The Pallotti High School English Summer Reading List and Assignments 2014

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1 The Pallotti High School English Summer Reading List and Assignments 2014 Scroll down to your class(es) below, read the books listed under your class(es), and complete the assignments for each book (Note: You must complete two summer readings if you are taking two English classes in the fall). To lend credence to your responses, use evidence from the text (i.e., quotes, passages) to support your claims and write your responses in complete sentences. These assignments are due on the first day of classes. Tests and other assessments are given in the first week of classes. Please be sure that you are completing the summer work for your class(es). Be sure to address all numbered questions for the class. Happy reading and writing! Seize the books! Introduction to Literature (Freshmen) Please answer each prompt in complete, well-written sentences. If you are unsure about any of the questions, please ask a parent, friend, or if all else fails, the internet. Introduction to Literature Summer Assignment The Fault in Our Stars by John Green 1. John Green derives his book's title from a famous line in Shakespeare's Julius Caesar: "The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, but in ourselves, that we are underlings." (I,ii, ). What does the line mean and why would Green have used it for his title? Even more important, why would he have altered it to read, "The fault in our stars" rather than ourselves? How does Green's meaning differ from Shakespeare's? 2. How would you describe the two main characters, Hazel and Gus? Do either of them conform, in behavior or thinking, to what we normally associate with young cancer patients? How do the two differ from one another...and how do their personality traits and interests complement each other? 3. How do Hazel and Gus each relate to their cancer? Do they define themselves by it? Do they ignore it? Do they rage at life's unfairness? Most importantly, how do the two confront the big questions of life and death? 4. Do you find some of the descriptions of pain, the medical realities that accompany cancer, or the discussion of bodily fluids too graphic? 5. At one point, Hazel says, "Cancer books suck." Is this a book about cancer? Did you have trouble picking up the book to read it? What were you expecting? Were those expectations met...or did the book alter your ideas? 5. John Green uses the voice of an adolescent girl to narrate his story. Does he do a convincing job of creating a female character?

2 7. Hazel considers An Imperial Affliction "so special and rare that advertising your affection for it feels like a betrayal." Why is it Hazel's favorite book? Why is it so important that she and Gus learn what happens after its heroine dies? Have you ever felt the same way about a book as Hazel does that it is too special to talk about? 8. What do you think about Peter Van Houten, the fictional author of An Imperial Affliction? This book's real author, John Green, has said that Van Houten is a "horrible, horrible person but I have an affection for him." Why might Green have said that? What do you think of Van Houten? 9. Green once served as a chaplain in a children's hospital, working with young cancer patients. In an interview, he referred to the "hero's journey within illness" that "in spite of it, you pull yourself up and continue to be alive while you're alive." In what way does Green's comment apply to his book about two young people who are dying? Is theirs a hero's journey? Is the "pull yourself up" phrase an unseemly statement by someone, like the author or any reader, who is not facing a terminal disease? 10. What did you make of the book's humor? Is it appropriate...or inappropriate? Green has said he "didn't want to use humor to lighten the mood" or "to pull out the easy joke" when things got hard. But, he said, he likes to write about "clever kids, [and they] tend to be funny even when things are rough." Is his use of humor successful? How did it affect the way you read the book? 11. After his chaplaincy experience, Green said he believed that "life is utterly random and capricious, and arbitrary." Yet he also said, after finishing The Fault in Our Stars that he no longer feels that life's randomness "robs human life of its meaning...or that it robs even lives of people who don't get to have full lives." Would you say that the search for meaning even, or especially, in the face of dying is what this book explores? Why...or why not? 12. How do Hazel and Gus change, in spirit, over the course of the novel? 13. Talk about how you experienced this book? Is it too sad, too tragic to contemplate? Or did you find it in some way uplifting? Speak by Laurie Halse Andersen 1. In what tense is the story told? What effect does this choice have on the reader s perception of the narrative? 2. Describe Melinda her personality and her emotional state. What effect does feeling like an outcast have on her behavior? 3. What information does this first section of the book give us about what Melinda did to make her friends reject her and why she did it? 4. What is Melinda s attitude toward high school life school itself, extracurricular activities, students, teachers, and school officials? What comments does she make about these things? 5. Describe Heather. How are she and Melinda different? What is their relationship like?

3 6. Describe Melinda s parents. What is her relationship with them like? What is their relationship with each other like? 7. Why do you think Melinda views David Petrakis as a hero? 8. Why does Melinda consider Mr. Freeman the sanest person she knows? 9. Why does Heather break off her friendship with Melinda? Why does Melinda suddenly feel that Heather is very important to her? What thoughts does Melinda have about Heather s decision? How do you feel about Heather and her decision? 10. What is the significance of Melinda s visit to the site of the rape? 11. What is the climax of the book? How does Melinda deal with the situation she finds herself in, and what does this show? Honors Introduction to Literature (Freshmen) Honors Intro to Literature - Summer Reading Assignment Please answer each prompt in complete, well-written sentences. If you are unsure about any of the questions, please ask a parent, friend, or if all else fails, the internet. The Book Thief by Zusak 1. Discuss the symbolism of Death as the omniscient narrator of the novel. What are Death s feelings for each victim? Describe Death s attempt to resist Liesel. Death states, I m always finding humans at their best and worst. I see their ugly and their beauty, and I wonder how the same thing can be both. (p. 491) What is ugly and beautiful about Liesel, Rosa and Hans Hubermann, Max Vandenburg, Rudy Steiner, and Mrs. Hermann? Why is Death haunted by humans? 2. What is ironic about Liesel s obsession with stealing books? Discuss other uses of irony in the novel. 3. The Grave Digger s Handbook is the first book Liesel steals. Why did she take the book? What is significant about the titles of the books she steals? Discuss why she hides The Grave Digger s Handbook under her mattress. Describe Hans Hubermann s reaction when he discovers the book. What does the act of book thievery teach Liesel about life and death? Explain Rudy s reaction when he discovers that Liesel is a book thief. How does stealing books from the mayor s house lead to a friendship with the mayor s wife? Explain how Liesel s own attempt to write a book saves her life.

4 4. Liesel believes that Hans Hubermann s eyes show kindness, and from the beginning she feels closer to him than to Rosa Hubermann. How does Hans gain Liesel s love and trust? Decide whether Liesel is a substitute for Hans s children, who have strayed from the family. Why is it so difficult for Rosa to demonstrate the same warmth toward Liesel? Discuss how Diesel s relationship with Rosa changes by the end of the novel. 5. Abandonment is a central theme in the novel. The reader knows that Liesel feels abandoned by her mother and by the death of her brother. How does she equate love with abandonment? At what point does she understand why she was abandoned by her mother? Who else abandons Liesel in the novel? Decide whether she was abandoned by circumstance or by the heart. 6. Guilt is another recurring theme in the novel. Hans Hubermann s life was spared in France during World War I, and Erik Vandenburg s life was taken. Explain why Hans feels guilty about Erik s death. Guilt is a powerful emotion that may cause a person to become unhappy and despondent. Discuss how Hans channels his guilt into helping others. Explain Max Vandenburg s thought, Living was living. The price was guilt and shame. (p. 208) Why does he feel guilt and shame? 7. Compare and contrast the lives of Liesel and Max Vandenburg. How does Max s life give Liesel purpose? At what point do Liesel and Max become friends? Max gives Liesel a story called The Standover Man for her birthday. What is the significance of this story? 8. Death says that Liesel was a girl with a mountain to climb. (p. 86) What is her mountain? Who are her climbing partners? What is her greatest obstacle? At what point does she reach the summit of her mountain? Describe her descent. What does she discover at the foot of her mountain? 9. Hans Junior, a Nazi soldier, calls his dad a coward because he doesn t belong to the Nazi Party. He feels that you are either for Hitler or against him. How does it take courage to oppose Hitler? There isn t one coward in the Hubermann household. Discuss how they demonstrate courage throughout the novel. 10. Describe Liesel s friendship with Rudy. How does their friendship change and grow throughout the novel? Death says that Rudy doesn t offer his friendship for free. (p. 51) What does Rudy want from Liesel? Discuss Death s statement, The only thing worse than a boy who hates you [is] a boy who loves you. (p. 52) Why is it difficult for Liesel to love Rudy? Discuss why Liesel tells Mr. Steiner that she kissed Rudy s dead body. 11. How does Zusak use the literary device of foreshadowing to pull the reader into the story? 12. Liesel Meminger lived to be an old woman. Death says that he would like to tell the book thief about beauty and brutality, but those are things that she had lived. How does her life represent beauty in the wake of brutality? Discuss how Zusak s poetic writing style enhances the beauty of Liesel s story.

5 The Fault in Our Stars by John Green 1. John Green derives his book's title from a famous line in Shakespeare's Julius Caesar: "The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, but in ourselves, that we are underlings." (I,ii, ). What does the line mean and why would Green have used it for his title? Even more important, why would he have altered it to read, "The fault in our stars" rather than ourselves? How does Green's meaning differ from Shakespeare's? 2. How would you describe the two main characters, Hazel and Gus? Do either of them conform, in behavior or thinking, to what we normally associate with young cancer patients? How do the two differ from one another...and how do their personality traits and interests complement each other? 3. How do Hazel and Gus each relate to their cancer? Do they define themselves by it? Do they ignore it? Do they rage at life's unfairness? Most importantly, how do the two confront the big questions of life and death? 4. Do you find some of the descriptions of pain, the medical realities that accompany cancer, or the discussion of bodily fluids too graphic? 5. At one point, Hazel says, "Cancer books suck." Is this a book about cancer? Did you have trouble picking up the book to read it? What were you expecting? Were those expectations met...or did the book alter your ideas? 5. John Green uses the voice of an adolescent girl to narrate his story. Does he do a convincing job of creating a female character? 7. Hazel considers An Imperial Affliction "so special and rare that advertising your affection for it feels like a betrayal." Why is it Hazel's favorite book? Why is it so important that she and Gus learn what happens after its heroine dies? Have you ever felt the same way about a book as Hazel does that it is too special to talk about? 8. What do you think about Peter Van Houten, the fictional author of An Imperial Affliction? This book's real author, John Green, has said that Van Houten is a "horrible, horrible person but I have an affection for him." Why might Green have said that? What do you think of Van Houten? 9. Green once served as a chaplain in a children's hospital, working with young cancer patients. In an interview, he referred to the "hero's journey within illness" that "in spite of it, you pull yourself up and continue to be alive while you're alive." In what way does Green's comment apply to his book about two young people who are dying? Is theirs a hero's journey? Is the "pull yourself up" phrase an unseemly statement by someone, like the author or any reader, who is not facing a terminal disease? 10. What did you make of the book's humor? Is it appropriate...or inappropriate? Green has said he "didn't want to use humor to lighten the mood" or "to pull out the easy joke" when things got hard. But, he said, he likes to write about "clever kids, [and they] tend to be funny even when things are rough." Is his use of humor successful? How did it affect the way you read the book?

6 11. After his chaplaincy experience, Green said he believed that "life is utterly random and capricious, and arbitrary." Yet he also said, after finishing The Fault in Our Stars that he no longer feels that life's randomness "robs human life of its meaning...or that it robs even lives of people who don't get to have full lives." Would you say that the search for meaning even, or especially, in the face of dying is what this book explores? Why...or why not? 12. How do Hazel and Gus change, in spirit, over the course of the novel? 13. Talk about how you experienced this book? Is it too sad, too tragic to contemplate? Or did you find it in some way uplifting? Speak by Laurie Halse Andersen 1. In what tense is the story told? What effect does this choice have on the reader s perception of the narrative? 2. Describe Melinda her personality and her emotional state. What effect does feeling like an outcast have on her behavior? 3. What information does this first section of the book give us about what Melinda did to make her friends reject her and why she did it? 4. What is Melinda s attitude toward high school life school itself, extracurricular activities, students, teachers, and school officials? What comments does she make about these things? 5. Describe Heather. How are she and Melinda different? What is their relationship like? 6. Describe Melinda s parents. What is her relationship with them like? What is their relationship with each other like? 7. Why do you think Melinda views David Petrakis as a hero? 8. Why does Melinda consider Mr. Freeman the sanest person she knows? 9. Why does Heather break off her friendship with Melinda? Why does Melinda suddenly feel that Heather is very important to her? What thoughts does Melinda have about Heather s decision? How do you feel about Heather and her decision? 10. What is the significance of Melinda s visit to the site of the rape? 11. What is the climax of the book? How does Melinda deal with the situation she finds herself in, and what does this show?

7 American Literature (SOPHOMORES) Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith Flowers for Algernon choose one of the following 1. Write 5 one page journal entries from the perspective of Burt, Dr. Stauss, or Professor Nemur. The entries should span the entirety of the novel and touch on important events. 2. Write 5 one page journal entries from the perspective of Matt, Rose, or Norma. The entries should come from some of the memories that Charlie shares throughout the novel. 3. Research Charlie s disability. Make an informational poster explaining his disease and how it should/could be treated. Make another chart showing how mental patients would have been treated in 1966 as compared to how they are treated in Write a 2 page paper as if you were one of Charlie s doctors and how you would have treated him. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn Choose one of the following 1. Tell the story from another point of view. Choose a character. Write 5 journal entries from that character s point of view that tell the entire story as that character would have had knowledge. Each entry should be one page long. The entries should deal with significant events in that character s development. 2. Write a new ending for the novel. Your chapter should pick up where the 2 nd to last chapter ends and should be 3-5 pages long. 3. Make a scrapbook. Identify 10 objects mentioned in the novel and 3 objects not mentioned in the novel that would have some importance to Francie. Put either those objects or pictures of those objects into a scrapbook that Francie would have made. Under each object, journal about what made the object so special to Scout. Include a one page reflection explaining your choice of objects and your thought process behind the organization and decoration of the scrapbook.

8 Honors American Literature (SOPHOMORES) Honors American Lit Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes Cold Sassy Tree by Olive Ann Burns A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith Flowers for Algernon Choose one of the following. 1. Write 5 one page journal entries from the perspective of Algernon. The entries should span the entirety of the novel and touch on important events. 2. Write 5 one page journal entries from the perspective of Matt, Rose, or Norma. The entries should come from some of the memories that Charlie shares throughout the novel. 3. Write a 4-5 page 5 paragraph essay discussing three symbols found in the novel. As part of your essay, be sure to discuss the title of the novel as it relates to one of the symbols. Cold Sassy Tree Choose one of the following 1. Make a scrapbook from the perspective of Will, Rucker, Marie, Loma, OR Love. Identify 10 objects mentioned in the novel and 3 objects not mentioned in the novel that would have some importance to the character that you choose Put either those objects or pictures of those objects into a scrapbook you re your character would have made. Under each object, journal about what made the object so special to your character. Include a one page reflection that tells why you choose your character and the 13 items pictured in the scrapbook. 2. Write a chapter from the perspective of another character. The chapter you choose to re-write must be a pivotal one important to the plot of the story that involves multiple characters. You may have to infer what the character you choose is feeling or thinking during the scene based on what you know about the character. Your chapter should be at least 5 pages long. 3. Choose a major conflict from the novel. Write a 5 paragraph essay that discusses the origin of the conflict, how the conflict develops, and how it is resolved. Be sure to include in your discussion why the conflict is important to the story. Your essay should be 5 pages in length.

9 A Tree Grows in Brooklyn Choose one of the following 1. Tell the story from another point of view. Choose a character. Write 5 journal entries from that character s point of view that tell the entire story as that character would have had knowledge. Each entry should be one page long. The entries should deal with significant events in that character s development. 2. Write the next chapter to the novel. Make sure that your chapter makes logical sense with the rest of the novel and that all major characters are included. Your new chapter should be at least 5 pages in length. 3. Write a 5 page 5 paragraph essay that compares this novel to the other two. British Literature (Juniors) A Handful of Dust, Evelyn Waugh The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole, Aged 13 ¾, Sue Townsend With the exception of the essays, which are longer, each numbered question below should be close to a page in length (typed, double-spaced). Use textual evidence. A Handful of Dust, Evelyn (male) Waugh 1) Write 5-paragraph essay (2-3 pages) on satire in A Handful of Dust. A scathing indictment of the British aristocracy, Waugh s satire exposes a culture lacking in values and human decency. In the essay, address the moral shortcomings of Tony Last, Brenda Last, and John Beaver. Why are they the targets of the satire? Use passages from the novel and quotes spoken by the characters to strengthen your theories. Define satire early in the introduction. 2) How does the novel get its title? What is the allusion or metaphor? 3) Write in the voice of Brenda a one-page letter to her husband Tony concerning John Beaver. 4) Write in the voice of Tony a letter to Brenda on the subject of John Andrew s death. 5) Write a one-page letter in the voice of John Beaver to Tony; the letter should express how John feels about the fashionable social circles into which he is seeking entrance. Does John view himself as a homewrecker? 6) Write your own one-page ending to the novel wherein you decide the fate of Tony Last.

10 7) Identify three settings which you consider important in the novel. Explain why they are relevant to Tony s journey. The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole, Aged 13 ¾, Sue Townsend 1) Write a diary entry in the voice of Adrian on the subject of his love for Pandora. 2) It is obvious that Adrian is a reader of great books. Knowing what you know about Adrian, write a book review from Adrian s perspective. The reviewed book can be any book that you have read or any book that he mentions in the diary entries. For example, you might consider how Adrian feels about The Catcher in the Rye or The Great Gatsby. 3) Write a letter from Adrian to Mr. Lucas. Consider how Adrian might have a bone to pick with Mr. Lucas. 4) Why might the first-person narrator of the novel be considered unreliable in Adrian s case? 5) Make a list of ten adolescent dilemmas with which Adrian is presently struggling. Beside each, mention how he attempts to deal with the hardship. 6) In a five-paragraph essay, discuss why Adrian s family might be considered dysfunctional. Honors British Literature (Juniors) Atonement, Ian McEwan A Handful of Dust, Evelyn Waugh The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole, Aged 13 3/4, Sue Townsend With the exception of the essays, which are longer, each numbered question below should be close to a page in length (typed, double-spaced). Use textual evidence. Atonement, Ian McEwan 1) What are the social class conflicts that arise in the novel? How is this book both about and not about class? 2) Write 4 quotes from the novel that show Briony s vivid imagination. How do these quotes foreshadow Briony s crime? 3) What does atonement mean? Explain the degree to which Briony has atoned for her crime. 4) In your opinion, which three characters experience the most growth in the novel? Explain why and support your observations with evidence. Consider that the novel has three major parts.

11 5) Write a one-page letter of apology from Briony to Robbie. 6) Write a five-paragraph (2-3 pages) essay on the theme of appearance vs. reality throughout the novel. Use textual evidence to support your claims. A Handful of Dust, Evelyn (male) Waugh 1) Explain why three major characters are such great targets for satire. 2) Write a letter in the voice of social climber John Beaver to Brenda Last, Tony Last s wife. Consider what could be seen as unsettling about John Beaver morally. 3) Write a letter of reprimand from Tony Last to Brenda Last on the subject of the loss of John Andrew. 4) In your opinion, which character has the least regard for a moral compass? Explain. 5) This novel is known for its blend of the tragic and the comic. Explain as much comedy as you can find in its pages. 6) In a five-paragraph essay (around 3 pages), compare and contrast A Handful of Dust and The Great Gatsby in 3-4 areas. Consider characterization, themes, cultural milieu, irony, depiction of the upper classes, respect for the sanctity of marriage, and other aspects. Be sure to balance your analysis of these areas. The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole, Aged 13 ¾, Sue Townsend 1) In the angry voice of Adrian, write a letter to Mr. Lucas about Adrian s mother. 2) In the voice of Adrian s girlfriend, Pandora, write a letter to Adrian concerning the status of their relationship. 3) Write a diary entry in which you capture Adrian addressing his status as a self-proclaimed intellectual. Consider how he might pass his time as an intellectual. 4) As a teenager, is Adrian typical or atypical? You make the call. Write a five-paragraph essay in which you argue your case. 5) Write a diary entry for Adrian in the year What s on his mind? How old is he? Where does life take him? Is he content? What gets his goat?

12 SENIORS WHO ARE NOT TAKING AN AP ENGLISH CLASS: All Seniors who are enrolled in semester-length classes are to read I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou and complete the assignment below. In addition to I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, students should also read the book and complete the assignment listed for their first semester English class. Complete all of the following for I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings: 1. List 3 major events from the author s life, and in a 5 paragraph essay, discuss how those events shaped her as a person. 2. Write a paragraph that discusses the title of the novel and how it relates to the action of the story. 3. Using Angelou s style, write your own one page essay telling about an event from your life that helped to shape who you are as a person. Shakespeare Read A Mid-summer Night s Dream and complete the following. Each response should be at least a paragraph long: 1. Who is your favorite character from the play and why? 2. Identify three conflicts, what created the conflicts, and how they were resolved. 3. Consider Puck (Robin Goodfellow) s final speech. What is the message being given to the audience? 4. How are the speeches given by Lysander and friends different from the speeches given by Bottom and friends? Consider how the words look on the page as well as how elevated the language is.

13 African American Literature/Literature and Film The Help by Kathryn Stockett 1. Make a chart that compares/contrasts the ways that Aibileen and Minny react to their treatment as maids by their employers, their reaction to Skeeter writing the book, and their reaction to the finished product. 2. The novel is set in Jackson, Mississippi in the early 1960s. Choose 3 aspects of the way African Americans are treated and/or presented in the novel and research the accuracy of each. You may make a chart, write a one page summary, or use another method of your choice to present your research findings. Your findings should include how each of the aspects you choose is presented in the novel. 3. Watch the movie. In a 2-3 page essay, discuss the differences between the novel and the book. Be sure to include how characters are portrayed, what scenes have been left out or altered, and what effect the changes had on your understanding of the story. Creative Writing/Poetry Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott 1. Discuss the title of the book in a well-crafted paragraph. How does it relate to the content and themes throughout the novel? 2. Discuss the structure of the novel in a well-crafted paragraph. How is this novel different than most novels you have read? Give three examples of how the structure is different. 3. Make a list of 10 steps a writer should follow according to Lamott. Explain each step in 3-5 sentences. The steps need not be in any particular order. 4. Choose your favorite chapter and relate the contents of the chapter to its title. Your response should be at least one page long.

14 AP English Language and Composition Summer Reading Assignment Welcome to AP Language and Composition. The AP English Language course emphasizes a mix of politics, history, social sciences, current events and non-fiction prose. This class is different from most English classes you have taken before; it will ask you to analyze writing, develop sound reasoning and argumentation, as well as to examine the power of language. The assignments below will help to prepare you for what we will cover this year. Everything should be printed out and neatly organized into folder. It will be collected on the first day of school and will count for a substantial portion of your first quarter grade. Please don t hesitate to contact me should you need help (emcallen@pallottihs.info). I look forward to seeing you in the fall. Have a fantastic summer. Part I: Letter of Introduction To help me get to know you, please write me a brief letter of introduction (one to two pages double-spaced). Please keep in mind that how you write is just as important as what you write. Your letter should answer the following: a. Who are you, anyway? What do you like to do in your spare time? What do you love and value? What makes you different from all the other crazy people on this planet? b. Why are you taking AP English Language and Composition? What do you hope to get out of this class? c. What are your expectations for me as your teacher? What kinds of things do you hope we ll do this year? What kinds of things will make you cringe? d. What are your expectations for yourself? What do you want to accomplish this year? Before you graduate high school? Before you depart for whatever comes after this life? e. Is there anything else you feel I should know about you before we begin this adventure together? Part II: Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life by Anne Lamott This quick and entertaining read breaks down the writing process and shows writers of all levels how to take an idea from a terrible first draft to a polished final copy. We will refer to it throughout the year. For this book, you should: 1. Annotate throughout by highlighting, underlining, making notes in the margins and/or adding sticky notes wherever you find a useful tip, intriguing concept or questionable idea. I will collect your copy of the book and will give you points for thorough annotations, so you will need to purchase this one. 2. Identify the five most interesting passages (a passage may be anything from one paragraph to one page in length). For each, you should type up the passage along with

15 its page number and then write a one paragraph response in which you explain what appealed (or didn t appeal) to you in the passage and your thoughts about it. Part III: Memoir Study In Bird by Bird, Lamott suggests that beginning writers start by writing about their childhoods. The list below contains books in which the writers do just that. You should select two titles from the list of six and then complete the three assignments. Be sure to research all of the books so you can make informed selections. Choose TWO of these five: Angela s Ashes by Frank McCourt Black Boy by Richard Wright The Glass Castle by Jeanette Walls The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank Dreams from My Father by Barrack Obama I Am Malala by Malala Yousafzai 1. Identify five unfamiliar words in each book. For each word, type up: a) the sentence in which you found it along with the page number b) the definition of the word within the book s context (look it up) c) an original sentence using the word 2. Identify the five most interesting passages in each book (a passage may be anything from one paragraph to one page in length). For each passage, you should type up the passage along with its page number and then write a one paragraph response in which you explain what appealed (or didn t appeal) to you in the passage and your thoughts about it. 3. Write an essay in which you compare and contrast the two books in terms of story, structure or writing style. You should follow five-paragraph format and include at least six direct quotes with citation from the book. Part IV: News Portfolio Becoming an informed observer of the world around you will help you to succeed in this class, on the AP exam and, most importantly, in your life as an engaged and thoughtful member of society. To that end, you are encouraged to begin following the news this summer and will be required to turn in a news portfolio when you return to school. - The portfolio should include at least 10 news stories (either clipped from the paper/magazine or printed from an online source) from the summer. - Each story should be accompanied by a one paragraph reflection discussing your reaction to this information and why this story drew your attention. - Everything should be neatly organized, by date of the news story, into your binder or three-hole folder. - Your chosen stories must reflect the news from different points throughout the summer. You have about 10 weeks off; I suggest you choose one story each week. - You are encouraged to draw from a variety of news sources, types of media (print, broadcast and online) and types of stories. If you don t know where to start, begin with the New York Times, Wall Street Journal or Washington Post. Also check out CNN, CBS, ABC and BBC News on TV, National Public Radio (88.5 fm in the DC area, 88.1 in

16 Baltimore) and the Guardian, Associated Press and Reuters online. All sources must be originally published in English. - You may select any story that has educational value. This will immediately rule out many sports and entertainment stories that simply give the highlights of a game or discuss what Beyoncé wore at her latest concert. There are, however, plenty of thoughtful stories that delve more deeply into the politics, economics and culture of the sports and entertainment industries; those are fair game. What to do if you will be away for the summer and will not have access to national or international news sources in English: - Access articles online. - Use the public library before you go and when you get home; they keep back issues of publications for a certain amount of time. - Ask a friend or family member to save issues of newspapers or magazines for you. - Subscribe to a news magazine, like Time or Newsweek, and catch up when you get home. - Find major publications, like the New York Times and the Guardian, which are widely available in large cities around the world. Starbucks often has copies.

17 AP English Literature and Composition Summer Readings and Assignments Welcome to AP English Literature and Composition. In this class we will read a wide range of classics plays, novels, and poetry. In addition to plots, authors, characterization, and settings, we will be interested in the literary devices that writers use to convey meaning irony, tone, diction, and others. Also consider this: what are the hallmarks of a successful writer of essays? What does he/she practice by habit? The summer selections are all novels. The biggest assessments throughout the year are essays and tests. The mission is to hone the skills that will prepare you for the AP exam given in early May. One aspect of writing we will emphasize is using literary present tense in essays. For example, use Beowulf is a hero, not Beowulf was a hero. Write Beowulf s decision to fight Grendel is a brave one instead of was a brave one. Similarly, Beowulf slays the dragon but dies from a venomous bite. In your summer essays, practice writing in present tense. Always respect your thesis and topic sentences. Please do not forget to use quotes as evidence. Enjoy the books! Students who read a great deal tend to fare especially well on standardized tests and essays. Reading becomes for them a sixth sense. Best of luck this year! Place all assignments in a binder or at least staple your whole submission together. Native Son, Richard Wright Things Fall Apart, Chinua Achebe Siddhartha, Herman Hesse Native Son, Richard Wright 1) Write a one-page diary entry in the voice of Bigger Thomas after he commits murder. 2) Explain how the theme of fear is present throughout the novel. Which character lives in fear? Why? 3) Given what you know about Mary Dalton s early presence in the novel, decide the extent to which Mary might forgive Bigger Thomas. Write a one-page diary entry in the voice of Mary. 4) Explain the degree to which Bigger Thomas feels guilt for the crimes that he commits. What point is Wright attempting to make in presenting Bigger in this way? 5) In your opinion, to what extent is Bigger to blame for the major crimes with which he is charged? Make your case in a five-paragraph essay.

18 Things Fall Apart, Chinua Achebe 1) Okonkwo loves to assess the value of various men in his tribe. Write a one-page diary entry in the voice of Okonkwo in which you assess the overall value to society of any three men from his tribe. 2) Angry and bitter are two words that describe Okonkwo well. At whom is the anger and bitterness directed? Why? 3) Okonkwo s ideology is a focal point of the novel. Write 5-7 things which make Okonkwo proud or happy. Why does he like such things? 4) Make a list of 5-7 things which make Okonkwo sad or unhappy. Tell why. 4) Explain how the novel gets its title. Hint: Irish poet William Butler Yeats wrote a poem called The Second Coming, in which can be found the title of Achebe s novel. Dig deep. 5) Write a five-paragraph essay in which you analyze the father-son conflict in the novel. Siddhartha, Herman Hesse 1) Why is Siddhartha always searching, always yearning? What is Siddhartha s inner conflict? 2) It could be argued that in Siddhartha s case the journey is more important than the destination, or without the journey itself the destination would have been impossible. Explain. 3) Write two diary entries about two experiences that prove only partially useful to Siddhartha. In these entries, consider why Siddhartha must move on. 4) Write a one-page mentor letter from Vasudeva to Siddhartha on the subject of enlightenment. 5) What is the climax of the novel? Why? 6) Write a five-paragraph essay on the value of experience in the novel.