Independent Reading Assignment

12th Grade AP English Literature and Composition Independent Reading
-Each text read is worth 25 points: 15 points (5 each) for reading response entries and 10 points for a written analysis
-Extra points will be rewarded for completion before the deadline
-Students must read three texts total, one piece of fiction, one literary non-fiction, and one epic poem/drama
-Students will receive credit for books on the reading list only
-You may not duplicate any reading, past or present!
- Extra Credit Option available only in conjunction with completion of other assigned reading
- All books may be obtained from a bookstore, public library, or be digital e-books. If a student has difficulty obtaining the book desired, he or she may ask the teacher for help.

First Semester
Book 1 Choose from Literary Non-Fiction Titles: 2 Sept. 2014
Book 2 Choose from Fiction Titles: 5 Jan. 2015
Book 3 Optional/Extra Credit- choose from any list: 23 Jan. 2015

Reading Journal Entries- Must be at least three separate entries, dated, entered into your Writer’s Notebook. Entries must include details about the progression of the text as well as your thoughts, reactions, and elements of confusion, all with direct and indirect references as evidence. Each entry must be at least three, well-developed paragraphs. Points will be awarded for depth of response and steadiness of reading, as well as clearly attempted use of proper language conventions. No points will be awarded for summary of the text!

Written Analysis- This analysis must reference the entire text in detail, including direct quotes, as well as your reading journal entries. On the due date, you will be given a free response prompt for which you will write a timed essay. Points will be awarded for depth and originality of analysis, as well as clearly attempted use of proper language conventions. No points will be awarded for summary of the text!

Independent Reading List-

Fiction:
*Dostoevsky- Crime and Punishment
George Orwell- 1984
*Cervantes- Don Quixote
Charles Dickens- Great Expectations
Gabriel Garcia Marquez- 100 Years of Solitude
Alice Walker- The Color Purple
Toni Morrison- Beloved
*Ralph Ellison- Invisible Man
*Vladimir Nabakov- Lolita
*Jane Austen- Pride and Prejudice
Emily Bronte- Wuthering Heights
Joseph Heller- Catch-22
Ken Follett- Pillars of the Earth
Richard Bach- Jonathan Livingston Seagull
Kate Chopin- The Awakening
*Joseph Conrad- Heart of Darkness
*Leo Tolstoy- Anna Karenina
Julia Alvarez- How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents
Yan Martel- Life of Pi
Patricia McCormick- Sold
Cormac McCarthy- The Road
Jose Saramago- Blindness
John Gardner- Grendel (recommend to follow by “Beowulf”)

Online Analysis: Independent Reading Assignment #2, Literary Fiction

Answer the following question making specific references to your text: The most important themes in literature are sometimes developed in that scene or those scenes which capture the climax of the plot. Explain how the specific scenes of your text's climax help to illuminate the meaning of the work as a whole. (Adapted from AP English Literature Free Response Question, 2004.)

Online Analysis: Independent Reading Assignment #1, Literary Nonfiction

1.) List the title and author of your text. 2.) Respond to one of the following question in 500 thoughtful words. List your choice in your response. A. Analyze a central conflict revealed by the author. Explain the conflict and how the author conveys its importance to the reader. B. Analyze a central theme explored by the author. Explain how the author deals with this theme and its impact on the reader. C. Analyze the writing style of the author. Describe his or her unique use of literary and rhetorical techniques and devices and how they contributed to the quality of the text. 3.) Reply to a peer's response in 100 words. What interests you about his or her analysis? What resonates with you?

AP Lit Summer Reading Assignment, 2013

Summer Reading Assignment, 2013 Buy or borrow a copy of Truman Capote's *In Cold Blood* and read it according to the following schedule, re-reading it if this is not your first time. Please note, you will also be required to complete two blog posts in response during the summer: First half of book read by July 21. Blog post prompt will be up by July 15, response due no later than July 26. Second half of book read by August 25. Blog post prompt will be up by August 20, response due no later than August 30. Be prepared for an in-class timed essay on this novel during the first week of school. Please feel free to email me with questions or concerns: kmadden1@sandi.net Have fun!

Summer Reading Response #2

There are two common discussions that occur in response to Parts Three and Four of Capote's *In Cold Blood.* The first is the question of degree of guilt for Dick and Perry: Which individual is most to blame for the murders that occurred in Holcomb and why? Did they both deserve the death penalty? The second is the question of Capote's own opinion on the matter. He deftly maintains what seems to be an objective persona as narrator of this brutal tale, but of course has a strong opinion he is "masking"- otherwise, why write this masterpiece that he later claimed almost destroyed him? Making specific references to the text to support your position, answer both questions above. Then return to the blog later and respond to a peer's post on the matter- replying to either one or both of your colleague's answers to questions above. You will receive your score for this assignment in two parts: 15 points awarded for your own insightful post and 15 points awarded for a thoughtful response to at least one peer. Remember that I am looking for effort as well as evidence of your reading. I will enter this online discussion later, but want to wait and see what you all say first!

Summer Reading Response #1

Truman Capote’s *In Cold Blood* is not an easy book to read. It deals methodically with a horrendous act that seems an inescapable aspect of human nature: murder; and it deals with this act in a highly literary and descriptive fashion- providing the reader with extensive background information and details related to both the victims and the perpetrators. However, it is for these very reasons that *In Cold Blood* is considered an American classic and is highly esteemed as a literary work, even though it is one of the few nonfiction pieces to fall into this category. Going back through the first half of the novel, choose a passage between five and fifteen lines long, that you feel truly captures Capote’s unique style as a writer, and explain how this passage embodies his skill and what is its deeper connection to what you’ve read of the novel thus far. You will be scored based on your insight, thoughtfulness, and effort. (Please see my example and graduates' examples in the comments below.) HERE’S THE CATCH: You must NOT choose the same passage- even part of the same passage- as already appears in another’s response, nor should you regurgitate someone else’s analysis. Read through all other responses carefully before completing your own so as not to repeat. (Total Points: 30 of 100 for entire Summer Reading Assignment)