Dear Anacapa Students:

About the required books: For each grade level there is one required book. English classes will be using these books at the beginning of the year, so be sure that you are prepared. You will be asked to discuss and write about them. They can be purchased from local bookstores (Chaucer's will have extra copies on hand for us) or borrowed from the Public Library.

Required for students entering 7th and 8th grades: The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain.

This book is one of the most popular and irresistible tales in American Literature. Tom Sawyer and his friend, Huckleberry Finn, experience all sorts of adventures and get into many scrapes which are narrated in the richly humorous and sympathetic style of one of America’s finest raconteurs.

Required for students entering 9th - 12th grades: The Life of Pi by Yann Martel.

One of the most popular novels of the twenty-first century, The Life of Pi recounts the adventures of Pi, a sixteen-year-old boy who is the son of a zoo keeper in India. Martel's story is comic, brutal, dramatic, and philosophical. You'll never forget Pi's journey or the remarkable Richard Parker. Think about how Martel manages to make Pi's astonishing journey plausible.

Required reading for students in Advanced Placement Literature: Great Expectations by Charles Dickens.

Young Pip goes to the churchyard to look at the graves of his parents when he is accosted by an escaped convict who threatens to “have his heart and liver out”. Pip’s great adventures begin when he helps the convict file off his shackles and continue through many Dickensian experiences and characters. Several parallel plots keep us entertained and curious as we watch Pip grow up. This novel is a “must” for anyone taking the AP Exam. It’s long; get an early start!

About the recommended books: We also offer a list of recommended books for your enjoyment and edification. The books on this list were chosen for their literary value and their importance, but primarily because they are fun to read. They should be easy to get at the Public Library or bookstores.

Questions? Feel free to contact me at mwlauer@impulse.net or 737-1154.

Have a great summer!

Peggy Lauer