Tampa Bay Christian Academy
Summer Reading Requirements for 2013
High School
Reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body.
--Joseph Addison
Why Summer Reading?
Tampa Bay Christian Academy knows that reading will increase students’ vocabulary, spelling,
and writing skills, as well as help students gain new perspectives on life situations. The more
reading people do, the more information they gain, and the better their reading skills become.
Reading is an effective means of preparing for standardized tests such as the SAT and ACT and
will ultimately help our students to succeed in college or wherever the Lord may lead them.
When Is Summer Reading Due?
The summer reading requirements must be completed by the first day of school. No late
assignments will be accepted. Your reading log(s) will count as a test grade for the first quarter
of the school year. High school students who register within one week prior to the start of school
must complete the required reading and log(s) and turn the work in by September 3, 2013.
This assignment is NOT optional. Students who do not turn in the work by the assigned day
will receive a zero.
Summer Reading Requirements:
English I
Read one (1) book from the following list: Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe, Watership
Down by Richard Adams, The Screwtape Letters by C. S. Lewis, or The Pearl by John
Steinbeck. Complete one (1) reading log, following the directions given on the next page.
English I Honors
Read two (2) books from the English I list and complete two (2) reading logs, one for each book.
English III
Read one (1) book from the following list: My Ántonia by Willa Cather, The Great Gatsby by
F. Scott Fitzgerald, To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, or The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
by Mark Twain. Complete one (1) reading log, following the directions given on the next page.
English III Honors
Read two (2) books from the English III list and complete two (2) reading logs, one for each
book.
READING LOG INSTRUCTIONS AND REQUIREMENTS
STICKY NOTES:
As you read, use sticky notes to mark passages that seem noteworthy. Each passage may . . .
 Present a conflict
 Provide character detail (maybe you agree/disagree with a character’s actions, or maybe
the passage sheds light on a character’s motives)
 Seem to foreshadow some future event
 Create a personal connection
 Remind you of a similar situation in another book you’ve read
 Cause you to question something
 Set a specific tone or mood
 Create confusion for you in understanding some aspect of the text
 Present an important symbol
 Include a recurring idea/action/event/theme/message
READING LOG:
Once you have read a few chapters, begin writing your reading log. To do this, complete the
following steps:
1. Open a blank document in Microsoft Word or some similar word processing program.
2. Set margins at ½ inch on all 4 sides (left, right, top, bottom).
3. Insert a table that has 4 columns and about 4 rows. (Go to Table, Insert, Table, click in
box.)
4. Label your columns (see example on back): Page#, Chapter, What the book says, What I
say.
5. Adjust columns, allowing more room for the “What I say” column. (Click on the line;
move the cursor over and the column will shrink or grow as you desire.)
6. Type passages in the “What the book says” column, noting the page number and chapter
number in the appropriate columns. As you type, the box will “grow” with you.
7. Type your reflection/response in the “What I say” column (refer to list above for response
ideas).
8. Save your work, and continue adding to your log as you read. Be sure to back up your
work.
9. To add new rows, simply click in the last “What I say” box and press the tab key; a new
row should automatically appear.
10. If you are unable to gain access to a computer, you may complete a neatly handwritten
reading log in the same format.
REQUIREMENTS:
Your reading log will be graded based on the following requirements:
 You must complete one (1) reading log for each book.
 You must have at least ten (10) entries in each reading log.
 Selected passages should cover the book’s entirety (you must prove you have read and understood
the entire book).
 Your reading log should be UNIQUE; it should include YOUR OWN thoughts and feelings about
the characters and events in the book; don’t be afraid to use 1st person for this assignment.
 Don’t go overboard; try to note only the most important, confusing, or noteworthy passages.
A NOTE REGARDING ACADEMIC INTEGRITY:
Students must complete this assignment without the help of any secondary sources. The purpose of this assignment
is to encourage the process of reflection. Thus, students can only “find the answers” for this assignment in their
own brains. Selecting random passages or merely summarizing the events that occur in the books will result in a
grade of ‘C’ or lower. Teachers are looking for your own unique reflections, not a “correct answer.”
Descriptions of Summer Reading Books:
Thoughtfully consider which book(s) you choose to read. Some of the selections on the list may include
objectionable language and/or realistic situations that may make some readers uncomfortable. We ask
that parents guide your student in his or her selection and encourage the student to complete the work
honestly and carefully. Students will have the opportunity to discuss the novels with the teacher and
fellow students when school resumes this fall.
English I
Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe is the story of Okonkwo, a Nigerian tribesman, who seems to have
the perfect life and family until, one day, he is exiled from his tribe. This classic work of African
literature is a study of a man’s life, as well as a look at the changes that occur when the white man comes
to Africa bringing with him a new god.
Watership Down by Richard Adams, a fantasy, follows a group of talking rabbits, who leave their home
when one of them has horrible visions of chaos and destruction. The group must find a new home and a
way to survive before it is too late.
The Screwtape Letters by C. S. Lewis is very different from Lewis’s Narnian stories in tone and
structure, but it bears the evidence of Lewis’s faith in God. A novice demon is tasked with tempting
humans. His Uncle Screwtape writes a series of letters giving him advice about the best way to pollute
men’s souls and steer them away from godliness.
The Pearl by John Steinbeck begins when a baby boy is stung by a deadly scorpion. The doctor refuses
to help because the family cannot afford to pay him. In order to save his son, Kino, a Mexican pearl
fisherman, searches for a pearl that could bring his family great wealth and luck. When Kino finds just
such a pearl, it seems to be a miracle, but the pearl comes with a terrible price.
English III
My Ántonia by Willa Cather is a picturesque, but harsh, look at immigration in America. Jim must
move to Nebraska to live with his grandparents. There he meets the Shimerda family who have just
immigrated from Bohemia. Jim becomes fascinated by one of the Shimerda’s daughters, Ántonia. Much
more than a love story, this is a tale of a hardy people who traveled to the American frontier in the 1800s,
looking for a better life.
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald is a strange and wonderful story of the mysterious Jay Gatsby
who throws luxurious parties at his mansion on Long Island, New York, in the “Roaring 20s.” But who is
Gatsby, anyway? And why does he stand on his dock each night and stare at a green light across the bay?
Catch the movie with Leonardo DiCaprio this summer, but make sure you read the book for yourself.
You’ll be glad you did.
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee is set in the Deep South during the Great Depression. It tells the
story of tomboy Scout and her brother Jem. Their father tells the children that “it’s a sin to kill a
mockingbird.” This songbird symbolizes the innocent people who can so often be mistreated by
unscrupulous people. A memorable part of this novel is the trial, in which Atticus Finch, Scout’s father,
acts as defense lawyer for a black man who is accused of raping a white woman. You’ll never forget this
profound and enjoyable story.
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain is the quintessential American novel. Freespirited, mischievous Huck Finn navigates down the mighty Mississippi on a raft with his good friend,
and escaped slave, Jim. Filled with hilarious adventures and memorable characters, this novel also
tackles important issues as Huck must decide whether he should conform to society and its conventions or
do what his conscience tells him is right.
Name
Summer Reading Log
Chapter Page #
1
5
3
32-33
3
50-51
4
65
5
85
7
120
8
137
Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor
What the Book Says . . .
“Look on the bright side,” said T.J. “’Jus
think of the advantage you’ve got.
You’ll be learnin’ all sorts of stuff ‘fore
the rest of us . . . .”
What I Say . . .
T.J. says this to Stacey, Cassie’s big brother. Stacey and
Cassie’s mama is a teacher, so T.J. points out to them that
they have an advantage over the other students. My parents
are both teachers, and, even though the pressure of having
my parents as teachers could be uncomfortable, I am really
glad that God gave me the parents I have. Also, T.J. is kind
of a messed-up guy later on in the book, so it’s nice to see
him being positive here.
In fact, . . . the county provided very
I think it’s funny that Little Man, Cassie’s little brother, is so
little and much of the money which
fussy about his clothes and cleanliness. Most little boys
supported the black schools came from don’t mind getting dirty; in fact, many of them love it.
the black churches. This information cut It’s not right that the county wouldn’t help to support the
deeply into Little Man’s brain, and each black schools, but they provide buses, books, etc. to the
day when he found his clean clothes
white schools. It shows how unfair things were for Cassie
splashed red by the [county] school bus, and her people.
he became more and more
embittered . . . .
Then I climbed into the softness of the Cassie was spooked this night by the mysterious cars that
bed. I lay very still for a while, not
came by the family’s home. Seeing the events from Cassie’s
allowing myself to think. But soon,
point of view, since she is a little girl, helps me to have a
against my will, the vision of ghostly
different perspective. Often things happen when we’re little
headlights soaked into my mind and an kids that we remember and that affect us our whole lives.
uncontrollable trembling racked my
This is one night that Cassie will remember forever.
body.
Mr. Morrison—“Ain’t never no reason The Logans’ family friend Mr. Morrison gives Cassie and
good enough to go disobey your mama.” her brothers a warning here. Nowadays parents seem afraid
The boys and I looked woefully at each to discipline their kids. I like that Cassie’s mom and dad
other and my bottom stung from the
would correct their kids when they mess up. I think I’m a
awful thought of Mama’s leather strap better person for the limits and discipline my parents gave
against it.
me. I was a pretty stubborn, willful youngster (still am a
little), and my parents disciplined me when I went too far.
But they only wanted what was best for me. I really
appreciate it now.
Cassie to Stacey—“What’s the matter
Mr. Barnett was REALLY rude to Cassie, but I think that
with you? You know he was
Stacey is right. We can’t control other people’s actions and
wrong!” [speaking of Mr. Barnett at the attitudes. We are only responsible for our own actions and
store]
attitudes. This part of the book builds the conflict between
Stacey . . . said gruffly, “I know it and the black families like the Logans and some of the white
you know it, but he don’t know it, and people who are prejudiced and short-sighted. I think things
that’s where the trouble is.”
are only going to get worse from here on out.
We had hoped against hope that Mama The Bible says, Be sure your sins will find you out. I can
would not tell [Papa] about our trip to
try “pulling the wool” over other people’s eyes, but God
the Wallace store or, if she did, that he always knows what’s in my heart. Cassie and her brothers
would forget what he had promised. We are in trouble again here because they disobeyed. Even
should have known better. Mama always though they had good intentions, they still did something
told Papa everything, and Papa never
wrong, and they get punished for it.
forgot anything.
Lillian Jean—“Ain’t gonna ‘pologize to I thought this part was really funny. Lillian Jean is a rude,
no n—r!”
mean little girl. I was kind of glad when she got her
Cassie to Lillian Jean—“You wanna be comeuppance. Cassie knocked the snot out of her!
bald, girl?”
9
10
12
155 Papa to Stacey—“You were born
Most of the families like the Logans are sharecroppers who
blessed, boy, with land of your own. If don’t own their own land. Here again, we see one character
you hadn’t been, you’d cry out for it
reminding another about how lucky he is. It’s important to
while you try to survive . . . .”
look on the bright side of things, especially when we are
tempted to feel sorry for ourselves for some reason.
171-17 August dawned blue and hot. The heat I thought this passage was beautifully written. The phrase
2 swooped low over the land clinging like “blue and hot” helps me picture the weather. The heat
an invisible shroud, and through it
seems to be alive as it “swoop[s] low” and “cling[s] like an
people moved slowly, lethargically, as if invisible shroud.” This last phrase is a simile. The author
under water.
uses another simile when she says the people move “as if
under water.” Again, I can imagine how the heat and the
people move because of the comparisons she makes. “As if
under water” is an apt comparison because people do move
slowly when they are under the water.
198 Papa to Mama—
This happens at the climax of the book. Papa is ready to
“They come here, no telling what’ll
defend his family no matter what. This part was really
happen, and I’ll use every bullet I got
exciting, and I was wondering what was going to happen
‘fore I let them hurt anybody in this
next.
house.”