Maynard Jackson High School
Fine Arts and Communications Academy
Summer Required Reading List
Each grade level is required to read two or more books and complete
the assignments that follow. Books may be obtained at any local
bookstore, the internet, or public library. All assignments are due
the first week of school. Assignments will count as test/project
grades for all core classes. Failure to complete assignments will
result in failing grades.
Assignments are for your upcoming grade level!
IN-COMING 9TH GRADE SUMMER READING LIST & ASSIGNMENTS
1. Golding, William. The Lord of the Flies.
A plane of young boys is shot down on a deserted island. With no adults, they must create
their own society and survive.

Pick one of the following projects to create:
 Create a topographical map of the island based on the
details present. Write a one-page paper explaining the
significance of the island to the action in story.
 Create a mask for Ralph, Jack, Piggy, and Simon. For
each mask, write a brief explanation of how the mask
reflects the character.
 Pretend that you are interviewing one of the characters
after their rescue. Write a three-page interview.
2. McCormick, Patricia. Sold
A touching story of a young girl sold into sexual slavery in India .

Choose one of the following options to complete:
 Create a piece of art inspired by the book. The form—
sculpture, painting, musical performance, etc. is entirely up
to you. Chronicle your experience in a brief journal.
 Imagine that you are going to leave home for a year to
support your family. What would you pack? What items
would be indispensable? Work those items into somekind of
art form—collage, sculpture, poem, song. How does your list
compare with what Lakshmi carried?
 Draw a map of Lakshmi’s travel.
Maynard Jackson High School
Fine Arts and Communications Academy
Summer Required Reading List
Each grade level is required to read two or more books and complete
the assignments that follow. Books may be obtained at any local
bookstore, the internet, or public library. All assignments are due
the first week of school. Assignments will count as test/project
grades for all core classes. Failure to complete assignments will
result in failing grades.
Assignments are for your upcoming grade level!
RISING 10TH GRADE SUMMER READING LIST & ASSIGNMENTS
1. Beah, Ishmael. A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier
A young boy becomes a boy soldier during the civil war in Sierra Leone and murders hundreds of people.
When rescued at the age of fifteen, he attempts redemption.

Choose one of the following and write a 300-word paper.
 A Long Way Gone is a book with much to say on the subject of
family: family life, family relationships, and family environment.
Write a paper that catalogs and characterizes the many different
families that Ishmael has belonged to over the course of his young
life.
 Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar is an important reference point in A
Long Way Gone. Which individual, other than Ishmael, is familiar
with it, and why do you think that person is always reading it?
Read this play on your own, or at least study itskey speeches and
monologues (namely, those mentioned throughout this book),and
then explain how the themes and events of Shakespeare’s play
might echo Ishmael’s memoir.
 Early in his account, Ishmael laments how “the war had destroyed
the enjoyment of the very experience of meeting people” (p. 48).
Where else does he express this fact, or else suffer from its
consequences? Discuss the book’s ongoing struggle between trust
and survival. Can these two phenomena coexist?
2. Esquivel, Laura. Like Water for Chocolate
A young woman in love is forced to remain single and take care of her family while her sister is ordered to
marry her suitor. Can she win him back with her cooking?

Choose one of the following assignments:
 Write a narrative using sensory details about a family tradition that
involves food. This assignment requires that you do some research.
You need to talk with family members to determine the origin of
the family tradition (Where did it start? Why did it start? Who
started it? How was it started?). Then, compare and contrast your
traditions to the ones in the novel. Be specific.
Maynard Jackson High School
Fine Arts and Communications Academy
Summer Required Reading List
Each grade level is required to read two or more books and complete
the assignments that follow. Books may be obtained at any local
bookstore, the internet, or public library. All assignments are due
the first week of school. Assignments will count as test/project
grades for all core classes. Failure to complete assignments will
result in failing grades.
Assignments are for your upcoming grade level!

Create a cookbook of literary terms. For each recipe, write the
literary device, the sentence or passage where you found it, and
then tell why it is important to understanding the story. Also
include a picture that depicts the term or passage. You must
include the following literary devices: plot, protagonist, antagonist,
internal conflict, external conflict, setting, round character, flat
character, symbol, theme, metaphor, personification, and three
more of your choosing.
Maynard Jackson High School
Fine Arts and Communications Academy
Summer Required Reading List
Each grade level is required to read two or more books and complete
the assignments that follow. Books may be obtained at any local
bookstore, the internet, or public library. All assignments are due
the first week of school. Assignments will count as test/project
grades for all core classes. Failure to complete assignments will
result in failing grades.
Assignments are for your upcoming grade level!
RISING 11TH GRADE SUMMER READING LIST & ASSIGNMENTS
1. Hawthorne, Nathaniel. The Scarlet Letter.
A woman is cast out of puritan society for having an affair. The identity of the father remains a mystery.



Research the Puritans and present your finding via PowerPoint
o When and why did they come to America? Describe their struggles
upon landing in America.
o Describe their primary beliefs.
o Describe the gender roles present in the Puritan world.
o Why is it important to study their society?
o How does the novel specifically reflect the Puritan society and its
hypocrisy?
Write an essay comparing Hester to a more contemporary figure/celebrity
who has been a focus of scandal.
o Refer to the handout for directions. Follow your essay rubric.
Determine one of the central themes of the novel. On a poster board, write
this theme in the center. Around each theme you should place illustrations
of four symbols present in the novel and explanations of how each relates
to this central theme.
2. Crane, Stephen. The Red Badge of Courage.
The story of a young man’s journey into the civil war.


Research the Civil War and present your findings via Brochure
o When did the Civil War take place?
o Why did the Civil War take place?
o Describe the major battles of the war.
o Describe the public’s reaction to the war.
o How was the war won and how did it change America?
o How does the novel accurately reflect a soldier’s experience during
the war?
Research accounts of soldiers in Iraq or Afghanistan. Create a poster that
compares and contrasts the experiences of the soldiers.
Maynard Jackson High School
Fine Arts and Communications Academy
Summer Required Reading List
Each grade level is required to read two or more books and complete
the assignments that follow. Books may be obtained at any local
bookstore, the internet, or public library. All assignments are due
the first week of school. Assignments will count as test/project
grades for all core classes. Failure to complete assignments will
result in failing grades.
Assignments are for your upcoming grade level!

Research literary realism. Create a chart that gives at least 10 examples of
literary realism in the novel. Defend each example in one to two
sentences.
3. Steinbeck, John. Of Mice and Men.
A man and his mentally challenged cousin wander the countryside to find a job. Once they find one,
complications arise.



Research The Great Depression. Create a comic book that details at least
10 major aspects of this time. Be sure to include the causes, ramifications,
and how it ended.
The American Dream may be defined as “Work Hard + Get Rich =
Happiness.” Write a 500-word essay defending whether or not George
attains the American Dream.
Write a 20-line+ poem based on the novel while maintaining its tone and
theme.
Maynard Jackson High School
Fine Arts and Communications Academy
Summer Required Reading List
Each grade level is required to read two or more books and complete
the assignments that follow. Books may be obtained at any local
bookstore, the internet, or public library. All assignments are due
the first week of school. Assignments will count as test/project
grades for all core classes. Failure to complete assignments will
result in failing grades.
Assignments are for your upcoming grade level!
RISING SENIOR SUMMER READING LIST & ASSIGNMENTS
1. Tolkein, JRR. The Hobbit.
Bilbo Baggins is called on an adventure by Gandalf, the wizard, to retrieve the precious ring stolen by
Smaug, an evil dragon. If he doesn’t, civilization may fail.

Research the Monomyth. In PowerPoint, for each of the seventeen stages,
create a slide and summarize how the novel meets or does not meet the
definition of this stage. (Information on the monomyth may be researched
on Wikipedia.)
2. Ishiguro, Kazuo. Never Let Me Go.
The students of Halisham are special—so special that they must always look back and never forward. Set in
a dystopian England, this novel questions science and the cruelty of human beings.
 Research cloning. Create a publication (any type) that does the following:
o Defines cloning
o Describes the types of cloning
o Defends the purposes of cloning
Describes the ethical problems of cloning
Gives four real examples of cloning
Defends your position of whether or not humans should be cloned
In a recent interview, Ishiguro talked about Never Let Me Go:
“There are things I am more interested in than the clone thing.
How are they trying to find their place in the world and make sense
of their lives? To what extent can they transcend their fate? As
time starts to run out, what are the things that really matter? Most
of the things that concern them concern us all, but with them it is
concertinaed into this relatively short period of time” (Wroe). Write
a 400-word essay in which you explore how the novel teaches the
reader about the human experience.
o
o
o

3. Bronte, Emily. Wuthering Heights.
The hauntingly brutal love story of Heathcliff and Catherine. A classic.

Complete a 500-word comprehensive essay on the following topic:
a. Wuthering Heights is said to be novel without a hero or heroine. Do
you agree or disagree with this statement? Why? (DO NOT USE “I” IN
THIS ESSAY!)
Maynard Jackson High School
Fine Arts and Communications Academy
Summer Required Reading List
Each grade level is required to read two or more books and complete
the assignments that follow. Books may be obtained at any local
bookstore, the internet, or public library. All assignments are due
the first week of school. Assignments will count as test/project
grades for all core classes. Failure to complete assignments will
result in failing grades.
Assignments are for your upcoming grade level!
RISING SENIOR AP-LITERATURE REQUIRED READING
1. Foster, Thomas. How to Read Literature Like a Professor.
In Arthur Conan Doyle's "The Red-Headed League," Sherlock Holmes and
Dr. John Watson both observe Jabez Wilson carefully, yet their differing
interpretations of the same details reveal the difference between a "Good
Reader" and a "Bad Reader." Watson can only describe what he sees; Holmes
has the knowledge to interpret what he sees, to draw conclusions, and to
solve the mystery.
Understanding literature need no longer be a mystery -- Thomas Foster's
book will help transform you from a naive, sometimes confused Watson to an
insightful, literary Holmes. Professors and other informed readers see
symbols, archetypes, and patterns because those things are there -- if you
have learned to look for them. As Foster says, you learn to recognize the
literary conventions the "same way you get to Carnegie Hall. Practice." (xiv).
Note to students: These short writing assignments will let you practice your
literary analysis and they will help me get to know you and your literary
tastes. Whenever I ask for an example from literature, you may use short
stories, novels, plays, or films (Yes, film is a literary genre). If your literary
repertoire is thin and undeveloped, use the Appendix to jog your memory or
to select additional works to explore. At the very least, watch some of the
"Movies to Read" that are listed on pages 293-294. Please note that your
responses should be paragraphs -- not pages!
Even though this is analytical writing, you may use "I" if you deem it
important to do so; remember, however, that most uses of "I" are just
padding. For example, "I think the wolf is the most important character in
'Little Red Ridinghood'" is padded. As you compose each written response,
re-phrase the prompt as part of your answer. In other words, I should be able
to tell which question you are answering without referring back to the
prompts.
Maynard Jackson High School
Fine Arts and Communications Academy
Summer Required Reading List
Each grade level is required to read two or more books and complete
the assignments that follow. Books may be obtained at any local
bookstore, the internet, or public library. All assignments are due
the first week of school. Assignments will count as test/project
grades for all core classes. Failure to complete assignments will
result in failing grades.
Assignments are for your upcoming grade level!
Concerning mechanics, pay special attention to pronouns. Make antecedents
clear. Say Foster first; not "he." Remember to capitalize and punctuate titles
properly for each genre.
Introduction: How'd He Do That?
How do memory, symbol, and pattern affect the reading of literature? How
does the recognition of patterns make it easier to read complicated literature?
Discuss a time when your appreciation of a literary work was enhanced by
understanding symbol or pattern.
Chapter 1 -- Every Trip Is a Quest (Except When It's Not)
List the five aspects of the QUEST and then apply them to something you
have read (or viewed) in the form used on pages 3-5.
Chapter 2 -- Nice to Eat with You: Acts of Communion
Choose a meal from a literary work and apply the ideas of Chapter 2 to this
literary depiction.
Chapter 3: --Nice to Eat You: Acts of Vampires
What are the essentials of the Vampire story? Apply this to a literary work
you have read or viewed.
Chapter 4 -- If It's Square, It's a Sonnet
Select three sonnets and show which form they are. Discuss how their content
reflects the form. (Submit copies of the sonnets, marked to show your
analysis).
Chapter 5 --Now, Where Have I Seen Her Before?
Define intertextuality. Discuss three examples that have helped you in
reading specific works.
Chapter 6 -- When in Doubt, It's from Shakespeare...
Discuss a work that you are familiar with that alludes to or reflects
Shakespeare. Show how the author uses this connection thematically. Read
pages 44-46 carefully. In these pages, Foster shows how Fugard reflects
Maynard Jackson High School
Fine Arts and Communications Academy
Summer Required Reading List
Each grade level is required to read two or more books and complete
the assignments that follow. Books may be obtained at any local
bookstore, the internet, or public library. All assignments are due
the first week of school. Assignments will count as test/project
grades for all core classes. Failure to complete assignments will
result in failing grades.
Assignments are for your upcoming grade level!
Shakespeare through both plot and theme. In your discussion, focus on
theme.
Chapter 7 -- ...Or the Bible
Read "Araby" (available here). Discuss Biblical allusions that Foster does not
mention. Look at the example of the "two great jars." Be creative and
imaginative in these connections.
Chapter 8 -- Hanseldee and Greteldum
Think of a work of literature that reflects a fairy tale. Discuss the parallels.
Does it create irony or deepen appreciation?
Chapter 9 -- It's Greek to Me
Write a free verse poem derived or inspired by characters or situations from
Greek mythology. Be prepared to share your poem with the class. Note that
there are extensive links to classical mythology on my Classics page.
Chapter 10 -- It's More Than Just Rain or Snow
Discuss the importance of weather in a specific literary work, not in terms of
plot.
Interlude -- Does He Mean That
Chapter 11 --...More Than It's Gonna Hurt You: Concerning Violence
Present examples of the two kinds of violence found in literature. Show how
the effects are different.
Chapter 12 -- Is That a Symbol?
Use the process described on page 106 and investigate the symbolism of the
fence in "Araby." (Mangan's sister stands behind it.)
Chapter 13 -- It's All Political
Assume that Foster is right and "it is all political." Use his criteria to show that
one of the major works assigned to you as a freshman is political.
Maynard Jackson High School
Fine Arts and Communications Academy
Summer Required Reading List
Each grade level is required to read two or more books and complete
the assignments that follow. Books may be obtained at any local
bookstore, the internet, or public library. All assignments are due
the first week of school. Assignments will count as test/project
grades for all core classes. Failure to complete assignments will
result in failing grades.
Assignments are for your upcoming grade level!
Chapter 14 -- Yes, She's a Christ Figure, Too
Apply the criteria on page 119 to a major character in a significant literary
work. Try to choose a character that will have many matches. This is a
particularly apt tool for analyzing film -- for example, Star Wars, Cool Hand
Luke, Excalibur, Malcolm X, Braveheart, Spartacus, Gladiator and Ben-Hur.
Chapter 15 -- Flights of Fancy
Select a literary work in which flight signifies escape or freedom. Explain in
detail.
Chapter 16 -- It's All About Sex...
Chapter 17 -- ...Except the Sex
OK ..the sex chapters. The key idea from this chapter is that "scenes in which
sex is coded rather than explicit can work at multiple levels and sometimes be
more intense that literal depictions" (141). In other words, sex is often
suggested with much more art and effort than it is described, and, if the author
is doing his job, it reflects and creates theme or character. Choose a novel or
movie in which sex is suggested, but not described, and discuss how the
relationship is suggested and how this implication affects the theme or
develops characterization.
Chapter 18 -- If She Comes Up, It's Baptism
Think of a "baptism scene" from a significant literary work. How was the
character different after the experience? Discuss.
Chapter 19 -- Geography Matters...
Discuss at least four different aspects of a specific literary work that Foster
would classify under "geography."
Chapter 20 -- ...So Does Season
Find a poem that mentions a specific season. Then discuss how the poet uses
the season in a meaningful, traditional, or unusual way. (Submit a copy of the
poem with your analysis.)
Maynard Jackson High School
Fine Arts and Communications Academy
Summer Required Reading List
Each grade level is required to read two or more books and complete
the assignments that follow. Books may be obtained at any local
bookstore, the internet, or public library. All assignments are due
the first week of school. Assignments will count as test/project
grades for all core classes. Failure to complete assignments will
result in failing grades.
Assignments are for your upcoming grade level!
Interlude -- One Story
Write your own definition for archetype. Then identify an archetypal story
and apply it to a literary work with which you are familiar.
Chapter 21 -- Marked for Greatness
Figure out Harry Potter's scar. If you aren't familiar with Harry Potter, select
another character with a physical imperfection and analyze its implications
for characterization.
Chapter 22 -- He's Blind for a Reason, You Know
Chapter 23 -- It's Never Just Heart Disease...
Chapter 24 -- ...And Rarely Just Illness
Recall two characters who died of a disease in a literary work. Consider how
these deaths reflect the "principles governing the use of disease in literature"
(215-217). Discuss the effectiveness of the death as related to plot, theme, or
symbolism.
Chapter 25 -- Don't Read with Your Eyes
After reading Chapter 25, choose a scene or episode from a novel, play or epic
written before the twentieth century. Contrast how it could be viewed by a
reader from the twenty-first century with how it might be viewed by a
contemporary reader. Focus on specific assumptions that the author makes,
assumptions that would not make it in this century.
Chapter 26 -- Is He Serious? And Other Ironies
Select an ironic literary work and explain the multivocal nature of the irony in
the work.
Chapter 27 -- A Test Case
Read "The Garden Party" by Katherine Mansfield, the short story starting on
page 245. Complete the exercise on pages 265-266, following the directions
exactly. Then compare your writing with the three examples. How did you
do? What does the essay that follows comparing Laura with Persephone add
to your appreciation of Mansfield's story?
Maynard Jackson High School
Fine Arts and Communications Academy
Summer Required Reading List
Each grade level is required to read two or more books and complete
the assignments that follow. Books may be obtained at any local
bookstore, the internet, or public library. All assignments are due
the first week of school. Assignments will count as test/project
grades for all core classes. Failure to complete assignments will
result in failing grades.
Assignments are for your upcoming grade level!
Envoi
Choose a motif not discussed in this book (as the horse reference on page 280)
and note its appearance in three or four different works. What does this idea
seem to signify?
2.
Ellison, Ralph. Invisible Man.
 Choose one of the following assignments and complete a well-supported
essay. Each body paragraph should be between twelve to sixteen
sentences! You must cite at least three secondary sources as well as your
primary source.
o How is the novel an example of bildungsroman?
o How does the novel follow the tenets of existential philosophy?
o How does the novel challenge the workings of democracy?
3.
Bronte, Emily. Wuthering Heights.
 Complete a brochure, PowerPoint, or booklet with the following
information:
o How is the novel an example of Romantic or Gothic literature?
o A brief and non-plagiarized biography of the author.
o What is the comment Bronte wanted to make about love?
o The Role of Social Class
 Describe the social class of the Earnshaws, the Lintons, and
Heathcliff. Which are of a higher social class? Why is this
significant?
 How does social class motivate Catherine's actions? How does
she try to change her class?
 How does Heathcliff's social class influence the way he is
treated and his own actions? How does Heathcliff's class
change?
 What is the role of class in the novel? How do tensions in the
book result from class struggles?
 What role do the servants Nelly, Joseph, and Zillah play in the
novel?
o The Significance of Setting
Maynard Jackson High School
Fine Arts and Communications Academy
Summer Required Reading List
Each grade level is required to read two or more books and complete
the assignments that follow. Books may be obtained at any local
bookstore, the internet, or public library. All assignments are due
the first week of school. Assignments will count as test/project
grades for all core classes. Failure to complete assignments will
result in failing grades.
Assignments are for your upcoming grade level!
Describe the setting of the Yorkshire moors.
Describe the houses Wuthering Heights and Thrushcross
Grange. Include descriptions of architecture and the
surrounding landscape. Why are they across from one another?
 How do the houses reflect their inhabitants?
 Do the houses symbolize their inhabitants? Give examples.
 How do the settings influence the novel's characters?
o Nature v. Nurture
 How does Heathcliff’s past influence his character?
 How the patriarch’s obvious favoritism influence each
character’s personality and actions in childhood and adulthood?
 How does the cycle of abuse continue with other generations?
 How does the narrator interpret the behavior of the others?
 Are the characters capable of changing their behavior?
 Does the reader pity or abhor the characters? Why?
Complete a comprehensive essay on the following topic:
o Wuthering Heights is said to be novel without a hero or heroine. Do
you agree or disagree with this statement? Why? (DO NOT USE “I” IN
THIS ESSAY!)



Maynard Jackson High School
Fine Arts and Communications Academy
Summer Required Reading List
Each grade level is required to read two or more books and complete
the assignments that follow. Books may be obtained at any local
bookstore, the internet, or public library. All assignments are due
the first week of school. Assignments will count as test/project
grades for all core classes. Failure to complete assignments will
result in failing grades.
Assignments are for your upcoming grade level!
Directions for Writing Your Papers
A. Thesis:
You must have a specific thesis when writing a paper. Your thesis must be
opinion-based and provable.
B. Heading
Your paper should have a heading in the upper left-hand corner. Please
include the following:
Name
Block
Date
C. Title
Please title your paper. Be creative when giving your paper a title. Hint:
“Character Analysis” is not an original title! Title should be centered. DO
NOT capitalize, underline, or use quotation marks on your paper’s title. If
you use the title of the novel in the title of your paper underline only the title
of the novel.
D. Introductory Paragraph: Start out broad and narrow to thesis.
Definition or general statement of topic.
Background of topic
Narrow down to topic
Specific Thesis Statement
E. Body Paragraphs
Each paragraph should have strong topic sentence.
Each paragraph should contain three quotes or quote bits to illustrate a
quality or characteristic. Quotes are like pictures in a book. They do not tell
the story; they illustrate it. You are the storyteller. Do not depend on your
quotes to prove your point. What you say about your quote (how you
logically tie your quotes into your argument) should prove your point. You
should be able to take your quotes out of your paper and the logic and sense
of your point should still be there. You need to discuss each quote and show
Maynard Jackson High School
Fine Arts and Communications Academy
Summer Required Reading List
Each grade level is required to read two or more books and complete
the assignments that follow. Books may be obtained at any local
bookstore, the internet, or public library. All assignments are due
the first week of school. Assignments will count as test/project
grades for all core classes. Failure to complete assignments will
result in failing grades.
Assignments are for your upcoming grade level!
how it illustrates the point you are making. Never expect the reader to do
this for himself. You must show the reader why the particular quote you
chose is relevant to the point you are making. This means you will always
discuss each quote you use to show how it illustrates you point.
The three steps in proving a point are:
1. Make a statement and give context to your quote.
2. Use a quote or quote bit to illustrate your point
3. Analysis: logically show the reader how the particular quote or example
proves your point
F. Conclusion Paragraph
Restate Thesis
Broaden out to discuss the character.
Paragraph should have at least 3 sentences.
Remember this is the last thing your reader reads, so
make it memorable.
G. Helpful Hints
1. Always write in present tense (says not said, does not did, etc.)
2. Always use lead-ins before each quote (ex. In Chapter Three, Dimmesdale
says to Chillingworth,”...” (p. 67).
3. Topic sentences should refer back to your thesis statement. Usually a
thesis statement will mention your topic sentence subjects in the order in
which they occur in the body of your paper.
4. Don’t use “I” or “I believe” or “you”
5. Always discuss each quote and its significance.
6. Be careful of telling too much of the story, but some clarification is
necessary. Tell the reader what was going on when the quote was said.
Think of the reader as someone who has not read the story, but is
intelligent. The reader is a friend of yours, not the teacher. So don’t
assume anything.
7. Use of the semi-colon.
Use a semicolon to join parts of a compound sentence if no coordinating
conjunction is used.
Maynard Jackson High School
Fine Arts and Communications Academy
Summer Required Reading List
Each grade level is required to read two or more books and complete
the assignments that follow. Books may be obtained at any local
bookstore, the internet, or public library. All assignments are due
the first week of school. Assignments will count as test/project
grades for all core classes. Failure to complete assignments will
result in failing grades.
Assignments are for your upcoming grade level!
Example: Secret Service agents scanned the area; everything seemed in
order.
Use a semi-colon before a conjunctive adverb that joins clauses of a
compound sentence.
Example: Three local factories have closed; consequently, many people
have been laid off.
8. Did you really prove your thesis?
Read your paper over, or better yet, have someone else read your paper.
Does it make sense?