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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 **

//The Dreamer,// by Pam Munoz Ryan and Peter Sis, fulfilled every expectation I had of the book. I chose to read this book because I had heard good reviews about it. Also, "the idea of childhood struggles and how they motivate a person interests me" (Baryluk reading proposal). Although //while reading// I realized that the book was targeted at a younger audience, I thoroughly enjoyed the book and it made me think. The book was based on the childhood of Pablo Neruda, a famous poet. Because of this, there was poetry in between chapters that I greatly enjoyed. "I am poetry,/ waiting to seize the poet./ I ask the questions/ for which all answers/ exist" (Ryan 2). Because of little poems like this, the poetical structure of the book itself, and the artfully integrated symbolism, this book prodded my imagination and made me wonder how exactly the childhood struggles of Pablo Neruda affected him in his adult life.

Ryan, Pam Muñoz, and Peter Sís. //The Dreamer//. New York: Scholastic, 2010. Print. Be sure to stick to your focus in each paragraph. You say that you chose the book based on suggestions, but more specifically, because it deals with the impact of childhood issues. Your support seems to go in another direction.

__ Prompt for Paragraph Two - A Discussion of What You Gained by Reading Your Book __ I was changed by this book because after reading I was forced to fully realize the importance of a person's childhood and how their childhood affects a person in their adult life. I have always understood that childhood events are very influential in shaping a person's character, and //The Dreamer// reinforced that understanding. While I saw, to an extent, some of the childhood events that influenced Neftali (the main character, based off of the poet Pablo Neruda), I began to wonder that if my childhood had been different, how would I be changed. I'd like to hope that my character would remain similar or unchanged, but that hope is futile because no human is impervious to the effects of their surroundings, especially as an impressionable child. Therefore, //The Dreamer// was influential in broadening my understanding of the importance of a person's childhood.
 * *Must be posted to the WIKI by midnight on Thursday, 8/25 **

__ Prompt for Paragraph Three - What to do With it... __ People who would enjoy this book are people who enjoy biographies, but also enjoy poetry, for this book has a little bit of both. //The Dreamer// is based on the childhood of Pablo Neruda, a poet, so the book involves a lot of symbolism and poetry. For example, there are stanzas of poetry in between chapters that are related to the events in the book and usually introduce some type of symbolism. Also, the major events in the book are based on major events in Neruda's childhood, so although it is not strictly a biography, //The Dreamer// contains many biographical qualities and the plot is similar to Neruda's childhood. Because of this, people, who enjoy biographies, will enjoy this book.
 * *Must be posted to the WIKI by midnight on Sunday, 8/28 **

Nice work overall. Review my comments, particularly about focus and cutting unnecessary words. // An outstanding response to the prompts will include the following: //
 * Scoring: Your three paragraphs will be given one overall grade, and the timeliness of your posts will be reflected in your "timeliness" grade. **
 * 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