Contemporary Literature—Glicken

Independent Reading Book List

Please choose one of the novels listed for independent reading. You can find excerpts and reviews on many bookstore websites, or you can go to the book store to peruse them in person. Please choose carefully, as you will not be able to change novels once you have chosen. Also, I will only allow one person to read each novel, so be sure to have several backup choices in case your 1st, 2nd, 3rd, etc. choices are taken before your turn. Final choice due: Mon., April 16.

Julia Alvarez—How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents

Clive Barker—The Damnation Game

Ishmael Beah-A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier

Max Brooks - World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War

Gail Carrager-Soulless

Bill Carter – Fools Rush In

Paulo Coelho—The Alchemist

Bill Coon - Swim

Chris Cutcher—Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes, Whale Talk, Deadline

Emma Donoghue-Room

Kim Edwards – The Memory Keeper’s Daughter

Jonathan Safran Foer - Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close

James Frey—A Million Little Pieces

Lucy Grealy—Autobiography of a Face

John Green – Looking for Alaska, Paper Town, The Fault in our Stars

Sara Gruen-Ape House

Mark Haddon-A Spot of Bother

Laura Hillenbrand – Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption

Nancy Horan-Loving Frank

Khaled Hosseini—A Thousand Splendid Suns

Todd Johnson – The Sweet By and By

Stephen King—Cell: A Novel

Eric Larson—The Devil in the White City

Yan Martel—Life of Pi

Chuck Palahniuk—Lullaby

Ann Patchett—Truth and Beauty: A Friendship; Bel Canto: A Novel

Jodi Picoult—Pact: A Love Story;Nineteen Minutes; Handle with Care, House Rules

Ransom Riggs - . Miss Perregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children

Peter Rock-My Abandonment

Tatiana de Rosnay – Sarah’s Key

Brent Runyon-The Burn Journals

Reymundo Sanchez-My Bloody Life, Once a King Always a King

Nic Scheff - Tweak

Lisa See—Snowflower and the Secret Fan

Rebecca Skloot – The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks

Zadie Smith—TheAutograph Man, On Beauty

Kathryn Stockett – The Help

Annie Thoms-With Their Eyes: September 11th-the View from Ground Zero

Jeanette Walls - Half Broke Horses: A True-Life Novel

W.M.Paul Young-The Shack

Markus Zusak—The Book Thief, I Am the Messenger

Your final project is worth 20% of your 2ndquarter grade which means it will have a significant impact on your semester grade as well. Those students with 90% or better (including the project grade) will be exempt from the final exam which includes the final presentation.

Project Choices

All projects should be double spaced, 12 point Times New Roman font, with one inch margins.

Memoir Writing

Project: Think of three memoir prompts to inspire brief responses. Type out each prompt with an explanation of how it was inspired by the story along with your personal responses. Your completed project should be about 3-4pages in length.

Final Presentation/Exam: Create a PowerPoint or Word document to guide you through your presentation. Explain how the story you read inspired each prompt and provide a brief synopsis of each of your responses.

Capturing Voice

Project: Choose a point in the novel you have read and extend the story. You may insert the addition at any point in the story or add it to the end. Type a brief explanation of where your insertion will be placed by summarizing the action leading up to and immediately following the addition you will make. Your extension should mimic the voice and writing style of the author of your novel. Your completed project should be 3-4 pages in length.

Final Presentation/Exam: Create a PowerPoint or Word document to guide you through your presentation. Give a general synopsis of the novel and explain the overall style of the author. Include quotes from the novel as examples of the author’s voice; then, read your story extension.

Character Evaluation

Project: Choose one character from your book and do a psychological evaluation of him or her. Give a brief description of the character and his or her role in the story. Follow with an explanation of your psychological diagnosis. Give a definition of the disorder along with common symptoms. Be sure to include evidence from the story (quotes and examples) to support your analysis. Your completed project should be 3-4 pages in length.

Final Presentation/Exam: Create a PowerPoint or Word document to guide you through your presentation. Give a general synopsis of the story, explain the psychological disorder, and explain how your character meets the criteria for diagnosis. Include some of your supporting examples from the story.

Plot Evaluation

Project: Compare the plot of your story to that of a traditional plot line. Give an explanation of each major element of the plot: exposition, rising action (conflicts), climax, falling action, and resolution. Tell how your book conforms to or deviates from the standard format and give an analysis of why you think the author chose to maintain or stray from the traditional plot. Your completed project should be 3-4 pages in length.

Final Presentation/Exam: Create a PowerPoint or Word document to guide you through your presentation. Give a general synopsis of your book. Then, explain each element of the plot and how the author you read uses traditional plot or deviates from the standard.

Movie Conversion (You may NOT choose this option if your book has already been made into a movie)

Project: Convert your novel or memoir into a movie. Explain how the protagonist of your story is a compelling lead character. What are his or her primary conflicts, goals, and motivations? Follow by choosing an actor or actress to play your lead and give a thorough explanation of why he or she is the perfect choice. Finally, choose two scenes from the story that star your lead and describe how you would have them play out on the big screen. Be sure to include details about setting, special effects, and the supporting cast (if any). Your completed project should be 3-4 pages in length.

Final Presentation/Exam: Create a PowerPoint or Word document to guide you through your presentation. Include a general synopsis of the book to explain the protagonist’s role in the story. Then, describe your conversion to film with your casting and scene choices.

Analysis of Culture

Project: Choose a unique culture presented in your novel and explain how the author presents that culture. Describe the culture presented in the story by giving examples from the book. How do these cultural traits differ from your own culture? Finally, discuss how the cultural traits impact the overall plot and themes. Your completed project should be 3-4 pages in length.

Final Presentation/Exam: Create a PowerPoint or Word document to guide you through your presentation. Include general information about the culture that you learned from reading the book; include some of your examples from the story.

Book Pamphlet

This should be a tri-fold pamphlet printed on front and back. Many publishing programs are set up to print these. Your pamphlet should be creative and look as if it were done by a professional with accurate quotes from the book.

  • Side 1 is the front cover of your pamphlet. It should include basic information about the book (title, author) as well as an interesting and relevant image to get our attention.
  • On Side 2, create some kind of slogan or tagline for your book. Also give quotations from book reviews (feel free to make them up). Incorporate another image if appropriate.
  • On Side 3, provide a brief synopsis of your book. Give just enough information so we want to know more, but not so much that you give something away. Incorporate another image if appropriate.
  • Side 4 is the most prominent section of the pamphlet. Use this space to show and/or tell us why we should read this book. Consider the most appropriate audience for your book and appeal specifically to them.
  • On Side 5, give us a passage that is especially intriguing and provides a glimpse into the author’s style. Incorporate another image if appropriate.
  • Side 6 is the back of the pamphlet when it is closed. On this section, provide basic information about the author, list his/her other books, remind us of the title and somehow leave us with a last impression of the book. You may want to include the publishing company of the book and/or the pamphlet, copyright dates, website, etc.

Final Presentation/Exam: Create a PowerPoint or Word document that explains what you were thinking for each side of the pamphlet – why you chose the information, quotes, and pictures you did for the pamphlet. Include the synopsis of the book and point out the features of each page of the pamphlet.

Dodecahedron – Character based fiction and non-fiction

See me for dodecahedron pattern sheets.

Project: Use this opportunity to reflect upon your understanding of the book that you are reading/have just read and to have some fun as well. You will need 12 circles, markers, etc. to decorate the 12 sides as specified below.

Setting – 2 sides

Select two aspects of setting in the novel that you feel were critical to an understanding of the story. Draw, trace, or cut/paste a picture that spans the two sides or one picture/setting for each of the two sides.

Characters – 3 sides

Describe three characters whose actions were significant in the story. You may use two major characters and one minor one.

Visual symbol – 1 side

What visual symbol is important to the book or its theme? Draw this symbol on one side.

Quotes – 3 sides

Select three quotes and draw, copy/paste or print an appropriate picture for that quote.

Themes – 2 sides

What messages are embedded in this novel? What does the book have to say about issues that concern you and are relevant to your life?

Your choice – 1 side

Pick a character, a location, a quote, a feeling – or anything else – that you feel is relevant to the book/characters.

Assembly:

Creatively decorate each side.

Fold each circle on the straight lines so that the curved pieces are facing up (picture side down)

You should have 12 decorated pentagon shapes. Pick two sides and line the curved pieces up. Staple in at least two places.

Continue matching curves until all pieces form into a ball. You may have to use double sided tape or a glue stick for the last few edges.

For your project you must also write a key or paper that explains why you chose the settings/ characters, visual symbol, quotes and themes that you did. Pretend your dodecahedron is a piece of art in the Art Institute of Chicago. The accompanying sheet must match up the sides with the explanation for each aspect.

Final presentation/Exam: Create a PowerPoint or Word document to guide you through your thought process for each side you decorated for the dodecahedron. Defend your choices and detail your selections. Be sure to include in-depth explanations for each aspect/side.

Dodecahedron – Non-character based non-fiction -See me for guidelines.

If you have an idea for a different topic for your project, please see me ASAP and I will consider your proposal.

We will havetwo work days in the Writing Lab/Library. TBA

All projects are due on Friday, January 8,regardless of your attendance in school that day.