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10 CP SUMMER READING ASSIGNMENT

What is a genre? Check out the following definition:

genre |ZHnr| noun

a category of artistic composition, as in music or literature, characterized by similarities in form, style, or subject matter.

ORIGIN early 19th cent.: French, literally a kind

Genre is a word used to describe a specific type of art, music, literature, drama, or film. Anything artistic can be described as fitting into a certain genre, and sometimes more than one! Genres of literature are important to learn about, especially for writing. Exploring how a literary work is put together and the authors purpose in writing a certain way or including certain characteristics in his/her work can add to a readers understanding of the text.

The two main categories separating the different genres of literature are fiction and nonfiction. Fiction is false, a made up story, and has certain characteristics that are central to it like a plot, characters, and theme, while non-fiction is based in truth, on things that really happened to real people. Nonfiction sits in direct opposition to fiction, and within each there are many variations. We call the varied types of these works genres also, and each has its own set of characteristics.

The following list of books deals with the genres of fiction like science fiction, realistic fiction, horror, fantasy, and mystery, and also of non-fiction, like memoir. The crossover that hovers between both is historical fiction.

YOUR TASK:

1. During the summer you will select one book from the list and read it, paying close attention to the characteristics of the book.

2. You will research the GENRE of the book that is listed in the parenthesis following the title online and define the characteristics of that genre. You need at least 5 characteristics of the genre to complete the assignment.

3. Then, you will fill out the following advanced organizers listing the characteristics you find and TEXTUAL references proving that the book you read has the characteristics of that particular genre.

So, for example, you might find that a key tenant of romantic fiction is the use of gothic fantasy elements and the supernatural. In order to fill out the form, you would need to go back into the book and find examples of those elementsa place where the author used the supernatural as a character or setting- recording the page number of the element in the book, and then explaining it.

During the year we will examine multiple genres of literature and WHY authors choose to write in those different forms. This should be your first attempt of the year at understanding not only what happened in your book, but how it went together.

*** Remember, this assignment is DUE on the FIRST FULL DAY of CLASS.

Title of Book and Genre:

DIRECTIONS PART 1: Choose 5 elements of your chosen literary genre (the genre is listen underneath the book title) and describe in 1-2 sentences.

Element of Genre #1

Element of Genre #2

Element of Genre #3

Element of Genre #4

Element of Genre #5

DIRECTIONS PART 2: Locate 5 examples from the text that demonstrates each element of the genre. Write the quote or passage with the page number. Then, in 3-4 sentences explain how that specific quote or passage exhibits the particular genre element.

Quote or Passage One & Page Number:

Explanation:

Quote or Passage One & Page Number:

Explanation:

Quote or Passage One & Page Number:

Explanation:

Quote or Passage One & Page Number:

Explanation:

Quote or Passage One & Page Number:

Explanation

Undertow by Michael Buckley

(science fiction)

Sixteen-year-old Lyric Walker's life is forever changed when she witnesses the arrival of 30,000 Alpha, a race of ocean-dwelling warriors, on her beach in Coney Island. The world's initial wonder and awe over the Alpha quickly turns paranoid and violent, and Lyric's small town transforms into a military zone with humans on one side and Alpha on the other. When Lyric is recruited to help the crown prince of the Alpha assimilate, she begins to fall for him. And she begins to question what if the Alpha are not the true enemy? What if they are actually humanity's best chance for survival when the real enemy arrives? Action, suspense, and romance whirlpool dangerously in this cinematic saga!

Pointe by Brandy Colbert

(realistic fiction)

At age 13, Theo was focused on ballet, her best friend Donovan, and her secret older boyfriend Trent. But then Trent dumped her, Donovan vanished, and Theo developed an eating disorder. Four years later, she's healthier and pursuing her dream of being one of only a few African-American professional ballerinas. When Donovan is found, Theo is shocked to discover that the "person of interest" in his abduction is none other than Trent. Now Theo is torn between her dark secret, her loyalty to Donovan, and her need to reveal the truth.

Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline

(historical fiction)

Between 1854 and 1929, orphan trains ran regularly from the cities of the East Coast to the farmlands of the Midwest, carrying thousands of abandoned children whose fates would be determined by pure luck. Would they be adopted by a kind and loving family, or would they face a childhood and adolescence of hard labor and servitude?

As a young Irish immigrant, Vivian Daly was one such child, sent from New York City to an uncertain future a world away. Returning east later in life, Vivian leads a quiet, peaceful existence on the coast of Maine. But packed away in her attic are traces of a turbulent past.

Seventeen-year-old Molly Ayer knows that a community-service position helping an elderly widow clean out her attic is the only thing keeping her out of juvenile hall. But Molly soon discovers that she and Vivian aren't as different as they appear. Molly is also an outsider being raised by strangers, and she, too, has unanswered questions about the past.

Scowler by Daniel Kraus

(horror)

Imagine your father is a monster. Would that mean there are monsters inside you, too?Nineteen-year-old Ry Burke, his mother, and his little sister eke out a living on their dying Iowa farm. Ry wishes for anything to distract him from the grim memories of his father's physical and emotional abuse. Then a meteorite falls from the sky, bringing with it not only a fragment from another world but also the arrival of a ruthless man intent on destroying the entire family. Soon Ry is forced to defend himself by resurrecting a trio of imaginary childhood protectors: kindly Mr. Furrington, wise Jesus, and the bloodthirsty Scowler.

The Young Elites by Marie Lu

(fantasy)

As a survivor of the great blood plague of the 1340s, Adelina Amouteru is marked as a malfetto. Some of the malfettos have magical powers they are the Young Elites, worshipped by some and hunted by others. When Adelina runs away to avoid being sold to a nobleman, her enraged father tracks her down and in her terror she accidentally murders him. Condemned to burn at the stake, Adelina is rescued at the last moment by the Young Elites, who begin training her to join their Dagger Society and their secret mission to reclaim the throne. But Adelina has a dark secret of her own This is a spellbinding high fantasy with action, betrayal, romance that will tempt fans of George R.R. Martins Game of Thrones series and Leigh Bardugos Grisha trilogy.

Vanishing Girls by Lauren Oliver

(mystery)

Dara and Nick used to be inseparable, but that was before the accident that left Dara's beautiful face scarred and the two sisters totally estranged. When Dara vanishes on her birthday, Nick thinks Dara is just playing around. But another girl, 9-year-old Madeline Snow, has vanished, too, and Nick becomes increasingly convinced that the two disappearances are linked. Now Nick has to find her sister, before it's too late.

If Youre Reading This by Trent Reedy

(realistic fiction)

Sophomore Mike Wilson has perfected the art of living for the future. He studies, works hard, and doesnt pester his overprotective mom with questions about his father, who died in Afghanistan when Mike was just eight. But everything changes when Mike receives a letter from his dad, dated May of 2004, that begins, If youre reading this, then Im very sorry, but I didnt make it home. This letter, and the ones that follow, are filled with his fathers memories, hopes, and advice for his son, as well as a series of missions to help Mike live life to the fullest today. Mike wonders who is sending the letters, what really happened on the day his father died, and what will happen when all of these secrets are finally revealed.

We Should Hang Out Sometime by Josh Sundquist

(memoir)

When I was 25 years old, it came to my attention that I had never had a girlfriend. So begins Josh Sundquists quasi-scientific quest to revisit each of his almost-relationships, formulate a hypothesis about what went wrong, and reach some conclusions about his girlfriend-less state. Along the way he addresses his own insecurities about growing up as an amputee (he lost one of his legs to Ewings sarcoma at age 9), despite his subsequent success as a Paralympic skier. This is a hilariously cringe-inducing memoir about one young mans quest to fill the girlfriend-shaped hole in his heart.

The Scar Boys by Len Vlahos

(realistic fiction)

In attempting to describe himself in his college application essay--help us to become acquainted with you beyond your courses, grades, and test scores--Harbin