Extra Credit

Options
You may choose a young adult novel from the list to read and respond to for extra credit. These are all very "easy reads". Your written response will earn you up to 15 tickets (extra credit points) to use toward the current grading period. Only one response per grading period, please.

Criteria
Divide your response into two components: a synopsis (summary) and commentary (your response). Synopsis should contain between 150-250 words. Commentary should contain between 150-200 words. The synopsis should be completely objective, free of opinions or commentary about whether you liked/disliked the story, agreed/disagreed with the characters, etc. The commentary may be subjective, with critique of the characters' motives, author's skill, likes/dislikes, etc.

As always, I prefer this response typed; however, you may hand-write your response as long as I can read your writing. Include an MLA heading and title for your paper. Include your word count at the end of each of the two sections, like the sample submissions for Flowers for Algernon and Summer of My German Soldier.

Don'ts
You should not have any second-person pronouns in your response. For instance, do not include sentences like "As you read this book, you get the idea that the main character is..." Rather, write "As I read this book, I got the idea that the main character is..." . Inclusion of any second-person pronouns will automatically deduct 5 points from the possible 15.

I take plagiarism and cheating very seriously. If you copy and paste an online summary and commentary or submit someone else's paper as your own, you will receive no credit and all other opportunities to earn extra credit will be suspended for the semester.

Questions
If you have any questions regarding the criteria for this extra credit opportunity, do not wait until the last minute to ask. I am available during A4 lunch in the hall by the snack machines, before school (I arrive at 7:00am) or after school (I leave around 4:30-5:00pm). You may also contact me through the email provided on your syllabus.