Summer 2024 Reading Assignments

Reading broadly and intelligently are essential components of a good education, and Blair faculty members encourage reading throughout the year. The summer is no exception, which is why all Blair students are encouraged to read a minimum of five fiction or nonfiction books over the summer.

Students should read a minimum of five books over the summer months, including titles of their choosing in addition to those required by their teachers, and depending upon their courses, they may also have associated assignments and/or assessments to complete.

Titles for 2024 summer reading assignments are listed below. New and returning students enrolled in certain language courses for the 2024-2025 academic year must also complete summer work. Details about the summer work for language courses are linked in the list below. 

Requirements for Selected Courses (listed by department) for 2024-2025:

English

Students are required to read one class-specific book and one additional book from a curated list provided by the department in the link below. Here are the class specific books:

English 1: Born a Crime by Trevor Noah
English 2: Interior Chinatown by Charles Yu
American Studies and Rhetoric: Into the Wild by John Krakauer
Advanced English Seminars: Students enrolling in these courses should check back on August 1 once enrollments are finalized for the 2024-25 school year. The summer reading for each specific section will be listed at that time. 
Meaning of Life: Oedipus Rex by Sophocles
African American Literature 1: The Man Who Lived Underground by Richard Wright
America by Road 1: Travels with Charley  by John Steinbeck
The Literature of Broadway Musicals Broadway Musicals: Show by Show (9th edition) by Stanley Green. After perusing the Broadway Musicals book, read about three musicals in depth and prepare to present those musicals to the class at the start of the year. You will be asked to write about one of the musicals from the book in a short essay. 
Modernism and Melancholy: Mourning and Melancholia by Sigmund Freud in preparation for the first day of classes. Found here.
Nuns, Guns and Roses: The Master’s Tools Will Never Dismantle the Master’s House by Audrey Lorde 
Philosophy and Literature: How to Be a Stoic (Penguin Great Ideas) Dobbin, Costa et al
Reel Reading: A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams
Science Fiction and Fantasy:  Read the wikipedia page “Three Laws of Robotics” in its entirety for discussion on AI to start the year. Found here. 
4-3-2-1: “A Modest Proposal” (Jonathan Swift).  This can be accessed online without needing a particular text. Read for details and prepare to discuss satire upon return in the fall.

The English department has curated a list of recommended books for summer reading in the following link:

Summer Reading 2024

All students are expected to read at least one book from this list. In the first week back, every student will complete a writing exercise on the book they read from this list. Please plan to return to Blair with a hard copy of one of the books you read from the list.

History

Modern European History: Please read the article shared here. The first page has a writing assignment to complete and bring with you for the start of school. All work is due at the first class meeting. 

Advanced Survey US History: Read this selection from Charles Mann’s 1491: here. Annotate as you read, write down three to five main ideas from the reading and develop a discussion question to guide our talk about the reading at our first meeting. 

Advanced Survey European History: Mrs. Brandwood requests students complete this assignment.

Fine Arts

Advanced Survey Art History: Culture: The Story of Us, From Cave Art to K-Pop by Martin Puchner
Advanced Portfolio: Click here for the assingment from Mrs. Sykes, Mrs. Trish and Mr. Trish.

Language 

Summer work in language courses differs by grade level and language studied. Please review the below requirements closely and click on the appropriate link.

Spanish 2/2H: Click here for the assignment from Mr. Devaney and Mr. Ince.
Spanish 3/3H: Click here for the assignment from Dr. Mundo and Mr. Coronado.
Spanish 4 Regular: Click here for the assignment from Dr. Mundo.
Advanced Seminar Spanish-American Film & Culture: Click here for the assignment from Ms. Castillo.
Advanced Survey: Spanish Language: Click here for the assignment from Mr. Devaney.
French 2: Click here for fun ways to stay connected to French.
French 3/3H: Click here for fun ways to stay connected to French.
Advanced Survey: French Language: Click here to join the 24-25 Google Classroom and complete the summer homework.
And, here are more fun ways to stay connected to French.    
Advanced Seminar: French Current Events: Click here to join the 24-25 Google Classroom and complete the summer homework.
And, here are more fun ways to stay connected to French.    
All Chinese students entering level 2 or higher: Click here for the assignment from Mrs. Wang.
All Latin students entering level 2 or higher: Click here for the assignment from Mr. Harvard. 

Mathematics

Precalculus/Calculus A: Mr. Molteni and Mr. Link will share an assignment with enrolled students to be completed in August in advance of the first day of classes. This will be a study guide assignment which reviews key building block concepts for the fall term. 

Advanced Seminar Differential Calculus: Mr. Murray and Mr. Grady will share a review problem set in August to be completed before the first day of the fall term. 

Advanced Survey Integral Calculus & Sequences and Series: Mr. Browse and Ms. Chen will share an assignment with enrolled students to be completed in August in advance of the first day of classes. This will be a study guide assignment which reviews key building block concepts for the fall term. 

Science

Chemistry Honors: Stuff Matters: Exploring the Marvelous Materials that Shape our Man-made World by Mark Miodownik. Dr. Sayers and Ms. Ehrenwerth ask that you review and respond to this document as part of the assignment.

Advanced Survey: Biology: Chapters 1-3 reading and notes in Campbell Biology in Focus AP Edition 3rd Edition. Complete all of the Active Reading Guide questions for each chapter (Chapter 1 Active Reading Guide, Chapter 2 Active Reading Guide, Chapter 3 Active Reading Guide).

Advanced Seminar: Organic Chemistry: Please read this document; contact Dr. Sayers with questions or concerns.