WHITE PLAINS PUBLIC SCHOOLS
PLAINS HIGH SCHOOL 550 NORTH STREET WHITE PLAINS, NEW YORK 10605
2182 Ellen Doherty Principal
June 2014
Dear Ninth Grade English Honors Student:
We would like to wish you a wonderful, productive summer as you prepare for your first year at White Plains High School. As an incoming English 1 Honors student, your summer reading requirement is to read two books over the summer: one from the list below and Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell. In September, you will be asked to demonstrate and apply your knowledge of both books.
• When I Was Puerto Rican, by Esmeralda Santiago, is a memoir in which Santiago recounts her tumultuous childhood in rural Puerto Rico and her tremendous journey adapting to life in New York City.
• A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier, by Ishmael Beah, is his riveting account of becoming a soldier at age 13 in Sierra Leone’s civil war and the dramatic journey that followed.
• I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, by Maya Angelou, is the story of Angelou’s painful childhood growing up in the South during the 1930s. It tells the story of her abandonment and rejection, and how, years later, she finally allows herself to be free instead of imprisoned.
Additionally, you are required to keep a Quote Journal for the book selected from the list above. Journals must include at least ten quotes from the book and your reflections about those quotes. Do not simply summarize the quotes. Suggestions for the type of reflections you might write are provided on the back of this letter, along with a student sample. Come to class prepared to submit your Quote Journal to your teacher on the first day of school.
We have high expectations for a successful year ahead, and we look forward to seeing you in the fall!
Sincerely,
Seren Cepler Nicole Derungs Lorraine Isaac Cheryl Rosenka Marlena Simmons
Quote Journal Please submit your journal typed, if possible.
Quote Journal Reflections
You are required to write one reflection on each of the quotes you select. The following are some suggestions for the types of reflections you might write:
Reactions: “This annoys me because…”; “I’m shocked/amused by this because…”
Questions: “I wonder if…”/ “I wonder why…” with possible answers “Maybe because…”
Connections: Text to other text(s) – book, movie, song, etc. Text to self Text to world
Analysis: Significance of the quote in relation to any of the following: prominent themes literary techniques (such as imagery, author’s tone, author’s style, etc.) conflict (internal or external) social issues regarding race, class, gender, age, etc. author’s personal growth, discoveries, or lessons author’s purpose
Quote Journal Format Options The following are samples of the two options for setting up your quote journal:
Sample 1:
Quote Reflection
Sample 2:
Quote Reflection
Student Written Sample Quote Journal Entry
Journal #1 - Monster by Walter Dean Myers
Quote
“When I looked at the kids in the class, they turned away from me quickly. I sat down and
looked straight ahead. It was easy to imagine myself sitting where they were sitting,
looking at the back of the prisoner” (97).
______Reflection
In this quote, Steven is referring to a class of what appears to be middle school
students sitting in on his trial merely to observe the workings of the American judicial
system. This made me feel truly bad for Steven. I can’t imagine how surreal this whole
experience must be for him. He must still feel like he should be returning to a normal life
soon. I think Steven still does not think of himself as a prisoner, and he shouldn’t. It’s sad to
have your life change direction so drastically and so quickly. I wonder why the students
look away from him, though. My best guess is that they are intimidated. I know that’s what I
would do if I were in the same situation. It must make Steven feel bad, though. He doesn’t
want to be interpreted as a bad person, much less a criminal. He still remembers having a
normal life, and seeing normal people again probably makes him feel a mix of emotions
that I would probably never understand. Maybe he feels as if he is in someone else’s shoes
and that he should really be watching a trial, not in one.