OCHS Summer Reading 2017
Extra Credit Book Projects
 You may complete up to 3 projects. Each successful project will earn a ticket that can be used for extra credit
points. One ticket may be used to add 5 points to a Transfer Task or Unit Test. One ticket may be used to add
10 points to a quiz. One ticket may be used to add 10 points to a classwork or homework assignment.
 Each project must be on a different book. If you’d like to do two projects, you must read two books. If you’d
like to do three projects, you must read three books. If you’d like to read more than three books, we
enthusiastically support your efforts, but you may not submit more than three projects!
 You may only complete ONE of each project. For example, if you select the Letter to the Author for your first
project, you may not do another Letter to the Author for your second project.
 All projects will be turned in to the library August 16-18, 2017. Do NOT bring them in to the school during
summer break.
 If you choose a book which has been made into a movie, you will only earn extra credit if your project
convincingly demonstrates that you read the text and did not only watch the movie.
 You may NOT complete projects on any of the following texts:
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1984
Antigone
The Awakening
Blackwater
The Boy in the Striped
Pajamas
Brave New World
Crime and Punishment
The Crucible
Death of a Salesman
A Doll’s House
Frankenstein
Great Expectations
The Great Gatsby
Hamlet
The Handmaid’s Tale
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Hatchet
Heart of Darkness
Holes
Into the Wild
Julius Caesar
To Kill a Mockingbird
Lord of the Flies
Number the Stars
Oedipus
Of Mice and Men
Oryx and Crake
The Outsiders
The Poisonwood Bible
Romeo and Juliet
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern
are Dead
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The Scarlet Letter
A Separate Peace
Tangerine
Their Eyes Were Watching God
Things Fall Apart
Touching Spirit Bear
Twelfth Night
Wuthering Heights
o Or any other text you
have previously
studied in any class in
elementary, middle, or
high school
 If you have any questions about whether or not the book you have chosen is acceptable for summer reading
extra credit, please email your assigned English teacher to ask!
Other rewards for your summer reading efforts:
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Participate in the Oldham County Teen Summer Reading Program through the public library. Just go to
www.oldhampl.org/srp.html and you can log the same books you are using for school extra credit. The public library has
goodie bags for all participants who log at least three books plus entries for prize drawings and tickets to special reward
events.

The OCHS Library also has prize opportunities. You will be entered for a prize drawing for movie ticket prize bags (each
bag contains two movie tickets and some movie treats) for every project you complete for OCHS and for every book you
log through the public library. This means if you do a project and participate in the public library summer reading
program, you will receive two entries for this drawing for each book!
OCHS EXTRA CREDIT PROJECT OPTIONS – SUMMER READING 2017
Letter to the Author – Write a letter to the author of your book. Paragraph 1: Talk about who you are as a
reader, how you chose the book, what books (genres, authors, topics) you typically enjoy. Paragraph 2: Discuss
what you liked best about the book, how it made you feel, any connection you saw between this work and others
you have read. Paragraph 3: Talk about whether the characters reminded you of other people or yourself; how
you would have reacted given the exact circumstances; how you feel about the characters; which character you
identify most closely with and why; which one you identified with the least and why; what two questions you
would ask the main character and why; what the character's response would be. Paragraph 4: Comment on the
devices the writer uses, e.g. dialogue, description, imagery, word choice, style. Did these devices improve your
experience with the book? Paragraph 5: Discuss the greatest moments of tension, emotional impact, or suspense,
for you as the reader. What are your thoughts about the ENDING of the book? Paragraph 6: Give your final
evaluation of the novel. Add a personal comment and question for the author as a kind of farewell.
Portraits – Create three portraits of different characters in the book. A portrait should NOT just be a printed
picture from the internet. You may draw, take your own photography, or creatively manipulate images to make
your own original portraits. Write a full (physical, emotional, relational) description for each of the three
characters using details from the book.
Interview - Imagine you are interviewing a character from your book. Write at least ten questions that will give
the character the opportunity to discuss his/her thoughts and feelings about his/her role in the story. Use what
you know about the character to write reasonable responses to the questions in the character’s voice. The
character’s responses should reveal personality, motivations, and results of key decisions the character makes in
the book. You choose how to present the interview (magazine, newspaper, online, video, radio).
Diary Entry - Write 6-8 diary entries from the perspective of one of the novel's main characters. In the diary, the
character should talk about the major events (based on the plot) he/she has been through and the lessons the
character has learned from these events and changes he/she has gone through. The character should also talk
about how the resolution of the story (ending) has influenced him/her. The lessons or other commentary should
point to the book’s overall message or meaning. Remember that the character's thoughts and feelings are very
important in a diary.
Sketches - Make a series of sketches highlighting least three different scenes in the book and label them. Include
a brief written description of each that thoroughly explains what plot events are pictured in the sketch, what
characters are in the sketch, and why the scene pictured in the sketch is significant to the book as a whole.
Book Talk – Prepare and deliver a brief (about 1 minute), detailed book talk to entice others to read the book,
but avoid spoilers. Expect to answer questions about your book posed by your teacher and/or classmates; your
answers should prove you read the book. You will turn in a notecard (or a couple notecards) that outlines your
planned book talk. Teachers will schedule these talks during the first semester at their convenience. You must be
ready to present when called on in order to receive credit. Note that it is helpful to have the book with you during
book talks!
Disclaimer:
Teachers will not award extra credit points to projects that do not meet the full description OR that
do not prove you read the book.