SUMMER READING LIST
(keep reading Journal-for assignment topics see below this list in
three ring binder provided)
The poem by Dante, begun in exile in 1306 and
allegorically describing the poet's (by implication mankind's)
journey through life to salvation. The Commedia is the central and
culminating literary work of medieval
Europe
. It is systematically
structured in terza rima, with three cantiche (Inferno, Purgatorio,
Paradiso).
The definitive manual
of modern politics written by the Italian Renaissance political
philosopher Niccolò Machiavelli almost 500 years ago.
3.
The Broker (John Grisham)
(pdf)
-
The Broker
on wattpad (also downloadable on ipod touch with
wattpad app)
The novel follows the story of Joel Backman, a newly-pardoned
prisoner who had tried to broker a deal to give the world's most
powerful satellite surveillance system to the highest bidder.
4.
Playing for
Pizza (John Grisham) (pdf)
- Playing
for Pizza on wattpad
(also downloadable on ipod touch with
wattpad app)
"Playing for Pizza" is a short novel about a
fallen American football star who can no longer get work in the
National Football League and whose agent, as a last resort, signs a
deal for him to play for the Parma Panthers, in Parma, Italy. The
quarterback's move to a small city in a foreign land leads to a
series of cultural misadventures.
Audio Book
6. Imperium (Robert Harris)
On a cold November morning, Tiro opens the door to find a
terrified, bedraggledstranger begging for help. Once a Sicilian
aristocrat, the man was robbed by thecorrupt Roman governor, Verres,
who is now trying to convict him under false pretenses and sentence
him to a violent death. The man claims that only the great senator
Marcus Cicero, one of Rome's most ambitious lawyers and spellbinding
orators, can bring him justice in a crooked society manipulated by
the villainous governor. But for Cicero, it is a chance to prove
himself worthy of absolute power. What follows is one of the most
gripping courtroom dramas inhistory, and the beginning of a quest
for political glory by a man who fought his way to the top using
only his voice -- defeating the most daunting figures in Roman
history.
7. Pompeii (Robert Harris)
It is August of 79 A.D. in the Bay of Naples and the Aqua
Augusta, the aqueduct carrying water to the cities of the area,
begins to dry up. Fish are mysteriously dying in their ponds. There
are ground tremors and rock falls in the cities surrounding Mount
Vesuvius. Some residents attribute these things to giants or to the
wrath of the gods. But Marcus Attilius Primus, the aquarius, or
water engineer of the Aqua Augusta, who is sent to Misenum to
research and repair the problem, knows that there is a scientific
explanation. As he tracks the aqueduct from its terminus in Misenum
to Pompeii and then onward to the vicinity of Mount Vesuvius, he
observes unusual natural phenomena, discovers the upheaval that
disrupted the water flow, and realizes that an inevitable
cataclysmic event is about to occur.
8.
Angels
and Demons (Dan Brown) (pdf)
Pitting scientific terrorists against the cardinals of
Vatican City, this well-plotted if over-the-top thriller is crammed
with Vatican intrigue and high-tech drama. Robert Langdon, a Harvard
specialist on religious symbolism, is called in by a Swiss research
lab when Dr. Vetra, the scientist who discovered antimatter, is
found murdered with the cryptic word "Illuminati" branded on his
chest. These Iluminati were a group of Renaissance scientists,
including Galileo, who met secretly in Rome to discuss new ideas in
safety from papal threat; what the long-defunct association has to
do with Dr. Vetra's death is far from clear. Vetra's daughter,
Vittoria, makes a frightening discovery: a lethal amount of
antimatter, sealed in a vacuum flask that will explode in six hours
unless its batteries are recharged, is missing. ...
READING ASSIGNMENTS: DATES
ARE UPDATED
DUE - August 31:
For each of the works read, write a two-page summary (handwritten in
your own words) in your reading journal (three ring binder will be
given to you). It needs to be evident that you read and understood
the work. Any plagiarism will result in a failing grade. Pace
yourself!
DUE at later dates:
In addtion to the summay do the following assignments as
listed for each individual work. This may be typed.
1. Divine Comedy: (due Jan. 19)*
- ABC structure. Write all the letters of the alphabet; list
all the charactes and places in the Divine Comedy. Next,
write an (action) verb and an adjective describing the place or
character. You should have three words for each letter in the
alphabet.
2.The Prince: (due Jan 5)*
-
Write a radio
announcements and newspaper ad about The Prince focusing on the various aspects of
what makes a good leader. Interview also works well.
3. The Broker: (due Sept. 15)*
- Make an accurate list of all the aspects of
"Italianization" by the main character, Joel Backman. Focus on
all aspects of life. Be precise. You should have a minimum of 35 or
more items of his
"Italianization".
4. Playing for Pizza: (due Sept. 29)*
- When sent to Italy, the main character experiences many
strange customs etc.during his stay. Draw a comic strip to express
his difficulties or pitfalls. If you believe you can't draw, you may
write his memoirs, focusing on the same topic.
5. Pinocchio: (due March 9)*
- Write a newspaper story about the life of Pinocchio; keep a
journalist style
6. Imperium: (due Feb. 9)*
- If/Then Structure: If Grendel finds
the Danes' mead hall, then he will kill them. If Grendel kills the
Danes, then they will have to close their mead hall. If they close
their mead hall, then they will have to live in fear for twelve
years... (apply the if/then structure to IMPERIUM)
7. Pompeii: (due Nov. 17)*
- Write a
Radio announcement(s) of the events that are happening in August of
79 AD in Pompeii
8. Angels and
Demons (December 1)*
- Go to
http://www.hot-map.com/rome , print and mark all the spots being
mentioned in the book. Check if the cross layout of the various
spots exists. Next, Google and research the main attractions being
mentioned in the book.(you may use other maps, too)
* points will be deducted for late work |