New Leadership Charter School Summer Reading List: 2011 Incoming 9th Grade Students

Students are required to read two texts this summer. They must read the required text listed below and must choose one additional text from the suggested reading list.

Students must complete Part I : the Book Graphic Organizer for each novel and complete the questions in Part II . (The Book Graphic Organizer and Essential Statements are attached.)

Required Reading:

Old Man and the Sea, by Ernest Hemmingway

This novel tells the story of an old fisherman who battles with the catch of his life. Santiago, the Cuban fisherman, will sacrifice everything – including his life – to win this epic struggle.

2011 Summer Reading List: Incoming Grade 9

 

When I was Puerto Rican by Esmeralda Santiago

In this coming of age memoir, Ms. Santiago lovingly recalls her transition from her country life in Puerto Rico to an urban apartment in Brooklyn. An exceptional student who spoke little English, Santiago broke her family's cycle of poverty by getting accepted to New York City's High School of Performing Arts.

Into Thin Air , by Jon Krakauer

A writer and a mountain climber, Jon Krakauer tells the true story of a climb up Mount Everest that went terribly wrong. As he and his party climbed the massive peak, they realized there were headed on the most disastrous expedition in the mountain's history.

A Perfect Storm , by Sebastian Junger

In this terrifying novel, Junger tells about the doomed trip of the Andrea Gail , a sword fishing boat that was struck by a violent storm, killing all men on board. Junger presents many stories about survival and death on the high seas, as he details what life must have been like during the last days on the Andrea Gail .

This Boys Life , by Tobias Wolff

In this memoir, Tobias Wolff touchingly tells us about his life separated from his father and brother. As he and his mom live an unstable life, the young Tobias, who is tough, vulnerable and crafty, tries to escape his life and move beyond his troubled upbringing.

Tracks , by Louise Erdrich

Tracks takes place in North Dakota in the early 1900s when Indian tribes were fighting to keep their land. This story follows ten years of unrest in which the main characters are forced to endure extreme suffering, but their honor and humor keep them moving forward.

The Glass Castle , by Jeanette Walls

In this memoir, Jeanette Walls describes her eccentric and dysfunctional family as they wander among Southwestern towns and later settle into the squalor in a West Virginia mining town. Walls speaks of what it is like to endure and survive.

A Prayer for Owen Meany , by John Irving

In this peculiar novel, the main character, John Wheelwright, narrates the story of his childhood, telling about a bizarre childhood friend named Owen Meany. Meany's strange life and extraordinary death take on a symbolic meaning that inspires Wheelwright to believe in God.

Slaughterhouse-Five, by Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.

This book details the horrors and absurdities of war. The main character Billy Pilgrim becomes “unstuck in time” and travels between the past, present and future. The novel is nonlinear, not following any chronological order. Instead, it jumps back and forth between time and place, exploring lives, minds and spirits shattered during World War II. Although tragic, Vonnegut tells the story in a plain spoken English that bites – and delights – with its humor and irony.

Cannery Row , by John Steinbeck

This book lacks a direct plot. Instead, it's about a place, Monterey California, populated by bums, eccentrics, biologists and other people who are down on the their luck. In the novel, Steinbeck explores themes of violence and suicide as he expresses a grim view of the cruelty in the natural world.

The Wizard of Earthsea , By Ursula LeGuin

This book is often compared to Tolkien's Widdle-earth of Lewis' Narnia. It's a fantasy that involves an awkward boy named Sparrowhawk who becomes an apprentice to a wizard and sets out on an odyssey of his own.

The Pearl by John Steinbeck

Kino, a young pearl diver in La Paz, enjoys his simple life until the day his son, Coyotito, is stung by a scorpion. The wealthy town doctor will not treat the baby because Kino cannot pay the doctor's fee, so Kino and his wife, Juana, are left only to hope their child is saved. That day Kino goes diving, and finds a great pearl, the Pearl of the World, and knows he is suddenly a wealthy man. That day is when his troubles truly begin.

 

 

 

Part 1: Summer Reading 2011 Book Graphic Organizer (50 pts.)

Write in COMPLETE sentences.

Part II (100 pts)

Complete ALL of the following for both novels. Writing must be neatly written or typed. In your papers follow these guidelines:

1. Create a cover page for each novel. Write your name, identify the author's name and identify the title of the book. (5pts)
2. Write a one paragraph summary of the plot: beginning, middle and end. (10 pts)
3. Write a paragraph explaining the significance of the title. Say how it is connected to the story. (20 pts)
4. Identify a theme in the novel and select two quotes that express that theme. The quotes should convey the deeper meaning or message the novel is trying to communicate. (15 pts)
5. Write two paragraphs explaining how the author expresses and develops a major theme in the novel. Use evidence from the text to support your answer. (20 pts)
6. Select any three of the following Essential Statements and respond to each in paragraph form. (three paragraphs) (30 pts)

Essential Statements

1. A message that this book has for us today
2. How your attitude has changed about an issue/idea as a result of reading this book
3. Something from this book that reminds you of something you read in another book/text/poem/article/etc.
4. Something from this book that reminds you of what's happening in your community or the world
5. Something that angers/upsets you
6. A statement or passage that you find interesting/important
7. Something you would say to the author
8. An issue raised by the reading
9. A character who inspires you
10. A character you dislike
11. Something you feel strongly about

* Remember that both parts of the summer reading assignment (Part I and II) must be completed for both novels read. (300 pts total)

Extra Credit (50 pts)

There are two ways you may earn extra credit:

1. Read more than one book from the summer reading list and complete parts 1 and 2 of the reading assignment.
2. Complete one of the projects listed below.

Choose from one of the projects below. Don't forget to have fun!

• Script It: Lights, camera, action! Write a movie script for a favorite scene in your book. At the top of the script you can assign real-life TV or movie stars to play each role. Double bonus (yes, that's 100 points): Video record your script. Create backdrops and costumes for a full effect.

• In the News! Create the front page of a newspaper that tells about events and characters in your book. Include weather reports, an editorial or editorial cartoon, ads, etc. which relate to the book. The title of the newspaper and headlines should be appropriately related to topics/themes from the book.

• Create a comic book! Turn a scene from your book into a comic book, complete with comic-style illustrations and dialogue bubbles.

• Picture Books: Create a picture book version of your book that would appeal to younger students.

• Literary Idol: Write a song with lyrics and melody, related to a character, events or a major theme in the book. (an instrumental background would be excellent but is not required). Sing or rap for your teacher and class during the first week of school. (Standard English conventions do not apply)

• Slam!: Write a poem related to a character, events or a major theme in the book. Present it for your teacher and class during the first week of school, in the poetry slam/spoken words style, with appropriate feeling. (Standard English conventions do not apply)

• Jackdaw. A jackdaw is a crow-like bird known for picking up various brightly colored objects to add to its nest. Create a jackdaw by choosing important aspects of your novel and placing them in a container representative of your character and the times. Example: Based on the book Holes, you might choose a suitcase to hold your items. Include in your container such things as letters, maps, diary entries, drawings, newspaper articles, pictures and any other item significant to the main character. Attach a note to each item describing the significance of each item.

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