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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 __ Last spring, I proposed to read Sara Gruen's //Water for Elephants//, a historical romance many of my friends recommended that was also being turned into a movie. I enjoyed //Water for Elephants// because the author helped illustrate the rough times of the depression by showing how a circus is forced to make sacrifices to stay in business. When the main character, Jacob Jankowski, needs his pay for all the work he had done, the owner of the circus (Uncle Al) makes a decision to not pay all of his workers and ‘hold back’; When a friend of Jacob's is trying to explain Uncle Al's decision, he says “’Most shows hold back some pay till end of season. But when Uncle Al runs out of money he holds it all back’” (Gruen 184). While I enjoyed reading this romance and hope to see the movie soon, //Water for Elephants// also gave me a new understanding of the struggles many faced in the 1930’s.
 * *Must be posted to the WIKI by midnight on Wednesday, 8/24 **

Gruen, Sara. //Water for Elephants//. Chapel Hill, North Carolina: Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill, 2006. Print. You have a clear connection to the prompt, but your topic sentence should be clearer and establish a focus for the rest of the paragraph. Try reading your work aloud to identify areas that could be revised. __ Prompt for Paragraph Two - A Discussion of What You Gained by Reading Your Book __ In //Water for Elephants//, a novel by Sara Gruen, I learned how important it is to appreciate the things you are given and take good care of them. Although my parents repeatedly tell me to appreciate and care for what I have, this book shows an example of under appreciating something. The example happens when one of the circus horses die from over using his foot during practice for its routine. Since circus shows need their animals and performers to keep the business going, the circus owner has a hard time not letting the horse perform, so the veterinarian has to explain the possible outcome: “‘If this horse keeps working, his coffin bone will rotate until it punctures his sole, and then you’ll lose him’” (Gruen 75). //Water for Elephants// reminded me to cherish the things I have.
 * *Must be posted to the WIKI by midnight on Thursday, 8/25 **

Gruen, Sara. //Water for Elephants //. Chapel Hill, North Carolina: Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill, 2006. Print.

__ Prompt for Paragraph Three - What to do With it... __ Anyone high school age or older who would enjoy a book about romance with an adventurous setting during the Depression-era, would enjoy //Water for Elephants.// The plot is ever-moving –just like the circus train in this book- leaving the reader in need of turning the page. I chose to read this book because of recommendations and it was a historical romance (both genres of which I enjoy), but it went above and beyond my expectations by being unpredictable and illustrating how to truly follow your dream and do what you love. The perfect reader for //Water for Elephants// would be one who is intrigued by romance, the Depression era, circuses, and surprises.
 * *Must be posted to the WIKI by midnight on Sunday, 8/28 **

Gruen, Sara. //Water for Elephants //. Chapel Hill, North Carolina: Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill, 2006. Print. Nice tie-in to the train moving!


 * 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 Good quote selections, just make sure they flow with your words.
 * 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 MLA format
 * Strict adherence to the Power Paragraph format
 * Mechanics are clean and do not detract from meaning Be sure to take the time to edit and polish your writing