10TH GRADE SUMMER READING ASSIGNMENTS

To ensure continued success in reading and English this year, all Upper School students are required to complete summer reading. The 10th grade summer reading assignment consists of three parts:

  1. READING: Choose and read one text of your choice from the following (Lexile scores are included for your reference):
  • The Hate U Give (HL590L)
  • To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee (790L)
  • The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson (860L)
  • Looking for Alaska by John Green (930L)
  • The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time by Mark Haddon (1180L)
  • Honors English 10 reads this additional text (for a total of two books read) over summer:Frankensteinby Mary Shelley (1040L)

If you have already read any of these books within the last year, please contact Ms. O’Connor or Ms. Walker for an alternate assignment.

2. IN-TEXT ANNOTATIONS AND HIGHLIGHTING: Create annotations to help improve comprehension and highlight important quotes as you read. Please include annotation notes in the margins on characterdevelopmentand conflict from quotes you notice as you read. You may annotate either directly in the book, on post-it notes inserted in the book or typed in the margins of the e-book version of your book.

3. CREATIVE PROJECT: Create a project of your choice for ONE of the texts you’ve read from the Project Choices Document attached on the next page.

Project Choices

Please pick a project to demonstrate your understanding of one of the books you have read for summer. Bring this completed project with you on the first day of class.

1.Soundtrack:

Create a soundtrack for the novel. Each soundtrack must be burned onto a CD. You must have a minimum of 10 songs, and each must be tied to a specific moment in the text. For each song, include a typed explanation (3-5 sentences) of what moment from the novel your song corresponds with and why you chose it. Your soundtrack, of course, should be original; in other words, if a soundtrack for the book (or the movie) exists already, do NOT use it as your project.

2.Alternate ending:

Rewrite the ending. If you were unhappy with the way the book ended, this is your opportunity to change it. You will start with a specific line from the book, and continue writing from there, taking on the point of view of the narrator. (Do not explain how you would change the ending, but instead write it as if you are the author.) This option should be typed and at least 3-5 pages double-spaced in a 12 point sized font.

3.Sequel:

Write a sequel to the novel. Predict what happens next and write a short story in the same style as the novel (for example, if your novel is written from a particular character’s point of view, write your story from that character’s point of view). Your story should be at least 3-5 double-spaced pages in a 12 point sized font.

4.Comic book:

Create a comic book based on the novel you read. It should have an illustrated cover with the title and author and be comic book size (5 or more pages). Inside, retell the story with illustrations of the most important characters and elements of the plot. Include dialogue directly from the book.

5.Scrapbook:

Create a scrapbook for one of the characters that reflects the important events that have occurred involving the character throughout the novel. You may include photos, postcards, letters, souvenirs—anything that might be found in a scrapbook. For each item, include a brief explanation (2 or more sentences) of how the item is significant to the character.

6.Diary:

Choose a character (NOT the narrator if the book is written in first person) and write that character’s diary. Think about how your character feels about the events of the novel, and describe that character’s response to the main events of the book and to the other characters. Your diary should have at least 6 half-page entries, covering the beginning, middle, and end of the novel.

7.Scene:

Film an important scene from the novel. Your video should be about 5 minutes long. It should capture the mood of the scene, and it should portray the characters, plot, and setting as accurately as possible.

8.Interview:

Imagine that a character from your book is being interviewed about the events of the book, and create a script depicting this interview. The interviewer should ask questions about the times before and after the book takes place as well as questions about your character’s response to the main events of the book and to the other characters. Your interview should be typed and at least 3 pages double-spaced in a 12 point sized font.

9.Art Symbol:

Create a piece of art (sculpture, diorama, painting, etc.) that represents the book metaphorically through a symbol(s) you create on a poster or canvas. This should NOT recap the plot or depict a scene from the book, but instead should creatively and artistically demonstrate an abstract theme or character of the book through the symbol(s) illustrated.

10.Research:

Do some research on the context of the book, including the location where it takes place and the relevant current events of the time period in which the events of the novel occur. Write a 3-page double spaced summary of your findings. For example, if you read Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl, you might research Nazi occupation of the Netherlands in the early 1940s.

11. Mobile:

Create a hanging mobile of at least 5 pictures, 5 quotes and 5 CM sentences from the text that you found interesting and important. Be sure to write down the page number for each quote collected and a short CM to analyze why you picked that quote from the book.

Students must bring their completed books with highlighting, annotations and project on the first day of school in August 2017! If they do not bring them, their grades will be impacted. Additionally, students will write an essay based on their summer reading during the first few weeks of class using their annotations as a guide.

All book choices are available on Learning Ally, the audiobook program, and are free using your Learning Ally account which all Westmark students are assigned. If you do not remember or have not saved the username and password, please contact Marissa DeSiena () for login information. Learning Ally can be accessed using an IPad/IPod/IPhone, a Mac or PC Computer. To use Learning Ally on a computer, please follow the downloading instructions at Further instructions for accessing Learning Ally books are on the summer reading webpage.

Please contact us if you have any questions.

All the best,

Susan Walker

English Teacher

Katie O’Connor

English Teacher

Marissa Desiena

Interim Director of Upper School