May 6, 2016
Dear New Honors Student:
The end of 8th grade is an exciting time. As you are saying goodbye to Wydown Middle School,
you are preparing to say hello to Clayton High School. Honors English I is a challenging and
rewarding class in which you will further develop your abilities to analyze literature through class
discussions, creative and analytical writings, projects and reflections. You will also learn to navigate
the new systems and structures of the high school, including the English Department’s conference
program. I look forward to meeting you in August, and I am confident that you will be ready for this
next portion of your journey as a reader and writer.
As a requirement of the Honors English I class, you will complete the summer reading project. As
is outlined in the document attached, you will read and annotate Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand.
This will serve as a springboard for discussion and further study, especially of Homer’s The
Odysssey, and it may become the basis for your first essay in August. In addition, this text is a
building block for the entire Honors English I curriculum. I look forward to hearing about your
insights into this popular book. I have included a planning sheet to support your independent work.
I hope that in addition to enjoying Unbroken you will read books on your own. Explore a variety of
genres; challenge yourself as a reader and expand your repertoire. Although there will be no test
or pop quiz, I encourage you to select one of the five books that CHS students will be reading as
part of “Clayton High School Reading Challenge.” This year’s theme is “Disappearance” – a theme
that works well with Unbroken. As you read, be ready for moments of connection and insight. For
more information on the summer reading titles, visit the CHS website in the Library Information
Center. Perhaps you will also take time to write this summer: write letters to friends and family,
journal about your experiences, or start the next great American novel.
If you have any questions, I will be available through district e-mail through Friday, June 3, 2016. I
have also posted this assignment on my teacher websites. I look forward to meeting you and
working with you on this leg of your journey.
Sincerely,
Amy Hamilton
AmyHamilton@claytonschools.net
Summer 2016 Unbroken  Clayton High School, Honors English 1
Summer reading offers you an opportunity to enjoy quality literature while keeping your active reading skills sharp.
This self-directed experience will serve as a foundation for our Honors English I reading and writing experiences in
the fall.
This year, we have selected Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand as our shared summer reading. Unbroken is a nonfiction text that chronicles Louis Zamperini’s journey from an unruly juvenile delinquent to a WWII hero. As you
journey through the summer reading, you will face the challenge of considering yourself and the world in new and
unexpected ways. Let the directions below serve as a guide for your active reading and note taking. In the fall, we
will draw upon your insights as we see the mythic hero Odysseus return home to Ithaca after the Trojan War in
Homer’s The Odyssey.
Reading and Annotating Unbroken
Obtain a copy of the book that you can keep and annotate.
Because we will be discussing your reading in the fall, you should keep notes to chart both Louis Zamperini’s physical
and emotional journeys. As you read each of the five (I-V) parts of the book, write a short summary to chart these
changes. One way to organize your summary notes is to create a T-Chart labeled “physical” on one side and
“emotional” on the other.
Furthermore, as you read, annotate the text, marking passages that reflect following four motifs. These are the same
motifs we will discuss in the fall as we study The Odyssey. I have supplied some questions for each motif to help you
begin your inquiry.
1. Savagery — What causes a person or a community to act savagely? What effect does savagery have on
people and places?
2.
Hero — What are the qualities that make a person heroic? What role do mistakes play in a hero’s life?
3.
Loss — Do different people define loss differently? How do we recover from loss?
4.
Manhood —How do we define manhood? How do these definitions of manhood affect the greater
community? You might consider: physical strength, pride (even excessive pride), dealing with extreme
emotion, and coming of age.
Annotation Method:
I recommend finding four colors of sticky notes and color-coding your notes. If you use the thin sticky notes to
underline (or "overline") passages, you can let the notes barely protrude from pages. That way, locating passages
later on a certain theme will take merely seconds. If you do not want to color code, you should still use sticky notes
but write a brief remark on each one to remind yourself why you marked the passage.
Limit your work to finding five examples each of savagery, the hero, loss, and manhood. You will therefore
create 20 sticky notes. This limit will force you to find the best examples and allow you to enjoy reading
without pausing constantly to annotate.
Outside Research: Good readers often have questions and wonderings about what they are reading. Don’t
be shy about researching Zamperini, WWII, Hillenbrand (the author), Greek mythology, the Trojan War, or
any other topic that piques your interest.
On the other hand, avoid the temptation to access online summaries and analysis of the book or depend on
a quick viewing of the film to replace the rich investigation we are asking you to engage in as you read the
text itself. CHS values academic integrity. I am excited to hear your ideas and thinking in the fall.
Summer Reading Planning Sheet: Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand
This independent reading assignment allows you to approach reading a long, 400+ page book the way that best
meets your needs and learning style. Would you prefer to complete a little work each week to keep your academic
skills limber, or would you rather read the book in the first month so that you can start on your “for fun” reading list?
Before creating your plan, time yourself reading the first twenty or so pages so that you have a good idea about your
reading pace.
Week
What does this week look like
for my family? Will I have a
lot of time? Do I want to take
a break? Will I have 14 hours
in the car?
Reading Goal for the Week
May 29
June 5
June 12
June 19
June 26
July 3
July 10
July 17
July 24
July 31
August 7
Welcome to CHS! I look forward to hearing your good ideas!
Am I
on
track?