Pre-AP English 1

Pre-AP English 1 Summer Reading Assignment

2012-2013 School Year

The Secret Life of Bees By: Sue Monk Kidd

I understand the summer reading assignment my student will be required to complete regarding the selected novel, The Secret Life of Bees. Furthermore, I understand that I have the option to request an alternate novel for the summer assignment from the Trojan Academy Guidance Counselor or Principal by June 15. In addition, I understand that I am responsible for replacing the book if it is not returned.

Student Printed Name: ______

Student Signature: ______

Parent Signature: ______

BCHS Freshman English Teachers: Mrs. Cunningham Mrs. Keating Mrs. Prichard

1 Rationale for Summer Reading: The Secret Life of Bees Written and supported by: BCHS English Department

Bibliographic Information: Kidd, Sue Monk. The Secret Life of Bees. New York: The Penguin Group, 2002. Print.

The novel is targeted towards young adults and, as the winner of the 2008 Young Adult Paperback Award, has been recognized for its accurate portrayal of the trials and tribulations all teenagers encounter on their paths to adulthood.

Author Sue Monk Kidd describes the novel in the following excerpt:

Living on a peach farm in South Carolina with her harsh, unyielding father, Lily Owens has shaped her entire life around one devastating, blurred memory--the afternoon her mother was killed, when Lily was four. Since then, her only real companion has been the fierce-hearted, and sometimes just fierce, black woman Rosaleen, who acts as her "stand-in mother."

When Rosaleen insults three of the deepest racists in town, Lily knows it's time to spring them both free. They take off in the only direction Lily can think of, toward a town called Tiburon, South Carolina--a name she found on the back of a picture amid the few possessions left by her mother.

There they are taken in by an eccentric trio of black beekeeping sisters named May, June, and August. Lily thinks of them as the calendar sisters and enters their mesmerizing secret world of bees and honey, and of the Black Madonna who presides over this household of strong, wise women. Maternal loss and betrayal, guilt and forgiveness entwine in a story that leads Lily to the single thing her heart longs for most.

In addition, the novel provides a vivid portrayal of the Civil Rights Era in the deep South as the novel’s protagonist, Lily, journeys through a world of racism and prejudice beginning with Rosaleen’s attempt at voter registration and ending with an interracial romance broken by strict societal expectations.

The National Council of Teachers of English acknowledges the importance of providing students with literature that allows them to explore their thinking and to examine the lenses through which they will view the world. Such selections extend teens’ understanding of other people, places, and historical times while exposing students to potential life experiences and situations.

In the classroom, The Secret Life of Bees is an invaluable tool for teaching such literary elements as characterization, theme, plot development and point of view. The text also offers an interdisciplinary connection to social studies in that it focuses on the Civil Rights Era— a time of great significance in the study of American History.

2 The novel does contain uncomfortable topics such as racism and prejudice; however, the author’s presentation of such content is not only realistic to the setting, but essential to plot and character development. The novel’s use of harsh language is an accurate portrayal of a verbally abusive father and a racist society. The novel’s use of language is a realistic representation of prejudice among many Americans during the Civil Rights Era. These uncomfortable topics and the use of harsh language are in no way offensive, but rather add to the overall accuracy of the novel.

Educators will present the text as historical fiction, explaining that harsh language is used as a method of creating authentic characters and settings. Students are expected to discuss and react to the topics of racism and prejudice maturely.

Alternate works include novels of similar lexile and theme of self-discovery. Recommended alternative work: The Life of Pi, by Yann Martel

3 The Secret Life of Bees Summer Reading Score Sheet

Understanding Background Terms _____/25 Points  4 points per explanation (20 points)  1 point per source (5 points)

Lily’s Quest _____/20 Points  5 points per quest tale element

Character Assessment _____/55 Points  Part 1: o 1 point per speaker identification (10 points) o 1 point for character traits (10 points) Part 1: (20 points)

 Part 2 o 5 points per examples that reveal character traits Part 2: (35 points)

TOTAL POSSIBLE POINTS: _____/100 Points

4 Understanding Background Terms

Task: Research the underlined word and phrases in the following sentences. Report your findings in paragraph form. Be sure to cite your sources.

(4 points per explanation/ 1 point per source= 25 points total)

1. Rosaleen bought me an Easter-dyed biddy from the mercantile.

2. BLACK MADONNA HONEY, the labels said.

3. August said honey was the ambrosia of the gods.

4. “Today is the Feast of the Assumption.”

5. From now on, when people asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up, I planned to say, Amnesiac.

5 Lily’s Quests

Task: This novel can be described as a quest tale. Lily is on a quest involving her mother. This is her physical, earthly quest. For each element of the quest tale listed below, give examples of its use in the novel.

(5 points per Quest Tale element)

Example: Actual, physical existence: Lily relates the details of her mostly unhappy life at home, at school, and within her community. She also reveals her deep longing for her mother.

1. The protagonist escapes this familiar life and begins a period of wandering. Actual, physical events:

2. The protagonist’s goal is to secure or achieve something important. Actual, physical events:

3. The quest puts the protagonist in danger. Actual, physical events:

4. The quest ends with the protagonist personally enriched in some way(s).

6 Actual, physical events: Character Assessment Assignment, Part I: Statements the characters make reveal aspects of their personalities. For each statement below, identify the speaker. Also, explain what character trait each of these statements expresses.

(1 point per speaker; 1 point per trait = 20 points) 1. “You wake me up again, Lily, and I’ll get out the Martha Whites, you hear me?” Speaker: Trait(s): 2. “Get this through your head: I’m not getting married. Not yesterday, not today, not next year!” Speaker: Trait(s): 3. “We can’t think of changing our skin. Change the world—that’s how we gotta think.” Speaker: Trait(s): 4. “There’s a fullness of time for things. You have to know when to prod and when to be quiet, when to let things take their course.” Speaker: Trait(s): 5. “I’m going to register my name to vote, that’s what.” Speaker: Trait(s): 6. “I came over here planning to ask you, for the hundredth time, to marry me.” Speaker: Trait(s): 7. “I’m tired of carrying around the weight of the world. I’m just going to lay it down now.” Speaker: Trait(s):

7 8. “These are colored people here. It’s not natural, you shouldn’t be…well, lowering yourself by staying with them.” Speaker: Trait(s): 9. “My mother will never let you touch me again! My mother loved me!” Speaker: Trait(s): 10. “People who think dying is the worst thing don’t know a thing about life.” Speaker: Trait(s):

Assignment, Part II: For each character listed below, give several examples of things that the person says or does that reveal the stated character trait(s).

(5 points per examples)

1. Lily—prone to lying

2. June—emotionally held in

3. Zach—rightfully angry

4. May—overly sensitive

5. August—spiritual

6. Rosaleen—protective of Lily

8 7. T. Ray—emotionally abusive