Download Grade 9 - Honors - The Prout School

SUMMER READING ENGLISH 9 HONORS
ASSIGNMENT: All incoming 9 Honors students are required to read Challenger Deep and The
Trials of Apollo: The Hidden Oracle. In addition, all students will complete the study questions
for both novels. These study questions will be checked off on the first day of school and will be
used as a springboard for class discussion.
CHALLENGER DEEP
A NOVEL BY NEAL SHUSTERMAN
SUMMARY
National Book Award Winner
A captivating novel about mental illness that lingers long beyond the last page, Challenger Deep
is a heartfelt tour de force by New York Times bestselling author Neal Shusterman.
Caden Bosch is on a ship that's headed for the deepest point on Earth: Challenger Deep, the
southern part of the Marianas Trench.
Caden Bosch is a brilliant high school student whose friends are starting to notice his odd
behavior.
Caden Bosch is designated the ship's artist in residence to document the journey with images.
Caden Bosch pretends to join the school track team but spends his days walking for miles,
absorbed by the thoughts in his head.
Caden Bosch is split between his allegiance to the captain and the allure of mutiny.
Caden Bosch is torn.
Challenger Deep is a deeply powerful and personal novel from one of today's most admired
writers for teens. Laurie Halse Anderson, award-winning author of Speak, calls Challenger Deep
"a brilliant journey across the dark sea of the mind; frightening, sensitive, and powerful. Simply
extraordinary."
Review by Booklist Review *Starred Review* Award-winning author Shusterman returns to
realistic fiction with a breathtaking exploration of one teen's experience with schizophrenia.
Caden Bosch thinks there is somebody at his high school who wants to kill him. But that's not
all. There are things happening outside of the typical space and time constraints that he can't
understand. He feels at once all-powerful and frighteningly powerless. Caden slowly drifts away
from friends and family and deeper into his mind, until his parents admit him to a mental hospital
for further evaluation and treatment. Shusterman beautifully deploys dual narratives that become
increasingly intertwined in this remarkable story. In addition to the grounded-in-reality narrative,
he introduces another world, where Caden is out at sea with the Captain, a girl named Calliope, a
parrot, and more. All of these characters eventually match real-world counterparts in the hospital
and beyond. In confessional back matter, Shusterman explains his inspiration for this powerful
story: his own son Brendan's experience in the depths of mental illness. Brendan Shusterman's
illustrations, interspersed throughout, contribute significantly to the reading experience. With the
increasing demand for understanding mental illness, this is a must-purchase for library
collections. Haunting, unforgettable, and life affirming all at once. HIGH-DEMAND
BACKSTORY: An author tour and powerhouse promotional plan will mean lots of attention for
best-selling Shusterman's latest endeavor.--Barnes, Jennifer Copyright 2015 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association.
Discussion Questions to be completed and submitted day one of class:
1. What does the narrator reveal about the Marianas Trench and Challenger Deep? Why is
the ship headed there and what does it hope to find? What does Caden know about
Challenger Deep?
2. Describe Caden’s relationship with the captain and the parrot. Are the captain and parrot
allies? Why or why not? What fears does the captain have about the crew members? How
does he elicit Caden’s assistance?
3. Discuss the changes that Caden’s family and friends notice in his behavior. What steps do
they take to try helping him? In what ways do school officials try to help him?
4. What parallels can you draw between Caden’s visions about the ship and the captain and
Caden’s life? For example, what role does Caden’s lack of preparation for a science test
play in the vision in which he is branded? Identify and discuss the meanings of other
parallels.
5. How does Caden feel about being in the psychiatric hospital? Describe his time there.
Does group therapy work for him? Why or why not? In what way does Caden feel
betrayed while in the hospital? Trace the development of one central idea in Caden’s real
world and the world in his mind.
6. The story has a number of pivotal characters. Who is the parrot and what role does he
play? Does the parrot have control over Caden? Why or why not? What does his death
symbolize in the story? Hal is another key character in the story. What happens to Hal
and how does his character move the story forward?
7. Compare and contrast Calliope and Callie. Discuss the ways in which they are connected
in the story. In what ways do they provide “safe” places for Caden? How would the story
be different if Caden’s experiences were told through either Calliope ’s or Callie ’s eyes?
8. Describe Caden’s relationship with his parents. What events occur in the story that
suggest his parents are concerned about him?
9. Caden is an artist. Discuss how his artwork changes throughout the story and how it is
representative of his mental health.
10. Caden says, “I am trapped in a conspiracy of conspiracies” (p. 138). Discuss possible
interpretations of this passage and evidence that supports your viewpoints.
11. At what point in the story do you realize that Caden is suffering from mental illness?
What clues in the story support your predictions? At what point does he spiral into his
deepest abyss? How do you know? How does the author use events to illustrate the
character’s journey through mental illness? Use evidence from the text to support your
discussion.
12. After Caden leaves the hospital, he has a vision that he is walking on a boardwalk and
engages in a conversation with someone on a yacht. How does the yacht contrast with
Caden’s visions of the ship and its captain? Discuss the symbolism in this scene.
Discussions questions for Challenger Deep courtesy of Harper Collins Publishers at
www.epicreads.com
THE TRIALS OF APOLLO (BOOK ONE): THE HIDDEN ORACLE
AUTHOR: RICK RIORDAN
Overview
How do you punish an immortal?
By making him human.
After angering his father Zeus, the god Apollo is cast down from Olympus. Weak and
disoriented, he lands in New York City as a regular teenage boy. Now, without his godly powers,
the four-thousand-year-old deity must learn to survive in the modern world until he can
somehow find a way to regain Zeus's favor.
But Apollo has many enemies-gods, monsters, and mortals who would love to see the former
Olympian permanently destroyed. Apollo needs help, and he can think of only one place to go . .
. an enclave of modern demigods known as Camp Half-Blood.
The first installment in an exciting new five-book quest adventure involving gods and demigods
GREEK MYTHOLOGY SCAVENGER HUNT
1. Ask someone to tell you a story from Greek mythology. What story did they tell you? Ask
them to sign to verify that they told you this story.
2. Find something from a newspaper or magazine that refers to Greek Mythology. Cut it out and
attach.
3. Find a map of Ancient Greece. Copy and attach.
4. Who is Zeus’ father?
5. Find and attach a picture of the Parthenon.
6. List two facts about the Parthenon.
7. Which woman was blamed for the Trojan War?
8. Where was Athena born?
9. Which character from Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets resembles Cerebus in Greek
Mythology?
10. Find and attach a poem (by an acclaimed poet) about a character(s) in Greek Mythology.
Questions courtesy of : English Teacher Friends