BOOK #1: Summer Required
Rocket Boys by Homer Hickam—Rocket Boys is a uniquely American memoir—a powerful, luminous story of coming of age at the dawn of the 1960s, of a mother’s love and a father’s fears, of a group of young men who dreamed of launching rockets into outer space…and who made those dreams come true.
As you read, take notes about the characters, their motivations, the symbolism, the plot episodes, the settings, temptation, the themes of the story, the allusions to other works of literature, etc. Review the notes you have made before you come to class.
Assessment: Objective quiz on Tuesday, August 12, 2008.
Assessment: Objective quiz on Tuesday, August 12, 2008. *
BOOK #2: Your choice from the list below.
As you read, take notes about the characters, their motivations, the symbolism, the plot episodes, the settings, temptation, the themes of the story, the allusions to other works of literature, etc. Review the notes you have made before you come to class.
Assessment: In-class response writing that you will on Tuesday, August 12, 2008. You will need to bring your book to class.*
*This one test on both texts will count as two major grades.
Choices for Summer Reading: Choose One
Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane - In the spring of 1863, as he faces battle for the first time at Chancellorsville, Virginia, a young Union soldier matures to manhood and finds peace of mind as he comes to grips with his conflicting emotions about war.
Cold Sassy Tree by Olive Ann Burns - A timeless, funny, resplendent novel about romance and adolescence, and how people lived and died in a small Southern town at the turn of the century.
West Side Story by Irving Shulman – Tony and Maria find their love threatened by the hatred of two rival New York street gangs.
When I was Puerto Rican by Esmeralda Santiago - From a rippled zinc shack in rural Puerto Rico to "the better life" in a decaying Brooklyn tenement, Esmerelda Santiago's Puerto Rican childhood is one of sorcery, smoldering war between the sexes, and high comedy. Hers is a portrait of a harsh but enchanted world that can never be reclaimed.
The Pigman by Paul Zindel - Meet Mr. Pignati, a lonely old man with a beer belly and an awful secret. He's the Pigman, and he's got a great big twinkling smile. When John and Lorraine, two high school sophomores, meet Mr. Pignati, they learn his whole sad, zany story. They tell it right here in this book — the truth, and nothing but the truth — no matter how many people it shocks or hurts.
Anne Frank and Me by Cherie Bennett - After suffering a concussion while on a class trip to a Holocaust exhibit, Nicole finds herself living the life of a Jewish teenager in Paris during the Nazi occupation.
In These Girls, Hope is a Muscle by Madeline Blais - A Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist tells the story of a high school girls' basketball team's championship season and their fierce, funny, sisterhood-is-powerful quest for excellence.
Nothing But the Truth by Avi—A ninth grader’s suspension for singing “The Star-Spangled Banner” during homeroom becomes a national news story.
Books to be read throughout the year
1st quarter:
And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie—Agatha Christie’s most famous and acclaimed novel. Ten strangers are gathered together on an isolated island by a mysterious host. They share the darkest secrets of their pasts, and then, one by one, they die.
2nd quarter:
Bridge of San Luis Rey by Thornton Wilder—Set in colonial Peru in the early 18th century, The Bridge of San Luis Rey interweaves the stories of five people who die when an ancient rope bridge breaks and sends them plunging into a gulf.
3rd quarter:
The Princess Bride by William Goldman--A writer's view on life and art are revealed during his attempts to edit the children's classic that shaped his literary ambitions
4th quarter:
The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway—An old Cuban fisherman triumphs over a giant marlin—only to have his prized catch literally eaten away by circling sharks.
RUBRIC FOR SUMMER WRITING IN RESPONSE TO READING : Download Rubric 