Summer Reading 2008 - English V, Twelfth Grade

Choice Book:
Students should choose one of the following titles. DO NOT SELECT A BOOK YOU HAVE READ PREVIOUSLY.

Selections for Choice Books:

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
A moving account of an orphan’s struggle to find love in a heartless Victorian society.

Cry, The Beloved Country by Alan Paton
Two fathers, one white and one black, deal with the death of a son.

A Passage to India by E.M. Forster
An indictment of the British presence in India during the Raj frames this Novel.

Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell
It didn’t happen, but Orwell felt that political ideologies, such as communism, could destroy individuality and freedom.

Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen
A family in early 19th century England must deal with the social hierarchy and cultural mores of the time.

The Endurance: Shakleton’s Legendary Antarctic Expedition by Caroline Alexander
Shakleton and his crew of twenty-seven set out to cross the Antarctic but are stranded for two years.

Friday Night Lights: A Town, a Team, and a Dream by H.G. Bissinger
This book chronicles the 1988 season of the Permian Panthers in Odessa, Texas.

Angela’s Ashes – Frank McCourt
A masterful portrayal of a miserable Irish Catholic childhood during the 1930s.

All Creatures Great and Small – James Herriot
James Herriot recounts a series of adventures he encountered as a country veterinarian in Yorkshire before and after World War II.

Assignment:

An in-class essay the first week of class will assess effective application of themes in the story using quotes. As you read, be sure to identify three themes and jot down supporting quotes from the work for each theme (a minimum of three per theme). All quotes must be cited in correct MLA format. These notes will be part of your essay grade.

Works to be read during the academic year:

King Arthur’s Tales – selections
Short story selections
*Shaw: Pygmalion
*Lessing: The Fifth Child
*Haddon: The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
*Coelho: The Alchemist

* Students will purchase these titles on the textbook order form the first day of class.

If a student uses any sources other than the books themselves, the information must be correctly cited using the MLA format.

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