Denton ISD



Nonfiction Independent Reading Project This quarter, students are required to read one nonfiction book as independent reading. Students may choose a title from the approved list or choose their own selection, but the book MUST be approved by the teacher and have a Lexile level of 1000 or higher if the student is reading a book not on the approved list. Only full-length works are acceptable for this project; short works of nonfiction, such as collections of essays, are not acceptable. The purpose of this assignment is to give students greater awareness and experience with longer pieces of nonfiction prose. The project is due on Thursday, February 11th. Project Guidelines: 1) Write a 5-7-sentence summary of the overall main idea of this book. Within this summary, include 3-5 main points the author makes (most important, or ones you find most interesting). This needs to be a tight, concise, accurate paragraph of writing. Avoid critique at this point; just focus on short description that has specific main points.2) List 5 (only 5) different rhetorical strategies used in this book (see rhetorical terms handouts). For each one, discuss the following: A) Name the rhetorical strategy, and define it; B) Write a short, unified paragraph that explains how the author uses the rhetorical strategy—what is he or she trying to convince the reader to think, and how, and why? What is the author’s purpose in using this strategy? Is it effective? Why or why not? C) Support your analysis with specific references to the text (i.e. quotes, correctly formatted and cited with an MLA parenthetical citation). Weave all of this together in to a well-developed paragraph for each example. For each separate paragraph, label the separate parts: A, B, C, etc. 3) What do you think was the author’s goal in writing this book? Did s/he achieve it? Did she/he convince you of his/her point of view on the topic discussed? Did reading this book change your thinking on the topic, and if so, how? If not, why not? (250 word minimum) 4) Write a short book review (5-7 sentences) for this book. Pretend you are trying to convince someone you know (who is reluctant) to read it. Be creative! Include at least one interesting thing about it; here is where you get to put in your opinion. It is okay to say you disliked it, but be attention-getting (humor, satire, irony, and strong critique are all appropriate). Write in the style of Steven Colbert, John Stewart, Saturday Night Live writers/comedians, The Onion journalists, or other news parody/critical commentary writers. (i.e. don’t be silly just to be silly; make a point.)5) Evaluate nonfiction as a valuable genre. Provide three properly cited quotes from the text to support this evaluation. (250 word minimum) 6) Create a Work Cited entry for the nonfiction book in correct MLA citation format.Although it is not required, students are encouraged to purchase the book they have chosen and annotate as they read. An alternative method, of course, is to take notes in a notebook or on sticky notes. Obtain your book as soon as you can in the beginning of this grading quarter, so you can have it read and the assignment completed before the February 11th deadline, as other papers and/or projects will be assigned throughout the quarter as well. Nonfiction Reading List – Possible SelectionsFermat’s Last TheoremAmir Aczel Infidel Ayaan Hirsi AliA History of GodKaren ArmstrongOf Beetles and AngelsMawi AsgedomDouble FoldNicholson BakerThe Size of ThoughtsNicholson BakerLet Me Play: The Story of Title IXKaren BlumenthalA Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy SoldierIshmael BeahMidnight In The Garden Of Good And Evil John BerendtAll over But the Shoutin’Rick BraggBury My Heart at Wounded KneeDee BrownA Walk in the WoodsBill BrysonAnother PlanetElinor BurkettRunning with ScissorsAugusten BurroughsQuiet: The Power of Introverts…Susan CainThe Rape of NankingIris ChangBeyond the Narrow GateLeslie ChangWishing on the MoonDonald ClarkeGlass, Paper, BeansLeah Hager CohenThe Road from CoorainJill Kerr ConwayDispatches from the EdgeAnderson CooperSalvation on Sand MountainDennis CovingtonColumbine Dave CullenDisarmedGregory CurtisThe Death of SatanAndrew DelbancoGuns, Germs, and SteelJared DiamondThe Year of Magical ThinkingJoan DidionThe Diving Bell and the ButterflyJean-Dominique BaubyCalendarDavid Ewing Duncan102 MinutesJim DwyerA Heartbreaking Work of Staggering GeniusDave EggersWhat is the WhatDave EggersNickel and DimedBarbara EhrenreichAmerican SphinxJoseph EllisThe Sports Gene: Inside the Science…David EpsteinThe Spirit Catches You & You Fall DownAnne FadimanWalking the BibleBruce FeilerThe Whole ShebangTimothy FerrisSix Easy PiecesRichard FeynmanTrue StoryMichael FinkelSwallow the OceanLaura FlynnEating AnimalsJonathan Safran FoerGorillas in the MistDiane FosseyNext of KinThatcher FreundBeirut to JerusalemThomas FriedmanHot, Flat, and CrowdedThomas L. FriedmanComplicationsAtul GawandeMany MasksBrendan GillShot in the HeartMikal GilmoreBlinkMalcom GladwellOutliersMalcolm GladwellThe Culture of FearBarry GlasserNo Ordinary TimeDoris Kearns GoodwinWait Till Next YearDoris Kearns GoodwinThe Great Arizona Orphan AbductionLinda GordonWe Wish to Inform You…Philip GourevitchAutobiography of a Face Lucy GrealyA Civil ActionJonathan HarrThe End of FaithSam HarrisThe Total PackageThomas HineGod is not GreatChristopher HitchensLost in TranslationEva HoffmanA People’s History of the Supreme CourtPeter IronsEmergenceSteven JohnsonEmpires of LightJill JonnesWoman WarriorMaxine Hong KingstonBalkan GhostsRobert KaplanThe Liar’s ClubMary KarrOrange is the New BlackPiper KermanMountains Beyond MountainsTracy KidderThe Girls of Atomic City: The Untold…Denise KiernanCloneGina KolataFluGina KolataSavage InequalitiesJonathan KozolThere Are No Children Here Alex KotlowitzInto the WildJon KrakauerInto Thin AirJon KrakauerUnder the Banner of HeavenJon KrakauerCodMark KurlanskySalt: A World HistoryMark KurlanskyThe ArabsDavid LambThe AfricansDavid LambAmerican GroundWilliam LangewiescheDevil in the White CityErik LarsonThe Big TestNicholas LemannFreakonomicsSteven LeavittDetroit: An American AutopsyCharlie LeDuffThe Middle EastBernard LewisThe Accidental AsianEric LiuYoung Men and FireNorman MacleanFour Arguments for Elimination of TVJerry ManderAngela’s AshesFrank McCourtBorn to Run Christopher McDougallFatal VisionJoe McGinnissComing into the CountryJohn McPheeBattle Cry of FreedomJames McPhersonGreasy RiderGreg MelvilleCity of the CenturyDonald MillerBlue HighwaysWilliam Least Heat MoonTheodore RexEdmund MorrisThree Cups of TeaGreg MortensonThe Power of MythBill MoyersReading Lolita in TehranAzar NafisiThe Average AmericanKevin O’KeefeThe Orchid ThiefSusan OrleanFor God, Country and Coca-ColaMark PendergrastEngineers of DreamsHenry PetroskiIn the Heart of the SeaNathaniel PhilbrookThe Botany of DesireMichael PollanThe Omnivore’s DilemmaMichael PollanAmusing Ourselves to DeathNeil PostmanTechnology: The Surrender of CultureNeil PostmanMaking the CorpsThomas RicksGenomeMatt RidleyBonkMary RoachStiffMary RoachOverachievers: Secret Life of Driven KidsAlexandra RobbinsThe Geeks Shall Inherit the EarthAlexandra RobbinsLook Me in the Eye: My Life with Asperger's John Elder RobisonLittle Girls in Pretty BoxesJoan RyanLean In: Women, Work and the Will To LeadSheryl SandbergSkyscraperKarl SabbaghThe Devil’s CandyJulie SalamonIron and SilkMark SalzmanJesus LandJulia ScheeresFast Food NationEric SchlosserMies van der RoheFranz SchulzeLearned OptimismMartin E. P. SeligmanThe Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks Rebecca SklootGalileo’s DaughterDava SobelThe Black Swan Nassim Nicholas Taleb The Mole PeopleJennifer TothHow Children SucceedPaul ToughThe Guns of AugustBarbara TuchmanWhy We ShopPaco UnderhillCall of the MallPaco UnderhillTriangleDavid Von DrehleGang Leader for a Day Sudhir VenkateshAssassination VacationSarah VowellThe Glass CastleJeanette WallsMississippiJohn WaltonThe Beak of the FinchJonathan WeinerThe World Without Us Alan WeismanForever Open, Clear, and FreeLois WilleThe Professor and the MadmanSimon WinchesterShaping a NationCarter WisemanThe Right StuffTom WolfeThe Dancing Wu Li MastersGary Zukav ................
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