World Literature

Independent Reading and SSR

Twice per semester you will complete an outside reading project. You may choose any book that
is a minimum of 120 pages and is written at or above a high school reading level. Please
review the banned books listed on the back of this sheet: these banned titles are frequently
assigned as part of the curriculum in middle and high school and thus may not be read for the
Independent Reading Project. Please do not disregard the banned book list if you turn in a
project for one of those titles, you will receive a zero. If you choose to read a book that is not at
an appropriate reading level, you will receive a zero. No exceptions will be made.
For each novel you read, you will complete one of the following creative assignments:
1. Dust Jacket Design: Imagine that you are designing the dust jacket for this book. (The
dust jacket is the paper cover on a hardbound book that has a picture, the title of the
book, and the authors name on the front of the book, and a synopsis, excerpts from book
reviews, and a brief author biography on the back.) Your picture should relate to the story
character, theme, symbol, etc. Your dust jacket should be front and back of an 8.5 x 11
sheet of white computer paper.
2. Symbolism Bag: Find a total of ten objects, magazine cut-outs, pictures, hand-drawn
symbols or pictures, foods, etc. to place in an opaque paper or cloth bag. The audience will
draw one symbol from the bag and the presenter will explain the following: 1) How the
symbol was chosen; 2) What the symbol represents; and 3) Why part of the story is
important to be represented by the symbol. Symbols must include but are not limited to
the main character, the main problem, the resolution of the conflict, and the setting.
3. Newsletter: Create a newsletter. One side should include articles that creatively discuss
the setting, the main character, the major conflict, and the final outcome of the story.
Include a fashion section that shows the clothes that were worn in the novel. Create a
Personal Advertisement section that highlights the character traits of the major and minor
characters in the plot.
4. Soundtrack: Make a CD that has at least four songs. The four songs must have lyrics or
have a tone related to each of the following categories: setting (mood or atmosphere),
main character, major conflict, and theme. The CD must have a book of liner notes that
include the lyrics of the song.
5. Poem: Write an extended poem (at least fifty lines) that reflects the main characters
emotions throughout the text. Include any character or any settings that you feel are
important.
6. Book v Movie: If your chosen book has been made into a movie in the last 10 years, you
will watch the movie after reading the book, and write a compare/contrast essay to
address the question, Which is better? You must use support from both the book and the
movie.
Presentation: On the day the book project is due, every student will give a brief 1-2 minute
persuasive presentation on his/her book. Your purpose is to convince the class to read your book.
Your presentation grade is based on: clarity of speech, eye contact with audience, and success in
meeting the purpose.

World Literature
Assessment: On the day the project is due, you will complete a One-Pager, which requires
analysis of the novel you read. Beneath each due date below, is the general topic that you will
address on the One-Pager. Please be prepared.

Project Due Dates:

October 15, 2014
December 12, 2014

March 13, 2015

May 22, 2015

BANNED BOOKS
The following books are not to be used for an Independent Reading Project. Reading one
of the following books for your project will earn you an automatic zero on the entire
assignment.
Lord of the Flies
Miracle Worker
Romeo and Juliet
West Side Story
December Stillness
Separate Peace
Bean Trees
Hatchet
books)
The Giver
books)

Something Wicked This Way Comes

To Kill a Mockingbird
The Chocolate War
Animal Farm
Farewell to Manzanar
House on Mango Street
Twilight series (any of the four books)
Harry Potter series (any of the seven
The Hunger Games (any of the three

RECOMMENDED BOOKS
The following books are highly recommended as high-interest reads that past students have
greatly enjoyed. You should be able to check out any of these titles from the library.
Soldier Boys
The Lovely Bones
The Secret Life of Bees
The Alchemist
Divergent
Enders Game
The Perks of Being a Wallflower
The Fault in Our Stars

Always Running
Because of Romek
Speak
The Maze Runner
The Book Thief
Red Scarf Girl
The Life of Pi
The Kite Runner

The goal is to add to this list throughout the year. If you have a book that you think other
students would really enjoy, let me know. When you present your book to the class, your
classmates will vote on whether or not to add the title to the recommended list.