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You will be required to read two books over the summer. You will choose both books off of the list below.
While you are reading, you need to annotate. Once you have read each of the books, you will be required to do the two formal written essays described below; as well as, two of the activities described below (one for each book).
Overview : Read two books and annotate, do two formal written essays and do two activities, one for each book. All of the reading and assignments are due the first day of school . You must also have the books with all annotations on the first day of school.
As I Lay Dying
Black Boy
Emma
The Grapes of Wrath
Hiroshima
The Hobbit
A Lesson Before Dying
1984
Pride and Prejudice
Uncle Tom's Cabin
The Five People You Meet In Heaven
Wuthering Heights
Speak*
Chains
Ender’s Game
The House on Mango Street
Monster
Uglies
1.
Highlight key information . This includes important characters, ideas, events, and/or terms in the book. Use a highlighter color that is not too distracting or dark so that the text is still legible.
2.
Use brackets to single out important paragraphs/sections . If the text is too long to highlight, bracketing it will help you determine which parts are worth going back and re-reading.
3.
Write notes in the margins . If you chose to highlight or bracket a section, be sure to use a pen or pencil to write the significance of the text in the margins so that you can quickly remember why you highlighted a particular section without having to re-read the entire chapter or section.
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4.
Look up words you don't know . Have a dictionary on-hand to look up words or terms that you don't understand. You may want to write the definition into the margins so that you don't forget them when you go back and re-read.
5.
Summarize the end of each chapter or section (optional) . To keep your memory fresh, consider writing a short summary at the very end of each chapter that sums up the important events, ideas and concepts that were discussed in the chapter.
Both essays need to be typed. [Times New Roman, 12-point font, double-spaced]Essays need to follow MLA format. [Refer to http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/01/ for help with MLA ]
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1.
Compare and Contrast both books that you have read. Think about plot, setting, characters, etc when writing this essay. Make sure that you use examples from the books.
This essay needs to be at least 3 pages, double-spaced.
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2. Choose one character from each book (two characters total) that you can relate to. Describe each of these character’s traits (appearance, personality, actions, etc.) and how they relate to you. Make sure that you use examples from the books. This essay needs to be at least 2 pages, double-spaced.
These are formal essays so make sure that each essay has an introduction, body and conclusion.
Activities: (One for each book- Two total) [You may choose any two to complete]

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1.
Create a mini-comic book on a chapter of the book or summarizing the book as a whole. This requires some artistic ability. Stick figures on lined paper and put together the night before will not get a passing grade.
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2.
Take your book and make it into a children’s book. Minimum of 10 pages and it must be colorful, appealing to the age group you choose, capture the plot, key characters (antagonist and protagonist), setting and the theme of your book. Make sure to have a beginning, middle and an end!
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3.
Create a 2-3 page “newspaper” that has headlines discussing events that happened in your book. For example, if someone died, have an obituary section. Did someone get arrested? Have a police blotter. Did a character do something good for another character? Have a good deeds section where you recognize that character(s). What was the setting of the play? Have a weather section to discuss the setting or create an events section to talk about the places your characters may have gone in the book. Make it look as much like a newspaper as possible. You must have at least 4-5 “headlines” or sections to your newspaper. Be creative!
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4.
Create a scrapbook about a character from your book. Include objects like ticket stubs, photographs, letters, schoolwork and report cards, hobbies, and much more, depending widely on the character. You can include pictures of objects or actually collect physical objects. In addition to selecting the items that your character would collect for a scrapbook, it is important to explain why the objects are important to the character and the events of the novel – this can be written separately or right on the page of the object/picture. The scrapbook must have at least 5 pages to it.
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5.
Create a book soundtrack! To do this, divide your book into sections or major scenes and then provide a song to accompany each segment, just as a movie soundtrack provides music to mirror the events of the film. Then write an explanation for why each song fits a specific section of the book. This should be about ½ page to 1 page in length for each explanation. You can design a cover for the soundtrack to provide an additional opportunity to show your understanding of the book. You should select songs with lyrics that highlight the major plot points and themes of the book, with the exception of classical pieces that can be chosen to evoke the mood of a scene. Lyrics must be appropriate and edit where necessary. Lyrics must be printed out and you have to highlight the part(s) of the song that relates to that part of the book. You should have at least 6-7 songs to go with your book.
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6.
Travel Brochure! Did your book take you places? Did the characters travel to an amazing place? Create a travel brochure that would make someone want to visit the place(s) your book brought you. The brochure should include bright pictures, descriptions of not only the place but also things to do and see. Your best bet is to look at some travel brochures and go from there. It must have SIX panels and each of the panels need to be filled.
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7.
Theme in a bottle – A character from your book decided to send a message in a bottle to shore and express what he/she has learned from his or her experiences to help others understand important life lessons. You need to write a letter from the main character’s point of view. The letter should express the main character’s feelings about the life lessons he or she has learned throughout the course of the story. The letter needs to be typed and
2-3 pages in length (double-spaced). Decorate the bottle with symbols that relate to the main character’s message and to the theme of the story. For example, Annemarie Johansen in Number the Stars might put religious symbols of the courage and survival shown by herself, families and friends on the bottle.
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8.
Compare and contrast characters within your book. (2-3 pages, double-spaced)
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me via email ( hhook@westfallschools.com
). You can find these books on Amazon.com, Wal-Mart and many other retailers. If you are having trouble getting the books, please contact me!