THEODORE HIGH SCHOOL’S SUMMER READING LIST
FOR THE
2012-2013 SCHOOL TERM
The following novels are RECOMMENDED for summer reading
for students in Regular English classes:
Regular Freshmen are to read
Everlost ($7.65) by Neal Shusterman
or Tears of a Tiger ($7.65) by Sharon Draper
or The City of Ember ($7.65) by Jean Duprau
or Make Lemonade ($78.75) by Virginia Euwer Wolff
Regular Sophomores are to read
Copper Sun ($9.84) by Sharon Draper
or The Twisted Window ($7.65) by Lois Duncan
or My Brother Sam Is Dead ($7.65) by Collier and Collier
Regular Juniors are to read
Somewhere in the Darkness ($7.65) by Walter Dean Myers
or Sean Griswold’s Head ($18.60) by Lindsey Leavitt
or Looking for Alaska ($9.84) by John Green
or Deadline ($9.84) by Chris Crutcher
Regular Seniors are to read
Thirteen Reasons Why ($12.03) by Jay Asher
or Private Peaceful ($8.75) by Michael Morpugo
or Milkweed ($8.75) by Jerry Spinelli
or Angus, Thongs, and Full-Frontal Snogging ($9.84) by Louise Rennison
HONORS ENGLISH 9
SUMMER READING ASSIGNMENTS
THEODORE HIGH SCHOOL: 2012-2013 SCHOOL TERM
For Honors English 9 class, you must read two books from the summer reading lists below:
LIST ONE:
You must choose and read one of the following novels:
Diary of a Young Girl ($6.56) by Anne Frank
or When the Legends Die ($8.75) by Hal Borland
LIST TWO:
You must choose and read one of the following novels:
Everlost ($7.65) by Neal Shusterman
or Tears of a Tiger ($7.65) by Sharon Draper
or The City of Ember ($7.65) by Jean Duprau
or Make Lemonade ($8.75) by Virginia Euwer Wolff
Ninth Grade Honors Reading Assignments
Complete the Following Assignment for either Diary of a Young Girl or When the Legends Die:
It is an important skill to learn to take notes as you are reading. Your assignment
is to keep a response journal for Diary of a Young Girl or When the Legends Die.
You may keep your journal on loose-leaf paper or in a composition notebook. Divide
each page with a line going down the center and keep notes based on what you are reading.
On the left side of the page, write the passage to which you are responding (with page
numbers) and on the right side of the page, write your response. Your responses may be
your interpretation of events that occur in the novel, or they may be your personal reactions
to what is occurring in the text. Do not write just one word responses or simply
summarize what you read. These responses should show an interaction with the text
and should be your observations about what is happening in the text, so be sure to complete
this assignment while you are reading. Overall, your journal should include 30-40 entries.
Your work will be collected during the first week of class.
In addition, during the first week of class, you will be given tests on your summer reading novels. The
tests will consist of various questions on the plot (the story line). Because of the nature of this assignment, you
will be allowed to make up the test only because of an excused absence, and it must be made up within one week
of missing the test in class. Therefore, read your summer reading novel and be prepared!
Theodore High School
Honors 10th Grade Summer Reading
for
School Year 2012-2013
Directions: Incoming sophomores in Honors English 10 must read the required book(s) from the list(s) below before the start of their
sophomore year. Students should be prepared for tests and activities on their chosen book(s). These grades will be the first grades of the
semester; therefore, failure to read the required book(s) may result in a failing grade. The elements of novels are listed below, and students
should familiarize themselves with these and be prepared to discuss them in class, either in writing or orally.
All Honors English 10 students must read two books from the lists below:
One from the first list:
A Break with Charity ($7.61) by Ann Rinaldi
or The Five People You Meet in Heaven ($13.14) by Mitch Albom
One from the second list:
Copper Sun ($9.84) by Sharon Draper
or The Twisted Window ($7.65) by Lois Duncan
or My Brother Sam Is Dead ($7.65) by Collier and Collier
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Elements of the Novel
(1)
Every novel has a setting—when and where the story takes place. The setting helps to create the mood or
atmosphere of the story.
(2)
Every novel contains various conflicts or problems that involve the characters. These conflicts may be internal or
external. Each character may face one or more conflicts, and these conflicts are what keep the story interesting. The
conflicts usually lead to a climax when the conflicts are resolved. Many times these problems may not be settled the
way we, the readers, want them to be settled.
(3)
Every novel reveals a theme—a point, idea, truth, message, or insight that the author desires the reader to learn while
reading the story. The subject or topic of the story is different than the theme. The subject may deal with the
topic of
growing up in a dysfunctional family. The theme, however, may be that while the family is not ideal, everyone has to
work out his/her own way of dealing with problems and try to make a better life for himself/herself.
(4)
Every novel has a plot, which is the story line. Explaining the plot is just summarizing the story from the beginning
to the end. It includes the main points, such as the beginning (setting), the middle (conflicts), and the ending
(climax).
READING LIST AND ASSIGNMENTS FOR HONORS JUNIOR ENGLISH
2011-2012 SCHOOL TERM AT THEODORE HIGH SCHOOL
LIST ONE:
All incoming Honors Junior English students must read:
O Pioneers! ($5.42) by Willa Cather
LIST TWO:
All incoming Honors Junior English students must read two of the eight
novels from the following list:
The Learning Tree ($7.65) by Gordon Parks
Looking for Alaska ($9.84) by John Green
Sean Griswold’s Head ($18.60) by Lindsey Leavitt
The Sun Also Rises ($16.43) by Ernest Hemingway
The Cray Horse Electric Game ($9.84) by Chris Crutcher
Deadline ($9.84) by Chris Crutcher
They Cage the Animals at Night ($7.65) by Jennings M. Burch
The Lilies of the Field ($6.56) by William E. Barrett
You are to read three novels before beginning your Honors Junior English class. You are to complete the assignments
explained below for O Pioneers! When you report to your English class, you will be required to turn in your assignments on the
second day of class and take tests on your three novels during the first week of class. The writing assignments that accompany O
Pioneers! are worth 100 points. Your tests on the three novels you read will be worth 300 points. Additional work (once the
school term begins) will be assigned on O Pioneers! Therefore, read your novels and complete the assignments. Your grade will
be significantly affected by your efforts or by the lack of your efforts.
Read the directions for each assignment: Neatly and thoroughly, answer the questions below for O Pioneers! Do not
use Spark Notes or copy someone else’s answers. You may write or type your answers. Every answer should be in paragraph
form, should use correct sentence structure and grammar, and should be about 100-150 words long.
Be specific and follow directions. Use the directions to help you write your paragraphs.
(1)
Every novel has a setting—when and where the story of the novel takes place. After you finish O Pioneers!, describe,
in a well-developed paragraph, one setting. Begin with a topic sentence that identifies one setting and its importance
in the story. Provide specific details that describe the physical setting and that explain why it is an important setting
in the novel. End with a well-written conclusion sentence.
(2)
Every novel contains various conflicts or problems that involve the characters. Write a paragraph about one of the
conflicts in O Pioneers! Begin with a topic sentence that identifies one conflict and that states whether it is internal or
external. Provide specific details that describe the conflict, identify the characters involved, and explain its importance
to the story. Explain whether or not the conflict is resolved. End with a well-written conclusion sentence.
(3)
Every novel reveals a theme—a point, idea, truth, message, or insight that the author desires the reader to learn
while reading the story. In a well-developed paragraph, describe one of the themes in O Pioneers! Begin with a topic
sentence that identifies and states the theme you wish to discuss. Provide details and explanations that describe the theme
and that explain how the theme is revealed in the story. Add needed examples that validate your explanations. End with
a well-written conclusion sentence.
(4)
Write a thorough analysis paragraph on one of the main characters in O Pioneers! Begin with a topic sentence that
identifies the character and briefly describes his/her personality using three or four specific adjectives. Provide details,
explanations, and examples that validate the adjectives you choose. In other words, provide information that proves
your adjectives are accurate. Be specific and thorough. End with a well-written conclusion sentence.
(5)
Write another analysis paragraph on one more character. Follow the directions provided in number four.
Note:
You are writing five paragraphs for O Pioneers!
You do not have to complete the written assignments for the two novels you choose from List Two; however, you will be tested on your
reading of the two novels you choose to read.
READING LIST AND ASSIGNMENTS FOR AP ENGLISH 11
2012-2013 SCHOOL TERM
THEODORE HIGH SCHOOL
AP English 11 must read
In Cold Blood ($16.43) by Truman Capote
And two from the list:
Fahrenheit 451 ($7.65) by Ray Bradbury
The Sun Also Rises ($16.43) by Ernest Hemingway
The Great Gatsby ($16.43) by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Brave New World ($16.41) by Aldous Huxley
The Awakening ($5.42) by Kate Chopin
Their Eyes Were Watching God ($16.41) by Zora Neale Hurston
Complete the Following Assignment for In Cold Blood only:
It is an important skill to learn to take notes as you are reading. Your assignment
is to keep a response journal for In Cold Blood You may keep your journal on looseleaf paper or in a composition notebook. Divide each page with a line going down
the center and keep notes based on what you are reading. On the left side of the page,
write the passage to which you are responding (with page number) and on the right
side of the page, write your response. Your responses may be your interpretation of
events that occur in the novel, or they may be your personal reactions to what is
occurring in the text. Do not write just one word responses or simply summarize
what you read. These responses should show an interaction with the text and should
be your observations about what is happening in the text, so be sure to complete this
assignment while you are reading. Overall, your journal should include 30-40 entries.
Your work will be collected during the first week of class.
READING LIST AND ASSIGNMENTS
FOR HONORS SENIOR ENGLISH
2012-2013 SCHOOL TERM
AT
THEODORE HIGH SCHOOL
LIST ONE:
All incoming Honors Senior English students must read the following novels:
The Hobbit ($8.75) by J.R.R. Tolkien
and Private Peaceful ($8.75) by Michael Morpurgo
LIST TWO:
All incoming Honors Senior English students must read one of the four
novels from the following list:
Rebecca ($8.75) by Daphne du Maurier
Pride and Prejudice ($5.42) by Jane Austen
Frankenstein ($4.33) by Mary Shelley
Thirteen Reasons Why ($12.03) by Jay Asher
You are to read three novels before beginning your Honors Senior English class.
Complete the Following Assignment for either The Hobbit or Private Peaceful:
It is an important skill to learn to take notes as you are reading. Your assignment
is to keep a response journal for either The Hobbit or Private Peaceful. You have to
complete only one journal. You may keep your journal on loose-leaf paper or in a
composition notebook. Divide each page with a line going down the center and keep
notes based on what you are reading. On the left side of the page, write the passage to
which you are responding (with page number) and on the right side of the page, write
your response. Your responses may be your interpretation of events that occur in the
novel, or they may be your personal reactions to what is occurring in the text. Do not
write just one word responses or simply summarize what you read. These responses
should show an interaction with the text and should be your observations about what is
happening in the text, so be sure to complete this assignment while you are reading.
Overall, your journal should include 30-40 entries. Your work will be collected during
the first week of class.
READING LIST AND ASSIGNMENTS FOR AP ENGLISH 12
2012-2013 SCHOOL TERM
THEODORE HIGH SCHOOL
Below, you will find three separate lists of books. Most of these books are available at public and school libraries, or you
may choose to buy your own copies so that you may write in the books as you read. Choose ONE book from each list to
read this summer, preferably ones you have not read before. The lists and assignment may seem daunting, but this is a
class that emphasizes reading and analyzing literature, and such work is necessary.
List One: Choose one of the following ten Classics:
The Aeneid ($6.52) by Virgil (29-19 B.C., Roman epic poem)
Antigone($13.09) by Sophocles (441 B.C., Greek play)
The Divine Comedy ($6.52) by Dante Alighieri (1308-1321, Italian epic poem)
Don Quixote ($9.80) by Miguel de Cervantes (1605, Spanish Novel)
The Iliad ($6.52) by Homer (700-600 B.C., Greek epic poem)
The Odyssey ($6.52) by Homer (700-600 B.., Greek epic poem)
Oedipus Rex ($10.90) by Sophocles (428 B.C., Greek play)
List Two: Choose one of the following Pre-20th Century texts:
The American ($8.71) by Henry James (1877, American)
Anna Karenina ($7.61) by Leo Tolstoy (1877, Russian)
Candide ($5.42) by Voltaire (1759, French)
Crime and Punishment ($7.65) by Fyodor Dostoevsky (1866, Russian)
Emma ($5.42) by Jane Austen (1816, British)
Faust ($13.09) by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1828-9, German play)
Frankenstein ($4.33) by Mary Shelley (1818, British)
Heart of Darkness ($5.42) by Joseph Conrad (1899, Polish/British)
The Last of the Mohicans ($5.52) by James Fenimore Cooper (1826, American)
Moby Dick($5.42) by Herman Melville (1851, American)
Portrait of a Lady ($6.52) by Henry James (1881, American)
Pride and Prejudice(6.52) by Jane Austen (1813, British)
Uncle Tom’s Cabin ($6.52) by Harriet Beecher Stowe (1851, American)
List Three: Choose one of the following 20th Century texts:
Beloved ($16.43) by Toni Morrison (1987, American)
Catch-22 ($17.52) by Joseph Heller (1961, American)
The Catcher in the Rye ($7.65) by J. D. Salinger (1951, American)
The Color Purple ($9.80) by Alice Walker (1982, American)
Cry, The Beloved Country ($16.43) by Alan Paton (1946, South African)
Invisible Man ($17.47) by Ralph Ellison (1953, American)
A Lesson before Dying ($15.28) by Ernest Gaines (1993, American)
Native Son ($16.41) by Richard Wright (1940, American)
One Hundred Years of Solitude ($16.99) by Gabriel Garcia Marquez (1967, Columbian)
A Separate Peace($13.14) by John Knowles (1959, American)
Slaughterhouse Five ($8.75) by Kurt Vonnegut (1969, American)
The Stranger ($14.18) by Albert Camus (1942, French)
Things Fall Apart ($13.09) by Chinua Achebe (1958, Nigerian)
You are to complete the following assignments on each of the three books. There is not a set order as to
which book you must read first. The first book assignment will be due during week one of class, the second
book assignment will be due during week two of class, and the third book will be due week three of class.
Note: OTHER WORK WILL BE GOING ON IN CLASS, SO THIS OUTSIDE READING SHOULD BE
COMPLETED AHEAD OF TIME.
All items may be typed in 12 point, Times New Roman font. Do not just copy from Internet sites.
Plagiarized work will be given a zero. If unsure of what constitutes plagiarism, please look up the meaning and
explanation. Start by writing out a Works Cited for the work, using whatever edition you are reading.
 Plot Summary/Reading Reactions
Divide your book into fourths. Use common sense for stopping at chapter breaks instead of exactly on the one-fourth of
the text. After you finish reading each quarter of the text, write a plot summary and write a reader response/reaction to that
section. Your reactions to what is happening in the novel and to the characters and their personalities, motivations, etc. are
very important to the understanding of the work and being able to discuss the text. Interact with the characters and setting
and language and plot; you need to question, to guess and to react to the whole text as you read.
 Prose Analysis
Choose four (4) representative passages—long enough to get an idea of the author’s style (solid paragraph to half a page
of text): passages may be typed or photocopied. Do not forget to include the page number. Talk about diction, imagery,
syntax, choice of detail, figurative language, stylistic prose devices, tone, point of view, expression of ideas, themes,
symbols, and any other tools of the writer. Also, discuss what makes each passage representative of the author’s style and
what makes each passage memorable to you. Each analysis should be at least one page long.
 Characters, Setting(s) of the novel, Symbols, Opening and Closing lines and scenes of the work,
Themes/ideas developed within the work, Stylistic Prose Devices, Background information on
author and time period of writing (historical and literary):
This section of your assignment should be neatly listed or charted out as it is meant as a study guide of
your own making. A two-column format is recommended for study guide formatting.
List major characters and write descriptions. Relate how they impact the work and how they react
and/or grow or change in relation to the plot or other characters: What is their purpose in and to the
work?
Setting: Use detailed descriptions of where and when events of the work take place, noting any changes
or shifts and noting how the setting is used within the work to effect plot or character development.
Symbols: List and describe the major symbols and the impact/importance on the work, plot, theme, and
characters.
Opening and Closing lines and scenes: What is the impact or importance of each? How effective are
these opening and closing scenes and lines to the work, plot, and characters.
Themes: What are the major themes of the work and what impact or meaning do they have on the plot,
characters, setting, and work as a whole?
Stylistic Prose Devices: As you read, notice the stylistic techniques that the author uses in order to
communicate more effectively and powerfully. Examples of stylistic techniques are point of view, tone,
diction, dialect, syntax, narrative pace, use of humor (pun, sarcasm, etc.), satire, figurative language,
imagery, irony, selection of detail, and many more. Prepare a list of at least five (5) different examples
of powerful prose techniques. Define the term, copy and cite page numbers for the example from the
text, and provide an analysis of how the author uses the technique. Extra terms will be considered for
extra credit.
Biographical Background information: Write information detailing the biographical information of
the author (years, education, other jobs, other major works, any literary movements associated with the
author, influences on the author, and interesting anecdotal information), especially as relative to his/her
works of literature.
Historical and literary background information should include major events (wars, discoveries,
religious happenings/events, major figures of history and literature, etc.).