Some adore “The Great Gatsby.” Others compare novels to prescription-strength sleeping pills. But with four years of English essential for graduation eligibility, reading is unavoidable.
    Consulting with English teachers, reporter Keval Patel found that on average, a Standard or Honors student is assigned more than 5,000 pages of literature over his or her high school career; an Advanced Placement/Gifted and Talented student, more than 9,000 pages.
      “Does that include Sparknotes?” junior Jon Anderson said with a smile.
      That seems like a lot, assistant principal John Billingslea said. He estimated that an AP/GT student reads a mere 5,000 to 6,000 pages.
   “They add up,” Billingslea said. “I’m glad we’re reading that much.”
   Many commented on the numbers with a confessional tone. 
   “I think 5,000 is more accurate for what I actually read,”senior McKenna Bolanda said.
   But English teacher Kathy Roeder emphasized the importance of page-turning, citing its potential to build vocabulary and boost test scores.