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Sophomore Writing: Summer Reading Choice Text: Home

Your job this summer is to provide the class with a Book Talk on a text of your choice. Many can be checked out from our very own U-High library! Here are the lists: Chicago Public Library Best of the Best, The Lincoln Award Nominees for 2023 OR 2024 and

Summer Reading Assessment

Your job this summer is to provide the class with a Book Talk on a text of your choice. Many can be checked out from our very own U-High library! Here are the lists: Chicago Public Library Best of the Best, The Lincoln Award Nominees for 2023 OR 2024, or the Read for a Lifetime 2023-2024 List! Choose one text from one of these lists. You will then complete a Book Talk at the beginning of Sophomore Writing or Oral Communication at the beginning of the 2023-2024 school year.

Summer Reading Project Description

Most novels and nonfiction texts have a structure that establishes a clear beginning, middle, and end. Good texts also communicate a clear theme (fiction) or main idea (nonfiction). For your book talk, plan to...

  • Provide an overview of the main characters and major conflict
  • Describe the main idea or theme of the book
  • Provide three (SHORT) passages that illustrate that main idea
  • Encourage others to read the book
  • Avoid spoilers! Don’t ruin the end of the book for people who may want to read it!

The Book Talk will be 2-3 minutes in length and will be an extemporaneous speech. Extemporaneous speeches are based on prepared notes, but are not written out word-for-word. You are encouraged to use the graphic organizer on the next page to provide structure to your speech. Your teacher will give you instructions on how to complete the book talk once class begins in the fall, but you should be prepared to give the book talk on the first day of classes.