Honors English 4 Summer Reading Assignments
Books
The Bible – You may choose any version, but it must include both Old and New Testaments
“Genesis,” Exodus,” “Job,” and “Luke”
Studied for the names and stories often referred to in literary allusions
The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls
Memoir, nonfiction
How to Read Literature Like a Professor by Thomas C. Foster
Nonfiction, academic study guide for analysis of literature
The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
American/World Lit, Afghanistan, family /relationships, fiction
Assignment #1
Do this with How to Read Literature Like a Professor
1. Read and highlight or underline important points in each chapter.
2. As you underline or after you underline, use a different color pen to number what you
think are top 5 points in each chapter. Briefly, as an annotation in the book, tell why you
think this is a key point. Use the previous annotation guide for ideas or make a new point!
3. Read the “Appendix: Reading List” on pages 283 – 296. List or number 5 of these books
(that were discussed in the book) that you might like to read during the school year. We
do independent reading.
4. Suggested: Watch one of the movies suggested on pages 293 – 294. We may watch Star
Wars (IV) 1977. But, can you watch too much Star Wars?
Assignment #2
Do this with The Glass Castle and The Kite Runner
1. For each book, do thorough, quality annotations. This is a close reading skill necessary to
comprehend college textbooks and other material.
2. Use the following websites for additional information on close reading:
http://www.fas.harvard.edu/~wricntr/documents/CloseReading.html
http://mason.gmu.edu/~rmatz/close_reading.htm
http://www.personal.psu.edu/users/s/a/sam50/closeread.htm
If you have trouble linking to these sites, google how to do close reading
3. You may annotate in pen, pencil, colored pens – whatever system works for you.
4. You must include words in the margins, or you have just “colored” your page.
5. I will do some type of annotation check on the first day of school. Make sure you use your
own book and put your name in the front.
Continued 
Assignment #3
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Do this with The Glass Castle and The Kite Runner
For each book, do a Dialectical Journal (See Directions on Handout)
Read the handout carefully and follow all directions
Do 10 entries per book. Do 2 separate journals, one for each book.
The entries must cover the entire book. Space the entries from beginning to end.
Do your own work. Do not work with another student and include the exact, same
entries. Neither the entries nor the wording should be the same.
Note: Do not rely on Spark Notes or other reading aids for your information. These activities are
designed to improve your critical reading and analyzing skills. You will use them to write papers,
do assignments, and participate in class discussions. Trust your ideas and abilities.
Assignment #4
Do this with the 4 books in The Bible
1. These books are much like Edith Hamilton’s Mythology in that they contain a lot of people
and stories in the many chapters.
2. You may not want to annotate your Bible, or you may not have room.
3. I suggest you find a method that works for you to remember the people and stories. You
may want to:

Make flash cards of the major people, stories, and themes in each of the books

Keep a Reading Notebook, spiral-bound notebook, with bullet point summaries of
the major people, stories, and themes in each of the books

You may want to keep a chapter by chapter summary or guide

You could make a chart with the major literary elements (character, plot, theme,
etc…) in each book

Any other method that fits your personal learning/studying style
4. I suggest you become familiar with these stories: Creation, Adam and Eve, Cain and Abel,
Noah, the tower of Babel, Abram/Abraham, Sodom and Gomorrah, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph,
Israelites in Egypt and their exodus/Moses (plagues, parting of Red Sea, wandering in
desert, 10 commandments, burning bush, the Ark and Tabernacle, the story of Job, birth of
Jesus, Jesus’ ministry, the parables, plot to kill Jesus, the Last Supper, betrayal of Jesus, the
trial and crucifixion of Jesus, Jesus’ resurrection and appearance after death
5. There are other biblical allusions we will study during the school year. We will also
discuss the Koran and Islam briefly with The Kite Runner.
6. I use a NIV (New International Version) Life Application Study Bible published by Tyndale
and Zondervan