As students embark on their summer vacation adventures, they will be required to read at least one book prior to the start of the 2019-2020 academic year.
The English Department has collaborated with the Science Department in choosing the selections this year. Last year, the English Department paired with Theology for a reading experience that included events and activities throughout the year with An Uncomplicated Life and Just Mercy. Unlike in past year, there will be no test administered upon returning to school in the fall. Instead, students will complete online assignments on Schoology as they read the book, all of which will be due the day before school begins.
“We don’t want the students to be distracted by finishing their summer reading when they come back to school in the fall,” Science Department chair Regina Goines said.
Incoming freshman and sophomores will read The House of the Scorpion by Nancy Farmer, and juniors and seniors will read The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot.
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks is a non-fiction novel that follows a journalist who is investigating the life of an African American woman who died of cancer, but whose cells became the first immortal human tissue. The novel also tackles injustices regarding socioeconomic status. Goines described the novel as “tragic but very interesting, and important.”
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The House of the Scorpion is a fictional story that explores the ethical treatment of human life in regards to cloning. This book was chosen to challenge students to think about the value of human life and treating others with respect. According to Goines, one of the main themes in the novel is “the idea that my life is not more important than your life.”
“We put in a great deal of time and effort in choosing books that we think will be interesting to our students. We hope that by not having a test and instead having ongoing reading activities will result in an overall positive summer reading experience for all,” said English Department chair Angie Noble.
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In addition to the required summer reading for English and Science, the library is hoping students will read beyond what is required and will launch Summer Book Bingo on May 24. The activity will be open to students and faculty and will run through August 21. The objective is to read different genres or categories of books and mark them on a bingo card. Assistant Librarian Jane Ray explained the process to play: “Download a book bingo card from the Library group on Schoology, and record the titles of the books you read.” All bingo cards must be emailed to Ray before August 21 to receive a prize and be entered for a chance to win a $50 Amazon gift card.
The McNicholas Milestone 