English I PAP Summer Reading 2015-2016
In preparation for English I PAP, you will choose from the following non-fiction novels:
The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls OR The Color of Water by James McBride.
About The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls:
Teachers and critics have praised the memoir for Walls’ honest account of positive life experiences as well
as difficult incidents, citing her resilience and success, in spite of such challenges, as inspirational.
Unfortunately, it contains some mature content and language that might take your child by surprise or
make him or her uncomfortable.
About The Color of Water by James McBride:
“As a boy in Brooklyn’s Red Hook projects, James McBride knew his mother was different. But when he
asked about it, she’d simply say, “I’m light-skinned.” Later he wondered if he was different, too, and asked his
mother if he was black or white. “You’re a human being,” she snapped. “Educate yourself or you’ll be a
nobody!” And when James asked what color God was, she said, “God is the color of water.”…As an adult,
McBride finally persuade his mother to tell her story — the story of a rabbi’s daughter, born in Poland and
raised in the South, who fled to Harlem, married a black man, founded a Baptist church, and put twelve children
through college. The Color of Water is James McBride’s tribute to his remarkable, eccentric, determined mother
— and an eloquent exploration of what family really means. Unfortunately, there is some referencing of child
abuse that might make your child uncomfortable.”
These novels address the topics of humanity and our abilities to bury the negative experiences of our past, to
persevere despite incredible obstacles, and to forgive those who hurt us. We encourage you, as a parent, to read the
book yourself so that you can have meaningful conversations with your child about any portions that might confuse
or trouble him or her.
Have a wonderful summer, and we will see you in August.
Ms. Doggett and Ms. Tucker
If you need to contact a teacher…email- vdoggett@nacisd.org (although I only check my school about once a
week) and cell phone 936-404-8723 (call or text) or btucker@nacisd.org and cell phone 936-554-4980 (call or
text)
***IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER- You should have parental approval for your book choice. Please discuss and
read reviews on both of the books with your parents before you make your selection***
The Color of Water Summer Reading and Writing Assignment
This assignment must be typed AND SAVED ON A USB OR FLASH DRIVE! It is recommended that you
take notes in your book while reading to keep up with setting, plot, and characters.
Your work IS DUE FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2015.
Directions: Once you have finished reading The Color of Water, answer the following open-ended questions.
An open-ended question requires an answer with an explanation and does not ask for just a “yes” or “no”
answer. Generally, your answers should be a paragraph in length. Therefore, you are to answer these questions
with detailed answers and use text evidence. Your work must be your own and will be checked for originality
through a plagiarism website during the second week of school.
Part I: Vocabulary
As you are reading the memoir, write down and define any words that you are unfamiliar with.
Part II: Open Ended Questions
1. Where did James McBride get the title for his book and what message does he wish to convey through this title?
2. Mommy's contradictions crashed and slammed against one another like bumper cars at Coney Island. White folks, she felt,
were implicitly evil toward blacks, yet she forced us to go to white schools to get the best education. Blacks could be
trusted more, but anything involving blacks was probably substandard... She was against welfare and never applied for it
despite our need, but championed those who availed themselves of it.
How can these described contradictions confuse the reader? While reading the descriptions of the children’s hunger, why
do you think Ruth still did not ask for help?
3. Discuss Ruth McBride's refusal to reveal her past and how that influenced her children's sense of themselves and their place
in the world. Why do you think James’s mother kept her white Jewish heritage a secret? If your parents had kept a secret
like that from you, would you be resentful? Was James?
4. Several of the McBride children became involved in the civil rights movement. Do you think that this was a result of the
times in which they lived, their need to belong to a group that lent them a solid identity, or a combination of these factors?
Explain your answer.
5. Was Mrs. McBride successful in raising her children “color blind?” Why did she have the results that she did? Give
examples from the text to support your answer.
6. In reading the alternating passages of Ruth and James, do you feel like you get to know one person better than the other?
Who? In the end, is this a story about James or about his mother? Explain.
7. Do mixed heritage children face the same issues today that McBride discusses? Give examples and explain why or why
not.
8. The McBride children's struggles with their identities led each to his or her own "revolution." How did each finally define
him/herself?
9. What role did religion play in the upbringing of James and his brothers and sisters? How did Ruth McBride Jordan's
remarkable faith translate into the adult lives of her children? Do you think that faith is something that parents/adults can
pass on from one generation? Explain your answer.
10. What did Ruth McBride achieve? Do you think it would be possible for her to have achieved the same in today's society?
Why or why not?
The Glass Castle Summer Reading and Writing Assignment:
This assignment must be typed AND SAVED ON A USB OR FLASH DRIVE! It is recommended that you take notes in
your book while reading to keep up with setting, plot, and characters. Your work must be your own and will be checked
for originality through a plagiarism website during the second week of school.
THIS IS DUE FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2015.
Part I: Vocabulary
As you are reading the memoir, write down and define any words that you are unfamiliar with.
Part II: Journal/Quotation Analysis
As you read The Glass Castle, you are to keep a reading journal. In this journal, you will record quotations that seem
significant to you, and then write comments in which you analyze the significance of the quote. Here are some
suggestions to use for themes:
 a spirit of independence
 the idea of the self-made man
 the pursuit of the American Dream
 the quest for adventure and exploring new frontiers
 self-reliance
 optimism in the face of adversity
In addition to focusing on these topics, you can choose a quote that:
 reveals a significant trait of a character
 contributes to the tone of the novel
 creates humor
Or, you can
 make a connection to something in your own life experience
 ask a question
 make a prediction
 make a comparison to today’s attitudes and culture
Try to select quotations that cover a variety of options. Do not simply compare every passage to your own life.
Requirements:
 You must have at least 15 entries
 Entries must be drawn from all parts of the book. You must include an entry on the last chapter and discuss
the relevancy of the ending.
 Commentary must focus on interpretation or analysis, NO SUMMARIES!
 The commentary should identify the trait or topic of focus IN BOLD!
Below are a few sample entries to use as a guide:
Passage
Commentary
Chapter 2 pg. 9- The author is cooking hot
This passage is revealing the author’s selfdogs.
sufficiency. She realizes in her household she
“But at that moment, I was wearing the dress to cannot count on her parents for even the basics
cook hot dogs, watching them swell and bob in of her young life.
the boiling water as the late-morning sunlight
filtered in through the trailer’s small
The author also uses imagery in this passage.
kitchenette window.”
This passage is revealing the pursuit of the
Chapter 1-page 25- Dad makes a huge promise American Dream by Dad. If he builds a Glass
to the children, “When Dad wasn’t telling
Castle, the family will become rich and live the
about all the amazing things he had already
“American Dream.”
done, he was telling us about the wondrous
things he was going to do .Like build the Glass
Castle.”