2014 Mandatory Summer Reading-9th Grade Honors
Albert Einstein High School’s English Department
If you have any questions, contact:
Tara_M_Trawick@mcpsmd.org Vanessa_imoroa@mcpsmd.org Melissa_Pouridas@mcpsmd.org
All 9 th Grade Honors students must read one fiction book of their choice. The book you select should be one that you have never read before (either for pleasure or for a class). It should also be written in English, at least
100 pages long, and should be matched with your reading level—not too easy, not too hard. Books are available at your local library, bookstores, and the English department. If you are having a difficult time finding a book, a list of recommended books is available on the MCPS website: http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/curriculum/readinglists/
ASSIGNMENT TO COMPLETE OVER THE SUMMER: All 3 assignments are DUE on August 27 th !!
1) Take FIVE Cornell Notes on one character’s traits from the novel you selected.
Identify five passages that you feel help to develop your chosen character. When looking for examples of characterization, include passages that show how the character thinks, speaks, and acts, and how other characters view this character. Write the passage in the left hand column, documenting the page number of the quotation. In the right hand column, write a brief explanation of what you feel the passage reveals about the character’s personality. An example from J.D. Salinger’s Catcher in the Rye is provided:
Example of Cornell Notes:
Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
Cornell Notes on: Holden Caulfield
Explanation/Analysis Passage
“I know he’s dead! Don’t you think I know that? I can still like him, though, can’t I? Just because somebody’s dead, you don’t just stop liking them… especially if they were about a thousand times nicer than the people you know that are alive and all” (17).
Holden is talking about his brother Allie. Holden seems to be having a lot of trouble dealing with his brother’s death, and it has affected the way he feels about the people in his life.
2) Choose 10 vocabulary words from your novel. Define each word and use it in a detailed sentence that shows you know what the word means.
WORD DEFINITION ORIGINAL SENTENCE USING THE WORD
3) Write a well-developed paragraph describing your opinion about this character. Take into account the way this character thinks, speaks, and interacts with other characters. Discuss whether you would want to be friends with this character. Explain why or why not, and justify your explanation with specific examples from the text or your
Cornell Notes. Your paragraph must be at least 300 words, typed, and double-spaced. (Remember that this paragraph needs to be YOUR OWN work; plagiarism will not be tolerated and will result in a “0.”)