Top Ten Project List: One Project Is Required for Each Reading Selection

SOUTH COBB 2009-10

Greetings South Cobb families! Below you will find the list of reading selections for the 2009-2010 school year. Please note that for each grade level course, we suggest students complete at least 2 of the reading selections. Students in Honors and Advanced Placement courses are expected to read a minimum of 3 books.

Rising 9th Graders / Rising 10th Graders / Rising 11th Graders / Rising 12th Graders
9th Grade Literature
Fiction
- Angela's Ashesby Frank McCourt
- The House on Mango Streetby Sandra Cisneros
- Great Expectationsby Charles Dickens
- BelovedbyToni Morrison (Honors)
- Forged by Fireby Sharon Draper
- The Battle of Jerichoby Sharon Draper
- The Skin I’m In by Sharon Flake
- Ironmanby Chris Crutcher
- Twilight by Stephanie Meyer
- Jesseby Gary Soto
- Bronx Masqueradeby Nikki Grimes
Non Fiction
- 7 Habits of Highly Effective TeensbyStephen Covey
- The Seven Pillars of WisdombyT.E. Lawrence
- To Be a SlavebyJulius Lester / 10th Literature and World Literature
Fiction
- IKnow Why the Caged Bird Singsby Maya Angelou
- Siddharthaby Herman Hesseor Narcissus and Goldmundby Hesse
- A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway
- Romiette and Julio by Sharon Draper
- The Color Purple- by Alice Walker
- Beloved by Toni Morrison
- Uncle Tom’s Cabin by Harriet Stowe
- Cry, the Beloved Countryby Alan Paton
- The Three Theban Plays by Sophocles
- Native Sonby Richard Wright
- Diary of Anne Frank
- Memoirs of a BoySoldierby Ishamael Beah
- Kite Runner- (World Lit. suggestion) by Khaled Hosseini
Non Fiction
- Wouldn’t Take Nothin’ for My Journey Nowby Maya Angelou
- In Search of Our Mothers’ Garden by Alice Walker
- It’s Not About the Bikeby Lance Armstrong
- Daily Newspaper (Current Events) / American Literature
Fiction
- The Secret Life of Beesby Sue Monk Kidd
- Confederacy of Duncesby John Kennedy Toole
- Their Eyes were Watching Godby Zora Neale Hurston
-Death of a Salesmanby Arthur Miller
- Moby Dick by Herman Mellville
-Every Time a Rainbow Diesby Rita Williams-Garcia
-Slam!by Walter Dean Myers
-The Afterlifeby Gary Soto
Non Fiction
- Daily Newspaper (Current Events)
-Fast Food Nationby Eric Schlosser
-African American Troops in WWIIby Alexander Bielowski
-They Tell Me of a Homeby Daniel Black
AP Language and Composition
- Brave New Worldby Aldous Huxley
-The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass: An American Slave, Written by Himself (Yale)
- Their Eyes Were Watching Godby Zora Neale Hurston
-Importance of Being EarnestbyOscar Wilde
REQUIRED ITEMS FOR THE COURSE:
- Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Mealby Eric Schlosser (with new afterword),
- Life of Piby Yann Martel / General
- Jane Eyreby Charlotte Bronte
- Pride & Prejudiceby Jane Austen
British Literature
- The Mayor of Casterbridgeby Thomas Hardy
- Tess of the d'Ubervillesby Thomas Hardy
- David Copperfieldby Charles Dickens
- Beowulf
- WutheringHeightsby Emily Bronte
- The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer
- A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens
- The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
Multicultural Literature
- Joy Luck Clubby Amy Tan
- The Chosenby Chaim Potok
- Ceremony byLeslie Marmon Silko
- Life of Pi by Yann Martel
- Parrot in the Oven by Victor Martinez
AP Literature
- The Oedipus Trilogy bySophocles
- Things Fall Apart byChinuaAchebe
- 1984 byGeorgeOrwell
- WutheringHeightsbyEmily Bronte

Top Ten Project List: One project is required for each reading selection.

1. Book Summary - Write a summary of the novel from one character’s point-of-view (300-500 words).
2. Compare/Contrast - Write an essay in which you compare and/or contrast this novel with the film version of this book OR with a novel by the same or different author (300-500 words).
3. F.Y.I. - Research a topic connected to your novel and create an informational brochure. Be sure to include a bibliography (found on Cobb County District Website: Research Paper) of where you get your information.
4. Interview - After studying a written interview in a newspaper or magazine, write an interview between you and a character from the book (two pages).
5. Letter - Compose a letter to the author of the book. Use business letter format and address specifics from the novel (200-250 words).
6. Newspaper Article - Study a news article to familiarize yourself with the format and write a detailed news article about an event from the book. Include a heading and the 5 W’s—Who, What, When, Where, and Why.
7. Review - Write a book review of your summer reading selection. Find examples of other book reviews in a newspaper, magazine, or on-line to use as a template for your work (300-500 words).
8. Storyboard - Create a story board that depicts important scenes from the book as they might be included in a film.
9. Timeline - Place important events from the plot of your summer reading selection on a detailed timeline.
10. X-ray - Look beyond the literal meaning and write an essay about the theme, specific symbolism, imagery, figurative language, and/or allegory of your summer reading selection (300-500 words).

AP Language

Summer Reading Projects:

*The projects listed below should be completed in place of the projects listed above.

1. The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass: An American Slave, Written by Himself (Yale)

Project: Keep a journal, summarizing each chapter, and explaining the style, structure, and techniques of the writer. Each entry should be 2-3 well-developed paragraphs.

2. The Kiterunner by Khaled Hosseini

Project: Keep a journal, summarizing each chapter, and explaining the writer's style, structure, and techniques. Each entry should be 2-3 well-developed paragraphs.

3. Read 5 speeches of your choice from the "Top 100 Speeches" on the website, AmericanRhetoric.com.

Project: Write several paragraphs, explaining the content and strategies used by each writer/speaker. Then write a 1-2 page typed essay, explaining which of the 5 speeches was most effective and why (be specific).

4. Read 8 mode essays:

Project: *See the South Cobb website (southcobbhigh.org) in early June for the details of the reading and project.

NOTE: You should wait to purchase other novels for the class, which will be read during the semester, until the school year starts, and your teacher confirms them.

South Cobb families…here are a few tips to help your child(ren) have a successful summer in reading:

• For vocabulary development, ask your child to keep a word log to record unfamiliar and/or interesting words discovered while reading the book:

1. Write each word
2. Using context clues, try to figure out the meaning of the word.
3. Look up the dictionary definition.
4. Identify the parts of speech (noun, adjective, verb, etc.).
5. Write an original sentence with each new word using context clues.

• For help with reading comprehension, ask your child to think about the book and talk to you about any, or all, of the following:

1. Which character do you like the best and why?
2. Which character did you like the least and why?
3. Why did the author use this setting for the story?
4. What more do you know after reading the story?
5. What do you feel about what you read?
6. What else does it make you think about?
7. What questions do you have for the author?

• For other reading tips in addition to these, please visit these websites: