Summer Reading 2016 Books & Topics General Requirements: Choose the books and topics according to your placement in the rising grade (college preparatory, honors, AP). Prepare to write an essay or do a project on the assigned reading. You will be asked to present your reading notes or marginalia in class on the first day of school (10% of your summer reading grade). Credit for the essay or project is not to exceed 10% of the first quarter grade. Reading Notes: Reading notes are those notes that the student takes intermittently during or after the reading. Those notes may be in a notebook, on notecards, or word document. Notes are not to come from any outside source (such as SparkNotes). They are to come solely from the student s individual reading. Marginalia: Marginalia are those notes that the student makes in the text as the student is reading. They include underlining or highlighting as well as notes made in the margins (or on post-its ) commenting on what is underlined. No substitutions, please. The summer reading books are part of the curriculum. Students may be asked to integrate what they have read in the summer with what they will read during the academic year. All students are reminded that they are subject to the Honor Code, and thus that they must read the works assigned without consulting any outside source, internet guides, or summaries. Students are not to use abridgements. Rising 9 th Rising 10 th Rising 11 th Rising 12 th
Rising 9 th Ancient and Medieval Literature The Epic of Gilgamesh, trans. Stephen Mitchell The Epic of Gilgamesh introduces us to the way in which the ancient Mesopotamians perceived their world and universe. As with many ancient tales, we come to understand their values and culture through the prism of a heroic tale. The Epic of Gilgamesh, like many heroic yarns, recounts the journeys and transformation of a hero. The hero moves outside of his normal society into an unknown world and confronts new and fantastic challenges. How the hero changes, what he learns, and why this is important become central questions that allow the reader to evaluate not just the hero but his culture and the human condition. The hero, like Gilgamesh, represents his society, but the tests change and force the hero to look at these cultural values in a new way. The universal themes embedded in Gilgamesh s story help us recognize the stirrings of human civilization, and the tale s magical quality reminds us that historical thinking always entails the study of practically another world. Prepare reading notes or marginalia in order to write about one of the following essay questions: 1. How does Gilgamesh change throughout the epic, and what does he learn? 2. What does the story say about the human condition? Ancient and Medieval History Ramayana (Entire work), trans. William Buck The Ramayana is one of Hinduism s central sacred texts. There are many Ramayanas, yet the one you will read is the canonical one. It is also a love story, a road story, a there and back again set in Ancient India, real to many, mythical to others. Carefully read the story highlighting and composing margin notes as appropriate focusing on the primary elements of the Ramayana as a story its characters, the many settings, the twists and turns of the plot. Be prepared to discuss the lessons you take away from the tale and the possible lessons Indians, both Ancient and Modern, may derive from the work.
Rising 10 th World Literature Honors Dostoevsky, Fyodor. Crime and Punishment, trans. Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky Crime and Punishment follows its tortured central character, Raskolnikov, as he commits a horrific crime and then must live in the aftermath of that act. Prepare reading notes or marginalia in order to write about one of the following essay questions: 1. Consider Crime and Punishment as a finely wrought detective story, and prepare notes for an essay that explores the relationship between Raskolnikov and Porfiry. 2. Consider Crime and Punishment as an exploration into Raskolnikov s conscience. How does his conscience evolve? World Literature College Preparatory Gaarder, Jostein. Sophie s World In large part, Sophie s World is an epistolary novel. In an epistolary novel, the exchange of letters develops both plot and character. In this particular novel, the letters, written to solve the mystery of Hilde, apply philosophical concepts to concrete, real problems. Sophie learns about a different philosopher and his philosophical concepts in each chapter. Do text marking of the book and prepare brief summaries (no fewer than three well-developed sentences) of each chapter. This assignment will be due on the first day of class and will be followed by a project on the book. European History, College Prep and Advanced Placement A Perfect Red (College prep and AP: entire work), Amy Butler Greenfield Carefully read A Perfect Red highlighting and preparing margin notes through the text considering especially how the author uses documentary evidence to support the telling of the story of color in European culture, society, and economy. In addition to margin notes, students should take reading notes and be prepared to discuss and differentiate examples of her use of primary (an original information source) and secondary (other scholarly writing) sources.
Rising 11 th American Literature Advanced Placement Warren, Robert Penn. All the King s Men Please enjoy reading what The New York Times calls the definitive novel about American politics. But even if you are not interested in politics, you will be fascinated by Warren s depiction of the forces that drive those in power. Prepare reading notes or marginalia in order to write about one of the following essay questions: 1. Is this novel an apology for the necessity of political corruption? 2. Although Jack Burden narrates the story, some readers might feel that Willie Stark is actually the main character, as events of the novel revolve around him. Consider Warren s choice to construct the novel with two leading roles. What does he achieve with this structure? American Literature College Preparatory Steinbeck, John. East of Eden Steinbeck s birthplace also the setting for much of his fiction is Salinas, CA, about a five-hour drive from Reno. For that reason, you may feel quite at home when you read, in chapter one, his description of the surrounding mountains as full of sun and loveliness and a kind of invitation, so that you wanted to climb into their warm foothills almost as you want to climb into the lap of a beloved mother. The novel s conflict, too, will be familiar; it is a retelling of the Cain and Abel story of the Old Testament and presents the eternal struggle between good and evil. Prepare reading notes or marginalia in order to write about one of the following essay questions: 1. Consider the character of Caleb on as many levels as you can and discuss his complex function in the novel. Can it be argued that he is more a more significant figure than his father Adam? Take a position on which character you feel is more central to the novel s themes. 2. Continuing his thought that all Americans have somewhat the same tendencies, Lee, a character in the novel, explains,
We are all descended from the restless, the nervous, the criminals, the arguers and brawlers, but also the brave and independent and generous. If our ancestors had not been that, they would have stayed in their home plots in the other world and starved over the squeezed-out soil. (468) Consider the extent to which the novel serves to define and celebrate the American character. Is this a quintessentially American novel? United States History, College Preparatory Chesapeake (College prep: Voyages One through Five pages 1-364) James Michener Michener s sweeping history focuses on one small region: the Chesapeake. Yet this work weaves themes throughout that you will recognize during our study of U.S. History. Start reading this book early as Chesapeake covers much ground. As you read, prepare margin notes and/or reading notes focusing on the different families and their interactions as well as the themes Michener dwells on. Students should be prepared for a discussion during the first week of classes comparing the values of native people to the values of the European settlers focusing on similarities and differences. Chesapeake (AP: entire work) James Michener Michener s sweeping history focuses on one small region: the Chesapeake. Yet this work weaves themes throughout that you will recognize during our study of U.S. History. Start reading this book early as Chesapeake covers much ground. As you read, prepare margin notes focusing on the different families and their interactions as well as the themes Michener dwells on. Students should be prepared for a discussion comparing the values of native people to the values of the European settlers focusing on similarities and differences. In addition, students should answer the following three questions for ONE Voyage (chapter) of their choice: 1. What is the main theme or focus of your Voyage? 2. What stories does Michener use to explain his theme or focus in your chosen Voyage? 3. What is one strength and one weakness of your chosen Voyage (how is Michener effective or not in telling his story)? These responses will be collected during the first week of class. AP Biology Shubin, Neil. Your Inner Fish: A Journey into the 3.5-Billion-Year History of the Human Body Shubin ties together most of the concepts taught in the AP Biology course by supporting the overall concept of evolution in a tangible, relevant, and mechanistic way. Prepare one
paragraph summaries of each chapter; this assignment will be due on the first day of class and will be followed by in-class discussion of the book.v
Rising 12 th British Literature Advanced Placement Woolf, Virginia. To the Lighthouse Woolf s novel employs stream of consciousness, a narrative mode that reveals a character s thought processes. Prepare reading notes and/or marginalia to address the following question: How does this particular narrative mode both complicate and contribute to our understanding of the Ramsays? British Literature College Preparatory E. M. Forster. A Passage to India Students should prepare reading notes and/or marginalia that address the following subjects What is the meaning of friendship in this novel? What are the factors that make friendship difficult? How do the British see Indians, and how do they see themselves? How do Indians see the British, and how do they see themselves? These notes and/or marginalia will help students write an essay on the topic of Dr. Aziz and Cyril Fielding s friendship. Government and International Affairs - Senior Seminar Joseph J Ellis, American Creation: Triumphs and Tragedies of the Republic Joseph Ellis is a prize-winning author who focuses on American history during the Revolutionary period. In 11 th grade we read an excerpt from Founding Brothers, the book for which he won a Pulitzer Prize. In American Creation, Ellis considers that crucial moment during the last years of the eighteenth and early years of the nineteenth centuries when a group of men grappled with the crucial questions vital to crafting a nation. He chronicles their achievements and their failures leaving us with much to discuss about our nation s foundations. As you read through the text please annotate, underline, and/or highlight important points in your text. You will use these annotations for discussion and for writing your first position paper. In addition, please respond to the following questions/prompts for the book:
1. What is Ellis thesis? 2. How does Ellis support his thesis (is he relying heavily on primary sources, is he responding to other historians claims, is he focusing on specifics or is he painting a grander picture)? Please give at least three specific ways in which he supports his thesis 3. Strengths/weaknesses of the book Give your best effort as you compile your responses, as you will be graded on your ability to engage with the reading rather than on whether or not your response is correct. I will be collecting these one-page responses during during the first week of class. AP Biology Shubin, Neil. Your Inner Fish: A Journey into the 3.5-Billion-Year History of the Human Body Shubin ties together most of the concepts taught in the AP Biology course by supporting the overall concept of evolution in a tangible, relevant, and mechanistic way. Prepare one paragraph summaries of each chapter; this assignment will be due on the first day of class and will be followed by in-class discussion of the book.