Rhinebeck High School
English Department
Summer Reading Assignment 2015
Important Things to Know
 Read a novel or work of nonfiction of your own choice. Consult the RHS library website
for booklists with recommended titles.
 Complete the Double Entry Journal provided in this packet, or create a similar graphic
organizer on a word-processed document if you wish to type.
 Use your Double Entry Journal for an in-class writing assignment during the first week
of school.
o Note: It will be very difficult to complete the in-class essay without
successfully completing the Double Entry Journal. Students who fail to read a
text will not earn full credit and will be provided with several teacher-selected
sources to use on the essay.
 If you misplace the Double Entry Journal assignment, or need an extra copy, please
check the district website for the uploaded Summer Reading Assignment file.
Information for Late Entrants
 Those students who register for a Regent’s level course on or after the Friday before
Labor Day will not be required to read a new book, but will still be asked to complete
the summer reading in-class essay assignment using a book the student read previously.
Strategies for Reader Response
As you read, respond to a passage that
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is surprising or funny
contains powerful figurative language
makes you angry or frustrated or sad
is thought provoking
reminds you of someone you know or yourself
evokes a memory
reminds you of something else you have read
makes you question something
utilizes a particular literary or persuasive technique
raises social questions
Or, use any of the following strategies to help structure your responses.
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Predict (I think…will happen because…)
Make Inferences (The theme must be…because…)
Make Connections (Text to Self, Text to Text, Text to World)
Visualize (Based on the text, I picture…)
Determine Importance (This supports the main idea because…)
Summarize (First…, Next…, Then…, Finally,…)
Ask Questions (Why did…? What does … mean?)
Double Entry Journal
Name_______________________
As you read, mark notable words, sentences, or passages. Be sure to indicate specific page numbers. Use the Reading
Strategies listed in the packet to structure your responses. After completing three journal entries, determine how the
passages relate to the writer’s central idea.
Title: ____________________________________________ Author:______________________________
Text
Response
Copy the line(s) directly from the text or paraphrase longer
portions. Include page numbers.
Respond in neatly written, complete sentences.
1.__________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________
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2.__________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________
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*
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3.__________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________
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Central Idea
What is the central idea (theme) of the text so far? How do the passages you identified support it?
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Double Entry Journal
Name_______________________
As you read, mark notable words, sentences, or passages. Be sure to indicate specific page numbers. Use the Reading
Strategies listed in the packet to structure your responses. After completing three journal entries, determine how the
passages relate to the writer’s central idea.
Title: ____________________________________________ Author:______________________________
Text
Response
Copy the line(s) directly from the text or paraphrase longer
portions. Include page numbers.
Respond in neatly written, complete sentences.
4.__________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
*
*
5.__________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
*
*
6.__________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
Central Idea
What is the central idea (theme) of the text so far? How do the passages you identified support it?
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Double Entry Journal
Name_______________________
As you read, mark notable words, sentences, or passages. Be sure to indicate specific page numbers. Use the Reading
Strategies listed in the packet to structure your responses. After completing three journal entries, determine how the
passages relate to the writer’s central idea.
Title: ____________________________________________ Author:______________________________
Text
Response
Copy the line(s) directly from the text or paraphrase longer
portions. Include page numbers.
Respond in neatly written, complete sentences.
7.__________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
*
*
8.__________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
*
*
9.__________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
Central Idea
What is the central idea (theme) of the text so far? How do the passages you identified support it?
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
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