Cretin-Derham Hall English 11
SUMMER READING 2008-2009
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Dear Class of 2010,

     The Catcher In the Rye by J. D. Salinger is considered a classic in American literature. Many adults you know have read this book. Your mother, father, aunts or uncles (even your grandparents!) may have read it. It's possible that you have even read it already, perhaps in your previous school.*
     This is a highly respected and greatly loved novel. It has withstood the test of time and continues to sell hundreds of thousands of copies each year. For this year's summer reading, all incoming juniors will read this book and do a short assignment to go along with it. It is highly recommended that you wait to read this book right before school begins in late August, so that it is fresh in your mind. It is a quick read, and pretty popular among high school students. You'll like it.

*For those who may have read The Catcher In the Rye before: you are a totally different person now than you were in 8th grade. You are a lot more mature, and your understanding of the world has grown. Read this book with an eye for what is different about it this time for you. How do you perceive the characters and events differently or more deeply than you did before? What themes are you seeing more or less this time around? Your reading of the book this time may be totally changed from what it was before!

On the first day of school, be prepared with the following typed assignment, and have a copy of the book with you. See Miss Ashenmacher in Room 204 by the end of school if you want to check out a book for the summer.

1. Pick three quotes from anywhere in the book that struck you. Write a short paragraph (5+ sentences) for each (total of 3 short paragraphs), explaining these quotes and why they were meaningful to you. Be sure to properly cite your pages! For example:  (Salinger 56)

2. Write a paragraph explaining how one aspect of Holden Caulfield's life is like a high school student's life in 2008. This paragraph should be at least 9 complete sentences, with a topic sentence and a concluding sentence.

3. Write a paragraph explaining how one aspect of Holden Caulfield's life is different than that of a high school student in 2008. This paragraph should be at least 9 complete sentences, with a topic sentence and a concluding sentence.

Please contact any of the Junior English teachers regarding questions or concerns you may have.

Enjoy your summer, happy reading, and see you in the fall!

Hallie Ashenmacher  -  hashenmacher@c-dh.org
Kevin Lally  -  klally@c-dh.org
Sheila Malone-Povolny  -  smalone-povolny@c-dh.org  -  (651) 698-9645 (home)
Michael Powers  -  mpowers@c-dh.org
Steven Tacheny  -  stacheny@c-dh.org