Book Review

All of you chose a book to read this summer in addition to The Gatekeepers. Write a two paragraph review of your choice book. Your review should include:

- Start by listing the title, author, and the number of pages (ex. Krik? Krak! by Edwidge Danticat, 211 pgs.)

- Then give us a brief summary of the book. (We haven't read it. Tell us what it's about!)

- In your summary, include two quotes that you think encapsulate the book. (Explain the context, what the quotes mean, and why they are significant or representative of the book. Basically, tell us why you chose them.)

- Then give us your critique of the book. (Your critique should include both positives and negatives. What did you like about it? What didn't you like about it? What type of person would be interested in reading this book?)

The Gatekeepers Post 3

This is your third and final post for The Gatekeepers. Remember that your response should be two full paragraphs and should include and explain two quotes that support your answer. Remember to cite you quote with a page number.

Topic 3: The last quarter of the book is about how students respond to their college decision letters and how they choose the right college for them. What stands out to you from this section? Did you learn anything new or begin to think about something in a new way? How should you respond to a rejection letter or to being waitlisted? How do you choose which college is right for you?

Post your response in the comment box below.

The Gatekeepers Post 2

This is the second of three required posts for The Gatekeepers. Respond to the topic below using two full paragraphs and two quotes from the book to support your thoughts. Remember to fully explain each quote and to cite it with the page number.

Topic 2: One of our goals in reading this book is to learn about the college process before you submit your applications this fall. This book gives you the inside scoop on college admissions from the do's and don'ts of essay writing to which grades and scores matter most. What did you learn that surprised you about the admissions process? What did you learn that you know will help you this fall as you complete your applications? Did you learn anything that you wish you'd known 2 or 3 years ago? Why?

Type your response in the comment box below.

The Gatekeepers Post 1

This is your first of 3 required posts for The Gatekeepers. Respond to the topic below in a 2 paragraph response (that's a total of 10-14 sentences at least). You must use and analyze 2 specific quotes from the book to support your answer (cited with the page number).

Topic 1: In this book we follow several students on their journeys to college - Becca, Mig, Julianna, Jordan, Aggie, and Tiffany. Choose one student whose story you found the most interesting, relatable, or compelling. Explain why you were interested in or felt a connection with this student. How did his or her struggles help you learn something about your own college process?

Hit comment on this post to write your response.

Welcome to English 12!

Welcome to English 12!!! I'm so excited that we're going to spend the next year reading and writing and thinking together.

Over the summer, you will read The Gatekeepers, by Jacques Steinberg, and one book of your choice from the list I gave you.

There will be 3 questions for you to answer about The Gatekeepers. Each of your answers must be at least 2 paragraphs and include multiple pieces of evidence from the book.

For the book you chose, you will post a book review that is at least 2 paragraphs long.

These posts are 10% of your quarter 1 grade.

All 4 posts must be complete by 8am on Monday, August 15. If you do not complete your posts on time, you will be required to make up the assignment during the week of Aug 22-26 for partial credit.

The Namesake (219-291)

Answer 1 (just one) of the following questions:

1. Why only now, after everything that has happened to him, can Gogol begin to accept himself and desire to learn about his namesake?

2. This year we're going to read, write, and talk a lot about the American Dream - who defines it and who can achieve it. Which of our characters most fulfills the American Dream in your mind and why: (choose 1) Ashoke, Ashima, Gogol, Sonia, or Moushumi?

The Namesake (159-218)

Things continue to change for Gogol. What pieces of his identity has he lost? What has he gained? Does he have a clear sense of his own identity? What is a person's identity comprised (made up) of?

The Namesake (72-158)

Gogol changed his name to Nikhil and seems to have adopted a new lifestyle. Has his identity changed? He has three homes: one in the studio apartment by himself, one with Maxine, Gerald, and Lydia at their 5 story house in Chelsea, and one with his family at Pemberton Road. Where do you think he belongs most? Has he even found a place to belong?

The Namesake (1-71)

Props to Lissandra and Marta who completed all of three posts correctly and on time.

Reminders:

Sign your post with a name I will recognize as yours. If I don't know it's you, I can't give you credit.

Posting late is WAY better than not posting at all. Get on it. This is 10% of your grade.

Remind your friends, please.

If you delete your post, I can't read it and therefore can't give you credit.

Now, to the good stuff. Yes, The Namesake is longer than Fahrenheit 451. It's also less complicated and abstract. I read it on a 3 hour plane flight. No excuses.

Choose 1 (just one) of the following questions to answer:

1. Why did Ashoke choose to name his son Gogol? What significance does this name have for him, and how is that related to his son?

2. Discuss the symbolism of the grandmother's letter with the names getting lost, her death, and how both of these thing affect Ashima.

3. What is the significance of Sonia's name and how it evolved?

4. Symbolically, what is the significance of a pet name vs. a good name? What does it mean that Gogol only has one?

5. Explain the symbolism of the scene in the graveyard that helps Gogol finally make peace with his name.

Part III: Burning Bright

Authors use symbols to give their stories richness and depth, forcing readers to look for meaning below the surface. In this post, analyze the importance of one of the symbols in Fahrenheit 451. Explain the symbol and its significance to the novel. How does it relate to Montag and his journey? Why do you think Bradbury chose that symbol? What is Bradbury trying to help us understand about the novel and the world?

Symbols:

- Fahrenheit 451:

Things to think about: 451 degrees Fahrenheit is the temperature at which paper burns. Bradbury originally titled the novel The Firemen. Why do you think he changed it?

Pages to start your search: 3, 8

- The Salamander:

Things to think about: Legends associate salamanders with being so cold blooded that they can live in fire and not get burned. They are also said to be able to spit poison and are indestructible. If their tail falls off, they can regrow it. Why are the firemen's lighters and fire engines in the shape of salamanders? How is the salamander and apt symbol for the firemen?

Pages to start your search: 6, 13, 19, 86, 104

- The Sieve and the Sand

Things to think about: Look at the story on page 78. Why did Bradbury choose this symbol as the title for Part II? How are Montag's past and present connected?

Page to start your search: 78

- The Phoenix

Things to think about: We see a phoenix at the beginning and end of the novel. How does this symbol evolve as Montag changes? (If you don't know the legend of the phoenix, google it.)

Pages to start your search: 6, 163-4

- Mirrors

Things to think about: Why are mirrors important? Who serves as a mirror in the novel? Pages to start your search: 4, 11, 154-5, 164

- "The Family"

Things to think about: What is the family? How does this symbol contribute to Bradbury's warning to his readers? Think about the historical context of the novel.

Pages to start your search: 20-21, 44, 48-52, 77, 159

- The Mechanical Hound

Things to think about: What do we typically associate with dogs? What do they usually symbolize? How is this hound different? What does that tell us about society?

Pages to start your search: 24 -27, 72, 120, 133-7, 144

Part II: The Sieve and the Sand

Montag and Faber team up to try to fix society by sabotaging the firehouses from the inside and reminding people about the power of books. In your post, respond to any of the following questions:

- According to Faber, why are books so powerful? Why are they more powerful than TV, even though everyone's living room walls have become 4 giant TV screens that are on 24 hours a day? How do we see the power of books and poetry as Montag confronts his wife's friends in the living room?

- In Montag's discussion with Faber and his conversations with Milred and her friends, we learn a lot about the problems in this futuristic American society. What are some of the problems in this society? What do you think Bradbury is trying to warn his (1950's American) society about?

- In the firehouse, Montag is caught between the two sides - literally hearing Capt. Beatty's voice in one ear and Faber's voice in the other. Which side do you think he'll ultimately choose? Why? Can he and Faber singlehandedly change society? Why is it so important to Montag that he not simply follow Faber's orders but rather make his own decisions?

Part I: The Hearth and the Salamander

Dayo texted me this morning to tell me that he has no clue what's going on in this book. (Major props, both for starting your summer reading and for reaching out for help when you need it.) I suspect that many of you are feeling similarly confused. My first suggestion? Read the back of the book. That's the publisher's way of cluing you into and hooking you into the book - like the previews at the movies.

Beyond that, here's the scoop. Ray Bradbury wrote this novel in the 1950's, as the Cold War and McCarthyism were starting and everything in America was getting modernized and standardized. The idea that Americans would all like in cookie cutter houses in the suburbs with white picket fences and happy smiling housewives who served TV dinners to a family glued to the TV screen (a new invention in the 50's) terrified Bradbury. Fahrenheit 451 shows what he imagines America would become around 2025 if people continued blindly trusting technology and the government.

Response #1: The fictional world of Fahrenheit 451 is called a dystopia. A dystopia is a nightmare world, the opposite of a utopia (paradise). Remember, in a nightmare, you recognize elements of your life, but your world is turned upside down and terrifying. What are ways that Guy Montag (our main character)'s world is a dystopia? How is the world that Bradbury created similar to real life but also like a nightmare? What evidence do you see of Bradbury's concerns about what will happen to American society?

Also think about our main characters. How does Guy Montag fit into his world? How does Clarisse fit in? How does Guy's wife Mildred fit in? What is the purpose of these two female characters?

Rules for the post: I asked you a lot of questions. Focus on one or two. Write at least 5 sentences, including one quote from the book that supports your argument.

Summer Reading Assignment

By now you should have your assignment and your books. I hope you're excited for some great reading!

Start with Fahrenheit 451. I'll be posting a question for each section, and you must comment on all 3 posts by July 31. (pgs 1-68, 71-110, and 113-179) If you have a good reason why you can't make that happen, email me.

(Note: "I want to read all the books in the last week of August to practice my speed reading skillz" is NOT a good reason. But nice try.)

For The Namesake, you'll have to comment on 4 posts (pgs 1-71, 72-158, 159-218, 219-291). Those must be completed by Friday August 27. Remember, your work here on this blog will be 10% of your Quarter 1 grade!

Happy Reading!