SUMMER READING IS IMPORTANT

The English Department recognizes the importance of continued reading for personal growth, pleasure, and learning.  As a result, the Department has established the Summer Reading Program for all levels of IC students, including the in-coming freshmen.  Below is a breakdown for all levels's reading selections and the Summer Reading requirements for that level.

Summer Reading Selections for 2011

English II (Regular)

During the summer, read The Hound of the Baskervilles by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (ISBN#978-0-486-28214-5 or ISBN #0-486-28214-7). Take thorough notes on each chapter and include specific details about characters, setting, and events of the novel.  NOTE:  Your notes will be collected on the first day of school for a grade.  Be prepared to take a comprehension test on the first day of school.  This test will determine how well you read, took notes, and studied.

English II (Honors)

During the summer, read George Orwell's 1984 (ISBN#0451524934 or ISBN# 9780451524935) and Sue Monk Kidd's The Secret Life of Bees (ISBN#9780142001745). 

Take thorough notes on each chapter and include specific details about characters, setting, and events of the novel.  NOTE: Your notes will be collected on the first day of school for a grade.

Be prepared to take a comprehension test on the first day of school.  This test will determine how well you read, took notes, and studied.

Write a paper that analyzes EACH novel (two papers total).  For each novel, you may choose to analyze one of the following:  symbolism, character development, conflict, or theme(s).  Papers must be typed and double-spaced, written in present tense and third person, and at least two full pages in length.  In addition, it is expected that you do an outline and at least one rough draft.  The final draft, rough draft, and outline will be collected on the first day of school.  You must hand in this work using a pocket folder, which we will use throughout the year for our writing projects.

FORMAT OF ANALYTICAL PAPER

INTRODUCTION:  Include an attention getter (rhetorical question, quote, very short summary, definition, or strong statistic), very short novel summary, author and title of the novel, and thesis statement with three points of elaboration.

BODY:  Provide at least THREE fully developed paragraphs that support your thesis, including specific examples (sentences or words from the actual novel) with thorough explanation for each reason.  Each paragraph should start with a topic sentence.  Whenever you quote from the novel, be sure to appropriately introduce the quote and cite it.  For example, the writer of this paper wanted to use a quote about Julia on page ninety-nine of 1984: Julia is seen as a stubborn character when she says, "BLAH, BLAH, BLAH" (99).  Notice the quote is introduced and the page number is in parenthesis at the end of the writer's sentence.

CONCLUSION:  Restate your thesis statement, including a brief summary of your main three points.  Also include your own opinion of the topic you analyzed (again, in third person).  Think to yourself:  Why was it important to provide this analysis?  What can one learn about the novel as a whole from reading this analysis?

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