One School, One Book

You may have heard of the One Town, One Book initiative that many local libraries have promoted over the last few years. This summer we are launching our own One School, One Book campaign to encourage conversations and develop our mission. The goal of this campaign is to get as many members of the Notre Dame community (students, parents, teachers, alumni) to read a book that relates to our mission of building character, faith, and intellect.  

In our selected book, Have a Little Faith, Mitch Albom (author of Tuesdays with Morrie) writes about two men of faith. One is his childhood rabbi, a man of wit and grace who has asked Mitch to give his eulogy. The other is a Christian pastor with a troubled past and mission to serve the homeless. While the author gets to know these two men, he begins to think about his own faith.

Summer Reading List 2015

In addition to the One School, One Book: Have a Little Faith by Mitch Albom:

Honors and High Honors 

Additionally, students in Honors and High Honors English classes will have to choose a work of fiction or nonfiction that explores character, faith, or intellect. Some suggested titles are included below, but students may choose another comparable book. The American Library Association YALSA awards is a great place to look for titles (http://www.ala.org/yalsa/booklistsawards/bookawards). We encourage parents to work with students to find a book that is interesting and appropriate. Students will write an in-class essay on this choice during the first week of school.

Character

Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell

Faith

The Little Way of Ruthie Leming by Rod Dreher

All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr

The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd

Left to Tell: Discovering God Amidst the Rwandan Holocaust by Immaculée Ilibagiza

Intellect

Individual Courses

(Students in the following classes are also required to read an additional third book)

• AP Humanities: How Dante Can Save Your Life by Rod Dreher

• High Honors American Literature: The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway

• AP British Literature: Frankenstein by Mary Shelley