a regular kid until he is found responsible for a crime he didnt commit
We learn about a curse that has been in his family for several generations His bad luck
lands Stanley in a very strange correctional camp in the Texas desert The warden has
all the inmates digging holes in a dry lake bed The story weaves interesting tall tales
from local history and Stanleys family The relationships among the juveniles in the
camp are interesting to follow Stanley finds a good friend treasure and learns to like himself
The Magicianrsquos Nephew by C S Lewis
The novel is initially set in London in 1900 The principal characters are two pre-
adolescent children Digory Dirke and Polly Plummer Digory also appeared as
Professor Kirke from The Lion theWitch and the Wardrobe by which time he was a
grown man in his sixties The pair has adventures after being transported to other
worlds by the sorcerous experiments of Digorys Uncle Andrew
6
Maranatha Christian Academy Summer Reading Program
Incoming 9th Grade
Book ONE ndash TEACHERrsquoS CHOICE REQUIRED READING
The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
What are your dreams What steps will you take to fulfill them Do you have fears
that will hinder you along the way What knowledge will you need What about
wisdom Where should that come from Santiago the main character in this novel
learns lessonsmdashsometimes in unlikely places
Book TWO ndash STUDENTrsquoS CHOICE - Choose ONE from the following list
The Empty Land by Louis LrsquoAmour
Matt Coburn was a decent man and good with a gun He had cleaned up wild boom
towns before but he wanted to finish that chapter of his life However when he rode
through Confusion he felt himself being drawn into the drama unfolding there There
were good men in that town and a few beautiful women too Matt couldnt just turn his
back on them and watch Big Thompson and the others destroy everything with foolish violence
Could he fight the odds and bring the law to Confusion or was this end of the trail for Matt
Coburn
Farewell to Manzanar by Houston Jeanne Wakatsuki and James D Houston
In the morning of December 7 1941 Jeanne Wakatsuki says farewell to Paparsquos sardine
fleet at San Pedro Harbor in California But soon the boats return and news reaches the
family that the Japanese have bombed Pearl Harbor in Hawaii Papa burns his Japanese
flag and identity papers but is arrested by the FBI Mama moves the family to the
Japanese ghetto on Terminal Island and then to Boyle Heights in Los Angeles
The Giver by Lois Lowry
In a world with no poverty no crime no sickness and no unemployment and where
every family is happy 12-year-old Jonas is chosen to be the communitys Receiver of
Memories Under the tutelage of the Elders and an old man known as the Giver he
discovers the disturbing truth about his utopian world and struggles against the weight
of its hypocrisy Lowry examines the idea that people might freely choose to give up
their humanity in order to create a more stable society Gradually Jonas learns just how costly
this ordered and pain-free society can be and boldly decides he cannot pay the price
Great Expectations by Charles Dickens
When a mysterious benefactor comes along Pip begins the transformation from a
blacksmiths son to society gentleman of great expectations
7
Maranatha Christian Academy Summer Reading Program
Incoming 9th Grade (continued)
The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros
The House on Mango Street is the coming of age story of Esperanza Cordero a
preadolescent Mexican American girl (Chicana) living in the contemporary United
States In deceptively simple language the novel recounts the complex experience of
being young poor female and Chicana in America
In His Steps by Charles Sheldon
In His Steps was the first to ask What would Jesus do and quickly became one of the
best-selling books of all times I want volunteers from First Church who will pledge
themselves earnestly and honestly for an entire year not to do anything without first
asking the question What would Jesus do
The Light in the Forest by Conrad Richter
As part of an agreement to keep peace whites are insisting that captives who have been
living with the Indians be returned to their white settlements True Son fifteen years old
has lived with the Delaware tribe since being captured as a baby
The Outsiders by SE Hinton
A coming-of-age novel The Outsiders is the struggle of three brothers to stay together
after their parents death and their quest for identity among the conflicting values of their
adolescent society The book follows two rival groups the Greasers and the Socs who
are divided by their socioeconomic status
The Prince and the Pauper a Tale for Young People of All Ages by Mark Twain
In sixteenth-century England young Prince Edward (son of Henry VIII) and a pauper
boy who looks exactly like him are suddenly forced to change places The prince
endures rags amp hardships while the pauper suffers the horrible miseries of
princedomrdquo
The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas
Three great swordsmen Porthos Aramis Anthos with their protege DArtagnan
match wits with the sinister Cardinal Richelieu who seeks to divide the royalty in his
own quest for power
8
Maranatha Christian Academy Summer Reading Program
Incoming 9th Grade (continued)
The Time Machine an Invention by H G Wells
Desperate to alter the course of time a visionary scientist invents a revolutionary
machine that propels him 800000 years into the future There he discovers that humans
have evolved into two groups the hunters and the hunted Now he must fight to save
himself and all of mankind in a final desperate battle
Walk to Remember by Nicholas Sparks
Fifty-seven-year-old Landon Carter narrates the novel reflecting on events from 40
years in the past The novel opens as the older Landon living in the same North
Carolina town as he did at the age of 17 remembers his 17-year-old self The story
begins in 1958 and is Landon tells us both joyful and sad
9
Maranatha Christian Academy Summer Reading Program
Incoming 10th Grade
Book ONE ndash TEACHERrsquoS CHOICE REQUIRED READING
Night by Elie Wiesel
This is an account of the Nazi death camp horror that turns a young Jewish boy into an
agonized witness to the death of his familyhellipthe death of his innocence Penetrating
and powerful as personal as The Diary of Anne Frank Night awakens the shocking
memory of evil at its absolute and carries with it the unforgettable message that this
horror must never be allowed to happen again
Book TWO ndash STUDENTrsquoS CHOICE Choose ONE from the following list
All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque
A group of young World War I German recruits pass from idealism to disillusionment
with war he book and its sequel The Road Back were among the books banned and
burned in Nazi Germany
Around the World in Eighty Days by Jules Verne
In 1872 English gentleman Phileas Fogg has many adventures as he tries to win a bet
that he can travel around the world in eighty days
Ben-Hur a Tale of the Christ by Lew Wallace
A peace-loving prince of Judea leads his nation against the wrath of the conquering
Romans His self-imposed destiny brings tragedy to himself and his people as he
learns to fight to love to hate and finally to forgive
The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas
An innocent man Edmond Dantes is imprisoned for years on a godforsaken island
while the friend who betrayed him takes Dantes ravishing fianceacute for himself Dantes
eventually escapes recovers a fortune in buried pirate treasure transforms himself into
the mysterious Count of Monte Cristo and methodically goes about exacting his
revenge
Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens
Oliver Twist is an orphan forced to practice thievery and live a life of crime in
nineteenth-century London
10
Maranatha Christian Academy Summer Reading Program
Incoming 10th Grade (continued)
Rocket Boys by Homer Hickam
In 1957 NASA Engineer Homer Hickam Jr is a high school student in Coalwood
West Virginia when the Soviet Union launches Sputnik the first man-made satellite
While most of his friends and neighbors react with fear or distrust Homer is instantly
fascinated and begins studying everything he can find on jet and rocket design
Silas Marner the Weaver of Raveloe by George Eliot
A young linen weavers dreams are destroyed when he is falsely accused of a crime
Isolating himself he becomes a selfish despondent miser until he adopts an abandoned
child
The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson
A kind and well-respected doctor is transformed into a murderous madman by taking a
secret drug of his own creation
The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Emmuska Orczy
A twisted suspenseful romance set during the French Revolution While men women
and children fall under the merciless blade of the guillotine one foppish gentleman
alias the Scarlet Pimpernel bravely rescues aristocrats from the jaws of death In the
midst of his rescue he meets and falls passionately in love with Marguerite Frances
most celebrated actress
11
Maranatha Christian Academy Summer Reading Program
Incoming 11th Grade
Book ONE ndash TEACHERrsquoS CHOICE REQUIRED READING
Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom
Tuesdays with Morrie is a true story about sportswriter Mitch Albom and his favorite
college professor Morrie Schwartz Mitch Albom recounts time spent with his 78-year-
old professor who was dying from Lou Gehrigrsquos disease
Book TWO ndash STUDENTrsquoS CHOICE - Choose ONE from the following list
The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman by Earnest J Gaines
Presents the story of the long life of Miss Jane Pittman who began her life as a slave in
the South and who marched for her civil rights in the 20th century at the age of 110
A Christianrsquos Secret to a Happy Life by Hannah Whitall Smith
You may read the original or the updated version of this classic An instant success
when it was first published 100 years ago this volume continues to inspire thousands
with its simple life-changing message of faith and trust in God This all-new edition
includes an index a brief biography and end-of-chapter questions to help you apply
Hannahs insights to your own life
Don Quixote De La Mancha by Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra
The adventures of Don Quixote a common man from La Mancha who has convinced
himself that he is a knight With his portly peasant squire Sancho Panza who
recognizes his masters madness but is nonetheless captivated by promises of kingdoms
and riches Don Quixote mistakes windmills for giants and flocks of sheep for armies
A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway
A volunteer ambulance driver and a beautiful English nurse fall in love when he is
wounded on the Italian front Set during World War I
The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
Although it follows the movement of thousands of men and women and the
transformation of an entire nation The Grapes of Wrath is also the story of one
Oklahoma family the Joads who are driven off their homestead and forced to travel
west to the promised land of California
12
Maranatha Christian Academy Summer Reading Program
Incoming 11th Grade (continued)
Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford
In the opening pages Henry Lee comes upon a crowd gathered outside the Panama
Hotel once the gateway to Seattlersquos Japantown It has been boarded up for decades but
now the new owner has made an incredible discovery the belongings of Japanese
families left when they were rounded up and sent to internment camps during World
War II
The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde
Two young gentlemen living in 1890s England uses the same pseudonym to escape the
dull county life All is fine until they both fall in love with the same woman Suddenly
the comedy of mistaken identities begins in this delightful story
Ivanhoe by Sir Walter Scott
The classic epic of chivalry and courtly love features the disinherited knight Ivanhoe
his fair lady Rowena and such larger-than-life characters as Richard the Lion-Hearted
and Robin Hood This novel of the Crusades chivalry and courtly love not only
recreates history but made history as well
The Last of the Mohicans a Narrative of 1757 by James Fenimore Cooper
This is the tale of a Mohican braves struggle to protect two English girls from an evil
Huron The wild rush of action in this classic frontier adventure story has made The
Last of the Mohicans the most popular of James Fenimore Coopers Leatherstocking
Tales
The Red Badge of Courage an Episode of the American Civil War by Stephen Crane
During his service in the Civil War a young Union soldier matures to manhood and
finds peace of mind as he comes to grips with his conflicting emotions about war
The Taming of the Shrew by William Shakespeare
The marriage of two strong-minded people provides the spark for a comic
confrontation between the sexes The shrew Katharina is so ill-tempered she
seems unlikely to find a husband Her father refuses to let her younger sister marry
until Katherina is off his hands Petruchio appears marries Katharina and tames
her so well that he wins a bet with two other men on a test of their wives obedience
13
Maranatha Christian Academy Summer Reading Program
Incoming 11th Grade (continued)
Walden or Life in the Woods by Henry David Thoreau
This is the one product of Thoreaursquos two-year sojourn at the pondmdashone of the great
classics of American letters Interwoven with accounts of Thoreaursquos daily life (he did
not live as a recluse but received visitors and almost daily walked into Concord) are
meditations on human existence society government and other topics expressed with
clear-headed wisdom and remarkable beauty of style
Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand
On a May afternoon in 1943 an Army Air Forces bomber crashed into the Pacific
Ocean and disappeared leaving only a spray of debris and a slick of oil gasoline and
blood Then on the ocean surface a face appeared It was that of a young lieutenant
the planersquos bombardier who was struggling to a life raft and pulling himself aboard
So began one of the most extraordinary odysseys of the Second World War
14
Maranatha Christian Academy Summer Reading Program
Incoming 12th Grade
Book ONE ndash TEACHERrsquoS CHOICE REQUIRED READING
Animal Farm by George Orwell
A farm is taken over by its overworked mistreated animals With flaming idealism
and stirring slogans they set out to create a paradise of progress justice and equality
Thus the stage is set for one of the most telling satiric fables ever penned
Book TWO ndash STUDENTrsquoS CHOICE - Choose ONE from the following list
Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky
Raskolnikov commits murder He then must deal both with the police and his own
guilty conscience Determined to overreach his humanity and assert his untrammeled
individual will Raskolnikov an impoverished student living in the St Petersburg of the
Tsars commits an act of murder and theft and sets into motion a story which for its
excrutiating suspense its atmospheric vividness and its profundity of characterization
and vision is almost unequaled in the literatures of the world
Cry The Beloved Country by Alan Paton
A Cry the Beloved Country is the deeply moving story of the Zulu pastor Stephen
Kumalo and his son Absalom set against the background of a land and a people riven
by racial injustice Remarkable for its lyricism unforgettable for character and
incident Cry the Beloved Country is a classic work of love and hope courage and
endurance born of the dignity of man
Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad
In this haunting tale Marlow a seaman and wanderer recounts his physical and
psychological journey in search of Kurtz His travels take him to the heart of Africa to
discover how Kurtz has gained his position of power and influence over the local
people
Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare
Imaginative exuberant comedy contrasts two pairs of lovers in a witty and suspenseful
battle of the sexes Filled with suspense clever turns of plot vivacious displays of wit
and charming songs this is one of the Bards most beloved and performed works
Orthodoxy by GK Chesterton
If you think orthodoxy is boring and predictable think again In this timeless classic
G K Chesterton one of the literary giants of the twentieth century presents a logical
and personal reasoning for Christianity in model apologetic form
15
Maranatha Christian Academy Summer Reading Program
Incoming 12th Grade (continued)
Profiles in Courage by John F Kennedy
This is the Pulitzer Prize-winning account of the most admirable of human virtuesmdash
courage Grace under pressure Ernest Hemingway defined it And these are the stories
of the pressures experienced by eight United States Senators and the grace with which
they endured them
A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry
A struggling black family living on Chicagos South Side feels the impact of an
unexpected insurance bequest Each family member sees the bequest as the means of
realizing dreams and of escape from grinding frustrations
The Screwtape Letters by C S Lewis
The book provides a series of lessons in the importance of taking a deliberate role in
living out Christian faith by portraying a typical human life with all its temptations and
failings as seen from the demondevils viewpoint
Tess of the DrsquoUbervilles by Thomas Hardy
Tess DrsquoUrberfield is a luminous beauty who is violated by one man and forsaken by
another but she refuses to remain a victim Her struggle to endure despite the
abandonment of her true love and despite her desperate attempt to attain happiness
propels Tess toward a tragic end
Turn of the Screw [And Other Short Fiction] by Henry James
From the apparitions of evil that haunt the governess in The Turn of the Screw to the
startling self-scrutiny of an egotistical man in The Beast in the Jungle the mysterious
turnings of human behavior are coolly and masterfully observed--proving Henry James
to be a master of psychological insight as well as one of the finest prose stylists of
modern English literature
Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
The story of two generations of the Earnshaw and Linton families as their lives and
fortunes intertwine in a complex web dominated by the passionate relationship
between doomed lovers Heathcliff and Cathy
16
Maranatha Christian Academy Summer Reading Program
PhilosophyRational
Excellence in education requires a literary emphasis Philippians 48 says ldquoFinally brothers and
sisters whatever is true whatever is noble whatever is right whatever is pure whatever is
lovely whatever is admirablemdashif anything is excellent or praiseworthymdashthink about such
thingsrdquo A Christian literature program teaches students to read great literature and to think from
a Christian perspective Our program will promote critical reading and cultivate the habit of
reading with discernment and an awareness of larger contexts and deeper implications The
opportunity to evaluate a characterrsquos motivation behavior and the results of his behavior from a
Christian world view is a unique and valuable experience in Christian education Analytical
questions posed in the discussion of literature will prompt students to apply their knowledge of
Godrsquos laws and also sharpen and refine their own critical thinking skills
Disclaimer
Books for this list were carefully evaluated by comparing recommended lists from various
colleges and universities as well as lists from other Christian schools across the country
Selections were also based on the opinion experience and knowledge of the teachers in the
Maranatha English Department and each book was evaluated according to the Maranatha
Christian world view and mission Books were chosen to represent various reading abilities and
interests As a result you will find a wide range of books on the list
We recommend that parents actively participate in this process The moral tone and lessons
taught by these books are generally positive However some may have a few objectionable
elements that should be addressed in their context
2
Maranatha Christian Academy Summer Reading Program
world view application Each student may be given an essay or writing assignment related to the
book There is no additional assignment for the student choice book ndash just read the book
Incoming 7th Grade
Book ONE ndash TEACHERrsquoS CHOICE REQUIRED READING
The Bronze Bow by Elizabeth George Speare
In this Newbery Medal-winning novel Daniel bar Jamin is fired by only one passion to
avenge his fathers death by crucifixion by driving the Roman legions from his land of
Israel He joins an outlaw band and leads a dangerous life of spying plotting and
impatiently waiting to seek revenge Headstrong Daniel is devoid of tenderness and
forgiveness heading down a destructive path toward disaster until he hears the lessons taught by
Jesus of Nazareth
Book TWO ndash STUDENTrsquoS CHOICE - Choose ONE from the following list
Cheaper by the Dozen by Ernestine Gilbreth
The biography of the Gilbreth family in Nineteenth Century America whose father a
time management expert died In order to make ends meet their mother went to work
in their fatherrsquos stead ndash unheard of in that time
Good Bye Mr Chips by James Hilton
In 1870 Charles Edward Chipping is engaged as the new Latin master at Brookfield
School where he leads a rather lackluster life Then his friend Staefel persuades
Chipping to accompany him on a walking tour of the Alps where he encounters
Katherine Bridges with whom he falls in love
Hounds of the Baskervilles by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
The dramatic death of Sir Charles Baskerville brings Sherlock Holmes to the lonely
mysterious Devon moors to investigate the mystery He is asked to investigate the tale
of a hound that haunts the moors around the Baskervilles ancestral home
The Call of the Wild by Jack London
Buck is a dog born to luxury but his life changes dramatically when he is sold to be a
sled dog in the Yukon Territory First published in 1903 this masterpiece of
adventure and survival continues to enthrall readers almost a century later
3
Maranatha Christian Academy Summer Reading Program
Incoming 7th Grade (continued)
The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle by Avi
As the only passenger and the only female on a transatlantic voyage in 1832 thirteen-
year-old Charlotte finds herself caught between a murderous captain and a mutinous
crew
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine LrsquoEngle
Thirteen-year-old Meg Murry her little brother Charles Wallace and their friend Calvin
are guided by unearthly strangers as they go on a journey through space and time to
search for Megs and Charles scientist father who disappeared while experimenting with
a new form of space travel
Martin Luther by Mike Fearon
Another one-evening biography from the Men of Faith series During the more than 400
years since the death of Martin Luther more books have been written about him than
any other figure in history with the exception of Jesus A Catholic priest who became a
professor of theology at the University of Wittenber Luthers discovery that salvation is
received by faith alone as a gift of God transformed his life--and the world
In The Presence of My Enemies by Gracia Burnam
This is the story of Gracia and her husband Martin Burnham who were New Tribes
Missionaries captured by Abu Sayyaf - a group of Islamic Terrorists associated with
Osama Bin Laden - in the Philippines in May 2001
4
Maranatha Christian Academy Summer Reading Program
Incoming 8th Grade
Book ONE ndash TEACHERrsquoS CHOICE REQUIRED READING
The Hiding Place by Corrie ten Boom
This is the story of a family hiding the Dutch Jews during WW II and how ldquoThe light
of Godrsquos love penetrates the darkest placesrdquo
Book TWO ndash STUDENTrsquoS CHOICE - Choose one from the following list
Kidnapped by Robert Louis Stevenson
The young orphan David Balfour is sent to live with his Uncle Ebenezer When he
discovers that he may be the rightful heir to his unclersquos estate he finds himself
kidnapped and cast away on a desert isle Kidnapped deals with true historical events
relating to the Jacobite Rising and has won the admiration of an adult audience
Across Five Aprils by Irene Hunt
Jethro Creighton the protagonist is young and idealistic when the Civil War begins At
first he thinks the war will be exciting full of marching soldiers and demonstrative
patriotism Soon he learns the reality of war as he watches his three brothers his
cousin and his teacher go off to fight
White Fang by Jack London
The story takes place in the Yukon Territory Canada during the Klondike Gold Rush
It is a story about a wolf-dogrsquos journey to domestication White Fang is a companion to
The Call of the Wild is Londonrsquos best known work about a dogrsquos ability to survive and
thrive in the wild
Little Women or Meg Jo Beth and Amy by Louisa May Alcott
This is the story of the adventures of Meg Jo Beth and Amy as they grow into young
women in mid-nineteenth century New England
5
Maranatha Christian Academy Summer Reading Program
Incoming 8th Grade (continued)
Let the Circle Be Unbroken by Mildred D Taylor
This is a story of a small Mississippi town in the 1930s and the troubles that plague its
black community Picking up where its precursor Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry leaves
off Mildred Taylor recounts the trials of this small community through the characters
of the Logan family
Up From Slavery an Autobiography by Booker T Washington
The son of a slave Booker Taliaferro Washington worked his way out the salt furnaces
and coal mines to develop the esteemed Tuskegee Institute This autobiographical work
demonstrates his forceful and potent voice in the fight for African-American equality in
turn-of-the-century America
Holes by Louis Sachar
Stanley is just a regular kid until he is found responsible for a crime he didnt commit
We learn about a curse that has been in his family for several generations His bad luck
lands Stanley in a very strange correctional camp in the Texas desert The warden has
all the inmates digging holes in a dry lake bed The story weaves interesting tall tales
from local history and Stanleys family The relationships among the juveniles in the
camp are interesting to follow Stanley finds a good friend treasure and learns to like himself
The Magicianrsquos Nephew by C S Lewis
The novel is initially set in London in 1900 The principal characters are two pre-
adolescent children Digory Dirke and Polly Plummer Digory also appeared as
Professor Kirke from The Lion theWitch and the Wardrobe by which time he was a
grown man in his sixties The pair has adventures after being transported to other
worlds by the sorcerous experiments of Digorys Uncle Andrew
6
Maranatha Christian Academy Summer Reading Program
Incoming 9th Grade
Book ONE ndash TEACHERrsquoS CHOICE REQUIRED READING
The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
What are your dreams What steps will you take to fulfill them Do you have fears
that will hinder you along the way What knowledge will you need What about
wisdom Where should that come from Santiago the main character in this novel
learns lessonsmdashsometimes in unlikely places
Book TWO ndash STUDENTrsquoS CHOICE - Choose ONE from the following list
The Empty Land by Louis LrsquoAmour
Matt Coburn was a decent man and good with a gun He had cleaned up wild boom
towns before but he wanted to finish that chapter of his life However when he rode
through Confusion he felt himself being drawn into the drama unfolding there There
were good men in that town and a few beautiful women too Matt couldnt just turn his
back on them and watch Big Thompson and the others destroy everything with foolish violence
Could he fight the odds and bring the law to Confusion or was this end of the trail for Matt
Coburn
Farewell to Manzanar by Houston Jeanne Wakatsuki and James D Houston
In the morning of December 7 1941 Jeanne Wakatsuki says farewell to Paparsquos sardine
fleet at San Pedro Harbor in California But soon the boats return and news reaches the
family that the Japanese have bombed Pearl Harbor in Hawaii Papa burns his Japanese
flag and identity papers but is arrested by the FBI Mama moves the family to the
Japanese ghetto on Terminal Island and then to Boyle Heights in Los Angeles
The Giver by Lois Lowry
In a world with no poverty no crime no sickness and no unemployment and where
every family is happy 12-year-old Jonas is chosen to be the communitys Receiver of
Memories Under the tutelage of the Elders and an old man known as the Giver he
discovers the disturbing truth about his utopian world and struggles against the weight
of its hypocrisy Lowry examines the idea that people might freely choose to give up
their humanity in order to create a more stable society Gradually Jonas learns just how costly
this ordered and pain-free society can be and boldly decides he cannot pay the price
Great Expectations by Charles Dickens
When a mysterious benefactor comes along Pip begins the transformation from a
blacksmiths son to society gentleman of great expectations
7
Maranatha Christian Academy Summer Reading Program
Incoming 9th Grade (continued)
The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros
The House on Mango Street is the coming of age story of Esperanza Cordero a
preadolescent Mexican American girl (Chicana) living in the contemporary United
States In deceptively simple language the novel recounts the complex experience of
being young poor female and Chicana in America
In His Steps by Charles Sheldon
In His Steps was the first to ask What would Jesus do and quickly became one of the
best-selling books of all times I want volunteers from First Church who will pledge
themselves earnestly and honestly for an entire year not to do anything without first
asking the question What would Jesus do
The Light in the Forest by Conrad Richter
As part of an agreement to keep peace whites are insisting that captives who have been
living with the Indians be returned to their white settlements True Son fifteen years old
has lived with the Delaware tribe since being captured as a baby
The Outsiders by SE Hinton
A coming-of-age novel The Outsiders is the struggle of three brothers to stay together
after their parents death and their quest for identity among the conflicting values of their
adolescent society The book follows two rival groups the Greasers and the Socs who
are divided by their socioeconomic status
The Prince and the Pauper a Tale for Young People of All Ages by Mark Twain
In sixteenth-century England young Prince Edward (son of Henry VIII) and a pauper
boy who looks exactly like him are suddenly forced to change places The prince
endures rags amp hardships while the pauper suffers the horrible miseries of
princedomrdquo
The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas
Three great swordsmen Porthos Aramis Anthos with their protege DArtagnan
match wits with the sinister Cardinal Richelieu who seeks to divide the royalty in his
own quest for power
8
Maranatha Christian Academy Summer Reading Program
Incoming 9th Grade (continued)
The Time Machine an Invention by H G Wells
Desperate to alter the course of time a visionary scientist invents a revolutionary
machine that propels him 800000 years into the future There he discovers that humans
have evolved into two groups the hunters and the hunted Now he must fight to save
himself and all of mankind in a final desperate battle
Walk to Remember by Nicholas Sparks
Fifty-seven-year-old Landon Carter narrates the novel reflecting on events from 40
years in the past The novel opens as the older Landon living in the same North
Carolina town as he did at the age of 17 remembers his 17-year-old self The story
begins in 1958 and is Landon tells us both joyful and sad
9
Maranatha Christian Academy Summer Reading Program
Incoming 10th Grade
Book ONE ndash TEACHERrsquoS CHOICE REQUIRED READING
Night by Elie Wiesel
This is an account of the Nazi death camp horror that turns a young Jewish boy into an
agonized witness to the death of his familyhellipthe death of his innocence Penetrating
and powerful as personal as The Diary of Anne Frank Night awakens the shocking
memory of evil at its absolute and carries with it the unforgettable message that this
horror must never be allowed to happen again
Book TWO ndash STUDENTrsquoS CHOICE Choose ONE from the following list
All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque
A group of young World War I German recruits pass from idealism to disillusionment
with war he book and its sequel The Road Back were among the books banned and
burned in Nazi Germany
Around the World in Eighty Days by Jules Verne
In 1872 English gentleman Phileas Fogg has many adventures as he tries to win a bet
that he can travel around the world in eighty days
Ben-Hur a Tale of the Christ by Lew Wallace
A peace-loving prince of Judea leads his nation against the wrath of the conquering
Romans His self-imposed destiny brings tragedy to himself and his people as he
learns to fight to love to hate and finally to forgive
The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas
An innocent man Edmond Dantes is imprisoned for years on a godforsaken island
while the friend who betrayed him takes Dantes ravishing fianceacute for himself Dantes
eventually escapes recovers a fortune in buried pirate treasure transforms himself into
the mysterious Count of Monte Cristo and methodically goes about exacting his
revenge
Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens
Oliver Twist is an orphan forced to practice thievery and live a life of crime in
nineteenth-century London
10
Maranatha Christian Academy Summer Reading Program
Incoming 10th Grade (continued)
Rocket Boys by Homer Hickam
In 1957 NASA Engineer Homer Hickam Jr is a high school student in Coalwood
West Virginia when the Soviet Union launches Sputnik the first man-made satellite
While most of his friends and neighbors react with fear or distrust Homer is instantly
fascinated and begins studying everything he can find on jet and rocket design
Silas Marner the Weaver of Raveloe by George Eliot
A young linen weavers dreams are destroyed when he is falsely accused of a crime
Isolating himself he becomes a selfish despondent miser until he adopts an abandoned
child
The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson
A kind and well-respected doctor is transformed into a murderous madman by taking a
secret drug of his own creation
The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Emmuska Orczy
A twisted suspenseful romance set during the French Revolution While men women
and children fall under the merciless blade of the guillotine one foppish gentleman
alias the Scarlet Pimpernel bravely rescues aristocrats from the jaws of death In the
midst of his rescue he meets and falls passionately in love with Marguerite Frances
most celebrated actress
11
Maranatha Christian Academy Summer Reading Program
Incoming 11th Grade
Book ONE ndash TEACHERrsquoS CHOICE REQUIRED READING
Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom
Tuesdays with Morrie is a true story about sportswriter Mitch Albom and his favorite
college professor Morrie Schwartz Mitch Albom recounts time spent with his 78-year-
old professor who was dying from Lou Gehrigrsquos disease
Book TWO ndash STUDENTrsquoS CHOICE - Choose ONE from the following list
The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman by Earnest J Gaines
Presents the story of the long life of Miss Jane Pittman who began her life as a slave in
the South and who marched for her civil rights in the 20th century at the age of 110
A Christianrsquos Secret to a Happy Life by Hannah Whitall Smith
You may read the original or the updated version of this classic An instant success
when it was first published 100 years ago this volume continues to inspire thousands
with its simple life-changing message of faith and trust in God This all-new edition
includes an index a brief biography and end-of-chapter questions to help you apply
Hannahs insights to your own life
Don Quixote De La Mancha by Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra
The adventures of Don Quixote a common man from La Mancha who has convinced
himself that he is a knight With his portly peasant squire Sancho Panza who
recognizes his masters madness but is nonetheless captivated by promises of kingdoms
and riches Don Quixote mistakes windmills for giants and flocks of sheep for armies
A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway
A volunteer ambulance driver and a beautiful English nurse fall in love when he is
wounded on the Italian front Set during World War I
The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
Although it follows the movement of thousands of men and women and the
transformation of an entire nation The Grapes of Wrath is also the story of one
Oklahoma family the Joads who are driven off their homestead and forced to travel
west to the promised land of California
12
Maranatha Christian Academy Summer Reading Program
Incoming 11th Grade (continued)
Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford
In the opening pages Henry Lee comes upon a crowd gathered outside the Panama
Hotel once the gateway to Seattlersquos Japantown It has been boarded up for decades but
now the new owner has made an incredible discovery the belongings of Japanese
families left when they were rounded up and sent to internment camps during World
War II
The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde
Two young gentlemen living in 1890s England uses the same pseudonym to escape the
dull county life All is fine until they both fall in love with the same woman Suddenly
the comedy of mistaken identities begins in this delightful story
Ivanhoe by Sir Walter Scott
The classic epic of chivalry and courtly love features the disinherited knight Ivanhoe
his fair lady Rowena and such larger-than-life characters as Richard the Lion-Hearted
and Robin Hood This novel of the Crusades chivalry and courtly love not only
recreates history but made history as well
The Last of the Mohicans a Narrative of 1757 by James Fenimore Cooper
This is the tale of a Mohican braves struggle to protect two English girls from an evil
Huron The wild rush of action in this classic frontier adventure story has made The
Last of the Mohicans the most popular of James Fenimore Coopers Leatherstocking
Tales
The Red Badge of Courage an Episode of the American Civil War by Stephen Crane
During his service in the Civil War a young Union soldier matures to manhood and
finds peace of mind as he comes to grips with his conflicting emotions about war
The Taming of the Shrew by William Shakespeare
The marriage of two strong-minded people provides the spark for a comic
confrontation between the sexes The shrew Katharina is so ill-tempered she
seems unlikely to find a husband Her father refuses to let her younger sister marry
until Katherina is off his hands Petruchio appears marries Katharina and tames
her so well that he wins a bet with two other men on a test of their wives obedience
13
Maranatha Christian Academy Summer Reading Program
Incoming 11th Grade (continued)
Walden or Life in the Woods by Henry David Thoreau
This is the one product of Thoreaursquos two-year sojourn at the pondmdashone of the great
classics of American letters Interwoven with accounts of Thoreaursquos daily life (he did
not live as a recluse but received visitors and almost daily walked into Concord) are
meditations on human existence society government and other topics expressed with
clear-headed wisdom and remarkable beauty of style
Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand
On a May afternoon in 1943 an Army Air Forces bomber crashed into the Pacific
Ocean and disappeared leaving only a spray of debris and a slick of oil gasoline and
blood Then on the ocean surface a face appeared It was that of a young lieutenant
the planersquos bombardier who was struggling to a life raft and pulling himself aboard
So began one of the most extraordinary odysseys of the Second World War
14
Maranatha Christian Academy Summer Reading Program
Incoming 12th Grade
Book ONE ndash TEACHERrsquoS CHOICE REQUIRED READING
Animal Farm by George Orwell
A farm is taken over by its overworked mistreated animals With flaming idealism
and stirring slogans they set out to create a paradise of progress justice and equality
Thus the stage is set for one of the most telling satiric fables ever penned
Book TWO ndash STUDENTrsquoS CHOICE - Choose ONE from the following list
Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky
Raskolnikov commits murder He then must deal both with the police and his own
guilty conscience Determined to overreach his humanity and assert his untrammeled
individual will Raskolnikov an impoverished student living in the St Petersburg of the
Tsars commits an act of murder and theft and sets into motion a story which for its
excrutiating suspense its atmospheric vividness and its profundity of characterization
and vision is almost unequaled in the literatures of the world
Cry The Beloved Country by Alan Paton
A Cry the Beloved Country is the deeply moving story of the Zulu pastor Stephen
Kumalo and his son Absalom set against the background of a land and a people riven
by racial injustice Remarkable for its lyricism unforgettable for character and
incident Cry the Beloved Country is a classic work of love and hope courage and
endurance born of the dignity of man
Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad
In this haunting tale Marlow a seaman and wanderer recounts his physical and
psychological journey in search of Kurtz His travels take him to the heart of Africa to
discover how Kurtz has gained his position of power and influence over the local
people
Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare
Imaginative exuberant comedy contrasts two pairs of lovers in a witty and suspenseful
battle of the sexes Filled with suspense clever turns of plot vivacious displays of wit
and charming songs this is one of the Bards most beloved and performed works
Orthodoxy by GK Chesterton
If you think orthodoxy is boring and predictable think again In this timeless classic
G K Chesterton one of the literary giants of the twentieth century presents a logical
and personal reasoning for Christianity in model apologetic form
15
Maranatha Christian Academy Summer Reading Program
Incoming 12th Grade (continued)
Profiles in Courage by John F Kennedy
This is the Pulitzer Prize-winning account of the most admirable of human virtuesmdash
courage Grace under pressure Ernest Hemingway defined it And these are the stories
of the pressures experienced by eight United States Senators and the grace with which
they endured them
A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry
A struggling black family living on Chicagos South Side feels the impact of an
unexpected insurance bequest Each family member sees the bequest as the means of
realizing dreams and of escape from grinding frustrations
The Screwtape Letters by C S Lewis
The book provides a series of lessons in the importance of taking a deliberate role in
living out Christian faith by portraying a typical human life with all its temptations and
failings as seen from the demondevils viewpoint
Tess of the DrsquoUbervilles by Thomas Hardy
Tess DrsquoUrberfield is a luminous beauty who is violated by one man and forsaken by
another but she refuses to remain a victim Her struggle to endure despite the
abandonment of her true love and despite her desperate attempt to attain happiness
propels Tess toward a tragic end
Turn of the Screw [And Other Short Fiction] by Henry James
From the apparitions of evil that haunt the governess in The Turn of the Screw to the
startling self-scrutiny of an egotistical man in The Beast in the Jungle the mysterious
turnings of human behavior are coolly and masterfully observed--proving Henry James
to be a master of psychological insight as well as one of the finest prose stylists of
modern English literature
Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
The story of two generations of the Earnshaw and Linton families as their lives and
fortunes intertwine in a complex web dominated by the passionate relationship
between doomed lovers Heathcliff and Cathy
16
Maranatha Christian Academy Summer Reading Program
PhilosophyRational
Excellence in education requires a literary emphasis Philippians 48 says ldquoFinally brothers and
sisters whatever is true whatever is noble whatever is right whatever is pure whatever is
lovely whatever is admirablemdashif anything is excellent or praiseworthymdashthink about such
thingsrdquo A Christian literature program teaches students to read great literature and to think from
a Christian perspective Our program will promote critical reading and cultivate the habit of
reading with discernment and an awareness of larger contexts and deeper implications The
opportunity to evaluate a characterrsquos motivation behavior and the results of his behavior from a
Christian world view is a unique and valuable experience in Christian education Analytical
questions posed in the discussion of literature will prompt students to apply their knowledge of
Godrsquos laws and also sharpen and refine their own critical thinking skills
Disclaimer
Books for this list were carefully evaluated by comparing recommended lists from various
colleges and universities as well as lists from other Christian schools across the country
Selections were also based on the opinion experience and knowledge of the teachers in the
Maranatha English Department and each book was evaluated according to the Maranatha
Christian world view and mission Books were chosen to represent various reading abilities and
interests As a result you will find a wide range of books on the list
We recommend that parents actively participate in this process The moral tone and lessons
taught by these books are generally positive However some may have a few objectionable
elements that should be addressed in their context
3
Maranatha Christian Academy Summer Reading Program
Incoming 7th Grade (continued)
The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle by Avi
As the only passenger and the only female on a transatlantic voyage in 1832 thirteen-
year-old Charlotte finds herself caught between a murderous captain and a mutinous
crew
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine LrsquoEngle
Thirteen-year-old Meg Murry her little brother Charles Wallace and their friend Calvin
are guided by unearthly strangers as they go on a journey through space and time to
search for Megs and Charles scientist father who disappeared while experimenting with
a new form of space travel
Martin Luther by Mike Fearon
Another one-evening biography from the Men of Faith series During the more than 400
years since the death of Martin Luther more books have been written about him than
any other figure in history with the exception of Jesus A Catholic priest who became a
professor of theology at the University of Wittenber Luthers discovery that salvation is
received by faith alone as a gift of God transformed his life--and the world
In The Presence of My Enemies by Gracia Burnam
This is the story of Gracia and her husband Martin Burnham who were New Tribes
Missionaries captured by Abu Sayyaf - a group of Islamic Terrorists associated with
Osama Bin Laden - in the Philippines in May 2001
4
Maranatha Christian Academy Summer Reading Program
Incoming 8th Grade
Book ONE ndash TEACHERrsquoS CHOICE REQUIRED READING
The Hiding Place by Corrie ten Boom
This is the story of a family hiding the Dutch Jews during WW II and how ldquoThe light
of Godrsquos love penetrates the darkest placesrdquo
Book TWO ndash STUDENTrsquoS CHOICE - Choose one from the following list
Kidnapped by Robert Louis Stevenson
The young orphan David Balfour is sent to live with his Uncle Ebenezer When he
discovers that he may be the rightful heir to his unclersquos estate he finds himself
kidnapped and cast away on a desert isle Kidnapped deals with true historical events
relating to the Jacobite Rising and has won the admiration of an adult audience
Across Five Aprils by Irene Hunt
Jethro Creighton the protagonist is young and idealistic when the Civil War begins At
first he thinks the war will be exciting full of marching soldiers and demonstrative
patriotism Soon he learns the reality of war as he watches his three brothers his
cousin and his teacher go off to fight
White Fang by Jack London
The story takes place in the Yukon Territory Canada during the Klondike Gold Rush
It is a story about a wolf-dogrsquos journey to domestication White Fang is a companion to
The Call of the Wild is Londonrsquos best known work about a dogrsquos ability to survive and
thrive in the wild
Little Women or Meg Jo Beth and Amy by Louisa May Alcott
This is the story of the adventures of Meg Jo Beth and Amy as they grow into young
women in mid-nineteenth century New England
5
Maranatha Christian Academy Summer Reading Program
Incoming 8th Grade (continued)
Let the Circle Be Unbroken by Mildred D Taylor
This is a story of a small Mississippi town in the 1930s and the troubles that plague its
black community Picking up where its precursor Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry leaves
off Mildred Taylor recounts the trials of this small community through the characters
of the Logan family
Up From Slavery an Autobiography by Booker T Washington
The son of a slave Booker Taliaferro Washington worked his way out the salt furnaces
and coal mines to develop the esteemed Tuskegee Institute This autobiographical work
demonstrates his forceful and potent voice in the fight for African-American equality in
turn-of-the-century America
Holes by Louis Sachar
Stanley is just a regular kid until he is found responsible for a crime he didnt commit
We learn about a curse that has been in his family for several generations His bad luck
lands Stanley in a very strange correctional camp in the Texas desert The warden has
all the inmates digging holes in a dry lake bed The story weaves interesting tall tales
from local history and Stanleys family The relationships among the juveniles in the
camp are interesting to follow Stanley finds a good friend treasure and learns to like himself
The Magicianrsquos Nephew by C S Lewis
The novel is initially set in London in 1900 The principal characters are two pre-
adolescent children Digory Dirke and Polly Plummer Digory also appeared as
Professor Kirke from The Lion theWitch and the Wardrobe by which time he was a
grown man in his sixties The pair has adventures after being transported to other
worlds by the sorcerous experiments of Digorys Uncle Andrew
6
Maranatha Christian Academy Summer Reading Program
Incoming 9th Grade
Book ONE ndash TEACHERrsquoS CHOICE REQUIRED READING
The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
What are your dreams What steps will you take to fulfill them Do you have fears
that will hinder you along the way What knowledge will you need What about
wisdom Where should that come from Santiago the main character in this novel
learns lessonsmdashsometimes in unlikely places
Book TWO ndash STUDENTrsquoS CHOICE - Choose ONE from the following list
The Empty Land by Louis LrsquoAmour
Matt Coburn was a decent man and good with a gun He had cleaned up wild boom
towns before but he wanted to finish that chapter of his life However when he rode
through Confusion he felt himself being drawn into the drama unfolding there There
were good men in that town and a few beautiful women too Matt couldnt just turn his
back on them and watch Big Thompson and the others destroy everything with foolish violence
Could he fight the odds and bring the law to Confusion or was this end of the trail for Matt
Coburn
Farewell to Manzanar by Houston Jeanne Wakatsuki and James D Houston
In the morning of December 7 1941 Jeanne Wakatsuki says farewell to Paparsquos sardine
fleet at San Pedro Harbor in California But soon the boats return and news reaches the
family that the Japanese have bombed Pearl Harbor in Hawaii Papa burns his Japanese
flag and identity papers but is arrested by the FBI Mama moves the family to the
Japanese ghetto on Terminal Island and then to Boyle Heights in Los Angeles
The Giver by Lois Lowry
In a world with no poverty no crime no sickness and no unemployment and where
every family is happy 12-year-old Jonas is chosen to be the communitys Receiver of
Memories Under the tutelage of the Elders and an old man known as the Giver he
discovers the disturbing truth about his utopian world and struggles against the weight
of its hypocrisy Lowry examines the idea that people might freely choose to give up
their humanity in order to create a more stable society Gradually Jonas learns just how costly
this ordered and pain-free society can be and boldly decides he cannot pay the price
Great Expectations by Charles Dickens
When a mysterious benefactor comes along Pip begins the transformation from a
blacksmiths son to society gentleman of great expectations
7
Maranatha Christian Academy Summer Reading Program
Incoming 9th Grade (continued)
The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros
The House on Mango Street is the coming of age story of Esperanza Cordero a
preadolescent Mexican American girl (Chicana) living in the contemporary United
States In deceptively simple language the novel recounts the complex experience of
being young poor female and Chicana in America
In His Steps by Charles Sheldon
In His Steps was the first to ask What would Jesus do and quickly became one of the
best-selling books of all times I want volunteers from First Church who will pledge
themselves earnestly and honestly for an entire year not to do anything without first
asking the question What would Jesus do
The Light in the Forest by Conrad Richter
As part of an agreement to keep peace whites are insisting that captives who have been
living with the Indians be returned to their white settlements True Son fifteen years old
has lived with the Delaware tribe since being captured as a baby
The Outsiders by SE Hinton
A coming-of-age novel The Outsiders is the struggle of three brothers to stay together
after their parents death and their quest for identity among the conflicting values of their
adolescent society The book follows two rival groups the Greasers and the Socs who
are divided by their socioeconomic status
The Prince and the Pauper a Tale for Young People of All Ages by Mark Twain
In sixteenth-century England young Prince Edward (son of Henry VIII) and a pauper
boy who looks exactly like him are suddenly forced to change places The prince
endures rags amp hardships while the pauper suffers the horrible miseries of
princedomrdquo
The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas
Three great swordsmen Porthos Aramis Anthos with their protege DArtagnan
match wits with the sinister Cardinal Richelieu who seeks to divide the royalty in his
own quest for power
8
Maranatha Christian Academy Summer Reading Program
Incoming 9th Grade (continued)
The Time Machine an Invention by H G Wells
Desperate to alter the course of time a visionary scientist invents a revolutionary
machine that propels him 800000 years into the future There he discovers that humans
have evolved into two groups the hunters and the hunted Now he must fight to save
himself and all of mankind in a final desperate battle
Walk to Remember by Nicholas Sparks
Fifty-seven-year-old Landon Carter narrates the novel reflecting on events from 40
years in the past The novel opens as the older Landon living in the same North
Carolina town as he did at the age of 17 remembers his 17-year-old self The story
begins in 1958 and is Landon tells us both joyful and sad
9
Maranatha Christian Academy Summer Reading Program
Incoming 10th Grade
Book ONE ndash TEACHERrsquoS CHOICE REQUIRED READING
Night by Elie Wiesel
This is an account of the Nazi death camp horror that turns a young Jewish boy into an
agonized witness to the death of his familyhellipthe death of his innocence Penetrating
and powerful as personal as The Diary of Anne Frank Night awakens the shocking
memory of evil at its absolute and carries with it the unforgettable message that this
horror must never be allowed to happen again
Book TWO ndash STUDENTrsquoS CHOICE Choose ONE from the following list
All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque
A group of young World War I German recruits pass from idealism to disillusionment
with war he book and its sequel The Road Back were among the books banned and
burned in Nazi Germany
Around the World in Eighty Days by Jules Verne
In 1872 English gentleman Phileas Fogg has many adventures as he tries to win a bet
that he can travel around the world in eighty days
Ben-Hur a Tale of the Christ by Lew Wallace
A peace-loving prince of Judea leads his nation against the wrath of the conquering
Romans His self-imposed destiny brings tragedy to himself and his people as he
learns to fight to love to hate and finally to forgive
The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas
An innocent man Edmond Dantes is imprisoned for years on a godforsaken island
while the friend who betrayed him takes Dantes ravishing fianceacute for himself Dantes
eventually escapes recovers a fortune in buried pirate treasure transforms himself into
the mysterious Count of Monte Cristo and methodically goes about exacting his
revenge
Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens
Oliver Twist is an orphan forced to practice thievery and live a life of crime in
nineteenth-century London
10
Maranatha Christian Academy Summer Reading Program
Incoming 10th Grade (continued)
Rocket Boys by Homer Hickam
In 1957 NASA Engineer Homer Hickam Jr is a high school student in Coalwood
West Virginia when the Soviet Union launches Sputnik the first man-made satellite
While most of his friends and neighbors react with fear or distrust Homer is instantly
fascinated and begins studying everything he can find on jet and rocket design
Silas Marner the Weaver of Raveloe by George Eliot
A young linen weavers dreams are destroyed when he is falsely accused of a crime
Isolating himself he becomes a selfish despondent miser until he adopts an abandoned
child
The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson
A kind and well-respected doctor is transformed into a murderous madman by taking a
secret drug of his own creation
The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Emmuska Orczy
A twisted suspenseful romance set during the French Revolution While men women
and children fall under the merciless blade of the guillotine one foppish gentleman
alias the Scarlet Pimpernel bravely rescues aristocrats from the jaws of death In the
midst of his rescue he meets and falls passionately in love with Marguerite Frances
most celebrated actress
11
Maranatha Christian Academy Summer Reading Program
Incoming 11th Grade
Book ONE ndash TEACHERrsquoS CHOICE REQUIRED READING
Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom
Tuesdays with Morrie is a true story about sportswriter Mitch Albom and his favorite
college professor Morrie Schwartz Mitch Albom recounts time spent with his 78-year-
old professor who was dying from Lou Gehrigrsquos disease
Book TWO ndash STUDENTrsquoS CHOICE - Choose ONE from the following list
The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman by Earnest J Gaines
Presents the story of the long life of Miss Jane Pittman who began her life as a slave in
the South and who marched for her civil rights in the 20th century at the age of 110
A Christianrsquos Secret to a Happy Life by Hannah Whitall Smith
You may read the original or the updated version of this classic An instant success
when it was first published 100 years ago this volume continues to inspire thousands
with its simple life-changing message of faith and trust in God This all-new edition
includes an index a brief biography and end-of-chapter questions to help you apply
Hannahs insights to your own life
Don Quixote De La Mancha by Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra
The adventures of Don Quixote a common man from La Mancha who has convinced
himself that he is a knight With his portly peasant squire Sancho Panza who
recognizes his masters madness but is nonetheless captivated by promises of kingdoms
and riches Don Quixote mistakes windmills for giants and flocks of sheep for armies
A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway
A volunteer ambulance driver and a beautiful English nurse fall in love when he is
wounded on the Italian front Set during World War I
The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
Although it follows the movement of thousands of men and women and the
transformation of an entire nation The Grapes of Wrath is also the story of one
Oklahoma family the Joads who are driven off their homestead and forced to travel
west to the promised land of California
12
Maranatha Christian Academy Summer Reading Program
Incoming 11th Grade (continued)
Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford
In the opening pages Henry Lee comes upon a crowd gathered outside the Panama
Hotel once the gateway to Seattlersquos Japantown It has been boarded up for decades but
now the new owner has made an incredible discovery the belongings of Japanese
families left when they were rounded up and sent to internment camps during World
War II
The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde
Two young gentlemen living in 1890s England uses the same pseudonym to escape the
dull county life All is fine until they both fall in love with the same woman Suddenly
the comedy of mistaken identities begins in this delightful story
Ivanhoe by Sir Walter Scott
The classic epic of chivalry and courtly love features the disinherited knight Ivanhoe
his fair lady Rowena and such larger-than-life characters as Richard the Lion-Hearted
and Robin Hood This novel of the Crusades chivalry and courtly love not only
recreates history but made history as well
The Last of the Mohicans a Narrative of 1757 by James Fenimore Cooper
This is the tale of a Mohican braves struggle to protect two English girls from an evil
Huron The wild rush of action in this classic frontier adventure story has made The
Last of the Mohicans the most popular of James Fenimore Coopers Leatherstocking
Tales
The Red Badge of Courage an Episode of the American Civil War by Stephen Crane
During his service in the Civil War a young Union soldier matures to manhood and
finds peace of mind as he comes to grips with his conflicting emotions about war
The Taming of the Shrew by William Shakespeare
The marriage of two strong-minded people provides the spark for a comic
confrontation between the sexes The shrew Katharina is so ill-tempered she
seems unlikely to find a husband Her father refuses to let her younger sister marry
until Katherina is off his hands Petruchio appears marries Katharina and tames
her so well that he wins a bet with two other men on a test of their wives obedience
13
Maranatha Christian Academy Summer Reading Program
Incoming 11th Grade (continued)
Walden or Life in the Woods by Henry David Thoreau
This is the one product of Thoreaursquos two-year sojourn at the pondmdashone of the great
classics of American letters Interwoven with accounts of Thoreaursquos daily life (he did
not live as a recluse but received visitors and almost daily walked into Concord) are
meditations on human existence society government and other topics expressed with
clear-headed wisdom and remarkable beauty of style
Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand
On a May afternoon in 1943 an Army Air Forces bomber crashed into the Pacific
Ocean and disappeared leaving only a spray of debris and a slick of oil gasoline and
blood Then on the ocean surface a face appeared It was that of a young lieutenant
the planersquos bombardier who was struggling to a life raft and pulling himself aboard
So began one of the most extraordinary odysseys of the Second World War
14
Maranatha Christian Academy Summer Reading Program
Incoming 12th Grade
Book ONE ndash TEACHERrsquoS CHOICE REQUIRED READING
Animal Farm by George Orwell
A farm is taken over by its overworked mistreated animals With flaming idealism
and stirring slogans they set out to create a paradise of progress justice and equality
Thus the stage is set for one of the most telling satiric fables ever penned
Book TWO ndash STUDENTrsquoS CHOICE - Choose ONE from the following list
Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky
Raskolnikov commits murder He then must deal both with the police and his own
guilty conscience Determined to overreach his humanity and assert his untrammeled
individual will Raskolnikov an impoverished student living in the St Petersburg of the
Tsars commits an act of murder and theft and sets into motion a story which for its
excrutiating suspense its atmospheric vividness and its profundity of characterization
and vision is almost unequaled in the literatures of the world
Cry The Beloved Country by Alan Paton
A Cry the Beloved Country is the deeply moving story of the Zulu pastor Stephen
Kumalo and his son Absalom set against the background of a land and a people riven
by racial injustice Remarkable for its lyricism unforgettable for character and
incident Cry the Beloved Country is a classic work of love and hope courage and
endurance born of the dignity of man
Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad
In this haunting tale Marlow a seaman and wanderer recounts his physical and
psychological journey in search of Kurtz His travels take him to the heart of Africa to
discover how Kurtz has gained his position of power and influence over the local
people
Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare
Imaginative exuberant comedy contrasts two pairs of lovers in a witty and suspenseful
battle of the sexes Filled with suspense clever turns of plot vivacious displays of wit
and charming songs this is one of the Bards most beloved and performed works
Orthodoxy by GK Chesterton
If you think orthodoxy is boring and predictable think again In this timeless classic
G K Chesterton one of the literary giants of the twentieth century presents a logical
and personal reasoning for Christianity in model apologetic form
15
Maranatha Christian Academy Summer Reading Program
Incoming 12th Grade (continued)
Profiles in Courage by John F Kennedy
This is the Pulitzer Prize-winning account of the most admirable of human virtuesmdash
courage Grace under pressure Ernest Hemingway defined it And these are the stories
of the pressures experienced by eight United States Senators and the grace with which
they endured them
A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry
A struggling black family living on Chicagos South Side feels the impact of an
unexpected insurance bequest Each family member sees the bequest as the means of
realizing dreams and of escape from grinding frustrations
The Screwtape Letters by C S Lewis
The book provides a series of lessons in the importance of taking a deliberate role in
living out Christian faith by portraying a typical human life with all its temptations and
failings as seen from the demondevils viewpoint
Tess of the DrsquoUbervilles by Thomas Hardy
Tess DrsquoUrberfield is a luminous beauty who is violated by one man and forsaken by
another but she refuses to remain a victim Her struggle to endure despite the
abandonment of her true love and despite her desperate attempt to attain happiness
propels Tess toward a tragic end
Turn of the Screw [And Other Short Fiction] by Henry James
From the apparitions of evil that haunt the governess in The Turn of the Screw to the
startling self-scrutiny of an egotistical man in The Beast in the Jungle the mysterious
turnings of human behavior are coolly and masterfully observed--proving Henry James
to be a master of psychological insight as well as one of the finest prose stylists of
modern English literature
Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
The story of two generations of the Earnshaw and Linton families as their lives and
fortunes intertwine in a complex web dominated by the passionate relationship
between doomed lovers Heathcliff and Cathy
16
Maranatha Christian Academy Summer Reading Program
PhilosophyRational
Excellence in education requires a literary emphasis Philippians 48 says ldquoFinally brothers and
sisters whatever is true whatever is noble whatever is right whatever is pure whatever is
lovely whatever is admirablemdashif anything is excellent or praiseworthymdashthink about such
thingsrdquo A Christian literature program teaches students to read great literature and to think from
a Christian perspective Our program will promote critical reading and cultivate the habit of
reading with discernment and an awareness of larger contexts and deeper implications The
opportunity to evaluate a characterrsquos motivation behavior and the results of his behavior from a
Christian world view is a unique and valuable experience in Christian education Analytical
questions posed in the discussion of literature will prompt students to apply their knowledge of
Godrsquos laws and also sharpen and refine their own critical thinking skills
Disclaimer
Books for this list were carefully evaluated by comparing recommended lists from various
colleges and universities as well as lists from other Christian schools across the country
Selections were also based on the opinion experience and knowledge of the teachers in the
Maranatha English Department and each book was evaluated according to the Maranatha
Christian world view and mission Books were chosen to represent various reading abilities and
interests As a result you will find a wide range of books on the list
We recommend that parents actively participate in this process The moral tone and lessons
taught by these books are generally positive However some may have a few objectionable
elements that should be addressed in their context
4
Maranatha Christian Academy Summer Reading Program
Incoming 8th Grade
Book ONE ndash TEACHERrsquoS CHOICE REQUIRED READING
The Hiding Place by Corrie ten Boom
This is the story of a family hiding the Dutch Jews during WW II and how ldquoThe light
of Godrsquos love penetrates the darkest placesrdquo
Book TWO ndash STUDENTrsquoS CHOICE - Choose one from the following list
Kidnapped by Robert Louis Stevenson
The young orphan David Balfour is sent to live with his Uncle Ebenezer When he
discovers that he may be the rightful heir to his unclersquos estate he finds himself
kidnapped and cast away on a desert isle Kidnapped deals with true historical events
relating to the Jacobite Rising and has won the admiration of an adult audience
Across Five Aprils by Irene Hunt
Jethro Creighton the protagonist is young and idealistic when the Civil War begins At
first he thinks the war will be exciting full of marching soldiers and demonstrative
patriotism Soon he learns the reality of war as he watches his three brothers his
cousin and his teacher go off to fight
White Fang by Jack London
The story takes place in the Yukon Territory Canada during the Klondike Gold Rush
It is a story about a wolf-dogrsquos journey to domestication White Fang is a companion to
The Call of the Wild is Londonrsquos best known work about a dogrsquos ability to survive and
thrive in the wild
Little Women or Meg Jo Beth and Amy by Louisa May Alcott
This is the story of the adventures of Meg Jo Beth and Amy as they grow into young
women in mid-nineteenth century New England
5
Maranatha Christian Academy Summer Reading Program
Incoming 8th Grade (continued)
Let the Circle Be Unbroken by Mildred D Taylor
This is a story of a small Mississippi town in the 1930s and the troubles that plague its
black community Picking up where its precursor Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry leaves
off Mildred Taylor recounts the trials of this small community through the characters
of the Logan family
Up From Slavery an Autobiography by Booker T Washington
The son of a slave Booker Taliaferro Washington worked his way out the salt furnaces
and coal mines to develop the esteemed Tuskegee Institute This autobiographical work
demonstrates his forceful and potent voice in the fight for African-American equality in
turn-of-the-century America
Holes by Louis Sachar
Stanley is just a regular kid until he is found responsible for a crime he didnt commit
We learn about a curse that has been in his family for several generations His bad luck
lands Stanley in a very strange correctional camp in the Texas desert The warden has
all the inmates digging holes in a dry lake bed The story weaves interesting tall tales
from local history and Stanleys family The relationships among the juveniles in the
camp are interesting to follow Stanley finds a good friend treasure and learns to like himself
The Magicianrsquos Nephew by C S Lewis
The novel is initially set in London in 1900 The principal characters are two pre-
adolescent children Digory Dirke and Polly Plummer Digory also appeared as
Professor Kirke from The Lion theWitch and the Wardrobe by which time he was a
grown man in his sixties The pair has adventures after being transported to other
worlds by the sorcerous experiments of Digorys Uncle Andrew
6
Maranatha Christian Academy Summer Reading Program
Incoming 9th Grade
Book ONE ndash TEACHERrsquoS CHOICE REQUIRED READING
The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
What are your dreams What steps will you take to fulfill them Do you have fears
that will hinder you along the way What knowledge will you need What about
wisdom Where should that come from Santiago the main character in this novel
learns lessonsmdashsometimes in unlikely places
Book TWO ndash STUDENTrsquoS CHOICE - Choose ONE from the following list
The Empty Land by Louis LrsquoAmour
Matt Coburn was a decent man and good with a gun He had cleaned up wild boom
towns before but he wanted to finish that chapter of his life However when he rode
through Confusion he felt himself being drawn into the drama unfolding there There
were good men in that town and a few beautiful women too Matt couldnt just turn his
back on them and watch Big Thompson and the others destroy everything with foolish violence
Could he fight the odds and bring the law to Confusion or was this end of the trail for Matt
Coburn
Farewell to Manzanar by Houston Jeanne Wakatsuki and James D Houston
In the morning of December 7 1941 Jeanne Wakatsuki says farewell to Paparsquos sardine
fleet at San Pedro Harbor in California But soon the boats return and news reaches the
family that the Japanese have bombed Pearl Harbor in Hawaii Papa burns his Japanese
flag and identity papers but is arrested by the FBI Mama moves the family to the
Japanese ghetto on Terminal Island and then to Boyle Heights in Los Angeles
The Giver by Lois Lowry
In a world with no poverty no crime no sickness and no unemployment and where
every family is happy 12-year-old Jonas is chosen to be the communitys Receiver of
Memories Under the tutelage of the Elders and an old man known as the Giver he
discovers the disturbing truth about his utopian world and struggles against the weight
of its hypocrisy Lowry examines the idea that people might freely choose to give up
their humanity in order to create a more stable society Gradually Jonas learns just how costly
this ordered and pain-free society can be and boldly decides he cannot pay the price
Great Expectations by Charles Dickens
When a mysterious benefactor comes along Pip begins the transformation from a
blacksmiths son to society gentleman of great expectations
7
Maranatha Christian Academy Summer Reading Program
Incoming 9th Grade (continued)
The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros
The House on Mango Street is the coming of age story of Esperanza Cordero a
preadolescent Mexican American girl (Chicana) living in the contemporary United
States In deceptively simple language the novel recounts the complex experience of
being young poor female and Chicana in America
In His Steps by Charles Sheldon
In His Steps was the first to ask What would Jesus do and quickly became one of the
best-selling books of all times I want volunteers from First Church who will pledge
themselves earnestly and honestly for an entire year not to do anything without first
asking the question What would Jesus do
The Light in the Forest by Conrad Richter
As part of an agreement to keep peace whites are insisting that captives who have been
living with the Indians be returned to their white settlements True Son fifteen years old
has lived with the Delaware tribe since being captured as a baby
The Outsiders by SE Hinton
A coming-of-age novel The Outsiders is the struggle of three brothers to stay together
after their parents death and their quest for identity among the conflicting values of their
adolescent society The book follows two rival groups the Greasers and the Socs who
are divided by their socioeconomic status
The Prince and the Pauper a Tale for Young People of All Ages by Mark Twain
In sixteenth-century England young Prince Edward (son of Henry VIII) and a pauper
boy who looks exactly like him are suddenly forced to change places The prince
endures rags amp hardships while the pauper suffers the horrible miseries of
princedomrdquo
The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas
Three great swordsmen Porthos Aramis Anthos with their protege DArtagnan
match wits with the sinister Cardinal Richelieu who seeks to divide the royalty in his
own quest for power
8
Maranatha Christian Academy Summer Reading Program
Incoming 9th Grade (continued)
The Time Machine an Invention by H G Wells
Desperate to alter the course of time a visionary scientist invents a revolutionary
machine that propels him 800000 years into the future There he discovers that humans
have evolved into two groups the hunters and the hunted Now he must fight to save
himself and all of mankind in a final desperate battle
Walk to Remember by Nicholas Sparks
Fifty-seven-year-old Landon Carter narrates the novel reflecting on events from 40
years in the past The novel opens as the older Landon living in the same North
Carolina town as he did at the age of 17 remembers his 17-year-old self The story
begins in 1958 and is Landon tells us both joyful and sad
9
Maranatha Christian Academy Summer Reading Program
Incoming 10th Grade
Book ONE ndash TEACHERrsquoS CHOICE REQUIRED READING
Night by Elie Wiesel
This is an account of the Nazi death camp horror that turns a young Jewish boy into an
agonized witness to the death of his familyhellipthe death of his innocence Penetrating
and powerful as personal as The Diary of Anne Frank Night awakens the shocking
memory of evil at its absolute and carries with it the unforgettable message that this
horror must never be allowed to happen again
Book TWO ndash STUDENTrsquoS CHOICE Choose ONE from the following list
All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque
A group of young World War I German recruits pass from idealism to disillusionment
with war he book and its sequel The Road Back were among the books banned and
burned in Nazi Germany
Around the World in Eighty Days by Jules Verne
In 1872 English gentleman Phileas Fogg has many adventures as he tries to win a bet
that he can travel around the world in eighty days
Ben-Hur a Tale of the Christ by Lew Wallace
A peace-loving prince of Judea leads his nation against the wrath of the conquering
Romans His self-imposed destiny brings tragedy to himself and his people as he
learns to fight to love to hate and finally to forgive
The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas
An innocent man Edmond Dantes is imprisoned for years on a godforsaken island
while the friend who betrayed him takes Dantes ravishing fianceacute for himself Dantes
eventually escapes recovers a fortune in buried pirate treasure transforms himself into
the mysterious Count of Monte Cristo and methodically goes about exacting his
revenge
Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens
Oliver Twist is an orphan forced to practice thievery and live a life of crime in
nineteenth-century London
10
Maranatha Christian Academy Summer Reading Program
Incoming 10th Grade (continued)
Rocket Boys by Homer Hickam
In 1957 NASA Engineer Homer Hickam Jr is a high school student in Coalwood
West Virginia when the Soviet Union launches Sputnik the first man-made satellite
While most of his friends and neighbors react with fear or distrust Homer is instantly
fascinated and begins studying everything he can find on jet and rocket design
Silas Marner the Weaver of Raveloe by George Eliot
A young linen weavers dreams are destroyed when he is falsely accused of a crime
Isolating himself he becomes a selfish despondent miser until he adopts an abandoned
child
The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson
A kind and well-respected doctor is transformed into a murderous madman by taking a
secret drug of his own creation
The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Emmuska Orczy
A twisted suspenseful romance set during the French Revolution While men women
and children fall under the merciless blade of the guillotine one foppish gentleman
alias the Scarlet Pimpernel bravely rescues aristocrats from the jaws of death In the
midst of his rescue he meets and falls passionately in love with Marguerite Frances
most celebrated actress
11
Maranatha Christian Academy Summer Reading Program
Incoming 11th Grade
Book ONE ndash TEACHERrsquoS CHOICE REQUIRED READING
Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom
Tuesdays with Morrie is a true story about sportswriter Mitch Albom and his favorite
college professor Morrie Schwartz Mitch Albom recounts time spent with his 78-year-
old professor who was dying from Lou Gehrigrsquos disease
Book TWO ndash STUDENTrsquoS CHOICE - Choose ONE from the following list
The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman by Earnest J Gaines
Presents the story of the long life of Miss Jane Pittman who began her life as a slave in
the South and who marched for her civil rights in the 20th century at the age of 110
A Christianrsquos Secret to a Happy Life by Hannah Whitall Smith
You may read the original or the updated version of this classic An instant success
when it was first published 100 years ago this volume continues to inspire thousands
with its simple life-changing message of faith and trust in God This all-new edition
includes an index a brief biography and end-of-chapter questions to help you apply
Hannahs insights to your own life
Don Quixote De La Mancha by Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra
The adventures of Don Quixote a common man from La Mancha who has convinced
himself that he is a knight With his portly peasant squire Sancho Panza who
recognizes his masters madness but is nonetheless captivated by promises of kingdoms
and riches Don Quixote mistakes windmills for giants and flocks of sheep for armies
A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway
A volunteer ambulance driver and a beautiful English nurse fall in love when he is
wounded on the Italian front Set during World War I
The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
Although it follows the movement of thousands of men and women and the
transformation of an entire nation The Grapes of Wrath is also the story of one
Oklahoma family the Joads who are driven off their homestead and forced to travel
west to the promised land of California
12
Maranatha Christian Academy Summer Reading Program
Incoming 11th Grade (continued)
Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford
In the opening pages Henry Lee comes upon a crowd gathered outside the Panama
Hotel once the gateway to Seattlersquos Japantown It has been boarded up for decades but
now the new owner has made an incredible discovery the belongings of Japanese
families left when they were rounded up and sent to internment camps during World
War II
The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde
Two young gentlemen living in 1890s England uses the same pseudonym to escape the
dull county life All is fine until they both fall in love with the same woman Suddenly
the comedy of mistaken identities begins in this delightful story
Ivanhoe by Sir Walter Scott
The classic epic of chivalry and courtly love features the disinherited knight Ivanhoe
his fair lady Rowena and such larger-than-life characters as Richard the Lion-Hearted
and Robin Hood This novel of the Crusades chivalry and courtly love not only
recreates history but made history as well
The Last of the Mohicans a Narrative of 1757 by James Fenimore Cooper
This is the tale of a Mohican braves struggle to protect two English girls from an evil
Huron The wild rush of action in this classic frontier adventure story has made The
Last of the Mohicans the most popular of James Fenimore Coopers Leatherstocking
Tales
The Red Badge of Courage an Episode of the American Civil War by Stephen Crane
During his service in the Civil War a young Union soldier matures to manhood and
finds peace of mind as he comes to grips with his conflicting emotions about war
The Taming of the Shrew by William Shakespeare
The marriage of two strong-minded people provides the spark for a comic
confrontation between the sexes The shrew Katharina is so ill-tempered she
seems unlikely to find a husband Her father refuses to let her younger sister marry
until Katherina is off his hands Petruchio appears marries Katharina and tames
her so well that he wins a bet with two other men on a test of their wives obedience
13
Maranatha Christian Academy Summer Reading Program
Incoming 11th Grade (continued)
Walden or Life in the Woods by Henry David Thoreau
This is the one product of Thoreaursquos two-year sojourn at the pondmdashone of the great
classics of American letters Interwoven with accounts of Thoreaursquos daily life (he did
not live as a recluse but received visitors and almost daily walked into Concord) are
meditations on human existence society government and other topics expressed with
clear-headed wisdom and remarkable beauty of style
Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand
On a May afternoon in 1943 an Army Air Forces bomber crashed into the Pacific
Ocean and disappeared leaving only a spray of debris and a slick of oil gasoline and
blood Then on the ocean surface a face appeared It was that of a young lieutenant
the planersquos bombardier who was struggling to a life raft and pulling himself aboard
So began one of the most extraordinary odysseys of the Second World War
14
Maranatha Christian Academy Summer Reading Program
Incoming 12th Grade
Book ONE ndash TEACHERrsquoS CHOICE REQUIRED READING
Animal Farm by George Orwell
A farm is taken over by its overworked mistreated animals With flaming idealism
and stirring slogans they set out to create a paradise of progress justice and equality
Thus the stage is set for one of the most telling satiric fables ever penned
Book TWO ndash STUDENTrsquoS CHOICE - Choose ONE from the following list
Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky
Raskolnikov commits murder He then must deal both with the police and his own
guilty conscience Determined to overreach his humanity and assert his untrammeled
individual will Raskolnikov an impoverished student living in the St Petersburg of the
Tsars commits an act of murder and theft and sets into motion a story which for its
excrutiating suspense its atmospheric vividness and its profundity of characterization
and vision is almost unequaled in the literatures of the world
Cry The Beloved Country by Alan Paton
A Cry the Beloved Country is the deeply moving story of the Zulu pastor Stephen
Kumalo and his son Absalom set against the background of a land and a people riven
by racial injustice Remarkable for its lyricism unforgettable for character and
incident Cry the Beloved Country is a classic work of love and hope courage and
endurance born of the dignity of man
Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad
In this haunting tale Marlow a seaman and wanderer recounts his physical and
psychological journey in search of Kurtz His travels take him to the heart of Africa to
discover how Kurtz has gained his position of power and influence over the local
people
Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare
Imaginative exuberant comedy contrasts two pairs of lovers in a witty and suspenseful
battle of the sexes Filled with suspense clever turns of plot vivacious displays of wit
and charming songs this is one of the Bards most beloved and performed works
Orthodoxy by GK Chesterton
If you think orthodoxy is boring and predictable think again In this timeless classic
G K Chesterton one of the literary giants of the twentieth century presents a logical
and personal reasoning for Christianity in model apologetic form
15
Maranatha Christian Academy Summer Reading Program
Incoming 12th Grade (continued)
Profiles in Courage by John F Kennedy
This is the Pulitzer Prize-winning account of the most admirable of human virtuesmdash
courage Grace under pressure Ernest Hemingway defined it And these are the stories
of the pressures experienced by eight United States Senators and the grace with which
they endured them
A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry
A struggling black family living on Chicagos South Side feels the impact of an
unexpected insurance bequest Each family member sees the bequest as the means of
realizing dreams and of escape from grinding frustrations
The Screwtape Letters by C S Lewis
The book provides a series of lessons in the importance of taking a deliberate role in
living out Christian faith by portraying a typical human life with all its temptations and
failings as seen from the demondevils viewpoint
Tess of the DrsquoUbervilles by Thomas Hardy
Tess DrsquoUrberfield is a luminous beauty who is violated by one man and forsaken by
another but she refuses to remain a victim Her struggle to endure despite the
abandonment of her true love and despite her desperate attempt to attain happiness
propels Tess toward a tragic end
Turn of the Screw [And Other Short Fiction] by Henry James
From the apparitions of evil that haunt the governess in The Turn of the Screw to the
startling self-scrutiny of an egotistical man in The Beast in the Jungle the mysterious
turnings of human behavior are coolly and masterfully observed--proving Henry James
to be a master of psychological insight as well as one of the finest prose stylists of
modern English literature
Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
The story of two generations of the Earnshaw and Linton families as their lives and
fortunes intertwine in a complex web dominated by the passionate relationship
between doomed lovers Heathcliff and Cathy
16
Maranatha Christian Academy Summer Reading Program
PhilosophyRational
Excellence in education requires a literary emphasis Philippians 48 says ldquoFinally brothers and
sisters whatever is true whatever is noble whatever is right whatever is pure whatever is
lovely whatever is admirablemdashif anything is excellent or praiseworthymdashthink about such
thingsrdquo A Christian literature program teaches students to read great literature and to think from
a Christian perspective Our program will promote critical reading and cultivate the habit of
reading with discernment and an awareness of larger contexts and deeper implications The
opportunity to evaluate a characterrsquos motivation behavior and the results of his behavior from a
Christian world view is a unique and valuable experience in Christian education Analytical
questions posed in the discussion of literature will prompt students to apply their knowledge of
Godrsquos laws and also sharpen and refine their own critical thinking skills
Disclaimer
Books for this list were carefully evaluated by comparing recommended lists from various
colleges and universities as well as lists from other Christian schools across the country
Selections were also based on the opinion experience and knowledge of the teachers in the
Maranatha English Department and each book was evaluated according to the Maranatha
Christian world view and mission Books were chosen to represent various reading abilities and
interests As a result you will find a wide range of books on the list
We recommend that parents actively participate in this process The moral tone and lessons
taught by these books are generally positive However some may have a few objectionable
elements that should be addressed in their context
5
Maranatha Christian Academy Summer Reading Program
Incoming 8th Grade (continued)
Let the Circle Be Unbroken by Mildred D Taylor
This is a story of a small Mississippi town in the 1930s and the troubles that plague its
black community Picking up where its precursor Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry leaves
off Mildred Taylor recounts the trials of this small community through the characters
of the Logan family
Up From Slavery an Autobiography by Booker T Washington
The son of a slave Booker Taliaferro Washington worked his way out the salt furnaces
and coal mines to develop the esteemed Tuskegee Institute This autobiographical work
demonstrates his forceful and potent voice in the fight for African-American equality in
turn-of-the-century America
Holes by Louis Sachar
Stanley is just a regular kid until he is found responsible for a crime he didnt commit
We learn about a curse that has been in his family for several generations His bad luck
lands Stanley in a very strange correctional camp in the Texas desert The warden has
all the inmates digging holes in a dry lake bed The story weaves interesting tall tales
from local history and Stanleys family The relationships among the juveniles in the
camp are interesting to follow Stanley finds a good friend treasure and learns to like himself
The Magicianrsquos Nephew by C S Lewis
The novel is initially set in London in 1900 The principal characters are two pre-
adolescent children Digory Dirke and Polly Plummer Digory also appeared as
Professor Kirke from The Lion theWitch and the Wardrobe by which time he was a
grown man in his sixties The pair has adventures after being transported to other
worlds by the sorcerous experiments of Digorys Uncle Andrew
6
Maranatha Christian Academy Summer Reading Program
Incoming 9th Grade
Book ONE ndash TEACHERrsquoS CHOICE REQUIRED READING
The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
What are your dreams What steps will you take to fulfill them Do you have fears
that will hinder you along the way What knowledge will you need What about
wisdom Where should that come from Santiago the main character in this novel
learns lessonsmdashsometimes in unlikely places
Book TWO ndash STUDENTrsquoS CHOICE - Choose ONE from the following list
The Empty Land by Louis LrsquoAmour
Matt Coburn was a decent man and good with a gun He had cleaned up wild boom
towns before but he wanted to finish that chapter of his life However when he rode
through Confusion he felt himself being drawn into the drama unfolding there There
were good men in that town and a few beautiful women too Matt couldnt just turn his
back on them and watch Big Thompson and the others destroy everything with foolish violence
Could he fight the odds and bring the law to Confusion or was this end of the trail for Matt
Coburn
Farewell to Manzanar by Houston Jeanne Wakatsuki and James D Houston
In the morning of December 7 1941 Jeanne Wakatsuki says farewell to Paparsquos sardine
fleet at San Pedro Harbor in California But soon the boats return and news reaches the
family that the Japanese have bombed Pearl Harbor in Hawaii Papa burns his Japanese
flag and identity papers but is arrested by the FBI Mama moves the family to the
Japanese ghetto on Terminal Island and then to Boyle Heights in Los Angeles
The Giver by Lois Lowry
In a world with no poverty no crime no sickness and no unemployment and where
every family is happy 12-year-old Jonas is chosen to be the communitys Receiver of
Memories Under the tutelage of the Elders and an old man known as the Giver he
discovers the disturbing truth about his utopian world and struggles against the weight
of its hypocrisy Lowry examines the idea that people might freely choose to give up
their humanity in order to create a more stable society Gradually Jonas learns just how costly
this ordered and pain-free society can be and boldly decides he cannot pay the price
Great Expectations by Charles Dickens
When a mysterious benefactor comes along Pip begins the transformation from a
blacksmiths son to society gentleman of great expectations
7
Maranatha Christian Academy Summer Reading Program
Incoming 9th Grade (continued)
The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros
The House on Mango Street is the coming of age story of Esperanza Cordero a
preadolescent Mexican American girl (Chicana) living in the contemporary United
States In deceptively simple language the novel recounts the complex experience of
being young poor female and Chicana in America
In His Steps by Charles Sheldon
In His Steps was the first to ask What would Jesus do and quickly became one of the
best-selling books of all times I want volunteers from First Church who will pledge
themselves earnestly and honestly for an entire year not to do anything without first
asking the question What would Jesus do
The Light in the Forest by Conrad Richter
As part of an agreement to keep peace whites are insisting that captives who have been
living with the Indians be returned to their white settlements True Son fifteen years old
has lived with the Delaware tribe since being captured as a baby
The Outsiders by SE Hinton
A coming-of-age novel The Outsiders is the struggle of three brothers to stay together
after their parents death and their quest for identity among the conflicting values of their
adolescent society The book follows two rival groups the Greasers and the Socs who
are divided by their socioeconomic status
The Prince and the Pauper a Tale for Young People of All Ages by Mark Twain
In sixteenth-century England young Prince Edward (son of Henry VIII) and a pauper
boy who looks exactly like him are suddenly forced to change places The prince
endures rags amp hardships while the pauper suffers the horrible miseries of
princedomrdquo
The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas
Three great swordsmen Porthos Aramis Anthos with their protege DArtagnan
match wits with the sinister Cardinal Richelieu who seeks to divide the royalty in his
own quest for power
8
Maranatha Christian Academy Summer Reading Program
Incoming 9th Grade (continued)
The Time Machine an Invention by H G Wells
Desperate to alter the course of time a visionary scientist invents a revolutionary
machine that propels him 800000 years into the future There he discovers that humans
have evolved into two groups the hunters and the hunted Now he must fight to save
himself and all of mankind in a final desperate battle
Walk to Remember by Nicholas Sparks
Fifty-seven-year-old Landon Carter narrates the novel reflecting on events from 40
years in the past The novel opens as the older Landon living in the same North
Carolina town as he did at the age of 17 remembers his 17-year-old self The story
begins in 1958 and is Landon tells us both joyful and sad
9
Maranatha Christian Academy Summer Reading Program
Incoming 10th Grade
Book ONE ndash TEACHERrsquoS CHOICE REQUIRED READING
Night by Elie Wiesel
This is an account of the Nazi death camp horror that turns a young Jewish boy into an
agonized witness to the death of his familyhellipthe death of his innocence Penetrating
and powerful as personal as The Diary of Anne Frank Night awakens the shocking
memory of evil at its absolute and carries with it the unforgettable message that this
horror must never be allowed to happen again
Book TWO ndash STUDENTrsquoS CHOICE Choose ONE from the following list
All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque
A group of young World War I German recruits pass from idealism to disillusionment
with war he book and its sequel The Road Back were among the books banned and
burned in Nazi Germany
Around the World in Eighty Days by Jules Verne
In 1872 English gentleman Phileas Fogg has many adventures as he tries to win a bet
that he can travel around the world in eighty days
Ben-Hur a Tale of the Christ by Lew Wallace
A peace-loving prince of Judea leads his nation against the wrath of the conquering
Romans His self-imposed destiny brings tragedy to himself and his people as he
learns to fight to love to hate and finally to forgive
The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas
An innocent man Edmond Dantes is imprisoned for years on a godforsaken island
while the friend who betrayed him takes Dantes ravishing fianceacute for himself Dantes
eventually escapes recovers a fortune in buried pirate treasure transforms himself into
the mysterious Count of Monte Cristo and methodically goes about exacting his
revenge
Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens
Oliver Twist is an orphan forced to practice thievery and live a life of crime in
nineteenth-century London
10
Maranatha Christian Academy Summer Reading Program
Incoming 10th Grade (continued)
Rocket Boys by Homer Hickam
In 1957 NASA Engineer Homer Hickam Jr is a high school student in Coalwood
West Virginia when the Soviet Union launches Sputnik the first man-made satellite
While most of his friends and neighbors react with fear or distrust Homer is instantly
fascinated and begins studying everything he can find on jet and rocket design
Silas Marner the Weaver of Raveloe by George Eliot
A young linen weavers dreams are destroyed when he is falsely accused of a crime
Isolating himself he becomes a selfish despondent miser until he adopts an abandoned
child
The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson
A kind and well-respected doctor is transformed into a murderous madman by taking a
secret drug of his own creation
The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Emmuska Orczy
A twisted suspenseful romance set during the French Revolution While men women
and children fall under the merciless blade of the guillotine one foppish gentleman
alias the Scarlet Pimpernel bravely rescues aristocrats from the jaws of death In the
midst of his rescue he meets and falls passionately in love with Marguerite Frances
most celebrated actress
11
Maranatha Christian Academy Summer Reading Program
Incoming 11th Grade
Book ONE ndash TEACHERrsquoS CHOICE REQUIRED READING
Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom
Tuesdays with Morrie is a true story about sportswriter Mitch Albom and his favorite
college professor Morrie Schwartz Mitch Albom recounts time spent with his 78-year-
old professor who was dying from Lou Gehrigrsquos disease
Book TWO ndash STUDENTrsquoS CHOICE - Choose ONE from the following list
The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman by Earnest J Gaines
Presents the story of the long life of Miss Jane Pittman who began her life as a slave in
the South and who marched for her civil rights in the 20th century at the age of 110
A Christianrsquos Secret to a Happy Life by Hannah Whitall Smith
You may read the original or the updated version of this classic An instant success
when it was first published 100 years ago this volume continues to inspire thousands
with its simple life-changing message of faith and trust in God This all-new edition
includes an index a brief biography and end-of-chapter questions to help you apply
Hannahs insights to your own life
Don Quixote De La Mancha by Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra
The adventures of Don Quixote a common man from La Mancha who has convinced
himself that he is a knight With his portly peasant squire Sancho Panza who
recognizes his masters madness but is nonetheless captivated by promises of kingdoms
and riches Don Quixote mistakes windmills for giants and flocks of sheep for armies
A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway
A volunteer ambulance driver and a beautiful English nurse fall in love when he is
wounded on the Italian front Set during World War I
The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
Although it follows the movement of thousands of men and women and the
transformation of an entire nation The Grapes of Wrath is also the story of one
Oklahoma family the Joads who are driven off their homestead and forced to travel
west to the promised land of California
12
Maranatha Christian Academy Summer Reading Program
Incoming 11th Grade (continued)
Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford
In the opening pages Henry Lee comes upon a crowd gathered outside the Panama
Hotel once the gateway to Seattlersquos Japantown It has been boarded up for decades but
now the new owner has made an incredible discovery the belongings of Japanese
families left when they were rounded up and sent to internment camps during World
War II
The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde
Two young gentlemen living in 1890s England uses the same pseudonym to escape the
dull county life All is fine until they both fall in love with the same woman Suddenly
the comedy of mistaken identities begins in this delightful story
Ivanhoe by Sir Walter Scott
The classic epic of chivalry and courtly love features the disinherited knight Ivanhoe
his fair lady Rowena and such larger-than-life characters as Richard the Lion-Hearted
and Robin Hood This novel of the Crusades chivalry and courtly love not only
recreates history but made history as well
The Last of the Mohicans a Narrative of 1757 by James Fenimore Cooper
This is the tale of a Mohican braves struggle to protect two English girls from an evil
Huron The wild rush of action in this classic frontier adventure story has made The
Last of the Mohicans the most popular of James Fenimore Coopers Leatherstocking
Tales
The Red Badge of Courage an Episode of the American Civil War by Stephen Crane
During his service in the Civil War a young Union soldier matures to manhood and
finds peace of mind as he comes to grips with his conflicting emotions about war
The Taming of the Shrew by William Shakespeare
The marriage of two strong-minded people provides the spark for a comic
confrontation between the sexes The shrew Katharina is so ill-tempered she
seems unlikely to find a husband Her father refuses to let her younger sister marry
until Katherina is off his hands Petruchio appears marries Katharina and tames
her so well that he wins a bet with two other men on a test of their wives obedience
13
Maranatha Christian Academy Summer Reading Program
Incoming 11th Grade (continued)
Walden or Life in the Woods by Henry David Thoreau
This is the one product of Thoreaursquos two-year sojourn at the pondmdashone of the great
classics of American letters Interwoven with accounts of Thoreaursquos daily life (he did
not live as a recluse but received visitors and almost daily walked into Concord) are
meditations on human existence society government and other topics expressed with
clear-headed wisdom and remarkable beauty of style
Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand
On a May afternoon in 1943 an Army Air Forces bomber crashed into the Pacific
Ocean and disappeared leaving only a spray of debris and a slick of oil gasoline and
blood Then on the ocean surface a face appeared It was that of a young lieutenant
the planersquos bombardier who was struggling to a life raft and pulling himself aboard
So began one of the most extraordinary odysseys of the Second World War
14
Maranatha Christian Academy Summer Reading Program
Incoming 12th Grade
Book ONE ndash TEACHERrsquoS CHOICE REQUIRED READING
Animal Farm by George Orwell
A farm is taken over by its overworked mistreated animals With flaming idealism
and stirring slogans they set out to create a paradise of progress justice and equality
Thus the stage is set for one of the most telling satiric fables ever penned
Book TWO ndash STUDENTrsquoS CHOICE - Choose ONE from the following list
Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky
Raskolnikov commits murder He then must deal both with the police and his own
guilty conscience Determined to overreach his humanity and assert his untrammeled
individual will Raskolnikov an impoverished student living in the St Petersburg of the
Tsars commits an act of murder and theft and sets into motion a story which for its
excrutiating suspense its atmospheric vividness and its profundity of characterization
and vision is almost unequaled in the literatures of the world
Cry The Beloved Country by Alan Paton
A Cry the Beloved Country is the deeply moving story of the Zulu pastor Stephen
Kumalo and his son Absalom set against the background of a land and a people riven
by racial injustice Remarkable for its lyricism unforgettable for character and
incident Cry the Beloved Country is a classic work of love and hope courage and
endurance born of the dignity of man
Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad
In this haunting tale Marlow a seaman and wanderer recounts his physical and
psychological journey in search of Kurtz His travels take him to the heart of Africa to
discover how Kurtz has gained his position of power and influence over the local
people
Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare
Imaginative exuberant comedy contrasts two pairs of lovers in a witty and suspenseful
battle of the sexes Filled with suspense clever turns of plot vivacious displays of wit
and charming songs this is one of the Bards most beloved and performed works
Orthodoxy by GK Chesterton
If you think orthodoxy is boring and predictable think again In this timeless classic
G K Chesterton one of the literary giants of the twentieth century presents a logical
and personal reasoning for Christianity in model apologetic form
15
Maranatha Christian Academy Summer Reading Program
Incoming 12th Grade (continued)
Profiles in Courage by John F Kennedy
This is the Pulitzer Prize-winning account of the most admirable of human virtuesmdash
courage Grace under pressure Ernest Hemingway defined it And these are the stories
of the pressures experienced by eight United States Senators and the grace with which
they endured them
A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry
A struggling black family living on Chicagos South Side feels the impact of an
unexpected insurance bequest Each family member sees the bequest as the means of
realizing dreams and of escape from grinding frustrations
The Screwtape Letters by C S Lewis
The book provides a series of lessons in the importance of taking a deliberate role in
living out Christian faith by portraying a typical human life with all its temptations and
failings as seen from the demondevils viewpoint
Tess of the DrsquoUbervilles by Thomas Hardy
Tess DrsquoUrberfield is a luminous beauty who is violated by one man and forsaken by
another but she refuses to remain a victim Her struggle to endure despite the
abandonment of her true love and despite her desperate attempt to attain happiness
propels Tess toward a tragic end
Turn of the Screw [And Other Short Fiction] by Henry James
From the apparitions of evil that haunt the governess in The Turn of the Screw to the
startling self-scrutiny of an egotistical man in The Beast in the Jungle the mysterious
turnings of human behavior are coolly and masterfully observed--proving Henry James
to be a master of psychological insight as well as one of the finest prose stylists of
modern English literature
Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
The story of two generations of the Earnshaw and Linton families as their lives and
fortunes intertwine in a complex web dominated by the passionate relationship
between doomed lovers Heathcliff and Cathy
16
Maranatha Christian Academy Summer Reading Program
PhilosophyRational
Excellence in education requires a literary emphasis Philippians 48 says ldquoFinally brothers and
sisters whatever is true whatever is noble whatever is right whatever is pure whatever is
lovely whatever is admirablemdashif anything is excellent or praiseworthymdashthink about such
thingsrdquo A Christian literature program teaches students to read great literature and to think from
a Christian perspective Our program will promote critical reading and cultivate the habit of
reading with discernment and an awareness of larger contexts and deeper implications The
opportunity to evaluate a characterrsquos motivation behavior and the results of his behavior from a
Christian world view is a unique and valuable experience in Christian education Analytical
questions posed in the discussion of literature will prompt students to apply their knowledge of
Godrsquos laws and also sharpen and refine their own critical thinking skills
Disclaimer
Books for this list were carefully evaluated by comparing recommended lists from various
colleges and universities as well as lists from other Christian schools across the country
Selections were also based on the opinion experience and knowledge of the teachers in the
Maranatha English Department and each book was evaluated according to the Maranatha
Christian world view and mission Books were chosen to represent various reading abilities and
interests As a result you will find a wide range of books on the list
We recommend that parents actively participate in this process The moral tone and lessons
taught by these books are generally positive However some may have a few objectionable
elements that should be addressed in their context
6
Maranatha Christian Academy Summer Reading Program
Incoming 9th Grade
Book ONE ndash TEACHERrsquoS CHOICE REQUIRED READING
The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
What are your dreams What steps will you take to fulfill them Do you have fears
that will hinder you along the way What knowledge will you need What about
wisdom Where should that come from Santiago the main character in this novel
learns lessonsmdashsometimes in unlikely places
Book TWO ndash STUDENTrsquoS CHOICE - Choose ONE from the following list
The Empty Land by Louis LrsquoAmour
Matt Coburn was a decent man and good with a gun He had cleaned up wild boom
towns before but he wanted to finish that chapter of his life However when he rode
through Confusion he felt himself being drawn into the drama unfolding there There
were good men in that town and a few beautiful women too Matt couldnt just turn his
back on them and watch Big Thompson and the others destroy everything with foolish violence
Could he fight the odds and bring the law to Confusion or was this end of the trail for Matt
Coburn
Farewell to Manzanar by Houston Jeanne Wakatsuki and James D Houston
In the morning of December 7 1941 Jeanne Wakatsuki says farewell to Paparsquos sardine
fleet at San Pedro Harbor in California But soon the boats return and news reaches the
family that the Japanese have bombed Pearl Harbor in Hawaii Papa burns his Japanese
flag and identity papers but is arrested by the FBI Mama moves the family to the
Japanese ghetto on Terminal Island and then to Boyle Heights in Los Angeles
The Giver by Lois Lowry
In a world with no poverty no crime no sickness and no unemployment and where
every family is happy 12-year-old Jonas is chosen to be the communitys Receiver of
Memories Under the tutelage of the Elders and an old man known as the Giver he
discovers the disturbing truth about his utopian world and struggles against the weight
of its hypocrisy Lowry examines the idea that people might freely choose to give up
their humanity in order to create a more stable society Gradually Jonas learns just how costly
this ordered and pain-free society can be and boldly decides he cannot pay the price
Great Expectations by Charles Dickens
When a mysterious benefactor comes along Pip begins the transformation from a
blacksmiths son to society gentleman of great expectations
7
Maranatha Christian Academy Summer Reading Program
Incoming 9th Grade (continued)
The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros
The House on Mango Street is the coming of age story of Esperanza Cordero a
preadolescent Mexican American girl (Chicana) living in the contemporary United
States In deceptively simple language the novel recounts the complex experience of
being young poor female and Chicana in America
In His Steps by Charles Sheldon
In His Steps was the first to ask What would Jesus do and quickly became one of the
best-selling books of all times I want volunteers from First Church who will pledge
themselves earnestly and honestly for an entire year not to do anything without first
asking the question What would Jesus do
The Light in the Forest by Conrad Richter
As part of an agreement to keep peace whites are insisting that captives who have been
living with the Indians be returned to their white settlements True Son fifteen years old
has lived with the Delaware tribe since being captured as a baby
The Outsiders by SE Hinton
A coming-of-age novel The Outsiders is the struggle of three brothers to stay together
after their parents death and their quest for identity among the conflicting values of their
adolescent society The book follows two rival groups the Greasers and the Socs who
are divided by their socioeconomic status
The Prince and the Pauper a Tale for Young People of All Ages by Mark Twain
In sixteenth-century England young Prince Edward (son of Henry VIII) and a pauper
boy who looks exactly like him are suddenly forced to change places The prince
endures rags amp hardships while the pauper suffers the horrible miseries of
princedomrdquo
The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas
Three great swordsmen Porthos Aramis Anthos with their protege DArtagnan
match wits with the sinister Cardinal Richelieu who seeks to divide the royalty in his
own quest for power
8
Maranatha Christian Academy Summer Reading Program
Incoming 9th Grade (continued)
The Time Machine an Invention by H G Wells
Desperate to alter the course of time a visionary scientist invents a revolutionary
machine that propels him 800000 years into the future There he discovers that humans
have evolved into two groups the hunters and the hunted Now he must fight to save
himself and all of mankind in a final desperate battle
Walk to Remember by Nicholas Sparks
Fifty-seven-year-old Landon Carter narrates the novel reflecting on events from 40
years in the past The novel opens as the older Landon living in the same North
Carolina town as he did at the age of 17 remembers his 17-year-old self The story
begins in 1958 and is Landon tells us both joyful and sad
9
Maranatha Christian Academy Summer Reading Program
Incoming 10th Grade
Book ONE ndash TEACHERrsquoS CHOICE REQUIRED READING
Night by Elie Wiesel
This is an account of the Nazi death camp horror that turns a young Jewish boy into an
agonized witness to the death of his familyhellipthe death of his innocence Penetrating
and powerful as personal as The Diary of Anne Frank Night awakens the shocking
memory of evil at its absolute and carries with it the unforgettable message that this
horror must never be allowed to happen again
Book TWO ndash STUDENTrsquoS CHOICE Choose ONE from the following list
All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque
A group of young World War I German recruits pass from idealism to disillusionment
with war he book and its sequel The Road Back were among the books banned and
burned in Nazi Germany
Around the World in Eighty Days by Jules Verne
In 1872 English gentleman Phileas Fogg has many adventures as he tries to win a bet
that he can travel around the world in eighty days
Ben-Hur a Tale of the Christ by Lew Wallace
A peace-loving prince of Judea leads his nation against the wrath of the conquering
Romans His self-imposed destiny brings tragedy to himself and his people as he
learns to fight to love to hate and finally to forgive
The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas
An innocent man Edmond Dantes is imprisoned for years on a godforsaken island
while the friend who betrayed him takes Dantes ravishing fianceacute for himself Dantes
eventually escapes recovers a fortune in buried pirate treasure transforms himself into
the mysterious Count of Monte Cristo and methodically goes about exacting his
revenge
Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens
Oliver Twist is an orphan forced to practice thievery and live a life of crime in
nineteenth-century London
10
Maranatha Christian Academy Summer Reading Program
Incoming 10th Grade (continued)
Rocket Boys by Homer Hickam
In 1957 NASA Engineer Homer Hickam Jr is a high school student in Coalwood
West Virginia when the Soviet Union launches Sputnik the first man-made satellite
While most of his friends and neighbors react with fear or distrust Homer is instantly
fascinated and begins studying everything he can find on jet and rocket design
Silas Marner the Weaver of Raveloe by George Eliot
A young linen weavers dreams are destroyed when he is falsely accused of a crime
Isolating himself he becomes a selfish despondent miser until he adopts an abandoned
child
The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson
A kind and well-respected doctor is transformed into a murderous madman by taking a
secret drug of his own creation
The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Emmuska Orczy
A twisted suspenseful romance set during the French Revolution While men women
and children fall under the merciless blade of the guillotine one foppish gentleman
alias the Scarlet Pimpernel bravely rescues aristocrats from the jaws of death In the
midst of his rescue he meets and falls passionately in love with Marguerite Frances
most celebrated actress
11
Maranatha Christian Academy Summer Reading Program
Incoming 11th Grade
Book ONE ndash TEACHERrsquoS CHOICE REQUIRED READING
Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom
Tuesdays with Morrie is a true story about sportswriter Mitch Albom and his favorite
college professor Morrie Schwartz Mitch Albom recounts time spent with his 78-year-
old professor who was dying from Lou Gehrigrsquos disease
Book TWO ndash STUDENTrsquoS CHOICE - Choose ONE from the following list
The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman by Earnest J Gaines
Presents the story of the long life of Miss Jane Pittman who began her life as a slave in
the South and who marched for her civil rights in the 20th century at the age of 110
A Christianrsquos Secret to a Happy Life by Hannah Whitall Smith
You may read the original or the updated version of this classic An instant success
when it was first published 100 years ago this volume continues to inspire thousands
with its simple life-changing message of faith and trust in God This all-new edition
includes an index a brief biography and end-of-chapter questions to help you apply
Hannahs insights to your own life
Don Quixote De La Mancha by Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra
The adventures of Don Quixote a common man from La Mancha who has convinced
himself that he is a knight With his portly peasant squire Sancho Panza who
recognizes his masters madness but is nonetheless captivated by promises of kingdoms
and riches Don Quixote mistakes windmills for giants and flocks of sheep for armies
A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway
A volunteer ambulance driver and a beautiful English nurse fall in love when he is
wounded on the Italian front Set during World War I
The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
Although it follows the movement of thousands of men and women and the
transformation of an entire nation The Grapes of Wrath is also the story of one
Oklahoma family the Joads who are driven off their homestead and forced to travel
west to the promised land of California
12
Maranatha Christian Academy Summer Reading Program
Incoming 11th Grade (continued)
Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford
In the opening pages Henry Lee comes upon a crowd gathered outside the Panama
Hotel once the gateway to Seattlersquos Japantown It has been boarded up for decades but
now the new owner has made an incredible discovery the belongings of Japanese
families left when they were rounded up and sent to internment camps during World
War II
The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde
Two young gentlemen living in 1890s England uses the same pseudonym to escape the
dull county life All is fine until they both fall in love with the same woman Suddenly
the comedy of mistaken identities begins in this delightful story
Ivanhoe by Sir Walter Scott
The classic epic of chivalry and courtly love features the disinherited knight Ivanhoe
his fair lady Rowena and such larger-than-life characters as Richard the Lion-Hearted
and Robin Hood This novel of the Crusades chivalry and courtly love not only
recreates history but made history as well
The Last of the Mohicans a Narrative of 1757 by James Fenimore Cooper
This is the tale of a Mohican braves struggle to protect two English girls from an evil
Huron The wild rush of action in this classic frontier adventure story has made The
Last of the Mohicans the most popular of James Fenimore Coopers Leatherstocking
Tales
The Red Badge of Courage an Episode of the American Civil War by Stephen Crane
During his service in the Civil War a young Union soldier matures to manhood and
finds peace of mind as he comes to grips with his conflicting emotions about war
The Taming of the Shrew by William Shakespeare
The marriage of two strong-minded people provides the spark for a comic
confrontation between the sexes The shrew Katharina is so ill-tempered she
seems unlikely to find a husband Her father refuses to let her younger sister marry
until Katherina is off his hands Petruchio appears marries Katharina and tames
her so well that he wins a bet with two other men on a test of their wives obedience
13
Maranatha Christian Academy Summer Reading Program
Incoming 11th Grade (continued)
Walden or Life in the Woods by Henry David Thoreau
This is the one product of Thoreaursquos two-year sojourn at the pondmdashone of the great
classics of American letters Interwoven with accounts of Thoreaursquos daily life (he did
not live as a recluse but received visitors and almost daily walked into Concord) are
meditations on human existence society government and other topics expressed with
clear-headed wisdom and remarkable beauty of style
Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand
On a May afternoon in 1943 an Army Air Forces bomber crashed into the Pacific
Ocean and disappeared leaving only a spray of debris and a slick of oil gasoline and
blood Then on the ocean surface a face appeared It was that of a young lieutenant
the planersquos bombardier who was struggling to a life raft and pulling himself aboard
So began one of the most extraordinary odysseys of the Second World War
14
Maranatha Christian Academy Summer Reading Program
Incoming 12th Grade
Book ONE ndash TEACHERrsquoS CHOICE REQUIRED READING
Animal Farm by George Orwell
A farm is taken over by its overworked mistreated animals With flaming idealism
and stirring slogans they set out to create a paradise of progress justice and equality
Thus the stage is set for one of the most telling satiric fables ever penned
Book TWO ndash STUDENTrsquoS CHOICE - Choose ONE from the following list
Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky
Raskolnikov commits murder He then must deal both with the police and his own
guilty conscience Determined to overreach his humanity and assert his untrammeled
individual will Raskolnikov an impoverished student living in the St Petersburg of the
Tsars commits an act of murder and theft and sets into motion a story which for its
excrutiating suspense its atmospheric vividness and its profundity of characterization
and vision is almost unequaled in the literatures of the world
Cry The Beloved Country by Alan Paton
A Cry the Beloved Country is the deeply moving story of the Zulu pastor Stephen
Kumalo and his son Absalom set against the background of a land and a people riven
by racial injustice Remarkable for its lyricism unforgettable for character and
incident Cry the Beloved Country is a classic work of love and hope courage and
endurance born of the dignity of man
Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad
In this haunting tale Marlow a seaman and wanderer recounts his physical and
psychological journey in search of Kurtz His travels take him to the heart of Africa to
discover how Kurtz has gained his position of power and influence over the local
people
Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare
Imaginative exuberant comedy contrasts two pairs of lovers in a witty and suspenseful
battle of the sexes Filled with suspense clever turns of plot vivacious displays of wit
and charming songs this is one of the Bards most beloved and performed works
Orthodoxy by GK Chesterton
If you think orthodoxy is boring and predictable think again In this timeless classic
G K Chesterton one of the literary giants of the twentieth century presents a logical
and personal reasoning for Christianity in model apologetic form
15
Maranatha Christian Academy Summer Reading Program
Incoming 12th Grade (continued)
Profiles in Courage by John F Kennedy
This is the Pulitzer Prize-winning account of the most admirable of human virtuesmdash
courage Grace under pressure Ernest Hemingway defined it And these are the stories
of the pressures experienced by eight United States Senators and the grace with which
they endured them
A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry
A struggling black family living on Chicagos South Side feels the impact of an
unexpected insurance bequest Each family member sees the bequest as the means of
realizing dreams and of escape from grinding frustrations
The Screwtape Letters by C S Lewis
The book provides a series of lessons in the importance of taking a deliberate role in
living out Christian faith by portraying a typical human life with all its temptations and
failings as seen from the demondevils viewpoint
Tess of the DrsquoUbervilles by Thomas Hardy
Tess DrsquoUrberfield is a luminous beauty who is violated by one man and forsaken by
another but she refuses to remain a victim Her struggle to endure despite the
abandonment of her true love and despite her desperate attempt to attain happiness
propels Tess toward a tragic end
Turn of the Screw [And Other Short Fiction] by Henry James
From the apparitions of evil that haunt the governess in The Turn of the Screw to the
startling self-scrutiny of an egotistical man in The Beast in the Jungle the mysterious
turnings of human behavior are coolly and masterfully observed--proving Henry James
to be a master of psychological insight as well as one of the finest prose stylists of
modern English literature
Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
The story of two generations of the Earnshaw and Linton families as their lives and
fortunes intertwine in a complex web dominated by the passionate relationship
between doomed lovers Heathcliff and Cathy
16
Maranatha Christian Academy Summer Reading Program
PhilosophyRational
Excellence in education requires a literary emphasis Philippians 48 says ldquoFinally brothers and
sisters whatever is true whatever is noble whatever is right whatever is pure whatever is
lovely whatever is admirablemdashif anything is excellent or praiseworthymdashthink about such
thingsrdquo A Christian literature program teaches students to read great literature and to think from
a Christian perspective Our program will promote critical reading and cultivate the habit of
reading with discernment and an awareness of larger contexts and deeper implications The
opportunity to evaluate a characterrsquos motivation behavior and the results of his behavior from a
Christian world view is a unique and valuable experience in Christian education Analytical
questions posed in the discussion of literature will prompt students to apply their knowledge of
Godrsquos laws and also sharpen and refine their own critical thinking skills
Disclaimer
Books for this list were carefully evaluated by comparing recommended lists from various
colleges and universities as well as lists from other Christian schools across the country
Selections were also based on the opinion experience and knowledge of the teachers in the
Maranatha English Department and each book was evaluated according to the Maranatha
Christian world view and mission Books were chosen to represent various reading abilities and
interests As a result you will find a wide range of books on the list
We recommend that parents actively participate in this process The moral tone and lessons
taught by these books are generally positive However some may have a few objectionable
elements that should be addressed in their context
7
Maranatha Christian Academy Summer Reading Program
Incoming 9th Grade (continued)
The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros
The House on Mango Street is the coming of age story of Esperanza Cordero a
preadolescent Mexican American girl (Chicana) living in the contemporary United
States In deceptively simple language the novel recounts the complex experience of
being young poor female and Chicana in America
In His Steps by Charles Sheldon
In His Steps was the first to ask What would Jesus do and quickly became one of the
best-selling books of all times I want volunteers from First Church who will pledge
themselves earnestly and honestly for an entire year not to do anything without first
asking the question What would Jesus do
The Light in the Forest by Conrad Richter
As part of an agreement to keep peace whites are insisting that captives who have been
living with the Indians be returned to their white settlements True Son fifteen years old
has lived with the Delaware tribe since being captured as a baby
The Outsiders by SE Hinton
A coming-of-age novel The Outsiders is the struggle of three brothers to stay together
after their parents death and their quest for identity among the conflicting values of their
adolescent society The book follows two rival groups the Greasers and the Socs who
are divided by their socioeconomic status
The Prince and the Pauper a Tale for Young People of All Ages by Mark Twain
In sixteenth-century England young Prince Edward (son of Henry VIII) and a pauper
boy who looks exactly like him are suddenly forced to change places The prince
endures rags amp hardships while the pauper suffers the horrible miseries of
princedomrdquo
The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas
Three great swordsmen Porthos Aramis Anthos with their protege DArtagnan
match wits with the sinister Cardinal Richelieu who seeks to divide the royalty in his
own quest for power
8
Maranatha Christian Academy Summer Reading Program
Incoming 9th Grade (continued)
The Time Machine an Invention by H G Wells
Desperate to alter the course of time a visionary scientist invents a revolutionary
machine that propels him 800000 years into the future There he discovers that humans
have evolved into two groups the hunters and the hunted Now he must fight to save
himself and all of mankind in a final desperate battle
Walk to Remember by Nicholas Sparks
Fifty-seven-year-old Landon Carter narrates the novel reflecting on events from 40
years in the past The novel opens as the older Landon living in the same North
Carolina town as he did at the age of 17 remembers his 17-year-old self The story
begins in 1958 and is Landon tells us both joyful and sad
9
Maranatha Christian Academy Summer Reading Program
Incoming 10th Grade
Book ONE ndash TEACHERrsquoS CHOICE REQUIRED READING
Night by Elie Wiesel
This is an account of the Nazi death camp horror that turns a young Jewish boy into an
agonized witness to the death of his familyhellipthe death of his innocence Penetrating
and powerful as personal as The Diary of Anne Frank Night awakens the shocking
memory of evil at its absolute and carries with it the unforgettable message that this
horror must never be allowed to happen again
Book TWO ndash STUDENTrsquoS CHOICE Choose ONE from the following list
All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque
A group of young World War I German recruits pass from idealism to disillusionment
with war he book and its sequel The Road Back were among the books banned and
burned in Nazi Germany
Around the World in Eighty Days by Jules Verne
In 1872 English gentleman Phileas Fogg has many adventures as he tries to win a bet
that he can travel around the world in eighty days
Ben-Hur a Tale of the Christ by Lew Wallace
A peace-loving prince of Judea leads his nation against the wrath of the conquering
Romans His self-imposed destiny brings tragedy to himself and his people as he
learns to fight to love to hate and finally to forgive
The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas
An innocent man Edmond Dantes is imprisoned for years on a godforsaken island
while the friend who betrayed him takes Dantes ravishing fianceacute for himself Dantes
eventually escapes recovers a fortune in buried pirate treasure transforms himself into
the mysterious Count of Monte Cristo and methodically goes about exacting his
revenge
Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens
Oliver Twist is an orphan forced to practice thievery and live a life of crime in
nineteenth-century London
10
Maranatha Christian Academy Summer Reading Program
Incoming 10th Grade (continued)
Rocket Boys by Homer Hickam
In 1957 NASA Engineer Homer Hickam Jr is a high school student in Coalwood
West Virginia when the Soviet Union launches Sputnik the first man-made satellite
While most of his friends and neighbors react with fear or distrust Homer is instantly
fascinated and begins studying everything he can find on jet and rocket design
Silas Marner the Weaver of Raveloe by George Eliot
A young linen weavers dreams are destroyed when he is falsely accused of a crime
Isolating himself he becomes a selfish despondent miser until he adopts an abandoned
child
The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson
A kind and well-respected doctor is transformed into a murderous madman by taking a
secret drug of his own creation
The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Emmuska Orczy
A twisted suspenseful romance set during the French Revolution While men women
and children fall under the merciless blade of the guillotine one foppish gentleman
alias the Scarlet Pimpernel bravely rescues aristocrats from the jaws of death In the
midst of his rescue he meets and falls passionately in love with Marguerite Frances
most celebrated actress
11
Maranatha Christian Academy Summer Reading Program
Incoming 11th Grade
Book ONE ndash TEACHERrsquoS CHOICE REQUIRED READING
Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom
Tuesdays with Morrie is a true story about sportswriter Mitch Albom and his favorite
college professor Morrie Schwartz Mitch Albom recounts time spent with his 78-year-
old professor who was dying from Lou Gehrigrsquos disease
Book TWO ndash STUDENTrsquoS CHOICE - Choose ONE from the following list
The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman by Earnest J Gaines
Presents the story of the long life of Miss Jane Pittman who began her life as a slave in
the South and who marched for her civil rights in the 20th century at the age of 110
A Christianrsquos Secret to a Happy Life by Hannah Whitall Smith
You may read the original or the updated version of this classic An instant success
when it was first published 100 years ago this volume continues to inspire thousands
with its simple life-changing message of faith and trust in God This all-new edition
includes an index a brief biography and end-of-chapter questions to help you apply
Hannahs insights to your own life
Don Quixote De La Mancha by Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra
The adventures of Don Quixote a common man from La Mancha who has convinced
himself that he is a knight With his portly peasant squire Sancho Panza who
recognizes his masters madness but is nonetheless captivated by promises of kingdoms
and riches Don Quixote mistakes windmills for giants and flocks of sheep for armies
A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway
A volunteer ambulance driver and a beautiful English nurse fall in love when he is
wounded on the Italian front Set during World War I
The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
Although it follows the movement of thousands of men and women and the
transformation of an entire nation The Grapes of Wrath is also the story of one
Oklahoma family the Joads who are driven off their homestead and forced to travel
west to the promised land of California
12
Maranatha Christian Academy Summer Reading Program
Incoming 11th Grade (continued)
Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford
In the opening pages Henry Lee comes upon a crowd gathered outside the Panama
Hotel once the gateway to Seattlersquos Japantown It has been boarded up for decades but
now the new owner has made an incredible discovery the belongings of Japanese
families left when they were rounded up and sent to internment camps during World
War II
The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde
Two young gentlemen living in 1890s England uses the same pseudonym to escape the
dull county life All is fine until they both fall in love with the same woman Suddenly
the comedy of mistaken identities begins in this delightful story
Ivanhoe by Sir Walter Scott
The classic epic of chivalry and courtly love features the disinherited knight Ivanhoe
his fair lady Rowena and such larger-than-life characters as Richard the Lion-Hearted
and Robin Hood This novel of the Crusades chivalry and courtly love not only
recreates history but made history as well
The Last of the Mohicans a Narrative of 1757 by James Fenimore Cooper
This is the tale of a Mohican braves struggle to protect two English girls from an evil
Huron The wild rush of action in this classic frontier adventure story has made The
Last of the Mohicans the most popular of James Fenimore Coopers Leatherstocking
Tales
The Red Badge of Courage an Episode of the American Civil War by Stephen Crane
During his service in the Civil War a young Union soldier matures to manhood and
finds peace of mind as he comes to grips with his conflicting emotions about war
The Taming of the Shrew by William Shakespeare
The marriage of two strong-minded people provides the spark for a comic
confrontation between the sexes The shrew Katharina is so ill-tempered she
seems unlikely to find a husband Her father refuses to let her younger sister marry
until Katherina is off his hands Petruchio appears marries Katharina and tames
her so well that he wins a bet with two other men on a test of their wives obedience
13
Maranatha Christian Academy Summer Reading Program
Incoming 11th Grade (continued)
Walden or Life in the Woods by Henry David Thoreau
This is the one product of Thoreaursquos two-year sojourn at the pondmdashone of the great
classics of American letters Interwoven with accounts of Thoreaursquos daily life (he did
not live as a recluse but received visitors and almost daily walked into Concord) are
meditations on human existence society government and other topics expressed with
clear-headed wisdom and remarkable beauty of style
Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand
On a May afternoon in 1943 an Army Air Forces bomber crashed into the Pacific
Ocean and disappeared leaving only a spray of debris and a slick of oil gasoline and
blood Then on the ocean surface a face appeared It was that of a young lieutenant
the planersquos bombardier who was struggling to a life raft and pulling himself aboard
So began one of the most extraordinary odysseys of the Second World War
14
Maranatha Christian Academy Summer Reading Program
Incoming 12th Grade
Book ONE ndash TEACHERrsquoS CHOICE REQUIRED READING
Animal Farm by George Orwell
A farm is taken over by its overworked mistreated animals With flaming idealism
and stirring slogans they set out to create a paradise of progress justice and equality
Thus the stage is set for one of the most telling satiric fables ever penned
Book TWO ndash STUDENTrsquoS CHOICE - Choose ONE from the following list
Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky
Raskolnikov commits murder He then must deal both with the police and his own
guilty conscience Determined to overreach his humanity and assert his untrammeled
individual will Raskolnikov an impoverished student living in the St Petersburg of the
Tsars commits an act of murder and theft and sets into motion a story which for its
excrutiating suspense its atmospheric vividness and its profundity of characterization
and vision is almost unequaled in the literatures of the world
Cry The Beloved Country by Alan Paton
A Cry the Beloved Country is the deeply moving story of the Zulu pastor Stephen
Kumalo and his son Absalom set against the background of a land and a people riven
by racial injustice Remarkable for its lyricism unforgettable for character and
incident Cry the Beloved Country is a classic work of love and hope courage and
endurance born of the dignity of man
Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad
In this haunting tale Marlow a seaman and wanderer recounts his physical and
psychological journey in search of Kurtz His travels take him to the heart of Africa to
discover how Kurtz has gained his position of power and influence over the local
people
Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare
Imaginative exuberant comedy contrasts two pairs of lovers in a witty and suspenseful
battle of the sexes Filled with suspense clever turns of plot vivacious displays of wit
and charming songs this is one of the Bards most beloved and performed works
Orthodoxy by GK Chesterton
If you think orthodoxy is boring and predictable think again In this timeless classic
G K Chesterton one of the literary giants of the twentieth century presents a logical
and personal reasoning for Christianity in model apologetic form
15
Maranatha Christian Academy Summer Reading Program
Incoming 12th Grade (continued)
Profiles in Courage by John F Kennedy
This is the Pulitzer Prize-winning account of the most admirable of human virtuesmdash
courage Grace under pressure Ernest Hemingway defined it And these are the stories
of the pressures experienced by eight United States Senators and the grace with which
they endured them
A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry
A struggling black family living on Chicagos South Side feels the impact of an
unexpected insurance bequest Each family member sees the bequest as the means of
realizing dreams and of escape from grinding frustrations
The Screwtape Letters by C S Lewis
The book provides a series of lessons in the importance of taking a deliberate role in
living out Christian faith by portraying a typical human life with all its temptations and
failings as seen from the demondevils viewpoint
Tess of the DrsquoUbervilles by Thomas Hardy
Tess DrsquoUrberfield is a luminous beauty who is violated by one man and forsaken by
another but she refuses to remain a victim Her struggle to endure despite the
abandonment of her true love and despite her desperate attempt to attain happiness
propels Tess toward a tragic end
Turn of the Screw [And Other Short Fiction] by Henry James
From the apparitions of evil that haunt the governess in The Turn of the Screw to the
startling self-scrutiny of an egotistical man in The Beast in the Jungle the mysterious
turnings of human behavior are coolly and masterfully observed--proving Henry James
to be a master of psychological insight as well as one of the finest prose stylists of
modern English literature
Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
The story of two generations of the Earnshaw and Linton families as their lives and
fortunes intertwine in a complex web dominated by the passionate relationship
between doomed lovers Heathcliff and Cathy
16
Maranatha Christian Academy Summer Reading Program
PhilosophyRational
Excellence in education requires a literary emphasis Philippians 48 says ldquoFinally brothers and
sisters whatever is true whatever is noble whatever is right whatever is pure whatever is
lovely whatever is admirablemdashif anything is excellent or praiseworthymdashthink about such
thingsrdquo A Christian literature program teaches students to read great literature and to think from
a Christian perspective Our program will promote critical reading and cultivate the habit of
reading with discernment and an awareness of larger contexts and deeper implications The
opportunity to evaluate a characterrsquos motivation behavior and the results of his behavior from a
Christian world view is a unique and valuable experience in Christian education Analytical
questions posed in the discussion of literature will prompt students to apply their knowledge of
Godrsquos laws and also sharpen and refine their own critical thinking skills
Disclaimer
Books for this list were carefully evaluated by comparing recommended lists from various
colleges and universities as well as lists from other Christian schools across the country
Selections were also based on the opinion experience and knowledge of the teachers in the
Maranatha English Department and each book was evaluated according to the Maranatha
Christian world view and mission Books were chosen to represent various reading abilities and
interests As a result you will find a wide range of books on the list
We recommend that parents actively participate in this process The moral tone and lessons
taught by these books are generally positive However some may have a few objectionable
elements that should be addressed in their context
8
Maranatha Christian Academy Summer Reading Program
Incoming 9th Grade (continued)
The Time Machine an Invention by H G Wells
Desperate to alter the course of time a visionary scientist invents a revolutionary
machine that propels him 800000 years into the future There he discovers that humans
have evolved into two groups the hunters and the hunted Now he must fight to save
himself and all of mankind in a final desperate battle
Walk to Remember by Nicholas Sparks
Fifty-seven-year-old Landon Carter narrates the novel reflecting on events from 40
years in the past The novel opens as the older Landon living in the same North
Carolina town as he did at the age of 17 remembers his 17-year-old self The story
begins in 1958 and is Landon tells us both joyful and sad
9
Maranatha Christian Academy Summer Reading Program
Incoming 10th Grade
Book ONE ndash TEACHERrsquoS CHOICE REQUIRED READING
Night by Elie Wiesel
This is an account of the Nazi death camp horror that turns a young Jewish boy into an
agonized witness to the death of his familyhellipthe death of his innocence Penetrating
and powerful as personal as The Diary of Anne Frank Night awakens the shocking
memory of evil at its absolute and carries with it the unforgettable message that this
horror must never be allowed to happen again
Book TWO ndash STUDENTrsquoS CHOICE Choose ONE from the following list
All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque
A group of young World War I German recruits pass from idealism to disillusionment
with war he book and its sequel The Road Back were among the books banned and
burned in Nazi Germany
Around the World in Eighty Days by Jules Verne
In 1872 English gentleman Phileas Fogg has many adventures as he tries to win a bet
that he can travel around the world in eighty days
Ben-Hur a Tale of the Christ by Lew Wallace
A peace-loving prince of Judea leads his nation against the wrath of the conquering
Romans His self-imposed destiny brings tragedy to himself and his people as he
learns to fight to love to hate and finally to forgive
The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas
An innocent man Edmond Dantes is imprisoned for years on a godforsaken island
while the friend who betrayed him takes Dantes ravishing fianceacute for himself Dantes
eventually escapes recovers a fortune in buried pirate treasure transforms himself into
the mysterious Count of Monte Cristo and methodically goes about exacting his
revenge
Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens
Oliver Twist is an orphan forced to practice thievery and live a life of crime in
nineteenth-century London
10
Maranatha Christian Academy Summer Reading Program
Incoming 10th Grade (continued)
Rocket Boys by Homer Hickam
In 1957 NASA Engineer Homer Hickam Jr is a high school student in Coalwood
West Virginia when the Soviet Union launches Sputnik the first man-made satellite
While most of his friends and neighbors react with fear or distrust Homer is instantly
fascinated and begins studying everything he can find on jet and rocket design
Silas Marner the Weaver of Raveloe by George Eliot
A young linen weavers dreams are destroyed when he is falsely accused of a crime
Isolating himself he becomes a selfish despondent miser until he adopts an abandoned
child
The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson
A kind and well-respected doctor is transformed into a murderous madman by taking a
secret drug of his own creation
The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Emmuska Orczy
A twisted suspenseful romance set during the French Revolution While men women
and children fall under the merciless blade of the guillotine one foppish gentleman
alias the Scarlet Pimpernel bravely rescues aristocrats from the jaws of death In the
midst of his rescue he meets and falls passionately in love with Marguerite Frances
most celebrated actress
11
Maranatha Christian Academy Summer Reading Program
Incoming 11th Grade
Book ONE ndash TEACHERrsquoS CHOICE REQUIRED READING
Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom
Tuesdays with Morrie is a true story about sportswriter Mitch Albom and his favorite
college professor Morrie Schwartz Mitch Albom recounts time spent with his 78-year-
old professor who was dying from Lou Gehrigrsquos disease
Book TWO ndash STUDENTrsquoS CHOICE - Choose ONE from the following list
The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman by Earnest J Gaines
Presents the story of the long life of Miss Jane Pittman who began her life as a slave in
the South and who marched for her civil rights in the 20th century at the age of 110
A Christianrsquos Secret to a Happy Life by Hannah Whitall Smith
You may read the original or the updated version of this classic An instant success
when it was first published 100 years ago this volume continues to inspire thousands
with its simple life-changing message of faith and trust in God This all-new edition
includes an index a brief biography and end-of-chapter questions to help you apply
Hannahs insights to your own life
Don Quixote De La Mancha by Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra
The adventures of Don Quixote a common man from La Mancha who has convinced
himself that he is a knight With his portly peasant squire Sancho Panza who
recognizes his masters madness but is nonetheless captivated by promises of kingdoms
and riches Don Quixote mistakes windmills for giants and flocks of sheep for armies
A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway
A volunteer ambulance driver and a beautiful English nurse fall in love when he is
wounded on the Italian front Set during World War I
The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
Although it follows the movement of thousands of men and women and the
transformation of an entire nation The Grapes of Wrath is also the story of one
Oklahoma family the Joads who are driven off their homestead and forced to travel
west to the promised land of California
12
Maranatha Christian Academy Summer Reading Program
Incoming 11th Grade (continued)
Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford
In the opening pages Henry Lee comes upon a crowd gathered outside the Panama
Hotel once the gateway to Seattlersquos Japantown It has been boarded up for decades but
now the new owner has made an incredible discovery the belongings of Japanese
families left when they were rounded up and sent to internment camps during World
War II
The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde
Two young gentlemen living in 1890s England uses the same pseudonym to escape the
dull county life All is fine until they both fall in love with the same woman Suddenly
the comedy of mistaken identities begins in this delightful story
Ivanhoe by Sir Walter Scott
The classic epic of chivalry and courtly love features the disinherited knight Ivanhoe
his fair lady Rowena and such larger-than-life characters as Richard the Lion-Hearted
and Robin Hood This novel of the Crusades chivalry and courtly love not only
recreates history but made history as well
The Last of the Mohicans a Narrative of 1757 by James Fenimore Cooper
This is the tale of a Mohican braves struggle to protect two English girls from an evil
Huron The wild rush of action in this classic frontier adventure story has made The
Last of the Mohicans the most popular of James Fenimore Coopers Leatherstocking
Tales
The Red Badge of Courage an Episode of the American Civil War by Stephen Crane
During his service in the Civil War a young Union soldier matures to manhood and
finds peace of mind as he comes to grips with his conflicting emotions about war
The Taming of the Shrew by William Shakespeare
The marriage of two strong-minded people provides the spark for a comic
confrontation between the sexes The shrew Katharina is so ill-tempered she
seems unlikely to find a husband Her father refuses to let her younger sister marry
until Katherina is off his hands Petruchio appears marries Katharina and tames
her so well that he wins a bet with two other men on a test of their wives obedience
13
Maranatha Christian Academy Summer Reading Program
Incoming 11th Grade (continued)
Walden or Life in the Woods by Henry David Thoreau
This is the one product of Thoreaursquos two-year sojourn at the pondmdashone of the great
classics of American letters Interwoven with accounts of Thoreaursquos daily life (he did
not live as a recluse but received visitors and almost daily walked into Concord) are
meditations on human existence society government and other topics expressed with
clear-headed wisdom and remarkable beauty of style
Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand
On a May afternoon in 1943 an Army Air Forces bomber crashed into the Pacific
Ocean and disappeared leaving only a spray of debris and a slick of oil gasoline and
blood Then on the ocean surface a face appeared It was that of a young lieutenant
the planersquos bombardier who was struggling to a life raft and pulling himself aboard
So began one of the most extraordinary odysseys of the Second World War
14
Maranatha Christian Academy Summer Reading Program
Incoming 12th Grade
Book ONE ndash TEACHERrsquoS CHOICE REQUIRED READING
Animal Farm by George Orwell
A farm is taken over by its overworked mistreated animals With flaming idealism
and stirring slogans they set out to create a paradise of progress justice and equality
Thus the stage is set for one of the most telling satiric fables ever penned
Book TWO ndash STUDENTrsquoS CHOICE - Choose ONE from the following list
Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky
Raskolnikov commits murder He then must deal both with the police and his own
guilty conscience Determined to overreach his humanity and assert his untrammeled
individual will Raskolnikov an impoverished student living in the St Petersburg of the
Tsars commits an act of murder and theft and sets into motion a story which for its
excrutiating suspense its atmospheric vividness and its profundity of characterization
and vision is almost unequaled in the literatures of the world
Cry The Beloved Country by Alan Paton
A Cry the Beloved Country is the deeply moving story of the Zulu pastor Stephen
Kumalo and his son Absalom set against the background of a land and a people riven
by racial injustice Remarkable for its lyricism unforgettable for character and
incident Cry the Beloved Country is a classic work of love and hope courage and
endurance born of the dignity of man
Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad
In this haunting tale Marlow a seaman and wanderer recounts his physical and
psychological journey in search of Kurtz His travels take him to the heart of Africa to
discover how Kurtz has gained his position of power and influence over the local
people
Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare
Imaginative exuberant comedy contrasts two pairs of lovers in a witty and suspenseful
battle of the sexes Filled with suspense clever turns of plot vivacious displays of wit
and charming songs this is one of the Bards most beloved and performed works
Orthodoxy by GK Chesterton
If you think orthodoxy is boring and predictable think again In this timeless classic
G K Chesterton one of the literary giants of the twentieth century presents a logical
and personal reasoning for Christianity in model apologetic form
15
Maranatha Christian Academy Summer Reading Program
Incoming 12th Grade (continued)
Profiles in Courage by John F Kennedy
This is the Pulitzer Prize-winning account of the most admirable of human virtuesmdash
courage Grace under pressure Ernest Hemingway defined it And these are the stories
of the pressures experienced by eight United States Senators and the grace with which
they endured them
A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry
A struggling black family living on Chicagos South Side feels the impact of an
unexpected insurance bequest Each family member sees the bequest as the means of
realizing dreams and of escape from grinding frustrations
The Screwtape Letters by C S Lewis
The book provides a series of lessons in the importance of taking a deliberate role in
living out Christian faith by portraying a typical human life with all its temptations and
failings as seen from the demondevils viewpoint
Tess of the DrsquoUbervilles by Thomas Hardy
Tess DrsquoUrberfield is a luminous beauty who is violated by one man and forsaken by
another but she refuses to remain a victim Her struggle to endure despite the
abandonment of her true love and despite her desperate attempt to attain happiness
propels Tess toward a tragic end
Turn of the Screw [And Other Short Fiction] by Henry James
From the apparitions of evil that haunt the governess in The Turn of the Screw to the
startling self-scrutiny of an egotistical man in The Beast in the Jungle the mysterious
turnings of human behavior are coolly and masterfully observed--proving Henry James
to be a master of psychological insight as well as one of the finest prose stylists of
modern English literature
Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
The story of two generations of the Earnshaw and Linton families as their lives and
fortunes intertwine in a complex web dominated by the passionate relationship
between doomed lovers Heathcliff and Cathy
16
Maranatha Christian Academy Summer Reading Program
PhilosophyRational
Excellence in education requires a literary emphasis Philippians 48 says ldquoFinally brothers and
sisters whatever is true whatever is noble whatever is right whatever is pure whatever is
lovely whatever is admirablemdashif anything is excellent or praiseworthymdashthink about such
thingsrdquo A Christian literature program teaches students to read great literature and to think from
a Christian perspective Our program will promote critical reading and cultivate the habit of
reading with discernment and an awareness of larger contexts and deeper implications The
opportunity to evaluate a characterrsquos motivation behavior and the results of his behavior from a
Christian world view is a unique and valuable experience in Christian education Analytical
questions posed in the discussion of literature will prompt students to apply their knowledge of
Godrsquos laws and also sharpen and refine their own critical thinking skills
Disclaimer
Books for this list were carefully evaluated by comparing recommended lists from various
colleges and universities as well as lists from other Christian schools across the country
Selections were also based on the opinion experience and knowledge of the teachers in the
Maranatha English Department and each book was evaluated according to the Maranatha
Christian world view and mission Books were chosen to represent various reading abilities and
interests As a result you will find a wide range of books on the list
We recommend that parents actively participate in this process The moral tone and lessons
taught by these books are generally positive However some may have a few objectionable
elements that should be addressed in their context
9
Maranatha Christian Academy Summer Reading Program
Incoming 10th Grade
Book ONE ndash TEACHERrsquoS CHOICE REQUIRED READING
Night by Elie Wiesel
This is an account of the Nazi death camp horror that turns a young Jewish boy into an
agonized witness to the death of his familyhellipthe death of his innocence Penetrating
and powerful as personal as The Diary of Anne Frank Night awakens the shocking
memory of evil at its absolute and carries with it the unforgettable message that this
horror must never be allowed to happen again
Book TWO ndash STUDENTrsquoS CHOICE Choose ONE from the following list
All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque
A group of young World War I German recruits pass from idealism to disillusionment
with war he book and its sequel The Road Back were among the books banned and
burned in Nazi Germany
Around the World in Eighty Days by Jules Verne
In 1872 English gentleman Phileas Fogg has many adventures as he tries to win a bet
that he can travel around the world in eighty days
Ben-Hur a Tale of the Christ by Lew Wallace
A peace-loving prince of Judea leads his nation against the wrath of the conquering
Romans His self-imposed destiny brings tragedy to himself and his people as he
learns to fight to love to hate and finally to forgive
The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas
An innocent man Edmond Dantes is imprisoned for years on a godforsaken island
while the friend who betrayed him takes Dantes ravishing fianceacute for himself Dantes
eventually escapes recovers a fortune in buried pirate treasure transforms himself into
the mysterious Count of Monte Cristo and methodically goes about exacting his
revenge
Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens
Oliver Twist is an orphan forced to practice thievery and live a life of crime in
nineteenth-century London
10
Maranatha Christian Academy Summer Reading Program
Incoming 10th Grade (continued)
Rocket Boys by Homer Hickam
In 1957 NASA Engineer Homer Hickam Jr is a high school student in Coalwood
West Virginia when the Soviet Union launches Sputnik the first man-made satellite
While most of his friends and neighbors react with fear or distrust Homer is instantly
fascinated and begins studying everything he can find on jet and rocket design
Silas Marner the Weaver of Raveloe by George Eliot
A young linen weavers dreams are destroyed when he is falsely accused of a crime
Isolating himself he becomes a selfish despondent miser until he adopts an abandoned
child
The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson
A kind and well-respected doctor is transformed into a murderous madman by taking a
secret drug of his own creation
The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Emmuska Orczy
A twisted suspenseful romance set during the French Revolution While men women
and children fall under the merciless blade of the guillotine one foppish gentleman
alias the Scarlet Pimpernel bravely rescues aristocrats from the jaws of death In the
midst of his rescue he meets and falls passionately in love with Marguerite Frances
most celebrated actress
11
Maranatha Christian Academy Summer Reading Program
Incoming 11th Grade
Book ONE ndash TEACHERrsquoS CHOICE REQUIRED READING
Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom
Tuesdays with Morrie is a true story about sportswriter Mitch Albom and his favorite
college professor Morrie Schwartz Mitch Albom recounts time spent with his 78-year-
old professor who was dying from Lou Gehrigrsquos disease
Book TWO ndash STUDENTrsquoS CHOICE - Choose ONE from the following list
The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman by Earnest J Gaines
Presents the story of the long life of Miss Jane Pittman who began her life as a slave in
the South and who marched for her civil rights in the 20th century at the age of 110
A Christianrsquos Secret to a Happy Life by Hannah Whitall Smith
You may read the original or the updated version of this classic An instant success
when it was first published 100 years ago this volume continues to inspire thousands
with its simple life-changing message of faith and trust in God This all-new edition
includes an index a brief biography and end-of-chapter questions to help you apply
Hannahs insights to your own life
Don Quixote De La Mancha by Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra
The adventures of Don Quixote a common man from La Mancha who has convinced
himself that he is a knight With his portly peasant squire Sancho Panza who
recognizes his masters madness but is nonetheless captivated by promises of kingdoms
and riches Don Quixote mistakes windmills for giants and flocks of sheep for armies
A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway
A volunteer ambulance driver and a beautiful English nurse fall in love when he is
wounded on the Italian front Set during World War I
The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
Although it follows the movement of thousands of men and women and the
transformation of an entire nation The Grapes of Wrath is also the story of one
Oklahoma family the Joads who are driven off their homestead and forced to travel
west to the promised land of California
12
Maranatha Christian Academy Summer Reading Program
Incoming 11th Grade (continued)
Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford
In the opening pages Henry Lee comes upon a crowd gathered outside the Panama
Hotel once the gateway to Seattlersquos Japantown It has been boarded up for decades but
now the new owner has made an incredible discovery the belongings of Japanese
families left when they were rounded up and sent to internment camps during World
War II
The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde
Two young gentlemen living in 1890s England uses the same pseudonym to escape the
dull county life All is fine until they both fall in love with the same woman Suddenly
the comedy of mistaken identities begins in this delightful story
Ivanhoe by Sir Walter Scott
The classic epic of chivalry and courtly love features the disinherited knight Ivanhoe
his fair lady Rowena and such larger-than-life characters as Richard the Lion-Hearted
and Robin Hood This novel of the Crusades chivalry and courtly love not only
recreates history but made history as well
The Last of the Mohicans a Narrative of 1757 by James Fenimore Cooper
This is the tale of a Mohican braves struggle to protect two English girls from an evil
Huron The wild rush of action in this classic frontier adventure story has made The
Last of the Mohicans the most popular of James Fenimore Coopers Leatherstocking
Tales
The Red Badge of Courage an Episode of the American Civil War by Stephen Crane
During his service in the Civil War a young Union soldier matures to manhood and
finds peace of mind as he comes to grips with his conflicting emotions about war
The Taming of the Shrew by William Shakespeare
The marriage of two strong-minded people provides the spark for a comic
confrontation between the sexes The shrew Katharina is so ill-tempered she
seems unlikely to find a husband Her father refuses to let her younger sister marry
until Katherina is off his hands Petruchio appears marries Katharina and tames
her so well that he wins a bet with two other men on a test of their wives obedience
13
Maranatha Christian Academy Summer Reading Program
Incoming 11th Grade (continued)
Walden or Life in the Woods by Henry David Thoreau
This is the one product of Thoreaursquos two-year sojourn at the pondmdashone of the great
classics of American letters Interwoven with accounts of Thoreaursquos daily life (he did
not live as a recluse but received visitors and almost daily walked into Concord) are
meditations on human existence society government and other topics expressed with
clear-headed wisdom and remarkable beauty of style
Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand
On a May afternoon in 1943 an Army Air Forces bomber crashed into the Pacific
Ocean and disappeared leaving only a spray of debris and a slick of oil gasoline and
blood Then on the ocean surface a face appeared It was that of a young lieutenant
the planersquos bombardier who was struggling to a life raft and pulling himself aboard
So began one of the most extraordinary odysseys of the Second World War
14
Maranatha Christian Academy Summer Reading Program
Incoming 12th Grade
Book ONE ndash TEACHERrsquoS CHOICE REQUIRED READING
Animal Farm by George Orwell
A farm is taken over by its overworked mistreated animals With flaming idealism
and stirring slogans they set out to create a paradise of progress justice and equality
Thus the stage is set for one of the most telling satiric fables ever penned
Book TWO ndash STUDENTrsquoS CHOICE - Choose ONE from the following list
Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky
Raskolnikov commits murder He then must deal both with the police and his own
guilty conscience Determined to overreach his humanity and assert his untrammeled
individual will Raskolnikov an impoverished student living in the St Petersburg of the
Tsars commits an act of murder and theft and sets into motion a story which for its
excrutiating suspense its atmospheric vividness and its profundity of characterization
and vision is almost unequaled in the literatures of the world
Cry The Beloved Country by Alan Paton
A Cry the Beloved Country is the deeply moving story of the Zulu pastor Stephen
Kumalo and his son Absalom set against the background of a land and a people riven
by racial injustice Remarkable for its lyricism unforgettable for character and
incident Cry the Beloved Country is a classic work of love and hope courage and
endurance born of the dignity of man
Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad
In this haunting tale Marlow a seaman and wanderer recounts his physical and
psychological journey in search of Kurtz His travels take him to the heart of Africa to
discover how Kurtz has gained his position of power and influence over the local
people
Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare
Imaginative exuberant comedy contrasts two pairs of lovers in a witty and suspenseful
battle of the sexes Filled with suspense clever turns of plot vivacious displays of wit
and charming songs this is one of the Bards most beloved and performed works
Orthodoxy by GK Chesterton
If you think orthodoxy is boring and predictable think again In this timeless classic
G K Chesterton one of the literary giants of the twentieth century presents a logical
and personal reasoning for Christianity in model apologetic form
15
Maranatha Christian Academy Summer Reading Program
Incoming 12th Grade (continued)
Profiles in Courage by John F Kennedy
This is the Pulitzer Prize-winning account of the most admirable of human virtuesmdash
courage Grace under pressure Ernest Hemingway defined it And these are the stories
of the pressures experienced by eight United States Senators and the grace with which
they endured them
A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry
A struggling black family living on Chicagos South Side feels the impact of an
unexpected insurance bequest Each family member sees the bequest as the means of
realizing dreams and of escape from grinding frustrations
The Screwtape Letters by C S Lewis
The book provides a series of lessons in the importance of taking a deliberate role in
living out Christian faith by portraying a typical human life with all its temptations and
failings as seen from the demondevils viewpoint
Tess of the DrsquoUbervilles by Thomas Hardy
Tess DrsquoUrberfield is a luminous beauty who is violated by one man and forsaken by
another but she refuses to remain a victim Her struggle to endure despite the
abandonment of her true love and despite her desperate attempt to attain happiness
propels Tess toward a tragic end
Turn of the Screw [And Other Short Fiction] by Henry James
From the apparitions of evil that haunt the governess in The Turn of the Screw to the
startling self-scrutiny of an egotistical man in The Beast in the Jungle the mysterious
turnings of human behavior are coolly and masterfully observed--proving Henry James
to be a master of psychological insight as well as one of the finest prose stylists of
modern English literature
Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
The story of two generations of the Earnshaw and Linton families as their lives and
fortunes intertwine in a complex web dominated by the passionate relationship
between doomed lovers Heathcliff and Cathy
16
Maranatha Christian Academy Summer Reading Program
PhilosophyRational
Excellence in education requires a literary emphasis Philippians 48 says ldquoFinally brothers and
sisters whatever is true whatever is noble whatever is right whatever is pure whatever is
lovely whatever is admirablemdashif anything is excellent or praiseworthymdashthink about such
thingsrdquo A Christian literature program teaches students to read great literature and to think from
a Christian perspective Our program will promote critical reading and cultivate the habit of
reading with discernment and an awareness of larger contexts and deeper implications The
opportunity to evaluate a characterrsquos motivation behavior and the results of his behavior from a
Christian world view is a unique and valuable experience in Christian education Analytical
questions posed in the discussion of literature will prompt students to apply their knowledge of
Godrsquos laws and also sharpen and refine their own critical thinking skills
Disclaimer
Books for this list were carefully evaluated by comparing recommended lists from various
colleges and universities as well as lists from other Christian schools across the country
Selections were also based on the opinion experience and knowledge of the teachers in the
Maranatha English Department and each book was evaluated according to the Maranatha
Christian world view and mission Books were chosen to represent various reading abilities and
interests As a result you will find a wide range of books on the list
We recommend that parents actively participate in this process The moral tone and lessons
taught by these books are generally positive However some may have a few objectionable
elements that should be addressed in their context
10
Maranatha Christian Academy Summer Reading Program
Incoming 10th Grade (continued)
Rocket Boys by Homer Hickam
In 1957 NASA Engineer Homer Hickam Jr is a high school student in Coalwood
West Virginia when the Soviet Union launches Sputnik the first man-made satellite
While most of his friends and neighbors react with fear or distrust Homer is instantly
fascinated and begins studying everything he can find on jet and rocket design
Silas Marner the Weaver of Raveloe by George Eliot
A young linen weavers dreams are destroyed when he is falsely accused of a crime
Isolating himself he becomes a selfish despondent miser until he adopts an abandoned
child
The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson
A kind and well-respected doctor is transformed into a murderous madman by taking a
secret drug of his own creation
The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Emmuska Orczy
A twisted suspenseful romance set during the French Revolution While men women
and children fall under the merciless blade of the guillotine one foppish gentleman
alias the Scarlet Pimpernel bravely rescues aristocrats from the jaws of death In the
midst of his rescue he meets and falls passionately in love with Marguerite Frances
most celebrated actress
11
Maranatha Christian Academy Summer Reading Program
Incoming 11th Grade
Book ONE ndash TEACHERrsquoS CHOICE REQUIRED READING
Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom
Tuesdays with Morrie is a true story about sportswriter Mitch Albom and his favorite
college professor Morrie Schwartz Mitch Albom recounts time spent with his 78-year-
old professor who was dying from Lou Gehrigrsquos disease
Book TWO ndash STUDENTrsquoS CHOICE - Choose ONE from the following list
The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman by Earnest J Gaines
Presents the story of the long life of Miss Jane Pittman who began her life as a slave in
the South and who marched for her civil rights in the 20th century at the age of 110
A Christianrsquos Secret to a Happy Life by Hannah Whitall Smith
You may read the original or the updated version of this classic An instant success
when it was first published 100 years ago this volume continues to inspire thousands
with its simple life-changing message of faith and trust in God This all-new edition
includes an index a brief biography and end-of-chapter questions to help you apply
Hannahs insights to your own life
Don Quixote De La Mancha by Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra
The adventures of Don Quixote a common man from La Mancha who has convinced
himself that he is a knight With his portly peasant squire Sancho Panza who
recognizes his masters madness but is nonetheless captivated by promises of kingdoms
and riches Don Quixote mistakes windmills for giants and flocks of sheep for armies
A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway
A volunteer ambulance driver and a beautiful English nurse fall in love when he is
wounded on the Italian front Set during World War I
The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
Although it follows the movement of thousands of men and women and the
transformation of an entire nation The Grapes of Wrath is also the story of one
Oklahoma family the Joads who are driven off their homestead and forced to travel
west to the promised land of California
12
Maranatha Christian Academy Summer Reading Program
Incoming 11th Grade (continued)
Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford
In the opening pages Henry Lee comes upon a crowd gathered outside the Panama
Hotel once the gateway to Seattlersquos Japantown It has been boarded up for decades but
now the new owner has made an incredible discovery the belongings of Japanese
families left when they were rounded up and sent to internment camps during World
War II
The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde
Two young gentlemen living in 1890s England uses the same pseudonym to escape the
dull county life All is fine until they both fall in love with the same woman Suddenly
the comedy of mistaken identities begins in this delightful story
Ivanhoe by Sir Walter Scott
The classic epic of chivalry and courtly love features the disinherited knight Ivanhoe
his fair lady Rowena and such larger-than-life characters as Richard the Lion-Hearted
and Robin Hood This novel of the Crusades chivalry and courtly love not only
recreates history but made history as well
The Last of the Mohicans a Narrative of 1757 by James Fenimore Cooper
This is the tale of a Mohican braves struggle to protect two English girls from an evil
Huron The wild rush of action in this classic frontier adventure story has made The
Last of the Mohicans the most popular of James Fenimore Coopers Leatherstocking
Tales
The Red Badge of Courage an Episode of the American Civil War by Stephen Crane
During his service in the Civil War a young Union soldier matures to manhood and
finds peace of mind as he comes to grips with his conflicting emotions about war
The Taming of the Shrew by William Shakespeare
The marriage of two strong-minded people provides the spark for a comic
confrontation between the sexes The shrew Katharina is so ill-tempered she
seems unlikely to find a husband Her father refuses to let her younger sister marry
until Katherina is off his hands Petruchio appears marries Katharina and tames
her so well that he wins a bet with two other men on a test of their wives obedience
13
Maranatha Christian Academy Summer Reading Program
Incoming 11th Grade (continued)
Walden or Life in the Woods by Henry David Thoreau
This is the one product of Thoreaursquos two-year sojourn at the pondmdashone of the great
classics of American letters Interwoven with accounts of Thoreaursquos daily life (he did
not live as a recluse but received visitors and almost daily walked into Concord) are
meditations on human existence society government and other topics expressed with
clear-headed wisdom and remarkable beauty of style
Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand
On a May afternoon in 1943 an Army Air Forces bomber crashed into the Pacific
Ocean and disappeared leaving only a spray of debris and a slick of oil gasoline and
blood Then on the ocean surface a face appeared It was that of a young lieutenant
the planersquos bombardier who was struggling to a life raft and pulling himself aboard
So began one of the most extraordinary odysseys of the Second World War
14
Maranatha Christian Academy Summer Reading Program
Incoming 12th Grade
Book ONE ndash TEACHERrsquoS CHOICE REQUIRED READING
Animal Farm by George Orwell
A farm is taken over by its overworked mistreated animals With flaming idealism
and stirring slogans they set out to create a paradise of progress justice and equality
Thus the stage is set for one of the most telling satiric fables ever penned
Book TWO ndash STUDENTrsquoS CHOICE - Choose ONE from the following list
Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky
Raskolnikov commits murder He then must deal both with the police and his own
guilty conscience Determined to overreach his humanity and assert his untrammeled
individual will Raskolnikov an impoverished student living in the St Petersburg of the
Tsars commits an act of murder and theft and sets into motion a story which for its
excrutiating suspense its atmospheric vividness and its profundity of characterization
and vision is almost unequaled in the literatures of the world
Cry The Beloved Country by Alan Paton
A Cry the Beloved Country is the deeply moving story of the Zulu pastor Stephen
Kumalo and his son Absalom set against the background of a land and a people riven
by racial injustice Remarkable for its lyricism unforgettable for character and
incident Cry the Beloved Country is a classic work of love and hope courage and
endurance born of the dignity of man
Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad
In this haunting tale Marlow a seaman and wanderer recounts his physical and
psychological journey in search of Kurtz His travels take him to the heart of Africa to
discover how Kurtz has gained his position of power and influence over the local
people
Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare
Imaginative exuberant comedy contrasts two pairs of lovers in a witty and suspenseful
battle of the sexes Filled with suspense clever turns of plot vivacious displays of wit
and charming songs this is one of the Bards most beloved and performed works
Orthodoxy by GK Chesterton
If you think orthodoxy is boring and predictable think again In this timeless classic
G K Chesterton one of the literary giants of the twentieth century presents a logical
and personal reasoning for Christianity in model apologetic form
15
Maranatha Christian Academy Summer Reading Program
Incoming 12th Grade (continued)
Profiles in Courage by John F Kennedy
This is the Pulitzer Prize-winning account of the most admirable of human virtuesmdash
courage Grace under pressure Ernest Hemingway defined it And these are the stories
of the pressures experienced by eight United States Senators and the grace with which
they endured them
A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry
A struggling black family living on Chicagos South Side feels the impact of an
unexpected insurance bequest Each family member sees the bequest as the means of
realizing dreams and of escape from grinding frustrations
The Screwtape Letters by C S Lewis
The book provides a series of lessons in the importance of taking a deliberate role in
living out Christian faith by portraying a typical human life with all its temptations and
failings as seen from the demondevils viewpoint
Tess of the DrsquoUbervilles by Thomas Hardy
Tess DrsquoUrberfield is a luminous beauty who is violated by one man and forsaken by
another but she refuses to remain a victim Her struggle to endure despite the
abandonment of her true love and despite her desperate attempt to attain happiness
propels Tess toward a tragic end
Turn of the Screw [And Other Short Fiction] by Henry James
From the apparitions of evil that haunt the governess in The Turn of the Screw to the
startling self-scrutiny of an egotistical man in The Beast in the Jungle the mysterious
turnings of human behavior are coolly and masterfully observed--proving Henry James
to be a master of psychological insight as well as one of the finest prose stylists of
modern English literature
Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
The story of two generations of the Earnshaw and Linton families as their lives and
fortunes intertwine in a complex web dominated by the passionate relationship
between doomed lovers Heathcliff and Cathy
16
Maranatha Christian Academy Summer Reading Program
PhilosophyRational
Excellence in education requires a literary emphasis Philippians 48 says ldquoFinally brothers and
sisters whatever is true whatever is noble whatever is right whatever is pure whatever is
lovely whatever is admirablemdashif anything is excellent or praiseworthymdashthink about such
thingsrdquo A Christian literature program teaches students to read great literature and to think from
a Christian perspective Our program will promote critical reading and cultivate the habit of
reading with discernment and an awareness of larger contexts and deeper implications The
opportunity to evaluate a characterrsquos motivation behavior and the results of his behavior from a
Christian world view is a unique and valuable experience in Christian education Analytical
questions posed in the discussion of literature will prompt students to apply their knowledge of
Godrsquos laws and also sharpen and refine their own critical thinking skills
Disclaimer
Books for this list were carefully evaluated by comparing recommended lists from various
colleges and universities as well as lists from other Christian schools across the country
Selections were also based on the opinion experience and knowledge of the teachers in the
Maranatha English Department and each book was evaluated according to the Maranatha
Christian world view and mission Books were chosen to represent various reading abilities and
interests As a result you will find a wide range of books on the list
We recommend that parents actively participate in this process The moral tone and lessons
taught by these books are generally positive However some may have a few objectionable
elements that should be addressed in their context
11
Maranatha Christian Academy Summer Reading Program
Incoming 11th Grade
Book ONE ndash TEACHERrsquoS CHOICE REQUIRED READING
Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom
Tuesdays with Morrie is a true story about sportswriter Mitch Albom and his favorite
college professor Morrie Schwartz Mitch Albom recounts time spent with his 78-year-
old professor who was dying from Lou Gehrigrsquos disease
Book TWO ndash STUDENTrsquoS CHOICE - Choose ONE from the following list
The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman by Earnest J Gaines
Presents the story of the long life of Miss Jane Pittman who began her life as a slave in
the South and who marched for her civil rights in the 20th century at the age of 110
A Christianrsquos Secret to a Happy Life by Hannah Whitall Smith
You may read the original or the updated version of this classic An instant success
when it was first published 100 years ago this volume continues to inspire thousands
with its simple life-changing message of faith and trust in God This all-new edition
includes an index a brief biography and end-of-chapter questions to help you apply
Hannahs insights to your own life
Don Quixote De La Mancha by Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra
The adventures of Don Quixote a common man from La Mancha who has convinced
himself that he is a knight With his portly peasant squire Sancho Panza who
recognizes his masters madness but is nonetheless captivated by promises of kingdoms
and riches Don Quixote mistakes windmills for giants and flocks of sheep for armies
A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway
A volunteer ambulance driver and a beautiful English nurse fall in love when he is
wounded on the Italian front Set during World War I
The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
Although it follows the movement of thousands of men and women and the
transformation of an entire nation The Grapes of Wrath is also the story of one
Oklahoma family the Joads who are driven off their homestead and forced to travel
west to the promised land of California
12
Maranatha Christian Academy Summer Reading Program
Incoming 11th Grade (continued)
Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford
In the opening pages Henry Lee comes upon a crowd gathered outside the Panama
Hotel once the gateway to Seattlersquos Japantown It has been boarded up for decades but
now the new owner has made an incredible discovery the belongings of Japanese
families left when they were rounded up and sent to internment camps during World
War II
The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde
Two young gentlemen living in 1890s England uses the same pseudonym to escape the
dull county life All is fine until they both fall in love with the same woman Suddenly
the comedy of mistaken identities begins in this delightful story
Ivanhoe by Sir Walter Scott
The classic epic of chivalry and courtly love features the disinherited knight Ivanhoe
his fair lady Rowena and such larger-than-life characters as Richard the Lion-Hearted
and Robin Hood This novel of the Crusades chivalry and courtly love not only
recreates history but made history as well
The Last of the Mohicans a Narrative of 1757 by James Fenimore Cooper
This is the tale of a Mohican braves struggle to protect two English girls from an evil
Huron The wild rush of action in this classic frontier adventure story has made The
Last of the Mohicans the most popular of James Fenimore Coopers Leatherstocking
Tales
The Red Badge of Courage an Episode of the American Civil War by Stephen Crane
During his service in the Civil War a young Union soldier matures to manhood and
finds peace of mind as he comes to grips with his conflicting emotions about war
The Taming of the Shrew by William Shakespeare
The marriage of two strong-minded people provides the spark for a comic
confrontation between the sexes The shrew Katharina is so ill-tempered she
seems unlikely to find a husband Her father refuses to let her younger sister marry
until Katherina is off his hands Petruchio appears marries Katharina and tames
her so well that he wins a bet with two other men on a test of their wives obedience
13
Maranatha Christian Academy Summer Reading Program
Incoming 11th Grade (continued)
Walden or Life in the Woods by Henry David Thoreau
This is the one product of Thoreaursquos two-year sojourn at the pondmdashone of the great
classics of American letters Interwoven with accounts of Thoreaursquos daily life (he did
not live as a recluse but received visitors and almost daily walked into Concord) are
meditations on human existence society government and other topics expressed with
clear-headed wisdom and remarkable beauty of style
Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand
On a May afternoon in 1943 an Army Air Forces bomber crashed into the Pacific
Ocean and disappeared leaving only a spray of debris and a slick of oil gasoline and
blood Then on the ocean surface a face appeared It was that of a young lieutenant
the planersquos bombardier who was struggling to a life raft and pulling himself aboard
So began one of the most extraordinary odysseys of the Second World War
14
Maranatha Christian Academy Summer Reading Program
Incoming 12th Grade
Book ONE ndash TEACHERrsquoS CHOICE REQUIRED READING
Animal Farm by George Orwell
A farm is taken over by its overworked mistreated animals With flaming idealism
and stirring slogans they set out to create a paradise of progress justice and equality
Thus the stage is set for one of the most telling satiric fables ever penned
Book TWO ndash STUDENTrsquoS CHOICE - Choose ONE from the following list
Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky
Raskolnikov commits murder He then must deal both with the police and his own
guilty conscience Determined to overreach his humanity and assert his untrammeled
individual will Raskolnikov an impoverished student living in the St Petersburg of the
Tsars commits an act of murder and theft and sets into motion a story which for its
excrutiating suspense its atmospheric vividness and its profundity of characterization
and vision is almost unequaled in the literatures of the world
Cry The Beloved Country by Alan Paton
A Cry the Beloved Country is the deeply moving story of the Zulu pastor Stephen
Kumalo and his son Absalom set against the background of a land and a people riven
by racial injustice Remarkable for its lyricism unforgettable for character and
incident Cry the Beloved Country is a classic work of love and hope courage and
endurance born of the dignity of man
Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad
In this haunting tale Marlow a seaman and wanderer recounts his physical and
psychological journey in search of Kurtz His travels take him to the heart of Africa to
discover how Kurtz has gained his position of power and influence over the local
people
Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare
Imaginative exuberant comedy contrasts two pairs of lovers in a witty and suspenseful
battle of the sexes Filled with suspense clever turns of plot vivacious displays of wit
and charming songs this is one of the Bards most beloved and performed works
Orthodoxy by GK Chesterton
If you think orthodoxy is boring and predictable think again In this timeless classic
G K Chesterton one of the literary giants of the twentieth century presents a logical
and personal reasoning for Christianity in model apologetic form
15
Maranatha Christian Academy Summer Reading Program
Incoming 12th Grade (continued)
Profiles in Courage by John F Kennedy
This is the Pulitzer Prize-winning account of the most admirable of human virtuesmdash
courage Grace under pressure Ernest Hemingway defined it And these are the stories
of the pressures experienced by eight United States Senators and the grace with which
they endured them
A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry
A struggling black family living on Chicagos South Side feels the impact of an
unexpected insurance bequest Each family member sees the bequest as the means of
realizing dreams and of escape from grinding frustrations
The Screwtape Letters by C S Lewis
The book provides a series of lessons in the importance of taking a deliberate role in
living out Christian faith by portraying a typical human life with all its temptations and
failings as seen from the demondevils viewpoint
Tess of the DrsquoUbervilles by Thomas Hardy
Tess DrsquoUrberfield is a luminous beauty who is violated by one man and forsaken by
another but she refuses to remain a victim Her struggle to endure despite the
abandonment of her true love and despite her desperate attempt to attain happiness
propels Tess toward a tragic end
Turn of the Screw [And Other Short Fiction] by Henry James
From the apparitions of evil that haunt the governess in The Turn of the Screw to the
startling self-scrutiny of an egotistical man in The Beast in the Jungle the mysterious
turnings of human behavior are coolly and masterfully observed--proving Henry James
to be a master of psychological insight as well as one of the finest prose stylists of
modern English literature
Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
The story of two generations of the Earnshaw and Linton families as their lives and
fortunes intertwine in a complex web dominated by the passionate relationship
between doomed lovers Heathcliff and Cathy
16
Maranatha Christian Academy Summer Reading Program
PhilosophyRational
Excellence in education requires a literary emphasis Philippians 48 says ldquoFinally brothers and
sisters whatever is true whatever is noble whatever is right whatever is pure whatever is
lovely whatever is admirablemdashif anything is excellent or praiseworthymdashthink about such
thingsrdquo A Christian literature program teaches students to read great literature and to think from
a Christian perspective Our program will promote critical reading and cultivate the habit of
reading with discernment and an awareness of larger contexts and deeper implications The
opportunity to evaluate a characterrsquos motivation behavior and the results of his behavior from a
Christian world view is a unique and valuable experience in Christian education Analytical
questions posed in the discussion of literature will prompt students to apply their knowledge of
Godrsquos laws and also sharpen and refine their own critical thinking skills
Disclaimer
Books for this list were carefully evaluated by comparing recommended lists from various
colleges and universities as well as lists from other Christian schools across the country
Selections were also based on the opinion experience and knowledge of the teachers in the
Maranatha English Department and each book was evaluated according to the Maranatha
Christian world view and mission Books were chosen to represent various reading abilities and
interests As a result you will find a wide range of books on the list
We recommend that parents actively participate in this process The moral tone and lessons
taught by these books are generally positive However some may have a few objectionable
elements that should be addressed in their context
12
Maranatha Christian Academy Summer Reading Program
Incoming 11th Grade (continued)
Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford
In the opening pages Henry Lee comes upon a crowd gathered outside the Panama
Hotel once the gateway to Seattlersquos Japantown It has been boarded up for decades but
now the new owner has made an incredible discovery the belongings of Japanese
families left when they were rounded up and sent to internment camps during World
War II
The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde
Two young gentlemen living in 1890s England uses the same pseudonym to escape the
dull county life All is fine until they both fall in love with the same woman Suddenly
the comedy of mistaken identities begins in this delightful story
Ivanhoe by Sir Walter Scott
The classic epic of chivalry and courtly love features the disinherited knight Ivanhoe
his fair lady Rowena and such larger-than-life characters as Richard the Lion-Hearted
and Robin Hood This novel of the Crusades chivalry and courtly love not only
recreates history but made history as well
The Last of the Mohicans a Narrative of 1757 by James Fenimore Cooper
This is the tale of a Mohican braves struggle to protect two English girls from an evil
Huron The wild rush of action in this classic frontier adventure story has made The
Last of the Mohicans the most popular of James Fenimore Coopers Leatherstocking
Tales
The Red Badge of Courage an Episode of the American Civil War by Stephen Crane
During his service in the Civil War a young Union soldier matures to manhood and
finds peace of mind as he comes to grips with his conflicting emotions about war
The Taming of the Shrew by William Shakespeare
The marriage of two strong-minded people provides the spark for a comic
confrontation between the sexes The shrew Katharina is so ill-tempered she
seems unlikely to find a husband Her father refuses to let her younger sister marry
until Katherina is off his hands Petruchio appears marries Katharina and tames
her so well that he wins a bet with two other men on a test of their wives obedience
13
Maranatha Christian Academy Summer Reading Program
Incoming 11th Grade (continued)
Walden or Life in the Woods by Henry David Thoreau
This is the one product of Thoreaursquos two-year sojourn at the pondmdashone of the great
classics of American letters Interwoven with accounts of Thoreaursquos daily life (he did
not live as a recluse but received visitors and almost daily walked into Concord) are
meditations on human existence society government and other topics expressed with
clear-headed wisdom and remarkable beauty of style
Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand
On a May afternoon in 1943 an Army Air Forces bomber crashed into the Pacific
Ocean and disappeared leaving only a spray of debris and a slick of oil gasoline and
blood Then on the ocean surface a face appeared It was that of a young lieutenant
the planersquos bombardier who was struggling to a life raft and pulling himself aboard
So began one of the most extraordinary odysseys of the Second World War
14
Maranatha Christian Academy Summer Reading Program
Incoming 12th Grade
Book ONE ndash TEACHERrsquoS CHOICE REQUIRED READING
Animal Farm by George Orwell
A farm is taken over by its overworked mistreated animals With flaming idealism
and stirring slogans they set out to create a paradise of progress justice and equality
Thus the stage is set for one of the most telling satiric fables ever penned
Book TWO ndash STUDENTrsquoS CHOICE - Choose ONE from the following list
Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky
Raskolnikov commits murder He then must deal both with the police and his own
guilty conscience Determined to overreach his humanity and assert his untrammeled
individual will Raskolnikov an impoverished student living in the St Petersburg of the
Tsars commits an act of murder and theft and sets into motion a story which for its
excrutiating suspense its atmospheric vividness and its profundity of characterization
and vision is almost unequaled in the literatures of the world
Cry The Beloved Country by Alan Paton
A Cry the Beloved Country is the deeply moving story of the Zulu pastor Stephen
Kumalo and his son Absalom set against the background of a land and a people riven
by racial injustice Remarkable for its lyricism unforgettable for character and
incident Cry the Beloved Country is a classic work of love and hope courage and
endurance born of the dignity of man
Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad
In this haunting tale Marlow a seaman and wanderer recounts his physical and
psychological journey in search of Kurtz His travels take him to the heart of Africa to
discover how Kurtz has gained his position of power and influence over the local
people
Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare
Imaginative exuberant comedy contrasts two pairs of lovers in a witty and suspenseful
battle of the sexes Filled with suspense clever turns of plot vivacious displays of wit
and charming songs this is one of the Bards most beloved and performed works
Orthodoxy by GK Chesterton
If you think orthodoxy is boring and predictable think again In this timeless classic
G K Chesterton one of the literary giants of the twentieth century presents a logical
and personal reasoning for Christianity in model apologetic form
15
Maranatha Christian Academy Summer Reading Program
Incoming 12th Grade (continued)
Profiles in Courage by John F Kennedy
This is the Pulitzer Prize-winning account of the most admirable of human virtuesmdash
courage Grace under pressure Ernest Hemingway defined it And these are the stories
of the pressures experienced by eight United States Senators and the grace with which
they endured them
A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry
A struggling black family living on Chicagos South Side feels the impact of an
unexpected insurance bequest Each family member sees the bequest as the means of
realizing dreams and of escape from grinding frustrations
The Screwtape Letters by C S Lewis
The book provides a series of lessons in the importance of taking a deliberate role in
living out Christian faith by portraying a typical human life with all its temptations and
failings as seen from the demondevils viewpoint
Tess of the DrsquoUbervilles by Thomas Hardy
Tess DrsquoUrberfield is a luminous beauty who is violated by one man and forsaken by
another but she refuses to remain a victim Her struggle to endure despite the
abandonment of her true love and despite her desperate attempt to attain happiness
propels Tess toward a tragic end
Turn of the Screw [And Other Short Fiction] by Henry James
From the apparitions of evil that haunt the governess in The Turn of the Screw to the
startling self-scrutiny of an egotistical man in The Beast in the Jungle the mysterious
turnings of human behavior are coolly and masterfully observed--proving Henry James
to be a master of psychological insight as well as one of the finest prose stylists of
modern English literature
Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
The story of two generations of the Earnshaw and Linton families as their lives and
fortunes intertwine in a complex web dominated by the passionate relationship
between doomed lovers Heathcliff and Cathy
16
Maranatha Christian Academy Summer Reading Program
PhilosophyRational
Excellence in education requires a literary emphasis Philippians 48 says ldquoFinally brothers and
sisters whatever is true whatever is noble whatever is right whatever is pure whatever is
lovely whatever is admirablemdashif anything is excellent or praiseworthymdashthink about such
thingsrdquo A Christian literature program teaches students to read great literature and to think from
a Christian perspective Our program will promote critical reading and cultivate the habit of
reading with discernment and an awareness of larger contexts and deeper implications The
opportunity to evaluate a characterrsquos motivation behavior and the results of his behavior from a
Christian world view is a unique and valuable experience in Christian education Analytical
questions posed in the discussion of literature will prompt students to apply their knowledge of
Godrsquos laws and also sharpen and refine their own critical thinking skills
Disclaimer
Books for this list were carefully evaluated by comparing recommended lists from various
colleges and universities as well as lists from other Christian schools across the country
Selections were also based on the opinion experience and knowledge of the teachers in the
Maranatha English Department and each book was evaluated according to the Maranatha
Christian world view and mission Books were chosen to represent various reading abilities and
interests As a result you will find a wide range of books on the list
We recommend that parents actively participate in this process The moral tone and lessons
taught by these books are generally positive However some may have a few objectionable
elements that should be addressed in their context
13
Maranatha Christian Academy Summer Reading Program
Incoming 11th Grade (continued)
Walden or Life in the Woods by Henry David Thoreau
This is the one product of Thoreaursquos two-year sojourn at the pondmdashone of the great
classics of American letters Interwoven with accounts of Thoreaursquos daily life (he did
not live as a recluse but received visitors and almost daily walked into Concord) are
meditations on human existence society government and other topics expressed with
clear-headed wisdom and remarkable beauty of style
Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand
On a May afternoon in 1943 an Army Air Forces bomber crashed into the Pacific
Ocean and disappeared leaving only a spray of debris and a slick of oil gasoline and
blood Then on the ocean surface a face appeared It was that of a young lieutenant
the planersquos bombardier who was struggling to a life raft and pulling himself aboard
So began one of the most extraordinary odysseys of the Second World War
14
Maranatha Christian Academy Summer Reading Program
Incoming 12th Grade
Book ONE ndash TEACHERrsquoS CHOICE REQUIRED READING
Animal Farm by George Orwell
A farm is taken over by its overworked mistreated animals With flaming idealism
and stirring slogans they set out to create a paradise of progress justice and equality
Thus the stage is set for one of the most telling satiric fables ever penned
Book TWO ndash STUDENTrsquoS CHOICE - Choose ONE from the following list
Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky
Raskolnikov commits murder He then must deal both with the police and his own
guilty conscience Determined to overreach his humanity and assert his untrammeled
individual will Raskolnikov an impoverished student living in the St Petersburg of the
Tsars commits an act of murder and theft and sets into motion a story which for its
excrutiating suspense its atmospheric vividness and its profundity of characterization
and vision is almost unequaled in the literatures of the world
Cry The Beloved Country by Alan Paton
A Cry the Beloved Country is the deeply moving story of the Zulu pastor Stephen
Kumalo and his son Absalom set against the background of a land and a people riven
by racial injustice Remarkable for its lyricism unforgettable for character and
incident Cry the Beloved Country is a classic work of love and hope courage and
endurance born of the dignity of man
Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad
In this haunting tale Marlow a seaman and wanderer recounts his physical and
psychological journey in search of Kurtz His travels take him to the heart of Africa to
discover how Kurtz has gained his position of power and influence over the local
people
Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare
Imaginative exuberant comedy contrasts two pairs of lovers in a witty and suspenseful
battle of the sexes Filled with suspense clever turns of plot vivacious displays of wit
and charming songs this is one of the Bards most beloved and performed works
Orthodoxy by GK Chesterton
If you think orthodoxy is boring and predictable think again In this timeless classic
G K Chesterton one of the literary giants of the twentieth century presents a logical
and personal reasoning for Christianity in model apologetic form
15
Maranatha Christian Academy Summer Reading Program
Incoming 12th Grade (continued)
Profiles in Courage by John F Kennedy
This is the Pulitzer Prize-winning account of the most admirable of human virtuesmdash
courage Grace under pressure Ernest Hemingway defined it And these are the stories
of the pressures experienced by eight United States Senators and the grace with which
they endured them
A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry
A struggling black family living on Chicagos South Side feels the impact of an
unexpected insurance bequest Each family member sees the bequest as the means of
realizing dreams and of escape from grinding frustrations
The Screwtape Letters by C S Lewis
The book provides a series of lessons in the importance of taking a deliberate role in
living out Christian faith by portraying a typical human life with all its temptations and
failings as seen from the demondevils viewpoint
Tess of the DrsquoUbervilles by Thomas Hardy
Tess DrsquoUrberfield is a luminous beauty who is violated by one man and forsaken by
another but she refuses to remain a victim Her struggle to endure despite the
abandonment of her true love and despite her desperate attempt to attain happiness
propels Tess toward a tragic end
Turn of the Screw [And Other Short Fiction] by Henry James
From the apparitions of evil that haunt the governess in The Turn of the Screw to the
startling self-scrutiny of an egotistical man in The Beast in the Jungle the mysterious
turnings of human behavior are coolly and masterfully observed--proving Henry James
to be a master of psychological insight as well as one of the finest prose stylists of
modern English literature
Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
The story of two generations of the Earnshaw and Linton families as their lives and
fortunes intertwine in a complex web dominated by the passionate relationship
between doomed lovers Heathcliff and Cathy
16
Maranatha Christian Academy Summer Reading Program
PhilosophyRational
Excellence in education requires a literary emphasis Philippians 48 says ldquoFinally brothers and
sisters whatever is true whatever is noble whatever is right whatever is pure whatever is
lovely whatever is admirablemdashif anything is excellent or praiseworthymdashthink about such
thingsrdquo A Christian literature program teaches students to read great literature and to think from
a Christian perspective Our program will promote critical reading and cultivate the habit of
reading with discernment and an awareness of larger contexts and deeper implications The
opportunity to evaluate a characterrsquos motivation behavior and the results of his behavior from a
Christian world view is a unique and valuable experience in Christian education Analytical
questions posed in the discussion of literature will prompt students to apply their knowledge of
Godrsquos laws and also sharpen and refine their own critical thinking skills
Disclaimer
Books for this list were carefully evaluated by comparing recommended lists from various
colleges and universities as well as lists from other Christian schools across the country
Selections were also based on the opinion experience and knowledge of the teachers in the
Maranatha English Department and each book was evaluated according to the Maranatha
Christian world view and mission Books were chosen to represent various reading abilities and
interests As a result you will find a wide range of books on the list
We recommend that parents actively participate in this process The moral tone and lessons
taught by these books are generally positive However some may have a few objectionable
elements that should be addressed in their context
14
Maranatha Christian Academy Summer Reading Program
Incoming 12th Grade
Book ONE ndash TEACHERrsquoS CHOICE REQUIRED READING
Animal Farm by George Orwell
A farm is taken over by its overworked mistreated animals With flaming idealism
and stirring slogans they set out to create a paradise of progress justice and equality
Thus the stage is set for one of the most telling satiric fables ever penned
Book TWO ndash STUDENTrsquoS CHOICE - Choose ONE from the following list
Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky
Raskolnikov commits murder He then must deal both with the police and his own
guilty conscience Determined to overreach his humanity and assert his untrammeled
individual will Raskolnikov an impoverished student living in the St Petersburg of the
Tsars commits an act of murder and theft and sets into motion a story which for its
excrutiating suspense its atmospheric vividness and its profundity of characterization
and vision is almost unequaled in the literatures of the world
Cry The Beloved Country by Alan Paton
A Cry the Beloved Country is the deeply moving story of the Zulu pastor Stephen
Kumalo and his son Absalom set against the background of a land and a people riven
by racial injustice Remarkable for its lyricism unforgettable for character and
incident Cry the Beloved Country is a classic work of love and hope courage and
endurance born of the dignity of man
Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad
In this haunting tale Marlow a seaman and wanderer recounts his physical and
psychological journey in search of Kurtz His travels take him to the heart of Africa to
discover how Kurtz has gained his position of power and influence over the local
people
Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare
Imaginative exuberant comedy contrasts two pairs of lovers in a witty and suspenseful
battle of the sexes Filled with suspense clever turns of plot vivacious displays of wit
and charming songs this is one of the Bards most beloved and performed works
Orthodoxy by GK Chesterton
If you think orthodoxy is boring and predictable think again In this timeless classic
G K Chesterton one of the literary giants of the twentieth century presents a logical
and personal reasoning for Christianity in model apologetic form
15
Maranatha Christian Academy Summer Reading Program
Incoming 12th Grade (continued)
Profiles in Courage by John F Kennedy
This is the Pulitzer Prize-winning account of the most admirable of human virtuesmdash
courage Grace under pressure Ernest Hemingway defined it And these are the stories
of the pressures experienced by eight United States Senators and the grace with which
they endured them
A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry
A struggling black family living on Chicagos South Side feels the impact of an
unexpected insurance bequest Each family member sees the bequest as the means of
realizing dreams and of escape from grinding frustrations
The Screwtape Letters by C S Lewis
The book provides a series of lessons in the importance of taking a deliberate role in
living out Christian faith by portraying a typical human life with all its temptations and
failings as seen from the demondevils viewpoint
Tess of the DrsquoUbervilles by Thomas Hardy
Tess DrsquoUrberfield is a luminous beauty who is violated by one man and forsaken by
another but she refuses to remain a victim Her struggle to endure despite the
abandonment of her true love and despite her desperate attempt to attain happiness
propels Tess toward a tragic end
Turn of the Screw [And Other Short Fiction] by Henry James
From the apparitions of evil that haunt the governess in The Turn of the Screw to the
startling self-scrutiny of an egotistical man in The Beast in the Jungle the mysterious
turnings of human behavior are coolly and masterfully observed--proving Henry James
to be a master of psychological insight as well as one of the finest prose stylists of
modern English literature
Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
The story of two generations of the Earnshaw and Linton families as their lives and
fortunes intertwine in a complex web dominated by the passionate relationship
between doomed lovers Heathcliff and Cathy
16
Maranatha Christian Academy Summer Reading Program
PhilosophyRational
Excellence in education requires a literary emphasis Philippians 48 says ldquoFinally brothers and
sisters whatever is true whatever is noble whatever is right whatever is pure whatever is
lovely whatever is admirablemdashif anything is excellent or praiseworthymdashthink about such
thingsrdquo A Christian literature program teaches students to read great literature and to think from
a Christian perspective Our program will promote critical reading and cultivate the habit of
reading with discernment and an awareness of larger contexts and deeper implications The
opportunity to evaluate a characterrsquos motivation behavior and the results of his behavior from a
Christian world view is a unique and valuable experience in Christian education Analytical
questions posed in the discussion of literature will prompt students to apply their knowledge of
Godrsquos laws and also sharpen and refine their own critical thinking skills
Disclaimer
Books for this list were carefully evaluated by comparing recommended lists from various
colleges and universities as well as lists from other Christian schools across the country
Selections were also based on the opinion experience and knowledge of the teachers in the
Maranatha English Department and each book was evaluated according to the Maranatha
Christian world view and mission Books were chosen to represent various reading abilities and
interests As a result you will find a wide range of books on the list
We recommend that parents actively participate in this process The moral tone and lessons
taught by these books are generally positive However some may have a few objectionable
elements that should be addressed in their context
15
Maranatha Christian Academy Summer Reading Program
Incoming 12th Grade (continued)
Profiles in Courage by John F Kennedy
This is the Pulitzer Prize-winning account of the most admirable of human virtuesmdash
courage Grace under pressure Ernest Hemingway defined it And these are the stories
of the pressures experienced by eight United States Senators and the grace with which
they endured them
A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry
A struggling black family living on Chicagos South Side feels the impact of an
unexpected insurance bequest Each family member sees the bequest as the means of
realizing dreams and of escape from grinding frustrations
The Screwtape Letters by C S Lewis
The book provides a series of lessons in the importance of taking a deliberate role in
living out Christian faith by portraying a typical human life with all its temptations and
failings as seen from the demondevils viewpoint
Tess of the DrsquoUbervilles by Thomas Hardy
Tess DrsquoUrberfield is a luminous beauty who is violated by one man and forsaken by
another but she refuses to remain a victim Her struggle to endure despite the
abandonment of her true love and despite her desperate attempt to attain happiness
propels Tess toward a tragic end
Turn of the Screw [And Other Short Fiction] by Henry James
From the apparitions of evil that haunt the governess in The Turn of the Screw to the
startling self-scrutiny of an egotistical man in The Beast in the Jungle the mysterious
turnings of human behavior are coolly and masterfully observed--proving Henry James
to be a master of psychological insight as well as one of the finest prose stylists of
modern English literature
Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
The story of two generations of the Earnshaw and Linton families as their lives and
fortunes intertwine in a complex web dominated by the passionate relationship
between doomed lovers Heathcliff and Cathy
16
Maranatha Christian Academy Summer Reading Program
PhilosophyRational
Excellence in education requires a literary emphasis Philippians 48 says ldquoFinally brothers and
sisters whatever is true whatever is noble whatever is right whatever is pure whatever is
lovely whatever is admirablemdashif anything is excellent or praiseworthymdashthink about such
thingsrdquo A Christian literature program teaches students to read great literature and to think from
a Christian perspective Our program will promote critical reading and cultivate the habit of
reading with discernment and an awareness of larger contexts and deeper implications The
opportunity to evaluate a characterrsquos motivation behavior and the results of his behavior from a
Christian world view is a unique and valuable experience in Christian education Analytical
questions posed in the discussion of literature will prompt students to apply their knowledge of
Godrsquos laws and also sharpen and refine their own critical thinking skills
Disclaimer
Books for this list were carefully evaluated by comparing recommended lists from various
colleges and universities as well as lists from other Christian schools across the country
Selections were also based on the opinion experience and knowledge of the teachers in the
Maranatha English Department and each book was evaluated according to the Maranatha
Christian world view and mission Books were chosen to represent various reading abilities and
interests As a result you will find a wide range of books on the list
We recommend that parents actively participate in this process The moral tone and lessons
taught by these books are generally positive However some may have a few objectionable
elements that should be addressed in their context
16
Maranatha Christian Academy Summer Reading Program
PhilosophyRational
Excellence in education requires a literary emphasis Philippians 48 says ldquoFinally brothers and
sisters whatever is true whatever is noble whatever is right whatever is pure whatever is
lovely whatever is admirablemdashif anything is excellent or praiseworthymdashthink about such
thingsrdquo A Christian literature program teaches students to read great literature and to think from
a Christian perspective Our program will promote critical reading and cultivate the habit of
reading with discernment and an awareness of larger contexts and deeper implications The
opportunity to evaluate a characterrsquos motivation behavior and the results of his behavior from a
Christian world view is a unique and valuable experience in Christian education Analytical
questions posed in the discussion of literature will prompt students to apply their knowledge of
Godrsquos laws and also sharpen and refine their own critical thinking skills
Disclaimer
Books for this list were carefully evaluated by comparing recommended lists from various
colleges and universities as well as lists from other Christian schools across the country
Selections were also based on the opinion experience and knowledge of the teachers in the
Maranatha English Department and each book was evaluated according to the Maranatha
Christian world view and mission Books were chosen to represent various reading abilities and
interests As a result you will find a wide range of books on the list
We recommend that parents actively participate in this process The moral tone and lessons
taught by these books are generally positive However some may have a few objectionable
elements that should be addressed in their context