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Home Summer Reading Assignment Students

Given the nature of the 2011 summer reading program, you had significant autonomy in selecting the books you would read. While you were responsible for completing a proposal, you were not given other assignments to complete over the summer. As indicated on your proposal form, you are required to write a letter to your 2011-12 Language Arts teacher that demonstrates your thoughtful reading of your book. We have chosen to break this down further into three focused "Power Paragraphs" for two reasons, one, to introduce you to the idea of a power paragraph, and two, to assist you in covering all aspects of the assignment.

__ Prompt for Paragraph One - A Reflection of Your Choice __
 * *Must be posted to the WIKI by midnight on Wednesday, 8/24 **

//Water for Elephants//, by Sara Cruen, met my expectations of being a well written, interesting book. She used vivid detail throughout the story, adding to her style of writing which I enjoyed. She also caught my attention with her flashbacks and dialog between all the characters, I never read a dull scene that parted me away from the story. I expected this when I created my proposal. " It (Water for Elephants) is a movie and the movie looks good, but I want to read the book before i see it" (my proposal). And in Water for Elephants, this particular sentence caught my attention. " She lifts the stake as though it weighs nothing and splits his head in a single movement-//ponk//- like cracking a hardboiled egg" ( Cruen 309). This is a perfect example of how vivid this story was because it was so descriptive that I could see and hear what was happening just like I was actually a part of the scene. I enjoyed reading this book over my summer, it kept me engrossed and entertained while I read!

Cruen, Sara. //Water for Elephants//. New York: Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill, 2006. Print.

Try combining the 2nd and 3rd sentences of the paragraph. What led you to expect this to be well-written and interesting? Recommendations from others or reviews? Does the movie element add to your paragraph? Is the book interesting because of the graphic content? Come back to your topic sentence in the final sentence.

__ Prompt for Paragraph Two - A Discussion of What You Gained by Reading Your Book __
 * *Must be posted to the WIKI by midnight on Thursday, 8/25 **

** In this book, //Water for Elephants,// I gained the knowledge and understanding that perseverance and determination will eventually lead you to what you want or what your goal is. Jacob, a young pre-veterinarian, drops out of collage and he eventually winds up on a circus train. He meets Marlena and falls head-over-heels in love with her. He strives to win her heart and in return of his determination, she was his. Marlena even said " I need you" to Jacob (271). This just added to my belief that will hard work anything can be achieved and //Water for Elephants// strongly displays that.**

Cruen, Sara. //Water for Elephants//. New York: Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill, 2006. Print. Good topic sentence. I like your ideas, but have you shown the hard work aspect?

__ Prompt for Paragraph Three - What to do With it... __ ** click edit and paste your response here **
 * *Must be posted to the WIKI by midnight on Sunday, 8/28 **

//Water for Elephants// would be a good book for anybody who likes romantic reads. This story is about love, not just between two people but also love for animals and friends. Many teenage girls would love to read this book, and also many women would too. It will make you heart throb with joy and sadness, " I love you Marlena. I love you with my heart and soul, and I want to be with you" ( Curen 274). Jacob, the main character, is professing his love to Marlena; to love somebody may be a beautfiul challenge, but to love this book will be simple and easy. Be sure to integrate quotes into your own words.

Nice insight overall!


 * Scoring: Your three paragraphs will be given one overall grade, and the timeliness of your posts will be reflected in your "timeliness" grade. **

// An outstanding response to the prompts will include the following: //
 * A strong topic sentence that clearly establishes the focus on the prompt
 * Evidence that clearly supports the topic sentence
 * Correct use of internal citations and a properly formatted MLA citation for your book (put this citation at the end of paragraph one)
 * Strict adherence to the Power Paragraph format
 * Mechanics are clean and do not detract from meaning