College Bound Reading List
Books for Summer
Relax and be inspired with these books about sailing and the sea, nature, travel, adventure, and more.
Dana, Richard Henry. Two Years Before the Mast. (A detailed autobiographical account of a two-year trip out of Boston and around Cape Horn to California circa 1834. For an extra touch of authenticity, bring it along on a cruise or read it in a hammock.)
Graham, Robin Lee. Dove. (The autobiographical account of Robin Lee Graham’s record-breaking voyage around the world. It reads like a personal travelogue, conversational in tone and unsparingly honest, while hitting all the marks for teen appeal and emotion.)
Martin, Jesse. Lionheart: A Journey of the Human Spirit.
Slocum, Joshua. The Annotated Sailing Alone Around the World. (The true story of the first solo circumnavigator who set sail from Boston in 1895.)
Shakespeare, William. A Midsummer Night’s Dream. (In Northern European countries, the evening of June 23, “Midsummer Eve,” is traditionally a time for lighting bonfires to frighten away evil spirits. This comedy by the famous English playwright tells about the antics of mischievous fairies on that magical evening.)
Thoreau, Henry David. Walden Or, Life in the Woods. (This journal covers a two-year period when the author lived a simple life in a cabin on Walden’s Pond surrounded by nature, where he had plenty of time to think and reflect.)
Tolkien, J.R.R. The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. (Tolkien’s lengthy fantasies with their underlying theme of good vs. evil are full of action, suspense, adventure, unique characters, and humor.)