ST. BERNARD'S parents and faculty share a deep love of reading. This will be passed on to your sons, thanks to the wealth of books and stories available in our library and at home. For parents and children, reading together is one of the great pleasures of life.
I. The St. Bernard's Reading List is a selection of fiction and nonfiction titles that the School recommends. The aim of the list is to recommend some good books and also to promote a love for the classics; these are works that may be challenging initially, yet have been loved by many generations.
II. The list is divided for readers from different grades, but boys should feel free to try a book from a more or less advanced list. The given grade level is only an approximate guide; this is the reason why we have intentionally overlapped the lists for grade IV and grade VII. Including every title by an author proved unwieldy. In most cases, other titles by the same author are also recommended, especially if they are part of a series. Books marked with an asterisk (*) are current class texts; a Roman numeral (Grade IV - IX) indicates the grade in which these books are usually read. Not every asterisk is marked by a grade, however, as the grade for reading a text can vary, particularly in the Junior School. Class readers are often more exciting when read first in class as a group.
III. The Short List comprises those books that should be read by the time a boy leaves St. Bernard's.
IV. Do not hesitate to ask teachers or classmates for recommendations. Some of these writers, such as Nesbit, Twain or Dickens, may well be better read aloud at first. We strongly encourage the boys to enjoy recorded books; these can be invaluable on long journeys.
V. With certain classics, such as Homer, it is often advisable to read a simplified and illustrated version initially and then tackle the original. Reading a great work of literature before one is ready is rarely productive.
VI. It cannot be too strongly emphasized that familiarity with the major stories of the Bible (Old and New Testament) is essential to the sophisticated appreciation of much of English and American literature.
VII. In addition to the St. Bernard's reading list, the library has many guides for parents who would like to help their sons choose good books or are looking for stories or poems to read aloud.
Select a list to view by clicking on one of the following links:
Reading List: Grade I - Grade IV
Reading List: Grade IV - Grade VII
Reading List: Grade VII - Grade IX
The Short Reading List