Book club

BOOK CLUB

By: Haley, Becki, Charlie and Michael

We like to read together as a group to increase our understanding and perspectives. Anyone is welcome to join our book club that wants to explore and push the boundaries of literacy. We believe in multiple literacies, because reading can be more than written language! All for one and one for all.

Our Members

Becki Wiens

“Your imagination is liable to explode as you subject yourself to literature.”

Charlie Scibak

“Reading is fun!!”

Haley Sigurdson

“Reading can take you to another world and allow you to experience things you never thought possible!”

Michael Kirkness

Grade 9

List of Books for Grade 9

Fried Green Tomatoes—Fannie Flagg Of Mice and Men—John Steinbeck To Kill a Mockingbird—Harper Lee The Secret Life of Bees—Sue monk Kidd The Hobbit- J. R. R. Tolkien

Rationale

These books are a good choice for grade nine because they have recurring themes, which will help them in developing inferences.

This literature touches on life events that they may encounter and refer to when dealing with future issues.

We chose these books because they provide a good foundation for future readings.

The Hobbit is a fantasy novel and children’s book by J.R.R. Tolkien. The book remains popular and is recognized as a classic in children's literature.Set in a time "Between the Dawn of Færie and the Dominion of Men, The Hobbit follows the quest of home-loving hobbit Bilbo Baggins to win a share of the treasure guarded by the dragon, Smaug. Bilbo's journey takes him from light-hearted, rural surroundings into darker, deeper territory. By accepting the disreputable, romantic, fey and adventurous side of his nature and applying his wits and common sense, Bilbo gains a new level of maturity, competence and wisdom.

The Hobbit

3 Activities

The Hobbiton Free Press (Chapters 1-4) You are a writer for The Hobbiton Free Press, a monthly newsletter

catering to the region of Westfarthing, the westernmost region of the Shire. Your task is to write an article for your paper. You could be a news reporter, describing a significant event (e.g. Bilbo’s encounter with the trolls) or an editorial writing about an issue brought forth in the section (e.g. opposing non-Hobbit activities like having adventures)

The Personal Epithet. The class will be provided some time in the computer lab in order to

complete this activity. Your task is to find the origin of your first and last name, and to come up with an epithet according to those name origins.

The Hobbit and Fairy Tales The Hobbit features several themes similar to that of Fairy Tales. The

class will be divided into three groups and tasked with reading one of the three fairy tales, Rumplestiltskin, Jack and the Beanstalk, and Alladin. Once read, your task is to discuss the themes in the fairy tale. Then compare the themes featured in the Hobbit.

Michael Kirkness

Kirkness:Olde Norse origin, and is a locational from the place, a headland, in Orkney, called 'Kirkness'. The placename means 'the church at the headland', derived from the Northern Middle English word 'Kirk', meaning 'church', and the Olde Norse 'nes', a headland.

Michael:Hebrew: Who is like God

“The Man of God in the Church by the Headland”

Michael Kirkness

Haley Sigurdson

Sigurdson Old Norse: Winning adviserOld Norse: A victorious guardian

Haley Norse: HeroIrish: Wise oneOld English: Hay meadow

“The Swashbuckling Guardian”

Haley Sigurdson

Becki Wiens

Wiens:German: patronymic from a short form of a Germanic compound personal name beginning with wini ‘friend’.

Becki (Rebecca):Hebrew: To tie, bind; enchantingly beautifulHebrew: Bound, tied

“Beautiful Friend”

Becki Wiens

Charlie Scibak

Scibak (Sciba):Of Polish or German origin: possibly a variant of Skibba, a nickname from Sorbian skiba ‘slice of bread’.

Charles:Old English: Manly

“The Manly Bread-man”

Charlie Scibak

Pre-Readings

Copies of Rumplestiltskin, Jack and the Beanstalk, and Alladin will be provided prior to the next activity.

Post-Readings

Map of Middle Earth

Movie Watch the cartoon video; there is a new movie coming out

next year that we could watch in the future.

http://lotr.wikia.com/wiki/Middle-earth

Grade 10

Grade 10 Book List

The Handmaids Tale—Margaret Attwood

Wuthering Heights—Emily Bronte Lord of the Flies—William Golding Life of Pi—Yann Martel Animal Farm—George Orwell Lord of the Rings—JRR Tolkien

Rationale

This book list was specially designed to interest male students. As a generality, female students tend to enjoy pleasure reading more than their counterpart male students do. As a result the females tend to have better scores when it comes to reading and writing. This list of books is a small way to grab the interest of those boys and hook them into pleasure reading.

Lord of the Flies tells the story of a group of English schoolboys marooned on a tropical island after their plane is shot down during a war.

Free from the rules and structures of civilization and society, the boys on the island descend into savagery.

As the boys splinter off into groups, some behave peacefully and work together to maintain order and achieve common goals, while others rebel and seek only anarchy and violence.

Lord of the Flies

In his portrayal of the small world of the island, Golding paints a broader portrait of the fundamental human struggle between the civilizing instinct—the impulse to obey rules, behave morally, and act lawfully—and the savage instinct—the impulse to seek brute power over others, act selfishly, scorn moral rules, and indulge in violence.

3 Activities

Map It Out Students are asked to map out the island of LOTF. Using

details and quotes from the book. Students can either draw, sculpt, paint or collage a map of the island.

Publish It Students are asked to create a front and back cover for

the LOTF book as well as a synopsis of the book. The Soundtrack

Students are asked to make a five song CD. For each song or musical piece, write out the lyrics or describe the music; then, write an analysis which explains its connection to the novel. Use literary evidence such as: symbols, themes, motifs and situations that the novel explored.

Pre-Readings

Postscript on Japanese Skulls(Paul Fussel) A fragment of a letter written during a war. This

should help the students imagine the hardships of war.

The Second Coming (William Butler Yeats) This is a bizarre and very well-known, oft-quoted

poem that has an immediate effect on this novel. Yeats talks about innocence and anarchy.

barrsenglishclass.com/flies.htm http://www.webenglishteacher.com/golding.html

Post-Readings

Watch the movie! Harry Hook’s 1990 version is the best

60 Second Recaps 60secondrecap.com/library/lord-of-the-

flies/2/

Grade 11

List of Books for Grade 11

Watership Down — Richard Adams

Dracula — Bram Stoker Twelfth Night – Shakespeare We — Yevgeny Zamyatin The Stone Angle – Margret

Laurence

Rationale

We selected these books for grade eleven because we believe they will spark the interest of the students.

We included an array of genres to enrich students’ understanding of themes and issues, in order to enhance their appreciation of language.

We believe these books will challenge students understanding and knowledge and will help them to improve their reading comprehension while developing their ability to make inferences.

We chose Authors from different cultural backgrounds to enrich the classroom experience and contribute to a greater appreciation of literature.

These books will allow students to develop a deeper understanding of themselves and the world around them by reading and reflecting on the text.

The play, Twelfth Night is a comedy written by William Shakespeare. The protagonist ,Viola is shipwrecked on an island named Illyria. She believes her twin brother drowned in the wreck.

Orsino, The Duke of Illyira, is a glutton for punishment; “If music be the food of love, play on”, for he is madly in love

Twelfth Night

with his neighbour Lady Olivia. Olivia has sworn off men for 7 years while she is morning the loss of her father and brother. Viola’s only salvation while being stranded in this strange place, is to disguise herself as a man; this is the only way she can work for the Duke. Orsino sends Viola (who is disguised as a man) to woo Lady Olivia for him. Olivia falls for Viola’s girlish good looks and the love triangle begins. For, the more Viola gets to know Orsino, the more she realizes her true feelings for him; Love. Can this tale only end in heartache?

3 Activities

Journal or “Think book” For this activity students will make connections to a theme

in the book by writing about: a key scene or quote that resonates; a burning question; and a discussion that shows their thought process.

Comic Strip In groups of two choose a specific scene or an overview of

the play and create a comic strip. The comic should include humour and include at least 4 frames. These will be created on the computer using the program ComicLife.

Character Biography Create a Bio for one character in the play. Draw or represent

the character in the middle of the page (using poster paper). Include their name at the top of the page. Around the representation of the character, include: 3 quotes, 3 thoughts, and 3 feelings, and 3 emotions.

Pre-Readings

Comics Spiderman and Superman (looking at hidden love and

disguise) A Short Story

A Secret for Two by Quentin Reynolds (illusions) Song Analysis

Complicated - Carolyn Dawn Johnson (hidden feelings) (discuss songs the kids suggest)

http://ghiorzi.org/secret.htm http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eGILo79ObiU

Post-Readings

Painting Analysis See Image. .

Book No Fear Twelfth Night

Movie She’s the Man

http://www.1st-art-gallery.com/Johann-Heinrich-Ramberg/Malvolio-Before-Olivia,-From-Twelfth-Night-By-William-Shakespeare-1564-1616-1789.html

Crowther, John, (Ed.). (2003). No Fear Twelfth Night. Retrieved January 16, 2012, from http://nfs.sparknotes.com/twelfthnight/

Grade 12

Grade 12 Book list

Nineteen-Eighty-Four—George Orwell The Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn—Mark

Twain A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier

—Ishmael Beah Nineteen Minutes—Jodi Picoult The Grapes of Wrath—John Steinbeck The Help—Kathryn Stockett The Curious incident of the Dog in the Night-

Time—Mark Haddon

Rationale

The reason we chose these novels is because:1. The concepts are more demanding than

grade 11 level,2. Content may have use of profanity, sexuality

and adult issues (relationships, divorce etc.) that would not be acceptable at grade nine level,

3. Themes are hidden and require deeper comprehension, which will also promote students’ ability to make inferences independently.

The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger is narrated by a teenage boy named Holden Caulfield. Holden Caulfield is a typical and atypical teenage boy who is trying to make sense of the adult world he is about to enter. Along this journey the reader is presented with many different themes such as, innocence, mortality, isolation, phoniness of the adult world, sexuality and the painfulness of growing up. Throughout the novel there are many issues that are discussed such as school, teachers, music, sex, alcohol, hypocrisy, family and most importantly being a teenager in the adult world.

Catcher in the Rye

3 activities

Introduction Activity: Students should be briefed on what life in the 50’s was

like. You can also talk about Communism, Capitalism, Socialism and the different war’s being fought.

Class Blog: A class blog is a great way to build a stronger

community, add technology into the classroom and help students gain a more thorough understanding of the novel.

Phony Tracking: Holden Caulfield believes that almost everything is

phony. Have the students track his comments about "phonies" and include the page number it was found on.

Pre-Readings

Salinger: A Biography, by Paul Alexander Poem:

Comin Thro’ The Rye by Robert Burns

Post-Readings

Holden Caulfield, by Harold Bloom If You Really Want To Hear About It:

Writers on J.D. Salinger and his work Readings On The Catcher In The Rye, by

Steven Engel

THE END