10th Grade Eng2PAPSummerReadingLetter2015

10th
Hebron High School
Grade Pre-AP English Summer Reading
2015-2016
Begin a reading adventure this summer!
This year, your summer reading will be self-selected. In fact, your summer reading will not be limited to a single
assigned text but will reflect your reading selections completed throughout the summer. As a department, we
believe that students who read, succeed. Developing a love of reading with its many personal and academic
benefits is vital to becoming life-long learners. In choosing your summer reading, try to select a variety of works-fiction and nonfiction, classic and modern--with differing levels of academic difficulty. While we have provided
you with diverse lists of books (see the lists at http://tiny.cc/HHSeng2papsummerreading), you should not feel
confined to that list alone. Feel free to journey off the path and discover new adventures with authors and titles.
Aim at challenging your own reading boundaries.
Attached to this letter you will find a list of questions to consider as you read. These questions will be the basis
for our initial conversations about literature, so be prepared to discuss these various elements as they relate to one
of the titles from your list. Take note also of effective use of imagery, diction, and figurative language. Please
consider making external notes or annotating your texts by highlighting, underlining, bracketing, making margin
notes, or using any other method that works for you. If you are reading a borrowed copy, use sticky notes or index
cards for your annotations. If you’re reading an ebook, make sure it has an annotation feature or employ the same
method as for a borrowed copy. Be prepared to discuss and write in response to your annotations the first week of
the semester.
Also attached you will find the Summer Reading Assignment sheet that explains the expectations in more depth.
You will turn in this assignment sheet on the first day of class. An additional copy of the chart is available at this
link: http://tiny.cc/HHSeng2papassignment .
You are encouraged to read above and beyond in preparation for the academic challenges ahead. Keep in mind
that colleges expect students to be able to read with ease 300 to 1,000 pages a week. We expect to discuss
additional works you select as part of your summer reading experience, and we will continue the journey
throughout the semester. Enjoy some great books, and have a wonderful summer!
Donna Friend
English Department Chair
“We read to know we are not alone.” – C.S. Lewis
“The books that help you most are those which make you think the most. The hardest way of
learning is that of easy reading; but a great book that comes from a great thinker is a ship of thought,
deep freighted with truth and beauty.” --Pablo Neruda
“The answers you get from literature depend on the questions you pose.” – Margaret
Atwood
Questions for Summer Reading
Characterization: How does the author develop the characters? What is the difference between flat
and round characters? Which minor characters play important roles? How do the characters advance
the plot and the conflict?
Time and sequence: How does the author develop time and sequence? Is foreshadowing used?
Flashbacks? How does the author craft these time shifts? How do these time shifts advance the telling
of the story?
Themes: Which themes emerge? How are these themes developed?
Author’s Purpose: Why do you think the author wrote this book? What did he or she really want to
say? What was the historical context in which this book was written, and how did this influence the
author? Who is/was the author’s intended audience?
Diction: How does the author’s choice of words advance the story? Is dialogue used effectively?
Does the diction ring true? Does the author effectively use figurative language-metaphor, simile, and
allegory?
Symbolism: How does the author effectively use symbolism to advance the story? How do these
symbols enrich the story?
Voice: Who is telling the story? Which point of view has the author used? How are other literary
elements revealed through the use of narration or dialogue?
Setting: Where is the story set? How does this setting affect the story’s development?
Conflict: What are the central conflicts in the work? Are the conflicts primarily internal or external?
Tone: What is the author’s attitude in this work? How and where is it revealed?
From Deeper Reading by Kelly Gallagher