Summer+Reading+2013

Summer Reading 2013
Hello, future Honors Freshman English students! Check [|here] to find your summer reading assignment for the fall of 2013! You may choose from the following books:

//Watership Down// by Richard Adams – Watership Down is the tale of a group of rabbits in search of a home. Fiver, a small, young rabbit, has a gift: He can tell when things are going to happen and he can sense whether they will be good or bad. Fiver foresees great danger to the rabbits' home warren. His brother, Hazel, leads a group in search of a new home where they can establish their own society. This surprisingly gripping story reads more like an adventure novel than a child’s rabbit story.

//Starship Troopers// by Robert Heinlein – Set in the distant future, this landmark science fiction novel traces the progress of Juan “Johnnie” Rico as he enlists in the mobile infantry and battles alien menaces from across the galaxy. In this society, serving in the armed forces is the only way to become a citizen and earn the right to vote.

//Saint Maybe// by Anne Tyler – A teenage boy says the wrong thing to his older brother, causing him to commit suicide. His remorse leads him to The Church of the Second Chance, which forever changes the course of his life as he works to provide for his now-fatherless niece and nephew.

//The Book Thief// by Markus Zusak – Death himself narrates this touching novel, in which a young German girl learns about the world around her. Set during World War II, Liesel begins stealing books in a society that prefers to burn them. Her relationship with her uncle and a Jewish boxer changes her life forever.

//Interview with the Vampire// by Anne Rice – A vampire named Louis tells a reporter his 200-year-long life story, including his struggle with his own goodness. This groundbreaking novel is a forerunner of current vampire fiction. WARNING – contains strong violence

//The Water is Wide// by Pat Conroy -- Yamacraw is a poor, run-down island which has no bridges and little infrastructure. New teacher, Pat Conroy, works to educate the island’s students, most of whom have had no contact with the mainland or its people. He struggles to find ways to reach his students, ages ten to thirteen, some of whom are illiterate, and none of whom know anything about the world beyond Yamacraw (portions of paragraph taken from [|Wikipedia]).

//The Time Traveler’s Wife// by Audrey Niffenegger -- ROMANCE! A man is born with a genetic disorder that causes him to time travel unexpectedly. His wife, an artist, must cope with his frequent, dangerous absences. WARNING -- contains adult situations

** Journal Topics **
As you read the novel you have chosen, you will write an “Independent Reading Journal” which addresses several areas of the novel. Below are several topics for journal entries that you are to complete as you read the novel. You will complete this in __Buhler Docs.__ Create a document and title it: “Summer Reading - Last Name, First Name. Share it directly with me, “Andrew Bauer.”

These assignments must be completed as the summer continues. It’s a loooong summer this year. If we put this off until late August, it will be that much more difficult to get into the swing of things once school gets started. Below your list of entries, be sure to notice the due dates.

The first five topics that are in bold and italicized are required and must be completed. Choose three additional topics and complete those entries as well. __You will complete a total of eight entries.__


 * 1. // In a well-organized paragraph, explain how and why you chose your book. Explain the process you used to go through the list of selections, as well as why you finally selected the novel you chose. //**


 * 2. // As you read, create twelve questions that come to mind. When each question comes to mind, write: //**
 * ** a prediction of what the answer or outcome of that question will be. **
 * ** Finally, when the outcome is presented in the novel, write down the actual outcome. **


 * 3. // In a paragraph, discuss how you felt upon completing the reading. Were you disappointed, inspired, relieved, anxious, or thoughtful? Explain what left you with this feeling. Be specific about what in the novel or about the novel as a whole led you to feel this way. //**


 * // 4. Assemble a list of six or more important quotes from the book. Write: //**
 * ** each quote **
 * ** where it is found in the novel **
 * ** who the speaker is **
 * ** the context of the quote. **
 * ** Following each quote, include why it is significant. **


 * 5. // Construct a timeline for the novel. Include all major events in the novel. //**

6. // Write a character sketch of the main character of this novel. Describe the character, examine how other characters view him or her and how he or she interacts with other characters, and analyze how the character changes. //

// 7. Write a poem about a character, event, or theme from the novel. Your poem may take any form, but it must be a minimum of eight lines long. It could be “spoken” by one of the character in a particular scene in the novel, or it might create an image of the most important setting. It could delve into the novel’s theme, or it might examine a conflict. Be creative. //

// 8. Select a character or scene from the novel. Create a drawing, sketch, or other visual representation of that character or event from the novel. This entry gives those of you who are more visually inclined to present what you “see” as you read. Attach an explanation of who or what you chose to create. You may wish to scan this and e-mail it as an attachment, OR you may bring this with you to hand in on the first day back. //

// 9. In a well-organized paragraph, write a recommendation for this book. Who should read this novel? Why would this novel appeal to this type of person? Who should not read this novel? //

// 10. Select one of the major characters from the novel. Create an interest inventory for that character. In your inventory, you might include such areas as the following: Favorite Movie, Favorite Food, Favorite Song, Favorite Hobby, and Favorite Television Show. Identify the “Favorite,” followed by a brief explanation of why that would be on the character’s list. //

// 11. Compile a group of photographs or pictures that can be used to “tell the story” or convey the major ideas or themes of this novel. If the novel has been made into a film, the images may NOT come from that film. The images may focus on events, characters as you view them, themes, or atmosphere of the novel. //

Your first 5 entries (number 1-5) must be completed in a Buhler Docs document. Title it “Summer Reading - Last Name, First Name” (so mine would be “Summer Reading - Bauer, Andrew). Do not worry about formatting. We will discuss formatting for future assignments. For this one, I simply want to check up on your reading.
 * Assignment Due Dates: **

__July 19__ - Book has been chosen. Journal topic assignment #1 (in bold) is due

__July 19 to August 9__ - Book is being read. Student is paying attention to quotes, important moments, and other aspects of the journal topics they will be completing.

__August 9__ - Journal topic assignment #2 (in bold) is due

__August 16__ - Journal topic assignment #3 (in bold) is due

__August 23__ - Journal topic assignments #4 and #5 (in bold) are due

__September 3__ - Remaining 3 entries are due. These may either be completed in Buhler Docs or may be handed in in person.

Important Note: You MAY complete everything early. In fact, you can finish all eight assignments in June. There is NO penalty for getting things done early!

If you have any questions at all, be sure to e-mail me at abauer@buhlerschools.org OR call or text me at 785-201-4166. If you are a student reading this and you are confused about the assignment or you have technology concerns, please contact me. I promise, I’m not that scary.