SUMMER READING - 10TH HONORS 2015-2016
Welcome to 10th Honors Literature and Composition! We are looking forward to the upcoming year.
To prepare for this course, you must complete the following required readings and assignments over the
summer. Make sure you carefully read this entire assignment before you begin and plan ahead by
locating copies of all of the texts early in the summer. You MUST have read and completed all
summer reading assignments by your first day of class.
These texts may be purchased at local bookstores or ordered online (just make sure you give yourself
enough time for securing the books, reading them, and completing the assignments). It is fine to
purchase used copies of the books.
REQUIRED Readings:
*Nonfiction Focus: Do both (A & B) of the selections listed below.
A. Read five articles--one on each of these topics: science, world events, health, editorial, and
film/book review. Choose your articles from five different sources using the list that follows: The New
York Times, The Washington Post, The Atlantic, National Public Radio, The New Yorker, CNN.com, The
Huffington Post, or U.S. News and World Report.
B. Read the graphic memoir Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood by Marjane Satrapi. Bring the book to
school on the first day of the semester. Be advised-this selection has some mature content.
*Fiction Focus: Choose ONE of the following novels.
Angelou, Maya, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
Coelho, Paulo, The Alchemist
Dick, Philip K., Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?**
Mitchell, David, Black Swan Green
Hemingway, Ernest, To Have and Have Not
Warren, Robert Penn, All the King’s Men
Kingsolver, Barbara, The Bean Trees
Gregory, Daryl, Raising Stony Mayhall
*Be advised-some of these selections contain mature content. Be sure to secure parental permission
for the selection that you choose.
**If you choose to read this novel, it is okay to get either the original version or the version that is
entitled Blade Runner (Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?). DO NOT purchase a book
about the movie Blade Runner or the script for the movie.
ASSESSMENTS (All assessments should be brought to school on the first day of the semester.)
Assessment for the nonfiction focus:
A. For each of the five articles, type (in MLA format) a well-developed summary of each article. This
summary should be a paragraph of 5 to 8 sophisticated sentences, not just simple sentences strung
together, which will give an overview of the article and state the author’s main point/s. Each summary
paragraph should contain one direct quote from the article and appropriate parenthetical citation.
In addition, create a works cited page for the five articles. Consult Purdue University’s online resource to
assist with this (link included at the end of these instructions).
B. After reading Persepolis, type (in MLA format) a two-page (maximum) response to the following:
 Briefly describe 3 scenes you think are particularly captivating or important. Be sure to include
the page numbers for these scenes. (For example: “The Veil,” pp. 3-6 (1st panel); “The Heroes,”
pp. 47-52 (1st panel); “The Cigarette,” pp. 111-114) These are only examples to assist you
in your choices. You may choose any scenes that you find significant.
 Discuss the number of panels for each scene. Note which panel is largest and discuss why the
author chose to make it so.
 What does each of these scenes tell you about life in Iran?
 How do your life experiences seem similar to or different from those in the memoir?
 How might the ideas in the book help you to reflect on the world and your place in it?
Assessment for the fiction focus: For the ONE novel you chose, complete the following:
1. Perform a close reading of the novel. While you read, annotate by underlining or highlighting favorite
passages, passages that you believe are important, passages that raise questions, etc. Make notes in the
margins about themes or main ideas that the author conveys. If you do not buy the novel, but check it
out of the library, you must turn in a list of 12 to 15 quotes (in MLA citation format) accompanied
by your thoughts and connections to the passages you’ve selected. You need to bring your annotated
text to class on the first day of the semester.
2. Your teacher will have an assessment for your fiction text planned for the first unit. Make sure to have
the novel with you on the first day of the semester.
For any questions regarding summer reading, please email:
Ms. Scenna-scennaa@fultonschools.org
Mrs. Siwy- siwyj@fultonschools.org
Please note: All typed work MUST be in MLA format.
If you need a refresher on MLA format, please access www.chsenglish.org, go to the resources menu,
and click on the links.
You may also access the following website to help with MLA format questions:
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/01/.