Summer Reading We shouldn t teach great books: we should teach a love of reading. B.F. Skinner. Explanation

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1 Summer Reading 2011 We shouldn t teach great books: we should teach a love of reading. B.F. Skinner Explanation The faculty and administration of the Beth Tfiloh Dahan Community High School believe that summer reading represents a logical extension of the school year. Studies have demonstrated that recreational reading correlates with increased language proficiency, enhanced vocabulary development, as well as improved reading comprehension and critical/creative writing skills that may lead to stronger standardized test scores. Teachers and students have suggested the books on this list as examples of pleasurable reading experiences. Since the list encompasses a wide range of books representing different genres and topics, parents may want to review the list to help in the selection of appropriate titles. We are promoting the expansion of literary knowledge; therefore, students should choose a book(s) that they have not read previously. We encourage students to read as many books as they desire. All students must complete the following requirements: Grade 9 Grade 10 Grade 11 Grade 11 AP English One selection from the list Two selections from the list Two selections from the list The Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison and (non-ap History students) One selection from the list (For AP History students) The Invisible Man and Grade 11 AP History Grade 12 The Children s Blizzard by David Laskin (do not write a journal entry for this book) One selection from the list and College Writing Mrs. Steinberg Mentor Tom Grimes Creative Writing Mr. Schneider/Mr. Green Old School Tobias Wolff Contemp. Lit. Mr. Bruner The Help Kathryn Stockett

2 After students read their selection(s), they must complete a journal assignment for each book. This year s assignment is new. This specific assignment and a model appears on pages 3-5 below. Students may complete as many books/journals as they wish. Students will submit the completed journals to their English teacher in September. If you read a collection of short stories like Interpreter of Maladies, choose two short stories from the collection and write a journal for each story.

3 Summer Reading Journal 2011 Name Grade: Book Information (MLA format) Author s last name, first name. Title of book. City of Publication: Publishing Co., Date of Publication. Example: Dumas, Firoozeh. Funny in Farsi. New York: Random House Trade Paperbacks, Directions: Answer the following in complete sentences. 1. Discuss the ending of the book. Did you anticipate this ending or was it a surprise? Explain your answer by relating at least two things that happened throughout the book and connecting them to the ending. 2. Select a character and explain how the author helped you to feel connected to this character. Explain by discussing two specific things that this character did or said and how these things connected you to the character. 3. Imagine that you could write a sequel or a prequel to this book. Explain briefly what would happen in your sequel or prequel and why this would work for the book that you read. An example of responses to these questions is provided on pages 2 and 3 below.

4 Summer Reading Questions 2011 Example Miriam Canterberg Grade 9 Steinbeck, John. Of Mice and Men. New York: Penguin Books, Discuss the ending of the book. Did you anticipate this ending or was it a surprise? Explain your answer by relating at least two things that happened throughout the book and connecting them to the ending. At the end of the novel, George kills his best friend, Lennie, by shooting him in the head. The reader can anticipate this ending throughout the novel, particularly when tracing Lennie s destructive actions and George s sense of responsibility for Lennie. George often references Lennie s incredible physical strength and his limited intelligence, a combination which tends to land Lennie into trouble because he is not aware of his own capacity for destruction. George relates a story where a woman in Weed accuses Lennie of attacking her because he wanted to touch her red dress and would not let go of it: The guys in Weed start a party out to lynch Lennie. So we sit in a irrigation ditch under water all the rest of that day. (42). Later when Curley tries to fight Lennie, Lennie crushes Curley s hand by holding onto it and not letting go (63). Lennie accidentally kills a puppy by petting it too hard, an act he tragically repeats with Curley s wife: Lennie s big hands fell to stroking her hair.... She jerked her head sideways, and Lennie s fingers closed on her hair and hung on (90-91). That George chooses to kill Lennie himself, rather than let the other men do it following the death of Curley s wife, is foreshadowed when Carlson shoots Candy s old dog, and Candy tells George, I ought to of shot that dog myself, George. I shouldn t ought to of let no stranger shoot my dog (61). 2. Select a character and explain how the author helped you to feel connected to this character. Explain by discussing two specific things that this character did or said and how these things connected you to the character.

5 I feel connected to the character of George because he tries to make his dream come true, and he understands that a dream is meaningless without someone with whom to share it. George reminds Lennie of their dream to own a piece of land some day as an incentive for Lennie to stay out of trouble: We got a future. We got somebody to talk to that gives a damn about us (14). Later, George explains to Slim why he continues looking after Lennie and watching out for him: I ain t got no people, George said. I seen the guys that go around on the ranches alone. That ain t no good (41). George watches out for Lennie and tries to help him stay out of trouble, such as when he warns Lennie at the ranch house, If there s any fightin, Lennie, you keep out of it (55). George could most likely get his own place more easily without Lennie, but he knows that having a friend and a companion to share his life is what makes his dream worthwhile. This value of friendship, and George s loyalty to Lennie, connect me to George. 3. Imagine that you could write a sequel or a prequel to this book. Explain briefly what would happen in your sequel or prequel and why this would work for the book that you read. I think a prequel would work well for this book. Early in Of Mice and Men, George tells Slim a little bit about Lennie s and George s past: Him and me was both born in Auburn. Knowed his Aunt Clara. She took him when he was a baby and raised him up. When his Aunt Clara died, Lennie just come along with me workin (40). I think the reader would be interested in reading a prequel that explores Lennie s life as a child in Auburn. Why did his Aunt Clara raise him and not his parents? What kind of place was Auburn? What was George s family background? My prequel would answer these questions as well as describe some of the adventures and problems that Lennie and George have faced before they come to the ranch in Of Mice and Men. This background would help the reader to understand the special friendship they share and make the ending of the novel even more poignant.