Each Westminster student will be required to build a metaphoric bookshelf during his or her years at Westminster. Students will create and keep a list of all the books they read between 7th and 12th grade (both books they read as part of the curriculum and books they choose on their own). This list can be maintained on Goodreads or on a spreadsheet shared with each student’s English teacher.

As a baseline, each student will add a minimum of five books to his/her bookshelf each year. This list of five will consist of the following:

• 1 book of choice from the Westminster Bookshelf (view the PDF version).

• 1 book recommended to the student by a parent, teacher, mentor, coach, pastor, etc.

• 1 book recommended to the student by a friend.

• 1 book discovered by the student.

• Students will also add a minimum of one book they read from the curriculum.

The books that comprised the Westminster 100 will be part of the Westminster Bookshelf, from which students will still select titles to read and add to their own bookshelf. Westminster’s bookshelf will not be static, but will instead be updated at the end of each school year based upon teacher and student recommendations.

The Westminster Bookshelf is divided into three levels based upon reading difficulty and age-appropriateness. These divisions are merely suggestions. Students may select books from any level during their time at Westminster. You can view the bookshelf in its entirety and by division below.

All Grades  |  7th-8th Grade Shelf  |  9-10th Grade Shelf  |  11th-12th Grade Shelf

To help facilitate the development of student bookshelves, the English department will run a book-in-hand program in each class and also build reading time into each week. In classes that are literature-based, the book(s) taught in the curriculum can function as the student’s book-in-hand for reading time.

Parents, faculty, staff, and administrators will be encouraged to participate in the program and build their own bookshelves on Goodreads to share with the community. Students are more than welcome to “hang out” on a teacher’s or coach’s bookshelf.

At the end of each school year, two students from each grade level will be recognized: the student who reads the most books total and the student who reads the most books from the Westminster Bookshelf.

7th Grade Summer Reading »

8th Grade Summer Reading »

Expository Writing »

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Literature of Western Civilization »

Honors Literature of Western Civilization »

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Honors American Literature »

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AP Literature »