May 30, 2018
Dear Incoming Tenth Grade Honors English Students:
Welcome to tenth grade honors English!
The tenth grade honors English class is challenging: it requires motivation, commitment, and achievement. The basic curriculum is the same as the tenth grade regular English class; but reading selections, classroom methods, and requirements necessitate greater study time and skill. In light of this, the course is weighted when calculating class rank.
It is important that you and your parents understand the challenging nature of the course. This course WILL require extra study time; plan accordingly. Many Pottsgrove students are involved in multiple extra–curricular activities. Though we certainly encourage this involvement, we also expect that you will allot at least two to three hours a week for honors English homework (occasionally projects and papers will require an even greater time commitment). Generally we give assignments a few days prior to their due dates so that students can manage their time most effectively.
To begin the class next year, read the following: ALL MUST READ: Anthem by Ayn Rand SELECT and READ TWO OF THESE: Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros Please note the descriptions of each novel on the following pages. We also encourage you to look at other reviews and recommendations online. If some households are sensitive to typical young adult content, we encourage you to join with your parents in selecting the novels that support your interests and preferences.
A limited number of novels will be available for student use; some may need to purchase the novels or borrow them from the local public library. Students are highly encouraged to keep a reading journal. Good journals will include important characters, plot details to help jog your memory later, questions about the reading, literary elements, etc. Online resources (like Spark Notes) can be used for their intended purpose—to support your reading, rather than replace it. Within the first two or three days of our return to school, you will be tested on knowledge, comprehension, and analysis of the novels. Thoughtful and purposeful reading is required to do well on these tests. In addition, you will be asked to write on related topics.
This summer reading requirement is representative of the kind of additional effort that will be expected of the honors English students on a regular basis. If you anticipate difficulty meeting this requirement and others like it, please contact your guidance counselor so that your schedule can be adjusted accordingly.
We are delighted that you are willing to challenge yourself and that you have the ability, drive, and ambition necessary to excel in upper-level courses. We look forward to learning with you.
Sincerely,
Ms. Patricia Carroll Mrs. Katherine Richter [email protected] [email protected] Summer Reading Book Blurbs (from Amazon)
Anthem by Ayn Rand
Ayn Rand’s classic tale of a dystopian future of the great “We”—a world that deprives individuals of a name or independence.
They existed only to serve the state. They were conceived in controlled Palaces of Mating. They died in the Home of the Useless. From cradle to grave, the crowd was one—the great WE.
In all that was left of humanity there was only one man who dared to think, seek, and love. He lived in the dark ages of the future. In a loveless world, he dared to love the woman of his choice. In an age that had lost all trace of science and civilization, he had the courage to seek and find knowledge. But these were not the crimes for which he would be hunted. He was marked for death because he had committed the unpardonable sin: He had stood forth from the mindless human herd. He was a man alone. He had rediscovered the lost and holy word—I.
The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
Novel by J.D. Salinger, published in 1951. The influential and widely acclaimed story details the two days in the life of 16-year-old Holden Caulfield after he has been expelled from prep school. Confused and disillusioned, he searches for truth and rails against the "phoniness" of the adult world. He ends up exhausted and emotionally ill, in a psychiatrist's office. After he recovers from his breakdown, Holden relates his experiences to the reader.
The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros
Told in a series of vignettes stunning for their eloquence, this is Sandra Cisneros's greatly admired novel of a young girl growing up in the Latino section of Chicago. Acclaimed by critics, beloved by children, their parents and grandparents, taught everywhere from inner-city grade schools to universities across the country, and translated all over the world, it has entered the canon of coming-of-age classics.
Sometimes heartbreaking, sometimes deeply joyous, The House on Mango Street tells the story of Esperanza Cordero, whose neighborhood is one of harsh realities and harsh beauty. Esperanza doesn't want to belong--not to her rundown neighborhood, and not to the low expectations the world has for her. Esperanza's story is that of a young girl coming into her power, and inventing for herself what she will become.
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie
Bestselling author Sherman Alexie tells the story of Junior, a budding cartoonist growing up on the Spokane Indian Reservation. Determined to take his future into his own hands, Junior leaves his troubled school on the rez to attend an all-white farm town high school where the only other Indian is the school mascot.
Heartbreaking, funny, and beautifully written, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, which is based on the author's own experiences, coupled with poignant drawings by Ellen Forney that reflect the character's art, chronicles the contemporary adolescence of one Native American boy as he attempts to break away from the life he was destined to live
Reading Journal-Suggested (Not Required)
You are highly encouraged to keep a reading journal, but it is optional. It will help you to process your understanding of the novels and serve to assist you in reviewing your reading before the tests at the beginning of the year. In the past, students who have kept journals have been more successful on the summer reading tests.
How and where to keep your journal is up to you—some students like a dedicated notebook, but it could also be done on loose leaf or on the computer.
How often you write is also up to you. You may want to complete an entry at the end of each chapter, at the end of each reading session, or every few chapters. This would be a good place to jot down some ideas for your quotations assignment as you read.
The journals should discuss literary elements in the novels and should generally follow this format:
Plot development: (What happened in this section?)
Character development: (What new characters are introduced? What are they like and how are they important? What changes do we see in characters that were introduced earlier?)
Setting: (What is the setting? How is the setting playing a role in this section of the book?)
Theme: (What themes are emerging? How do you know?)
Other elements and devices to look for and take note of: Conflict, Point of View, Symbolism, Foreshadowing, Flashback, Motifs, etc. – This section may be best completed when you are finished your reading and you are reflecting on the whole piece. Remember, there is a reason Equality re-discovers a light bulb and not a microwave!
BONUS: This is a wonderful opportunity to COMPARE and CONTRAST very different novels. What themes do these novels share? What about stylistic details – how is each written in a unique way? What about other elements – point of view, symbolism, etc. – do the authors utilize these differently? How? Is one or the other more or less successful in so doing?