RPHS Summer Reading 2026

All English Courses

All RPHS English courses (excluding AP English III) will be following the FBISD district guidelines regarding summer reading.

During the summer, we encourage parents and families to commit to 30 minutes a day of reading texts of their choice while school is not in session. Research suggests that this simple commitment provides growth in vocabulary, fluency, background knowledge, and overall comprehension.

AP English III (AP Language & Composition)

The AP English 3 course focuses on the rhetorical function of language and composition in nonfiction texts. There is a particular emphasis on writer’s claim, linguistic structures and their effects, audience, and intentionality. To prepare for this course and to begin course work immediately, students are required to read one of the following two books over the summer. Assignments will begin soon after the first day of school.

Annotating the book is not required; however, this may be a way to encourage deeper understanding and appreciation of the book.

It may benefit students to ask these essential questions:

• What is the writer’s overarching claim presented in this book?
• How would I describe this author’s writing style?
• How does this text impact me as the reader?

Book Choices: Choose one of these books to read and complete by the start of the 2026-2027 school year.

• Damn Few: The Making of the Modern SEAL Warrior

By Rorke Denver and Ellis Henican (2013)

• The Other Wes Moore: One Name, Two Fates

By Wes Moore (2010)