Essex High School



Essex High School

Rising Ninth Grade

Summer Reading 2013

We are looking forward to the start of your high school years in September 2013! The English department of Essex High School recognizes the importance of summer reading. The benefits include: improved vocabulary (hence better SAT/ACT scores), increased background knowledge, and a better understanding of the world and its inhabitants. To help students make a smooth transition from EIS to EHS, students should select a minimum of two books from the suggested reading list. Students will also complete a writing assignment and a project. A word of caution: some of these texts are quite long and cannot be read quickly; please plan to read sooner in the summer rather than later! After you have finished your reading, please complete the assignments outlined below. The assignments will be due Friday, September 6, 2013, and will need to be submitted to your English teacher. Students will earn two extra grades on their first quarter for quality work.

Writing Assignment: You must create a double entry journal for one of your novels of choice.

• Please do at least 15-20 entries that cover the beginning, middle, and end of the novel; your quotes should show that you have read the entire novel and that you did not attempt to use Spark Notes, etc.

• Carefully choose the quotes you want to use and take time with your analysis. We are not interested in plot summary or basic thinking. You will instead be graded based on:

-insightful critical analysis,

-the creativity of your thinking,

-the quality of the quotes you’ve selected,

-the amount of perceived effort you put into this double entry journal.

• In general, you want your double entry journal to show your English teacher that you “get” this novel and that you’ve thought deeply about the novel and its larger messages and possible impact!

Example:

|QUOTES |JOURNAL ENTRIES |

|“That night Papa burned the flag he had brought with him from Hiroshima |Although Papa literally burned his flag and other documents, I think the action |

|thirty-five years earlier… I couldn’t believe he was doing that. He burned a lot |was more symbolic. He had to have realized that Japanese immigrants could not |

|of papers too, documents, anything that might suggest he still had some |hide because of their physical traits. So if there was no way to hide, why burn |

|connection with Japan.” |your memories? |

| |Was the burning of his items a symbol of the destruction of his dreams as an |

|Farewell to Manzanar |immigrant? |

|Chapter 1 |Was he trying to convince himself that he had severed all emotional ties to his |

|p. 6 |homeland? |

| |Perhaps he knew that this would be one of his final acts of independence. Later |

| |on, the U.S. government would force loyalty through the “loyalty test”… but that |

| |was forced. |

| |This was choice. |

|“It helps me understand how Papa’s life could end at a place like Manzanar. He |The Japanese internment camps were a horrible part of our American History. The |

|didn’t die there, but things finished for him there, whereas for me it was like a|U.S. government unjustly imprisoned innocent citizens and immigrants; no one can |

|birthplace.” |argue that these camps are a black mark on our history. However, the narrator not|

| |only examines the negative changes that affected the 1st Generation Issei –like |

|Farewell to Manzanar |her father- she also examines the effect the camp had on her identity as a |

|Chapter 6 |Japanese American. The disintegration of her family led to her introduction to |

|p. 47 |ideals, activities and religions outside of the traditional Japanese beliefs. |

| |Manzanar gave birth to her identity as a Japanese-American. |

Writing Assignment Template

Double-Entry Journal

One of the best ways to engage with a literary text (story, novel, poem, play) is to have a conversation with it or its author. The DOUBLE-ENTRY JOURNAL allows you to do just that. It can be used for many purposes like: getting more deeply into the text, discovering passages for a class discussion or a short assignment, and generating ideas for analytical papers.

You can format your journal as shown below. You can create a table with 15-20 rows and two columns, or you can hand write it.

Below are several, but by no means all, ways to use a DOUBLE-ENTRY JOURNAL.

On the left, you always put a significant quote from the text.

On the right, you can choose from several different possible responses to the quote: You can do reactions, connections, significance of a quote to the text as a whole, social questions, naming literary techniques, imitations or parodies of a text’s content or style, or passages relating to a possible thesis statement or theme. Again, you can choose whatever responses styles you want to.

|Left-Hand Side |Right-Hand Side |

|Quote from the text and page number |Reactions |

| |(“This bugs, annoys, moves ….me because…..” ), |

| |Reflections |

| |(“I wonder if…”), |

| |Musings |

| |(“Hmmmm…”), |

| |Questions |

| |(“I wonder why….”) |

| |With possible answers |

| |(“Maybe because….”) |

|Quote from the text and page number |Connections between: |

| |- Text to other Texts you’ve read or seen (print, visual, aural – television, |

| |movies, past books you’ve read, video games, etc.) |

| | |

| |- Text to Self (personal connections) |

| | |

| |- Text to the World (larger world issues about human nature that the text makes |

| |you consider) |

|Quote from the text and page number |Significance in relation to piece as a whole; relating part to whole |

| | |

|Quote from the text and page number |Social Questions (race, class, gender issues) that the quote makes you think |

| |about |

|Quote from the text and page number |Imitations or parodies of text’s content or style |

|Quote from the text and page number |Relate key passages to what you think is the central theme of the text: this is |

| |your chance to pick the more important quotes and really dig into them! |

| | |

|Quote from the text and page number |Analysis of author’s stylistic choices and possible connections to theme: |

| |discussing the significance of syntax, sentence structure, word choice (diction),|

| |symbolism, literary devices (similes, metaphors, etc.) |

| | |

Project: You must choose one of the projects below to complete for the second novel of your choice.

|Once you have completed the reading, create a timeline|Write either prologue or an epilogue to the book. |Create a newsletter for your book. Summarize the plot |

|of ten events from the text. You must include pictures|Describe the events that could have taken place before|in one article. Write a feature story on one of the |

|as well. The pictures can be hand drawn or computer |or after the plot of the book. Include at least four |more interesting characters in the second article. |

|printouts, but it must look professional and clean. |events that are connected to the existing plot of the |Include an editorial and a collection of ads that |

|Basically, you need to use color and images to make |book. The connection should be explained if it is not |would be pertinent to the story. Be sure to include |

|your timeline stand out. These will be displayed when |clear. Use descriptive language. |pictures. You may use a computer program or cut and |

|we return, so make sure you are making a good first | |paste the newspaper by hand. |

|impression about your attention to detail and your | | |

|ability to finish a nice product. You must use a | | |

|minimum of ten events in your timeline. | | |

|Take pictures that depict the experiences of the book |Pretend you are the artist for the cover of the book |TV/Radio Report Be a TV or radio reporter and give a |

|and/or characters in the book. Create a photo album |you just read. Design a new cover. You may draw the |report of a scene from the book as if it is happening |

|with captions. Photos must be taken by the student. |cover or create it on the computer. Include at least |“live.” Video tape you report or record your report in|

|Album can be digital or traditional. Captions should |six symbols/images to represent the plot, setting, |a Podcast. Report must be 3-5 minutes in length. |

|connect photos to specific information from the book. |characters, conflict, them, and most important event |Details must reveal in-depth understanding of the |

| |in the book. Include one significant quotation from |book. |

| |the story. Be sure to use quotation marks and the page| |

| |number where the quotation appears. Include a | |

| |well-written letter to the publisher that explains the| |

| |choices you made. | |

| Create a “soundtrack” for the book. What ten songs |Turn your favorite scene in the book into a comic |3D Story Wheel – See attached handout for detailed |

|would you choose? Give an explanation for why you |strip. Create a free account at . You |instructions |

|chose each song and how it connects to the events or |will then be able to create your characters and the | |

|characters in the book. Include the title, artist, and|speech bubbles to fit your passage. Include the title | |

|lyrics for each song. |of the book, author, and page numbers for you favorite| |

| |scene. Print out your finished product to share. | |

*Note: These are the directions for the 3D Story Wheel. You only need to follow these directions if you choose this as your project.

3D Story Wheel Project

Project Directions: After you have finished reading your novel -

A. You will need two posters for this project. On the first poster, draw a circle or wheel with eight equal segments. Label each “slice” as follows:

1) Setting (In what time and place does this story unfold?)

2) Protagonist (Who is the main character or “hero” of this piece?)

3) Antagonist (Name the person or thing that stands in the way of the protagonist’s desires.)

4) Conflicts (Identify the central external AND internal conflicts.)

5) Motivation (What do the central characters want?)

6) Mood (Identify the emotion or feeling that dominates the story.)

7) Theme (What is the message or lesson of this story?)

8) Connections (Make a text to self, text, or world comparison.)

B. Mount the wheel onto the second poster. Label each of the four corners as follows:

1) Exposition (How does the story begin? What do we learn about the various characters and their aspirations and desires?)

2) Conflicts (Identify the events and situations that create tension among the characters. What do the characters do to resolve these conflicts?)

3) Climax (Identify the most exiting moment in the story—the moment when the tension is thick and you are holding your breath to see how everything will turn out.)

4) Resolution (What are the outcomes for the various characters? How are their lives changed?)

C. In each segment of the wheel AND on the four corners of the rectangle, include typed quotes of interest, pictures, scanned photos, illustrations, and other objects that represent the specifics of that space.

Be prepared for questions. I will ask for details, clarification, or analysis as I deem necessary.

Model: The illustration below is a one-dimensional model. Your finished product should contain real and created items to generate visual and tactile interest.

[pic]

[pic]

Essex High School

Rising Ninth Grade Summer Reading Suggestions 2013

|Please Note: In an attempt to provide rich and varied reading experiences for students, some books are written by contemporary authors and are geared toward the |

|mature readers. These books may contain mature subject matter and language. We recommend and encourage parents to serve an active role in helping their child |

|select interesting and appropriate titles for his or her summer reading. |

|Achebe, Chinua |Things Fall Apart | |Davis, Sampson |We Beat the Street: How a Friendship Pact Led to |

| | | | |Success |

|Alexie, Sherman |The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian| |De la Pena, Matt |Ball Don’t Lie |

|Alvarez, Julia |In the Time of the Butterflies | |Denlinger, Ken |For the Glory |

|Anderson, Laurie |Twisted; Wintergirls; Speak | |Dickens, Charles |Oliver Twist; Great Expectations |

|Armstrong, Lance |It’s Not About the Bike | |Doyle, Arthur |The Hound of the Baskervilles |

|Aronson, Marc |Trapped: How the World Rescued 33 Miners from | |Draper, Sharon |Fire From the Rock |

| |2,000 Feet Below the Chilean Desert | | | |

|Asher, Jay |Thirteen Reasons Why | |Dumas, Alexandre |The Three Musketeers |

|Avi |Nothing But The Truth: A Documentary Novel | |Duncan, Lois |I Know What You Did Last Summer |

|Bachorz, Pam |Candor | |Edgarton, Clyde |Walking Across Egypt |

|Bambara, Toni C. |My Delicate Heart Condition | |Ellison, James |Finding Forrester |

|Barnard, Bryn |Outbreak: Plagues that Changed History | |Ellison, Ralph |Invisible Man |

|Bauer, Joan |Hope Was Here | |Evans, J. Edward |Charles Darwin: Revolutionary Biologist |

|Bausum, Ann |Denied Detained Deported: Stories from the Dark| |Feinstein, John |The Last Amateurs |

| |Side of American Immigration | | | |

|Bellow, Saul |The Adventures of Augie March | |Filipovic, Zlata |Zlata’s Diary: A Child’s Life in Sarajevo |

|Boas, Jacob |We are Witnesses: Five Diaries of Teenagers Who| |Flake, Sharon |You Don’t Even Know Me: Stories and Poems about |

| |Died in the Holocaust | | |Boys; Who Am I Without Him |

|Boll, Heinrich |The Balek Scales | |Fletcher, Susan |Shadow Spinner |

|Borland, Hal |When Legends Die | |Freedman, Russell |Children of the Great Depression |

|Bradbury, Ray |Dandelion Wine | |Freedman, Samuel |Small Victories: The Real World of A Teacher, Her|

| | | | |Students, and Their High School |

|Brainard, Cecilia |When the Rainbow Goddess Wept | |Gibson, William |The Miracle Worker |

|Bray, Libba |A Great and Terrible Beauty | |Golding, William |The Lord of the Flies |

|Bronte, Charlotee |Jane Eyre | |Gombrich, E. H. |A Little History of the World |

|*Brosgol, Vera |Anya’s Ghost | |*Goodman, Shawn |Something Like Hope |

|Bruchac, Joseph |The Heart of a Chief | |Graham, Kenneth |The Wind in the Willows |

|Buck, Pearl |The Good Earth | |Grandit, John | Lipstick: Concrete Poems |

|Campbell, Bebe M. |Sweet Summer | |Grant, Michael |Gone |

|Carson, Ben |Gifted Hands | |*Green, John |The Fault in Our Stars |

|Carter, Forrest |Education of Little Tree | |Griffin, John |Black Like Me |

|Cashore, Kristin |Graceling | |Grimes, Nikki |Dark Sons |

|Christie, Agatha |And Then There Were None | |Gruwell, Erin |The Freedom Writers |

|Cisneros, Sandra |The House on Mango Street | |Gunther, John |Death Be Not Proud |

|Connell, Richard |The Most Dangerous Game | |Guy, Rosa |The Friends |

|Cormier, Robert |I Am the Cheese; Tunes for Bears to Dance to | |Haddon, Mark |A Curious Incident of the Dog at the Night-Time |

|Covey, Sean |The Seven Habits of Highly Effective Teens | |Halberstam, David |The Teammates |

|Cox, Lynn |Swimming to Antarctica | |Hamilston, Bethany |Soul Surfer |

|Coyne, John |The Caddie Who Knew Ben Hogan | |Heller, Joseph |Catch 22 |

|Crichton, Michael |The Andromeda Strain | |Helquist, Brett |Chasing Vermeer |

|Crutcher, Chris |Whale Talk | |Hemingway, Ernest |The Old Man and the Sea |

|Dashner, James |Maze Runner | |Hickman, Homer |Rocket Boys |

|Hinton, S.E. |Tex- | |Rostand, Edmond |Cyrano De Bergerac |

|Homer |The Odyssey | |Rottman, S.L. |Head About Water |

|Hoose, Phillip |Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice | |Sanders, Dori |Clover |

|Hopkins, Ellen | Crank | |Sandler, Karen |Tankborn |

|Huong, Duong |Paradise of the Blind | |Sandler, Martin |Lincoln: Through the Lens |

|Hurst, James |The Scarlet Ibis | |Satrapi, Marjane |Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood |

|Huxley, Aldous |Brave New World | |Schroeder, Lisa |The Day Before |

|Irving, John |A Prayer for Owen Meany | |Selznick, Brian |The Invention of Hugo Cabret: A Novel |

|Jewkes, W T |Man the Myth Maker | |*Sepetys, Rita |Between Shades of Gray |

|Jurmain, Suzanne |The Forbidden Schoolhouse: The True Dramatic | |Shakespeare, William |Romeo and Juliet |

| |Story of Prudence Crandall and Her Students | | | |

|Kidd, Sue Monk |The Secret Life of Bees | |Shaara, Jeff |Gods and Generals |

|Kingsolver, Barbara |The Bean Trees; Pigs in Heaven | |Sheinkin, Martin |The Notorious Benedict Arnold: A True Story of |

| | | | |Adventure, Heroism, & Treachery |

|Kingston, Maxine |The Woman Warrior | |Shusterman, Neil |Unwind |

|Koertge, Ron |Shakespeare Bats Cleanup | |Silvey, Craig |Jasper Jones |

|Krakauer, Jon |Into the Wild | |Singh, Simon |The Code Book: How to Make it, Break it, Hack it,|

| | | | |Crack it |

|Kurlansky, Mark |Salt | |Sitomer, Alan |Homeboyz; Hip Hop High School |

|Lamont, Anne |Crooked Little Heart | |Sittenfeld, Curtis |Prep |

|Lee, Harper |To Kill a Mockingbird | |Smelcer, John |The Trap |

|*Levin, Larry |Oogy: The Dog Only a Family Could Love | |Smith, Betty |A Tree Grows in Brooklyn |

|London, Jack |White Fang | |Stevenson, Robert |Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde; Kidnapped; Treasure |

| | | | |Island |

|Lubar, David |Sleeping Freshmen Never Lie | |*Stiefvater, Maggie |The Scorpio Races |

|Marquez, Gabriel |Chronicle of a Death | |Strasser, Todd |The Wave |

|Maupassant, Guy de |The Necklace | |Swanson, Julie |Going for the Record |

|May, Alexandra |Elemental: The First | |*Taylor, Laini |Daughter of Smoke and Bone |

|*McBride, Lish |Hold Me Closer, Necromancer | |Taylor, Mildred |Let the Circle Be Unbroken |

|McCorkle, Jill |Ferris Beach | |Ten Boon, Corrie |The Hiding Place |

|Meyer, Marissa |Cinder | |Tolkien, J.R.R. |The Hobbit |

|Meyers, Stephanie |The Host | |Trueman, Terry |Stuck in Neutral |

|Meyers, Walter D. |Kick | |Twain, Mark |The Adventures of Tom Sawyer; The Prince and the |

| | | | |Pauper |

|Morrison, Toni |The Bluest Eye | |Turner, Glenette |Fort Mose and the Story of the Ma Who Built the |

| | | | |First Free Black Settlement in Colonial America |

|Mullin, Mike |Ashfall | |Turner, Pamela |The Frog Scientist |

|Murdock, Catherine |Dairy Queen | |Vidal, Gore |Visit to a Small Planet |

|Oates, Joyce C. |Big Mouth & Ugly Girl | |Vonnegurt, Kurt |Slaughterhouse Five |

|O’Brien, Robert |Z for Zachariah | |Washington, Booker |Up from Slavery |

|*Oppel, Kenneth |This Dark Endeavor | |White, Kierston |Paranormalcy |

|Orwell, George |1984; Animal Farm | |Wiesel, Eli |Night |

|Paulsen, Gary |The Island | |*Woods, Elizabeth |Choker |

|Paton, Alan |Cry, The Beloved Country | |Woodson, Jacqueline |I Hadn’t Meant to Tell You This |

|Peck, Richard |A Day No Pigs Would Die | |Yep, Laurence |The Star Fisher |

|Peet, Mal |Keeper | |Zusak, Marcus |The Book Thief |

|Poe, Edgar |The Cask of Amontillado | | | |

|Quinn, Daniel |Ishmael | | | |

|Ralston, Aron |Between a Rock and a Hard Place | | | |

|Remarque |All Quiet on the Western Front | | | |

|Rose, Reginald |Thunder on Sycamore Street | | | |

|Rosenberg, Arnold |The Civil War: Profile, One Event Six People | | | |

* Indicates 2013-2014 Virginia Readers’ Choice book

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Title & Author

Climax

Exposition

Resolution

Complications

Setting

Protagonist

Motivation

Mood

Theme

Connections

Antagonist

Conflicts

Quote

Quote

Quote

Quote

Quote

Quote

Quote

Quote

Quote

Literary Genre

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