English 11: American Literature
Summer Reading 2015
Welcome to English 11! I’m looking forward to the upcoming year as we discover the history and beauty of
American literature!
The assignment is due on Wednesday, September 16th at 3:00 p.m. on Turnitin.
Late assignments will not be accepted.
Required:
The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri
A Hope in the Unseen by Ron Suskind
Choose ONE:
Into the Wild by John Krakauer
The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference by Malcolm Gladwell
COMPLETE PARTS I. AND II. FOR ALL THREE BOOKS!
Part I.: As you read each book…
This assignment will help you closely read the books. Your post-its should include the following information:
 Questions that you may have about a particular section of the chapter, plot, character, etc.
 Examples of literary elements (characterization, symbols, metaphors, irony, imagery, conflict, etc.)
 Quotes that you feel are important to the overall plot and/or character development.
 Unfamiliar vocabulary words and their parts of speech/definitions
Part II. After you have finished reading each book…
 Create a document for all THREE books with the following information (organize
accordingly):
1. 3 questions that you had as you were reading (reference the part of the story and
include the page numbers).
2. 10 vocabulary words listed and defined with their parts of speech.
3. Choose 5 passages from the beginning, middle and end of the book (the passage
should be at least a paragraph and no more than 2 pages). Analyze the significance of
the passages and identify any literary elements or devices that the author is using to
further the story.
Some ideas to keep in mind:
 If you purchase the books and decide to annotate them, you still need to use post-its because you
will not have enough room to write in the margins. I’ll be checking your post-its, too!

If you borrow a book from the library, please use another form of notation. Also, don’t forget to
renew the book when we review it in September.

E-books are acceptable!

Also, color coding your notes may help you compile your notes when you’re finished (i.e. blue postit for questions, green post-it for quotes, etc.).