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ENGLISH
10 HONORS LIST OF REQUIRED SUMMER READING |
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| Directions: To continue the development of critical reading skills necessary for success, students entering the tenth grade level Honors English program are expected to read the following works during the summer. In September students will take an objective test on the reading. They will also write an essay. In preparation for advanced composition or advanced placement English in the senior year, students must demonstrate an ability to do close reading and analysis of literary passages, a comprehensive knowledge of grammar and usage, and an expansive vocabulary developed from the literature. | ||
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| Title | Author | Purpose |
| 1984 | George Orwell | Anti-utopian theme--literature as social criticism |
| I Am the Cheese | Robert Cormier | Character and plot development |
| The Catcher in the Rye | J.D. Salinger | Impact of 1st person narration |
Any additional piece of contemporary
fiction written by a woman--e.g., a work by Toni
Morrison, Amy Tan, Alice Walker, Margaret Atwood, Barbara Kingsolver,
Jane Hamilton, etc. Try to read something published after 1985. |
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| Although many of these authors' works have translated well into film, the movie is never a substitute for the book. Our interest as readers is not only in the story but in the way that the story is told. The written word holds the key to understanding. | ||
| One more thought: Advanced Placement English students, both past and present, recommend to those who follow that a familiarity with the stories of Greek and Roman mythology, with the stories and parables of the Bible, and with the legends of King Arthur and his court provides invaluable help in recognizing and understanding literary allusion. I recommend picking up a paperback copy of Edith Hamilton’s Mythology; it is easy and enjoyable and handy as a reference. | ||