Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America - Boone Hs



9th Grade/English IAll 9th grade/Eng I Levels: For this year’s summer reading, the 9th grade team has selected a collection of books that highlight a variety of interests. To prepare for next year, students must choose one book from the list below and complete the Google Form before the first progress report of Quarter 1. Student must complete the assignment in order to receive credit on their summer reading project. The goal of this project is to help students read interesting books while preventing the “summer slide”. Books can be rented from the public library, purchased at a book store, or read via the free pdf download. Choose one of the following books:The House on Mango Street by Sandra CisnerosTold in a series of vignettes – sometimes heartbreaking, sometimes deeply joyous – it is the story of a young Latina girl growing up in Chicago, inventing for herself who and what she will become. Few other books in our time have touched so many readers.Sleeping Freshmen Never Lie by David LubarStarting high school is never easy. Seniors take your lunch money. Girls you’ve known forever are suddenly beautiful and unattainable. And you can never get enough sleep. Could there be a worse time for Scott’s mother to announce she’s pregnant? Scott decides high school would be a lot less overwhelming if it came with a survival manual, so he begins to write down tips for his new sibling. Meanwhile, he’s trying his best to capture the attention of Julia, the freshman goddess. In the process, Scott manages to become involved in nearly everything the school has to offer. So while he tries to find his place in the confusing world of high school, win Julia’s heart, and keep his sanity, Scott will be recording all the details for his sibling’s—and your—enjoyment.The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime by Mark Haddon Christopher John Francis Boone knows all the countries of the world and their capitals and every prime number up to 7,057. He relates well to animals but has no understanding of human emotions. He cannot stand to be touched. And he detests the color yellow.Although gifted with a superbly logical brain, for fifteen-year-old Christopher everyday interactions and admonishments have little meaning. He lives on patterns, rules, and a diagram kept in his pocket. Then one day, a neighbor's dog, Wellington, is killed and his carefully constructive universe is threatened. Christopher sets out to solve the murder in the style of his favourite (logical) detective, Sherlock Holmes. What follows makes for a novel that is funny, poignant and fascinating in its portrayal of a person whose curse and blessing are a mind that perceives the world entirely literally.I am Malala by Malala YousafzaiWhen the Taliban took control of the Swat Valley in Pakistan, one girl spoke out. Malala Yousafzai refused to be silenced and fought for her right to an education.On Tuesday, October 9, 2012, when she was fifteen, she almost paid the ultimate price. She was shot in the head at point-blank range while riding the bus home from school, and few expected her to survive.Instead, Malala's miraculous recovery has taken her on an extraordinary journey from a remote valley in northern Pakistan to the halls of the United Nations in New York. At sixteen, she has become a global symbol of peaceful protest and the youngest-ever Nobel Peace Prize laureate.I Am Malala is the remarkable tale of a family uprooted by global terrorism, of the fight for girls' education, of a father who, himself a school owner, championed and encouraged his daughter to write and attend school, and of brave parents who have a fierce love for their daughter in a society that prizes sons. Once the book has been read, students should visit: and complete the form. Students should be signed on to Google with their school account (email: studentid@students., password: same as they use to get on their computer) to access the form. Hard copies can found in the front office for those who do not have access to a computer or internet over the summer. All 10th grade/English II: The motif for summer reading is “survival in the face of difficult odds.” Please pick one of the following books to read over the summer. Bring the book (or digital copy) on the first day of school and be ready to discuss your reading. You may choose any book from the list. Select one that meets your interests and reading level.*SPECIAL NOTE: The best summer reading book is one you will actually read. This list is a suggested reading list of great choices. However, you may choose a different title, with approval, that connects with the theme “survival in the face of difficult odds.” Visit our google classroom summer reading group for approval. Visit classroom. and sign in with your OCPS email (Join Code: g7aroeb) or contact 10th grade PLC leader Athena Melnicki at athena.melnicki@ for approval of your book.FictionTreasure Island by Robert Louis StevensonThis classic adventure story tells the tale of “buccaneers and buried gold". The most popular pirate story ever written in English, featuring one of literature’s most beloved “bad guys,” Treasure Island has been happily devoured by several generations of boys—and girls—and grownups. Its unforgettable characters include: young Jim Hawkins, who finds himself owner of a map to Treasure Island, where the fabled pirate booty is buried.No Safety in Numbers by Dayna LorentzA biological bomb has just been discovered in the air ducts of a busy suburban mall. At first nobody knows if it's even life threatening, but then the entire complex is quarantined, people start getting sick, supplies start running low, and there's no way out.One Second After by William R. ForstchenOne man struggles to save his family and his small North Carolina town after America loses a war, in one second, a war that will send America back to the Dark Ages...A war based upon a weapon, an Electro Magnetic Pulse (EMP). A weapon that may already be in the hands of our enemies.10th grade/English II cntd.What We Saw by Aaron Hartzler The party last Saturday night was epic, and students are still talking and posting about it. But when Stacey levels charges against four of the star basketball players, this small town erupts in controversy.Extraordinary Means by Robyn SchneiderThe most important things in Lane's life are getting perfect grades and getting into the best college, until he finds out he has an incurable strain of tuberculosis. He is sent to Latham House, a sanatorium for dying teens with bizarre rules and unique characters. It's here that Lane reconnects with Sadie, a girl he was once transfixed with at summer camp years ago.Non-FictionNickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America by Barbara Ehrenreich In this book an undercover reporter reviews the unique experiences of the working poor in America and discusses options for improving this situation.Into Thin Air: A Personal Account of the Mt. Everest Disaster by Jon Krakauer This book details the author's presence at Mount Everest during the 1996 Mount Everest disaster, when eight climbers were killed and several others were stranded by a "rogue storm". Barrio Boy by Ernesto GalarzaThis is the story of one boy's journey from a Mexican village so small its main street didn't have a name, to the "barrio" of Sacramento, California. In this biography, Ernesto Galarza gives an account of the early experiences of his extraordinary life from revolution in Mexico to segregation in the United States.A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier by Ishmeal BeahIn the more than fifty conflicts going on worldwide, it is estimated that there are some 300,000 child soldiers. Ishmael Beah used to be one of them.Survival of the Sickest by Sharon MoalemThe book is a collection of case studies, which use scientific and historical data to support the individual proposed hypotheses, and the overall argument for a connection between some illnesses and increased longevity.11th grade/ ALL English III:DIRECTIONS: The common topic for summer reading is “moral dilemmas.” Please pick one of the following 6 books to read over the summer. Bring the book (or digital copy) on the first day of school and be prepared to show insightful understanding of your choice through analytical assignments. You may choose any book from the list. The best summer reading is one that you will actually READ. Select one that meets your interests and reading level.Explore annotations for novels below:Mercy by Jodi Picoultfrom : “Mercy explores highly charged emotional and ethical issues: What would you do for someone you love? Would you lie? Would you leave? Would you kill? The situation isn't as clear to Cam's wife, Allie. While she is devoted to her husband, she finds herself siding against Cam, seduced by the picture James paints of a man so in love with a woman that he'd grant all her wishes… even the one that meant taking her life. Into this charged atmosphere drifts Mia, a new assistant at Allie's floral shop, for whom Cam feels an instant and inexplicable attraction. While he aids the prosecution in preparing the case against Jamie, who killed his terminally ill wife out of mercy, Cam finds himself betraying his own wife.”Bleachers by John Grishamfrom :“High school all-American Neely Crenshaw was probably the best quarterback ever to play for the legendary Messina Spartans. Fifteen years have gone by since those glory days, and Neely has come home to Messina to bury Coach Eddie Rake, the man who molded the Spartans into an unbeatable football dynasty.Now, as Coach Rake’s “boys” sit in the bleachers waiting for the dimming field lights to signal his passing, they replay the old games, relive the old glories, and try to decide once and for all whether they love Eddie Rake – or hate him. For Neely Crenshaw, a man who must finally forgive his coach – and himself – before he can get on with his life, the stakes are especially high.”Atonement by Ian McEwanfrom : “Ian McEwan’s symphonic novel of love and war, childhood and class, guilt and forgiveness provides all the satisfaction of a brilliant narrative and the provocation we have come to expect from this master of English prose.On a hot summer day in 1935, thirteen-year-old Briony Tallis witnesses a moment’s flirtation between her older sister, Cecilia, and Robbie Turner, the son of a servant and Cecilia’s childhood friend. But Briony’s incomplete grasp of adult motives–together with her precocious literary gifts–brings about a crime that will change all their lives. As it follows that crime’s repercussions through the chaos and carnage of World War II and into the close of the twentieth century, Atonement engages the reader on every conceivable level, with an ease and authority that mark it as a genuine masterpiece.”Next by Michael Crichtonfrom : “Is a loved one missing some body parts? Are blondes becoming extinct? Is everyone at your dinner table of the same species? Humans and chimpanzees differ in only 400 genes; is that why a chimp fetus resembles a human being? And should that worry us? There's a new genetic cure for drug addiction—is it worse than the disease?We live in a time of momentous scientific leaps, a time when it's possible to sell our eggs and sperm online for thousands of dollars and to test our spouses for genetic maladies.We live in a time when one fifth of all our genes are owned by someone else, and an unsuspecting person and his family can be pursued cross-country because they happen to have certain valuable genes within their chromosomes . . .Devilishly clever, Next blends fact and fiction into a breathless tale of a new world where nothing is what it seems and a set of new possibilities can open at every turn.Next challenges our sense of reality and notions of morality. Balancing the comic and the bizarre with the genuinely frightening and disturbing, Next shatters our assumptions and reveals shocking new choices where we least expect. The future is closer than you think.”Twisted by Laurie Halse Andersonfrom : “In TWISTED, Laurie Halse Anderson presents readers with Tyler Miller, whose transformation from a meek, social Mr. Cellophane to a chiseled, admired "tough guy" sets his world on end. As someone who spends his days unnoticed, Tyler finds himself with more attention than he wanted after he vandalizes school property and, to pay for his crime, takes a summer job doing landscaping. The unforeseen side effect is that he returns the next school year with a brand new bod that's turning heads, most notably the head of Bethany Milbury. But not everything --- even Bethany's advances --- works out well for Tyler. As he struggles to contend with his angry father, a mistrustful faculty and the aftermath of a drunken party, Tyler comes to the painful realization that there's a substantial price tag for his newfound popularity, and juggling the consequences lead him to thoughts of suicide. While the overall story tackles weighty issues such as identity, family and suicide, Anderson masterfully interjects wry humor that always seems to find its mark. There's something very genuine in the portrayal of Tyler's struggle, both as he seeks attention and as he seeks to banish it. His volatile family situation --- especially his relationship with his father --- is familiar without bowing to a stereotypical, dysfunctional family. Despite times when Chip Milbury (Bethany's brother and the bane of Tyler's rebirth) comes across a little cartoonish in his machinations, the characterizations ring true.”The Great Santini by Pat Conroyfrom :“THE GREAT SANTINI takes us into the family life of a fighter pilot. Bull Meecham is the epitome of the Marine officer — as tough a disciplinarian at home as at the base. Rebellion, or even difference of opinion, is not tolerated. Objections are met with the statement "The Great Santini has spoken." As the oldest child, Ben takes the brunt of his father's criticism. His attempts to stand up for himself or his mother and sister are contemptuously dismissed. His feelings for his father are a mixture of hate and fear, reluctant pride in his prowess, and unacknowledged love. The Marine Corps and flying are the most important things in Bull's life. Next come his image as a tough guy, the Catholic Church, his old buddies, and his wife and children. His sons are destined to become Marine pilots, his daughters to provide their husbands (Marines, naturally) with a good home and more fodder for the Corps. Ben is eighteen and a born athlete. So his father's fierce drive for a successful son is concentrated on him, and nothing less than perfection is considered acceptable — a perfection of which Bull is the sole judge. Ben must learn that, in a game, sportsmanship should go by the board when necessary; what matters is winning, regardless of the means.This is the story of a boy's determination to be himself, whatever that may be. It is violent, shocking, funny, moving, and overwhelmingly real. From the early pages, with Bull's wife and children waiting at the airport to welcome the Great Santini back into their midst, to the bittersweet ending, the reader's interest and emotions are fixed upon the fluctuating fortunes of the Meecham family.”All 12th grade/English IV: Dystopian literature is a genre of fictional writing used to explore social and political structures in 'a dark, nightmare world.' The term dystopia is defined as a society characterized by poverty, squalor or oppression and the theme is most commonly used in science fiction and speculative fiction genres. Please choose one of the following dystopian titles to read and complete an assignment for upon return: 1984 by George Orwell Written in 1948, 1984 was George Orwell’s chilling prophecy about the future. And while 1984 has come and gone, his dystopian vision of a government that will do anything to control the narrative is timelier than ever... “The Party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command.” Winston Smith toes the Party line, rewriting history to satisfy the demands of the Ministry of Truth. With each lie he writes, Winston grows to hate the Party that seeks power for its own sake and persecutes those who dare to commit thought crimes. But as he starts to think for himself, Winston can’t escape the fact that Big Brother is always watching... A startling and haunting vision of the world, 1984 is so powerful that it is completely convincing from start to finish. No one can deny the influence of this novel, its hold on the imaginations of multiple generations of readers, or the resiliency of its admonitions—a legacy that seems only to grow with the passage of time.The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood.The Handmaid's Tale is set in the Republic of Gilead, a theocratic military dictatorship formed within the borders of what was formerly the United States of America. Beginning with a staged attack that kills the President and most of Congress, a fundamentalist movement calling itself the "Sons of Jacob" launches a revolution and suspends the United States Constitution under the pretext of restoring order. They are quickly able to take away women's rights, largely attributed to financial records being stored electronically and labelled by gender. The new regime, the Republic of Gilead, moves quickly to consolidate its power and reorganize society along a new militarized, hierarchical regime of Old Testament -inspired social and religious fanaticism among its newly created social classes. In this society, human rights are severely limited and women's rights are even more curtailed; for example, women are forbidden to read. Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro. Never Let Me Go takes place in a dystopian version of late 1990s England, where the lives of ordinary citizens are prolonged through a state-sanctioned program of human cloning. The clones, referred to as students, grow up in special institutions away from the outside world. As young adults, they begin to donate their vital organs. All “donors” receive care from designated “carers,” clones who have not yet begun the donation process. The clones continue to donate organs until they “complete,” which is a euphemism for death after the donation of three or four organs. However, this premise is not immediately apparent to the reader. At the start of the novel, narrator Kathy H. merely introduces herself as a thirty-one-year-old carer. She has been a carer for nearly twelve years, but will leave her role in a few months. Kathy explains that she wants to revisit her memories of Tommy and Ruth, two friends who grew up with her at the Hailsham School. Kathy does not explain the donation program, or mention that Hailsham students are clones. Station 11 by Emily St. John Mandel.“Survival is Insufficient.” A pandemic virus known as the Georgia Flu has struck the entire world wiping out most of the earth’s population. One snowy night a famous Hollywood actor slumps over and dies onstage during a production of King Lear. Hours later, the world as we know it begins to dissolve. Moving back and forth in time—from the actor's early days as a film star to fifteen years in the future, when a theater troupe known as The Travelling Symphony roams the wasteland of what remains of the Great Lakes Region of the United States—this suspenseful, elegiac, spellbinding novel charts the strange twists of fate that connect five people: the actor, the man who tried to save him, the actor's first wife, his oldest friend, and a young actress with the Traveling Symphony, caught in the crosshairs of a dangerous self-proclaimed prophet. Sometimes terrifying, sometimes tender, Station Eleven tells a story about the relationships that sustain us, the ephemeral nature of fame, and the beauty of the world as we know it. Note: For AP Classes Summer Reading Assignments, please see the Advanced Placement tab on boonebraves. ................
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