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Dear Parents and Students,
Dr. Ricardo López, Mission CISD Superintendent, said, “…reading plays an integral part
of learning in all subject areas. We are hoping to transform our community through
improving literacy. I am excited to see how our Read to Lead efforts begin to take root in
our homes in the coming months.” Pre-AP/AP/Dual English class summer reading is an
integral part of Mission CISD’s Read to Lead Program.
For secondary students enrolling in Pre-AP/AP/Dual English in MCISD, summer reading
offers an opportunity for enrichment and is an essential part of the academic experience.
Reading and interacting with literature during the summer enables students to be prepared
for the first day of Pre-AP/AP/Dual English. Reading as much as possible enables
students to develop critical and creative thinking skills and prepares them to be future
college students, so all Pre-AP/AP/Dual English students are required to READ a specific
novel during the summer. All incoming 6th-9
th grade students and 12
th grade students pre-
registered in Pre-AP/AP/Dual English Language Arts are provided the required novel,
while all incoming 10th and 11
th grade students pre-registered in Pre-AP/AP/Dual English
Language Arts are expected to download the selected novel onto their Google
Chromebooks.
From the first day of school, the required summer reading novel(s) are the focus of Pre-
AP/AP/Dual English classroom discussions. Summer Reading Assignments vary by
grade level. All Pre-AP/AP/Dual students are expected to have the corresponding
assignments completed and be prepared to begin classroom discussions on the first
day of class! Reading of the required novel is assessed during the first few weeks of
school. In addition to the required reading, additional novels are suggested by grade level;
students should read at least two of the suggested books.
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To prepare for participation in the secondary Pre-AP/AP/Dual English
program for the coming year, Pre-AP/AP/Dual English students will be required to
read ONE assigned book which will be thoroughly discussed during the first 6-
weeks of the 2015-2016 school year. To be successful, students must read the book
and complete the assignments prior to the first day of school.
A variety of books must be read to be successful on Advanced Placement
(AP) exams in English 3 and English 4, so in addition to the required reading,
students are encouraged to read at least two additional books from the
Suggested Reading List based upon grade level.
Cry, the Beloved Country by Alan Paton
Bless Me, Ultima by Rudolfo A. Anaya The Cay by Theodore Taylor Anne Frank: Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett The Mysterious Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech The Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe Prince Caspian: The Return to Narnia The Voyage of the Dawn Treader The Silver Chair The Horse and His Boy The Magician’s Nephew The Last Battle
Students should read at least two of the novels on
the suggested Summer Reading list.
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And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie
Little Women by Luisa May Alcott
The Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison
Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith
Roll of Thunder, Hear my Cry by Mildred D. Taylor
In the Time of Butterflies by Julia Alvarez
The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd
The Light in the Forest by Conrad Richter
Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain
Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson
The Time Machine by H. G. Wells
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathan Swift
The Chosen by Chaim Potok
The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas
Beloved by Toni Morrison
A Separate Peace by John Knowles
Anne of Avonlea by L. M. Montgomery
Kidnapped by Robert Louis Stevenson
The Sea Wolf by Jack London
The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck
The Hunchback of Notre Dame by Victor Hugo
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A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens
The Adventures of Augie March by Saul Bellow
Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man by James Joyce
Great Expectations by Charles Dickens
The Awakening by Kate Chopin
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
True Colors by Kristin Hannah
Pilgrim’s Progress by John Bunyon
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
Charlotte Gray by Sebastian Faulks
A Death in the Family by James Agee
Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser
Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer
Moby Dick by Herman Melville
David Copperfield by Charles Dickens
A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway
The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton
Whose Body? by Dorothy Sayers
War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells
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Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevski A Testament of Hope: The Essential Writings of Martin Luther King, Jr. by James Washington (ed.)
All Over But the Shoutin' by Rick Bragg
An American Childhood by Annie Dillard
Ellen Foster by Kaye Gibbons
Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy
Walden by Henry David Thoreau
What are People For? by Wendell Berry
The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne
The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka
A Doll's House by Henrik Ibsen
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
Billy Budd by Herman Melville
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison
Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zorah Neale Hurston
Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer
Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
MacBeth by William Shakespeare
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Annotation
Annotation is a way to help you read a text closely so that you may better understand what you have
read both while you read and after you read. Annotation provides a purpose for reading and gives you
an opportunity to practice reading skills you have been taught. Throughout middle school, high school
and into college, annotation is a vital skill to help you through the challenging texts you will encounter,
not just in your English Language Arts and Reading classes, but other subjects as well.
Annotation Guidelines
As you complete your summer reading, use the following guidelines to annotate the text. If you are
unable to or unwilling to write in your book, you may use sticky notes to make your notes. Otherwise, all
the steps listed below should be written directly on the pages of the book.
1. Box words or phrases that identify main characters, setting, conflict, and
complications.
2. Circle keywords or phrases that are confusing or unknown.
3. Use a question mark ( ? ) for questions you have while reading. Write your question.
4. Identify tone/mood.
5. Use an exclamation mark ( ! ) for things that surprise you and briefly note what it was that
caught your attention.
6. Use an asterisk ( * ) to identify figurative language and write the type of figurative
language used (simile, metaphor, personification, hyperbole, idiom).
7. Make connections to self—how you can personally connect to a character or event in the
text?
8. Make connections to other texts—how can you connect your reading to another book or
story you’ve read? How can you connect your reading to a movie you’ve seen?
9. Make connections to the world—how can you connect your reading to an event in the
world?
10. Bracket ( { } ) key passages you may want to quote or cite later.
11. Use arrows ( ) that point to key ideas or themes you notice while reading (especially if
they are being repeated throughout the text).
12. Summarize each chapter by writing a short paragraph that consists of 3-5 sentences.
Where the Red Fern Grows By Wilson Rawls
2015-2016 Summer Reading Assignment for
6th Grade Pre-AP ELAR
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Annotation
Annotation is a way to help you read a text closely so that you may better understand what you have
read both while you read and after you read. Annotation provides a purpose for reading and gives you
an opportunity to practice reading skills you have been taught. Throughout middle school, high school
and into college, annotation is a vital skill to help you through the challenging texts you will encounter,
not just in your English Language Arts and Reading classes, but other subjects as well.
Annotation Guidelines
As you complete your summer reading, use the following guidelines to annotate the text. If you are
unable to or unwilling to write in your book, you may use sticky notes to make your notes. Otherwise, all
the steps listed below should be written directly on the pages of the book.
1. Box words or phrases that identify main characters, setting, conflict, and
complications.
2. Circle keywords or phrases that are confusing or unknown.
3. Use a question mark ( ? ) for questions you have while reading. Write your question.
4. Identify tone/mood.
5. Use an exclamation mark ( ! ) for things that surprise you and briefly note what it was that
caught your attention.
6. Use an asterisk ( * ) to identify figurative language and write the type of figurative
language used (simile, metaphor, personification, hyperbole, idiom).
7. Make connections to self—how you can personally connect to a character or event in the
text?
8. Make connections to other texts—how can you connect your reading to another book or
story you’ve read? How can you connect your reading to a movie you’ve seen?
9. Make connections to the world—how can you connect your reading to an event in the
world?
10. Bracket ( { } ) key passages you may want to quote or cite later.
11. Use arrows ( ) that point to key ideas or themes you notice while reading (especially if
they are being repeated throughout the text).
12. Summarize each chapter by writing a short paragraph that consists of 3-5 sentences.
Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life By Wendy Mass
2015-2016 Summer Reading Assignment for
7th Grade Pre-AP ELAR
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Annotation
Annotation is a way to help you read a text closely so that you may better understand what you have
read both while you read and after you read. Annotation provides a purpose for reading and gives you
an opportunity to practice reading skills you have been taught. Throughout middle school, high school
and into college, annotation is a vital skill to help you through the challenging texts you will encounter,
not just in your English Language Arts and Reading classes, but other subjects as well.
Annotation Guidelines
As you complete your summer reading, use the following guidelines to annotate the text. If you are
unable to or unwilling to write in your book, you may use sticky notes to make your notes. Otherwise, all
the steps listed below should be written directly on the pages of the book.
1. Box words or phrases that identify main characters, setting, conflict, and
complications.
2. Circle keywords or phrases that are confusing or unknown.
3. Use a question mark ( ? ) for questions you have while reading. Write your question.
4. Identify tone/mood.
5. Use an exclamation mark ( ! ) for things that surprise you and briefly note what it was that
caught your attention.
6. Use an asterisk ( * ) to identify figurative language and write the type of figurative
language used (simile, metaphor, personification, hyperbole, idiom).
7. Make connections to self—how you can personally connect to a character or event in the
text?
8. Make connections to other texts—how can you connect your reading to another book or
story you’ve read? How can you connect your reading to a movie you’ve seen?
9. Make connections to the world—how can you connect your reading to an event in the
world?
10. Bracket ( { } ) key passages you may want to quote or cite later.
11. Use arrows ( ) that point to key ideas or themes you notice while reading (especially if
they are being repeated throughout the text).
12. Summarize each chapter by writing a short paragraph that consists of 3-5 sentences.
Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
2015-2016 Summer Reading Assignment for
8th
Grade Pre-AP ELAR
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English 1 Pre-AP
Summer Reading Assignment: The Count of Monte Cristo
Please take time to read several books this summer; however, as you prepare for your freshman year in
high school, you must read The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas. You must also complete the
assignments outlined below AND be prepared for a test over the book during the first week of school.
Specifically:
1. Read The Count of Monte Cristo
2. Be prepared to take a test on the book during the first week of school
3. Complete the assignments (Reading Log) for the book.
ASSIGNMENT #1 - READING LOG Have you ever read a page or a chapter and realized that you did not comprehend what you just read?
Everyone has had this experience and it can be frustrating. The best way to read a book is not to simply
open it and let your eyes see the words on a page. Instead, questioning, recalling, identifying, and
reflecting increases our understanding. These techniques increase our ability to remember what we read.
To get the most out of your summer reading and prepare for the test you will take during the first week of
school, you will be using interactive reading strategies as you complete your summer reading.
Directions: As your read your book, you are going to keep a two-column reading log for your book.
To set up the log:
1. Fold a sheet of notebook paper in half or draw a line down the middle of the page.
2. Use the left column to record names of characters, themes, symbols, morals, and quotations from the
book.
3. Use the right column to record your reactions and opinions (commentary) about the items in the left
column, which would also include any questions you have while you are reading.
FIVE main characters. Who are they and what do you think of them?
TWO themes. What is the author saying about people in general?
TWO symbols. What is the larger meaning of the object?
TWO morals. What lesson is the author trying to teach readers?
TEN cited (page number) quotations (phrases, sentences, dialogue) with your explanation
of their importance. Each quotation should be 3 sentences.
impression as a hard-working student.
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Please note: This is only a sample page; it is not a completed reading log. Write your notes
out by hand. Do not type them.
Sally Student Summer Reading Log The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton From the novel
My reaction
Ponyboy Curtis He is fourteen years old and he belongs to this gang called the Greasers. His parents died in a car accident, so he lives with his brothers. He seems pretty smart but his brothers make fun of him. Ponyboy is also the guy telling the story. Who is Paul Newman?
Darry Darry is Ponyboy’s oldest brother. He looks up to Darry, and I can see why. Darry works all the time and they get to eat chocolate cake for breakfast. My brother is nothing like Darry because he could never take care of me if anything happened to our parents.
“It's okay. We aren't in the same class. Just don't forget that some of us watch the sunset, too” (46).
Ponyboy said this to Cherry. I think this is an important quotation, because it shows that Ponyboy realizes that people are all the same – rich or poor. We all live under the same sun. It doesn’t matter if you are a Soc or a Greaser-life has the same ups and downs. Ponyboy said this to Cherry because she doesn’t like the division between the two groups. After this conversation, Cherry started to realize that not everyone has the same advantages as she does.
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Summer Reading Book Talk Presentation Notes The Lord of the Flies by William Golding
PART I – Written Assignment
Part I must be completed on your own paper. You may type the information or
write it on notebook paper, but it must be legible. Part I is mandatory and is
due on the first day of school; you will receive a grade for this assignment.
Introduction Title: ___________________________________________________
Author: __________________________ Genre-Fiction or Nonfiction: ______________
Biographical information (minimum of 2 or 3 facts about the author)
•
•
•
Literary Elements Brief Summary (Include a short summary of the book, highlighting the most interesting, or significant events)
Setting Characters (Add more lines to your notes as needed.)
1. ________________________________________
Traits:
•
•
•
2. ________________________________________
Traits:
•
•
•
3. ________________________________________
Traits:
•
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•
Conflicts or Significant Events:
•
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•
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Themes •
•
•
Important Quotes (discuss these quotes as you discuss the literary elements during the book talk.)
A quote to show a personal connection to the text:
__________________________________________________________________________________
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_______________________________________________________________ (pp. ______)
Significance (not what it means, but why it is important):
•
•
•
Connection:
•
•
•
A quote to highlight a major conflict:
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________ (pp. _______) Significance:
•
•
•
Conflict revealed:
•
•
•
Concluding Remarks
•
•
•
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Please note: This outline is to be used to help you prepare the book talk. You must decide what you will
say, practice the book talk and use the information on this outline to help you. Reading the outline to the
class or group is not appropriate book talk and it will not receive full credit. Be well prepared so you are
able to simply talk about the book you read!
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Part II - Project
You must choose ONE of the projects below to complete your summer reading assignment.
Part II is mandatory and due on the first day of school along with your Written Assignment
(Part I). Part II will count as a grade, and a presentation must be completed within the first
two weeks of school.
A. Choose five items from the book and share what they represent
B. Create a book jacket about your book to show to the class
C. Create a picture book by writing a sentence summary of each chapter and illustrating each sentence
D. Create a brochure advertising your book (you may want to have copies for everyone)
E. Select a favorite part of the book and illustrate it
F. Create a collage about one of the main characters in your book. Include a picture of the main
character or a picture of something that represents the main character. Also, include phrases from the
book to describe the character's personality or actions (minimum eight (8) phrases). Include page
numbers at the end of each phrase
G. Make a map with illustrations of the places in the book
H. Make a timeline with illustrations showing the order of events in the book
I. Create a sculpture of a character in the book
J. Write and perform an original song about the book
K. Make a children’s picture book that tells the story of the book you read.
NOTE : BOTH Parts I and II are mandatory and due on the first day of
school. Movies and Spark notes will not suffice to give you the whole
meaning of the book, so beware not to utilize these as your source of
“reading.” You will also have an objective test within the first two weeks
of school, so again, please be sure to READ the book!!
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Write your answer to open response question 1 in the space provided on the answer sheet.
1. Why does Nick tell Gatsby’s story? Fitzgerald could have chosen any perspective for his point of
view—he primarily used third person for the short stories leading up to the novel—but he chose first
person narration, and he developed Mr. Carraway for a purpose. Why? Based on what you’ve read so far,
what do you think Nick’s role is? Can we trust him? Later in the novel, Nick claims, “I am one of the few
honest people that I have ever known” (59). Some literary critics, however, consider him hopelessly
dishonest and hypocritical.
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The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass:
An American Slave by Frederick Douglass
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The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass: An American Slave by Frederick Douglass
Write your answer to open response question 2 in the space provided on the answer sheet.
2. When Gatsby sees Daisy again for the first time in five years, he is noticeably nervous and accidently
knocks a clock off of Nick’s mantelpiece “whereupon he turned and caught it with trembling fingers”
(86). Even before Gatsby almost drops it, the clock was “defunct” according to Nick. Explain how the
imagery in this scene is relevant to the novel as a whole. Support your views with evidence from the text.
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Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave by Frederick Douglass
Open-Ended Reading Questions
1. How does Douglass portray the effects of slavery on masters and slaves? On the family? On religion
(both black and white)? What happens to Douglass's grandmother? What happens to his own relationship
with his mother? What happens to Mrs. Auld when she "learns" to be a slaveholder?
2. What kind of master/Christian is Covey? Why does Douglass choose to discuss the effects slavery had
on white families and Christians?
3. Compare Douglass's portrayal of slavery on plantations (Lloyd's), farms (Freeland's and Covey's), and
in the city (childhood and work at Fells Point shipyard). What are the most important differences? Are
there any similarities?
4. Why is Douglass's fight with Covey the "turning point" in his life? What does he turn from and what
does he turn toward?
5. What does Douglass tell us about the ways in which slaves used culture as a buffer against the de-
humanizing aspects of slavery?
6. How does Douglass contrast the "free" North and the "slave" South at the end of his book? What had he
been led to expect by his masters in the South? What kind of prosperity does he find in the North?
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2015-2016 Summer Reading Assignment for English 4 AP/Dual
1984 by George Orwell
Significance of Title: Name and Pertinent Facts about Author:
Historical Period: Setting/Significance:
Genre/Characteristics: Significance of Opening Scene:
Protagonist/Name and Describe: Protagonist’s motivation. What does he
want and why? Base your insight on textual
evidence.
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2015-2016 Summer Reading Assignment for English 4 AP/Dual
1984 by George Orwell
List other Characters and Describe: Relationship of the protagonist with each of the
characters you listed. How does each character
influence the decisions or feelings of the
protagonist?
List and explain at least two external
conflicts that the protagonist faces.
List and explain at least two internal conflicts
that the protagonist faces.
Symbols/Motifs
Explain their Significance:
Themes and author’s purpose for utilizing them
in novel.
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2015-2016 Summer Reading Assignment for English 4 AP/Dual
1984 by George Orwell
Memorable Quote #1: Significance:
Memorable Quote #2: Significance:
Memorable Quote #3 Significance:
Plot Summary:
Write at least two questions that you would have liked to ask George Orwell about 1984.
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2015-2016 Summer Reading Assignment for English 4 AP/Dual
1984 by George Orwell
Short Essay Questions
Directions: Write a ½ page response to two of the following questions. We will expand on
these questions in class.
(Based on the 2005 AP English Literature and Composition Free-Response Question)
1. Explain how the protagonist Winston Smith conforms outwardly while questioning
inwardly. Provide specific examples from the novel.
(Based on the 1994 AP English Literature and Composition Free-Response Question)
2. In some works of literature, a character that appears briefly, or does not appear at
all, is a significant presence. Choose a character from the novel that fits this
description and explain how this character functions in the work. You may wish to
discuss how the character affects action, theme, or the development of other
characters.
(Based on the 2009 AP English Literature and Composition Free-Response Question)
3. A symbol is an object, action, or event that represents something or that creates a
range of associations beyond itself. In literary works a symbol can express an idea,
clarify meaning, or enlarge literal meaning. Select a symbol from the novel and
analyze how that symbol functions in the work.
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For more information, contact your
child’s English teacher
or
Advanced Academic Services
at 956-323-5506
Dr. Sharon Roberts, Coordinator
or
Monica Carrillo, Secretary
