No, the students don't need to have "Hogwarts: A History". It's not on the equipment list of the students, but it's available in the library of Hogwarts.
By a boats.
No. First years at Hogwarts are 11-12 years old and seventh years are 17-18. Hogwarts includes high school aged students, but is not exclusively a high school.
You are 11 when you receive your letter and you arrive the following september.
A shooting star.
Well, her first and sixth years were quite unhappy.
The only classes not required for first years were the elective classes and apparition. They had to study all of the core class and flying.
Harry Potter learnt his first spell on the 31st October 1991, during his first year at Hogwarts. The first years were being taught Wingardium Leviosa by Professor Flitwick in their Charms class.
A thousand years
He got his first warning when he was 12 years old in the summer when he was going to go to Hogwarts to become a 2nd year.
Fifth year students at Hogwarts are fifteen years old. Most students will turn sixteen throughout the school year.
A thousand years
Harry Potter went to Hogwarts for six years. In the first book, he was in his first year, the second book his second year and so on.