Summer Reading Assignment– English I
Due: First day of class
You are to read either:
(1) The Other Wes Moore by Wes Moore
- or -
(2) Ellen Foster by Kaye Gibbons.
As you read the novel, keep a journal (take in-depth notes) on the choices made
by the main character(s).
If you choose to read Ellen Foster, focus on Ellen’s choices. If you choose to read
The Other Wes Moore, focus on both men (boys) named Wes Moore. You will
complete the following for your journals:
1. What major life decisions does the main character(s) make throughout the
novel? Find a quote and cite at least 6 specific decisions.
a. How does each decision and choice affect that person’s life, destiny,
and the lives and destinies of others?
2. How do the decisions made by his or her family affect the life and destiny of
the main character(s)? Find quotes from the text and cite them (however
many you can find from the reading).
It is important that you write down important quotations from the novel that help
illustrate the nature of these decisions and choices and their effect on the
characters’ destinies.
Be sure to write down chapter numbers as well as specific page numbers for
each incident and quotation. Refer to the attached rubric to see the
expectations for the assignment.
You will use the journal to help compose your first essay for English class.
For questions over the summer, please e-mail Ms. DeMaio
([email protected]) or Mrs. Kobylarz ([email protected])
The Other Wes Moore by Wes Moore
The chilling truth is that his story could have been mine. The tragedy is that my story could have been
his. Two kids named Wes Moore were born blocks apart within a year of each other. Both grew up
fatherless in similar Baltimore neighborhoods and had difficult childhoods; both hung out on street
corners with their crews; both ran into trouble with the police. How, then, did one grow up to be a
Rhodes Scholar, decorated veteran, White House Fellow, and business leader, while the other ended up
a convicted murderer serving a life sentence? Wes Moore, the author of this fascinating book, sets out
to answer this profound question. In alternating narratives that take readers from heart-wrenching
losses to moments of surprising redemption, The Other Wes Moore tells the story of a generation of
boys trying to find their way in a hostile world.
“Startling and revelatory . . . a rocketing real-life narrative.”—Baltimore Sun
“A moving book . . . a call to arms.”—Chicago Tribune
“This intriguing narrative is enlightening, encouraging, and empowering. Read these words,
absorb their meanings, and create your own plan to act and leave a legacy.”—Tavis Smiley,
from the Afterword
“Inspiring . . . a story for our times.”—Alex Kotlowitz, author of There Are No Children Here
Ellen Foster by Kaye Gibbons
“When I was little I would think of ways to kill my daddy. I would figure out this or that way and
run it down and run it down through my head until it got easy.” So it begins the tale of Ellen
Foster, the brave and engaging heroine of Kaye Gibbon's much acclaimed first Novel. The story
of an eleven-year-old orphan, driven to desperation by some of the wickedest relatives in
literary history, this is the story of her battle for survival. Wise, funny and affectionate. Having
suffered abuse and misfortune for much of her life, a young child searches for a better life and
finally gets a break in the home of a loving woman with several foster children.
"Ellen Foster is a southern Holden Caulfield, tougher perhaps, as funny. . . . A breathtaking first
novel." —Walker Percy
"The story of a redoubtable girl who overcomes adversity with humor, spunk, and
determination, Kaye Gibbons's first novel is a work of considerable subtlety and intellectual
sophistication. A terrific book." —Jonathan Yardley, The Washington Post Book World
"Filled with lively humor, compassion and integrity . . . Ellen Foster may be the most
trustworthy character in recent fiction." —Alice Hoffman, The New York Times Book Review
JOURNAL GRADING RUBRIC
SPECIFIC
CHOICES MADE
BY MAIN
CHARACTER(S)
(at least six)
EFFECTS OF
MAIN
CHARACTER’S
CHOICES ON
HIM/HERSELF
EFFECT OF MAIN
CHARACTER’S
CHOICES ON
OTHER
CHARACTERS
EFFECT OF
FAMILY’S
CHOICES ON
MAIN
CHARACTER
A
B
C/D
F
DETAILED WITH
SPECIFIC
TEXTUAL
SUPPORT
INCLUDING PAGE
NUMBERS AND
QUOTES
DETAILED WITH
SPECIFIC
TEXTUAL
SUPPORT
INCLUDING PAGE
NUMBERS AND
QUOTES
DETAILED WITH
SPECIFIC
TEXTUAL
SUPPORT
INCLUDING PAGE
NUMBERS AND
QUOTES
DETAILED WITH
SPECIFIC
TEXTUAL
SUPPORT
INCLUDING PAGE
NUMBERS AND
QUOTES
MOSTLY
DETAILED WITH
SOME TEXTUAL
SUPPORT
INCLUDING PAGE
NUMBERS AND
QUOTES
MOSTLY
DETAILED WITH
SOME TEXTUAL
SUPPORT
INCLUDING PAGE
NUMBERS AND
QUOTES
MOSTLY
DETAILED WITH
SOME TEXTUAL
SUPPORT
INCLUDING PAGE
NUMBERS AND
QUOTES
MOSTLY
DETAILED WITH
SOME TEXTUAL
SUPPORT
INCLUDING PAGE
NUMBERS AND
QUOTES
FEW DETAILS OR
LACKING IN
TEXTUAL
SUPPORT, PAGE
NUMBERS OR
QUOTES
LACKING IN
DETAILS,
TEXTUAL
SUPPORT, PAGE
NUMBERS AND
QUOTES
FEW DETAILS OR
LACKING IN
TEXTUAL
SUPPORT, PAGE
NUMBERS OR
QUOTES
LACKING IN
DETAILS,
TEXTUAL
SUPPORT, PAGE
NUMBERS AND
QUOTES
FEW DETAILS OR
LACKING IN
TEXTUAL
SUPPORT, PAGE
NUMBERS OR
QUOTES
LACKING IN
DETAILS,
TEXTUAL
SUPPORT, PAGE
NUMBERS AND
QUOTES
FEW DETAILS OR
LACKING IN
TEXTUAL
SUPPORT, PAGE
NUMBERS OR
QUOTES
LACKING IN
DETAILS,
TEXTUAL
SUPPORT PAGE
NUMBERS AND
QUOTES