Required Summer Reading for Honors English 9 – (2 books)
All Honors English 9 students are required to read two novels over the summer before the 2020-2021 school year. Although students are encouraged to purchase their own copies of each book, a limited number of copies of The Kitchen House are available for pickup at the Freeport Senior High. Additionally, classics (when assigned) are usually free on a Nook or a Kindle, and the web sites listed below contain the full text of many books. Your local public library is another option, and there is an app called Libby (https://meet.libbyapp.com/) that allows you to sign in with your public library card and download books to your phone or mobile device.
Google Books: https://books.google.com/?hl=en www.gutenberg.org
Ms. Toneanne Biesuz biesuz@freeport.k12.pa.us
Mrs. Becky Youkers youkers@freeport.k12.pa.us
Book 1: Required text for all students in Honors English 9:
The Kitchen House by Kathleen Grissom- An objective test will be given within the first week of school.
Book 2: Choose ONE book from the list below. An in-class essay or project will be given on your reading.
Nowhere Boy by Katherine Marsh
The Choosing by Rachelle Dekker
We Were Liars by E. Lockhart (contains occasional adult language)
Every Day by David Levithan (contains mild references to some adult themes)
Every Last Word by Tamara Ireland Stone (contains occasional adult language and mild references to some adult themes)
Expect to do other in-class activities and assignments dealing with both of your novels as well. This includes, but is not limited to, the following: class discussions, quizzes, informal writings, and small group activities.
As you read, it is helpful to take notes. A full summary of each chapter is not necessary, but it is good to summarize (in a sentence or two) confusing passages; make observations about the characters’ personalities, relationships, and motivation for behaviors; and ask questions about things you don’t understand. Although you are not allowed to print materials off of the internet to use, you will be allowed to use some of your own notes in class to aid you with certain assignments. (This will be at the teacher’s discretion.)
Required Summer Reading Outlines
The Kitchen House
- Background and Settings
- Protagonists
- Key locations
- Point of View (Who is telling the story? How does this help us as readers?)
- Characters
- Roles
- Familial
- Men vs. Women
- Slaves vs. indentured servants
- Characteristics
- Behaviors / Actions and their motivation
- Relationships
- Motifs (reoccurring objects, situations, feelings, etc…)
Individual Novel
- Characterization
- Conflicts (both internal and external)
- Setting and Mood
- Theme(s)
- Writing Style (and use of figurative language)