One last thought for today. There are few things more frustrating than reading a book that has ceased making sense. Therefore, if you have any questions about the novels as you read them I encourage you to use this blog or e-mail to share them with me. Or, if you just have a comment you’d like to make about what you’re reading, I’d love to hear that as well. I usually check my mail every day, so I’ll try to get back to you as quickly as possible.
If any of you know how to contact Joel Ball, Damien Solgot, and/or Kyle Vellmure, please let them know they still need to subscribe to this blog and contact me with their e-mail addresses. As of now they are not receiving e-mail notifications when I update this blog.
I hope you’re having a wonderful summer, and that this message finds you happy and in good health. I just want to remind you to be diligent about keeping up with your summer reading. Summer vacation is half over now, and by this point you should have finished at least one or two of the novels. If you haven’t, you really need to get started immediately. I put off posting for quite a while so that you wouldn’t feel nagged over vacation, but consider this message the little voice of conscience prodding you to do the right thing if you haven’t begun your assigned readings yet.
Also, I’m reminding you that you need to notify me which novel you’ve chosen to read as your fourth selection by August 1. You don’t have to have the book read by then, you just need to lock in your selection. If you lost your selection sheet, you can view it or download it from the “Handouts” page, which is accessible from the tab at the top of this page.
To inform me of your fourth novel choice, just comment on this post. Be sure to include your name and the title of the novel you’re going to read. You can also notify me by e-mail at bakerw@wy.k12.mi.us if you prefer.
I’m testing the subscription function of this site. If you subscribed to this blog, you should have received an e-mail alerting you to this post. If you did, please post a comment to this post so that I can confirm you are all receiving the update notifications. (Just click on the post title above or the “Comments” link below to get to the “Leave a Reply” window.
If you happen to be reading this but didn’t receive an e-mail notification, resubscribe to the blog by entering your e-mail address in the “Subscribe by Email” field on the right side of this page, and then click “Subscribe.”
Though there is no official “correct” order in which to read your summer books, I’d like to recommend the following sequence.
1. Of Mice and Men
Steinbeck’s book is a deceptively easy read, and it’s only a short novella. It shouldn’t be difficult to follow the story at all, and it offers a mild introduction to regional dialect that’s pretty easy to understand. Its characters are very distinct, and they should be easy to remember even after you’ve read the other selections. In a lot of ways this story is a good warm-up for . . .
2. Their Eyes Were Watching God
Hurston’s novel is longer, more intricate, and more layered than Steinbeck’s. Her use of dialect may take some getting used to, but you’ll eventually stop noticing it. You may find it helpful to read difficult sections of dialogue aloud in order to understand what the characters are saying. Also, try to identify the symbols she uses, and be on the lookout for tons of biblical allusions.
3. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time
In many ways you might find this the most readable of the selections because it’s the most modern. It may feel more familiar–maybe even comfortable–compared to the other two selections. At the same time, though, Haddon’s novel is probably unlike anything else you’ve ever read. Christopher Boone is the only first person narrator of this group, and the unique manner with which he tells his story is the biggest reason I selected it.
4. The novel that you choose from the list I’ve provided for you.
If you’ve lost the list, check the “Handouts” page to download a new copy. I’d recommend reading the “you pick” selection last because you will be doing an entire presentation on the title in September, not just taking a check quiz on it. Also, since you get to choose, this work should be enjoyable for you. Look at it as a reward for completing the required readings.
Again, you don’t have to follow this order; in fact, I won’t really know if use this sequence or not. JUST MAKE SURE YOU DO INDEED READ ALL THE SELECTIONS. Using Sparknotes and other sites like it is not an acceptable substitute for reading. In fact, there is none.
The second thing I need you to do is to post a comment (response) to this post so that I can collect your e-mail addresses.
Just click the comment link below to take you to the response page. You must enter your name and e-mail address (as well as an anti-spam verification code word) in order to respond, but nobody else will see these comments. The site is configured so that I must approve any comment posts before anyone else can view them, so I’m the only one who will have access to your e-mail address.
In the comment window, just type in your name and your e-mail address (twice), so it looks like this:
Warren Baker
bakerw@wy.k12.mi.us
bakerw@wy.k12.mi.us
Then click on the “Submit Comment” button. You must do this by Thursday, June 12th.
Hello, and welcome to the AP English blog. Over the course of the summer I will be using this site to communicate with you about the class.
The first assignment I need you to complete for the class is to subscribe to this blog using the form on the right hand side of this page. Just enter your e-mail address–CAREFULLY–and click on the subscribe button. Once you’ve done that you will receive an e-mail notification every time a new message is posted to this site.
Just to be safe, though, it’s still a good idea to check the site frequently even if you’re not receiving notices.
