ISLA HONORS AMERICAN LITERATURE & COMPOSITION

SUMMER READING LIST

The purpose of summer reading is to sustain the powers of the imagination and to explore worlds of characters, settings, plots, and ideas we can only visit through literature. The summer reading list contains both classic and contemporary authors. These books are available from your local library or bookstore.

During the first week of school, your English teacher will evaluate your reading through an assessment such as, but not limited to, a template test, critical or creative essay, reading journal, project, presentation, or test. Although video versions are enjoyable, they may differ greatly from the written word; rely on the works themselves. Be advised some books may contain somewhat explicit language, sexual references, or mature subject matter. If there are any questions, contact the English Department Chair at .

These texts are integral to our American Literature curriculum. As outlined below, every Honors American Literature student will read additional selected chapters from Thomas C. Foster’s How to Read Literature Like a Professor: Revised Edition, John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men, and a choice novel.

As you complete your summer reading, please keep in mind the question: In what ways does literature reflect or shape the values of a society?

1. First, students will read the selected chapters from Thomas C. Foster’s How to Read Literature Like a Professor: Revised Edition

a. Chapter selections:

i. Chapter 2 – Nice to Eat with You: Acts of Communion

ii. Chapter 6 – …Or the Bible

iii. Interlude – Does He Mean That?

iv. Chapter 11 – …More Than It’s Gonna Hurt You: Concerning Violence

v. Chapter 13 – It’s All Political

vi. Chapter 18 – If She Comes Up, It’s Baptism

vii. Chapter 19 – Geography Matters…

viii. Chapter 20 – …So Does Season

b. While reading the selected chapters above, students will annotate (take notes on the key ideas) each chapter. After students finish making their annotations, they should write a paragraph articulating what the important elements are from each chapter. Each summarized paragraph should contain at least two “word-for-word” quotes to support their understandings of the key ideas from each chapter (TYPED and in MLA format).

2. Additionally, students are REQUIRED to read the following novel below. While students are reading, they will need to think about how the chapter selections from the Foster text apply to the novels. Highlight important passages as you read that connect with Foster’s text to use for class discussion.

a. John Steinbeck Of Mice and Men (630L)

Two drifters, George and Lennie, see their dreams of buying their own farm come to a tragic end when Lennie, a simple-minded man, accidentally commits a crime. Rationale: We use this novel to show how the American Dream, the overarching theme of American Literature, is not always obtainable.

3. Finally, students are REQUIRED to read ONE of the following choice novels below. While students are reading, they will need to think about how the chapter selections from the Foster text apply to the novels. Highlight important passages as you read that connect with Foster’s text to use for class discussion.

a. John Krakauer Into the Wild (1270L)

This is a true account of Christopher J. McCandless who gave up a privileged lifestyle to hitchhike across the nation and to find himself in the wilds of Alaska. Rationale: We use this nonfiction piece to demonstrate the elements of Transcendentalism, and we make several connections with Chris McCandless throughout the semester.

b. Danticat, Edwidge The Farming of Bones (Currently Not Available)

Set in the Dominican Republic in the 1930s, The Farming of Bones tells the story of a young Haitian girl named Amabelle Desir. Orphaned by the age of 8, Amabelle works for Don Ignacio and his daughter. Although Don Ignacio and his daughter are important figures in Amabelle’s life, it is evident that Amabelle’s life revolves around her lover, Sebastien Onius. After the accidental death of one of Sebastien’s fellow cane workers, the Haitian’s distrust of the Dominican government grows, and this distrust is warranted. With news of the Generalissimo’s intentions to “cleanse the country,” Haitian workers attempt to return to their home country.

*Assessments for Of Mice and Men and choice novel will be administered during the first week of the semester