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Book of Your Choice
by Book Author
Choose at least one independent reading book--something you have not read before--and finish reading it by the first week of school. This book can come from any genre you like! If you need ideas, check out this list from B&N or this list from the NYT. You will be asked to discuss your reading with your classmates and teacher.
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Book of Your Choice
by Book Author
Choose at least one independent reading book--something you have not read before--and finish reading it by the first week of school. This book can come from any genre you like, but it should match or slightly exceed your current reading level; we’re not talking about Green Eggs & Ham here! If you need ideas, check out this list from NPR or this list from the NYT. You will be asked to discuss your reading with your classmates and teacher.
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Read a Selection of Poems
by Book Author
One way you might acclimate to the course would be to read a selection of the following poems with these questions in mind: - “What is the story of America?”
“How do I fit into the story of America?” “What is the story of America from my point of view?” Read the following poems from the summer enrichment list.
English 2 Honors Letter
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Required - Selections from the following book:
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They Say / I Say : The Moves That Matter in Academic Writing
by Gerald Graff
A primer on persuasive writing for business, political, and educational writers, originally published as a best-selling college textbook, counsels practitioners on key principles without using cluttered language, in a straightforward guide that is complemented by user-friendly templates.
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In addition to the required readings, students must read and respond to one set of paired argumentative texts and one multimedia choice text. All texts can be found in Schoology—both within the online discussion prompts and the Resources tab on Schoology.
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In order to prepare for the course and to acclimate you to the type of study we will be doing, we encourage you to choose a course of study this surrounding ONE of the following essential questions. Allow your own interest and curiosity to guide your choice:
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The Things They Carried
by Tim O'Brien
A classic work of American literature that has not stopped changing minds and lives since it burst onto the literary scene, The Things They Carried is a ground-breaking meditation on war, memory, imagination, and the redemptive power of storytelling.
The Things They Carried depicts the men of Alpha Company: Jimmy Cross, Henry Dobbins, Rat Kiley, Mitchell Sanders, Norman Bowker, Kiowa, and the character Tim O’Brien, who has survived his tour in Vietnam to become a father and writer at the age of forty-three.
Taught everywhere—from high school classrooms to graduate seminars in creative writing—it has become required reading for any American and continues to challenge readers in their perceptions of fact and fiction, war and peace, courage and fear and longing.
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Slaughterhouse-Five, or, The Children's Crusade: A Duty-Dance with Death
by Kurt Vonnegut
Slaughterhouse-Five, an American classic, is one of the world's great antiwar books. Centering on the infamous World War II firebombing of Dresden, the novel is the result of what Kurt Vonnegut described as a twenty-three-year struggle to write a book about what he had witnessed as an American prisoner of war. It combines historical fiction, science fiction, autobiography, and satire in an account of the life of Billy Pilgrim, a barber's son turned draftee turned optometrist turned alien abductee. As Vonnegut had, Billy experiences the destruction of Dresden as a POW. Unlike Vonnegut, he experiences time travel, or coming "unstuck in time."
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The Bean Trees : A Novel
by Barbara Kingsolver
Clear-eyed and spirited, Taylor Greer grew up poor in rural Kentucky with the goals of avoiding pregnancy and getting away. But when she heads west with high hopes and a barely functional car, she meets the human condition head-on. By the time Taylor arrives in Tucson, Arizona, she has acquired a completely unexpected child, a three-year-old American Indian girl named Turtle, and must somehow come to terms with both motherhood and the necessity for putting down roots. Hers is a story about love and friendship, abandonment and belonging, and the discovery of surprising resources in apparently empty places.
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Ordinary People
by Judith Guest
The Jarrets are a typical American family. Calvin is a determined, successful provider and Beth an organized, efficient wife. They had two sons, Conrad and Buck, but now they have one. In this memorable, moving novel, Judith Guest takes the reader into their lives to share their misunderstandings, pain...and ultimate healing.
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Their Eyes Were Watching God
by Zora Neale Hurston
Fair and long-legged, independent and articulate, Janie Crawford sets out to be her own person -- no mean feat for a black woman in the '30s. Janie's quest for identity takes her through three marriages and into a journey back to her roots.
One of the most important works of twentieth-century American literature, Zora Neale Hurston's beloved 1937 classic, Their Eyes Were Watching God, is an enduring Southern love story sparkling with wit, beauty, and heartfelt wisdom. Told in the captivating voice of a woman who refuses to live in sorrow, bitterness, fear, or foolish romantic dreams, it is the story of fair-skinned, fiercely independent Janie Crawford, and her evolving selfhood through three marriages and a life marked by poverty, trials, and purpose.
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Sing, Unburied, Sing : A Novel
by Jesmyn Ward
An intimate portrait of a family and an epic tale of hope and struggle, Sing, Unburied, Sing journeys through Mississippi’s past and present, examining the ugly truths at the heart of the American story and the power—and limitations—of family bonds.
Living with his grandparents and toddler sister on a Gulf Coast farm, thirteen year old Jojo navigates the challenges of his tormented mother's addictions and his grandmother's terminal cancer before the release of his father from prison prompts a road trip of danger and hope.
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Like Water For Chocolate
by Laura Esquivel
Earthy, magical, and utterly charming, this tale of family life in turn-of-the-century Mexico became a best-selling phenomenon with its winning blend of poignant romance and bittersweet wit. The classic love story takes place on the De la Garza ranch, as the tyrannical owner, Mama Elena, chops onions at the kitchen table in her final days of pregnancy. While still in her mother's womb, her daughter to be weeps so violently she causes an early labor, and little Tita slips out amid the spices and fixings for noodle soup. This early encounter with food soon becomes a way of life, and Tita grows up to be a master chef. She shares special points of her favorite preparations with listeners throughout the story.
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Emma
by Jane Austen
Although described by Jane Austen as a character 'whom no one but myself will much like', the irrepressible Emma Woodhouse is one of her most beloved heroines. Clever, rich and beautiful, she sees no need for marriage, but loves interfering in the romantic lives of others, until her matchmaking plans unravel, with consequences that she never expected. Jane Austen's novel of youthful exuberance and gradual self-knowledge is a brilliant, sparkling comic masterpiece.
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Book of Your Choice (Nonfiction)by Book AuthorHow you can best prepare over the summer:- Take some time to think about who you are as a student and who you want to be. Are there certain habits you need to develop or break? Who will be part of your support system? What schedule adjustments might you need to make?
- Start reading more nonfiction: both English 1101 and 1102 are all about understanding the larger conversation and entering into it. You can help yourself prepare for this work by:
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