Author Study Project
4th Quarter Independent Reading
Honors English 8
To end the school year, you will be doing an Author Study. This means you will need to read at least two novels written by the same person. These books cannot be the same series, or follow the same storyline. You need to experience two different stories written by one author (for example, The Hunger Games and Gregor the Overlander, both by Suzanne Collins, as opposed to The Hunger Games and Catching Fire).
REQUIREMENTS:
Author Choice/Plan: Decide which author you want to study and what 2 books you will read by the author. You can choose an author on the list on the back OR you may choose another author. Once you have submitted your plan, you may NOT change! Submit your “Author Study Plan” by Friday, April 4th.
About the Author: In this section, you will find important information about the author. You need to use books, encyclopedias, and the internet to gather research. Include other books they have written, awards they have won, etc. This is kind of like a mini-biography. INCLUDE A WORKS CITED ON THIS SECTION. This section should be a minimum of one typed page. Information = 30 points Works Cited = 20 points
Book Summaries: You will need to briefly summarize the two novels that you have read. DO NOT give away the ending. Give an original summary YOU wrote – not one from a book review cite or the back of the book. 20 points
Author-to-Text Connections: Find some interesting connections between your author’s life and his choices of characters, themes, and plots in the books you have read. This section should be a minimum of 1/2 typed page. 25 points
Text-to-Text Connections: This part of your project will contain connections among the books. You may make connections about the themes, characters, settings, plot, etc. Be sure to support connections with specific examples from the book(s)!! You will also need to include a Venn diagram comparing and contrasting two characters from each novel. This section should be a minimum of 1/2 typed page. 25 points
Visual: Prepare a visual aide to showcase your author to the class. You should include at least 2 pictures of the author and pictures of the book covers you read. Also, text boxes of important sections from the write-up below. Usually this would be on a poster board (foam board is best), but feel free to get creative on your visual presentation! 30 pts.
This project is worth 150 points and is due Wednesday, May 27th, 2015
Suggested Authors:
Modern:
Laurie Halse Anderson
Lois Lowry
Suzanne Collins
Gary Paulsen
Gordan Korman
Rick Riordan
Sarah Shepard
Sarah Dessen
John Green
James Patterson
Neil Shusterman
Louis Sachar
Mitch Albom
Avi
Jerry Spinelli
Caroline B. Cooney
Lawrence Yep
Gary Soto
Sandra Cisneros
Markus Zusak
Karen Hesse
Chris Crutcher (warning: mature themes)
Ursula LeGuin (mainly fantasy)
Garth Nix (mainly fantasy)
Classics:
Emily Dickinson
George Orwell
Ray Bradbury
Louisa May Alcott
Charlotte Bronte
JRR Tolkein
Lewis Caroll
Mark Twain
Charles Dickens
Madeleine L’Engle
John Steinbeck
Jack London