Summer Reading

SUMMER 2023

English

List of 7 items.

World Languages

Chinese

List of 7 items.

French

List of 9 items.

Portuguese

List of 6 items.

Spanish

List of 15 items.

History and Social Sciences

List of 3 items.

  • Rising 6th Grade

    Real Kids, Real Stories, Real Change
    Sundem, Garth
    ISBN: 9781575423500

  • Rising 7th Grade

    Blood on the River
    Carbone, Elisa
    ISBN: 9780142409329

  • Rising 8th Grade

    Pharaoh’s Daughter: A Novel of Ancient Egypt
    Lester, Julius
    ISBN: 9780152066628
While the History and Social Sciences Department is not requiring summer reading assignments for the upper school courses, students entering 9th through 12th grade are encouraged to read material that relates to the courses they will be taking in the fall. This will allow 9th- through 12th-grade students to select topics that appeal to them and expose them to a broader and more interesting range of readings. In order to give students some direction, H&SS faculty list below suggested readings for each of the upper school courses. We hope that students will seize this opportunity to engage in intellectual pursuit for its own sake, and we look forward to hearing their thoughts in August.

The optional readings below are designed to highlight the various voices and experiences of the respective disciplines. Students are encouraged to read these with a critical and analytical eye, considering the perspective of the author and how that perspective informs their texts. This sort of critical analysis will be emphasized throughout the year in all of our courses.

List of 24 items.

  • World Civilizations Since 1450

    The titles we have chosen to recommend are accessible works that all emphasize interaction between peoples and civilizations during and/or prior to the era we will primarily cover in ninth-grade World Civilizations. They will serve as a good introduction to many of the themes the students will encounter in the coming year.
    • Marc Aronson and Marina Budhos, Sugar Changed the World: A Story of Magic, Spice, Slavery, Freedom, and Science
    • Joshua Hammer, The Bad-Ass Librarians of Timbuktu and Their Race to Save the World’s Most Precious Manuscripts
    • James A. Millward, The Silk Road: A Very Short Introduction

  • U.S. History

    The optional readings below are designed to highlight the various voices and experiences that comprise the mosaic of United States history. None are meant to be definitive historical accounts, and all are written from a specific, unique perspective. Students are encouraged to read these with a critical and analytical eye, considering the perspective of the author and how that perspective informs their interpretation of historical events. This sort of critical analysis will be emphasized throughout the year in our U.S. History courses.
    • Ann Bausum, Stonewall: Breaking Out in the Fight for Gay Rights (New York: Speak, 2015).
    • Daniel K. Richter, Facing East from Indian Country: A Native History of Early America (Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press, 2002).
    • Ibram X. Kendi, Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America (New York: Bold Type Books, 2017).
    • Tina Cassidy, Mr. President, How Long Must We Wait?: Alice Paul, Woodrow Wilson, and the Fight for the Right to Vote (New York: 37 Ink/Atria Books, 2019).

  • Advanced American Studies

    Please see Rising 10th-Grade English above for the required reading.

    Additional suggested reading:
    • Ann Bausum, Stonewall: Breaking Out in the Fight for Gay Rights (New York: Speak, 2015).
    • Daniel K. Richter, Facing East from Indian Country: A Native History of Early America (Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press, 2002).
    • Ibram X. Kendi, Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America (New York: Bold Type Books, 2017).
    • Tina Cassidy, Mr. President, How Long Must We Wait?: Alice Paul, Woodrow Wilson, and the Fight for the Right to Vote (New York: 37 Ink/Atria Books, 2019).

  • Applied Ethics (STEM and Humanities)

    Suggested readings:
    • Practical Ethics, Peter Singer
    • What We Owe Each Other - T. M. Scanlon
    • Utilitarianism: For and Against, Bernard Williams

  • Black Voices in Social Movements

    Suggested readings:
    • W.E.B. DuBois and the Souls of Black Folk, Stephanie J. Shaw
    • The Three Mothers: How the Mothers of Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X, and James Baldwin Shaped a Nation, Anna Maliaka Tubbs

  • Capitalism in America

    Suggested readings:
    • 23 Things They Don’t Tell You About Capitalism, Ha-Joon Chang
    • Inequality: What Can Be Done?, Anthony B. Atkinson
    • I Love Capitalism, Ken Langone

  • Global Studies and Entrepreneurship

    Please read daily newspapers such as The Wall Street Journal, Miami Herald, and The New York Times as often as possible: You will want to focus on the Business or Economy sections of each newspaper. The Wall Street Journal offers the most comprehensive coverage in business, economics, technology and entrepreneurship. Do not be discouraged if you cannot understand much of the jargon; repeated exposure to the language of economics and business will improve your economic literacy over time.

    You can activate your free subscription to the following newspapers by following these steps: 
    1. Log into myCOMPASS
    2. Access the Library resource page, under Resources
    3. Click on the Dan Leslie Bowden Library image link
    4. Select the Research & Learn tab and click on Periodicals  
     
    Miami Herald
    The New Yorker
    Time Magazine
    Washington Post
    New York Times (English & Spanish editions)

    Additionally, please check out PBS's Agents for Change. This site provides inspiring and innovative global case studies in social entrepreneurship.

  • International Law and Human Rights

    Suggested reading:

    Dear Leader: My Escape from North Korea,     by Jang Jin-Sung

    In this memoir, a former top official in the North Korean regime provides a look into the dictatorial and murderous regime of Kim Jong Il, as well as his escape through China. Though the book does not directly tackle international law, it very much crosses paths with issues of human rights, as well as the responsibilities and challenges facing governments like those of China, Japan, and even the United States, which are forced to confront the complexity of dealing with human rights abuses in a globalized world. What responsibilities do countries have to combat the abuses of other countries, and to help those fleeing abuse? What role is there for the international community? When do countries get to set out their own legal norms, and when should the international community intervene?

    Warning: Portions of this book describe some instances of physical and sexual violence, particularly in Chapter 5 of Part 2.
     
    Note: If you have already read this book as part of AP Comparative Government, I suggest reading either of the books recommended for U.S. Criminal Justice, as they will help introduce you to thinking more about how the law operates and is enforced.

  • Journalism and Media Studies

    First and foremost, students taking Journalism and Media Studies next year are strongly advised to read the news attentively and regularly. The RE Upper School Library offers free access to numerous periodicals, including The New York Times, The Miami Herald, The New Yorker, The Wall Street Journal, and The Washington Post. Students can find instructions for accessing these periodicals here. They should also get into the habit of reading a wide variety of news sources from across the ideological spectrum – and set up push notifications to stay informed. 

    Additionally, students are encouraged to read any of the following book-length works of reporting and commentary: 

    • John Carreyrou, Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup (New York: Knopf, 2018)
    • Joan Didion, Slouching Towards Bethlehem (New York: FSG, 1968)
    • Ronan Farrow, Catch and Kill: Spies, Lies, and a Conspiracy to Protect Predators (New York: Little, Brown, 2019)
    • Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey, She Said (New York: Penguin, 2019)
    • Jia Tolentino, Trick Mirror (New York: Random House, 2019)

    Finally, students are also encouraged to listen to The Trojan Horse Affair, a podcast from Serial Productions and The New York Times.

  • Latin American Studies

    Suggested readings:
    • A Land So Strange: The Epic Journey of Cabeza de Vaca, Resendez, Andres
    • The Critique of Coloniality, Rita Segato, ed.
    • Potential History: Unlearning Imperialism, Ariella Azoulay
    • Necropolitics, Achilla Mbembe

  • Political Culture in the United States

    Suggested readings:
    • The 1619 Project: A New Origin Story - Nikole Hannah-Jones
    • The Great Demographic Illusion: Majority, Minority, and the Expanding American Mainstream - Richard Alba
    • Why We're Polarized - Ezra Klein

  • Principles of Economics

    Suggested readings:
    • Freakonomics, Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner
    • Thinking, Fast and Slow, Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tversky
    • The Undercover Economist, Tim Harford

  • Understanding Abrahamic Religions

    Suggested readings:
    • To Life!: A Celebration of Jewish Being and Thinking - Harold S. Kushner
    • The Chosen - Chaim Potok
    • Mere Christianity - C.S. Lewis
    • Beyond Belief - Elaine Pagels
    • No god but God - Reza Aslan

  • Understanding Dharmic Religions

    Suggested readings:
    • The Bhagavad Gita: A New Translation - Stephen Mitchell
    • The Dhammapada: Verses on the Way - The Buddha, Glenn Wallis (guide)
    • Awakening the Buddha Within - Lama Surya Das
    • The First Sikh Spiritual Master: Timeless Wisdom from the Life and Teachings of Guru Nanak - Harish Dhillon

  • The U.S. Criminal Justice System

    Suggested readings:
    • Devil In The Grove, by Gilbert King
    • The Divide, by Matt Taibbi

  • U.S. Policymaking at Home and Abroad

    Suggested readings:
    • The Submerged State: How Invisible Government Policies Undermine American Democracy - Suzanne Mettler
    • Remaking America: Democracy and Public Policy in an Age of Inequality - Joe Soss, Jacob S. Hacker, et al.
    • A World Safe for Democracy: Liberal Internationalism and the Crises of Global Order - G. John Ikenberry
    • Not One Inch: America, Russia, and the Making of Post–Cold War Stalemate - M. E. Sarotte

  • Advanced African Politics

    Suggested readings, movies and preparation:
    • Watch, Jamie Uys (1980), The Gods Must Be Crazy; part 1 and part 2.
    • Familiarize yourself with current events in Africa by subscribing and tuning in weekly to Jeffrey Paller and Philip Dube’s bulletin. Subscribe to the free option.
    • Read the first six chapters (Section 1) in Francis Kornegay. 2020. Africa and the World: Navigating Shifting Geopolitics. Mapungubwe Institute (MISTRA). ISBN: 978-0639995564.

    • AP Art History

    • AP Comparative Government and Politics

      Suggested readings:
      • Familiarize yourself with the key terms in Political Science here.
      • Familiarize yourself with the key terms in Political Economy, here.
      • Read David Miller. 2003. Political Philosophy: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford University Press; 1st edition.
      • Read Naomi Zack. 2023. Democracy: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford University Press.

    • AP Macro / Microeconomics

      Please read daily newspapers such as The Wall Street Journal, Miami Herald and The New York Times as often as possible: You will want to focus on the Business or Economy sections of each newspaper. The Wall Street Journal offers the most comprehensive coverage in business, economics, technology, and entrepreneurship. Do not be discouraged if you cannot understand much of the jargon; repeated exposure to the language of economics and business will improve your economic literacy over time.

      You can activate your free subscription to the following newspapers by following these steps: 
      1. Log into myCOMPASS
      2. Access the Library resource page, under Resources
      3. Click on the Dan Leslie Bowden Library image link
      4. Select the Research & Learn tab and click on Periodicals  
       
      Miami Herald
      The New Yorker
      Time Magazine
      Washington Post
      New York Times (English & Spanish editions)

    • AP European History

      Suggested readings:
      • Eugene F. Rice, Jr. and Anthony Grafton’s The Foundations of Early Modern Europe, 1460-1559 (W.W. Norton & Co., 2nd ed., 1994)
      • Carl E. Schorske, Fin-De-Siecle Vienna: Politics and Culture (University of Chicago Press, 1980).

    • AP Psychology

      Suggested readings:
      • Cohen, D. B. (1999). Stranger in the nest. Do parents really shape their child’s personality, intelligence or character? NY: John Wiley.
      • Eberhardt, J. L. (2020). Biased: Uncovering the hidden prejudice that shapes what we see, think, and do. NY: Penguin Books.
      • Kerr, J.H. (2006). Rethinking violence and aggression in sport. London: Routledge.
      • Lieberman, D. Z. (2018) The molecule of more: How a single chemical in your brain drives love, sex, and creativity – and will determine the fate of the human race. Dallas: BenBella Books, Inc.
      • Sacks, O. (1998). The man who mistook his wife for a hat. NY. Touchstone.
      • Seligman, M.R.P. (1990). Learned optimism. NY: Pocket Books.

    • AP U.S. Government & Politics

      Suggested readings:
      • What Money Can’t Buy, Michael Sandel
      • The Divide, Matt Taibbi

    • AP World History

      Suggested readings:
      • Patrick French, India: A Portrait
      • Vartan Gregorian, Islam: A Mosaic, Not a Monolith
      • Valerie Hansen, The Year 1000: When Explorers Connected the World – and Globalization Began
      • Adam Hochschild, King Leopold’s Ghost: A Story of Greed, Terror, and Heroism in Colonial Africa
      • Gordon Kerr, A Short History of China: From Ancient Dynasties to Economic Powerhouse
      • Mark Kurlansky, Salt: A World History
      • Erez Manela, The Wilsonian Moment: Self-Determination and the International Origins of Anticolonial Nationalism
      • Odd Arne Westad, The Global Cold War
      • Eric Wolf, Sons of the Shaking Earth
    For further information regarding summer reading, please email Arthur Hoffmann, Director of Book and Online Stores, or email Sara Scarfone, Upper School Bookstore Associate.

    Middle School

    2045 South Bayshore Drive, Coconut Grove, FL 33133
    Phone: 305 250 6850

    Upper School

    3575 Main Highway, Coconut Grove, FL 33133
    Phone: 305 460 8800
    Founded in 1903, Ransom Everglades School is a coeducational, college preparatory day school for grades 6 - 12 located on two campuses in Coconut Grove, Florida. Ransom Everglades School produces graduates who "believe that they are in the world not so much for what they can get out of it as for what they can put into it." The school provides rigorous college preparation that promotes the student's sense of identity, community, personal integrity and values for a productive and satisfying life, and prepares the student to lead and to contribute to society.