June, 2014
Dear Families:
Research has shown how important it is for students to read and read often. The following points are
from Reading In and Out of Schools, a publication prepared by the Educational Testing Service for the US
Department of Education, and Patterns of Reading Practice, a 1996 publication of The Institute for
Academic Excellence:
 The amount of reading that students do for school, and do out of school are both positively related to
their reading achievement.
 Students who reported discussing their reading had higher average reading achievements than
students who reported never having this opportunity.
 When ranked according to the amount of reading they do, students in the top 5 percent read 144
times more than students in the bottom 5 percent.
 Students in private schools practice reading 67 percent more than public school students.
Because you have chosen Western as the institution to prepare your daughter for college, we take this
responsibility seriously. In an effort to help her become truly learned and to increase her standing among
many students with whom she will compete for college placement, Western’s English Department requires
that she continue to read and think over the summer.
Grade 10 College Prep
Oedipus at Colonus – Sophocles
The Joy Luck Club – Amy Tan
(ISBN 9780161382243)
(ISBN 9780143038092)
Your daughter will present her Summer Reading Assignments upon returning to school. Her marked
copies of each book and her reading response work will be collected for evaluation. Additionally, she should
be ready to take an assessment of her reading of the works and the responses outlined on the reverse side
of this sheet. The assigned literature may be purchased at most local bookstores; Greetings and Readings
Barnes and Noble are the best sources.
Please ensure that your student has the summer reading texts as soon as possible so that reading and
response can be completed promptly. Because this preparatory assignment will be time-consuming, we
encourage your daughter to begin no later than early July.
We hope that the summer vacation will be exciting, refreshing, and productive. We applaud your
daughter’s induction as a member of the Western family. Additionally, we appreciate your support of this
summer reading program, a must for students planning to attend college. You may call the school’s main
line (410-396-7040), if you have any questions or concerns.
Sincerely yours,
Rhonda Clyburn
Managing Assistant Principal
For each book (Oedipus at Colonus and The Joy Luck Club), do the following:
A. Annotate the Text: As you read, think about the characters and the conflicts they undergo as well as the possible theme(s)
that they help the author create. Use colored pencils (different colors for different characters) to underline significant words
and/or phrases that would help you understand and remember information about how characters act, what they say, how they look,
what they think, what other characters say about them, and what the author may say about them. Also note words/phrases, etc. that
show how each author uses literary elements other than characterization--setting, point of view (not in drama), conflict/plot
structure, stylistic elements (imagery, figurative language, personification, irony, etc.) to create effects and ideas. Also, be sure to
“carry on a conversation” with the text as you read by making marginal notes that clarify your marking. This will help you better
understand each work and prepare for discussion and assessment. DO NOT USE HIGHLIGHTERS AS THEY WILL BLEED
FROM ONE PAGE TO ANOTHER. MARKED BOOKS ARE TO BE TURNED IN ON THE FIRST DAY OF THE 20142015 SCHOOL YEAR!!!
For the sake of standardization of annotating for class and for grading purposes, your book notes MUST follow this
format:
1. Inside Front Cover: Character list with small space for character summary and for page references for key scenes,
moments of character development, etc.
2. Inside Back Cover: Themes, allusions, images, motifs, key scenes, plot line, epiphanies, etc. List and add page
references and/or notes as you read.
3. Bottom and Side Page Margins: Interpretive notes, questions, and/or remarks that refer to meaning of the page.
Markings or notes to tie in with information on the inside back cover.
4. Top Margins: Plot notes -- a quick few words or phrases which summarize what happens here (useful for quick location
of passages in discussion and for writing assignments).
Additional Marking and Note-taking (MANDATORY):
 Underlining: complete during and after reading to help locate passages for discussion, essays, or questions.
 Brackets: complete during and after reading to highlight key quotations that are too long to underline easily.
 Use one color ink to do initial marking while reading; then go back with another color or colors to mark more thoroughly.
 At chapter or section ends, stop to index page numbers on your front cover list of character information and traits as well
as on your back cover list of themes, images, allusions, etc.
 Underline as you read and write side margin notes as you finish a page or two.
B. Link Essay: Compose an extended essay responding to ONE of the following prompts. All essays must be a minimum of
five paragraphs in length. Essays must include a thesis and three clear controls. Controls must be “anchored” in literary
elements. Each body paragraph must include specific support from both works. ESSAYS MUST CLEARLY
DEMONSTRATE THAT YOU HAVE READ AND THOUGHTFULLY ANALYZED BOTH WORKS. All essays are to be
typed in MLA format (12 pt. font, Times New Roman, Double Spaced). ESSAYS ARE TO BE TURNED IN ON THE FIRST
DAY OF THE 2014-2015 SCHOOL YEAR. ESSAYS WILL LOSE 10 POINTS FOR EVERY DAY THEY ARE TURNED
IN LATE! THEY WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED AFTER THE THIRD DAY!
Prompt A: Each of the stories has a strict set of values that are define and shape by the cultures. In a well-developed essay,
identify three values of the society in the story and its importance in the text. Use specific examples from the story to support your
conclusions.
OR
Prompt B: Both novels rely heavily on family. In a well-developed essay, discuss how one of the stories reveal the importance of
family, the challenges of such relationships, and the ultimate significance of those relationships to the individual characters.