English III Honors Summer Reading
Hello! My name is Mrs. Broom, and I am so excited to be your English III Honors teacher next year! I know we are going to have a great year. Below is your summer reading assignment. Read it over soon. Start it soon. This will allow you plenty of time to clear up any questions you may have. Please email me at if you have any questions. Have a fabulous summer! Happy reading!
Assignment 1:
Self Select Novel
Choose a book of your own that you wish to read. It should be an adult novel that you have not read for school before. If you are not sure what you would like to read, think about the types of movies you like to watch. Think about novels you have enjoyed in class—perhaps you would like to read something by the same author. You may not read books in a series, young adult novels, or Nicholas Sparks novels (I enjoy these too from time to time, but they lack, what we will call, literary merit). Research the synopsis of any book before you purchase or read it if you’re worried about being offended by the subject matter. If you are not sure if your selection meets the requirements, please email me and let me know!
After reading, select one of the “overwhelming questions” from the list attached that you feel applies to your novel.
Come to class with a one to two page essay on how your chosen novel raises your chosen question, as well as any answers it may provide.. How does it change your understanding of the text? How does it change your understanding of life? Often, you will find literature simply raises more questions. If that is the case, outline how the author does so in your essay.
Within the essay I should see:
-MLA format
-a set structure, that should start with a thesis of some sort
-a well developed opinion
-evidence from the text
-the application of all writing and grammar rules learned in previous years of English
**The point of the essay is to give me an idea of your writing as we start off the year. Take the assignment seriously and do your best, but do not give me two pages of 10 letter words you found in the thesaurus! Write the best YOU can write. These will be graded according to the department rubric.
Assignment 2:
The Scarlet Letter
For your second assignment, you should read the first four chapters of The Scarlet Letter. This will be a dense read—perhaps the most difficult of your high school career thus far, but it is a beautifully written novel that is an important part of gaining a “complete” education. You DO NOT need to read “The Custom House” (the introductory chapter to the novel), but you should read summaries and be familiar with its content. As you read, annotate for the following elements: character development, point of view, setting, mood, and details. While you are marking these elements, make marginal comments that connect the element to author’s purpose. Ask yourself, “WHY did Hawthorne do this?” What kind of emotion or reaction was he hoping to gain from the reader? How does it relate to something you may see as a working theme in the novel?
Tips for Close Reading and Annotating Texts
Annotate words, phrases, and passages that strike you. Perhaps you like an idea, a phrase, a character, or an image, or perhaps you are struck by a section of dialogue, or maybe you are puzzled or mystified by a passage. Underline, bracket, circle, or highlight any such item. Also, in the margins, make notations for: Questions that a passage raises for you Analytical comments – what you think about a passage? Summaries of what a passage is saying, connections that a passage suggests with anything else you have read, thought about, or experienced.
"I never know what's important. How do I do this?"
1. Finish reading a "chunk" (paragraph/page/chapter) before you mark
2. Be selective--Marking everything does not help. Too much on a page is hard to review and ascertain the important facts.
3. Use your own words--don't try to be fancy. Remember, this is for you.
4. Be systematic. Just marking without a system is the same as just highlighting an entire book. Circle new words, underline repetitive ideas, use post-it notes, or try a sentence or two at the beginning of the chapter to sum up the main ideas. Underline a word or phrase which puzzles you. Ø Circle a word or phrase you like. Perhaps you like the language, style, diction or image it evokes. Ø Mark visual images, grammatical patterns, or repetitions of words or images. Ø Once you discover themes, track them throughout the text. Ø Note figurative language throughout the text. Mark similes, metaphors, personification, and other examples of figurative language. Ø Keep a list of questions you encounter while reading; you may want to bring them up during class discussion. Ø Follow the passage of characters throughout the novel. You may want to choose a color for each character and mark passages/events significant to the development of that character. Ø Note things you like and dislike, what seems confusing or unusual, or what predictions or reactions you may make. Ø Make connections: I noticed that . . . Why does . . . This scene reminds me of . . . I now realize or think that . . . The setting is important because . . .
You do not have to use ALL of the suggestions; these are just ideas to help you get started.
The Overwhelming Question(s) addressed by authors
Ontological (of or relating to essence or the nature of being) Questions
What is the meaning of life?
How should I live?
How can I accept the idea that someday my life will end?
What does it mean to be a good person?
What is truth?
Am I brave, or a coward? Does courage matter?
Do the rewards of life balance or outweigh its pain?
Is man a creature of the earth or of the sky? . . . a child of God or a beast crawling in the mud?
How should people treat each other?
What do women/men want? How can the sexes coexist harmoniously?
How can man live in the ugliness of modern world without despair?
Why do evil and suffering exist?
How can we tell the false from the genuine?
Does my existence matter? (Do I dare disturb the universe?)
How can dreams affect one’s life?
Is following the rules of society (morality) more important than survival as an individual?
Can one’s insecurities be destructive?
Does one’s ethical standard outweigh the moral standard of society?
Is it right to resist or oppose authority?
How can one find meaning in life?
What is the responsibility of parent to child or creator to creation?
Can one recapture or relive the past?
What is the result of attempting to avoid the consequences of one’s actions?
How can one learn his identity?
How can one prevail against the pressure of his society?
Since Life always ends in death, how can it have meaning?
RECAP:
On the first day of school, you should:
-Have your analytical essay over your self select novel
-Have your annotations ready for the first four chapters of The Scarlet Letter
-Be ready to discuss/write/quiz over The Scarlet Letter