Independent Reading Assignment
Since this is Literary Focus, you will be expected to read 2 books outside of class material
throughout the semester. You will need to choose 1 book from the reading list and choose
one of your own that is at least 150 pages. Your choice of novel must be approved by the
teacher before you begin. It must be an appropriate level for Grade 12 English.
You will be submitting assignments for each book on these due dates:
 Choice: March 8, 2013
 Required: April 18, 2013
Before you present your report you will tell us the name of the book and the author and
give us some background information on the plot. Remember that the options below are
to guide your presentation – they are not your complete presentation. You will use
whichever assignment you choose below to explain to us the major themes, characters,
and style/components of the novel you chose. You may have to add more information to
your project for us to be able to see the whole picture.
As these assignments are worth 10% of your final grade, your presentations need to be 45 minutes long. The quality and effort put in must match the amount the projects are
worth.
Assignment Choices:
Visual:
 Draw a character sketch. How you decide to do this is up to you, but make sure that you
include lots of pictures and visuals that show us who the character is. Use lots of symbols.
 Draw an extended metaphor for the book. Examples could be a tree to represent growth, a
road or path to represent a journey, etc. Use the image to represent the things that happen
in the book.
 Create a collage to represent a character or themes from the book.
 Create a Venn Diagram collage, comparing and contrasting 2 characters from the book.
Written:
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Summarize the book in poem form (minimum 20 lines)
Write a letter to the author.
Write a one minute radio advertisement persuading the public to buy and read the book.
Pretend you’re interviewing a person from the book. Write your interview in question and
answer format.
Do a written Venn Diagram comparing and contrasting 2 characters.
Do a written Venn Diagram comparing and contrasting this book with another book you
have read.
Design a timeline for events in the book.
Top 10 List – list ten things you learned from this book.
RUBRIC: Independent Reading
Assignment:
 Ideas
 Creativity/Artistry
 Organization/Mechanics
Presentation:
 Voice (clarity, projection, etc)
 Enthusiasm/Body language
 Content (thorough explanations, etc.)
TOTAL
/5
/5
/5
/5
/5
/5
/30
List:
 Lawrence Hill:
o The Book of Negroes
o Any Known Blood
 Joy Kogawa: Obasan
 Alistair MacLeod: No Great Mischief
 Rohinton Mistry:
o A Fine Balance
o Such a Long Journey
 Anne Michaels: Fugitive Pieces
 Carol Shields:
o Unless
 Guy Vanderhaeghe
 Jane Urquhart
 Sharon Pollock
 Margaret Atwood
 Alice Munro
 Mariatu Kamara: Bite of the Mango
 Ishmael Beah: A Long Way Gone
 Theo Fleury: Playing with Fire
 Dennis Foon: The Dirt Eaters
 Charles Dickens:
o A Tale of Two Cities
o Great Expectations
 Paul Cohello: The Alchemist
 Wayson Choy: The Jade Peony
 Mitch Albom: The Five People You Meet in Heaven
 David Guterson: Snow Falling on Cedars
 Mark Haddon: The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
 Kazup Ishiguro: Never Let Me Go
 Lloyd Jones: Mister Pip
 Jonathan Swift: Gulliver’s Travels
 Elie Wiesel: Night
 Markus Zusak: The Book Thief
 Miriam Toews: A Complicated Kindness
 W.O. Mitchell: Who Has Seen the Wind
 Deborah Ellis: Bifocal
 George Orwell: Animal Farm
 Harper Lee: To Kill a Mockingbird
 J.D. Salinger: Catcher in the Rye
RUBRIC: Independent Reading
Assignment:
 Ideas
 Creativity/Artistry
 Organization/Mechanics
Presentation:
 Voice (clarity, projection, etc)
 Enthusiasm/Body language
 Content (thorough explanations, etc.)
TOTAL
RUBRIC: Independent Reading
Assignment:
 Ideas
 Creativity/Artistry
 Organization/Mechanics
Presentation:
 Voice (clarity, projection, etc)
 Enthusiasm/Body language
 Content (thorough explanations, etc.)
TOTAL
RUBRIC: Independent Reading
Assignment:
 Ideas
 Creativity/Artistry
 Organization/Mechanics
Presentation:
 Voice (clarity, projection, etc)
 Enthusiasm/Body language
 Content (thorough explanations, etc.)
TOTAL
/5
/5
/5
/5
/5
/5
/30
/5
/5
/5
/5
/5
/5
/30
/5
/5
/5
/5
/5
/5
/30