AP Literature & Composition 2016 Summer Reading Assignments “There are worse crimes than burning books. One of them is not reading them.” —Joseph Brodsky
Expectations for Students in AP Literature and Composition:
You are (or will soon become) a well-read, culturally knowledgeable student of literature, skilled in interpretation, critical analysis, and written expression. You will read each piece of literature prescribed in its entirety and complete assignments in a timely manner. You will not substitute study aids like Spark Notes or Cliff Notes, Internet summaries, or movie versions for intelligent, insightful reading nor for help in completing your written work—including your summer assignment. You will not whine.
Summer ’16 Assignments include two novels, one assigned and one independent choice: Assigned novel: East of Eden by John Steinbeck We will discuss this novel when we return to school in August. I would suggest reading this novel second—that way, it will be fresh in your mind, facilitating a more lively class conversation. Independent novel: Select one novel from the sets below (notice the time period of the writings—Pre- or very early 20th century OR 20th century to today). Set 1 – Pre- (or very early) 20th century: Anna Karenina – Leo Tolstoy Crime and Punishment – Fyodor Dostoevsky Middlemarch – George Eliot Moby-Dick – Herman Melville My Antonia – Willa Cather Portrait of a Lady – Henry James Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man – James Joyce Pride and Prejudice (or any work) – Jane Austen A Tale of Two Cities (or any work) – Charles Dickens
Set 2 — 20th Century to today: 1984 by George Orwell Angela’s Ashes – Frank McCourt Beloved (or any title) – Toni Morrison Brave New World – Aldous Huxley Breakfast at Tiffany’s – Truman Capote Cold Mountain – Charles Frazier A Farewell to Arms (or any major work) – Ernest Hemingway The Good Earth – Pearl Buck A Handmaid’s Tale – Margaret Atwood In the Time of Butterflies –Julia Alvarez The Joy-Luck Club – Amy Tan Olive Kitteridge – Elizabeth Strout One Hundred Years of Solitude – Gabriel Garcia Marquez The Orphan-Master’s Son by Adam Johnson The Road (or any major work) – Cormac McCarthy Slaughterhouse-Five – Kurt Vonnegut Their Eyes Were Watching God – Zora Neale Hurston Things Fall Apart – Chinua Achebe The Things They Carried – Tim O’Brien A Yellow Raft in Blue Water – Michael Dorris
Research online the titles that interest you from the sets above. You may choose to read more than one—all the better—but one is the requirement. The books are available locally at Barnes & Noble, and through on-line booksellers like Amazon.com and booksamillion.com. Summer Assignments and Accompanying Written Work: You will complete a “Major Works Data Sheet” (provided) for both novels; Additionally, you will complete (at minimum) an 800-word Reflective Journal for the independently chosen novel only, as follows: Your Journal is NOT a formal essay. Use your Journal as a tool for thinking about literature—your ideas may change as frequently as you write. Do not outline or worry about a thesis—remember, this is you and your thoughts about your chosen novel. As you write your entries, focus on your reaction to the piece, your interpretation, and evaluation of what you’ve just read—what scholar Kathleen Andrasick calls “the results of the generative tensions between text and reader.” Avoid—like the plague—plot summary. We are only interested in your thoughts and feedback as you wrestle with your chosen novel. Try to highlight and jot down symbolic reference and their meanings and any literary devices you discover as you read, e.g. metaphor, simile, personification, etc. and how the devices might enhance your reading. This is a very personal process as you engage with the writing. Both “Major Works Data Sheets” and your Reflective Journal on the independent novel are due on the first day of class. Although assigned with expectations, it is my fervent hope that you enjoy the literature presented as this year’s Summer Reading Assignment and that you learn from the experience. Have a wonderful summer!
Ms. Libby Rodenbaugh Ms. Libby Rodenbaugh
[email protected]
“The unread story is not a story; it is little black marks on wood pulp. The reader, reading it, makes it live: a live thing, a story.” —Ursula K. Le Guin
Page 1 AP English: Literature and Composition
Name: ___________________
Major Works Data Sheet: Do not cut/paste from a website, which is a form of plagiarism. Title: East of Eden (assigned novel)
Biographical information about the author:
Author: Date of Publication: Genre: Historical information about the period of publication or setting of the novel:
Characteristics of the genre:
Plot Summary: Do not cut/paste from a website, which is a form of plagiarism.
Page 2 Major Works Data Sheet
Memorable Quotes at least 3 – more is better Quotation
Significance
Page 3 Major Works Data Sheet
Characters Name
Role in the story
Significance
Adjectives
Page 4 Major Works Data Sheet Setting
Symbols or Motifs (at least three)
Significance of the opening scene
Significance of the ending / closing scene
Possible Themes – Topics of Discussion (elaborate) minimum of 3
Page 1 AP English: Literature and Composition
Name: ___________________
Major Works Data Sheet: Do not cut/paste from a website, which is a form of plagiarism. Title:
Biographical information about the author:
Author: Date of Publication: Genre: Historical information about the period of publication or setting of the novel:
Characteristics of the genre:
Plot Summary: Do not cut/paste from a website, which is a form of plagiarism.
Page 2 Major Works Data Sheet
Memorable Quotes at least 3 – more is better Quotation
Significance
Page 3 Major Works Data Sheet
Characters Name
Role in the story
Significance
Adjectives
Page 4 Major Works Data Sheet Setting
Symbols or Motifs (at least three)
Significance of the opening scene
Significance of the ending / closing scene
Possible Themes – Topics of Discussion (elaborate) minimum of 3
