ISLA HONORS NINTH GRADE LITERATURE

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. You are required to read two books. 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 9th Lit curriculum. The first unit we begin is centered on dystopian literature, so the texts below will serve as support for our discussions and assessments. As outlined below, every incoming 9th Honors student will read Thomas C. Foster’s How to Read Literature Like a Professor: Revised Editionand Sonia Nazario’s Enrique’s Journey: The True Story of a Boy Determined to Reunite with his Mother (The Young Adult Adaptation)

As you complete your summer reading, please keep in mind the question: How is one’s journey impacted by society and those around him/her?

  1. Read the selected chapters from Thomas C. Foster’s How to Read Literature Like a Professor: Revised Edition
  2. Chapter selections:
  3. Introduction
  4. Chapter 1 – Every Trip Is a Quest
  5. Chapter 4 – Now, Where Have I See Her Before?
  6. Chapter 8 – It’s Greek to Me
  7. Chapter 9 – It’s More Than Just Rain or Snow
  8. Chapter 10 – Never Stand Next to the Hero
  9. Chapter 12 – Is That a Symbol?
  10. Chapter 14 – Yes, She’s a Christ Figure, Too
  11. 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).
  1. Read Sonia Nazario’s Enrique’s Journey: The True Story of a Boy Determined to Reunite with his Mother(The Young Adult Adaptation)–Sonia Nazario details the journey one Honduran boy, Enrique, takes from his home to the United States, a journey that brings Enrique face-to-face with gangs, bandits, corrupt cops, and a harrowing journey aboard freight trains. Narazrio’s work has been described as “a twenty-first century Odyssey.”