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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 __ This summer I read //Catching Fire// by Suzanne Collins, this book is the second book in the //Hunger Games// series and once I began reading the //Hunger Games// I couldn't put it down so I hoped //Catching Fire// would be the same. Once I opened the book I knew it was going to be the same as the //Hunger Games//, I read most of //Catching Fire// in two days, the suspense mixed with the action is what drew me into the book so well. When Katniss was put back into the Games, and promised that Peeta would be the one that was saved this time(Collins 178), I almost became obsessed with weather or not she would hold true to her promise. //Catching Fire// was an amazing book and now that I've started reading the third one I'm starting to realize it is just as action packed and suspenseful as the first two books.
 * *Must be posted to the WIKI by midnight on Wednesday, 8/24 **

Collins, Suzanne. //Catching Fire//. New York: Scholastic, 2009. Print. Can you make a stronger topic sentence? It should answer the prompt and draw in the reader.

 __ Prompt for Paragraph Two - A Discussion of What You Gained by Reading Your Book __

﻿I often don't enjoy reading, but by reading //Catching Fire// I rediscovered the entertainment value of reading a book. This book engaged me so much, that at times I didn't play Call of Duty Black Ops for hours on end, forgot to eat, and even deprived myself of sleep. At one time I had been reading the book for such a long time that my mom and dad had to come into my room and basically pry the book out of my hands so i would go to sleep. What engaged me so strongly was the mixture of the intense suspension and action at the point when Peeta and Katniss were put back into the arena for the Quarter Quell(Collins 267). Now that I love reading again, I have moved on to the next book in the //Hunger Games// series which is just as engaging.
 * *Must be posted to the WIKI by midnight on Thursday, 8/25 **

Collins, Suzanne. //Catching Fire//. New York: Scholastic, 2009. Print.

__ Prompt for Paragraph Three - What to do With it... __ ﻿Anyone who has reading The Hunger Games needs to continue on with the series. The Hunger Games ends with just as much suspense as it has throughout the entire book: this suspense should carry readers over into Catching Fire, but for some people they only read The Hunger Games because it was required. Not reading Catching Fire after reading The Hunger Games would be like only going to half of the best movie ever or like turning off a sporting event when the score is tied with little time left, the suspense would be too much. Anyone who has read the Hunger Games and not read Catching Fire is missing out on a great book and suspense thriller.
 * *Must be posted to the WIKI by midnight on Sunday, 8/28 **

Collins, Suzanne. //Catching Fire//. New York: Scholastic, 2009. Print. I appreciate your enthusiasm for this series Bo, but you should consider what type of reader would read the series to begin with. I know you are writing about the second book and I agree that it would be a sin to stop at the first, but you need to show me what type of person would enjoy this type of story.
 * 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