Holly Springs High - Honors English Suggested Reading Lists
Students enrolling in Honors English for the 2006-07 school year are encouraged to read the following books as preparation for their upcoming Honors English course. Books may be checked out of a library or bought at a used book store. Your knowledge of these books will be helpful as you complete your course work in your Honors English class.
Recommended Selections
Honors English I
- Ray Bradbury, Something Wicked This Way Comes
- John Knowles, A Separate Peace
- Margaret Craven, I Heard the Owl Call My Name
- Movie: The Princess Bride
Honors English II
- Franz Kafka, The Metamorphosis
- Alexandre Dumas, The Count of Monte Cristo (abridged)
- Hesse, Hermann, Siddhartha
- Movie: Life Is Beautiful
Tricks of the Trade
- Keep a reading journal as you read, stopping periodically to record your thoughts, ask questions you don't really know the answer to, or just argue with a character or the author.
- Make movies in your head. What do the characters look like? What does the setting look like?
- If you purchase a book, write in the book. Start each chapter with a few notes on what plot events happen in that chapter. Bracket confusing passages and ask questions in the margin. Record your feelings as you read certain passages.
- Look for flaws or inconsistencies in the novel. Be a critic!
- Think of ways the novel you are reading compares with other novels you have read
- Bring a list of "thick" questions to class with you on the first day. "Thick" questions are those that there may not be just one "right" answer to, but address ambiguities and confusions in the book.
English Department Chair: Sara Overby, soverby@wcpss.net