Summer Reading 2013: The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton
7th grade, Mrs. Squires
The Basics:
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You will have a test over the book sometime during the first full week of class. We will discuss the test
in-class, where review materials will be discussed. All written work (see below) will be due on the first
full day of class. I will check your book for notes (see below).
This is the first piece of work (and the first few grades) that I will receive from you. You have all
summer to do it. You can guess what that means: don’t slack off. Put effort into your responses.
Consulting SparkNotes, CliffsNotes, or any other “-Notes” is an HONOR CODE VIOLATION.
The movie is significantly different from the book. If you rely only on the movie, you will not be able to
participate fully in the discussion, produce excellent work on the written assignments, or pass the test.
Focus questions to be discussed in class and on the test:
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In what forms does conformity appear in the novel? How does conformity affect identity?
What are the costs and benefits of conformity or nonconformity to a peer group? How do we measure
these costs and benefits?
How does a person's relationship with his/her peers affect the kind of person he/she will become?
How does the presence of a peer group affect our ability to construct our OWN identity?
Book Check (for a grade)
A large part of your grade will come from a book check. During the test, I will take your book and leaf through
it, noting what notes you have made in the margins. You will annotate your book while you read it. That means
reading with a pen in-hand, underlining important passages, keeping track of symbols, and writing notes in the
margins. You need to annotate*:
1.) Comments and thoughts regarding the above focus questions
2.) The way clothing, style, and appearance categorizes individuals and peer groups
3.) Examples of peer pressure, conformity, non-conformity, and identity struggles
4.) Allusions to other movies, music, brand names, or literature. Allusions are references to other pieces of “art”
or culture that readers recognize or are familiar with. An allusion can appear either directly or indirectly. For
example, a direct allusion is mentioning another rapper in a song; an indirect allusion is quoting another rapper
in a song. In The Outsiders, when Johnny talks about Gone with the Wind, he is referencing a book. He is
alluding to a piece of literature.
5.) Title for each chapter
6.) Any example of 1960’s slang
7.) Differences between greasers and socs
8.) A memorable quote at the end of each chapter in quotation marks with the page number in parenthesis.
*Please see the scanned documents below for examples of annotated work.
Written Assignment (for a grade)
You will type your answers to the following questions and turn them in for a grade on the first full day of
school. Answer them thoughtfully; your responses will help jumpstart our discussion. For EACH essay (2
total): Times New Roman, 12 pt. font, ½ page single-spaced. In other words, a very thoughtful, detailed
paragraph. DO NOT simply re-tell the plot.
1.) Contrast the effects that Sodapop and Darry* have on Ponyboy’s life. How and why are the two brothers
different? What makes them have such opposite attitudes? Who is Ponyboy more like? How do their actions
affect Ponyboy’s own outlook and approach to life? Use three quotations from the book with a page number in
parenthesis to support your answer.
*There was a mistake in an earlier document. The question said “Dally” instead of “Darry”. Darry is Ponyboy’s
brother, while Dally is a member of the gang. Please be sure to note this correction.
2.) What is your definition of an “outsider”? Why do you believe S.E. Hinton chose this title for the book? Who
are the “outsiders” in the book? It may seem like an obvious question, but it can have a complicated answer.
If you have any questions regarding the summer reading, you may email me at
[email protected].
I’m looking forward to seeing you in August! Enjoy the break!
Kelli Squires
Annotated first page and last page from Chapter 1 from The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton