Learning Support Summer Reading 1

English 9 Learning Support Assignment

Summer Reading Assignments are due on the SECOND DAY OF SCHOOL

(Tuesday, August 28th)

DIRECTIONS:

1) Choose one (1) of the 4 books listed below. You will notice there are 1-2

books for each of the thematic units we will be covering in 9th grade. Again,

you are to select only 1 of the 4 book options!! [You do NOT need to read

one book per thematic unit].

2) Please use your discretion and consider your own reading ability and reading

interest when making your novel selection. You are encouraged to read

summaries or reviews of these novels in your decision making process!

3) Complete the accompanying journal assignment after reading the

novel. There is no requirement to purchase a summer reading book; please

consider contacting your local free public library.

4) After completing the journal assignment, please review your work against

the rubric. This will be the exact rubric used to assess your journal once you

return to school.

5) Your notes will be used to develop your first constructed (written) response of

the school year. It is important that you take time to make insightful notes so

they can be used during the first few weeks of school during our writing

process.

NOVEL OPTION AUTHOR GENRE THEMATIC

CATEGORY

Defending Jacob William

Landay Thriller

Choice &

Consequence

The Uglies Scott

Westerfeld

Futuristic

Fantasy

Power &

Oppression

Speak Laurie Halse

Andersen Realistic Fiction

Growth &

Change

We Should Hang

Out Sometime

John

Sundquist Autobiography

Growth &

Change

Learning Support Summer Reading 2

Learning Support English 9 Assignment Focus

As stated above, your journal notes will be used to develop your first constructed

response of the school year. Your response will not be a simple summary of your

book, but rather an analysis of a character’s development throughout the work

and his/her overall effect on one chosen theme.

FOCUS: How does the growth of a character in a piece of literature assist in

developing the theme of the text? To answer this question, use your summer

reading book to complete the notes and questions below.

These notes will be developed into a graphic organizer and later a constructed

response.

Summer Reading Journal Directions

Each entry must:

List the specific page number of your example

Contain at least one COMPLETE sentence per entry in the explanation

section of your chart

Each journal section should be a combination of the codes below (each

code must be used once per section)

Journals may be typed or neatly hand written

Codes:

PL – Plot – Give an example of a major plot event that has happened

LE – Literary Element – Find an example of a literary element (ex: simile,

metaphor, personification, hyperbole, foreshadowing, etc)

C – Connection – Make a connection from your summer reading novel to

other literature or your own personal experiences

Q – Quote – Choose a quote from your novel which demonstrates either

the importance of your character’s actions or enhances plot

development. After your quote should be a sentence explaining why you

chose this particular quote.

T – Theme – What is an overall lesson or idea that is being shown

throughout the novel? Find an example from the text.

For questions about the Learning Support Summer Reading assignment, please

email Mrs. Briggs at jbrig@spring-ford.net. Please allow a few days for a response

if emailing over the summer.

Learning Support Summer Reading 3

Example Journal:

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Page

Number

Code Explanation (should be at least 1 complete sentence):

4

C Katniss’s world is divided into districts, each with its own purpose to

serve the government. This reminds me of how the people are

divided into factions in the Divergent series.

22

LE “But in District 12, where the word tribute is pretty much

synonymous with the word corpse, volunteers are all but extinct”

(Collins 22).

LE is foreshadowing because the author is hinting that tributes,

especially those from District 12, usually die during the games.

193-194

PL Peeta saves Katniss when the Careers try to kill her. It becomes

clear that Peeta was only teamed with the Careers for protection

and he’s actually loyal to Katniss, not them.

237

Q “They’ll have to show it. Or, even if they choose to turn the

cameras elsewhere at this moment, they’ll have to bring them

back when they collect the bodies and everyone will see her and

know I did it” (Collins 237).

Katniss is acting out against the government by decorating Rue’s

body after she is killed in the arena. She wants people in their

world to see how innocent and young children are dying for these

games. She is starting to turn into a rebel instead of passively

doing what the Capitol says even when she does not agree.

262

C Katniss cares for Peeta giving him food and protecting him during

the games. She takes care of him when he’s sick like my mother

used to do when I was sick growing up.

346 T Katniss refused to kill Peeta to win the games. Instead, Katniss and

Peeta pretend to eat the Nightlock berries to outsmart the

gamemakers and government.

Theme: Anyone, even ordinary people, can take a stand against

what is wrong.

Learning Support Summer Reading 4

Summer Reading Journal:

Name: _______________________________________ English Teacher(s): _____________

Which book did you read? ________________________________________________

Complete your reading journal in the chart below:

Start of the novel (1st third of the novel): The first THIRD of my book is pages ______

to ______.

Page

Number

Code Explanation (should be at least 1 complete sentence):

C

LE

PL

Q

T

***Journal Continues on Next Page***

Learning Support Summer Reading 5

Middle of the novel (2nd third of the novel): The MIDDLE of my book is pages

_______ to _______.

Page

Number

Code Explanation (should be at least 1 complete sentence):

C

LE

PL

Q

T

End of the novel (last third of the novel): The last THIRD of my book is pages

_______ to ________.

Page

Number

Code Explanation (should be at least 1 complete sentence):

C

LE

PL

Q

T

Learning Support Summer Reading 6

Novel Reflection Questions:

1. Determine which character grew and developed most throughout the

novel: (1 point) ___________________________________________

2. Explain how this character’s outlook (perspective) changed throughout

the text. (2 points)

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

3. What do you feel is the central theme from the text? A central theme is a

unifying lesson or overall idea that comes up throughout all parts of the

text. (2 points)

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

Grading Rubric:

2 points per reading journal entry (each entry is properly completed with

thoughtful explanations):

Part 1 Score: _____________ pts/ 10 total possible points

Part 2 Score: _____________ pts/ 10 total possible points

Part 3 Score: _____________ pts/ 10 total possible points

Total Journal Score: _____________ / 30 possible points

Reflection Questions Score: ____________ pts / 5 possible points

Total Score: _________________ points/35 possible points

Teacher Comments: