Contemporary Literature—Glicken
Independent Reading Book List
Please choose one of the novels listed for independent reading. You can find excerpts and
reviews on many bookstore websites, or you can go to the book store to peruse them in person.
Please choose carefully, as you will not be able to change novels once you have chosen. Also, I
will only allow one person to read each novel, so be sure to have several backup choices in case
your 1st, 2nd, 3rd, etc. choices are taken before your turn. Final choice due: Mon., April 16.
Julia Alvarez—How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents
Clive Barker—The Damnation Game
Ishmael Beah-A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier
Max Brooks - World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War
Gail Carrager-Soulless
Bill Carter – Fools Rush In
Paulo Coelho—The Alchemist
Bill Coon - Swim
Chris Cutcher—Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes, Whale Talk, Deadline
Emma Donoghue-Room
Kim Edwards – The Memory Keeper’s Daughter
Jonathan Safran Foer - Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close
James Frey—A Million Little Pieces
Lucy Grealy—Autobiography of a Face
John Green – Looking for Alaska, Paper Town, The Fault in our Stars
Sara Gruen-Ape House
Mark Haddon-A Spot of Bother
Laura Hillenbrand – Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption
Nancy Horan-Loving Frank
Khaled Hosseini—A Thousand Splendid Suns
Todd Johnson – The Sweet By and By
Stephen King—Cell: A Novel
Eric Larson—The Devil in the White City
Yan Martel—Life of Pi
Chuck Palahniuk—Lullaby
Ann Patchett—Truth and Beauty: A Friendship; Bel Canto: A Novel
Jodi Picoult—Pact: A Love Story; Nineteen Minutes; Handle with Care, House Rules
Ransom Riggs - . Miss Perregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children
Peter Rock-My Abandonment
Tatiana de Rosnay – Sarah’s Key
Brent Runyon-The Burn Journals
Reymundo Sanchez-My Bloody Life, Once a King Always a King
Nic Scheff - Tweak
Lisa See—Snowflower and the Secret Fan
Rebecca Skloot – The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks
Zadie Smith—The Autograph Man, On Beauty
Kathryn Stockett – The Help
Annie Thoms-With Their Eyes: September 11th-the View from Ground Zero
Jeanette Walls - Half Broke Horses: A True-Life Novel
W.M.Paul Young-The Shack
Markus Zusak—The Book Thief, I Am the Messenger
Your final project is worth 20% of your 2nd quarter grade which means it will have a significant
impact on your semester grade as well. Those students with 90% or better (including the project
grade) will be exempt from the final exam which includes the final presentation.
Project Choices
All projects should be double spaced, 12 point Times New Roman font, with one inch margins.
Memoir Writing
Project: Think of three memoir prompts to inspire brief responses. Type out each prompt with
an explanation of how it was inspired by the story along with your personal responses. Your
completed project should be about 3-4pages in length.
Final Presentation/Exam: Create a PowerPoint or Word document to guide you through your
presentation. Explain how the story you read inspired each prompt and provide a brief synopsis
of each of your responses.
Capturing Voice
Project: Choose a point in the novel you have read and extend the story. You may insert the
addition at any point in the story or add it to the end. Type a brief explanation of where your
insertion will be placed by summarizing the action leading up to and immediately following the
addition you will make. Your extension should mimic the voice and writing style of the author
of your novel. Your completed project should be 3-4 pages in length.
Final Presentation/Exam: Create a PowerPoint or Word document to guide you through your
presentation. Give a general synopsis of the novel and explain the overall style of the author.
Include quotes from the novel as examples of the author’s voice; then, read your story extension.
Character Evaluation
Project: Choose one character from your book and do a psychological evaluation of him or her.
Give a brief description of the character and his or her role in the story. Follow with an
explanation of your psychological diagnosis. Give a definition of the disorder along with
common symptoms. Be sure to include evidence from the story (quotes and examples) to
support your analysis. Your completed project should be 3-4 pages in length.
Final Presentation/Exam: Create a PowerPoint or Word document to guide you through your
presentation. Give a general synopsis of the story, explain the psychological disorder, and
explain how your character meets the criteria for diagnosis. Include some of your supporting
examples from the story.
Plot Evaluation
Project: Compare the plot of your story to that of a traditional plot line. Give an explanation of
each major element of the plot: exposition, rising action (conflicts), climax, falling action, and
resolution. Tell how your book conforms to or deviates from the standard format and give an
analysis of why you think the author chose to maintain or stray from the traditional plot. Your
completed project should be 3-4 pages in length.
Final Presentation/Exam: Create a PowerPoint or Word document to guide you through your
presentation. Give a general synopsis of your book. Then, explain each element of the plot and
how the author you read uses traditional plot or deviates from the standard.
Movie Conversion (You may NOT choose this option if your book has already been made
into a movie)
Project: Convert your novel or memoir into a movie. Explain how the protagonist of your story
is a compelling lead character. What are his or her primary conflicts, goals, and motivations?
Follow by choosing an actor or actress to play your lead and give a thorough explanation of why
he or she is the perfect choice. Finally, choose two scenes from the story that star your lead and
describe how you would have them play out on the big screen. Be sure to include details about
setting, special effects, and the supporting cast (if any). Your completed project should be 3-4
pages in length.
Final Presentation/Exam: Create a PowerPoint or Word document to guide you through your
presentation. Include a general synopsis of the book to explain the protagonist’s role in the story.
Then, describe your conversion to film with your casting and scene choices.
Analysis of Culture
Project: Choose a unique culture presented in your novel and explain how the author presents
that culture. Describe the culture presented in the story by giving examples from the book. How
do these cultural traits differ from your own culture? Finally, discuss how the cultural traits
impact the overall plot and themes. Your completed project should be 3-4 pages in length.
Final Presentation/Exam: Create a PowerPoint or Word document to guide you through your
presentation. Include general information about the culture that you learned from reading the
book; include some of your examples from the story.
Book Pamphlet
This should be a tri-fold pamphlet printed on front and back. Many publishing programs are set
up to print these. Your pamphlet should be creative and look as if it were done by a professional
with accurate quotes from the book.

Side 1 is the front cover of your pamphlet. It should include basic information about the
book (title, author) as well as an interesting and relevant image to get our attention.

On Side 2, create some kind of slogan or tagline for your book. Also give quotations
from book reviews (feel free to make them up). Incorporate another image if
appropriate.

On Side 3, provide a brief synopsis of your book. Give just enough information so we
want to know more, but not so much that you give something away. Incorporate another
image if appropriate.

Side 4 is the most prominent section of the pamphlet. Use this space to show and/or tell
us why we should read this book. Consider the most appropriate audience for your book
and appeal specifically to them.

On Side 5, give us a passage that is especially intriguing and provides a glimpse into the
author’s style. Incorporate another image if appropriate.

Side 6 is the back of the pamphlet when it is closed. On this section, provide basic
information about the author, list his/her other books, remind us of the title and somehow
leave us with a last impression of the book. You may want to include the publishing
company of the book and/or the pamphlet, copyright dates, website, etc.
Final Presentation/Exam: Create a PowerPoint or Word document that explains what you were
thinking for each side of the pamphlet – why you chose the information, quotes, and pictures you
did for the pamphlet. Include the synopsis of the book and point out the features of each page of
the pamphlet.
Dodecahedron – Character based fiction and non-fiction
See me for dodecahedron pattern sheets.
Project: Use this opportunity to reflect upon your understanding of the book that you are
reading/have just read and to have some fun as well. You will need 12 circles, markers, etc. to
decorate the 12 sides as specified below.
Setting – 2 sides
Select two aspects of setting in the novel that you feel were critical to an understanding of the
story. Draw, trace, or cut/paste a picture that spans the two sides or one picture/setting for each
of the two sides.
Characters – 3 sides
Describe three characters whose actions were significant in the story. You may use two major
characters and one minor one.
Visual symbol – 1 side
What visual symbol is important to the book or its theme? Draw this symbol on one side.
Quotes – 3 sides
Select three quotes and draw, copy/paste or print an appropriate picture for that quote.
Themes – 2 sides
What messages are embedded in this novel? What does the book have to say about issues that
concern you and are relevant to your life?
Your choice – 1 side
Pick a character, a location, a quote, a feeling – or anything else – that you feel is relevant to the
book/characters.
Assembly:
Creatively decorate each side.
Fold each circle on the straight lines so that the curved pieces are facing up (picture side down)
You should have 12 decorated pentagon shapes. Pick two sides and line the curved pieces up.
Staple in at least two places.
Continue matching curves until all pieces form into a ball. You may have to use double sided
tape or a glue stick for the last few edges.
For your project you must also write a key or paper that explains why you chose the settings/
characters, visual symbol, quotes and themes that you did. Pretend your dodecahedron is a piece
of art in the Art Institute of Chicago. The accompanying sheet must match up the sides with the
explanation for each aspect.
Final presentation/Exam: Create a PowerPoint or Word document to guide you through your
thought process for each side you decorated for the dodecahedron. Defend your choices and
detail your selections. Be sure to include in-depth explanations for each aspect/side.
Dodecahedron – Non-character based non-fiction - See me for guidelines.
If you have an idea for a different topic for your project, please see me ASAP and I will consider
your proposal.
We will have two work days in the Writing Lab/Library. TBA
All projects are due on Friday, January 8, regardless of your attendance in
school that day.