Southside Student Info

Instructions: Consider these questions as you read your summer books. You will be given one of these questions to respond to at the beginning of the school year as your assessment on that book.

If you will be in English I, II, CP/CWP III or CP/CWP IV, consider these questions:

What is the conflict/central struggle in the story? Briefly describe. Are the other characters drawn into this conflict/central struggle by the main character?

What was the author’s purpose for writing this story? Give reasons for your answer.

Which characters change as the story progresses? Give examples.

Who is your favorite character in the story? Why? Do any people in your life remind you of the characters in the book? Explain your answer.

How did the author maintain your interest throughout the book? Give examples.

If you were the author, how would you have ended the book differently? Why?

If you will be in Honors, Pre-IB, AP, IB, or Honors World Lit, consider these questions:

Show how the title signifies the purpose and theme of the work (such as A Lesson Before Dying) rather than simply its subject (such as The Adventures of Tom Sawyer). Avoid mere plot summary.

Explain how the full presentation of a complex and important character who – on the basis of the character’s actions alone – might be considered evil or immoral, makes the reader react more sympathetically than he or she otherwise might.

Some novels seem to advocate changes in social and political attitudes or in traditions. Note briefly the particular attitudes or traditions that the author apparently wishes to modify. Then analyze the techniques the author uses to influence the reader’s views.

Show how an inanimate object (e.g., a seashell, a handkerchief, a painting) is important and how two or three of the purposes the object serves are related to one another.

Select a quote that reflects a significant moment, and discuss the significance of the quote to the overall plot.

Many novels contrast places to represent opposing forces or ideas that are central to the meaning of the work. Explain how the places differ, what each place represents, and how their contrast contributes to the meaning of the work.

All College Prep (CP) students must read two books – one is required and you must choose the other one. The one you choose must be appropriate for your age/grade level. You may read murder mysteries, science fiction, thrillers, suspense, histories, biographies – anything appropriate for your age. You may not count comic books, children’s books, etc.

All Honors students must read three books – two are required and you must choose the other one appropriate for your level (see above).

All IB students must read three books – no choices; read what is on the list. By September 2, you will be asked to write one of the in-class essays on the back of this sheet for each book. Your teacher will choose which of these essays to ask you; be prepared to answer any of them. Students should take notes while they are reading each selection; they will be awarded credit for their notes, which are limited to one sheet of notebook paper per book and must be in the student’s own handwriting. Note-taking categories include plot, setting, characterization, language, tone, point of view, theme, and quotations. The grade for these essays will count 5% of your total 9 weeks grade. Also, be prepared for any additional discussions, assignments, tests, quizzes, or projects that your teacher may choose to give you on these books.

IB Seniors, you will have a folder due on One Hundred Years of Solitude, and the essay questions on the other two novels. The grade for these essays will count 5% of your total 9 weeks grade. The bookstores and libraries should be stocked with these books. Southside may also have a few to check out – see your English teacher.

Enjoy your reading!

9th Grade: Forged by Fire (Draper) and one of your choice

9th Grade Honors: The Old Man and the Sea (Hemingway), I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (Angelou), and one of your choice

9th Grade IB: A Separate Peace (Knowles), Black Boy (Wright), and The Old Man and the Sea (Hemingway)

10th Grade: A Gathering of Old Men (Gaines) and one of your choice

10th Grade Honors: A Separate Peace (Knowles), Black Boy (Wright), and The Old Man and the Sea (Hemingway)

10th Grade IB: Things Fall Apart (Achebe), A Tale of Two Cities (Dickens), The Hound of the Baskervilles (Doyle)

11th Grade CP and CWP: Jazz (Morrison) and one of your choice

11th Grade Honors: Things Fall Apart (Achebe), A Tale of Two Cities (Dickens), The Hound of the Baskervilles (Doyle)

11th Grade AP/IB: Death of a Salesman (Miller), One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich (Solzhenitsyn), Anthem (Rand)

12th Grade CP and CWP: Things Fall Apart (Achebe) and one of your choice

12th Grade Honors World Lit: The Joy Luck Club (Tan), Siddhartha (Hesse), and one of your choice

12th Grade AP: Death of a Salesman (Miller), One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich (Solzhenitsyn), Anthem (Rand)

12th Grade IB: One Hundred Years of Solitude (Garcia Marquez), Things Fall Apart (Achebe), Heart of Darkness (Conrad)

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