English III Summer Reading

Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher Clay Jensen returns home from school to find a mysterious box with his name on it lying on his porch. Inside he discovers cassette tapes recorded by Hannah Baker—his classmate and crush—who committed suicide two weeks earlier. On tape, Hannah explains that there are thirteen reasons why she decided to end her life. Clay is one of them. If he listens, he’ll find out how he made the list. Through Hannah and Clay’s dual narratives, debut author Jay Asher weaves an intricate and heartrending story of confusion and desperation that will deeply affect teen readers.

A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson For reasons even he didn't understand, Bill Bryson decided in 1996 to walk the 2,100-mile Appalachian trail. Winding from Georgia to Maine, this uninterrupted 'hiker's highway' sweeps through the heart of some of America's most beautiful and treacherous terrain. Accompanied by his infamous crony, Stephen Katz, Bryson risks snake bite and hantavirus to trudge up unforgiving mountains, plod through swollen rivers, and yearn for cream sodas and hot showers. This amusingly ill-conceived adventure brings Bryson to the height of his comic powers, but his acute eye also observes an astonishing landscape of silent forests, sparkling lakes, and other national treasures that are often ignored or endangered. Fresh, illuminating, and uproariously funny, A Walk in the Woods showcases Bill Bryson at his very best.

The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy: series #1 By Douglas Adams Seconds before the Earth is demolished to make way for a galactic freeway, Arthur Dent is plucked off the planet by his friend Ford Prefect, a researcher for the revised edition of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy who, for the last fifteen years, has been posing as an out-of-work actor. Together this dynamic pair begin a journey through space aided by quotes from The Hitchhiker's Guide ("A towel is about the most massively useful thing an interstellar hitchhiker can have") and a galaxy-full of fellow travelers: Zaphod Beeblebrox--the two-headed, three-armed ex-hippie and totally out-to-lunch president of the galaxy; Trillian, Zaphod's girlfriend (formally Tricia McMillan), whom Arthur tried to pick up at a cocktail party once upon a time zone; Marvin, a paranoid, brilliant, and chronically depressed robot; Veet Voojagig, a former graduate student who is obsessed with the disappearance of all the ballpoint pens he bought over the years. 

Assignment As the student reads his or her choice from the books below, s/he is expected to create ten dialectical journal entries using the template provided on the next page. Students are not permitted to use outside sources, and this material should be SELF-GENERATED.

Sample Dialectical Journal entry: Hatchet by Gary Paulsen Passages from the text Pg#s Comments & Questions “Now, with the thought of the burger, the emptiness roared at him. He could not believe the hunger, had never felt this way. The lake water had filled his stomach, but left it hungry, and not it demanded food, screamed for food.” Pg 48 It’s weird how Brian’s stomach is like a character now, driving his behavior. I’ve been hungry before, but never like that. Is he going to start eating things that are poison because he is so hungry?

Assignment students will be expected to complete an in-class assessment to demonstrate comprehension and analysis of the text.

Due Dates This should be done before the end of the semester. I leave this up to you to complete because my goal is to encourage reading outside of class. If you have questions about book titles please inquire. I am flexible, but I need to be familiar with the text to grade it.