HARMONY PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Summer Reading Assignment
Grades 9 and 10
What are you planning to read this summer?
Summer is almost here, and we know you are excited for all the extra time you will have on your hands.
Along with all the other fun things ‘extra time’ means, it also means extra time to kick back, relax, and
enjoy a great book.
What is the assignment?
On the bottom of this page, you will see a list of books selected from the College Board’s “101 Great Books to Read
before College” list. You will select two books from that list to read, as well as this year’s high school book in
common, Shakespeare’s King Lear. You will read all three works throughout the summer and complete three projects
(one for each work) as directed on the next page.
I am really busy in the summers, how can I find the time to read THREE books?
Reading is a great way to relax, and get ready for the day to end. Reading before bedtime is a good way to have
daily time to read.
Carry your books with you! Find time to read in the edges of your life, while waiting at the store, the car wash, for
your sibling to get out of their dance/gym/taekwondo/etc. class, while you are with your family running
errands…...there are so many times in your life when having a great book with you is just the thing you need!
Don’t rush to finish, read a little bit every day, and enjoy it!
Book choices for 9th and 10th grade (Pick two):
Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe
The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
Pygmalion by George Bernard Shaw
The Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane
The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas
Native Son by Richard Wright
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Le Morte D’Arthur by Sir Mallory Thomas
Catch 22 by Joseph Heller
The Communist Manifesto by Karl Marx
Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
The Souls of Black Folk by W.E.B. Dubois
The Woman Warrior by Maxine Hong Kingston
Autobiography by Benjamin Franklin
All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria
Remarque
The Autobiography of Malcom X by Malcom X with
Alex Haley
Remember, you must also read King Lear, by William Shakespeare, in addition to the two books that
you choose.
Summer Reading Project: Tic-Tac-Toe
Each student is responsible for completing three activities from the following choices. Your three
activities must follow the rules of tic-tac-toe (three in a row). In total, you will have a total of three
projects, one for each selected text of your choosing. Your three in a row can be any of three horizontal
rows, three vertical columns, or diagonal.
Essay Option 1
Some works of literature are set
in time periods other than our
own, but their themes, lessons
or messages are significant
today. From your reading this
summer, show how this is true.
Identify the theme and the
setting in which the work is set.
Use specific references to show
how the theme is developed in
the book and how the lesson is
relevant today.
Getting Into Character
If you consider yourself an actor
or an actress, you might like to
take on the persona of a
character from your book.
Prepare a presentation in which
YOU are that character and tell
the story of your book from the
character’s point of view. Your
presentation should be well
prepared and you should plan to
dress up or include props to
enhance your performance.
Journal Entries
Write your experience throughout
the novel. There must be at least 12
entries – ½ page each Questions to
consider: 1. How are the characters
changing? 2. Write about a personal
experience that is similar to one a
character is having. 3. Write down a
quote or passage that you like and
explain why. 4. Make a prediction
about what will happen next. 5.
What is your opinion of a
character’s actions?
Alternate Ending
Create an alternate ending to
the novel. The requirement is
2 pages in length.
Piece of Artistic Expression:
If you are artistic or good with
your hands, create a painting,
sculpture, diorama, or other
visual media object connected to
your book. You’ll need to write a
summary of the book and an
explanation of the object and
how it connects to the book you
just read.
Essay Option 3
Consider the gender of the
characters. How are men and
women characters shown? How
does the novel portray their
roles in society? Write how
gender role affects the plot and
character development in the
novel.
Book Trailer!
Prepare a video trailer for your
chosen novel. The trailer should
be 3-5 minutes long, and a
positive presentation of the
subject. The trailer must contain
original footage, or copyright
free media.
Essay Option 2
Some individuals in literature try
to do what they believe is right,
even though they face
opposition. From your reading
this summer, select an individual
who tries to do what he or she
believes is right, even in the face
of opposition. Using specific
references from the book,
explain what the individual is
trying to do and discuss whether
or not the character is
successful.
Creating a CD
Imagine that you have been hired
to develop a soundtrack to your
book. Find at least ten songs that
showcase the book’s themes,
settings, emotions, characters, etc.
You must include the following with
your project: a CD with the songs (if
possible), a CD jacket including lyrics
and illustrations, and, for each song
an explanation of your song choice
and how the song relates to your
book. You must also include song
lyrics in your explanation.