Trinity Christian School 12th
​​
grade Summer Reading Summer 2016 Dear Trinity Christian School Students and Families: It has been a pleasure to get to know the creative and intellectual strengths of each of our students through the junior high/high school English program. ​
This letter describes the summer reading program for the 2016­2017 school year. Comprehensive high school testing becomes terribly important when it comes to college acceptance. Reading for understanding and appreciation is a skill which translates to every other academic area. Our desire is that these reading assignments will provide students with the opportunity to read a literary work of interest to them ​
as ​
well as a time­ honored classic chosen by their teacher. The goal this summer is to read for enjoyment as well as enlightenment. Trinity Christian School has higher expectations of our students and wants them to actually enjoy their reading. Please note that effort was taken to select a variety of books, including classics, biographies of inspirational Christians, and books by well known Christian authors. We encourage parents to be involved in their child's selection, and although these books have been recommended to be summer reading books by colleges and other Christian schools, we realize that not all the books may be deemed appropriate by all families. To this end, each grade level has a compilation of books specifically for each grade. The summer reading program requirements are attached. Provided is a list of books for each grade level as well as the requirements of the summer reading program in detail. Please call the school office if you have any questions. Have a wonderful summer as we look forward to a fantastic year. Blessings, TCS Secondary English Teachers ​
12th​
Grade ​
Required Reading Oliver ​
Twist- ​
by Charles Dickens Nine-year-old Oliver has spent his life in a workhouse orphanage, where he becomes notorious for daring to ask for
more food. Frustrated and hungry, he runs away to London, where he falls into the company of a gang of clever
pickpockets, including Fagin, Bill Sykes, and the Artful Dodger. Oliver's future looks uncertain, until a mysterious plot
against him is unraveled by the kind Mr. Brownlow. What will become of poor Oliver Twist? Student Choices The Grapes of Wrath ​
by John Steinbeck An American classic which tells a specific story of the Joad family in order to illustrate the hardship and oppression suffered
by migrant laborers during the Great Depression. It is based on facts about their struggles and the tenacity with which they
have braved them. All Quiet on the Western Front ​
by Erich Maria Remarque This war novel is actually an anti-war novel, tracing the lives and losses of a young group of soldiers caught in the brutality
of World War I. Gripping, realistic, and searing with a vision inconsistent with post-war German characters, this book
caused Remarque to receive death threats and to leave Germany to live and work in Hollywood. God's Smuggler- ​
by Brother Andrew As a boy he dreamed of being a spy - undercover behind enemy lines. As a man he found himself undercover for God.
Brother Andrew was his name, and for decades his life story, recounted in God's Smuggler, has awed and inspired millions.
This bestseller tells of the young Dutch factory worker's incredible efforts to transport Bibles across closed borders - and
the miraculous ways in which God provided for him every step of the way. The Hunchback of Notre Dame- ​
by Victor Hugo Before the huge crowd that packed the cathedral square, Esmeralda stood between two executioners. Suddenly,
Quasimodo, the hunchback of Notre Dame, rushed at the executioners and felled them with his enormous fists. He
snatched the gypsy girl in one arm and ran with her into the church. A moment later he appeared at the top of the bell
tower. Holding the girl above his head, he showed her triumphantly to all of Paris while his thunderous voice roared
savagely to the sky: "Sanctuary! Sanctuary! Sanctuary!" The Swiss Family Robinson- ​
by Johann David Wyss One of the world's best-loved stories of shipwrecks and survival, ​
The Swiss Family Robinson ​
portrays a family's struggle to
create a new life for themselves on a strange and fantastic tropical island. Blown off course by a raging storm, the family-a
Swiss pastor, his wife, and their four young songs, plus two dogs and a shipload of livestock-must rely on one another in
order to adapt to their needs the natural wonders of their exotic new home. Sense and Sensibility ​
by Jane Austen A work of romantic fiction, ​
Sense and Sensibility ​
is set in southwest England in 1792 through 1797 and portrays the life and
loves of the Dashwood sisters, ​
Elinor ​
and ​
Marianne. Trinity Christian School Summer Reading Completion Form This form and the two book reports/ forms are due the first day of class Point deduction for ​
each​
day late: ­10 from the summer reading grade Signing this form is an indication of a student’s good faith effort to read the text of the assigned novel in a close rather than superficial manner. Reading Cliff Notes, Spark Notes, Pink Monkey, Barron’s, etc., and or watching a movie version are NOT substitutes for reading the novel. Such activities do not qualify a student as having completed the summer reading requirement nor do they promote the growth in language and imaginative experience that we view as important for our students. The student must read the selected book this summer and not fill out the report based on having read or listened to the book in the past. Student name: ___________________________ Class: __________________________________ On my honor, I have completely read the unabridged text of the summer reading book listed below. ________________________________________ Student Signature and Date Title Date Completed 1. __________________________________________ _________________ 2. __________________________________________ _________________ For the parents: To the best of my knowledge, the information above is correct. _______________________________________________ Parent Signature and Date Every high school student is to read two books during the summer. *Required Reading* The ​
first book ​
has been chosen by the teacher. While reading during the summer, the students will keep notes as directed below. This note taking technique is a valuable tool their reading comprehension. The students will use their notes when they take the summer reading test and write their essay during the first week of school. The test and essay will assess the student's knowledge, comprehension, and personal insight on the book. The essay topic(s) will be announced in class. NOTE REQUIREMENTS: ​
All notes should be kept in a spiral bound notebook. ● Keep a character list o List the character. o As you read the novel, write brief phrases that identify those characters that you find important. o As you go through the novel, add to your character identification phrases. ●
Write a chapter summary for ​
each ​
chapter. o On the first line, list the chapter by number and title if the text includes numbers and titles. o On the next line, give each chapter your own brief descriptive title. o Now skip a line. o After skipping a line, write a 2­3 sentence chapter summary. Use only two or three well­written sentences to tell what happens in one chapter. DO NOT USE more than three sentences! Writing these chapter summaries is an opportunity to practice concise prose. o You will forfeit points if you write more than three sentences for a chapter. The required summer reading counts as one test score. Points will be deducted for completion forms and notes that are submitted late. The test score will be determined as follows: • Completion Form
10% • Notes 20% (see instructions above) 30% (written during the first week of • Essay school) • Test 40% (will be given the first week of school) *Student Selection* The ​
second book ​
is to be selected from the attached list. ​
Develop a READING LOG for this book ​
with a minimum of ten entries. Each entry shall include the following: ● The date of the reading ● The pages read ● Personal reflections from the student on the material read ● At least one direct quote from those pages The log may be typed or handwritten in a journal (composition book, etc.). Each entry must be at least one paragraph of between five and seven sentences. While the primary objective of these assignments is content analysis, please be aware that grammar and spelling errors will also be graded.