Jane LaBond (jl12bps@birmingham.k12.mi.us) Valeria Petrozzi (vp02bps@birmingham.k12.mi.us) Summer should be a time of great fun, which in our view, includes time to sit beneath the maple tree out back, or on a beach with your toes in the sand and a good book in your hand. To that end, we have provided a list of books from which you will choose two (or more!). Once youve read the books, review the list of journal prompts provided beneath the book list, and ponder your reading. What is the ultimate aim of any quest? What is the nature of courage? Which characters or people demonstrate virtue? What are we willing to sacrifice for love? These ideas underpin the best of classic literature, modern books and poetry and for that matter, the hottest of HBO dramas. Reflect, ponder and daydreamand then come to class in September rested, refreshed and well-read. Oh, and dont forget to complete the assignment which is included here and on the English departments web page. Feel free to contact us through email, should you want to discuss any of the works or if you have a question. We check email weekly, not daily, but we will respond! We look forward to seeing you in September to begin a great school year! Part A: Read at least two books from the following list. If you choose to read a book of poems, be sure the second book is not poetry. Angles of Ascent: A Norton Anthology of Contemporary African American Poetry edited by Charles Henry Rowe 10 Poems to Change Your Life compiled by Roger Housden (poetry) 101 Great American Poems (Dover Thrift Edition) (poetry) The Poetry of Robert Frost: The Collected Poems edited by Edward Connery Lathem Mayas Notebook: A Novel by Isabele Allende Reservation Blues by Sherman Alexie My Stroke of Insight by Jill Bolte Taylor (nonfiction) Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver Money Ball by Michael Lewis (nonfiction) Enduring Love by Ian McEwan Watchmen by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons (graphic novel) Beloved by Toni Morrison The Time Travelers Wife by Audrey Niffenegger Socrates Caf by Christopher Phillips (nonfiction) The Mysterious Stranger by Mark Twain To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf The Book Thief or I am the Messenger by Markus Zusak As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner Adam and Eve: A Novel or Ahabs Wife by Sarah Jeter Naslund Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer The Art of Fielding by Chad Harbach Miss Peregrines Home for Peculiar Children by Ransome Riggs Beatrice and Virgil by Yann Martel
Goldfinch by Donna Tartt
David and Goliath: Underdogs, Misfits, and the Art of Battling Giants by Malcolm Gladwell (nonfiction)
From the questions below, select three prompts to respond to in essay
form: Please use specific examples, even references (quotations), from the text to support your observations. We are not looking for a formal essay, but rather, we want to see you exploring ideas and reflecting on the authors characters, settings and themes. 1. Explain how gender roles function in one your readings. Is it stereotypical or does it break the cultural mode? Do you object to the roles on a personal level? Why or why not? 2. Relationships provide key insights into the authors intent for a book. Choose a relationship and explore it through one or both of the books youve read. 3. Nonfiction warrants its own methodology. How did reading a book of nonfiction differ from reading fiction? Is it at all similar? Why or why not? 4. In one sentence summarize the authors argument or purpose of the book, and then examine how well he or she succeeded in communicating this idea to his or her reader. 5. Choose a symbol or motif that you see at work in your book and explain its significance. 6. Would you recommend this book as a classroom study? Why or why not? 7. Several of the books on the list focus on the nature of love in human lives. Examine the context of love as seen in your particular work. 8. Poetry: what threads or themes do you see working within the poetry that youve read? Examine multiple poems to formulate your answer. 9. Thomas Foster says that all quests are for self-knowledge, despite the literal journey itself. Using a quote or two from the book, apply this idea to one or more of the books on the list included for your summer reading. 10.Analyze Fosters assertion that there is really only one story. Use your readings from English classes as well as books * Because you are reading two books and answering three prompts, you must write two essays on one book and one on the other. **Unless, of course, you read three books.