McCarthy, Cormac. The road. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2006. Print.
Cormac McCarthy has written ten novels spanning a wide range id genres. The recommended reading for high school students is The Road. This was published in 2006 and has since won the Pulitzer Prize. The Road is a delightful book that should be discussed by students. The students should look into the themes that are brought out by the author. The literary skills employed should be elaborated by each student in a two page assignment. The class should discuss the character of the author as brought out by the book. The author writes about a father and son who are left alone after a catastrophe. The scenery created in the readers mind is that of fighting for survival. They are starving, faced with cannibals who are roaming the environment. The father hopes that they will survive. The author could be defining the way the world will look like if a nuclear war was to happen.
Lahiri, Jhumpa. The namesake. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2003. Print.
Jhumpa Lahiri is an Indian American author. She has written several novels, short story collection and screen plays. She has received the O. Henry Award and Pulitzer Prize for Fiction for her exemplary performance in writing. The recommended reading for high school stuents is The Namesake, which was published in 2003. In The namesake The author explains the Indian marriage structure as compared to the normal American marriages. Lahiri expounds on her family's transformation from Indians to Americans. The various culture shocks she went through during the period.
The traditional naming of the mentioned family also comes into light. Romance is mentioned in the novel too. The book touches on arranged marriages (Lahiri). This is what goes on in the Indian culture. Students should discuss and compare traditional Indian marriage values and their own opinions. The students should also watch the movie by the same title. From this, they should be able to identify the differences between the book and the film. This is to be done in groups. The groups should also come up with more than ten quotes from Lahiri. The students are then expected to discuss individually, the themes of in the book. Three themes should be discussed in not less than two pages.
Capote, Truman. In cold blood: a true account of a multiple murder and its consequences. New York: Random House, 19661965. Print.
Truman Capote was born in 1924. He struggled through his childhood because his parents separated when he was four years old. The recommended reading by Capote is In Cold Blood, which was published in the year 1966. Many reviewers argue that this was the best book he ever wrote. Students should read Capote’s In Cold Blood. They should come up with several themes that the book revolves around. This is to be done in groups. Individually, each student will be required to come up with quotes by Capote. The quotes should not be less than fifteen. The literary skills adopted by the author should be discussed in class with the help of the instructor. The students should be able to explain, in brief, what they have learnt about the author. These traits should be discussed in class.
In this epic read, the author reconstructs the murder and investigation into the murder of four members of the Clutter family. These people were killed in cold blood, with no clues or motive for the murder. The story revolves around the case; the capture, trial and execution of the murderers. This would thus make and intriguing book that students can be asked to read and write a book report on.
Works Cited:
Capote, Truman. In cold blood: a true account of a multiple murder and its consequences. New York: Random House, 19661965. Print.
McCarthy, Cormac. The road. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2006. Print.
Lahiri, Jhumpa. The namesake. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2003. Print.
