9th Grade MANDATORY Summer Reading Assignment
Please see below for the guidelines for your English I summer reading assignment. It is important that as
you enter your high school career, you understand the academic expectations and standards to which you
will be held.
Assignment: Read SE Hinton’s The Outsiders. The novel is available at public libraries and is even on the
media center’s virtual library page. This is a great coming-of-age novel* where two rival groups face class
conflicts, deal with family dynamics, and learn what it means to have honor. You have two tasks to complete
with your reading:
Part A: As you read, identify textual evidence that corresponds to the literary elements listed. Please include
the quote, the page number, and commentary on that quote. Your commentary should be a description of
how the evidence fits the definition of the literary element and what this quote shows in regards to the
book’s coming-of-age theme. (60 points)
Part B: Research two current event articles that relate to the novel in some way. First, properly cite the
article in MLA format. Then, summarize the article. Finally, explain how the articles connect to the novel. (40
points)
Need help with MLA format? Check out https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/01/
Both portions of the assignment are due August 24th, two weeks following the first day of school. Students
who submit their assignments on the first day of school will receive bonus points on the assignment.
*Definition of coming-of-age (as defined by Encarta)
1. the reaching of the official age of adulthood and legal responsibility
2. the reaching of an advanced stage of development
PART A
Literary Device/Term
Symbol: Anything (object,
animal, event, person, or
place) that represents itself
but also stands for something
else on a figurative level
Simile: A comparison of two
different things or ideas
using the words like or as
Metaphor: A comparison
between two unlike things in
which one thing is spoken of
as if it were another
Personification: A figure of
speech that gives human
qualities to an animal, object,
or idea
Hyperbole: Exaggeration
used to suggest strong
emotion or create a comic
effect
Tone: A writer’s or speaker’s
attitude toward the subject,
character, or audience
Mood: The atmosphere or
Textual Evidence (quote or
paraphrase)
Page Number
Commentary
general feeling in a literary
work
Theme: A writer’s central
idea or main message about
life
Irony: When something
turns out to be quite
different from what is
expected
Allusion: References made
to a well-known person,
event, or place from history,
music, art, or another literary
work
Imagery: The descriptive or
figurative language used to
create images or pictures in a
reader’s mind
Internal Conflict: A
character struggles between
opposing needs or desires or
emotions within his or her
own mind
External Conflict: A
character struggles against
an outside force
PART B (Refer to https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/01/ if you need help with citations.)
Article Title
MLA Citation
Summary
Connection to Novel