English Department Summer Reading Policy Statement:
Summer reading serves a number of purposes. First, summer reading is diagnostic. It provides teachers a means of assessing students’ critical thinking, reading comprehension, and writing skills. Next, summer reading is academic. It keeps students academically engaged over the summer, and it sets a tone for the level of rigor students should expect in any English class in the coming year. Last, and perhaps most important, summer reading is communal. It provides students a vehicle for cultural literacy, choice, and personal growth and independence of thought.