Summer Reading 11th grade 2008

AMERICAN LITERATURE--11thGRADE ENGLISH SUMMER READING

Required Books for all students

A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

There is no journal assignment for these books. HOWEVER, upon return to school, you will be tested on both The Great Gatsby and A Farewell to Arms on the first full day of classes. You might find it helpful to keep notes as you read.

Pick one of the following books to read. Upon return to school, you will do a project on your selected novel.

Catch 22 by Joseph Heller

The Virginian by Owen Wister

The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan

Catcher In the Rye by J.D. Salinger

The Optimist’s Daughter by Eudora Welty

Boy’s Life by Robert McCammon

Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck

Cold Sassy Tree by Olive Ann Burns

The Maltese Falcon by Dashiel Hammett

***It is important that you read the novels thoroughly and independently because much of the composition during the school year will be based on these works. Obviously, you'll be at a disadvantage if you have not understood or completed the reading. STUDENTS SHOULD NOT SUBSTITUTE READING THE WORK WITH OTHER METHODS. WATCHING A MOVIE VERSION, READING CLIFF’S NOTES, BARRON’S, OR OTHER STUDY GUIDES--INCLUDING INTERNET VERSIONS WILL BE CONSIDERED CHEATING.

Pay attention to the author’s style and purpose, characterization, symbols, themes, setting, and tone. Think about whether or not these books remind you of other books you have read and in what ways they remind you of those other works. Think about how the main character’s conflict or dilemma may be a commentary on a larger issue by the author.

UPLOADED: 4/21/2008