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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 __ ** click edit and paste your response here **
 * *Must be posted to the WIKI by midnight on Wednesday, 8/24 **

I was recommended to read the book //The Book Theif// by Markus Zusak by the lady at the book store, and I am really glad I took her advice. It is a historical fiction book, narrated by death, about a girl named Leisel Meminger who lives in Nazi Germany and her life during the reign of Hitler. I really liked the part in the beginning when the action starts when Leisel "bent down and picked [the book] up" (Zusak 24) at her little brother’s funeral because it is what starts off the book and it shows you what the rest of the book is going to be about. I really liked the book because I learned a lot I didn’t know about life in Germany during World War 2 and because I felt like I knew all the characters like the back of my hand.

Zusak, Markus. //The Book Theif//. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2005. 24. Print.

__ Prompt for Paragraph Two - A Discussion of What You Gained by Reading Your Book __ ** click edit and paste your response here **
 * *Must be posted to the WIKI by midnight on Thursday, 8/25 **

//The Book Theif// by Markus Zusak changed the way I look at people that have a lot less then I do. In the book, Leisel and her family have close to nothing, forcing her family to live off terrible pea soup and frequently steal apples and potatoes from the local farm. Leisel told the leader of a theif gang that she "stole at least three hundred apples and dozens of potatoes" (Zusak 273). After I finished the book, I now take for granted of what I have.

Zusak, Markus. //The Book Theif//. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2005. 273. Print.

__ Prompt for Paragraph Three - What to do With it... __ ** click edit and paste your response here **
 * *Must be posted to the WIKI by midnight on Sunday, 8/28 **

I thoroughly enjoyed //The Book Thief// by Markus Zusak, which was recommended to me by the lady at the book store. The book is a historical fiction book, which is a genre I have always enjoyed reading. //The Book Thief// changed the way I looked at Germans living during the reign of Hitler because I thought they all loved him and supported the Nazi Party, but the book showed me that not all German citizens loved him, and they hated the Nazis. I would recommend this book to whoever enjoys reading about WWII history and also likes a book that is full of suprises.


 * 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 Your second paragraph has the strongest topic sentence
 * Evidence that clearly supports the topic sentence
 * Correct use of internal citations and a properly formatted MLA citation for your book (put this citation at the end of paragraph one)
 * Strict adherence to the Power Paragraph format Watch your focus on the prompt (review the third paragraph)
 * Mechanics are clean and do not detract from meaning Be sure to read through your work, I don't think you meant to say that you "take for granted" your good life!