ST. JOSEPH HIGH SCHOOL SUMMER READING 2009-2010
REQUIRED READING:
A summer reading component is included in all English classes at St. Joseph High School. Each student is expected to read a minimum of two books, one of which is required. The second book must be chosen from the list below. Please read the books CAREFULLY complete the ASSIGNMENTS, and submit them to your English teacher upon return to school in August—ABSOLUTELY NO EXCUSES. YOU MUST READ, COMPLETE THE ASSIGNMENT, AND TURN IT IN THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL. STUDENTS WILL RECEIVE A TEST GRADE for the assignments and will be tested on the REQUIRED reading book.
SENIORS:
The Once and Future King by T.H. White
This book is a recounting of the tales of King Arthur and Camelot.
JUNIORS:
Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston
Janie Crawford returns to her home town where gossip surrounds her and her relationship with a much younger man.
SOPHOMORES:
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury: Visit the nightmarish future, a world wherein books are unlawful and burned by firemen in large public displays.
FRESHMEN:
The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
READ ONE OTHER BOOK. CHOOSE ONE FROM THE APPROPRIATE LIST:
SENIORS:
Daughter of Fortune by Isabel Allende
Chilean-born Eliza Sommers tries to find her place in her adoptive British family and rediscovers herself has she makes her way into the world.
In the Time of the Butterflies by Julia Alvarez
“Four sisters, known as “the butterflies,” work secretly to overthrow the dictator, Trujillo, in the Dominican Republic in 1960.”
Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison
“This novel describes the experiences of one young black man during the Depression period.”
Cry the Beloved Country by Paton Alan
“A profound father-son story set in South Africa during the turbulent 1940s.”
Persuasion by Jane Austen
“Anne Elliot is persuaded to break her engagement with a seemingly unworthy suitor in this ironic novel of love and marriage in English society.”
JUNIORS:
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Coming of Age in Mississippi by Anne Moody
The Autobiography of Malcolm X by Alex Haley
“Story of national leader who rose to prominence as a Negro force in shaping the destiny of this country.”
Hiroshima by John Hersey
“This account is about the catastrophic event that heralded the coming of the atomic age. “
SOPHOMORES:
When I Was Puerto Rican by Esmerelda Santiago
“Memoir looking back upon the author’s childhood in Puerto Rico.”
Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe
The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros
“Growing up in the Latino section of Chicago, Esperanza Cordero, longs to leave her neighborhood and find a new life.”
FRESHMEN:
To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee
“Growing up in the Deep South during the 1930’s, Scout Finch learns about prejudice, heroism and justice one summer when her attorney father becomes involved in a scandalous rape trial.”
Bad Boy: A Memoir by Walter Dean Myers
“Autobiographical story of a boy’s childhood in Harlem of the 1940s.”
Annie John by Kincaid Jamaica
“A coming-of-age story set in Antigua that focuses on the mother-daughter relationship.”
And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie
The Friends by Rosa Guy
ASSIGNMENTS—For 9th and 10th Graders
1. Purchase 2 composition notebooks (for your reading journal) and a package of colored pencils, and of course, the required novel (from St. Joseph High School) book store. The second book may be purchased from any other book store, as well as from Amazon.com. Also, be sure to obtain the Character Chart Model, which should be attached to this assignment or picked up from the main office during the summer. (You will have to prepare your own chart based on the MODEL.)
2. Read the books carefully. If you have problems understanding what is going on, after reading the first two pages, put the book down for a day (1 day, no more). After a day, start again with the preface or introduction, if there is one. (If there is an Introduction, you must read it to get a feel for the historical/cultural context of the work.) Read and read again. As you read, think about the characters (especially the main character(s)). Use the colored pencils, a different color for each main character, and UNDERLINE important words and/or phrases that would help you understand and remember the characters’ traits: how he/she acts, what he/she says, how he/she looks, what he thinks, what other characters say about him/her, and what the author may say about him.
3. After reading, complete character charts for each of the main characters (1 each). Please type out the chart. DO EACH RESPONSE ON A SEPARATE PAGE in the journal.
WARNING: DO NOT COPY AND PASTE ANYTHING FROM ONLINE SOURCES!
4. Choose one (1) of the following options:
a. Create an illustration of each character. Draw or create images just for the central characters. You may create a sketch, drawing, painting, or collage on plain paper, no larger than 11x14. Each character drawing should be placed in your Summer Reading Journal.
b. Choose one of the main characters from the novel. In your composition notebook/journal, compose five (5) journal entries about this character based on his/her experiences in different settings in the book. Your entries should be one full handwritten page or typed (double space, Times Roman 12 point font) and place in your Journal.
5. For the REQUIRED book ONLY, complete the assignments listed below. Be sure to TYPE and place in the Journal:
a. Make a list of 20 unfamiliar words you came across in your reading. Define them, including parts of speech. Record the page (of the novel) as well.
b. Make a time line with at least 10 important dates or events in the life of the character from the novel. You may complete this activity on a poster board.
ASSIGNMENTS—for 11th and 12th Graders
1. Purchase 2 composition notebooks (for your reading journal) and a package of colored pencils, and of course, the required novel (from St. Joseph High School) book store. The second book may be purchased from any other book store, as well as from Amazon.com. Also, be sure to obtain the CHARACTER, SETTING MOOD, POINT OF VIEW, THEMES Charts Model, which should be attached to this assignment, or from the main office during the summer. (You will have to prepare your own chart based on the MODEL.)
2. Read them carefully. If you have problems understanding what is going on, after reading the first two pages, put the book down for a day (1 day, no more). After a day, start again with the preface or introduction, if there is one. (If there is an Introduction, you must read it to get a feel for the historical/cultural context of the work.) Read and read again. As you read, think about the characters (especially the main character(s)). Use the colored pencils, a different color for the main character(s), and UNDERLINE important information about characterization, setting/mood, point of view, themes and issues in each book. Also underline words/phrases that express the author’s use of literary devices (irony, imagery, figurative language).
3. After reading THE REQUIRED BOOK, complete the CHARACTER, SETTING MOOD, POINT OF VIEW, and THEME Charts for each of the main characters (1 each). Use the markings (or notes) you made in your book to help you complete the Charts. You may hand-write or type each chart. (Typing is preferred.) If you are writing, use a ruler to draw lines to separate each column and each section neatly. DO EACH RESPONSE ON A SEPARATE PAGE in the journal.
4. Please complete the assignments below FOR EITHER THE REQUIRED BOOK OR THE ONE OF YOUR CHOICE. Type (preferred) or write your responses neatly. Place all work in your journal.
WARNING: DO NOT COPY AND PASTE ANY INFORMATION FROM ONLINE SOURCES!
Choose 20 difficult words from the book you are reading.
Write the page where you found each word, the sentence it is in, and then write the definition that best fits into the sentence.
Example:
impunity - page 87
“I must not only punish, but punish with impunity.”
Freedom from punishment, harm, or bad consequences
Write 5 journal entries from various places in your book. These journal entries must be at least a half-page long (You only need 5 entries – no more). Each entry should be told from the point of view of a different character. Include are the following:
what that character is doing or has done
what the main character is doing or has done
important things that may have been said
any changes that have taken place
problems that the characters are experiencing
Please answer the following questions about your selected book.
Where is the setting for your story? (Where and when do you think it takes place?)
Describe one of the settings.
Why is this setting important to the story?
Briefly re-tell you favorite part of the story. Please also indicate why it is your favorite.
On a scale of 1 through 10, with 10 being the best, how high would you rate this book? Why would you give it this number?