2013 Required Summer Reading
9th Grade English
In addition to reading Kite Runner, all students entering 9th grade must read and complete the
activities for the following novel:
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee ISBN: 978-0-06-093546-7
Through the young eyes of Scout and Jem Finch, Harper Lee
explores with rich humor and unswerving honesty the irrationality of
adult attitudes toward race and class in the Deep South of the 1930s.
The conscience of a town steeped in prejudice, violence, and
hypocrisy is pricked by the stamina and quiet heroism of one man's
struggle for justice—but the weight of history will only tolerate so
much.
One of the best-loved classics of all time, To Kill a Mockingbird has
earned many distinctions since its original publication in 1960. It has
won the Pulitzer Prize, been translated into more than forty languages, sold more than forty
million copies worldwide, and been made into an enormously popular movie. It was also named
the best novel of the twentieth century by librarians across the country (Library Journal).
HarperCollins is proud to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of the book's publication with this
special hardcover edition.
Excerpted from: http://www.amazon.com/
Additional Recommended Summer Reading
Work of Literature
Of Mice and Men
The Old Man and the Sea
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass
R:\PREP SCHOOL\Curriculum\Summer Reading\2013 Summer Reading\2013 Summer Reading Grade 09.docx
Author
John Steinbeck
Ernest Hemingway
Maya Angelou
Frederick Douglass
Remember:
 Always read over your finished work!
 Type your responses.
 Send your work through spell and grammar check.
 Times New Roman or Arial – Font –Size 12
 Put heading on top left of your paper
 Label each section (Before, During, After).
 Do not “share” any work with your peers.
John Doe
Teacher Name (leave blank for now)
English 9
19 August 2013
Before

Watch YouTube video about Harper Lee:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5N3_wsjW7AY

Read the Historical Context of To Kill a Mockingbird from the National Endowment for the
Arts – The Big Read website:
http://www.neabigread.org/books/mockingbird/mockingbird03.php

The novel begins with an epigraph:
“Lawyers, I suppose, were children once.”
Charles Lamb, 18th century writer
An Epigraph illuminates important aspects of a story by setting a frame of reference for
reading. The epigraph implies that lawyers are human, and it links the father in the novel
(Atticus) to the main character and speaker (Scout).

Write a lengthy (approximately ½ page typed) and comprehensive paragraph discussing the
similarities and connections among Harper Lee’s life, the historical context of the novel, and
the meaning of the epigraph.
R:\PREP SCHOOL\Curriculum\Summer Reading\2013 Summer Reading\2013 Summer Reading Grade 09.docx
During
Characterization is the way in which authors convey information about their characters.
It can be direct: an author tells readers what a character is like.
"George was cunning and greedy."
It can be indirect: an author reveals a character by portraying his or her actions, speech,
or thoughts.
"On the crowded subway, George slipped his hand into the man's coat pocket
and withdrew the wallet, undetected."
A character's appearance, behavior, interests, manner of speaking, and other mannerisms are all
part of characterization.
Methods of Indirect Characterization
Speech
What does the character say? How does the character speak?
Thoughts
What is revealed through the character’s private thoughts and
feelings?
Effect upon others/
reaction to others
What is revealed through the character’s effect on other people?
How do other characters feel or behave in reaction to the character?
Actions
What does the character do? How does the character behave?
Physical Description
What does the character look like? How does the character dress?
R:\PREP SCHOOL\Curriculum\Summer Reading\2013 Summer Reading\2013 Summer Reading Grade 09.docx

As you read and get to know the characters, complete a character chart for those listed
below. Select a minimum of three traits and a quote for each to support your analysis.
Character
Scout
Atticus
Dill
Jem
Boo Radley
Tom
Robinson
Mayella
Ewell
Trait/s
Method of
Characterization
Quote and page reference (#)
a.
a.
a.
b.
b.
b.
c.
c.
c.
a.
a.
a.
b.
b.
b.
c.
c.
c.
a.
a.
a.
b.
b.
b.
c.
c.
c.
a.
a.
a.
b.
b.
b.
c.
c.
c.
a.
a.
a.
b.
b.
b.
c.
c.
c.
a.
a.
a.
b.
b.
b.
c.
c.
c.
a.
a.
a.
b.
b.
b.
c.
c.
c.
R:\PREP SCHOOL\Curriculum\Summer Reading\2013 Summer Reading\2013 Summer Reading Grade 09.docx
After
To Kill a Mockingbird is called a coming of age novel because it traces Scout’s and Jem’s
realization of evil in the world and their loss of innocence. A powerful theme of the novel is the
coexistence of good and evil.

Write two paragraphs (approximately ½ page each typed): one about Scout and one about
Jem. Discuss how each discovers the nature of the coexistence of good and evil.
Incorporate specific references to events, dialogue, thoughts, and/ or actions and reactions
that reveal the character’s growing awareness.
R:\PREP SCHOOL\Curriculum\Summer Reading\2013 Summer Reading\2013 Summer Reading Grade 09.docx