Valley View High School Honors Summer Reading Program 2016 2017 School Year One of the greatest abilities we possess as humans is the ability to read. Reading opens our minds to many different worlds worlds we otherwise might not have the opportunity to explore. Therefore, it is the objective of the Valley View High School Honors Summer Reading Program to help further develop students reading comprehension skills while also exposing them to a number of classic and contemporary classic titles. For the 2016 2017 school year, all students enrolled in the Honors and AP English classes will read titles which frequently appear on the AP Literature Exam. Students will be tested upon return to school in the fall. The test will count as part of the first quarter grade for English. Study guides are provided to help students prepare for the assessment, and students are strongly encouraged to take notes within the books while reading. Students WILL BE allowed to use their annotated texts during the assessment. Please be aware that all titles are available for purchase in local bookstores and online. In addition, links to guided reading questions for many of the titles can be found on the district website, valleyviewsd.org, under Summer Reading. If you have any questions or concerns regarding the summer reading assignment, titles or study guides, please contact jmauro@valleyviewsd.org. The assigned reading list is as follows: Grade 9 Honors Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck The Chosen by Chaim Potok Grade 10 Honors Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams Grade 11 Honors The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger Grade 12 Honors The Awakening by Kate Chopin A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald Tess of D Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy (AP Class ONLY)
Grade Nine Honors Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck 1. Describe the setting of the novel. 2. Identify and characterize (describe) the following characters: Lennie George Curley Slim Crooks Curley s Wife 3. Find details from the text which foreshadow the idea that George and Lennie s dream will never come true. 4. Identify several similes and metaphors in which the author uses animal imagery to develop his characters. 5. Identify specific textual evidence within the novel where the theme of friendship is developed. 6. Identify specific textual evidence within the novel where the theme of lonliness is developed. 7. Identify specific textual evidence within the novel where the theme of the American Dream is developed. 8. Research online to analyze the relevence of the title. The Chosen by Chaim Potok 1. Identify the setting of the novel. Analyze the significance of the setting to the plot of the story. 2. Identify, describe, and compare Danny Saunders and Reuven Malter. 3. Identify and describe David Malter and Reb Saunders. Compare the dynamic of the father/son relationship in each family. 4. Analyze how Mr. Malters and Reb Saunders differ in their views of the relationship between religious Jews and the rest of the world. 5. Analyze how the author s use of historical events contribute to the plot of the story.
6. Identify the point of view used in the novel. Analyze the effectiveness of the point of view in the telling of the story. 7. Analyze how the relationship between Danny and Reuven changes throughout the course of the novel. 8. Anyalze and find specific textual evidence to show how the themes of friendship and separation are developed throughout the novel.
Grade Ten Honors Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton 1. Describe the setting of the novel. Consider the symbolic meaning of the name Starkfield. Analyze how the setting mirrors the emotional state of Ethan Frome. 2. Identify the point of view of the novel in both the Prologue and Chapter One. What impact does the change have on the novel? 3. Identify and describe Ethan Frome, Zenobia Frome and Mattie Silver. Analyze Zeena and Mattie as foils. 4. Analyze the author s use of symbolism thorughout the novel. Pay particular attention to the red pickle dish, the cat, Frome s house, and the relationship of Ned Hale and Ruth Varnum. 5. Identify the climax of the novel and locate specific textual evidence of the author foreshadowing this event. 6. Analyze Ethan Frome as a tragic hero. Identify and provide specific textual evidence of his tragic flaw. 7. Anyalze and find specific textual evidence to show how the themes of regret, lonliness, and isolation are developed throughout the novel. The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams 1. Identify and characterize the narrator of the play. Analyze how time influences the narrator s perceptions of events. 2. Analyze and compare the relationship between Laura and Tom to the relationship between Laura and Amanda. 3. Analyze Tennessee William s us of suspense throughout the play. 4. Identify and analyze the major conlfict and climax of the play. 5. Analyze the author s use of symbolism. Pay particular attention to the glass menagerie, the fire escape, Laura s leg brace and the magician s impressive trick. 6. Anyalze and find specific textual evidence to show how the themes of imprisonment, illusionment v. reality, and the American Dream are developed throughout the novel.
Grade Eleven Honors The Adventures of Huckleberrry Finn by Mark Twain 1. Identify the point of view used in the novel. Analyze Huck Finn as an unreliable narrator. 2. Analyze how the relationship between Huck and Jim changes throughout the course of the novel. 3. Analyze the author s use of nature and natural elements as symbols. 4. Analyze Pap as an ironic character. 5. Analyze the novel as a satire by examining Twains portrayal of sivilized people. 6. Analyze the major conflicts presented throughout the novel. Are all of these conflicts resolved in a satisfactory way? 7. Analyze Huck and Jim as flat/round and static/dynamic characters. 8. Anyalze and find specific textual evidence to show how the themes of racism and hipocracy are developed throughout the novel. A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry 1. Identify the setting of the play. Analyze the significance of the setting to both the plot and theme 2. Identify and characterize the following: Lena Younger (Mama) Walter Lee Younger Ruth Younger Beneatha Younger Travis Younger Joseph Asagai 3. Analyze the dynamic of the Younger family. Use specific evidence to show which characters yield power over the others. 4. Research online to examine the relevence of the title. 5. Analyze the author s use of symbolism. Pay particular attention to Mama s plant, Beneatha s hair, and the insurance payment. 6. Anyalze and find specific textual evidence to show how the themes of discrimination, dignity, and the American Dream are developed throughout the novel.
The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger 1. Analyze the significance of the title Catcher in the Rye. 2. Analyze the importance of the point of view in the novel. 3. Analyze the author s use of symbolism. Pay particular attention to the red hunting hat, the baseball mitt, and the ducks in central park 4. Characterize Holden Caulfield and analyze how the novel functions as his coming of age story. 6. Anyalze and find specific textual evidence to show how the themes of isolation is developed throughout the novel.
Grade Twelve Honors and AP The Awakening by Kate Chopin 1. Describe Edna Pontellier. Analyze how she changes from the beginning of the novella to the end. 2. Analyze the authir s use of symbols throughout the novella. Pay particular attention to the road to the beach in Chapter VII, the bird symbolism that is introduced in Chapter I which then resurfaces in Chapter XXVII and the garden in the suburbs in Chapter XXXVI. 3. Analyze the theme of awakening throughout the novel. 4. Analyze the significance of the title. 5. Analyze how the specific settings are significant to the meaning of the book. A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway 1. Describe Frederic Henry. Analyze how he changes from the beginning of the novel to the end. 2. Analyze the author s use of symbolism throughout the novel. Pay particular attention to the marble busts in Chapter VI, Catherine s hair in Chapter XVII and how the rain contributes to the meaning of Chapters XVIII and XXXVI. 3. Analyze how Hemingway s view of war is reflected in the title of the book. 4. Analyze the novel in relation to the historical context. Analyze how the setting reveals the theme. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald 1. Identify either Gatsby or Nick as the protagonist and trace his development throughout the novel. 2. Analyze the author s use of symbolism throughout the novel. Identify and analyze the symbol Fitzgerald uses as the outward manifestation of Gatsby s wealth. In Chapter III, analyze the symbolism of the simile,...at intervals she appeared at his side like an angry diamond, and hissed: You promised! into his ear. 3. Analyze the irony of the title, The Great Gatsby. 4. Analyze the setting of the novel and how it is used to reinforce theme.
Grade 12 AP English (in addition to previous titles) Tess of the d Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy 1. Analyze the characterization of Tess as a heroine. Is she a dynamic or static character? 2. Analyze the author s use of symbolism throughout the novel. Pay particular attention to the d Urberville family vault and the seasonal changes throughout the novel. 3. Analyze the significance of both the title and the subtitle of the novel. Consider why the book was not titled Tess Durbeyfield. 4. Analyze the role of landscape and setting in the novel. Consider how the setting mirrors the action of the story.