Summer Reading Assignment
Pre-AP English II - Mr. Harrison
You will be required to read three books this summer, share original comments in an online forum, and complete a typed reading journal for one major text. As you read each book, you should carefully annotate (take notes in the margin of) the text. For this reason, it is highly advisable for you to purchase a personal copy of each book rather than borrowing a copy from a friend or the library. Your online postings will be monitored during the summer and graded according to quality, depth, and timeliness of your comments. Your reading journal will be turned in for a major project grade on the first day of school. Specific instructions on how to post comments to our online page and how to complete a basic reading journal are attached.
Your summer reading selections are:
1. How to Read Literature Like a Professor - Thomas C. Foster
What does it mean when a fictional hero takes a journey? Shares a meal? Gets drenched in a sudden rain shower? These incidents often convey a partially-hidden message by the
author. Subtitled A Lively and Entertaining Guide to Reading Between the Lines, this book is very informative and even entertaining as it discusses the allusions, archetypes, and symbols that are most common in literature. You will be asked to post a series of comments online on various parts of this book (deadlines and login instructions attached).
2. The Picture of Dorian Gray – Oscar Wilde (Barnes & Noble Classic Series – only $5)
In this classic and controversial novel by Oscar Wilde, young Dorian Gray is mystically granted a secret wish that irrevocably alters his life. Wilde has filled this novel with rich descriptions of setting, witty dialogue, and a healthy sense of foreboding, as his protagonist struggles with making good decisions and living with bad ones. Be prepared to enter the dark world that explores the dual nature of man.
3. A choice of (select ONE):
a. A Thousand Splendid Suns – Khaled Hosseini
b. The Kite Runner – Khaled Hosseini
c. The Bonesetter’s Daughter – Amy Tan
d. The Joy Luck Club – Amy Tan
After reading one of these novels, you will be asked to go online once again and to make comments that connect the novel with the archetypes, symbols, allusions, and ironies detailed in the Foster book. You should be able to show me your annotation (notes) in the
margins of your book, but you do not have to complete a journal for this book.
Back to School Writings Be prepared to discuss with depth each of these readings when you return in the fall. After class discussions, you will be writing on these selections during the first weeks of school (HINT: Your topic pertains to the hero’s quest and the archetype of initiation).
Suggestions Plan your summer reading carefully. The Foster text and related postings can be completed in a few days, but give yourself about two to three weeks for the other selections. DO NOT SAVE ALL OF YOUR READING FOR JULY. Copies of these books are available at local and online booksellers.
How to Post Comments to Your Classmates Online
As you read Foster’s How to Read Literature Like a Professor, you will be required to make connections between the information presented in certain chapters and movies, novels, and other stories you are already familiar with. All that is required here is to make a comment like: “What Foster says about quests reminds me of the novel Bud not Buddy." The protagonist goes on a quest to find his father. He is sick of the mistreatment and loneliness he experiences at the orphanage. He meets plenty of "dragons" who try to stop him, but it all works out in the end for him.” It’s that simple. You may not use examples already given in the Foster text. You are encouraged to respond to what others post, but this does not qualify for earning your credit; your contributions must be original.
Later in the summer, after reading Dorian Gray and your choice book (from the list), you will post online two more times: once to give ONE ORIGINAL example of ONE of the suggested motifs in Dorian Gray, and again to connect the Foster text to the choice novel. Therefore, before returning to school in the fall, you will have posted a minimum of SIX times. The following schedule shows your deadlines for each posting. I will monitor your participation for a grade, and no credit will be given for postings made beyond the deadline. Also, posting comments that would be inappropriate for the classroom will NOT be tolerated. Those who do so endanger not only their grades on this assignment but also their conduct grades and future recommendations. This assignment will be one of your first major test/project grade for the first quarter (35% of quarter average).
Online Posting Deadlines
June 5 HTRLLaP Ch. 1-3 (Heroic quests, meals, and vampires)
June 12 HTRLLaP Ch. 5-9 (Allusions)
June 19 HTRLLaP Ch. 10-15 and 18 (Symbols)
June 26 HTRLLaP Ch. 19-24 (Setting and character archetypes)
July 17 Motifs in Wilde’s Picture of Dorian Gray – Find ONE, unique quote (different from the others
that have been posted) that mentions flowers, hands, eyes, mouth, voices, curtain, pall, mask, mirror, white, red, or an allusion (Biblical, mythological, etc.). Cite the page #.
July 25 Connection between HTRLLaP and your Choice Book (ONE REQUIRED, but a second
connection may be made to make up ONE earlier missed deadline. This must be clearly marked - as in “Make-Up Comment.” Again, ONE MAKE-UP POSTING MAXIMUM.
IMPORTANT: You may post your connections and comments at any time prior to the deadline. In fact, you can easily complete the Foster text and post on the first four topics within the first week of summer. Anyone who will be away from internet access because of camps or family vacation should strive to complete these postings prior to traveling.
How and where to post comments? The site that we are using for this assignment is www.NiceNet.org. This site is free for you to use and is devoid of obnoxious advertising.
1. Go to www.nicenet.org .
2. Locate the box on the right that says, “New Users Start Here,” and click on “Join a Class.”
3. In the box labeled “Class Key,” type the following code: 7379Z50P65
4. Create a user name and password. Your user name must be your first name and your last name (for instance, I would be “Scott Harrison”). Your password is entirely up to you, but I strongly encourage you to write both of these down inside the front cover of your copy of the Foster book.
5. Click on “Conferencing” (on the left), locate the thread you wish to post to, and click on the topic for an example of the type of posting that I am expecting. You may then add your own comment.
Why an online discussion? The best way to develop critical reading and rhetorical analysis skills (the basis for college-level literary analysis) is through class discussions. Unfortunately, summer does not give us the chance to come together for such discussions. The online site is a convenient way for you to share ideas with classmates in the summer. I expect you not only to post your original thoughts, but also to read and respond to the posts of others.
How to Keep a Reading Journal
Instead of writing a book report on your readings, you will keep a reading journal for Oscar Wilde’s Picture of Dorian Gray. The reading journal will count as a major project/test grade and is due on the first day of school (25 points will be deducted for failing to meet this deadline. The journal will NOT be accepted more than one day late). Points will be deducted for not completing each part of each reading journal as described below.
What should your journal include? Each basic reading journal has five required parts:
IMPRESSIONS/CONNECTIONS: Were there scenes in the book that reminded you of the situational
or character archetypes in the Foster text? What about symbols or allusions? Record anything that
reminded you of people, places, events, or situations from real life, from a movie, or from another
story. What lessons did you learn? Record a minimum of TEN Impressions or Connections that you make
as you read this novel. Use COMPLETE SENTENCES.
QUESTIONS: Good readers are involved in their reading. List any questions that come to your mind as
you read. Use question words such as who, what, when, where, how, and especially WHY. In the left
column, record the quote and page number you were reading when the question occurred to you. Ask a
minimum of TEN questions for each journal (at least five of your questions must be a WHY or
HOW question).
INTERESTING PHRASING: Pay attention to the author’s use of words, especially the way people,
places, or events are described. Did the author say something in a clever way? Does he reveal something
about a character using a simile or metaphor? Are certain passages so vivid that they pull you into the
scene? Record at least TEN brief quotes and the page number where each can be found. Tell why you
chose each and what you think that author is trying to accomplish.
SIGNIFICANT QUOTES: Look for lines spoken by characters that reveal his or her thoughts about his
or her current situation. Watch for remarks that characters make about life or about dealing with
issues; these may reveal a major change or growth in the character. Sometimes the author may
directly tell us what the character has learned; at other times, the author tells us indirectly through
dialogue. Such quotes are usually related to themes in the book. In the left column, write the entire
quote (may be more than one sentence), identify the speaker of the quote, and cite the page number
where the quote may be found. In the right column, explain the significance of the quote. You are required
to cite a minimum of TEN important quotes for your journal.
NEW WORDS: Locate and choose at least FIFTEEN unfamiliar words to define from the novel. In the left
column, type the entire sentence in which the word is found (cite page number). Then, in the right column,
include a brief definition or synonym (use a dictionary). Also, tell whether the word is one that you have
“never heard before” or one that you have heard but are “uncomfortable using” yourself. If you find that the
word names some object that is out-of-use, you should pick another word (or just avoid nouns).
How should my journal look? The final journal must be turned in TYPED. You should create a two-column format (similar to dialectical journals, for those of you who are familiar) with a direct quote in the left column and your thoughts or comments in the right column. If you are using Microsoft Word, the easiest way to format your document is to insert a table that is two columns wide. A direct quote may come from narration or dialogue. Each direct quote should be cited with a page number. Group each type of quote, FIRST by category, then chronologically (all of your “Impressions/Connections” should appear together and be arranged in order of appearance in the book). Since journaling is a habit I would like for you to develop as you read, you should make handwritten notes in the margins of your book. Your typed journal should be headed with your name, the title and author of the book, and the date you complete the journal.
What if I have a question this summer? If you get stuck or do not understand the instructions, you may reach me by e-mail at . However, I will have NO internet access from July 7-24.