STRONGSVILLE HIGH SCHOOL
SUMMER READING ASSIGNMENTS FOR ADVANCED PLACEMENT ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND COMPOSITION
SUMMER 2014
A component of the Advanced Placement curriculum in Language and Composition is careful reading and critical
analysis of imaginative literature and non-fiction texts. Through the close reading of selected works, students can
deepen their understanding of the ways writers use language to provide both meaning and pleasure for their
readers. Several of the books recommended below have been labeled Outstanding Books for the College Bound
by the American Library Association. Many are contemporary works and may contain mature language and issues.
You should select books from the list that seem most appropriate for your personal interests and/or maturity level.
Non-Fiction Readings:
Memoir/Biography – Pick One
Enrique’s Journey – Sonia Nazario
Nazario's account of a 17-year-old boy's harrowing attempt to find his mother in America won two Pulitzer
Prizes when it first came out in the Los Angeles Times.
Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption – Laura Hillenbrand
On a May afternoon in 1943, Louie Zamperini took off on a search mission for a lost plane. Somewhere
over the Pacific, the engines on his bomber failed. The plane plummeted into the sea, leaving Louie and
two other men stranded on a tiny raft.
Strength in What Remains- Tracy Kidder
Strength in What Remains is the story of Deogratias, a young man from the central African nation of
Burundi. In 1993, through no fault of his own, he was forced onto a terrifying journey, a journey that split
his life in two.
Into Thin Air – Jon Krakauer
Into Thin Air is a riveting first-hand account of a catastrophic expedition up Mount Everest. In March 1996,
Outside magazine sent veteran journalist and seasoned climber Jon Krakauer on an expedition led by
celebrated Everest guide Rob Hall.
I Am Malala- Malala Yousafzai
When the Taliban took control of the Swat Valley in Pakistan, one girl spoke out. Malala Yousafzai refused to be
silenced and fought for her right to an education.
The Glass Castle- Jeannette Walls
Jeannette Walls grew up with parents whose ideals and stubborn nonconformity were both their curse
and their salvation.
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks- Rebecca Skloot
Her name was Henrietta Lacks, but scientists know her as HeLa. She was a poor black tobacco farmer whose cells—
taken without her knowledge in 1951—became one of the most important tools in medicine, vital for developing
the polio vaccine, cloning, gene mapping, and more.
Social Psychology/Science – Pick One
Nickel and Dimed: On (not) Getting By in America- Barbara Ehrenreich
Millions of Americans work full time, year round, for poverty-level wages. In 1998, Barbara
Ehrenreich decided to join them.
The Overachievers: The Secret Lives of Driven Kids – Alexandra Robbins
You can't just be the smartest. You have to be the most athletic, you have to be able to have
the most fun, you have to be the prettiest, the best dressed, the nicest, the most wanted.
Blink – Malcolm Gladwell
Blink is about the first two seconds of looking--the decisive glance that knows in an instant.
The Red Market: One the Trail of the World’s Organ Brokers, Bone Thieves, Blood Farmers, and Child Traffickers
– Scott Carney
Award-winning investigative journalist and contributing Wired editor Scott Carney leads readers
on a breathtaking journey through the macabre underworld of the global body bazaar, where
organs, bones, and even live people are bought and sold on The Red Market.
Complications- Atul Gawande
In gripping accounts of true cases, surgeon Atul Gawande explores the power and the limits
of medicine, offering an unflinching view from the scalpel’s edge.
Quiet – The Power of Introverts – Susan Cain
In Quiet, Susan Cain argues that we dramatically undervalue introverts and shows how much
we lose in doing so.
The Price of Admission- Daniel Golden
Daniel Golden argues that America, the so-called land of opportunity, is rapidly becoming an
aristocracy in which America’s richest families receive special access to elite higher education—
enabling them to give their children even more of a head start.
Journal Assignment:
In addition to reading these books, students will keep a neatly TYPED journal of entries
according to the descriptions below. During the first week of the course, you will be asked
to write two diagnostic essays using former AP test questions. These diagnostic essays, as
well as the journal entries will count toward the first quarter grade.
Good luck and enjoy your summer vacation and summer reading.
IMPORTANT NOTE: COMPLETED JOURNAL ASSIGNMNETS ARE TO BE POSTMARKED OR
DELIVERED IN PERSON TO THE STRONGSVILLE HIGH SCHOOL MAIN OFFICE BY 3:00 P.M.
Friday, August 8th, 2014.
Assignments may be mailed to:
AP English Summer Reading
Strongsville High School
20025 Lunn Road
Strongsville, Ohio 44149
Don’t forget to register for the CCPL Summer Reading Club. Register at
www.ccplsummerreading.org.
AP Language and Composition
Journal Assignment for Biography/Memoir:
Keep a TYPED journal of the following 12 entries (100-150 words per response):
1. What was the author’s intended purpose for writing?
2. How would you describe the author’s style? (Examine tone, diction, syntax, and
imagery)
3. What other books can you connect to this text? How are they similar? How are they
different?
4. What was believable or unbelievable about your reading experience?
5. What was the single most important scene or episode in the text? Why was this scene
or episode so vital to delivering the author’s message?
6. Describe the setting and how it affected your relationship to the text.
7. What did this text cause you to think about in some larger aspect of the human
condition?
8. How did you gain a deeper understanding of the subject?
9. Examine the actions, values, or behaviors of individuals portrayed in the text. Were
there any that you specifically agreed or disagreed with? How did these affect your
relationship with the text?
10. Choose a quotation that you found particularly powerful. Why did you find this quote
so significant?
11. Was the subject of your book relatable? Likeable? Why or why not?
12. What questions did you have when you finished the book?
Journal Assignment for Social Psychology/Science Selection:
Using the textual analysis strategy called SOAPStone, identify the following elements in the
text:
Speaker: the individual or collective voice of the text
Occasion: the event or catalyst causing the writing of the text to occur
Audience: the group of readers to whom the book is directed
Purpose: the reason behind the text
Subject: the general topic and/or main idea
Tone: the attitude of the author
Identify one important quote from each chapter of the text. For each of those quotes, provide
a clear explanation of the writer’s assertion, and then defend or challenge that assertion. The
dialectical journal format should be used for this assignment. All entries must be typed.