Incoming Sophomores will be expected to read three novels/short story collections over the course of the summer. Incoming Juniors will be expected to read four novels/short story collections over the course of the summer. Each student will be expected to write a review of each work they have read. These reviews will be due upon the commencement of the 09/10 school year in August, 2009. A copy of the review guidelines is attached to this handout. (Note: The reviews will be expected at the rate of one per week.)
Students accustomed to having the entire summer free of intellectual pursuits and then inclined to moan and groan at a summer reading list are reminded that the brain is a muscle as well, and like any muscle if not exercised, it turns into flab. Just like the football players exercising their bodies over the summer so they can dominate on the field in the fall, so you too get to exercise your brain over the summer so you can dominate in the classroom this fall.
INCOMING SOPHOMORE READING LIST (BOLD titles are required reading. The student must then choose one of the remaining 9 titles for their third review).
Things Fall Apart, Chinua Achebe
All Quiet on the Western Front, Erich Maria Remarque
A Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Douglas Adams
Watership Down, Richard Adams
Fahrenheit 451, Ray Bradbury
Ender's Game, Orson Scott Card
The Andromeda Strain, Michael Crichton
Dune, Frank Herbert
The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven – Sherman Alexie
Call of the Wild, Jack London
Sea Wolf, Jack London
INCOMING JUNIOR READING LIST (BOLD titles are required reading. The student must then choose one of the remaining 5 titles for their fourth review).
The Jungle – Upton Sinclair
Slaughterhouse Five – Kurt Vonnegut
The Lottery – Shirley Jackson
The Scarlet Letter – Nathaniel Hawthorne
A Canticle for Leibowitz – Walter M. Miller
White Fang, Jack London
The Old Man and the Sea, Ernest Hemingway
The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay – Michael Chabon
Review Guidelines
· What is a book review, anyway?
o A book review is a critical evaluation of the text you’ve just read. More than anything, a review makes an argument…it is not merely a summary.
· Consider the following:
o Review the book you’ve read, not the book you wish you had read. If you think the book has its deficiencies, that’s fine – just don’t criticize it for being something the author did not even intend it to be.
o Be precise with your language. The author said what he/she wanted to say and you should do the same. Having control of your vocabulary allows you to control the tone of your review (no reviews saying, “I dislike this book ‘just because.’” That’s a sign of flabby thinking).
o If you’re going to challenge an assumption, approach, or argument made by the author, be firm and assertive, not wishy-washy. A reviewer must have a strong opinion. PICK A SIDE AND DEFEND IT!!
o Having said that, be fair – provide a balanced argument, acknowledging that other opinions may exist. It is your job, however, to make yours the most important. The factual material must be correct. Check all facts pertaining to the writer and the literature.
· The review should be of about a page length, typewritten (1.5 or 2 spaced), with opinions delivered in a clear, concise manner.
· Again, the reviewer should establish a voice, tone, and personal style that make the review interesting.
A WORD TO THE WISE: While it certainly is true that Internet sites such as SparkNotes can easily provide quick summations to popular stories such as these, the astute, moral, Christian –and self-preserving- student will note that such sites, while easily accessed by students, are also easily accessed by staff members, thereby making it a snap to check and see if blocks of text have been lifted from the Internet. A student found to be lifting text is engaged in plagiarism, and will be greeted with a “0” for the assignment and a report made to the Academic Dean. Not the best way to start off an academic year. So, the wise student will in fact read the books in their entirety, and compose their reviews from their own fertile imaginations, with no outside assistance from the Internet.
