CHOOSE ONE BOOK: We Were Liars by E. Lockhart Kingwood Park High School Summer Reading pre-ap English I An Amazon Best Young Adult Book of the Month, May 2014: E. Lockhart s novel, We Were Liars, is clever, alluring, and wildly addictive. Each summer the wealthy, seemingly perfect, members of the Sinclair family gather on their private island. We Were Liars is the story of those annual reunions; in particular what happened during a summer that protagonist Cadence is unable to remember. Prejudice, greed, and shifting patriarchal favoritism among the three adult sisters contrasts with the camaraderie and worldview of the teenage cousins and their dear friend Gat. Lazy days of sticky lemonades on the roof and marathon Scrabble games give way to twisty suspense, true love, and good intentions gone horribly wrong. We Were Liars is a story that begs to be read in one sitting. --Seira Wilson *Please note a PDF of the full text is available online and will be posted to Ms. Windham s and Mrs. Neel s class websites. Sleeping Freshmen Never Lie by David Lubar An American Library Association top book pick in 2006: Starting high school is never easy. Seniors take your lunch money. Girls you ve known forever are suddenly beautiful and unattainable. And you can never get enough sleep. Could there be a worse time for Scott s mother to announce she s pregnant? Scott decides high school would be a lot less overwhelming if it came with a survival manual, so he begins to write down tips for his new sibling. Meanwhile, he s trying his best to capture the attention of Julia, the freshman goddess. In the process, Scott manages to become involved in nearly everything the school has to offer. So while he tries to find his place in the confusing world of high school, win Julia s heart, and keep his sanity, Scott will be recording all the details for his sibling s and your enjoyment. ANNOTATE AS YOU GO: From the AP College Board Website: Criteria for Successful Annotation Why Annotate? Annotate any text that you must know well, in detail, and from which you might need to produce evidence that supports your knowledge or reading, such as a book on which you will be tested. When you annotate effectively, you can recall the key information in the book with reasonable thoroughness in a 15- to 30-minute review of your notes and the text, even six weeks after you first read it. Tools: Highlighter, Pencil, Sticky Notes/Tabs, and Your Own Text 1. Yellow Highlighter A yellow highlighter allows you to mark exactly what you are interested in. Equally important, the yellow line emphasizes without interfering. Highlighters in blue and pink and fluorescent colors are even more distracting. The idea is to see the important text more clearly, not give your eyes a psychedelic exercise. At first, you will probably highlight too little or too much; with experience, you will choose more effectively which material to highlight. 2. Pencil A pencil is better than a pen because you can make changes. While you read, use marginalia marginal notes to mark key material. Marginalia can include check marks, question marks, stars, arrows, brackets, and written words and phrases. Create your own system for marking what is important, interesting, quotable, questionable, and so forth. 3. Your Text Inside the front cover of your book, keep an orderly, legible list of "key information" with page references. Key information in a novel might include themes; passages that relate to the book's title; characters' names; salient quotes; important scenes, passages, and chapters; and maybe key definitions or vocabulary. As you read, section by section, chapter by chapter, use sticky notes or tabs to identify the following: 1. Examples of conflict, theme, and symbolism (see next page for further definitions). 2. Title each chapter or section as soon as you finish it, especially if the text does not provide headings for chapters or sections. 3. Make a list of vocabulary words on a back page or the inside back cover. Possible ideas for lists include the author's special jargon and new, unknown, or otherwise interesting words.
COMPLETE THE CHART AS YOU READ NAME TITLE (please underline) AUTHOR S NAME 1 2 3 CHRONOLOGY OF MAJOR EVENTS Consider Freytag s Pyramid for stages of plot: exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and denouement. Highlight the box that represents the story s climax. The climax refers to a decisive moment or a turning point in the plot at which the rising action turns into falling action. The situation for the protagonist often shifts at this point. 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 THEMES PRESENT A THEME IS a central idea present in a work of literature. A novel can have more than one theme. A THEME IS NOT a topic i.e. love. Rather, ask yourself what the author is saying about the topic THAT IS A THEME. Consider the author s social/political/psychological/ philosophical beliefs. Example: Sometimes a sacrifice is necessary for the good of others - Where the Red Fern Grows PROTAGONIST Refers to the character facing a problem or an obstacle (person or thing) that needs to be solved/overcome. Decide who the protagonist is, describe him or her, and identify the problem or obstacle he or she is facing. ANTAGONIST Refers to the character who gets in the protagonist s way, making it difficult for the protagonist to reach some goal. Decide who or what the antagonist is, describe the antagonist, and identify specific ways the antagonist interferes with the protagonist. SETTING The setting of a literary work includes its time period, location, and general atmosphere. CONFLICT Refers to struggles between opposing forces. Consider internal and external conflicts.
POINT OF VIEW Refers to the mode of narration an author employs and includes: First- Person, Second-Person, Third- Person Objective, Third-Person Limited, Third Person Omniscient, and Stream of Consciousness. Research these definitions to correctly identify your novel s POV. Identify any shifts (changes) in POV. LITERARY TECHNIQUES Literary techniques vary from writer to writer. They are used to convey themes in literary works. LITERARY TECHNIQUE TEXT-BASED EVIDENCE W/CITATION SIGNIFICANCE/EFFECT Allusion a brief and indirect reference to a person, place, thing, or idea of historical, cultural, literary, or political significance Diction style of speaking or writing determined by the choice of words a speaker or author employs Foil a character that shows qualities that are in contrast with the qualities of another character in order to emphasize the trait of the other character EX: Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde Foreshadowing the author s use of clues to hint at what the outcome is Imagery descriptive words that appeal to one or more of the senses: sight, taste, touch, smell, sound Irony (verbal, situational, dramatic) used to emphasize the contrast between reality and expectation. VI is used when what one says is not what he means. SI is when the outcome of a situation is contrary to what is expected. DI is when the audience/readers know something the characters do not.
LITERARY TECHNIQUE TEXT-BASED EVIDENCE W/CITATION SIGNIFICANCE/EFFECT Symbolism the use of symbols to represent ideas or qualities that extend beyond their literal sense EX: American flag represents freedom and patriotism Tone the attitude of the writer towards the subject matter S Write down quotes that convey significance to the novel (consider theme, symbolism, conflict, etc.). Document the page number at the end of your quote in parentheses (12). Consider the author s intended effect/purpose behind the quote. Does the quote represent a recurring idea/theme/etc.? How does the quote contribute to the plot?
INVESTIGATE FURTHER: In the space below, select ONE of the following prompts to address in a welldeveloped short essay. Use additional paper as needed. 1. Research the background of the author and describe connections between him/her and the novel. 2. Write a letter to the author offering positive and negative critiques of the book, concluding with advice on how the novel could have been better. 3. Write a prologue, epilogue, or bonus chapter for the novel.