Eleventh Grade English -- Peekskill High School-- Summer Reading Assignment
Welcome to 11th grade! We are excited about the brand new year ahead of us and look forward to
meeting you in September. Over the summer, you must complete the Summer Reading Assignment. This
work will count towards your 1st quarter grade. Be sure to pace yourself and work on this assignment
during July and August, as leaving all of the work until the end of the summer will lead to low-quality
work and heavy stress.
Assignment #1: Reading Literature
 Choose TWO novels from the 11th Grade Book List (on back) to read this summer.
 Complete TEN “Quotes and Notes” entries based on reading each book.
Assignment #2: Writing from Sources
Choose one of the topics below to track over the course of this summer.
Topic #1: The Donald Sterling Case
Topic Question: Is the case being handled fairly?
Topic #2: The Kidnapping of Nigerian Girls
Topic Question: Is the crime being handled correctly?
Topic #3: The Missing Malaysia Airlines Plane
Topic Question: Is the investigation being handled appropriately?
Part A: Read 5 non-fiction articles, following the news story, and complete an article summary for each
article.
When finding the articles, use any of the following sources: EBSCO Host (school site); time.com;
cnn.com; newsweek.com; bbc.com; foxnews.com; npr.com; you may also use scholarly sources not on
this list.
Label and number each article appropriately. [For example: Text 1 (Newsweek Article), etc.] Closely
read each of the five relevant articles and complete an article summary (attached) for each article. Only
one worksheet is provided; additional copies can be found online or the questions can be addressed
without the worksheet
Part B: Write a well-developed, evidence-based “Argumentative: Writing from Sources” essay in
response to your topic question. Clearly establish your claim, distinguish your claim from alternate or
opposing claims, and use specific and relevant evidence from at least four of the articles to develop your
argument. Do NOT simply summarize each article. All work must be typed. Use 12 point font and
double spacing.
When writing the final essay, be sure to:
 Clearly establish your claim in response to your topic question
 Distinguish your claim from alternate or opposing claims
 Use specific, relevant, and sufficient evidence from at least four of the articles to develop your
argument
 Label and number each article, and identify the article that you reference by Text number and
Line Number(s). For example: Text 4, line 28; Text 2, line 3.
 Organize your ideas in a formal style of writing
 Follow the conventions of standard written English
CCLS: RI. 11-12. 1-4, 10; W. 11-12. 1, 4, 9; L. 11-12, 1-6
Due Dates:
 “Quotes and Notes”, article summaries, and “Argumentative: Writing from Sources” essay are due
on Friday, September 12.
 You will be tested on your outside reading with an on-demand, in-class assessment in September.
11th Grade Book List (Novels are grouped by length, difficulty, and subject matter.)
Next year, the lens through which we will perceive each work of literature we read is the human
condition. This term refers to the experiences of being human in a social, cultural, and personal context.
It grapples with the question, what does it mean to be human? The human condition describes the joys
and terrors that come with being human; it refers to the biologically determined events (such as death,
birth, pain, fear, etc.) common to all human lives. It refers to our reactions to these events and the ways
we cope with them. Therefore, while reading, think about how the characters in the novels deal with
their own human condition.
Quick Reads: Title
Subject Matter
Author
# of pages
Loyalty, friendship, urban dwelling
Autobiography of My Dead
Walter Dean
224
Brother
Myers
Graphic novel, breast cancer, love,
Cancer Vixen: A True Story
Marisa A.
224
survival
Marchetto
Family issues, conformity
Home of the Braves
David Klass
312
Body
image,
acceptance,
coming-of-age
Keeping the Moon
Sarah Dessen
256
Looking for Alaska
Coming-of-age conformity, false
appearances
John Green
221
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time
Indian
Race, family issues
Sherman Alexie
288
Ernesto Quinonez
J.D. Salinger
224
224
Middle of-the-Road Reads
Bodega Dreams
The Catcher in the Rye
The Color of Water
The Lovely Bones
The Things They Carried
Reliving the past, urban dwelling, ethnicity, religion
Coming- of-age, alienation,
pretentiousness
Race, understanding the past
Coming-of-age, processing grief
Vietnam war, redemption
James McBride
Alice Sebold
Tim O’Brien
Challenging Contemporary Novels & Classics
A Confederacy of Dunces
False charity, intellectual comedy
John Kennedy
Toole
Paranoia, psychiatric issues, conformity
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s
Ken Kesey
Nest
Sports, race, social classes
The Blind Side
Michael Lewis
Race, beauty
The Bluest Eye
Toni Morrison
The importance of individualism,
The Fountainhead
Ayn Rand
Tortilla Curtain
objectivism
American dream, immigration,
inequality
T.C. Boyle
352
328
256
416
336
352
224
720
368
Assignment # 1: “Quotes and Notes”
Respond to each book through “Quotes and Notes” journal entries. For each book, record ten crucial
passages, and then develop your own response explaining why the passage is important.
Choose the passages based on the following guidelines:
a. Discuss two passages that describe the main character;
b. Discuss two passages that reveal the setting and establish the mood;
c. Discuss two passages that develop the plot (exposition, conflict, climax, resolution);
d. Discuss two passages that communicate the theme;
e. Discuss two passages in order to develop a Text-to Self, Text-to-Text, and/or Text-toWorld Connections
Quotation
 Cite a passage from the novel here, in
quotation marks. Identify the page number.
Note/ Response
 Analyze the passage according to a, b, c, d, or e
above (clearly identify).
 Use complete sentences and thoroughly
explain the significance of the passage.
Review:
Character
McLaughlin
What kind of person is he/she?
Examples: Aggressive, playful, friendly, boring, arrogant, caring, nervous, wild, etc.
What does the character say? How does the character speak?
Speech
Thoughts
Effect on Others Toward
the Character
What is revealed through the character’s private thoughts and feelings?
What is revealed through the character’s effect on other people?
How do other characters feel or behave in reaction to the character?
Actions
Looks
What does the character do? How does the character behave?
What does the character look like? How does the character dress?
Setting and Mood
Why is where the story is happening important to the story?
Why is when the story is happening important to the story?
How does the story make you feel?
So examples of moods: frightening, happy, sorrowful, mysterious, romantic, etc.
Plot
Is the plot moving along too slowly or too quickly?
Was it fast enough to hold your interest or were there flat spots that were boring? What were
those flat spots? Give an example.
Was there too much action or not enough?
What type of conflict is taking place? Is it external or internal?
External Conflict is when a character struggles with a force outside of
him/herself.
Internal Conflict is when a character struggles with a force inside of
him/herself. What kind of conflict is taking place in your novel? Man vs.
man? (physical), Man vs. Environment? Man vs. Circumstance? (the
protagonist struggles against fate or the circumstances of life) Man vs.
Society? (social) Man vs. Him/Herself (psychological)?
Theme
What ideas about life and living come through the story?
Are there themes such as, crime doesn’t pay; you get what you need, not what you want;
revenge; forbidden love; friends can’t be always trusted; etc.?
Connections
Text-Text
Text-Self
Text-World
*(What other book/story is *What does this remind me of in my
*What does this remind me of
this like?)
life?
in the real world?
*What does this remind
*What is this similar to in my life?
*How is this text similar to
me of in another book I’ve
read?
things in the real world?
*Has something like this happened to
me?
*How is the text similar to
or different from other
*How is this text different
from things that happen in the
*How does this relate to my life?
real world?
*What were my feelings when I read
*How did that part relate to
this?
the world around me?
books I’ve read?
*Have I read about
something like this
before?
*Does any female or male character
remind you of anyone you know?
Name______________________________
Focus
Character
Character
Setting/Mood
Setting/Mood
Develop the
plot
(exposition,
conflict,
climax,
resolution)
Quotes
Book 1:_____________________________
Notes
Book 1:_____________________________
Focus
Develop the plot
(exposition,
conflict, climax,
resolution)
Theme
Theme
Text-to Self, Textto-Text, and/or
Text-to-World
Connections
Text-to Self, Textto-Text, and/or
Text-to-World
Connections
Quotes
Notes
Name_________________________________Book 2:_____________________________
Focus
Character
Character
Setting/Mood
Setting/Mood
Develop the
plot
(exposition,
conflict,
climax,
resolution)
Quotes
Notes
Book 2:_____________________________
Focus
Develop the plot
(exposition,
conflict, climax,
resolution)
Theme
Theme
Text-to Self, Textto-Text, and/or
Text-to-World
Connections
Text-to Self, Textto-Text, and/or
Text-to-World
Connections
Quotes
Notes
Name _____________________________ Summer Reading Assignment Date ___________
Evaluating an Author’s Argument: Non-Fiction
Title of Article: ________________________________________________________________
Author: ______________________________________________________________________
Source: ______________________________________________________________________
Remember Evidence Types:
Factual: uses reason and logic to make the audience think clearly about the sensible and/or
obvious answer to a problem.
Emotional: makes the audience feel sorrow, shame, sympathy, embarrassment, anger,
excitement, and/or fear
Ethical: the overall appeal of the author himself/herself; the author would have impressive
credentials, a notable knowledge of the subject, and/or appear to be a likeable and moral person
In your own words, state the author’s thesis/claim/opinion?
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What evidence does the author provide to support his or her claim?

Evidence (Direct Quotation): Type:_____________________
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 Explanation of Evidence:
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 Evidence (Direct Quotation): Type:_____________________
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 Explanation of Evidence
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
Evidence (Direct Quotation): Type:_____________________
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 Explanation of Evidence
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VALIDITY: How well does the author prove their thesis/claim/opinion?
Is the author’s argument balanced? Is their evidence one sided? Explain.
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Is the author’s argument convincing? Do you agree with their point of view? Explain.
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Name _____________________________ Summer Reading Assignment Date ___________
Evaluating an Author’s Argument: Non-Fiction
Title of Article: ________________________________________________________________
Author: ______________________________________________________________________
Source: ______________________________________________________________________
Remember Evidence Types:
Factual: uses reason and logic to make the audience think clearly about the sensible and/or
obvious answer to a problem.
Emotional: makes the audience feel sorrow, shame, sympathy, embarrassment, anger,
excitement, and/or fear
Ethical: the overall appeal of the author himself/herself; the author would have impressive
credentials, a notable knowledge of the subject, and/or appear to be a likeable and moral person
In your own words, state the author’s thesis/claim/opinion?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
What evidence does the author provide to support his or her claim?

Evidence (Direct Quotation): Type:_____________________
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 Explanation of Evidence:
______________________________________________________________________________
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 Evidence (Direct Quotation): Type:_____________________
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 Explanation of Evidence
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
Evidence (Direct Quotation): Type:_____________________
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 Explanation of Evidence
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VALIDITY: How well does the author prove their thesis/claim/opinion?
Is the author’s argument balanced? Is their evidence one sided? Explain.
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Is the author’s argument convincing? Do you agree with their point of view? Explain.
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Name _____________________________ Summer Reading Assignment Date ___________
Evaluating an Author’s Argument: Non-Fiction
Title of Article: ________________________________________________________________
Author: ______________________________________________________________________
Source: ______________________________________________________________________
Remember Evidence Types:
Factual: uses reason and logic to make the audience think clearly about the sensible and/or
obvious answer to a problem.
Emotional: makes the audience feel sorrow, shame, sympathy, embarrassment, anger,
excitement, and/or fear
Ethical: the overall appeal of the author himself/herself; the author would have impressive
credentials, a notable knowledge of the subject, and/or appear to be a likeable and moral person
In your own words, state the author’s thesis/claim/opinion?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
What evidence does the author provide to support his or her claim?

Evidence (Direct Quotation): Type:_____________________
______________________________________________________________________________
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 Explanation of Evidence:
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 Evidence (Direct Quotation): Type:_____________________
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 Explanation of Evidence
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
Evidence (Direct Quotation): Type:_____________________
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 Explanation of Evidence
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A. How well does the author prove his/her thesis/claim/opinion?
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B. Is the author’s argument balanced? Is the evidence one sided? Explain.
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C. Is the author’s argument convincing? Do you agree with the author’s point of view?
Explain.
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______________________________________________________________________________
Name _____________________________ Summer Reading Assignment Date ___________
Evaluating an Author’s Argument: Non-Fiction
Title of Article: ________________________________________________________________
Author: ______________________________________________________________________
Source: ______________________________________________________________________
Remember Evidence Types:
Factual: uses reason and logic to make the audience think clearly about the sensible and/or
obvious answer to a problem.
Emotional: makes the audience feel sorrow, shame, sympathy, embarrassment, anger,
excitement, and/or fear
Ethical: the overall appeal of the author himself/herself; the author would have impressive
credentials, a notable knowledge of the subject, and/or appear to be a likeable and moral person
In your own words, state the author’s thesis/claim/opinion?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
What evidence does the author provide to support his or her claim?

Evidence (Direct Quotation): Type:_____________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
 Explanation of Evidence:
______________________________________________________________________________
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______________________________________________________________________________
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 Evidence (Direct Quotation): Type:_____________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
 Explanation of Evidence
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
Evidence (Direct Quotation): Type:_____________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
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 Explanation of Evidence
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A. How well does the author prove his/her thesis/claim/opinion?
______________________________________________________________________________
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______________________________________________________________________________
B. Is the author’s argument balanced? Is the evidence one sided? Explain.
______________________________________________________________________________
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______________________________________________________________________________
C. Is the author’s argument convincing? Do you agree with the author’s point of view? Explain.
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Name _____________________________ Summer Reading Assignment Date ___________
Evaluating an Author’s Argument: Non-Fiction
Title of Article: ________________________________________________________________
Author: ______________________________________________________________________
Source: ______________________________________________________________________
Remember Evidence Types:
Factual: uses reason and logic to make the audience think clearly about the sensible and/or
obvious answer to a problem.
Emotional: makes the audience feel sorrow, shame, sympathy, embarrassment, anger,
excitement, and/or fear
Ethical: the overall appeal of the author himself/herself; the author would have impressive
credentials, a notable knowledge of the subject, and/or appear to be a likeable and moral person
In your own words, state the author’s thesis/claim/opinion?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
What evidence does the author provide to support his or her claim?

Evidence (Direct Quotation): Type:_____________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
 Explanation of Evidence:
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
 Evidence (Direct Quotation): Type:_____________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
 Explanation of Evidence
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________

Evidence (Direct Quotation): Type:_____________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
 Explanation of Evidence
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
A. How well does the author prove his/her thesis/claim/opinion?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
B. Is the author’s argument balanced? Is the evidence one sided? Explain.
______________________________________________________________________________
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______________________________________________________________________________
C. Is the author’s argument convincing? Do you agree with the author’s point of view? Explain.
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Writing from Sources
Topic choices: Donald Sterling Case, Kidnapping of Nigerian Girls or Missing Malaysian Airplane
I.
Paragraph 1: Introduction
A. Attention-getting sentence/interesting fact
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B. State the issue and the sides
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C. State your thesis, claim, or position
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II.
Paragraph 2: Explain the historical background of the issue: (Cite your articles here)
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III.
Section Two: Present opposing side or solution of the issue: (Cite your articles here)
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IV.
VI.
Section Three: Present ‘your’ side or solution of the issue:
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Conclusion
A. Restatement of the issue and the sides __________________________________________________________
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B. Restate your side and solution/opinion __________________________________________________________
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C. Make a final comment on the future of the issue _________________________________________________
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