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Global Experience: Summer Reading Assignment for Incoming Freshmen

Global Experience: Summer Reading Assignment for Incoming Freshmen – Summer 2018

Since literature provides a window to the world, you’ll choose two books to read this summer.

  • A non-fiction book about another place in our world that is unfamiliar to you. Your non-fiction book could be a memoir, auto-biography, biography, informational text, or literary non-fiction. For example, this could a book about the living conditions in various parts of India, the Himalayan monks, fashion in Paris, a memoir of an immigrant, or the use of alternative energy in Denmark. Feel free to explore all topics and regions as your select your book.
  • A fiction or non-fiction about a person who goes on a journey. This could be any genre as long as the main character journeys to a place that is unfamiliar to them. For example, this could be classic or contemporary fiction such as Harry Potter, Moby Dick, Grapes of Wrath, The Hobbit, Around the World in 80 Days, The Road, The Stand, etc. This could also be Non-Fiction such as Into the Wild, A Walk in the Woods, Enrique’s Journey, Endurance: Shackleton’s Great Adventure, Wild, etc.

When you enter the Global Experience classroom, please have a copy of your books and brief responses to the following questions:

  • How does where people live affect how they live in your books?
  • What surprised you about the information provided in the non-fiction text?
  • Describe the worlds/communities/societies to which the character(s) in your book journey.

Recommended for Further Enrichment: Once you’ve read your non-fiction book, feel free to peruse the lists of recommended summer reading to find additional books you would enjoy reading this summer.

Suggestions for finding Quality Texts: Research your selection carefully to be sure that you are choosing a quality work as well as books that you will enjoy reading. Use the questions listed below to help you evaluate the books you are considering, and be prepared to defend your choice in the fall. Basic information about the author can usually be found on the back inside flap of the book jacket, or you can look for more detail by researching the authors and their works online.

  • Have the authors you’ve chosen won awards for their work?
  • How many books have they published?
  • Are their books bestsellers? Which periodicals have published their work?
  • Are they college professors? If so, where do they teach?
  • How many books have they written?

Happy Reading, Global Citizens!