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Wells, Angelou, Salinger and Fitzgerald are the most commonly read authors in the summer before junior year - find out what they're all about!
The end of school is quickly approaching, but the summer of reading is just beginning. Each June students get assigned summer reading, which is usually not looked upon too fondly. But what of it? Across the country, major patterns emerge as to which books are being read by what ages. The following are the most commonly read books in the summer for incoming juniors: The Invisible Man - H.G. Wells (ISBN: 0809596369) I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings - Maya Angelou (ISBN: 05533279378) Catcher in the Rye - J.D. Salinger (ISBN: 0316769533) The Great Gatsby - F. Scott Fitzgerald (ISBN: 0743273567) The Invisible Man Set in Sussex, England in late 19th century, the main charcater, Griffin, a scientiest, decides to try to make himself invisible. He thinks that if he can get his "refractive index" to be exactly that of air, and absorption of light does not occur, he will be invisible to the human eye - and he succeeds! What follows is his struggle, both physically and mentally, with trying to become visible again, reminding all readers of the importance of community and interaction, and, of course as will all works of science fiction, the danger of power. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings The first in what would be a six-volume autobiographical journey for Angelou, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings follows her early years in the south. She had to live with her grandmother and crippled uncle after her and her brother are abandoned by their parents. The book explores many issues of growing up black in the south, like racism, sexism and finding one's identity. The book truly underscores Angelou's feelings of loneliness and abandonment throughout her childhood, as her parents physically abandoned her, and most of the southern society abandoned her before even speaking with her, because of the color of her skin. Catcher in the Rye In what has become the definitive novel of teenage rebellion, Salinger creates one of the most memorable characters in literature, Holden Caufield. The events of the book cover 3 days in Caufield's life, has he flunks out of his prep school at the age of 16 and the reader follows his thoughts and actions as he deals with this rebuke. Because of the great rebellion, the sexual content and the profanity, Catcher in the Rye consistently makes the most banned books list each year; however, with eash passing year, more and more schools are including it in their curriculum, seeing it's importance as a piece of American literature. The Great Gatsby In one of the quintessential classics of the high school curriculum, Fitzgerald recreates for modern readers the social scene of the Roaring 20's in New York through the eyes of narrator Nick Carraway. Through Nick, readers meet some of the most memorable characters in literature: Daisy and Tom Buchanan, Jordan Baker, George and Myrtle Wilson, and even the billboard sign above the Wilson's garage: the infamous Eyes of T.J. Eckleberg. The precariously pretentious lives of these social elite supporse readers, who expect the lives of these people to be full of happy parties and smiling faces, but really, FItzergerald shows us the cost of this type of lifestyle, and the cost of not being true to oneself. If your school district does not provide a way for you to purchase the summer reading books, do not forget that your local library will have these copies (although get them early before classmates beat you to it). Amazon.com is also a good option to get the books quickly and inexpensively. Enjoy your reading!
The copyright of the article Summer Reading - 11th Grade in Teen Fiction is owned by Laura L. Johnson. Permission to republish Summer Reading - 11th Grade in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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