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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 __ I chose to read //Catch Me If You Can// by Frank W. Abagnale because “I’ve seen the movie and I love true stories.” Include citation from your proposal here I liked this book because it was informative about somewhat boring topics I have never learned about before, but it still managed to capture my attention with it's humerus and sarcastic tone. “I handed my pink slip to the stewardess at the door to the aircraft and turned toward the cockpit like I’d been doing this for years.” (Abagnale 55) Throughout his journey as an airline pilot, Abagnale uses many terms that I had never heard of before, but his sense of humor (and arrogance) drew me into the read instantly.
 * *Must be posted to the WIKI by midnight on Wednesday, 8/24 **

Abagnale, Frank W. Catch Me If You Can: The True Story of a Real Fake. New York: Grosset & Dunlap. 1980.

__ Prompt for Paragraph Two - A Discussion of What You Gained by Reading Your Book __ //The Help// by Kathryn Stockett changed me as a reader because it opened my eyes to a whole other world of hopelessness and fear that was dangerously overcome. I have never felt afraid of serious punishments just because of my place in society, but reading //The Help// helped me experience that. I learned being a black house maid in the South in the 50s was already frightening, but if you were caught publishing a book, a book talking about the white families you worked for, you were asking for a death sentence. I was able to escape into the terror of the 1950’s, and return safely back more grateful and wise.
 * *Must be posted to the WIKI by midnight on Thursday, 8/25 **

Stockett, Kathryn. The Help. Canada: The Penguin Group. 2009. I can understand what you are trying to say, but you are not exactly correct with the evidence/explanation from the book.

__ Prompt for Paragraph Three - What to do With it... __ Mrs. Buchholtz recommended //The Help// to me for summer reading, but I didn’t decide to read it until my neighbor recommended it for me too; the topic interested me because it was similar to other books I have read and liked in the past. I enjoy books based on old time periods, especially those relevant to Black Slavery or Civil Rights. //The Help// speaks the minds of black and white women in the 1950’s and how they deal with the attacking opinions of society. The focus on equal rights draws in adult readers fascinated by the old living standards of African Americans and women, yet the heart-breaking excitement of loss and love grabs the attention of all women.
 * *Must be posted to the WIKI by midnight on Sunday, 8/28 **

Stockett, Kathryn. The Help. Canada: The Penguin Group. 2009.


 * 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 Good work focusing on the prompts in the first two paragraphs, take another look at paragraph three
 * 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 This is a challenging format, but it will help you to be focused and clear
 * Mechanics are clean and do not detract from meaning Give yourself time to review your work before the final due date