2014 Helena High School
Honors English 9
Summer Reading 2014
Welcome to Helena High School and to Honors English 9. Your interest in this class proves that you are seeking enriching literary experiences, and you will certainly develop your high school academic skills as you pursue these studies. One requirement of this class is required summer reading. These literary works will enhance your preparation for your other high school studies and for college courses, as well.
The literary works for required summer reading are:
1. Great Expectations by Charles Dickens
2.The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd
3. Your choice of The Chosen by Chaim Potok
OR The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros
These literary works have been selected to provide experiences with a variety of genres and for their literary value. These titles will prepare you for meaningful discussion and writing beginning the first day of class. We will make connections to what you learn from these books throughout your 9th grade year as we study more books with similar themes. You will even use these if you choose to take AP Literature and Composition in 12th Grade!
Throughout the summer, you are required the following:
Read the assigned novels completely
Complete four-page Reading Records
You will turn in ALL Reading Records on the first day of school. No summer work will be taken after Thursday, August 7, 2014.
Remember, you are REQUIRED to read and complete these summer assignments. In addition to the summer Reading Records, you will take tests and write essays about these literary works throughout the school year.
All reading records should be typed.
Get ready for an exciting high school experience, and set yourself the goal of getting the most from your summer reading for Honors English 9!
Student Name:
HELENA HIGH SCHOOL READING RECORD 2014
Title:Author:
Date of original
publication:
Specific Genre:
Biographical information about the author:
Description of the Literary Movement of this novel or play—societal, historical, or literary influences on the author and specific aspects of the novel or play:
Specific characteristics of the Genre:
Plot Summary—you are not allowed to copy and paste from sources; this must be your own summary after reading the book; this must be detailed from beginning to end, not generalized; you may attach additional sheets:
Student Name: Helena High School 2014 Reading Record page 2
Describe the author's writing style by using various stylistic labels—minimum of 3 required; these are not to be merely literary elements, but stylistic elements:
Write 3 quoted passages from THIS novel/play which demonstrate the author's writing style in this story and label the passage with the writing style element that you listed in the box to the left. Reference the chapter and page number.
Memorable Quotations: List 5 memorable quotations from the work along with their significance. Number or bullet each set clearly. Requirement: A minimum of 5.
QUOTATIONS
SIGNIFICANCEStudent Name: Helena High School 2014
Reading Record page 3
CHARACTERS: List ALL characters. Do not use labels such as major/minor/primary/secondary as your answers.
CharacterRole in Story examples: Protagonist'sconfidante
Foil of main character
Analytical significance in story examples:~Causes protagonist to make uncharacteristic decisions~~
~Calms the conflict in
Chapter 9
Adjectives to describe the character:
Student Name: Helena High School 2014
Reading Record page 4
Setting—Discuss all settings of the story throughout the work.
Analytical significance of the opening scene:
Analytical significance of the closing scene:
Symbols—provide explanations for all that you list and bullet or number them clearly:
Possible themes/topics for discussion: Please discuss at least 5 and number them clearly.
What was your opinion of this literary work? Please be detailed and defend your reasoning.
On the back of this reading record page 4, legibly print in your own handwriting which event in the book was the most powerful, significant, or striking to you. Analytically explain what literary element (s) is / are the strength of the event—one paragraph.
