Michael+W-Sum+Read

Home Summer Reading Assignment Student Posts

Given the nature of the 2011 summer reading program, you had significant autonomy in selecting the books you would read. While you were responsible for completing a proposal, you were not given other assignments to complete over the summer. As indicated on your proposal form, you are required to write a letter to your 2011-12 Language Arts teacher that demonstrates your thoughtful reading of your book. We have chosen to break this down further into three focused "Power Paragraphs" for two reasons, one, to introduce you to the idea of a power paragraph, and two, to assist you in covering all aspects of the assignment.

__ Prompt for Paragraph One - A Reflection of Your Choice __
 * *Must be posted to the WIKI by midnight on Wednesday, 8/24 **

During the summer I read the novel //Mockingjay// by Suzanne Collins. This is science fiction novel (also the end of the Hunger Games trilogy) about Katniss Everdeen and her attempts to try and overthrow the capitol with the help of district 13. The reason I chose to read this book is because I enjoyed the first two books of the series and wanted to know how it all ended. I honestly did not like the third book. The book was building up suspense the whole time and in the end it was disappointing. I just wish Collins did a better job of finishing the story.

Collins, Suzanne. //Mockingjay//. Illus. Tim O'Brien. NYC, New York: Scholastic Press, 2010. Print. Hunger Games 3. I loved this series, but I did find the last book to be somewhat disappointing at the end too. __ Prompt for Paragraph Two - A Discussion of What You Gained by Reading Your Book __

I honestly didn't gain that much from reading this book. It is science fiction but it is also fantasy. I gained the knowledge of what happened to Katniss Everdeen and the rebel troops of district 13 but that was about it. After getting to the end I realized there were no moral values in this book. In other words there was no life lesson in the book. The whole time I thought there would be a moral to the novel about optimism but it was a disappointing end. In my opinion the book was a total letdown. What about friendship and family, or loyalty, or the abuse of power?

__ Prompt for Paragraph Three - What to do With it... __
 * *Must be posted to the WIKI by midnight on Sunday, 8/28 **

//Mockingjay// is a good book for all age groups and sexes. Even though I didn't like the book I think it is good for almost everyone. For women it is a romance story but also an action-packed novel for boys. "Love for Peeta. Refusal to give in under impossible odds." (Katniss 73) This is an example of how the book is both a love story and an action-packed novel. The series keeps you on the edge of your seat the whole time. My cousin and I both liked the series a lot and so did my aunt. I believe that if you are a reader this is a book that anyone would enjoy.


 * Scoring: Your three paragraphs will be given one overall grade, and the timeliness of your posts will be reflected in your "timeliness" grade. **

// An outstanding response to the prompts will include the following: //
 * A strong topic sentence that clearly establishes the focus on the prompt
 * Evidence that clearly supports the topic sentence Each paragraph should have evidence from the book, either quotes or specific details. Be sure to integrate quotes so they flow with your ideas.
 * Correct use of internal citations and a properly formatted MLA citation for your book (put this citation at the end of paragraph one) Good job with citations
 * Strict adherence to the Power Paragraph format Good start with the power paragraph format, it is challenging, but a great way to insure clear, focused responses.
 * Mechanics are clean and do not detract from meaning