As students progress through their high school careers, teachers and counselors are constantly recommending to push themselves academically by taking more difficult courses. Some Advanced Placement, or AP, and honors classes implement summer reading in order to prepare students for what is ahead.  

“We [teachers] expect to constantly read and write on a deeper level,” Tabitha Roper, AP literature teacher, said.  

The summer reading that students are expected to complete is practice for the criteria of the class. Over summer, students tend to forget most of what they have been taught. Reading over summer and analyzing the text is a great preview for what students should expect from the class. 

“We are setting a high expectation from the beginning,” Roper said.  

Teachers who require summer reading pick a familiar nonfiction book that may be challenging, yet still entertaining.  

“Summer reading would be seen as troublesome since it is the summer, and of course no one wants to work, but it was actually helpful. I am not one to go to the library during the summer, so being able to read an assigned book was kind of easier. I really liked it, and I would recommend it to anyone,” Ivana Ogbomoh, sophomore, said.  

Most summers, the AP Language teachers decide to assign Erik Larson’s Devil in the White City, for students to read over summer. Students must complete a major works data sheet, a document that students fill out to better understand the book. 

“I enjoyed the novel and the Socratic Seminar as I was able to share my ideas and thoughts on the novel with my peers,” Alexis Hart, junior, said.  

Honors World Literature teachers assigned The Alchemist for their students.  

AP students read A Thousand Splendid Suns annotating the book along with completing a major works data sheet.  

“I feel it is beneficial because it gets us ready for the school year and especially this year we use it quite a bit,” Timothy Gatto, senior, said.  

For AP World History, students chose one book from list which included: An Edible History of Humanity, A Little History of the World, Salt, History of the World in 6 Glasses, Guns, or Germs and Steel. 

Summer reading is meant to benefit and prepare students for what is to come in the class. What may seem like a burden pays off in the long run.