Sharon High School

2012 2013 Summer Reading Selections

Summ er Reading Selections for 2012-2013: Sharon High School

Please N ote: I n additi on t o th e assigned books listed by grad e lev el below, st udents will be asked to compl et e a seri es of j ournal prompts ov er t he sum mer as they read their sel ect ions. E LA instructors will d istri but e and explai n thes e promp ts before th e clos e of this current academi c y ear. St ud ents responses are th en due in Sept ember, and whil e th ey w ill not be grad ed as fully devel op ed essays, i nstruct ors w ill ch eck and assess this work , using it as a m eans of gauging st udents comp reh ensi on of thes e st ori es. Grade Ni ne: Incoming freshmen wil l read V eronica R oths Divergent. Roths novel det ails a fut uristi c vision of Chicago, one where citi zens are divid ed i nt o vari ous facti ons bas ed on virt ues: honesty, brav ery, and int elli gence. T eens like th e novels hero, B eat rice must d eci de which fact ion t o join. This p rocess is filled with unexp ect ed twists and turns. Grade T en: All soph om ores wi ll read T ati ana De R osnays Sarahs Key. This i nternati onal bests ell er traces t en year- old Sarahs experi ences in France d uri ng World W ar II, a time when h er family is s wept up in the V el D Hiv round- ups. Sarah recounts h er harrowi ng ex periences duri ng this t umultuous tim e.

Grade El even: Standard Cla sses: Juni ors i n st and ard classes will read Michael Patri ck MacD onalds memoi r of growing up i n B ost on All Soul s. Honors Cla sses: Juni ors i n h onors cl asses will read Amy Tans nov el The Joy Luck Club and Michael Patri ck MacD onalds mem oi r All Souls. American S tudies: Juni ors enrolled i n Am eri can St udies will read Mi chael Pat rick MacDonalds m em oir Al l Souls. Grade Tw elve: Standard Cla sses: Seniors i n st and ard cl asses w ill read J on Krakauers nonfi cti on account Into the Wild. Honors Cla sses: Seniors i n h onors cl asses wi ll read Yann Mart els Li fe o f Pi and Jon K rakauers nonficti on account , Into the W ild. Humanities: Seniors i n Humaniti es classes will read J on Krakauers nonfi cti on account Into the Wild.

AP:

Seniors enrolled in AP Literature will read Jon Krakauers Into the Wild and George Orwells 1984. AP students will also need to read two op-ed pieces that highlight a thematic connection to each of the assigned summer reading books. One op-ed piece for each work is required. An op-ed composition is a signed editorial or persuasive article commonly found in the opinion section of a newspaper or magazine (op-ed stands for opposite the editorial page). AP Students should choose an appropriate source for these articles: The New York Times, The Boston Globe, The Washington Post, and The Los Angeles Times are appropriate venues for newspapers; The New Yorker, Harpers, and The Atlantic are appropriate magazine sources. Students should make sure their op-ed selections thematically connect with an aspect of 1984 and Into the Wild. These selections should be timely -- that is, they should be culled from recent editions of a newspaper or magazine. Articles drawn from outdated sources will not meet the parameters of this summer reading assignment. Then, using the Op Ed selections which best connect to themes in Orwells 1984 and Krakauers Into the Wild, A.P. students must write a two-three paragraph essay for each summer work and its connecting Op Ed piece. These carefully edited essays must include the following elements:
1. 2. 3. 4. Title and author of the summer work Title and author of the article/essay News source and date of the article/essay Brief summary of the article/essay and evidence of how it relates to the summer reading book; summaries should include quotations from both the book and the article/essay. 5. Proper MLA formatting (typed, cited correctly, appropriate font, margins, etc.) 6. Sophisticated diction/varied syntax

*A.P. Students must attach hard copies of their two opinion/editorial pieces along with their accompanying essays.

Please N ote: Students or parents may locate summer reading materials from s everal local s ourc es. 1) The Sharon P ublic Library (located on 11 N . Main Street) will or der c opies of the summer reading books for s tudents to check out for two-week intervals. 2) Summer reading materials may be purchased at the B arnes & N oble loc ation at the Walpole Mall (82 Providence Highway/508-688-1303). B ooks and DVDs will be or dered in bulk to meet the needs of Sharon students. If ther e are any concer ns or questions about the summer reading program, please contact Mr. Dav id Heller, the middle and high sc hool ELA C urriculum Coor dinator (dheller@s haron. k12.m a.us 781-7841554 x8028)