2013-2014 PRE-REQUISITE READING FOR HONORS ENGLISH III
AMERICAN LITERATURE
DUE FIRST DAY OF ENGLISH CLASS

PART ONE

The first part of the assignment is simple:  read Serena by Ron Rash.  You may use local libraries to borrow this title, or you can find the novel in bookstores in the area.  Ordering from sites such as amazon.com, booksense.com and other online bookstores is a possibility.  On the first day of class, be prepared to take a test, write an essay, or give a speech on the novel.  

PART TWO

In addition to reading Serena, you should choose one novel written by a regional author or a classical American author.  For this novel, you will complete three in-depth journal entries.  Requirements of these entries are further listed.  You may purchase this novel, or use it from a local library, but you must have this novel present with you on the first day of class.  Be prepared to write an essay or give a speech on the novel.  

Authors of American Classics
William Faulkner
Earnest Hemingway
Jack Kerouac
Herman Melville
Margaret Mitchell
Flannery O’Connor
Sylvia Plath
J.D. Salinger
John Steinbeck (excluding Of Mice and Men and Grapes of Wrath)
Henry David Thoreau
Mark Twain
Anne Tyler
Richard Wright

Exceptional Regional Authors
Maya Angelou
Wendell Berry			
Olive Ann Burns 
Wiley Cash
Fred Chappell	
Pat Conroy			
Donald Davis
Wilma Dykeman
Tony Earley
Clyde Edgerton		 
Kaye Gibbons (excluding Ellen Foster)
Robert Morgan		
Toni Morrison
Ron Rash (excluding Serena)
Ferrol Sams
Lee Smith 
Ila Jean Yount 
Jeannette Walls 

Please note: Some of these novels may contain adult language and situations you find uncomfortable.  Please preview with reviews and publisher summaries.  If the language or situations offend you, stop reading and select another title.  

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JOURNAL ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
You must complete three journal entries for your novel

JOURNAL ENTRY 1 – FIRST 3RD OF THE NOVEL –Please answer all of the following questions.  Make sure your response is a minimum of 150 words

GUIDING QUESTIONS:
 - Why did you choose to read this novel?
 - What information did you need to know before reading this novel?
  - What has happened before the novel began? 
 - Who is telling the story?
 - What is the setting and why is it important to the novel?
 - What is the initial problem(s) faced by the main character?
 - How does the author get your attention or hold your interest?
 - Choose a quote and explain its significance to the novel.

JOURNAL ENTRY 2 – MIDDLE 3RD OF THE NOVEL - Please answer all of the following questions.  Make sure your response is a minimum of 150 words

GUIDING QUESTIONS:
 - What new things are added to the original problem as the novel progresses?
 - What plot twists or unexpected events happen?
 - What have you discovered about the author’s style?
 - Is there a message or a main theme emerging in the book?
 - Describe at least two of the characters.  Go beyond just the physical characteristics.
 - Choose a quote and explain its significance to the novel.

JOURNAL ENTRY 3 – LAST 3RD OF THE NOVEL - Please answer all of the following questions.  Make sure your response is a minimum of 150 words

GUIDING QUESTIONS:
 - What is the climax of the novel?
 - How are the major and minor conflicts resolved?
 - What message did you get from the novel?
 - How was this message conveyed?
 - How realistic is the novel?
 - How is the title important to the main idea of the novel?
 - How does the novel compare to others that you have read?
 - Why would you (or why wouldn’t you) recommend this novel to a friend?
 - Choose a quote and explain its significance to the novel.