May 2023
Aloha e Nā Haumāna,
Our school year is quickly coming to an end and, for many of you, summer can’t come fast enough! It is time to find and read a book or two or three. Your English teachers want your Summer Reading experience to:
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- Celebrate reading
- Create a culture of reading
- Offer you choice
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Look for book(s) that pique your interest or feeds your passion, which means, if you don’t like a book, choose another. At least ONE book needs to be read by the end of summer. Here are a few thoughts and links to help you choose and to meet your grade level expectations:
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- Freshman, you may to choose any book from this list for your Summer Reading: English 9: Summer Reading list. If you would like to gain approval for a book outside of the list, please submit your selection for English 9 Kumu approval [see instructions and link to application at the bottom of the English 9: SR list].
- Sophomores and Juniors, you may either choose a book from English 9: Summer Reading list or ANY book of interest, excluding:
- Those books that engage in inappropriate topics;
- Please don’t embarrass your kumu and our school
- NO Fifty Shades Freed
- Those books that engage in inappropriate topics;
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- Seniors: Your Senior kumu designed Ē Ola! Senior English Semester Course Summer Reading response options along with making “possible” book suggestions to get you started.
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Our HONORS English program requires specific books from a shorter list, since the Summer Reading is incorporated into the school year course. Please access the highlighted link for your Honors class assignment:
And for those of you, who are still struggling to find a book, pick one of the top five favorite books of your kumu—see our lists under our faculty pictures.
Try getting your reading out of the way early! For readers grades 9-11, here are five possible ways to complete your requirement before moving on to your next book:
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- Write a letter back to the author expressing your opinions (“Rocked it” and/or “Hated it”) about the book they wrote.
- Write a short story explaining where you think the main character would be in 10 years.
- Choose two people or characters from two different novels (read during the summer) that you think would be great friends and explain why.
- If you choose to read a book that is also a movie, compare and contrast say for instance, the New York bestseller novel, The Sun is Also A Star written by Nicola Yoon TO the movie version that is now streaming on Netflix.
- If you would prefer to wait until school starts, your kumu will provide an opportunity for you to share all about your chosen book.
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Finally, as English kumu, we understand that accessing hard-copies of books in our current pandemic can be a challenge, so we encourage you to use apps available through Midkiff Learning Center [sign-in using username + pswd in SSO] and the Hawaiʻi State Public Library System.
Have a fantastic summer!!!
Kumu Kaiwi
English Department Head
Kamehameha Schools—Kapalama
210 Konia Circle
Honolulu, Hawaiʻi 96817
(808) 842-8578