English 11AP Summer Reading

2008-2009 School Year

In an effort to expose our students to a wider array of authors, to better prepare them for college entrance examinations and Advance Placement tests, and to enable them to advance their critical reading and thinking skills throughout the year, the English Department at Plainfield South High School has instituted a summer honors reading program.

For those students entering junior level English, a reading list of contemporary novels follows.  Students will select one (1) title to read and analyze.  Then, to develop a clearer understanding of the ideas, themes, and structure revealed in the literature, a modified dialectical journal is expected to accompany the reading. Before the end of this school year, their sophomore honors teacher will give 10th grade honors students the particulars regarding this journaling method.  The reading and journaling should be completed and turned in to their English 11AP teacher on the first day of student attendance. Please note students should purchase a stenographer’s notebook for their journals.

Additionally, because junior year will be spent analyzing literature through focusing on structure more than content, in preparation for the Language and Composition Advance Placement Test, it is necessary that students be very comfortable and adept at analyzing literary works. It is highly recommended, but not required, that any student that would like to improve this skill obtain a copy of How to Read Literature Like a Professor by Thomas C. Foster. This book will help establish what it means to read a literary work by helping develop the skill of analytical reading.

We will alert the managers of the local bookstores so that they know there will be a demand for these novels this summer. This information is also available in the English Department’s section of the school website (www.learningcommunity202.org/pshs/depts/english) and from a school resource page link.

Keep in mind that while the reading of one literary work is required for the honors program, we highly recommend that our students read as many of these titles as possible, as well as many others, over the course of their high school years.  It is our firm belief that the more our students read, year round, the better thinkers, imaginers, and culturally well-rounded individuals they will become.

Feel free to contact John Miller if you have any questions or concerns.  He can be reached at 815-439-5555 until school is out or by email at jmiller@learningcommunity202.org

Literary Selections (select one)
The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison
The Women of Brewster Place by Gloria Naylor
The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien
Object Lessons by Anna Quindlen

The Dialectical Journal - Modified Version

For this particular study of literature, a reading journal is required.  It is essential for this reading assignment that you take these notes for the journal as you read along.  Additionally, students must purchase a stenographer’s notebook for this project.

There is one rigid rule for the format of this type of journaling that you must follow - Take all of your reading notes on ONLY the right hand pages.  Leave the opposing pages blank for later. A good rule of thumb is one page of journaling for every 10-15 pages of text.

Ø The RIGHT hand of the page is for comments on the reading.

Ø The LEFT hand of the page is for comments on the right hand page.

OK - So, what do I write on the right hand pages?

Many different ideas can be expressed in your reading commentaries.  Here are suggestions for you to follow:

1.  Write at the times when the reading changes . . .

• you see something you didn’t see before.
• You recognize a pattern - overlapping images, repetitions of idea, details, colors that make a connection . . .
• You discover that the story is about something different from what you originally thought it was about.

2.  Write about something that puzzled you or confused you.
3.  Include details that seem important to you.
4.  Make connections to your life or the lives of others.
5.  Focus on the author’s use of style - Is there use of flashback?
        Is the dialogue authentic?  Are there shifts in point of view or narration?

Make certain you are specific in your observations and note the page numbers.

OK - So, what do I write on the left side of the pages?

1. Before you resume reading, review some of what you have written on the right-hand pages.  Take a

moment to reflect on this writing.
2.  Was there something that you misread before but now understand?
3.  As a reader ---

• What did I find I focused on the most?
• What did I find I cared about the most?
• Have I found myself sympathetic to the characters?  Why or why not?
• What has this author done to provoke anger, confusion, or greater understanding in me?
• Am I learning something new and different from this author that I could use to improve my writing?

These are suggestions for you as a reader, writer, and thinker . . . . . If there are any connections not included here that you find important, note them on the right side of the page and comment on these connections on the left side of the page.  Remember, this is YOUR journal!

You will be called upon to make use of your journal to write a short analytical paper of two to three pages in length when you begin the AP Senior Honors English course in the fall.  The more analysis you have at hand in your journal, the better analytical paper you will write.

     Source - The Journal Book - edited by Toby Fulwiler (1982)