Summer Reading for New Bern High School
Summer 2015
Summer Reading for Honors English I
Farewell to Manzanar ​
(Jeanne Houston)
During World War II a community called Manzanar was
hastily created in the high mountain desert country of California, east
of the Sierras. Its purpose was to house thousands of Japanese
American internees. One of the first families to arrive was the
Wakatsukis, who were ordered to leave their fishing business in Long
Beach and take with them only the belongings they could carry. For
Jeanne Wakatsuki, a seven-year-old child, Manzanar becomes a way
of life in which she struggles and adapted, observed and grew. For
her father it was essentially the end of his life. At age thirty-seven,
Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston recalls life at Manzanar through the eyes
of the child she was. She tells of her fear, confusion, and
bewilderment as well as dignity and great resourcefulness of people
in oppressive and demeaning circumstances. Written with her
husband, Jeanne delivers a powerful first-person account that reveals
her search for the meaning of Manzanar.
Read the book at least one time. It may be beneficial to take
notes on such topic as characterization, plot, setting, and themes. Students should be prepared for a test on
the book the first week of class, and other assignments.
Summer Reading for Honors English II
Siddhartha​
(Herman Hesse)
Strong students are well-read. The College Board has stated that reading,
frequent reading, does more than anything else to improve a student’s score
on the SAT. Additionally, colleges need students who have read and analyzed
a wide variety of literary works. Therefore, in addition to the reading Honors
English II students do in class during the school year, they will read two books
for summer reading. This reading will help guarantee that the students
develop into accomplished and effective readers who can handle literary
works of increasing complexity.
The students will read ​
Siddhartha​
by Herman Hesse.​
This famous novel
​
depicts the spiritual journey of Siddhartha, the gifted son of a Brahmin, who
seeks enlightenment and self-knowledge. Distrustful of the teachings of
others, Siddhartha undergoes a series of experiences that over the course of many years guide him to
acceptance and understanding of himself and others.
As the students read the novel they need to keep a record of how the characters in the book impact
the character Siddhartha. For each of the following characters, the students need to write a six sentence
paragraph examining how the character influences Siddhartha. The students need to make sure that they
include details from the story to demonstrate their main points. The characters include Govinda, the
Samanas, the Buddha, Kamala, Vasudeva, Kamaswami, and the young Siddhartha.
Students will also read ​
Nectar in a Sieve ​
by Kamala Markandaya. This novel tells
the story of Rukmani who, as a young girl, marries a farmer through an arranged
marriage. Her life is one of struggle and hardship as she confronts the difficulties
of rural life in India. Yet she faces her challenges with love and commitment and
in the end triumphs over her harsh conditions.
The students will keep a record of how the characters in the book impact
Rukmani. For each of the following characters, the students will need to write a
six sentence paragraph on how the character influences Rukmani: Nathan,
Kenny, Puli, and Irawaddy.
Summer Reading for English III Honors
Death of a Salesman​
(Arthur Miller)
In English III Honors, we will study what it means to be an American
and how the definition of “American” has evolved as the nation has
developed into what we see today. This summer, you will be responsible for
reading Arthur Miller’s ​
Death of a Salesman​
, one of the definitive and
characteristically American works of the Twentieth century. Published in
1949, ​
Death of a Salesman ​
chronicles the life of Willy Loman after the Great
Depression.
In ​
Death of a Salesman​
, you will need to focus on the relationship
between Willy Loman and his family, while also considering how minor
characters influence Loman. As you’re reading, also think about how this play
discusses issues of socioeconomic class in the American society of the 1940s
and how it uses the technique of flashback to allow us to get inside Loman’s
head.
You will need to have the play read by the first day of class, regardless if you’re enrolled in the fall or
the spring. Our first unit in English III Honors will use ​
Death of a Salesman ​
as its major text, so not having
read the play will have serious implications on your ability to perform effectively in this class. Furthermore,
you can expect an assessment during the first week of English III Honors focused on the text of ​
Death of a
Salesman​
.
The play is widely available in libraries and bookstores, as well as from online book retailers such as
amazon.com. Summer Reading for English IV Honors
[Assigned Reading]:
How to Read Literature Like a Professor​
by Thomas C. Foster
[Assignment]:
Read ​
How to Read Literature Like a Professor​
.​
Note: There are two different
editions of this book, but changes are minimal. Either edition is acceptable.
Expect a test on the entire book within the first few days of class. After
reading, complete 10 of the activities outlined below ​
prior ​
to your Honors
English IV class. Your activities must include:
· ​
​
3 activities from Chapter 1- Chapter 7
· ​
​
3 activities from Chapter 8- Chapter 15
· ​
​
3 activities from Chapter 18- Chapter 26
· ​
​
1 “free” activity of your choosing from any of the chapter categories.
Please do not write volumes- be concise, yet thorough. Your assignment
should be typed. Note: while all of these activities request that you use
literary examples, you may use movies as examples for ​
some​
of them. Remember that your choice of
literary works and film are an indication of your reading background; please avoid multiple references to
Disney and/or the Harry Potter series.
Chapter 1 – Every Trip Is a Quest (Except When It's Not)
List the five aspects of the QUEST and then apply them to something you have read (or viewed) in the form
discussed in this chapter.
Chapter 2 – Nice to Eat with You: Acts of Communion
Choose a meal from a literary work and apply the ideas of Chapter 2 to this literary depiction.
Chapter 3: – Nice to Eat You: Acts of Vampires
What are the essentials of the Vampire story? Apply this to a literary work you have read or viewed.
Chapter 4 – If It's Square, It's a Sonnet
Select three sonnets (you may google “sonnet”) and show which form they are. Discuss how their content
reflects the form. (Submit copies of the sonnets, marked to show your analysis).
Chapter 5 –Now, Where Have I Seen Her Before?
Define intertextuality. Discuss three examples that have helped you in reading specific works.
Chapter 6 – When in Doubt, It's from Shakespeare...
Discuss a work that you are familiar with that alludes to or reflects Shakespeare. Show how the author uses
this connection thematically. In your discussion, focus on theme.
Chapter 7 –...Or the Bible
Read "Araby" by James Joyce (available online). Discuss Biblical allusions that Foster does not mention. Look
at the example of the "two great jars." Be creative and imaginative in these connections.
Chapter 8 – Hanseldee and Greteldum
Think of a work of literature (including film) that reflects a fairy tale. Discuss the parallels. Does it create
irony or deepen appreciation?
Chapter 10 – It's More Than Just Rain or Snow
Discuss the importance of weather in a specific literary work, not in terms of plot.
Chapter 11 –...More Than It's Gonna Hurt You: Concerning Violence
Present examples of the two kinds of violence found in literature (including film). Show how the effects are
different.
Chapter 12 – Is That a Symbol?
Use the process described in this chapter and investigate the symbolism of the fence in "Araby” by James
Joyce (available online). (Mangan's sister stands behind it.)
Chapter 13 – It's All Political
Assume that Foster is right and "it is all political." Use his criteria to show that one of the major works
assigned to you as a sophomore or junior is political.
Chapter 14 – Yes, She's a Christ Figure, Too
Apply the criteria given in this chapter to a major character in a significant literary work (or film). Try to
choose a character that will have many matches. This is a particularly apt tool for analyzing film – for
example, Star Wars, Cool Hand Luke, Excalibur, Malcolm X, Braveheart, Spartacus, Gladiator and Ben-Hur.
Chapter 15 – Flights of Fancy
Select a literary work in which flight signifies escape or freedom. Explain in detail.
Chapter 18 – If She Comes Up, It's Baptism
Think of a "baptism scene" from a significant literary work. How was the character different after the
experience? Discuss.
Chapter 19 – Geography Matters…
Discuss at least four different aspects of a specific literary work that Foster would classify under
"geography."
Chapter 20 –...So Does Season
Find a poem that mentions a specific season. Then discuss how the poet uses the season in a meaningful,
traditional, or unusual way. (Submit a copy of the poem with your analysis.)
Interlude – One Story
Write your own definition for archetype. Then identify an archetypal story and apply it to a literary work
with which you are familiar.
Chapter 21 – Marked for Greatness
Figure out Harry Potter's scar. If you aren't familiar with Harry Potter, select another character with a
physical imperfection and analyze its implications for characterization.
Chapter 24 –...And Rarely Just Illness
Recall two characters who died of a disease in a literary work. Consider how these deaths reflect the
"principles governing the use of disease in literature.” Discuss the effectiveness of the death as related to
plot, theme, or symbolism.
Chapter 25 – Don't Read with Your Eyes
After reading Chapter 25, choose a scene or episode from a novel, play or epic written before the twentieth
century. Contrast how it could be viewed by a reader from the twenty-first century with how it might be
viewed by a contemporary reader. Focus on specific assumptions that the author makes, assumptions that
would not make it in this century.
Chapter 26 – Is He Serious? And Other Ironies
Select an ironic literary work and explain the multivocal nature of the irony in the work.
Assignment adapted from​
http://www.newlondon.k12.wi.us/faculty/ccochranhager/AP%20Lit%20summer%20assignment%202.pdf
​