Holt Pre AP English I Summer Reading Assignment

Pre-AP English I – Summer Reading Assignment

The Pre-Advanced Placement English I course is designed to build a foundation for the knowledge and skills required to succeed in upper level Advanced Placement English courses.  Over 50 literary terms are introduced and applied to classic literature during the course; four literary selections from the Advanced Placement list will be read by students independently over the course of the year.  In order to begin discussion on the first day and assess retention of knowledge and skills gained in middle school, a summer reading assignment has been created.

1. Acquire a copy of John Knowles’ A Separate Peace.  The novel may be purchased or borrowed from a library.

1. Read the novel before the first day of school

1. Choose one of the topics below.  As you read, record 10-15 passages which reveal Knowles’ underlying message about that topic.  Look for subtle references to the theme in characterization, plot development, symbolism, setting, mood, tone, and irony.

+friendship

+envy

+war

+competition

+identity

+truth

1. Type an outline of an essay which explains the theme relating to the topic you chose.  The outline should include the following:  thesis statement, three topic sentences, 2-3 passages that support each topic sentence.  This essay will be developed into your first essay.

1. Be prepared for discussion and assessment during the first weeks of school.  You will turn in your chosen topic and 10-15 passages and your typed outline during the first week of school.   These will be your first grades of the semester.

I look forward to meeting you in the fall!  You may email any questions to me at sarahvogelman@wentzville.k12.mo.us.  

Holt English I Summer Reading Assignment

English I Summer Assignment

Choose a book that deals with acceptance, tolerance, and/or bullying.

You may pick a book from the following list or another book from the Gateway List.  This list can be found at the following links:  http://www.maslonline.org/?ArchivedGateway and http://thelibrary.org/teens/blgateway.cfm. 

Suggested List

Rules of Survival by Nancy Werlin

Uglies by Scott Westerfeld

We Were Here by Matt de la Pena

If I Grow Up by Todd Strasser

The Chosen One by Carol Lynch Williams

Food, Girls, and Other Things I Can’t Have by Allen Zadoff

Just Listen by Sarah Dessen

Copper Sun by Sharon Draper

Diva by Alex Flinn

Born to Rock by Gordon Korman

Sold by Patricia McCormick

Rooftop by Paul Volponi

Lock & Key by Sarah Dessen

Playing with Matches by Brian Katcher

Wake by Lisa McMann

Stealing Heaven by Elizabeth Scott

Sweethearts by Sara Zarr

Hate List by Jennifer Brown 

Twisted by Laurie Halse Anderson

Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher

Billie Standish Was Here by Nancy Crocker

Tallgrass by Sandra Dalla

Beastly by Alex Flinn

Boot Camp by Todd Strasser

Breathing Underwater by Alex Flinn

The Contender by Robert Lypsite

**A Separate Peace by John Knowles

**The Chosen by Chaim Potok

**Rebecca by Daphne DuMarier

** denotes challenging books for the college-bound reader

Active Reading Guide:  As you read, pay special attention to the internal and external conflicts in the story.  Also, consider with which characters you can relate.  Note passages that reveal these conflicts and characters.  You may want to take notes or mark pages in your book for use in an activity relating to this book during the first week of school.

Please email questions concerning this assignment to Mrs. Sarah Vogelman, Communication Arts Department Chair, at sarahvogelman@wentzville.k12.mo.us. 

Willow gives you hope that true love is real

Just finished the book, Willow by Julia Hoban. I started reading the book a few weeks ago after Laurel had read it.  She loved it.  I read a few chapters and was so mad at the main character, I actually put it down for about a week or so.

Willow, the main character, deals with life after she kills both her parents in a freak car accident.  She turns to cutting as a way out of dealing with reality.  I have a hard time figuring out why someone would do harm to him/herself and the whole thing made me mad when I was reading.  I guess that's why the book is so relevant. It was forcing me to learn and grow.

But I gave the book a chance after she met a guy, ironically name Guy, and he takes interest in her situation.  I mean, he can't leave her once he knows her secret.

The author does a great job and creating chemistry between the two characters and if you've forgotten what it's like to fall in love as a teenager, read this book.  It's one of those rare books that you wish doesn't end and you think about long after.  Willow grows so much during the book and so do you as the reader.

Not only did the book turn out to be a fantastic read, I learned something about cutters AND friendship.  Definitely a YA book and wouldn't recommend this for under 14 year olds.  Even then, parents need to either pre-read or check out www.commonsensemedia.org for details on the book.

Speak and Twisted

Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson is a wonderful YA book!  Deeply true and a true page-turner!  The main character goes through a horrible time and pays for it her whole 9th grade year.  Her friend abandon her.  The story shows her struggle with her friends and with herself.  

Twisted by Laurie Halse Anderson is similar to Speak but this main character is a boy who is looking for attention and prefers negative attention.  I felt that the language and thoughts presented by the main character were a little strong for a 8th grader...might be better suited in the high school grades.  But the message is a good one.

Compound: Jaw-dropping plot

Compound by SA Bodeen is a wonderfully written, fast moving YA book.  I picked it up initially because my principal, Dr. Ray mentioned it was good.  Wowsers!  It was a great book.  I read a lot of it during Core Plus and the students loved watching me read the book while I gasped, yelled out and became engrossed in the text.

The book is about a family who goes into a compound 3 stories below ground after a nuclear attack.  The main character's twin and grandma don't make it in, so he spends most of the book dealing with the loss of his twin.  But things aren't as they seem and his dad hides some secrets.  And from there, it gets really, really interesting.  And makes you figure out when you can read next...I found myself asking myself, "If I leave school right after the bell, I can go home and read..."

It really looks like a guy's book but I recommend this one to anyone.  It doesn't follow the normal YA plot either--either a Utopian society or a teenager's journey to finding popularity.  I think that's why I liked it so. Refreshing.

So pick it up today.  You won't regret it.  At.  All.

Crossed is a love story

Just finished Crossed by Ally Condie.  It's the second book in the Matched series.

The whole story is a love story.  Cassia follows her heart and tries to figure out if she wants Xander or Ky.  She tries to figure out the Society.  It's a great Utopian book.  But I must admit I was a little bored and it took me an extraordinary amount of time to get through this brand-new book.  It was a bit predictable too.  

I'm excited to pick up Compound by SA Bodeen.  Laurel has read it and there's such a twist in it she actually squealed.  Pumped to read a book like that....and one that's not part of a series.

What are you reading on these cold winter days?

What to do?

Start the book Crossed by Ally Condie or read 100 essays?  But the essays are Ch. 24 of the Giver...so they should be fun.

What are you reading right now on this cold wintery day?