book, which consists of a book review.
FICTION:
The Chosen by Chaim Potok
A Painted House by John Grisham
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith
Shane by Jack Schaefer
The Lilies of the Field by William Barrett
True Grit by Charles Portis
If I Should Die Before I Wake by Han Nolan
The Alchemist by Paulo Coelino
The Killer Angels by Michael Shaara
Sleeping Freshman Never Lie by David Lubar
Second Sight by Gary Blackwood
Bones of the Moon by Jonathan Carroll
The Fault in our Stars by John Green
The House of Scorpion byNancy Farmer
NON-FICTION:
Hitler Youth: Growing Up in Hitler’s Shadow by Susan Campbell Bartoletti
The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman by Ernest Gaines
The Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell
A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius by Dave Eggers
The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind: Creating Currents of Electricity and Hope by William
Kamkwamba
Rats: Observation on the History of the City’s Most Unwanted Inhabitants by Robert
Sullivan
The Whole Shebang by Timothy Ferris
ENTERING GRADE 10
Choose
one
from each list, fiction and non-fiction for your summer reading. Please note that
there is no assignment for fiction because there will be an in-class essay given in English
class during the first week of school. However, there is an assignment for the non-fiction
book, which consists of a book review.
FICTION:
Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy by Jean Le Carre
A Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
Catch 22 by Joseph Heller
Scaramouche by Rafael Sabatini
Atonement by Ian McEwan
The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie
On the Beach by Neville Shute
The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie by Muriel Spark
Angel Experiment Collection by James Paterson
House of Stairs by William Sleator
I,Robot by Isaac Assimov
Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card
NON-FICTION:
To Sir, with Love by E. R. Braithwaite
A Man For All Seasons by Robert Bolt
The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell
My Stroke of Insight by Jill Bolte Taylor
Eagle Blue: A Team, A Tribe and a High School Basketball Season in Artic Alaska by
Michael DiOrso
Into Thin Air: A Personal Account of the Mount Everest Disaster by Jonathan Krakauer
Hiroshima by John Hersey
Garbage Land: On the Secret Trail of Trash by Elizabeth Royte
FICTION:
Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant by Ann Tyler
Hoops by Walter Dean Myers
Flags of Our Fathers by Bradley and Powers
The Natural by Bernard Malamud
Desire Under the Elms by Eugene O’Neill
Pigs in Heaven by Barbara Kingsolver
Snow Falling on Cedars by David Guterson
Visit to a Small Planet by Gore Vidal
Jake, Reinvented by Gordon Korman
Crystal Cave by Mary Steward
My Sister’s Keeper by Jodi Picoult
Fall River Dreams by Bill Reynolds
The Help by Kathryn Stockett
Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison
The Jungle by Upton Sinclair
My Antonia by Willa Cather
For Whom the Bell Tolls by Ernest Hemingway
NON FICTION
Black Like Me by John Howard Griffin
Born on a Blue Day – A memoir by Daniel Tammet
A Girl Named Zippy: Growing Up Small in Moorland by HavenKimmel
Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer
Touching the Void by Joe Simpson
The American Political Tradition by Richard Hostadter
The Man Who Mistook his Wife or a Hat by Oliver Sacks
ENTERING GRADE 12
Choose
one
from each list, fiction and non-fiction for your summer reading. Please note that
there is no assignment for fiction because there will be an in-class essay given in English
class during the first week of school. However, there is an assignment for the non-fiction
book, which consists of a book review.
FICTION:
Doctor Zhivago by Boris Pasternak
Grendel by John Gardner
Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson
The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Kidd Monk
A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess
The Importance of Being Ernest by Oscar Wilde
East of Eden by John Steinbeck
The Bonesetter’s Daughter by Amy Tan
The Kitchen God’s Wife by Amy Tan
Sold by Patrick Mc Cormick
Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
Ceremony by Leslie Silko
Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky
The Stranger by Albert Camus
I, Robot by Isaac Asimov
And the Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseini
NON-FICTION:
Autobiography of a Face by Lucy Grealy
The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson
Walden by Henry David Thoreau
The Shadow Divers by Robert Kurson
The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
A brief SUMMARY of the book, describing major characters, events, and themes. This should be
no more than one small paragraph.
Two to three paragraphs that ANALYZE specific features of the book. For example, if I were
writing about The Catcher in the Rye, I might discuss “voice” in one paragraph (maybe include some
sample “Holdenisms”); in another paragraph, I would describe Holden’s character a little more
specifically and analyze whether he is a typical “adolescent;” and in one more paragraph I would talk
about the plot structure of the book, how it’s kind of an anti-hero’s quest, and whether I liked that or
not.
The last required element is a CONCLUSION in which you express your overall OPINION of the
book. Generally, if your summary and analysis were favorable (giving the reader the impression that
the book is worth reading) your overall opinion should be positive. If you didn’t find much to
analyze, or didn’t like the stuff you were analyzing, you should express all that in your opinion, too.
The point of this assignment is to let other students know if the book you read is worth reading.
If you are still not sure, check out the section of the New York Times that has book reviews.
AP CLASSES FOR BOTH GRADE 11 AND 12 WILL BE COMPLETING
THE ASSIGNMENTS FOR AP LITERATURE AND COMPOSITION FOR
THE SCHOOL YEAR 2014-15 ONLY.
AP GRADE 11 and 12: BOTH NOVELS MUST BE READ ALONG WITH ONE
BOOK SELECTION FROM THE FICTION SECTION OF YOUR RESPECTIVE
GRADE.
Song of Solomon by Tony Morrison
How to Read Literature Like a Professor by Thomas C. Foster
AP Literature and Composition (11 AND 12
thGrade)
Students are to read
How
to Read Literature Like a Professor
by Thomas Foster and complete the mini
writing assignments listed below. Select only six!
AP GRADE 11 AND 12- Please note:
There is a special assignment for
How to
Read Literature Like a Professor
by Thomas C. Foster. There is no assignment for
the fiction selection from the Grade 12 list because there will be an in-class essay
assessment given during the first week of school
. Song of Solomon
should be read
carefully and annotate the book in preparation for the first AP seminar discussion
in class. You are reading a total of three books.
How to Read Literature Like a Professor: A Lively and Entertaining Guide to
Reading Between the Lines
by Thomas C. Foster
In Arthur Conan Doyle's "The Red-Headed League," Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John Watson both observe Jabez Wilson carefully, yet their differing interpretations of the same details reveal the difference between a "Good Reader" and a "Bad Reader." Watson can only describe what he sees; Holmes has the knowledge to interpret what he sees, to draw conclusions, and to solve the mystery.
Understanding literature need no longer be a mystery -- Thomas Foster's book will help transform you from a naive, sometimes confused Watson to an insightful, literary Holmes. Professors and other informed readers see symbols, archetypes, and patterns because those things are there -- if you have learned to look for them. As Foster says, you learn to recognize the literary conventions the "same way you get to Carnegie Hall. Practice" (xiv).
Note to students: These short writing assignments will let you practice your literary analysis and they will help me get to know you and your literary tastes. Whenever I ask for an example from literature, you may use short stories, novels, plays, or films (Yes, film is a literary genre). If your literary repertoire is thin and undeveloped, use the Appendix to jog your memory or to select additional works to explore. At the very least, watch some of the "Movies
to Read" that are listed on pages 293-294. Please note that your responses should be a minimum of three
paragraphs for each assignment -- not pages! I want a life! Please select six assignments from the list of chapters 1-27 below.
Even though this is analytical writing, you may use "I" if you deem it important to do so; remember, however, that most uses of "I" are just padding. For example, "I think the wolf is the most important character in 'Little Red Riding-hood'" is padded. As you compose each written response, re-phrase the prompt as part of your answer. In other words, I should be able to tell which question you are answering without referring back to the prompts. Concerning mechanics pay special attention to pronouns. Make antecedents clear. Say Foster first; not "he." Remember to capitalize and punctuate titles properly for each genre.
Introduction: How'd He Do That? How do memory, symbol, and pattern affect the reading of literature? How does the recognition of patterns make it easier to read complicated literature? Discuss a time when your appreciation of a literary work was enhanced by understanding symbol or pattern.
Chapter 1 -- Every Trip Is a Quest (Except When It's Not) List the five aspects of the QUEST and then apply them to something you have read (or viewed) in the form used on pages 3-5.
Chapter 2 -- Nice to Eat with You: Acts of Communion Choose a meal from a literary work and apply the ideas of Chapter 2 to this literary depiction.
Chapter 3: --Nice to Eat You: Acts of Vampires What are the essentials of the Vampire story? Apply this to a literary work you have read or viewed.
Chapter 4 -- If It's Square, It's a Sonnet Select three sonnets and show which form they are. Discuss how their content reflects the form. (Submit copies of the sonnets, marked to show your analysis).
Chapter 5 --Now, Where Have I Seen Her Before? Define intertextuality. Discuss three examples that have helped you in reading specific works.
Chapter 6 -- When in Doubt, It's from Shakespeare... Discuss a work that you are familiar with that alludes to or reflects Shakespeare. Show how the author uses this connection thematically. Read pages 44-46 carefully. In these pages, Foster shows how Fugard reflects Shakespeare through both plot and theme. In your discussion, focus on theme.
Chapter 7 -- ...Or the Bible Read "Araby" (http://www.classicshorts.com/stories/araby.html). Discuss Biblical allusions that Foster does not mention. Look at the example of the "two great jars." Be creative and imaginative in these connections.
Chapter 8 -- Hanseldee and Greteldum Think of a work of literature that reflects a fairy tale. Discuss the parallels. Does it create irony or deepen appreciation?
Chapter 9 -- It's Greek to Me Write a free verse poem derived or inspired by characters or situations from Greek mythology. Be prepared to share your poem with the class.
Chapter 10 -- It's More Than Just Rain or Snow Discuss the importance of weather in a specific literary work, not in terms of plot.
Interlude -- Does He Mean That
Chapter 11 --...More Than It's Gonna Hurt You: Concerning Violence Present examples of the two kinds of violence found in literature. Show how the effects are different.
Chapter 12 -- Is That a Symbol? Use the process described on page 106 and investigate the symbolism of the fence in "Araby." (Mangan's sister stands behind it.)
Chapter 18 -- If She Comes Up, It's Baptism Think of a "baptism scene" from a significant literary work. How was the character different after the experience? Discuss.
Chapter 19 -- Geography Matters... Discuss at least four different aspects of a specific literary work that Foster
would classify under "geography." Chapter 20 -- ...So Does Season Find a poem that mentions a specific season.
Then discuss how the poet uses the season in a meaningful, traditional, or unusual way. (Submit a copy of the poem with your analysis.)
Interlude -- One Story Write your own definition for archetype. Then identify an archetypal story and apply it to a literary work with which you are familiar.
Chapter 21 -- Marked for Greatness Figure out Harry Potter's scar. If you aren't familiar with Harry Potter, select another character with a physical imperfection and analyze its implications for characterization.
Chapter 22 -- He's Blind for a Reason, You Know Chapter 23 -- It's Never Just Heart Disease... Chapter 24 -- ...And Rarely Just Illness Recall two characters who died of a disease in a literary work. Consider how these deaths reflect the "principles governing the use of disease in literature" (215-217). Discuss the effectiveness of the death as
related to plot, theme, or symbolism. Chapter 25 -- Don't Read with Your Eyes After reading Chapter 25, choose a
scene or episode from a novel, play or epic written before the twentieth century. Contrast how it could be viewed by a reader from the twenty-first century with how it might be viewed by a contemporary reader. Focus on specific assumptions that the author makes, assumptions that would not make it in this century.
Chapter 26 -- Is He Serious? And Other Ironies Select an ironic literary work and explain the multivocal nature of the irony in the work.
Chapter 27 -- A Test Case Read "The Garden Party" by Katherine Mansfield, the short story starting on page 245. Complete the exercise on pages 265-266, following the directions exactly. Then compare your writing with the three examples. How did you do? What does the essay that follows comparing Laura with Persephone add to your appreciation of Mansfield's story?
Envoi Choose a motif not discussed in this book (as the horse reference on page 280) and note its appearance in three or four different works. What does this idea seem to signify?
