Lakewood
High School Reading List
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Lakewood
High School Reading List |
Summer Reading List 2004-2005
9th grade || 10th Grade || 11th Grade || 12th Grade
All Lakewood High School students are required to complete summer reading and accompanying projects. The list of selections is below. Directions for individual grade level projects are available at the High School Supply Center and the Main Office or you can download the most recent project list here (Abobe Acrobat reader needed).
If you didn't get your books through the LHS Supply Center, consider getting your selections at local bookstores and Lakewood Public Library.
9th Grade English ___________________________________________________________________
Regular English
CHOOSE ONE BOOK
- Flowers for Algernon - Daniel Keyes
- The Golden Compass - Philip Pullman
- I Am the Cheese - Robert Cormier
CHOOSE ONE FILM
- Pay It Forward
- Antwone Fisher
- With Honors
Advanced Placement English
9th Grade Advanced Placement English students are required to select one novel from the 9th grade regular list AND watch one film in addition to reading A Walk Across America.
All Incoming Regular 9th Grade English
Select and read one book from a short list of three. In addition, they will select and view one video from another short list of three. Students are encouraged to take notes about plot details, character development, and theme presentation for both selections. Early in the school year, they will be expected to complete a class-assigned individual project that reflects their summer work.
All Incoming Advanced 9th Grade EnglishSelect and read one book from a short list of three. In addition, they will select and view one video from another short list of three. Students are encouraged to take notes about plot details, character development, and theme presentation for both selections. Early in the school year, they will be expected to complete a class-assigned individual project that reflects their summer work.
Additional reading assignment: A Walk Across America by Peter Jenkins
What is particularly nice is that Peter Jenkins is still writing, and he posts an interactive website so students can learn more about the author and even contact the author.
A study guide that leads into additional project work will be required to be completed at the start of the school year.10th Grade English ______________________________________________________________________
Regular English
Advanced Placement English
- Of Mice and Men - John Steinbeck
- The Great Gatsby - F. Scott Fitzgerald
- The Odyssey - Homer ( Fitzgerald Translation)
- Mythology - Edith Hamilton (optional)
Review Sheet for Old Man and the Sea
Characters
Santiago, an old Cuban fisherman
Manolin, a young boy who is his friend and protégé
An eight-foot marlin
Martin, the proprietor of the Terrace who provides food
Vicious sharks who destroy the marlin
Pedrico, who will receive the marlin’s head to use in fish traps
A couple of tourists
Point of View
Third-person omniscient: The story is told through the conversations and actions of the characters and through the thoughts of both Santiago and Manolin.
Plot
Bare bones: Santiago struggles to catch and bring in a giant marlin.
The focus of this story is on Santiago’s reactions to what is happening. There is a relative lack of action in the novel, but the real value of the piece lies in the author’s development of the main character (protagonist), Santiago, and the themes of the novel.
Setting
The beginning and the ending are set in a Cuban village near Havana, but the primary setting is the sea. The time span covered is about four days, three of which center around Santiago’s voyage far out to sea and the battle with the marlin. The time period is the late 1940’s or early 1950’s.
Themes of the Novel
“Dans la vie, il faut d’abord durer.” In life, one must first of all endure. In spite of the tremendous odds against him, Santiago not only endures, but also does so with grace and humility. He does not fear death, but rather approaches life with gusto.
“A man can be destroyed but not defeated.”
Other themes center around faith, loyalty, and unity with nature.
Existentialism: This is the twentieth-century philosophical view that the universe, and our place in it, is ultimately unknown and unknowable; that reasons for life (considering the way it is) do not exist; that there is no deity (god) or fate purposely directing us and supplying us with a ready-made meaning for existence; and that the individual must, in the end, and take responsibility for him or herself, without any guarantees that concepts like “right action” or “truth” exist.
Pre-reading Questions
1. Does our society treat older people with respect? Do you think younger people in our society appreciate the contributions older people make? Explain your ideas.
2. Have you ever known an older person from whom you’ve learned a great deal? If you have, describe the relationship you had with that person. If not, tell about a person who taught you something valuable about life.
3. Explain your definition of a hero. What qualities and characteristics would he or she have?
4. The Old Man and the Sea is a story about an old fisherman who struggles against a big fish. What might give a human the advantage over a fish? Why might a fish be able to win a struggle with a human?
5. Do you think that humans have the right to hunt and kill animals? Under what circumstances, if any, do humans have the right to hurt or kill animals?
6. Can you respect someone or something you are in conflict with? Explain your opinion.
7. Describe a time when you or someone you know struggled against an element of nature. Who won the conflict?
8. Think about the dreams you’ve had. Do dreams have any significance in a person’s life? Why do you think people dream?
During-Reading Questions
1. The old man fishes alone. Do you think he prefers it this way? Why or why not?
2. Describe the relationship between Santiago and the boy. Why do you think the boy treats Santiago so well? How valuable is the boy’s friendship to the old man?
3. When the boy and the old man stop on the terrace for a drink, many of the fishermen make fun of Santiago. How do you think he feels? How would you feel if you were in his place?
4. Why does the boy pretend that Santiago has a net and a pot of rice when he really doesn’t? What purpose does this scene serve in the book?
5. Why do you think the old man is so interested in baseball? Why do you suppose he has such a high opinion of Joe DiMaggio?
6. List qualities you admire in either the boy or Santiago. Explain why these qualities are admirable.
7. What do you learn about the old man while he is thinking alone in his boat?
Comment on the type of person he is and what his values are.
8. The most important goal in the old man’s life is to bring in the big fish. Why do you think this is so important to him?
9. The old man says he respects the fish. In what ways does he show this respect? Does the fish have your respect?
Why or why not?
10. What do you think Santiago means when he refers to the fish as his brother? What does this show about the old man?
11. Do you think the old man is serious when he challenges the fish to kill him? At what point, if any, do you think the old man loses his senses? Explain.
12. How does Santiago feel when the fish finally gives up? Explain whether you are happy for Santiago when this happens.
13. Why did Hemingway have the sharks attack Santiago’s fish? How do you feel about these shark attacks?
14. Explain whether you agree or disagree with this statement: “But man is not made for defeat. A man can be destroyed but not defeated.”
15. Santiago doesn’t succeed in getting the whole marlin back to shore. What is the villagers’ opinion of the old man upon his return? Do you view him as a success or a failure as a fisherman? Explain your answer.
16. Are you satisfied with the way this story ends? Explain why or why not.All Incoming Advanced 10th Grade English
As you read, note the plot structure Homer uses as well as the characterization (personality development) of the main characters, especially our hero. The translation we have selected by Robert Fitzgerald is highly regarded by critics. This epic parallels those of other cultures we will be reading; it also ties into another extensive unit, Greek mythology. (In addition, even though Edith Hamilton’s Mythology is not official summer reading, those with a busy fall who would like to get a jump start on the reading can read Chapters 1-6, 13, 14, and 16.)
The second reading will not actually be discussed in class until the second semester when we bring the epic journey to America. The Great Gatsby is a fine chronicle of the early twentieth century. It is the study of Jay Gatsby, a self-made man seeking the American dream, who is on a quest to reunite with his lost love. As you read, look for the recurring issues of money, friendship, carelessness, and dishonesty as well as Fitzgerald’s use of color imagery. Note the role of the storyteller, Nick; how does this narrative method affect how the events of the story are revealed? Also, as you read, pay attention to the personalities of the main characters: Nick, Jay, Daisy, Tom, Myrtle, and George.
Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck tells the story two drifters in the West during the 1930’s. The big, strong, yet slow-witted George and the small, wiry, quick-witted Lenny dream together of buying their own spread. As you read, pay attention to the internal and external forces that work against the fulfillment of this dream. Again, note the personalities of these two characters as well as Slim and the other ranch hands. Ultimately, reflect upon what all of these books say about personal potential, motivation, and achievement.
Come to class the first day of school ready to share a *reduction for each novel depicting the major events, characters, and ideas found in the work. The emphasis with a reduction is on visual representation; keep verbal expression to a minimum.
*Reduction = collage(top)
11th Grade English _____________________________________________________________________
Regular English
- The Lord of the Flies - William Golding
Lord of the Flies ProjectThe following projects are acceptable:
- Design a bookmark (2” x 5” minimum) for each chapter with an illustration and summary or quote.
- Make a Jeopardy/Concentration game or board game tracing the plot – 30 questions minimum.
- Write a song/poem with a minimum of 20 lines. If creating music, you must prerecord. If creating shape poems, enlarge on a poster.
- Create a collage of characters or personalities or plot. Use standard-size poster board.
- Perform a dialogue/skit based on the action in the novel: solo, 5 minutes minimum; duo, 8 minutes minimum; three or more, 10 minutes minimum. Your performance may be live or videotaped.
- Write a journal or diary by one of the characters that illustrates that character’s thoughts from one point in the novel to another point – minimum of 5 entries of at least 5 sentences each.
- Design a different book cover including an inside jacket with summary, author information on the back flap, and critical review excerpts on the back. Do not copy from previously printed books.
- Build a model of the village or island.
- Draw a poster-sized map of the island; include compass rose and label at least 6 sites.
- Write a minimum 3-page continuation of the story. Tell what happens after Ralph and the others are rescued from the island. You may set your chapter immediately after the rescue or advance ahead 20 plus years. Be sure to title your chapter.
- Sixty years after the action of the novel, your family has acquired the money to purchase the island. How do you plan to renovate and utilize it? Choose 6 sites and write a paragraph explaining how you would change the site, including your reasons for the changes. Be sure to include drawings and maps of individual sites, which need not be drawn to scale.
Advanced Placement English
and choose one of the following:
- A Lesson Before Dying - Ernest Gaines
- A Gathering of Old Men - Ernest Gaines
- Beloved - Toni Morrison
- Song of Solomon - Toni Morrison
- I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings - Maya Angelou
- The Color Purple - Alice Walker
- The Catcher in the Rye - J.D. Salinger
Incoming Advanced and A.P. 11th Grade English
Thomas Hardy’s The Mayor of Casterbridge and Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein are two of the readings. For each book you will keep a double-entry journal (see example below).
· You will be required to make 10 double-journal entries for each book.
· You will put quotes on the left side and reflective responses on the right side of each page.
· You may choose the chapters from which to journalize, but they must be representative of the entire novel.
· Please remember that these are to be your insightful reactions to the characters, conflicts, issues, etc. for that chapter, not summaries.
· You will turn in both journals upon your return to school in August, and your teacher will choose one to grade. You will take a test in class on the other book.
Double-Entry Journal: Models Responding to the text: Draw a line down the middle of a page. On the left side, copy a meaningful passage from the book you’re reading – perhaps a bit of dialogue, a description, or a character’s thought. (Be sure to note the number of the page you copied it from – you or somebody else may want to find it later.) On the right side, write your response to the quotation. Why did you choose it? Did it puzzle you? Confuse you? Strike a chord? What does it mean to you?
EXAMPLES:
Quotation
“It is a truth universally acknowledged,
that a single man in possession of a
good fortune must be in want of
a wife.” (Page 1)
Response
This is the first sentence of the book. When I first read it I thought the writer was serious – it seemed like something people might have believed when it was written. Soon I realized she was making fun of that attitude. I wondered how much of the novel was written in that same way, and if I would understand the author’s humor. It is not too obvious. Will the entire story be about finding a good wife or husband?(example is from Pride and Prejudices)
Quotation
“But to her unaccustomed vision the
stretch of water behind her assumed
the aspect of a barrier which her
unaided strength would never be able
to overcome.” (Page 89)
(example is from The Awakening)
Response
The distance between Edna and the shore symbolizes the distance she will put between herself and society, if she embarks on her quest for self. In this moment, such a distance seems insurmountable and dangerous to her, which speaks to how difficult her personal journey is going to be. I wonder if she will ever overcome her fear and accomplish learning to swim. At this point, also, I see this as a symbol of her independence and, perhaps, freedom from her stifling life as wife and mother in society as it exists in her day. But what can she do about it?
For your third book, you may choose one novel from the titles listed below. When you enter class in August, you will be bringing a “reduction” of the novel you read based on characters, themes, symbols, conflicts, style, etc. Follow the instructions and examples for “reductions” demonstrated in your sophomore English class.
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12th Grade English ______________________________________________________________________
Regular English
- Animal Dreams - Barbara Kingsolver
- The Maltese Falcon - Dashiell Hammett
- Lord of the Rings - J.R.R. Tolkien
(Choose one from the trilogy:
The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, and The Return of the King- The Scarlet Pimpernel - Baroness Emma Orczy
- Cat's Cradle - Kurt Vonnegut
- All Creatures Great and Small - James Herriot
Advanced Placement English
- Going After Cacciato - Tim O'Brien
- Alias Grace - Margaret Atwood
- Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte
- Things Fall Apart - Chinua Achebe
- Poisonwood Bible - Barbara Kingsolver
Incoming Regular 12th Grade English
For the book you choose, you will keep a double-entry journal. You will be required to make 10 double-journal entries for your book.
· You will put quotes on the left side and reflective responses on the right side of each page.
· You may choose the chapters from which to journalize, but they must be representative of the entire novel.
· Please remember that these are to be your insightful reactions to the characters, conflicts, issues, etc. for that chapter, not summaries.
· You will turn in your journal upon your return to school in August.
Double-Entry Journal: Models Responding to the text:Draw a line down the middle of a page. On the left side, copy a meaningful passage from the book you’re reading – perhaps a bit of dialogue, a description, or a character’s thought. (Be sure to note the number of the page you copied it from – you or somebody else may want to find it later.) On the right side, write your response to the quotation. Why did you choose it? Did it puzzle you? Confuse you? Strike a chord? What does it mean to you?
EXAMPLES:
Quotation
“It is a truth universally acknowledged,
that a single man in possession of a
good fortune must be in want of
a wife.” (Page 1)
Response
This is the first sentence of the book. When I first read it I thought the writer was serious – it seemed like something people might have believed when it was written. Soon I realized she was making fun of that attitude. I wondered how much of the novel was written in that same way, and if I would understand the author’s humor. It is not too obvious. Will the entire story be about finding a good wife or husband?(example is from Pride and Prejudices)
Quotation
“But to her unaccustomed vision the
stretch of water behind her assumed
the aspect of a barrier which her
unaided strength would never be able
to overcome.” (Page 89)
(example is from The Awakening)
Response
The distance between Edna and the shore symbolizes the distance she will put between herself and society, if she embarks on her quest for self. In this moment, such a distance seems insurmountable and dangerous to her, which speaks to how difficult her personal journey is going to be. I wonder if she will ever overcome her fear and accomplish learning to swim. At this point, also, I see this as a symbol of her independence and, perhaps, freedom from her stifling life as wife and mother in society as it exists in her day. But what can she do about it?
Incoming A.P. 12th Grade EnglishStudents are asked to create a one-page “reduction” for each of the five. (Follow the instructions and examples for “reductions” demonstrated in your junior A.P. class.) Please bring these with you to class at the beginning of the school year.
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