2017 Summer Reading/Thinking Assignment
for Incoming 10th Grade Pre-AP English II Students
This is for ALL Pre-AP English II students, including students
already in an academy (AGS/ACS) or entering an academy pilot class.
Why do we have a summer reading assignment?
The key to being a great reader is to read extensively, and the key to being a great writer is exposure to
great writing. Reading is not something that we want you to do just during the school year; life-long
learners are also life-long readers. Summer provides time to enjoy uninterrupted reading and allows
students to digest ideas prior to discussing and interpreting writing techniques in class.
The Novel
Life of Pi by Yann Martel
OR
Beatrice and Virgil by Yann Martel
Yes, you have a choice. If you have already read one of the titles, however, please read the other. 
These books are available at most local bookstores including Half Price Books. If you foresee any
difficulty in purchasing a copy of the book, please talk to your 9th grade teacher before the end of the
year—we have a limited supply of copies that we can loan to students.
Why have my teachers selected these novels?
English II is based on world literature, so we’ve selected novels in which the protagonists explore
religions and, quite literally, the world. In Life of Pi, it just so happens that the protagonist’s mode of
transportation is a lifeboat and his traveling companion is a tiger. Beatrice and Virgil examines animals
(living, dead, and somewhere in the middle) and the impact of history upon the modern world. These
novels introduce some of the big ideas of our course: truth and fiction, heroes, journeys, storytelling,
culture, etc. Completing the summer reading assignment means you’ll be ready to jump into the
curriculum on Day 1!
The Assignment
Step 1: Read and enjoy the book!
Step 2: Create a booklet of five significant moments with explanations of why those moments are
significant. The significant moments should come from the beginning, middle, and the end of
the book.
What makes a moment significant?
That’s up to you as a reader/interpreter/thinker. Consider moments that:
 reveal a truth about a character, the theme of the novel, or life in general.
 indicate a major change in the character, plot, tone, etc.
 demonstrate the writer’s craft (consider major literary devices).
 strike a chord in you or grab your attention, for whatever reason.
What do booklet entries include?
Significant moment quotations range in length from one great sentence to a short passage (4-5
sentences). The explanation of a quotation’s significance is typically a solid paragraph of 4-8 sentences.
Please take a look at the samples below for guidance.
Sample Entry 1:
Significant Moment (+ page number):
“The sun was beginning to pull the curtains on the day. It was a placid explosion of orange and red, a
great chromatic symphony, a colour canvas of supernatural proportions, truly a splendid Pacific sunset,
quite wasted on me.” (124)
Explanation of Significance:
This image captures a personified sun in the middle of a metaphor, “pull*ing+ the curtains on the day”
like one might end a play. It’s interesting that what is real, nature, is being compared to something
imagined or make-believe like actors on a stage. In fact, there are several contradictions in the
passage. The imagery of a natural phenomenon, a sunset, is compared to man-made works of art like
drama, music, and art. The “explosion of orange and red” is also described as “placid,” meaning calm.
The narrator uses language to describe things merging together (curtains, a symphony, a canvas on
which brushstrokes exist together), while he is actually quite removed from the event. The layers of
the metaphor all end with the abrupt phrase “quite wasted on me.” On some level he realizes what he
is missing in life, but staying alive—survival—is his only reality.
Sample Entry 2:
Significant Moment (+ page number):
“The hippos. With those soft, flabby mouths of theirs they’ll crush your body to a bloody pulp.” (46)
Explanation of Significance:
Martel contrasts words like “soft” and “flabby” with more violent diction like “crush” and “bloody
pulp.” This is similar to his description of “cuddly” bears that can scoop your innards out with one
strike of the claw! The beginning of the sentence softens the reader and makes the hippo sound
lovable, but the second half of the sentence horrifies the reader.
Do you have any questions?
If you have any questions over the summer about this assignment, we want you to feel free to contact a
10th grade teacher for assistance.
Mrs. Webster: [email protected]
Mrs. Payne:
[email protected]
Mrs. Webster or Mrs. Payne may not be your English teacher next year, but either one can help you with
questions about the assignment.