independent study - multicultural novel study(1)

8/3/2019 Independent Study - Multicultural Novel Study(1)

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Independent Novel StudyGeneralInformation Multicultural Literature

The purpose of this class is to introduce students to a variety of readings for the purpose ofoffering 0.5 elective credit based on a pass/fail grading system.

The benefits behind such a class are straightforward and valuable:

The more you read, the more you know.

Reading is fun, especially if you choose what you read.

The more you read, the better your vocabulary, the higher your test scores, thebetter you think in all your classes and situations.

If you love to read you will never be bored, especially if you always have a bookor a magazine with you at all time.

No matter what field you are in, no matter what you do, reading literature is asource of entertainment that can help you understand people better.

Reading can expose you to new ideas, people, and emotions.

What you read can have an influence on your own beliefs, values, andphilosophies.

In order to receive credit, the following must be done:

Read seven books from the approved book list.

Complete Reading Logs for each book.

Complete seven of the tasks listed on the Literature Tasks page.

Submit all documentation to your online mentor/teacher.

**The novels included in this course are available from the public library or you may checkthem out from the Virtual Academy Classroom at Jefferson Elementary School.


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Independent Novel StudyTips and Hints

LEXILE/AR. INFORMATION

At the end of each book description, the number of pages, lexile, and Accelerated Reader(A.R.) information is given. The purpose of that is to give you an idea of the difficulty of thatparticular novel. Please consider what sounds interesting to you MORE THAN the difficultyof the book. It will make reading much more enjoyable!

Lexile

The Lexile Framework for Reading is a scientific approach to reading measurement thatmatches readers to text. The Lexile Framework measures both reader ability and text

difficulty on the same scale, called the Lexile scale.

The Lexile measure of a book refers to its text difficulty only. A Lexile measure does not takethe subject matter or content of the book into consideration. Lexile measures are based ontwo well-established predictors of how difficult a text is to comprehend: word frequency andsentence length. The Lexile scale is a developmental scale for reading ranging from below200L for beginning-reader material to above 1700L for advanced text.

If you know your Lexile, you may want to start with using a Lexile range that is from 50Labove your Lexile measure to 100L below. If you have participated in the MAP Assessmentin the School District of Janesville we will be able to look up your Lexile. In the fall all Virtual

Academy students will participate in the MAP Assessment.

Accelerated reader (AR.)A.R. uses the ATOS for Books formula. It is based on actual student reading of entire books.It considers the characteristics of text that most heavily influence readability. Both readabilitylevel and A.R. points are listed within the book description (AR. 7.2/30). In this example,readability is 7.2 and it would be worth 30 points on an AR. quiz. While you will not be takingthe quizzes, the information is included for your benefit. The quiz points take into accountreadability and length of the book.

Suggested levelsLexiles AR. book level200-450 2.0-2.9400-700 2.4-3.9600-900 3.5-5.6800-1200 5.3-7.7


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Pick a book you like! You can try a book higher or lower than your level. If the book is easy,pick a harder book next time. If the book is too hard, pick a different one.

LITERARY TERMS

You may find it helpful to know some basic literary terms, such as setting, characterization,plot, theme, and symbols.

Setting: ALL stories have a setting. It is the time and place in which a story takes place.The setting provides the historical and cultural context for characters. Setting can be crucialto a story or simply provide a backdrop for events. They can either be very general or quitespecific. For example, Hogwarts is the overall setting for many of the Harry Potter and theOrder of the Phoenix, but parts of the novel take place in the Room of Requirement, variousclassrooms, and the Quidditch field.

Characterization: Imaginary people created by the writer. It is, perhaps, the most importantelement of literature. It refers to how the human (and sometimes nonhuman) characters of astory or poem are presented to us. Characters are the ones we respond to in the story, thosewhose actions we read about. Terms used to describe various character roles are as follows:

ProtagonistMajor character at the center of the story.

AntagonistA character or force that opposes the protagonist.

Minor character Often provides support and illuminates the protagonist.

Static character A character who remains the same.

Dynamic character A character who changes in some important way.

Plot: Refers to the actual story of a narrative and the events that take place.

Theme: Theme is the general idea or insight about life that a writer wishes to express.A simple theme can often be stated in a single sentence. They are generally universal,since human life is essentially the same everywhere in the world. We all feel joy, sorrow,hope, love, loss, pain, and desire. We can read a work of literature from China and,even though we have not been to China, we can still understand what that work issaying. A theme is applicable outside the written workit is a generalization. A workmay also contain several themes. Many themes deal with innocence/experience,life/death, appearance/reality, free will/fate, madness/sanity, love/hate,society/individual, known/unknown. Themes may have a single, instead of a dual nature

as well. The theme of a story may be a mid-life crisis, or imagination, or the duality ofhumankind (contradictions).

Symbols: An object, person or event that stands for or represents something else.

MISCELLANEOUS TIPS AND HINTS

Avoid procrastination!


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Read actively. Use the space on the Reading Logs!

Have fun! Reading should not be torturous. Choose a novel that will provide a challenge andbe enjoyable as well.

Approved Books for Independent Novel Study

Multicultural Literature

The following novels contain stories written from or about a variety of different nations, ethnicbackgrounds, and/or cultures. Some of them will very likely contain cultures and beliefs thatdo not mesh with your own. In order to fully appreciate the content, try to be open to newideas and not judgmental. Understand that if you subject these works to your own system ofbeliefs, you may miss important meanings. Give each work a chance, and then decide whatyou think of it. Read carefully and thoroughly. If you do, you will be rewarded with a group offascinating works that provide insights into specific cultures and into the human condition in

general.

Choose seven books from the list, and complete the tasks on the Independent Novel StudyMulticultural Literature Tasks page. Please refer to Independent Novel StudyTips andHints for explanations of lexiles and AR.

1. Achebe, Chinua,Anthills of the SavannahThis book presents a portrait of a WestAfrican military coup leader, and his moral deterioration. (216p., lexile 1030, AR.7.1/14)

2. Achebe, Chinua, Things Fall ApartA classic of modern African writing, this is thetale of what happens to tribal customs and old ways when white man comes. (209p.,lexile 890, AR. 6.2/8)

3. Auch, Mary Jane,Ashes of RosesSixteen-year-old Margaret Rose Nolan, newlyarrived from Ireland, finds work at New York City's Triangle Shirtwaist Factory shortlybefore the 1911 fire in which 146 employees died. (250p., lexile 670, AR. 4.4/8)

4. Alder, Elizabeth, Crossing the Panthers PathFifteen-year-old Billy Calder, son ofa British soldier and a Mohawk woman, leaves school to join Tecumseh in his effortsto prevent the Americans from taking any more land from the Indians in the NorthwestTerritory. (320p., lexile 810, AR. 6.1/9)

5. Alvarez, Julia, How the Garcia Girls Lost their AccentsFour lively latinas plungedfrom a pampered life of privilege on an island compound into the big-city chaos of NewYork, they rebel against Mami and Papi's old-world discipline and embrace all thatAmerica has to offer. (290p., lexile 950, AR. 6.2/13)

6. Alvarez, Julia, In the Time of ButterfliesBased on actual events--the death ofthree sisters on November 25, 1960--the novel immerses us in the life of theDominican Republic. (325p., lexile 910, AR. 5.8/18)


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7. Alvarez, Julia, Yo!Yolanda Garca, Yo for short, has proved she is a writer with awildly successful first novel that makes "characters" out of her family, friends, andlovers. The result? The "fictionally victimized" want to tell their side of the story. (309p.,

lexile N/A, AR. 6.1/15)

8. Anaya, Rudolfo, Bless Me, UltimaA novel of a young boy in New Mexico in the1940s. Antonio Marez is six years old when Ultima, a curanderaone who heals withherbs and magic, enters his life. Under her guidance, Tony will probe the family tiesthat bind him, and he will find in himself the magical secrets of the pagan pastamythic legacy equally as palpable as the Catholicism of Latin America in which he hasbeen schooled. (277p., lexile 840, AR. 5.4/14)

9. Angelou, Maya, I Know Why the Caged Bird SingsThis memoir traces MayaAngelou's childhood in a small, rural community during the 1930s. Filled with images

and recollections that point to the dignity and courage of black men and women,Angelou paints a sometimes disquieting, but always affecting picture of the peopleand the timesthat touched her life. (246p., lexile 1070, AR. 6.7/13)

10. Baldwin, James, Go Tell It on the MountainThis semi-autobiographical novelabout a 14-year-old black youths religious conversion is based on Baldwinsexperience as a young storefront preacher in Harlem. (303p., lexile 1030, AR. 6.5/13)

11. Ballard, Allen B., Where Im BoundThis novel shows what life was like for blackcavalry scout Joe Duckett and an all-black regiment during the Civil War. (316 p., lexileN/A, AR. 5.5/16)

12. Bellow, Saul, Seize the DayIn this novella, a son, Wilhelm, a Jewish man in themiddle of urban America,grapples with his love and hate for an unworthy father.(114p., lexile N/A, AR. 5.6/7)

13. Binchy, Maeve, Tara RoadA tale of two women, Ria Lynch from Dublin and MarilynVine from Connecticut, who, after meeting with unexpected catastrophes in their lives,end up exchanging houses for one summer, with extraordinary consequences. (656p.,lexile 670, 4.8/27)

14. Bruchac, Joseph, Code talker : a novel about the Navajo Marines of World WarTwoAfter being taught in a boarding school run by whites that Navajo is a uselesslanguage, Ned Begay and other Navajo men are recruited by the Marines to becomeCode Talkers, sending messages during World War II in their native tongue. (231p.,lexile 910, AR. 6.4/9)

15. Butler, Octavia E., KindredDana, a young black writer living in Los Angeles in1976, undertakes a series of unexpected and dangerous trips into the year 1819 torescue Rufus, the young son of a Maryland slaveholder. (264p., lexile 580, AR. 4.0/14)


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16. Buck, Pearl S., The Good EarthThrough this one Chinese peasant and hischildren, Nobel Prize-winner Pearl S. Buck traces the whole cycle of life, its terrors, itspassion, its persistent ambitions and its rewards. Her novel is a universal tale of thedestiny of men. (260p., lexile 1530, AR. 6.8/19)

17. Cadnum, Michael, Daughter of the WindIn medieval times as groups of Vikingsfight for supremacy, Hallgerd, Gauk, and Hego, three young people from the quiet

coastal village of Spjothof, find their fates intertwined as a series of events take theminto danger and far from home. (266p., lexile 1020, AR. 7.2/9)

18. Camus, Albert, The StrangerAn existential novel in which a young French man,observing rather than participating in life, commits a senseless murder. While inprison awaiting execution, he comes to value life. (123p., lexile 880, AR. 6.8/6)

19. Childress, Alice,A Hero Aint Nothin But a SandwichThe life of a thirteen-year-old Harlem youth on his way to becoming a confirmed heroin addict is seen from hisviewpoint and from that of several people around him. (126p., lexile N/A, AR. 4.4/7)

20.

Cisneros, Sandra, CarameloTold through the eyes of young Lala Reyes, this is thestory of her multi-generational Mexican-American family. (443p., lexile N/A, AR.5.7/23)

21. Clavell, James, ShogunA bold English adventurer. An invincibleJapanese warlord. A beautiful woman torn between two ways of life, two ways of love.All brought together in a saga of a time and place aflame with conflict, passion,ambition, lust and the struggle for power. (1136p., lexile N/A, AR. 5.1/64)

22. Crow Dog, Mary and Erdoes, Richard, Lakota WomanMary Brave Bird, 17, gavebirth to a son and married fellow activist Leonard Crow Dog, medicine man andspiritual leader of the American Indian Movement (AIM). Her girlhood was marked bypoverty, racism and a rape at 14. The authors write of AIM's infiltration by FBI agents,of Indian males' macho attitudes. The book also describes AIM's renewal of spiritualityas manifested in sweat lodges, peyote ceremonies, sacred songs and the GhostDance ritual. (263p., lexile 970, AR. N/A)

23. Dorris, Michael,A Yellow Raft in Blue WaterA saga of three generations of Indianwomen, beset by hardship and torn by angry secrets, yet joined together by the bondsof kinship. (372p., lexile 980, AR. 5.8/21)

24. Draper, Sharon, Copper SunThis poignant story of two fifteen-year-old girlsdescribes the shocking realities of the slave trade and plantation life of 18th centuryAmerica. Amari, a slave, and Polly, and indentured servant, escape a cruel life and tryto reach safety in Florida. (302p., lexile 820, AR. 5.2/11)

25. Draper, Sharon, Romiette and JulioRomiette, an African-American girl, and Julio,a Hispanic boy, discover that they attend the same high school after falling in love onthe Internet, but are harassed by a gang whose members object to their interracialdating. (236p., lexile 610, AR. 4.7/10)


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26. Ellison, Ralph, Invisible ManI am the invisible man, begins this novel of anunnamed black mans search for identity as an individual and as a member of his raceand his society. This story goes beyond one mans search and chronicles every mansstruggle to find himself. (581p., lexile 950, AR. 7.2/30)

27. Foer, Jonathan Safran, Everything is IlluminatedThis highly novel features a

protagonist with the same name as the author. The fictional Jonathan Safran Foer,also a writer, travels to Eastern Europe after his junior year in college. His mission is tofind Augustine, who may have saved the grandfather he never knew from the Nazis.Accompanying Jonathan is Alex, a young Ukrainian translator who speaks hilariouslyfractured English. (276p., lexile 950, AR. 5.7/16)

28. Forster, E.M.,A Passage to IndiaA pessimistic novel about mans inhumanity toman. A young English woman in British-ruled India accuses an Indian doctor of asexual assault; her accusation causes racial tension between the British and Indiancommunities and destroys the young mans career. (362p., lexile 950, AR. 7.7/18)

29.

Gaines, Ernest J., The Autobiography of Miss Jane PittmanA 110-year-old blackwoman reminisces about her life, which has stretched from the days of slavery to theblack militancy and civil rights movements of the 1960's. (246p., lexile 710, AR. 4.6/13)

30. Gaines, Ernest J.,A Lesson Before DyingIn a small Cajun community in 1940sLouisiana, a young black man is about to go to the electric chair for murder. A whiteshopkeeper had died during a robbery gone bad; though the young man on trial hadnot been armed and had not pulled the trigger, in that time and place, there could beno doubt of the verdict or the penalty. (256p., lexile 750, AR. 4.4/11)

31. Garcia, Cristina, The Agero SistersReina and Constancia Agero are Cubansisters who have been estranged for thirty years, one still lives in her homeland, andthe other in Miami. This is the story of their family as the two women move toward anuncertain, long-awaited reunion. (299p., lexile 1000, AR. 7.3/13)

32. Garcia Marquez, Gabriel, One Hundred Years of SolitudeThis Latin Americannovel portrays seven generations in the lives of the Buendia family. Garcia Marquezemploys a technique called magic realism-the use of magic, myth, and religion tointensify reality. (422p., lexile 1410, AR. 8.7/27)

33. Garland, Sherry, Song of the Buffalo BoyShunned and mistreated because of hermixed heritage and determined to avoid an arranged marriage, seventeen-year-old Loiruns away to Ho Chi Minh City, hoping that she and the boy she loves will be able togo to the United States to find her father. (249 p., lexile 900, AR. 5.5/9)

34. Golden, Arthur, Memoirs of a GeishaA fisherman's daughter in 1930s Japan risesto become a famous geisha. After training, Sayuri's virginity is sold to the highestbidder, then the school finds her a general for a patron. When he dies, she is reunitedwith the only man she loved. (434p., lexile 1000, AR. 6.5/31)


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35. Griffin, John Howard, Black Like MeThe author tells of his experiences after hedarkened his skin and traveled through the South in order to find out how it feels to beblack. (176p., lexile 990, AR. 7.0/11)

36.Guterson, David, Snow Falling on CedarsSet on an island in the straits north ofPuget Sound, in Washington, where everyone is either a fisherman or a berry farmer,the story is about a murder trial. Set in the 1950s, lingering memories of World War II,internment camps and racism helps fuel suspicion of a Japanese-American fisherman,a lifelong resident of the islands. (460p., lexile 1080, AR. 7.0/23)

37. Haley, Alex, RootsA black American traces his family's origins back to the Africanwho was brought to America as a slave in 1767. (688p., lexile 1330, AR. 7.4/48)

38. Haynes, Melinda, Mother of PearlSet in a small Mississippi town in the 1950s, thisis the story of a twenty-eight year-old black man and a fifteen-year-old white girl who

are searching for their roots and identity. (464p., lexile 900, AR. 6.1/27)

39. Hesse, Hermann, SiddharthaA young German man leaves his family for acontemplative life, then, restless, discards it for one of the flesh. He conceives a son,but bored and sickened by lust and greed, moves on again. Near despair, Siddharthacomes to a river where he hears a unique sound. This sound signals the truebeginning of his life -- the beginning of suffering, rejection, peace, and, finally, wisdom.(152p., lexile 1010, AR. 7.1/6)

40. Hillerman, Tony, The Blessing WayWhen Lt. Joe Leaphorn of The Navajo TribalPolice discovers a corpse with a mouth full of sand at a crime scene seemingly withouttracks or clues, he is ready to suspect a supernatural killer. Blood on the rocks...Abody on the high mesa...Leaphorn must stalk the Wolf-Witch along a chilling trailbetween mysticism and murder. (304p., lexile 920 AR. 5.7/9)

41. Houston, Jullian, New BoyAs a new sophomore at an exclusive boarding school, ayoung black man is witness to the persecution of another student with bad acne and isbefriended by an upperclassman who is Jewish. (282p., lexile 990, AR. 6.1/12)

42. Hunter, Mollie, The Kings Swift RiderUnwilling to fight but feeling a sense of duty,sixteen-year-old Martin joins Scotland's rebel army as a swift rider and master ofespionage for its leader, Robert the Bruce. (322p., lexile 1120, AR. 6.9/10)

43. Jansen, Hanna, Over a Thousand Hills I Walk With YouJeanne, the only memberof her family not murdered in the Rwandan genocide, struggles to start a new lifewithout her family while coping with the violent memories that haunt her. (342p., lexile790, AR. 5.2/12)

44. Joyce, James,A Portrait of the Artist as a Young ManA novel about a youngman growing up in Ireland and rebelling against family, country, and religion tobecome an artist. (192p., lexile 1120, AR. 8.7/16)


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45. Kidd, Sue Monk, The Secret Life of BeesLilys life has been shaped by the blurredmemory of the afternoon her mother was killed. When Lily's "stand-in-mother",Rosaleen, insults three of the deepest racists in this South Carolina town in 1964, Lilydecides to leave her abusive father and escape with Rosaleen to Tiberon, a town thatholds the secret to her mother's past. (840p., lexile 840, AR. 5.7/15)

46.Kingsolver, Barbara,Animal DreamsLoyd Peregrina, an Apache trainman, shareshis views of the world with Codi Noline, who returns to her hometown of to Grace,Arizona to confront her past and face her ailing, distant father. What she finds is atown threatened by a silent environmental catastrophe, some startling clues to her ownidentity, and Loyd. This novel blends flashbacks, dreams, and Native Americanlegends. (342p., lexile 790, AR. 5.7/17)

47. Lahiri, Jhumpa, The NamesakeThe firstborn child of the Ganguli family, freshlyarrived from Calcutta, receives the name Gogol. While the Gangulis are trying hard toassimilate into American culture, Gogol rejects all of the old ways and ancienttraditions of the family and becomes thoroughly Americanized. (291p., lexile 1210,

AR. 7.2/18)

48. Laird, Elizabeth, Kiss the DustFollows the terrifying journey of a young Kurdish girlwho flees the Iraqi Secret Police with her family and takes temporary shelter in themountains of Kurdistan. (279p., lexile 850, AR. 5.1/10)

49. Lawson, Mary, Crow LakeNarrated by a fifteen-year-old autistic savant obsessedwith Sherlock Holmes, this novel weaves together an old-fashioned mystery, acontemporary coming-of-age story, and an excursion into a mind incapable ofprocessing emotions. It is set in the rural badlands of northern Ontario. (304p., lexile880, AR. 5.5/12)

50. Levitin, Sonia, The CureA sixteen-year-old boy living in 2407 collides with the pastwhen he finds himself in Strasbourg in 1348 confronting the anti-Semitism that sweepsthrough Europe during the Black Plague. (181p., lexile 670, AR. 4.7/9)

51. Levitin, Sonia, Room in the HeartAfter German forces occupy Denmark duringWorld War II, fifteen-year-old Julie Weinstein and fifteen-year-old Niels Nelson andtheir friends and families try to cope with their daily lives, finding various ways to resistthe Nazis and, to survive. (290p., lexile 690, AR. 4.4/10)

52. Martinez, Victor, Parrot in the Oven: Mi VidaManny relates his coming of ageexperiences as a member of a poor Mexican American family in which the alcoholicfather only adds to everyone's struggle. (216p., lexile 1000, AR. 6.1/7)

53. McCaffery, Anne, Black Horses for theKingGalwyn, son of a Roman Celt,escapes from his tyrannical uncle and joins Lord Artos, later known as King Arthur. Heuses his talent with languages and way with horses to help secure and care for theLibyan horses that Artos hopes to use in battle. (217p., lexile 1030, AR. 6.9/8)


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54. McCunn, Ruthanne Lum, Thousand Pieces of GoldLalu Nathoy's father called histhirteen-year-old daughter his treasure, his "thousand pieces of gold," yet when faminestrikes northern China in 1871, he is forced to sell her. Polly, as Lalu is later called, issold to a brothel, sold again to a slave merchant bound for America, auctioned to asaloonkeeper, and offered as a prize in a poker game. (308p., lexile 940, AR. 5.6/9)

55. McDonald, Joyce, Devil on My HeelsIn 1959, fifteen-year-old Dove, the daughterof a prosperous orange grower in Benevolence, Florida, feels increasingly uneasyafter learning of acts of racism against the African American orange pickers by thoseclose to her. (263p., lexile 740, AR. 4.5/10)

56. Meyer, Carolyn, Jubilee JourneyEmily Rose has always felt comfortable growingup in Connecticut with her African-American mother and her French-American father;but when she spends some time with her grandmother in Texas, she learns moreabout her heritage. (270p., lexile 880, AR. 5.4/8)

57.

Miklowitz, Gloria D., Masada: The Last FortressAs the Roman army marchesinexorably across the Judean desert toward the fortress of Masada, Simon and hisfamily and friends prepare, along with the rest of the Jewish Zealots, to fight and neversurrender. (188p., lexile 850, AR. 6.1/8)

58. Momaday, N. Scott, House Made of DawnIn this fictional story based on the livesof the author's Indian ancestors, a young American Indian is torn between two worlds--his ancestors' and the modern world. (212p., lexile 970, AR. 6.2/11)

59. Morrison, Toni, BelovedIn post-Civil War Ohio, the past continues to haunt the ex-slave Sethe and the surviving members of her family. (275p., lexile 870, AR. 6.0/15)

60. Morrison, Toni, The Bluest EyeAn eleven-year-old African-American girl in Ohio,in the early 1940s, prays for her eyes to turn blue so that she will be beautiful. (215p.,lexile 920, AR. 5.2/8)

61. Morrison, Toni, Song of SolomonMacon "Milkman" Dead undertakes a journeythrough family history to attain a deeper understanding of his own identity. A bookabout four generations of black life in America. (337p., lexile 870, AR. 5.0/14)

62. Myers, Walter Dean, The Glory FieldThis novel follows a family's two hundredforty-one year history, from the capture of an African boy in the 1750s through the livesof his descendants, as their dreams and circumstances lead them away from and backto the small plot of land in South Carolina that they call the Glory Field. (375p., lexile800, AR. 5.0/12)

63. Osa, Nancy, Cuba 15Violet Paz, a Chicago high school student, reluctantlyprepares for her upcoming "quince," a Spanish nickname for the celebration of anHispanic girl's fifteenth birthday. (277p., lexile 750, AR. 4.9/9)

64. Paton, Alan, Cry, the Beloved CountryZulu pastor Stephen Kumalo travels toJohannesburg on an errand for a friend and to visit his son, Absalom, only to learn


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Absalom has been accused of murdering white city engineer and social activist ArthurJarvis and stands very little chance of receiving mercy. The roots of both thegenerational and racial conflicts of black South Africans are explored in this story.(316p., lexile 860, AR. 6.2/14)

65. Pausewang, Gudrun, TraitorDuring the closing months of World War II, a fifteen-

year-old German girl must decide whether to help an escaped Russian prisoner ofwar, despite the serious consequences if she does so. (220p., lexile N/A, AR. 5.1/8)

66. Perkins, Mitali, Monsoon SummerSecretly in love with her best friend andbusiness partner Steve, fifteen-year-old Jazz must spend the summer away from himwhen her family goes to India during that country's rainy season to help set up a clinic.(257p., lexile 750, AR. 4.8/9)

67. Potok, Chaim, The ChosenThe Chosen chronicles the friendship between DannySaunders, a boy from a Hasidic family, and the more assimilated Reuven Malter, asthey come of age in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. (284p., lexile 970, AR. 6.6/15)

68. See, Lisa, Snow Flower and the Secret FanIn nineteenth-century China, whenwives and daughters were foot-bound and lived in almost total seclusion, the women inone remote Hunan county developed their own secret code for communication. Theypainted letters on fans, embroidered messages on handkerchiefs, and composedstories. With the arrival of a silk fan a friendship is sealed. (288p., lexile 980, AR.6.5/16)

69. Smith, Alexander McCall, The No. 1 Ladies Detective AgencyPreciousRamotswe decides to go against tradition and open a private detective agency incontemporary Botswana, and soon has more business than she could have hoped for,including a disturbing case involving a missing child. (239p., lexile N/A, AR. 5.9/10)

70. Solzhenitsyn, Alexander, One Day in the Life of Ivan DenisovichRecounts theexperiences of Shukhov, a prisoner at a Soviet work camp in Siberia, as he strugglesfor survival. (159p., lexile 900, AR. 5.5/8)

71. Staples, Suzanne Fisher, Shanabu: Daughter of the WindWhen eleven-year oldShabanu, the daughter of a nomad in the Cholistan Desert of present-day Pakistan, ispledged in marriage to an older man whose money will bring prestige to the family, shemust either accept the decision, as is the custom, or risk the consequences of defyingher father's wishes. (240p., lexile 970, AR. 5.9/9)

72. Stowe, Harriet Beecher, Uncle Toms CabinThe story of American slavery andUncle Tom, a black man who never lost his dignity under the most inhumanecircumstances. (552p., lexile 1050, AR. 9.3/32)

73. Tademy, Lalita, Red RiverThis book is the story of two Louisiana families, threegenerations of African American men, and their struggles to make a place forthemselves in a country deeply divided in the aftermath of the Civil War and beyond.(420p., lexile N/A, AR. 6.6/19)


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74. Tan, Amy, The Joy Luck ClubIn 1949 four Chinese women, recent immigrants toSan Francisco, begin meeting to eat dim sum, play mahjong, and talk. United inshared unspeakable loss and hope, they call themselves the Joy Luck Club. Ratherthan sink into tragedy, they choose to gather to raise their spirits and money. (288p.,lexile 930, AR. 5.7/14)

75.Tan, Amy, The Kitchen Gods WifeAn aging Chinese woman unfolds a life's worthof secrets to her suspicious, Americanized daughter. (532p., lexile 810, AR. 5.2/24)

76. Taylor, Mildred D., The Road to MemphisSadistically teased by two white boys in1940s rural Mississippi, a black youth severely injures one of the boys with a tire ironand enlists Cassie's help in trying to flee the state. (290p., lexile 670, AR. 4.5/12)

77. Tingle, Rebecca, The Edge of the SwordIn ninth-century Britain, the fifteen yearold daughter of King Alfred of West Saxony finds she must assume newresponsibilities much sooner than she expected. (277p., lexile 930, AR. 6.6/11)

78.

Torrey, Michele, To the Edge of the WorldIn 1519, after the death of his parents,fourteen-year-old Mateo Macias becomes cabin boy to Ferdinand Magellan on adangerous journey in search of a route to the fabled Spice Islands. (233p., lexile 730,AR. 5.0/9)

79. Walker, Alice, The Color PurpleThis won a Pulitzer Prize in 1983. A feminist novelabout an abused and uneducated black woman's struggle for empowerment. (295p.,lexile 670, AR. 4.0/9)

80. Wharton, Edith, The Age of InnocenceNew York society in the 1870s is portrayed,where money counted for less than manners and morals. (318p., lexile 1170, AR.8.8/19)

81. Wright, Richard, Native SonTrapped in the poverty-stricken ghetto of Chicago'sSouth Side, a young African-American man finds release only in acts of violence.(504p., lexile 700, AR. 6.1/24)

82. Zenatti, Valerie, When I Was a SoldierValrie begins her story as she finishes herexams, breaks up with her boyfriend, and leaves for service with the Israeli army.Nothing has prepared her for the strict routines, grueling marches, poor food, and lackof sleep and privacy. (235p., lexile 940, AR. 6.4/9)


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Independent Novel StudyMulticulturalLiterature TasksYou must complete #1. Choose six other tasks to complete. Unless stated otherwise, eachshould be approximately one to two typed pages in length.

1. Fully describe the setting and historical context. Be sure to include information suchas time period, time of year, where the story takes place, descriptions of the location,as well as descriptions of the people (what they looked like, what they wore, what theydid, what they believed, what they valued, etc.).

2. Make a map to show where the action takes place in the novel. Put labels on the mapto show what happened at each place.

3. Provide a list of quotations and details to reveal aspects of the culture.

4. List the theme/s of the novel. Locate several sentences and/or passages in the novelthat capture the theme/s. Explain the theme/s and your choices of sentences and/orpassages.

5. Describe elements of prejudice and/or tolerance to diversity.

6. Write a complete description of either the antagonist or protagonist. Be sure to includephysical appearance, personal characteristics, attitude toward the major conflict,relationships with other characters, and any other interesting information. Citeexamples from the story to support your description.

7. Trace the transformation of one dynamic character (a character that changes in someimportant way as a result of the storys action) from the time the character isintroduced through the conclusion of the novel.

8. After selecting a problem of a character, act as a psychologist, giving advice to the

character.

9. List five of the main characters from the book you read. Give three examples of whateach character learned or did not learn in the book.

10.Create an essay on a topic of your choice from the protagonists or the cultures pointof view.


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11.Summarize the plot by creating a childrens version of the story. Illustrations may beincluded.

12.Create the first chapter to a sequel of or a new ending to the novel. The sequel should

explain what happens to the characters after the book ends. The new ending shouldtake the place of the current ending and offer an alternate resolution to the mainconflict of the book.

13.Write an essay completing one or more of the following thoughts: This book made merealize that, decide that, understand that, believe that, feel that, wonderabout, wish that, hope that

14.Write a narrative explaining how the book relates to you in some way. Include thebooks affect on your life and personal experiences that are similar or related to eventsor themes in the book.

15. Explain why you would or would not recommend this book. Be sure to include specificexamples from the book. Some questions you may want to consider:

Did the author achieve his/her purpose?Is the writing effective, powerful, difficult, beautiful?What are the strengths and weaknesses of the book?What is your overall response to the book? Did you find it interesting, moving,dull?


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Reading Log**You may print this off and use it, or record the same information in another place (spiral notebook, etc.).**Use a new Reading Log as often as needed. You may end up with several filled by the end of the book!

STUDENT NAME NAME OF BOOK PARENT SIGNATURE

DATE PAGES READ NOTES/REFLECTIONS/ETC.





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Independent Novel StudyCredit Evaluation0.5 credits will be awarded when all of the following are completed:

Student Name _______________________________ Date _____________________

Novel #1 ___________________________________________

TASK COMPLETED? NOTES

Novel was from Approved List Y N

Reading Logs

Have parent signatures Y N

Contain thoughts/reflections Y N

Cover all pages of book Y N

Are thoroughly completed Y N

Tasks#1 completed thoroughly Y N

_____ completed thoroughly Y N






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Novel #2 ___________________________________________



Reading Logs













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Novel #3 ___________________________________________



Reading Logs













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Novel #4 ___________________________________________



Reading Logs













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Novel #5 ___________________________________________



Reading Logs













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Novel #6 ___________________________________________



Reading Logs













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Novel #7 ___________________________________________



Reading Logs












independent study - multicultural novel study(1)

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