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Darlington County Summer Reading Lists

(We will add lists as we receive information from the schools.)

ALL Darlington County Elementary & Middle Schools
Hartsville High School
Emmanuel Christian School
Mayo High School
Thomas Hart Academy


ALL Darlington County Elementary & Middle Schools    (PRINTABLE - CLICK HERE)
  • Rising 1st Graders - (Read AT LEAST 4 books from the following list)
    • Jo MacDonald Had a Garden by Mary Quattlebaum
      Any titles in the following series
    • Dora the Explorer Ready to Read Series Level 1 by various authors
    • Jon Scieszka's Ready to Read Trucktown Level 1 by Jon Scieszka
    • My First I Can Read Mittens Level 1 by Lola Schaefer
    • My First I Can Read Series Level 1 by various authors
    • Olivia Ready to Read Series Level 1 by various authors
    • Robin Hill School Ready to Read Series Level 1 by Margaret McNamara
  • Rising 2nd Graders - (Read AT LEAST 4 books from the following list)
    • Cool Cars and Trucks by Sean Kenney
    • Racecar Alphabet by Brian Floca
      Any titles in the following series
    • Mercy Watson Series by Kate Dicamillo
    • National Geographic Kids Series Level 1 by various authors
    • Pinkalicious I Can Read Series Level by Victoria Kann
    • Rotten Ralph series by Jack Gantos
  • Rising 3rd Graders - (Read AT LEAST 4 books from the following list)
      Any titles in the following series
    • Flat Stanley's Worldwide Adventures Series by various authors
    • Magic Tree House Series by Mary Pope Osborne
    • National Geographic Kids Series Level 2 by various authors
    • Ricky Ricotta's Might Robot Series by Dav Pilkey
    • Skippyjon Jones series by Judith Schachner
    • Spaceheadz series by Jon Scieszka
  • Rising 4th Graders - (Read AT LEAST 4 books from the following list)
      Any titles in the following series
    • Geronimo Stilton Series by Geronimo Stilton
    • Innerstar University Series by various authors
    • Katie Kazoo Switcheroo Series by Nancy Krulik
    • Kitty Corner Series by Ellen Miles
    • My Weird School Series by Dan Gutman
    • Nancy Drew and the Clue Crew Series by Carolyn Keene
    • Puppy Place Series by Ellen Miles
    • Super Diaper Baby Series by Dav Pilkey
    • Vet Volunteers Series by Laurie Anderson
  • Rising 5th Graders - (Read AT LEAST 4 books from the following list)
    • Dog Whisperer Storm Warning by Nicholas Edwards
    • Mr. Chickee's Funny Money by Christopher Curtis
      Any titles in the following series
    • American Girl Mystery Series by various authors
    • Captain Underpants Series by Dav Pilkey
    • Horse Diaries Series by various authors
    • I Survived Series by Lauren Tarshis
    • Lunch Lady Series by Jarrett Krosoczka
  • Rising 6th Graders - (Read AT LEAST 4 books from the following list)
    • Invasion of the Dognappers by Patrick Jennings
    • Smiles to Go by Jerry Spinelli
    • Soul Surfer by Bethany Hamilton
    • Star in the Forest by Laura Resau
    • Treasure of Amelia Island by M. C. Finotti
    • Zora and Me by Victoria Bond
      Any titles in the following series
    • Cupcake Diaries Series by Coco Simon
    • Guys Read Series by various authors
    • Jack Henry Adventures Series by Jack Gantos
    • Secret Series by Pseudonymous Bosch
    • Shark Wars Series by Ernie Altbacker
    • Time Travel Adventures Series by Elvira Woodruff & Margo Sorenson
    • Weenies Series by David Lubar
  • Rising 7th Graders - (Read AT LEAST 4 books from the following list)
    • Bystander by James Preller
    • Falling In by Frances Dowell
    • Famous For Thirty Seconds by P.G. Cain
    • Just Another Day in My Insanely Real Life by Barbara Dee
    • Lucky Cap by Patrick Jennings
    • River by Gary Paulsen
    • Seeing Cinderella by Jenny Lundquist
    • Trauma Queen by Barbara Dee
      Any titles in the following series
    • Baseball Card Adventures Series by Dan Gutman
    • Club CSI Series by David Lewman
    • Warrior Sheep Series by Chris Russell
  • Rising 8th Graders - (Read AT LEAST 4 books from the following list)
    • As Easy As Falling Off the Face of the Earth by Lynne Rae Perkins
    • Bird in a Box by Andrea Pinkney
    • Flat Broke by Gary Paulsen
    • Forge by Laurie Anderson
    • I Am a Seal Team Six Warrior by Howard Wasdin
    • Liar Liar by Gary Paulsen
    • Locked in Time by Lois Duncan
    • Ninth Ward by Jewell Parker Rhodes
    • Princess of the Midnight Ball by Jessica Day George
    • Summer of May by Cecilia Galante
    • Time Travelers by Linda Buckley-Archer
    • Toby Wheeler 8th Grade Benchwarmer by Thatcher Heldring
    • What Momma Left Me by Renee Watson
      Any titles in the following series
    • Daniel X Series by James Patterson
    • Go for Gold Gymnastics Series by Dominique Moceanu
    • Maximum Ride Series by James Patterson
    • Secret of the Immortal Nicholas Flame Series by Michael Scott
    • Skeleton Creek Series by Patrick Carman
    • Theodore Boone Series by John Grisham
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Hartsville High School     (PRINTABLE - CLICK HERE)
  • Schoolwide - (Choose one title)
    • ALL students must complete double journal
    • Dirty Little Secrets by C. J. Omololu
    • Kick by Walter Dean Myers
    • Matched by Ally Condie
    • Maze Runner by James Dashner
  • English II Honors
    • Choose one from Schoolwide AND
    • The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
  • English III Honors
    • Choose one from Schoolwide AND
    • The Great Gatsby - F. Scott Fitzgerald
  • English IV Honors
    • Choose one from Schoolwide AND
    • The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
  • English V Honors
    • Choose one from Schoolwide AND 1 from below:
    • Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut
    • The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein
    • The Prince of Tides by Pat Conroy
    • The Road by Cormac McCarthy
    • The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien
  • IB HL1 Juniors
    • Choose one from Schoolwide AND
    • The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien AND 1 from below:
    • A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway
    • All the Pretty Horses by Cormac McCarthy
    • The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison
  • IB HL2 Seniors
    • Choose one from Schoolwide AND BOTH below:
    • A Doll's House by Henrik Ibsen
    • One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn
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Emmanuel Christian School     (PRINTABLE - CLICK HERE)
  • Grades 6 through 12
    • In an effort to encourage continuing education throughout the summer, while still giving students a break from school, this summer's reading project has been simplified in order to expand the student's choices of books to read and to open up an avenue of new authors that they may not be waare of. The following steps will help the student complete the summer project which will be due Monday, August 20 (first day of classes).

    • STEP ONE: Choose an author from one of the Christian authors below. Christian non-fiction may also be read, as some of thes authors write non-fiction as well.
      • Aiken, Ginny
      • Alcorn, Randy
      • Alexander, Hannah
      • Baer, Judy
      • Bedford, Deborah
      • Bell, James Scott
      • Blackwell, Lawana
      • Andy Braner
      • Bright, Bill
      • Bunyan, John
      • Burkett, Larry
      • Caldwell, Taylor
      • Carlson, Melody
      • Chan, Francis
      • Clairmont, Patsy
      • Colson, Chuck
      • Colson, Constance
      • Copeland, Lori
      • Coyle, Neva
      • Jim Cymbala
      • Davis, Bryan
      • Dekker, Ted
      • Hayley Dimarco
      • Dobson, James
      • Ryan Dobson
      • Jonathan Edwards
      • Evans, Richard Paul
      • Fischer, John
      • Ken Freeman
      • Gray, Maurice M
      • Hamner, Earl
      • Harris, Alex & Brett
      • Harris, Joshua
      • Healy, Erin
      • Henderson, Dee
      • Higgs, Liz Curtis
      • Hill, Grace Livingston
      • Hill, Ruth Livingston
      • Huggins, James Byron
      • Hunt, Angela Elwell
      • Illinik, C J
      • Ingermanson, Randall
      • Jenkins, Jerry
      • Jeremiah, David
      • Kennedy, D. James
      • Kingsbury, Karen
      • LaHaye, Tim
      • Lawrence, Bro.
      • Lewis, Beverly
      • Lewis, C S
      • Lucado, Max
      • Ludy, Eric & Leslie
      • Marshall, Catherine
      • Marzulli, L A
      • McDowell, Josh
      • Meier, Paul
      • Miller, Judith
      • Morris, Gilbert
      • Myers, Bill
      • Oke, Janette
      • Palmer, Catherine
      • Pella, Judith
      • Peretti, Frank
      • Peterson, Tracie
      • Piper, John
      • Platt, David
      • Raney, Deborah
      • Rivers, Francine
      • Scanlon, Bethany
      • Schaap, James
      • Sheldon, Charles
      • Spurgeeon,Charles
      • Stanley, Andy
      • Stanley, Charles
      • Swindol, Chuck
      • Thomas, Jacquelin
      • Tolkien, J R R
      • Vaughn, Ellen
      • Wick, Lori
      • Windsor, Linda
      • Wise, Robert
      • Young, William P
    • STEP TWO: Choose a book written by the chosen author. Students in sixth through eighth grades must choose a book with at least 125 pages. Students in ninth through twelfth grades, a book with at least 225 pages. The book must never have been read by the student.

    • STEP THREE: Read the book. Parents must verify (by signature, see printable form) the student has read the book, and not Cliff's Notes or other literature guide. Signed statement MUST be turned in with the project.

    • STEP FOUR: Complete a poster about the book that includes the following:
      • Book Title
      • Pictures of the book or that depict the story
      • List of main characters
      • Main plot summary
      • Author/Publisher/Number of pages/Genre
      The posters will be on display during the first weeks of the new school year. BE SURE TO PRINT THE INSTRUCTIONS AND THE PARENT VERIFICATION.
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Mayo High School MST     (PRINTABLE - CLICK HERE)
  • College Prep English I-V - (Choose one)
    • Ghosts of War: The True Story of a 19 Year Old GI by Ryan Smithson
    • Girl in the Arena by Lisa Haines
    • Gray Baby: A Novel by Scott Loring Sanders
    • Hate List by Jennifer Brown
    • Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld
    • Once a Witch by Carolyn MacCullough
    • Shine by Lauren Myracle
    • Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater
  • English 2 Honors - (Choose one AND one book from the College Prep list)
    • A Separate Peace by John Knowles
    • Night by Elie Wiesel
  • English 3 Honors - (Choose one AND one book from the College Prep list)
    • Beach Music by Pat Conroy
    • The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
    • The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan
    • Our Town by Thornton Wilder AND A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams
  • English 4 Honors - (Choose one AND one book from the College Prep list)
    • Hard Times by Charles Dickens
    • Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
    • Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
    • Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
  • English 5 Honors - (Choose one from EACH list)
      LIST 1
    • A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving
    • Hard Times by Charles Dickens
    • The Mayor of Casterbridge by Thomas Hardy
    • To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf
      LIST 2
    • Crazy Love by Francis Chan
    • The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom
    • The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch
    • Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom
  • English AP - (Choose one)
    • Beloved by Toni Morrison (has adult content)
    • Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison
    • The Awakening by Kate Chopin
    • The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver
      AND Read the chapters assigned in the following books:
    • How to Read Literature Like a Professor by Foster
    • Reading Like a Writer by Prose
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Thomas Hart Academy     (PRINTABLE - CLICK HERE)
  • 4th Grade - (Choose TWO)
    • A Dog On His Own by Mary Jane Auch
    • Anything But Typical by Nora Raleigh Baskin
    • Beneath My Mother's Feet by Amjed Qamar
    • Clara Barton Founder of the America Red Cross by Augusta Stevenson
    • Davy Crockett Young Rifleman by Aileen Parks
    • No Talking by Andrew Clements
    • Return to Sender by Julia Alvarez
    • Shift by Jennifer Bradbury
    • Smiles to Go by Jerry Spinnelli
    • The American Flag by Debbie Yanuck
    • The Gollywhopper Games by Jody Feldman
    • The Magic Thief by Sarah Prineas
    • The Potato Chip Puzzle by Eric Berlin
      Required to purchase and turn in on the first day of school:
    • Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson
    • Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt
  • 5th Grade - (Choose TWO)
    • 100 Days and 99 Nights by Alan Madison
    • Any book in the Alex Rider Series by Anthony Horowitz
    • Any book in the Dear Dumb Diary Series by Jim Benton
    • Any book in the Judy Moody Series by Megan McDonald
    • Any book in the Seekers Series by Erin Hunter
    • Any book in the Shark Wars Series by E. J. Altbacker
    • Any book in the Warriors Series by Erin Hunter
    • Any book in the 39 Clues Series by various authors
    • Davy Crockett by Elaine Alphin
    • Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell
    • Lost and Found by Andrew Clements
    • Savvy by Ingrid Law
    • Smiles to Go by Jerry Spinelli
    • The Gollywhopper Games by Judy Feldman
    • The Magic Thief by Sarah Prineas
      Required to purchase and turn in on the first day of school:
    • Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli
    • Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls
  • 6th Grade - (Choose AT LEAST ONE)
    • Any book from The Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins
    • Anne Frank and Me by Cherie Bennett
    • The Blue Sword by Robin McKinley
    • Also Known as Harper by Ann Haywood Leal
    • All the Broken Pieces by Ann E. Burg
    • Camp Confidential: Jenna's Dilemma by Melissa J. Morgan
    • Camp Confidential: Natalie's Secret by Melissa J. Morgan
    • Empress of Elsewhere by Theresa Nelson
    • Julie of the Wolves by Joan Craighead George
    • The Secret Garden by Frances Burnett
    • Any book in the Nancy Drew Series by Carolyn Keene
    • The Heart of a Shepherd by Rosanne Parry
    • Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld
    • Operation Redwood by Susannah T. French
    • Hoot by Carl Hiaasen
    • Flush by Carl Hiaasen
    • Seat by Carl Hiaasen
  • 7th Grade -
    Girls:
    • Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
    • One book of your choice approved by your teacher by June 1st
    Boys:
    • Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
    • Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins
  • 8th Grade -
    • Choose 2 books approved by your teacher by June 1st
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