Required Summer Reading English 11 Advanced Placement

The assignment of summer reading is a common practice in the teaching of Advanced Placement English. Please prepare yourself to succeed by doing the reading. Furthermore, prepare yourself to succeed by reviewing the selections before you resign yourself to read them and START EARLY! What we are attempting to accomplish through this assignment is a massive jump in your literacy. The benefits will become apparent to you in time. The reading of six of the following works before we begin classes in August is required. Expect a test over each work—most likely an essay graded for insightful content and mechanics--to be administered during the first two weeks of school. It is difficult to do well in ​ the first quarter of the course if you do not do well on the summer reading essays.

Choose three (3) from this list of nonfiction: I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou (This autobiography, containing mature ​ language and subject matter, traces the author’s life from age three until her teenage years.) Nickel and Dimed: On (not) Getting By in America by Barbara Ehrenreich (This book has been ​ ​ ​ a topic of conversation - and controversy - ever since its publication. Discusses the lives and economic realities of people working at minimum wage jobs.) In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex by Nathaniel Philbrick (The ​ ​ ordeal of the whaleship Essex is one of the inspirations for the novel Moby Dick. Drawing from ​ ​ historical records, Nathaniel Philbrick presents an amazing survival narrative.) Hidden America: From Coal Miners to Cowboys, an Extraordinary Exploration of the Unseen People Who Make This Country Work by Jeanne Marie Laskas (Laskas explores a variety of ​ behind-the-scenes professions that keep America working.) The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference by Malcolm Gladwell ​ (Gladwell explores the Tipping Point phenomenon and explores the lasting impact small changes can have.)

Choose three (3) from this list of drama and fiction: The Awakening by Kate Chopin (This late nineteenth century novel was considered shocking ​ ​ when it was first published. Today, we see it as the story of a woman finding release from an unsatisfying marriage.) The Jungle by Upton Sinclair. The story of an immigrant family trying to survive in the harsh ​ th factory “sweatshops” of Chicago in the early 20 ​ century. The tyranny of unchecked Capitalism ​ and the reasons for the Communist movement in the U.S. are among the issues. The Color Purple by Alice Walker (Awarded both a Pulitzer Prize and an American Book ​ Award, it is the story of an indomitable woman named Celie. Contains mature subject matter) The Road by Cormac McCarthy (A dark, futuristic, and post-apocalyptic tale of a journey taken ​ ​ by father and son. Not for those who like escapist literature.) The Things they Carried by Tim O’Brien (A collection of related stories about soldiers during ​ and after the Vietnam War. This novel deals with the effect of war on the human psyche.) Girl in Translation by Jean Kwok (fictionalizes the lives of innumerable immigrants who have ​ ​ been torn between the pressure to succeed in America, their duty to their family, and their wants and needs.) ​

The books listed below will be assigned during the course of the year. Perhaps you would like to decrease your homework load by getting a head start. Perhaps not. At least, you now have the information you need to make a good decision in that regard. The Crucible, by Arthur Miller, The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, The Great Gatsby ​ ​ ​ ​ by F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger, Their Eyes Were Watching God, ​ ​ ​ by Zora Neale Hurston

I hope that you will read a mixture of older and more recent literature. If you or your parents have reason to believe that the reading of these works of American literature would be harmful to you, please contact me at the email address below before the conclusion of the school year.

Thank you for taking on the challenge of the Advanced Placement program at Northmont High School. I look forward to working with you next year.

Sincerely,

Ms. R. Henderson ([email protected]) Please take care of any schedule changes before the start of ​ the 2017-2018 school year.