9th Grade

Honors Literature and Composition I, Honors US History

Anchor Texts:

1984

How to Read Literature Like a Professor: A Lively and Entertaining Guide to Reading Between the Lines, Revised Edition

by Thomas C Foster

Please email chsneed@ucityschools.org to request copies of these texts.

It is expected that every student will come to class on the first day of school having completed the summer assignment.

There are two parts:

Part 1: Thomas C. Foster’s How to Read Literature like a Professor

This book will help you better analyze literature and read into the text like your English teachers do when they read. This is a book about how to read books and is not a story. It will help better prepare you for the rigor of this class, as well as to prepare for Advanced Placement courses.

For the summer assignment, you only need to read the chapters listed below. Make a copy of these Cornell notes to fill out as you read and turn in on the first day of school. You are also encouraged to annotate while you read; this is a habit of strong readers!

You are responsible for reading the following chapters:

Chapter 1: Every Trip is a Quest
Chapter 2: Nice to Eat With You: Acts of Communion
- Chapter 8: Its Greek to Me
- Chapter 9: It’s More than Just Rain or Snow
Chapter 12: Is that a Symbol?
Chapter 13: It’s All Political
Chapter 19: Geography Matters…
Chapter 20...So Does Season
Chapter 23: It's Never Just Hear Disease...And Rarely Just Illness
Chapter 25: Its My Symbol and I'll Cry If I Want To

Part 2: Read and annotate the 1984.

Take what you learn from the “Professor” book and apply it to the novel: 1984 .

Make a copy of the Note Catcher
Read and take notes on the novel
Turn in the notes to your teacher on the first day of school

Some general notes to consider while reading, and to help with annotations:

1. Take notes about significant aspects of the text such as plot, character, theme, and etc.

2. Analyze the use of language—author’s style, diction, tone, structure, point of view, voice, and etc.

3. Contemplate significant quotations, applying meaning not only relative to the text but also to your life.

4. Draw connections between the novel and How to Read Literature like a Professor.

5. Respond/react on a personal, creative level to the text. Honest commentary is valuable in stimulating discussion or questioning.

If you have any questions regarding the Honors English I Summer reading assignment, please e-mail me at claird@ucityschools.org. I look forward to working with you next year, and hope that you are equally excited to learn and grow!

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