English IV Summer Reading

Dear Students,
As the summer begins to unfold and you have had time to decompress from the school year,
Central High School would like to unveil this years senior class book read. The Other Wes
Moore is currently a New York Times bestseller detailing the story of two men who share a
common name while traveling two divergent paths. The book contains many themes that appeal
to a wide audience. The book and journal need to be completed by Friday, August 14, 2015, of
the school year. We have provided questions that should be answered as you read the book and
directions for completing the double-entry journal.
The Other Wes Moore One Name Two Fates by Wes Moore
As you read The Other Wes Moore, consider the quotation below and reflect on the questions
which follow. There are only two or three human stories, and they go on repeating themselves as
fiercely as if they had never happened before. Willa Cather
Please answer the following questions in complete sentences. All answers must be typed,
size 12 font, Times New Roman. Hand written assignments will NOT be accepted.
1. What are the main themes in this story?
2. Do you think having positive role models as a child serves as a deterrent to a life of crime?
Is what constitutes a positive role model the same for everyone or does it vary?
3. Both of the men named Wes had absent fathers. Do you think the way in which they lost their
fathers influenced their choices in life?
4. In what ways does the story demonstrate the idea of nature vs. nurture or being a product of
your environment?
5. Tony had a tremendous impact on Wes #2. What where some examples of how Tonys
influence affected Wes and contributed to his choices in life?
6. From the following statement made by Wes # 1, I was becoming too rich for the kids from
the neighborhood and too poor for the kids at school Thinking way too much in each
situation and getting tangled in the contradiction between my two worlds, one can assume the
psychological effect living in two worlds had on Wes. How do you think Wes was able to deal
with living two lives?
7. Wes 1 and Wes 2 started off in the same place. Both grew up in single-parent households with
working-class mothers, in neighborhoods filled with crime and drugs. At what point do you think
their paths diverged, leading one to success and another to a life of crime? What was that life
changing moment?
8. Should we blame ourselves for our mistakes or should we blame our parents?
9. Compose a pros and cons list comparing the moms, Joy (Wes 1) and Mary (Wes2). What are
some of their strengths and weaknesses? Consider their upbringing, family values and parenting
styles in the comparison.
10. Did you enjoy the story? Which character(s) did you enjoy reading about the most?
11. Do you think Wes 2 is resentful that he ended up in jail, and that Wes 1 wrote a book about
it?
12. Were you able to find any similarities between your life and any of the characters?

English IV Summer Reading

As you read The Other Wes Moore, you will need to keep a double-entry journal
(also called a two-sided or dialectical journal). This type of journal allows the reader
writer to record notes on one side of the page and to use the other side to comment on those
notes.
What does the double-sided journal look like?
Divide your paper in half vertically. On one half of the paper, record specific quotations or
passages (with page number(s) from your book) and on the opposite side record your reflections
on these words. Journals should be typed. Consider the questions listed above and look for
specific places in the book, which could help you, answer these questions. Quotations can range
from a few words to a few sentences.
Quotation or Passage from the book
No one said another word. Everyone of us
us turned to the window as if there were
actually something to look at besides
wind-whipped, snow-covered prairies
(Watson 76).

Your Reflections
- a short, but powerful ending to the
chapter, the image of the prairies
makes me think of the coldness
the young boy is feeling the window is
important maybe a symbol -- everyone is
looking outside, but they are separated.
from the world

Your journal should indicate strong effort and record reflections that will help you understand
the book you are reading. Your journals will help you participate in class discussion and you will
be able to use these journals to prepare for any formal assessments and writing assignments on
The Other Wes Moore. Your questions and journal will be collected by your teacher, reviewed,
and graded when school resumes in Friday, August14, 2015
How many quotations or passages should you have? You should have 2-4 quotations or passages
from each chapter