AP/DC ENG11 Summer Reading 1
11th Grade Advanced Placement/Dual Credit English Language and Composition: 2019 Summer Reading Assignment This course emphasizes a mix of politics, history, social sciences, current events, and literature with a focus on language and rhetoric. This class will ask that you analyze text (primarily American Literature and nonfiction prose), develop sound reasoning, argumentation, and support, as well as examine the power of language. Students enrolled in this course are required to complete two reading assignments over summer vacation. This assignment is due two-weeks after the start of school – a hard due-date will be set on the first day of class. Please review the following statement by Joe LeGault, English Department Head at Central Office, regarding the importance of summer reading: […] When looked at from the view of accumulated time-in-text and analytical skill building, a student who starts pre-AP in grade 6 will have read and critically analyzed more than 6000 pages of literature - just in summer reading - before they hit AP English 11. This is such an advantage for Roanoke County students, not only for the AP tests in grades 11 and 12, but also as they head to college. RCPS students significantly outperform local, state, and national averages on both AP English 11 and 12 tests. Sometimes those higher AP scores are the reason our students are accepted to a particular college over other districts’ students. All things being equal, the higher AP scores tip the scales. In addition, a high score can result in credit for a class, and that means real money saved on college tuition. For these reasons, the required summer reading has been very good for our students. (The full explanation can be found on the Roanoke County Schools website.) So, not only will the summer reading assignment demonstrate that students possess the prerequisite reading and writing skills for success in this course, the completion of the assignment, most importantly, will prepare students for their future academic endeavors. Assignment: Part I All students are required to read On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King: Immensely helpful and illuminating to any aspiring writer, this special edition of Stephen King’s critically lauded, million-copy bestseller shares the experiences, habits, and convictions that have shaped him and his work.
“Long live the King” hailed Entertainment Weekly upon publication of Stephen King’s On Writing. Part memoir, part master class by one of the bestselling authors of all time, this superb volume is a revealing and practical view of the writer’s craft, comprising the basic tools of the trade every writer must have. King’s advice is grounded in his vivid memories from childhood through his emergence as a writer, from his struggling early career to his widely reported, near-fatal accident in 1999—and how the inextricable link between writing and AP/DC ENG11 Summer Reading 2
living spurred his recovery. Brilliantly structured, friendly and inspiring, On Writing will empower and entertain everyone who reads it—fans, writers, and anyone who loves a great story well told. (King, barnesandnoble.com) As the novel focuses, in large part, on the writing craft, we will use the book as an anchor text – meaning we will reference it for the entire year. We do not have copies of the text at WBHS, however, you may acquire it in the following ways:
• Purchase a copy online (I suggest amazon.com for the best prices – the “used” books are typically cheaper) • Buy it in-store • Check your local library • Try to find a PDF If you are unable to buy or find a copy of the memoir, please see me (room #247) as soon as possible. You may keep track of your reading any way that works best for you.* With that being said, I suggest that you pay particular attention to King’s style, as well as his “rules” for writing. When you return to school in August, you will be assigned an essay which requires that you are familiar with, abide by, and can critique those “rules.”
*If you are unsure of how to keep track of your reading, you may want to consider keeping notecards that explain each “rule” with the page number, use sticky notes to mark the text, keep a notecard as a bookmark and make notes on it, etc. Assignment: Part II According to the College Board AP English Language and Composition course description, […] at the heart of an AP English and Composition course is the reading of various texts…while writing represents a significant component of this course, the core skill required is the ability to read well. In reading another writer’s work, students must be able to address four fundamental questions about composition: What is being said? To whom is it being said? How is it being said? Why is it being said? As we have the entire year together to devote to finding answers to these essential questions, I ask that you spend time this summer not only reading for pleasure, but with purpose. Your job is to keep those essential questions in mind as you read a book of your choice from the provided list below. At the due date, I will ask that you are prepared to answer two questions: (1) What did you read this summer? (2) Why should every high school student read the book that you read? You may keep track of your reading any way that works best for you.* This is an assignment that you will – as cliché as it sounds – get as much out of as you put in. Hopefully, you will not only be able to answer my two questions, but remember why reading matters.
*If you are unsure of how to keep track of your reading, you may want to consider keeping notecards, use sticky notes to mark the text, keep a notecard as a bookmark and make notes on it, keep double-entry journals, or annotate to identify themes, character traits, important moments, language, strategies, and etc. AP/DC ENG11 Summer Reading 3
Book Choices: Given the sometimes mature content of higher-level fiction and nonfiction literature, please research your book prior to making a decision. There are a vast variety of topics provided. You may borrow available copies from WBHS (for select texts), purchase your book, check-out your book from the library, or search for available PDFs. Fiction Choices: Other Choices (nonfiction, memoir, etc.): The Bluest Eye, Toni Morrison Into the Wild, Jon Krakauer** The Color Purple, Alice Walker Into Thin Air, Jon Krakauer** Ethan Frome, Edith Wharton** Born a Crime, Trevor Noah My Antonia, Willa Cather The Woman Warrior, Maxine Hong Kingston No Country for Old Men, Cormac McCarthy The Bell Jar, Sylvia Plath The Plague, Albert Camus Fast Food Nation, Eric Schlosser The Poisonwood Bible, Barbara Kingsolver Three Cups of Tea, Greg Mortenson & David The Joy Luck Club, Amy Tan** Oliver Relin Outliers, Malcolm Gladwell **Limited copies available at WBHS – see Ms. Sabin in room 247 as soon as possible Recap of your whole assignment: 1. On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King: • Read the novel, paying particular attention to King’s style and “rules” for writing in preparation for an essay when you return to school. • Keep track of your reading (and King’s “rules”) however works best for you (annotations, double-entry journal, post-it notes, notecards, etc.) 2. A book of your choice: • Read your novel, paying particular attention to what is being said, to whom it is being said, how it is being said, and why it is being said. • Keep track of your reading however works best for you (annotations, double-entry journal, post-it notes, notecards, etc.) • Be prepared to answer the following questions: What did you read this summer? Why should every high school student read the book that you read? Please let me know if you have any questions: [email protected]. Happy Reading!
AP/DC ENG11 Summer Reading 4
**PLEASE RETURN THIS FORM TO MS. SABIN NO LATER THAN MAY 20, 2019.** Advanced Placement/Dual Credit English Language and Composition 2019 English 11 Summer Reading Assignment Overview: 1. On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King: • Read the novel, paying particular attention to King’s style and “rules” for writing in preparation for an essay when you return to school. • Keep track of your reading however works best for you (annotations, double-entry journal, post-it notes, etc.) 2. A book of your choice: • Read your novel, paying particular attention to what is being said, to whom it is being said, how it is being said, and why it is being said. • Keep track of your reading however works best for you (annotations, double-entry journal, post-it notes, etc.) • Be prepared to answer the following questions: What did you read this summer? Why should every high school student read the book that you read? By signing this document, we acknowledge the following: • We have received the AP/DC English 11 Language and Composition summer reading list and assignment. • We understand that this is to be the student’s work only and that no outside collaboration is permitted. • We understand that any questions about the reading or the assignment can be directed to Ms. Sabin at [email protected]. Student’s name (printed): ______Student’s signature: ______Parent/guardian’s name (printed): ______Parent/guardian’s signature: ______10th Grade English Teacher: ______