English 9 Summer Reading Assignment Manlius Pebble Hill School ...

English 9
Summer Reading Assignment
Manlius Pebble Hill School
June 2013
Mr. Montas
Welcome to English 9! I hope you are enjoying your summer and getting recharged for
your first year in the Upper School at Manlius Pebble Hill. English 9 lays the foundation
for writing and studying literature in the Upper School. For that reason, we will give a lot
of attention to both your writing and to some major sources of literature in our culture:
the Bible, Ancient Greece, and Shakespeare. Your summer reading assignment
prepares you, directly and indirectly, for these core components.
Read one of the books from the list below. You have a wide variety of books to choose
from (both fiction and nonfiction), and you should read one that you believe you will
enjoy. If you are new to MPH, you may want to select Harper Lee’s To Kill a
Mockingbird. (Conversely, if you attended MPH in eighth grade, you may not select
Mockingbird.) If you go to the class blog (http://mphenglish9b.blogspot.com) and click
on the summer assignment there, you will find links to the Barnes and Noble
descriptions of these books. Then, follow the steps outlined below to complete your
summer assignment.
Sherman Alexie, Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian
Nujood Ali, I Am Nujood, Age 10 and Divorced
John Green, The Fault in Our Stars
Daniel Handler, Why We Broke Up
Homer Hickam, Rocket Boys
Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird
Anne Moody, Coming of Age in Mississippi
Jeanette Walls, The Glass Castle
Malcolm X, The Autobiography of Malcolm X
Markus Zusak, The Book Thief
Step One
As you select your book, look it over and think carefully about why you are choosing it.
In a paragraph (roughly 4-6 sentences), describe why you chose your book and what
you hope to get out of it. E-mail this paragraph to me (fmontas@mph.net) by Tuesday,
August 27.
Step Two
Read your book closely and write your reactions to it in the book. This is known as
annotating, or marking up your book. Annotating involves writing your reactions to the
book in your book itself, such as your reactions to the narrator, a character, conflicts,
themes, symbolism, imagery, words and phrases that stand out, and other literary
elements that you notice. You may also want to write down your emotional or
intellectual reactions to your book as you read it—your frustration with a character, your

anger with a plot development, your sympathy for a narrator, and so on. If you are
using a library book, you may record your thoughts on post-it notes or in a notebook. (If
you use a notebook, be sure to keep track of page numbers.) Your annotated book (or
your set of notes) is due the first day of class. For more about annotating, see the
following web sites, which are linked on the class blog:
How to Mark a Book (reflection and opinion)
How to Mark a Book (directions and instruction)
How to Do a Close Reading (from Harvard’s Writing Center)
Step Three
Respond to one of the following scenarios. Your response must be at least two pages
long in 12-point Times font, double spaced, with one-inch margins. It is due the first
class meeting of the school year, either Tuesday, September 3 (Day 1), or
Wednesday, September 4 (Day 2). As I evaluate your writing, I will look for five things:
that you can express yourself clearly, that you can support your points with evidence,
that your writing shows you can read for literary meaning, that your writing follows
standard grammar and mechanics, and that you can put all of these together in a
coherent piece of writing.
Option 1:
An older relative or family friend has recently written to you to catch up on
their summer, and has asked you about any recent books you’ve read.
Write a letter to that person about your summer reading book. Do not
summarize your book beyond a brief description of it. Instead, explain
what you liked and disliked about your book. Be sure to discuss your book
in specific detail and to use at least three direct quotes from your book to
illustrate or support your insights. As you explain your reactions to the
book, focus on its literary aspects, such as the narrator, the tone, the
imagery, characterization, setting, symbolism, and so on. What made the
narrator annoying or likable Was the tone sarcastic, nostalgic, hopeful, or
something else Did any imagery stand out Why Was there a
memorable theme or idea What did you take away from the book Would
you want to read another book by that author Remember, the letter must
convey what you THINK about these literary aspects; do not simply
summarize them.
Option 2:
Read More! is book review that targets teen readers. Its book reviews
appeal both to kids who love to read and kids who don’t by addressing
things kids care about in books. The editor of Read More! has reached out
to you for a book review about your summer reading book, and you have
accepted the assignment. Here’s the catch: The editor doesn’t want you to
write about whether or not the book was boring. Instead, the editor wants
you to focus on the three most important parts of your book that other kids
will want to know in deciding whether to read this book. For example, if

you think the book is too slow, why is it that way What is the author
writing about instead of action Characters Description Also, the editor
insists that your review include at least three quotes to support your
points. Lastly, do not write anything more than a brief summary of the
book; once again, focus on what kids need to know about the book in
order to decide whether or not to read it.
If you have any questions about the assignment, do not hesitate to reach me by e-mail
(fmontas@mph.net) or telephone (315 263 2231). If you email me, please put “Summer
Reading Assignment” in the subject line since I might not recognize your name or e-mail
address.
Enjoy the summer!