At the end of every school year, students are given a list of books that have to be read over the summer months in preparation for their return in the fall. Students and teachers alike both have varying thoughts and opinions on this topic.   

Mr. Richard Roper, British Literature teacher and College Counselor who is now entering his 45th year at Malvern Prep, has always found summer reading to be of good use. He says that growing up in the Catholic Archdiocese caused him to read intensive literary works.

“I wanted to go with something that would be a reflection of the culture we would be exploring, but not be such a horrible chore to get through,” he said. 

Junior Luke Guenthner, a student in Roper’s honors class, enjoyed the uniqueness of each of Roper’s books. 

“I liked this year’s summer reading more than previous years,” he said. “In past years, many of the stories seemed to have similar themes and topics, while this year, each story was very different.”

When asked if he had a favorite out of the three novels, Roper said, “It’s like asking me if I like King Lear or Lord of the Rings better.” 

Julian Williams ’21, a student in Mr. Jason Sammartino’s AP Literature and Composition class enjoyed his summer reading books and felt that they kept him engaged over the summer months. 

“I thought they were interesting, I think Mr. Sammartino picked some thought provoking books to read.”

Williams found that his favorite book was “A Lucky Man,” by Jamel Brinkley, though he enjoyed all the books that were assigned.

“I really didn’t have a least favorite, they were all pretty good,” said Williams.

Roper still believes strongly in summer reading, now after teaching at Malvern Prep for over four decades.

“There is a need to keep your brain going to a certain extent. I do hope that we don’t get away from summer reading.”