9th Grade Summer Assignment 2019-2020

Summer Reading

Your student must read three books this summer. The first two books are required reading for all 9th graders; the third is a choice from the reading list.

  1. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
  2. Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger
The students will be tested on these two books during the first week of school.
       3. The third book will be the student’s choice from the 9th Grade Book List. This book will require a written report in the following format:
Writing Assignment for Book 3
Draft and type three paragraphs. The students should remember that a paragraph has a topic sentence, five to seven supporting sentences, and a concluding sentence:
  1. What part of the book made you think? Describe that section, why it caught your attention, and what it made you think.
  2. What characteristic or quality of the protagonist (hero/main character) do you most admire and why?
  3. Describe a challenge that the protagonist faced and how he or she changed as a result.
Design a dust jacket for the report on Book 3
  1. Draw a picture that reflects a major plot element of the book, as if you were designing the dust jacket of a hardcover book;
  2. Devise your own title, followed by a colon, then “a review of name of the book being reviewed by student’s name”;
    For example: The Young Abolitionist: A review of Huckleberry Finn by Christine Meyer.
  3. The drawing should be in color.
  4. The title and lettering must be done by hand.
Both the dust jacket drawing and the three paragraphs will be due during the first English class in September.
The students will be tested on the two required books during the first week of English. Any questions about the assignment can be directed to Christine Meyer at cmeyer@highlandhall.org.

Second Quarter Eurythmy Track:

At Highland Hall, each grade takes three quarters of English and one quarter of eurythmy. During the eurythmy track, students will read two books: one choice from the book list and one required book. The book report on the book of choice will be due the first day of the third quarter English track that follows eurythmy (they will have practiced using this format during their first English track); the test on the required book will take place during the first week of the English track that follows eurythmy.

Reading assignments to be read during the 9th grade Eurythmy Track (2nd quarter):

  1. Fahrenheit 451 - by Ray Bradbury (no written report)
  2. A book of choice from the 9th grade book list. Students will write a five-paragraph book report. See Book Report Guidelines.