Summer Reading

Summer Reading

Yorktown High School - 2009

All students must read the required books from the grade level lists below.
Be sure to read the titles from the GRADE YOU ARE ENTERING IN SEPTEMBER.
Students will be TESTED on reading assignments in September. They are encouraged to
take notes on the readings in order to prepare for the September exams.

GRADE 9

        All students entering English Nine Regents in September must read the following books by Lois Lowry.
        These three books serve as a trilogy, so it is recommended that they be read in order.

        The Giver, Lois Lowry
        Gathering Blue, Lois Lowry
        The Messenger, Lois Lowry

GRADE 9 HONORS

The following titles are required reading for Mrs. Williams' 9th grade Honors English classes. All works must be read by
September 2 (the first day of school).

An Enemy of the People, by Henrik Ibsen

Any Ibsen version is fine, even one in a collection of Ibsen plays. However, DO NOT GET THE VERSION ADAPTED BY
ARTHUR MILLER

Assignment:

1) Write a well-developed paragraph discussing theme in the play. Choose one theme that you feel is relevant and discuss how
the play addresses that theme. Use at least one quotation from the play which illustrates this theme.

2) There are at least two points of view surrounding the main conflict of the play. In a well-developed paragraph, discuss two of
those points of view, and support each with a quotation.

3) Discuss your opinion of the work. Would you recommend it to a friend? In a well-developed paragraph, discuss whether or
not you enjoyed the play, and support your answer with at least one specific detail.

In the Time of the Butterflies, by Julia Alvarez
Any version is fine.

Assignment:

1) Write a well-developed paragraph discussing characterization in the novel. Choose at least two characters and discuss how their
individual personality traits helped them to cope with the conflict in the novel. Support each example with a quotation from the novel.

                    2) Discuss in a well-developed paragraph how point of view plays a relevant role in the novel. From whose point of view is the novel
                         told, and how does that affect the version we get of the story? Also include why this story is being told. Support your discussion
                         with at least one quotation.

3) In a well-developed paragraph, discuss your opinion of the work. Would you recommend it to a friend? Did you enjoy reading it?
Support your answer with a specific example from the work.

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, by Sherman Alexie
Any version is fine.

Assignment:

1) In a well-developed paragraph, discuss the setting(s) of the novel. How does setting affect the main conflict of the novel? Use
specific quotations to examine the contrast between the two settings.

2) In a well-developed paragraph, discuss how point of view affects your understanding of the novel, and Arnold's telling of the story.
Use at least one quotation to support your answer.

3) Discuss your opinion of the novel in a well-developed paragraph. Did you enjoy this novel? Use at least one specific detail to
support your answer.

* All quotations must be cited parenthetically (page number following quote in parentheses).

** The written assignments must be handed in together by Friday, September 4.

GRADE 10

Speak, Laurie Halse Anderson
Ender's Game, Orson Scott Card

GRADE 10 HONORS

Below is your summer reading list. Please read the following books and complete the notes and essay as described below:

1. Tennessee Williams: A Streetcar Named Desire

2. John Steinbeck: Of Mice and Men

3. William Golding: Lord of the Flies

            4. Choice book: Please choose from the following list. You will complete a creative project when we return to school.
                 Consider each work before choosing! Length doesn't matter!!

                      a. Maya Angelou: I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
                      b. Lorraine Hansberry: A Raisin in the Sun
                      c. Laurie Halse Anderson: Speak
                      d. Orson Scott Card: Ender's Game
                      e. Jane Austen: Pride and Prejudice
                      f.   Daniel Quinn: Ishmael
                      g. Dan Brown: Angels and Demons

            While you are reading the texts, please take some notes regarding character, themes, plot, and questions you may have.
            These notes will not be checked; however, we will have extensive discussions about the texts where these notes will be
            helpful. Please take the notes right in the text. You do not need to do this for the choice book.

            After reading each work, write a journal where you reflect about the text. Each reflection should be one page in length
            (double spaced) and in it, you should discuss characters, themes, meanings, and provide a personal reaction. Try to
            avoid only providing a personal response. In total, you will have one journal for A Streetcar Named Desire, one for Of Mice and Men,
            one for Lord of the Flies, and one for your choice book. These journals will be entered into www.turnitin.com when you
            return to school. Please remember to save the documents. Consider emailing them to yourself or bringing them in on a USB drive.

            If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me via email over the summer. I will get back to you as soon as
            possible: msorrentini-velez@yorktown.org. You can also go on my website for background information on the texts:
            http://www.teacherweb.com/ny/yorktownhighschool/mssorrentini.

PS: It would be best to buy the books and please do not read Sparknotes!

Thanks, Ms. Sorrentini

GRADE 11

The Namesake, Jhumpa Lahiri
A Thousand Splendid Suns, Khaled Hosseini

GRADE 11 HONORS

       Reading Assignment:

        Native Son, Richard Wright
        Their Eyes Were Watching God, Zora Neal Hurston
        A Book of Your Choice: A book from the New York Times Best Sellers List (fiction or nonfiction, paperback or hardcover)

        Written Assignment:

        Take notes on the characters, conflict, symbols, themes, and any other details worthy of note. Assessment will take the form
        of a multiple choice test, essay, class discussion and/or book project. Be prepared!

         Any questions? Email   eknopp@yorktown.org OR cjohnsmeyer@yorktown.org

GRADE 12

        Students must read TWO of the following:

        The Gatekeepers, Jacques Steinberg
        Nickel and Dimed, Barbara Ehrenreich
        Bringing Down the House, Ben Mezrich

12R WISE

Reading Assignment:

1. Fiction. Choose ONE work of fiction. This can be from the New York Times Best Sellers List, past or present, or a classic novel you have
always wanted to read. The only two requirements are that the book be fiction and of interest to you!

                    2. Nonfiction. Choose ONE work of nonfiction. Make your choice based on a topic that is of interest to you, such as politics, art, education,
                        history, a notable person, etc. Browse the public library or local book store to help you decide. Again, the only two requirements are
                        that the work be nonfiction and of interest to you! Be prepared to be assessed on both books, which may take the form of an essay,
                        class presentation, and/or book project.

Any questions? Email cjohnsmeyer@yorktown.org

Happy Reading! Happy Summer Vacation!

AP ENGLISH

Dear AP English Literature student,

I hope that you are looking forward to an exciting year in AP Literature.

TEXTBOOK
We will use The Bedford Introduction to Literature, Eighth Edition, as our textbook. You do not have to purchase the book since the English department will provide you with the text. The Bedford book is a wonderful, inclusive textbook which will provide us with many choices of poems, short stories and plays to experience in class.

SUMMER READING
You must read A Prayer for Owen Meany, by John Irving (Ballantine Books). I expect you to read with a pen by your side. Note passages of particular interest/confusion/delight. Highlight lines that resonate with you. You will also read How to Read Like a Professor, by Thomas C. Foster (Quill).

Your written assignment is as follows:

Thomas Foster states that the three items which separate professors of literature from students are MEMORY, SYMBOL AND PATTERN. Pattern recognition allows students of literature to "... learn to take in the foreground detail while seeing the patterns that the detail reveals. Like the symbolic imagination, this is a function of being able to distance oneself from the story, to look beyond the purely affective level of plot, drama, characters. Experience has proved to them that life and books fall into similar patterns." (xvi)

Choose a pattern from How to Read a Book Like a Professor which best applies to A Prayer for Owen Meany. Note the name of the chapter. 1) Explain how the chapter relates to the novel, and 2) Explain in detail how knowledge of the chapter aids in a deeper and more sophisticated understanding of the novel. Please write one page (250 words) for each of the prompts. Your responses will be collected the first day of class.

ADDITIONAL NOVELS
In addition, you must purchase the following novels:

          1. Moby Dick, by Herman Melville - (Barnes and Noble Classics)
          2. Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Bronte - (Barnes and Noble Classics)
          3. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, by Ken Kesey - (Penguin Books)
          4. Ethan Frome, by Edith Wharton - (Scribner)

We will also read The Stranger, by Albert Camus, but I will provide you with this book.

If you have any questions about the assignments or any other aspect of the class, please contact me at paulastops@msn.com or pstops@yorktown.org. I love to get email and we can get to know each other before class even begins.

I hope that you enjoy the reading. Have a wonderful summer and I look forward to seeing you in the fall.

Sincerely,

          Paula Stops