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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 __ Before reading //The Hunger Games// series by Suzanne Collins, I talked with several of my friends and family members in order to gain insight into their thoughts about the books and found they were as good as they said they would be. Through these discussions, I knew I wanted to read these books because “I love fiction and everyone I have talked to who has read the books has loved them and recommended them to me” ( Zimmerman reading proposal). After reading the book, I agreed with my peers that //The Hunger Games// was a page turner that really juxtaposed both touching and violent moments. As Rue, Katniss’s ally, lay dying she asks Katniss to sing to her and before Katniss begins, she thinks, “that song that comes to me is a simple lullaby, one we sing fretful, hungry babies to sleep with” (Collins 234). The touching moment of Katniss singing to Rue is compared to the violence of the Hunger Games, which is exactly what my peers told me would happen.
 * *Must be posted to the WIKI by midnight on Wednesday, 8/24 **

Collins, Suzanne. //The Hunger Games//. New York: Scholastic, 2008. Print.

Your example is clear and strong. I like your observation about the juxtaposition of touching and violent moments, consider sticking to this as the focus for the whole paragraph.

__ 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 **

After reading //The Hunger Games// by Suzanne Collins, I was led to examine society now and to think about what might happen in the future and after examining this, I felt more secure in my life. This book inspired me to take a closer look, and then to appreciate, the society I live in today and to question what life might be like for generations to come. On the day of the reaping, the main character says that the mayor “tells of the history of Panem, the country that rose up out of the ashes of a place that was once called North America…the result was Panem, a shining capitol ringed by thirteen districts…then came the Dark Days…the thirteenth [district] obliterated…it gave us the Hunger Games” (Collins 18). As a result of the society’s collapse and the implementation of the Hunger Games, I started questioning today’s society as well as our future society and considering if such an event could happen in America. I concluded that this could not happen because we have watched other countries commit terrible crimes and our people would not let the government follow in their footsteps.

Collins, Suzanne. //The Hunger Games//. New York: Scholastic, 2008. Print.

__ Prompt for Paragraph Three - What to do With it... __ While I enjoyed //The Hunger Games,// by Suzanne Collins, I would not recommend this book for children under the age of ten. I believe they would have difficulty understanding why so many children are being murdered as well as why the Games still take place and are completely accepted in the Capitol. During the main characters first night in the arena of the Games “[she takes] a deep breath as the faces of the eleven dead tributes begin and [she ticks] them off one by one on [her] fingers” (Collins 156). The main character experienced having to kill others, watching others get killed, and running from those trying to kill her. These experiences may be too mature for children under ten.
 * *Must be posted to the WIKI by midnight on Sunday, 8/28 **

Collins, Suzanne. //The Hunger Games//. New York: Scholastic, 2008. Print. I agree completely! I can't see how the movie that is due out in March will appeal to a mass audience. Can you address what type of readers would like the book?
 * 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