Summer Assignment for Incoming Sophomores
Read ONE of the books from the list on the back. You can get a copy from
local libraries, bookstores, or borrow from a friend. You can also check out
a copy from the Capital High School office in June or August. Questions?
Email [email protected]
Literary Analysis Questions
For your book, answer question #1 and then three questions selected from questions #2-5.
Each question addresses a different literary element.
1.
Conflict: Problem in the story that triggers the action
Types: man v. man; man v. nature; man v. society; man v.
self; man v. technology; man v. supernatural; man v. fate
Identify the type of conflict and which characters embody
each side. Also state how it was resolved or not resolved.
2.
Characters – A person or thing that acts in a story
Who was the protagonist (main character) of your book?
What was the protagonist's main weakness or flaw?
How did this character deal with this weakness, if at all?
3.
Setting – Time and Place of a story
Settings can behave like characters in books. What are five
personality traits that are exhibited by the setting in your
book?
4.
Point of View – Vantage point from which the story is told
What was the point of view in the book? Was it consistent or
changing? Evaluate if you think the author's choice about
point of view was the best possible choice or would another
one have been better? Support your answer.
5.
Theme – Main idea story is trying to get across to readers
Identify a theme from your book. What do you think the
author is trying to say about this idea?
Requirements:
Your paper should be typed in 12-point font or written neatly in ink.
This paper will be used to assess your writing and ability to interact with literature.
Bring it the first day of school; it is your first assignment for English!
And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie
Agatha Christie's most famous and acclaimed novel! Ten strangers are gathered together
on an isolated island by a mysterious host. They share the darkest secrets of their pasts,
and then, one by one, they die.
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
Set during World War II in Germany, Markus Zusak’s groundbreaking new novel is the
story of Liesel Meminger, a foster girl living outside of Munich. This unforgettable story
about the ability of books to feed the soul is about among other things: a girl, some
words, an accordionist, some fanatical Germans, a Jewish fist-fighter, and quite a lot of
thievery.
The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver
Clear-eyed and spirited, Taylor Greer grew up poor in rural Kentucky. But when she
heads west with high hopes and a barely functional car, she meets the human condition
head-on. By the time Taylor arrives in Tucson, Arizona, she has acquired a three-year-old
American Indian girl named Turtle, and must somehow come to terms with both
motherhood and the necessity of putting down roots. Hers is a story about love and
friendship, abandonment and belonging, and the discovery of surprising resources in
apparently empty places.
The City of Beasts by Isabel Allende
Fifteen-year-old Alexander Cold has the chance to take the trip of a lifetime on an
expedition to the dangerous, remote world of the Amazon to document a legendary
creature known as the Beast. Joining several others, including his guide's daughter
Nadia, Alexander is amazed to discover much more than he could have imagined about
the hidden worlds of the rain forest. Under the dense canopy of the jungle, both young
people are led by the invisible People of the Mist on a thrilling and unforgettable journey
to the ultimate discovery.
Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett
Celebrated humorists Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett co-wrote Good Omens , a
hilarious but thought-provoking story of the Apocalypse in which the Anti-christ is
switched at birth and an angel and demon team up to save the world. This book is laugh
out loud funny, but smart -- full of social critique and philosophical depth.
Maiden Voyage by Tania Aebi
Tania Aebi was an eighteen-year-old dropout. She was going nowhere until her father
offered her a challenge: either a college education or a twenty-six-foot sloop, which she
had to sail around the world alone. She chose the boat and for two years it was her home,
as she negotiated weather, illness, fear, and ultimately, a spiritual quest that brought her
home to herself.