Summer Reading 2016: Tenth Grade
Due on the first day of school!
Directions: Review both the non-honors and the honors option (on back). The honors option is open to all students.
Non-Honors Option
Step One: Select one of the following books to read over the summer.
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A Long Way Gone by Ishmael Beah
Set in Sierra Leone, this is a memoir of war through the eyes of a child soldier in Sierra Leone
First They Killed My Father by Loung Ung
The true story of a child who survived the Cambodian genocide
Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer
The true story of Krakauer’s ascent of Mt. Everest during the deadliest climbing season in history
The Sea-Wolf by Jack London
The fictional tale of a man stranded at sea who is rescued by a brutal ship captain and his crew
Endurance by Alfred Lansing
The true adventure story of Ernest Shakleton’s voyage to Antarctica, the last uncharted continent
In the Time of the Butterflies by Julia Alvarez
Based on a true story, four sisters rebel against political oppression in the Dominican Republic
Nectar in a Sieve by Kamala Markandaya
The fictional tale of a peasant woman in India, whose whole life is a battle to care for those she loved
Boys on the Boat by Daniel James Brown
The true story of the 9-man U.S. rowing team who compete in the Berlin Olympics in 1936
I Am Malala by Malala Yousafzai
The memoir about a fifteen-year-old girl who almost died fighting for her right to an education in Pakistan
Step Two: After you have finished reading your book, complete the Notice & Note Signpost assignment below. You
may type or hand-write (in blue or black ink only).
1. Select a passage where you noticed one of the following Notice & Note Signposts:
 Contrasts & Contradictions: When you’re reading and a character says or does something that’s
opposite (contradicts) what he/she has been saying or doing all along, stop and ask yourself: “Why is the
character doing that?”
 Aha Moment: When you’re reading and suddenly a character realizes, understands, or finally figures
something out, stop and ask yourself, “How might this change things?”
 Tough Questions: When you’re reading and a character asks him/herself a really difficult question, stop
and ask yourself, “What does this question make me wonder about?”
 Words of the Wiser: When you’re reading and a character (who’s usually older and wiser) takes the
main character aside and gives serious advice, you should stop and ask yourself, “What’s the life lesson,
and how might it affect the character?”
 Again and Again: When you’re reading and you notice a word, phrase, object, or situation mentioned
over and over, stop and ask yourself, “Why does this keep showing up again and again?”
 Memory Moment: When you’re reading and the author interrupts the action to tell you a memory, you
should stop and ask yourself, “Why might this memory be important?”
2. Copy this passage down on a sheet of paper (handwritten or typed).
3. Identify the signpost that is shown in the passage. Then, answer the question connected to that signpost (see
above.).
Step Three: Funnel Reading Assignment. You may type or hand-write (in blue or black ink only).
(Step Three direction on back)
1. Select the most interesting/most important/most memorable 2 pages in the novel that you think help develop the
central theme. Re-read these pages.
2. Identify the most important paragraph in those pages.
3. Copy this paragraph down on a sheet of paper (handwritten or typed).
4. Highlight / Underline the most significant sentence within your paragraph.
5. Write a theme statement for the book. Then, explain how your highlighted sentence helps develop your theme
statement for the book (write 2-3 sentences).
6. Circle the word within your highlighted sentence that holds the most significance to you and your understanding
of the central theme. Explain (2-3 sentences) why you chose this word and how it connects to your theme
statement.
Honors Option
Step One: Read ONE of the following books:
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A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens
“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. . .” This classic is a tale of love, revenge, and
redemption.
What is the What by Dave Eggers
Set in Sudan and America, this novel (based on a true story) recounts the journey of a 7-year-old
Sudanese refugee.
Then, read a SECOND book. Choose from the Non-Honors list on the front page or the other Honors book
listed above.
Step Two: Complete the Notice & Note Signpost and Funnel Reading assignments outlined on the front page.
Choose ONE of your summer reading novels for this. You do not have to do this assignment twice.
Step Three: Essay
Prompt: How do the changes forced upon the main characters change who they are on the inside?
 Write about a character from each of the books you read.
 Consider the ways in which each character changes and the ways in which each character
struggles with change in the society to which they belong.
Write a four-paragraph essay answering the prompt that includes the following:
 Introduction
 Two body paragraphs (8+ sentences each) using two quotes from the text in each paragraph.
o Each body paragraph should address a different novel
o Use TLQ (T= Transition; L = Lead-in; Q = Quote) and correctly cite all quotations using
MLA format
 Conclusion