A.P. ENGLISH LANGUAGE & COMPOSITION
2016 SUMMER READING ASSIGNMENT
Dear 2016-2017 A.P. English Language & Composition students:
The purpose of summer reading assignment is multi-faceted:
 to help you think about writing as a task and the skills of writing as a necessary set of tools for any serious
student.
 to enrich your mind and stimulate your imagination.
 to develop your critical thinking skills.
 to give you an opportunity to think about your own journey as a writer while considering Stephen King’s
journey.
 to give you, when you enter the class in the fall, an immediate basis for the discussion of literature.
All AP Language students will read On Writing by Stephen King. This book is available electronically, in
paperback and at local libraries. It is highly recommended that you not wait until a week before school to begin
this assignment.
At the end of the first week of school, you will turn in the assignment outlined below. During the first few weeks
of class we will work with elements of the book and engage in various discussions and a seminar.
Honor Code reminders:
 do your own interpretative work rather than relying on internet summaries.
 copying from another student or submitting similar or the same work as another student is also
PLAGIARISM and is NOT ALLOWED. If detected, this plagiarism will result in not only a 0, but also
disciplinary action.
Assignment Requirements: Select three questions from the list on the back of this sheet. Compose a one page,
typed response to each question. Be sure to base each response on a different section of the text. Weave text into
each response.
These papers should be double-spaced, 12 point font with 1 inch margins and should demonstrate insight about
your reading of the book. The goal is not to summarize moments of the text, but to interact with the text as you
read. It is important to consider the journal questions while reading. Annotating the text using a highlighter or
sticky notes with the questions in mind is highly recommended.
Please note: all three papers are due on the first day of class. Papers not turned in the first day will be assessed
with a late penalty.
Please cite the book at the end of each paper using the following format:
Book Cite: Wiesel, Elie. Night. Bantam Books: New York, 1982.
Questions to consider
1. Compare your thoughts about writing papers prior to reading this book with your thoughts now. What
has changed or remained the same?
2. Select an important quote from the book and explain how it could be a motto or a “call to arms” for
writers. Does it inspire you? Why or why not?
3. Why do you think we are beginning AP Language with this book? What do you think you are supposed to
take away from the experience of reading?
4. What stories does the writer tell about childhood? How do these stories link to his/her later writing
career?
5. What advice does the writer give a beginning writer?
6. How does this writer’s experience link to your sense of being a reader and writer? How are you the same
and different from Stephen King in your relationship to writing?
7. What exercises or practices are discussed and described in this book? How useful do they seem? Explain
8. What is the structure of this book? How is the information organized? How well does this structure work?
9. What exercise or writing practice seems the most beneficial to you? Why? What exercise or practice
seems the least beneficial to you? Why?
10. What do you like and dislike about this book? Explain using details.
11. Select several quotes from the section you have read and discuss what they mean to you or how they
speak to you as a young writer?
12. Does this book make you want to write more or differently? Why or why not?
13. Explain something specific from the book that you could begin using immediately in papers you write for
this class. Will you do it? Why or why not? How would it change your writing if you did?
14. Who is a reasonable audience for your book? Would you recommend it? Why or why not?
15. If you could sit down with this author, what would you ask him/her? Why is this question interesting or
important to you?
A.P. English Literature 2016 Summer Reading Choices
BY AUTHOR--ALPHABETICAL ORDER
(*=sexual scenes within the text)
The following book choices are worth two books because of length (but they are AWESOME! don’t be daunted!):
*Follett, Ken. Pillars of the Earth (1989) – character-driven 11th century England story
Kingsolver, Barbara. Poisonwood Bible. (1998) –dream of going on Mission trip to Africa?
Kostova, Elizabeth. The Historian. (2000) --a quest to discover Vlad the Impaler’s truth (a Dracula story)
Mitchell, David. The Bone Clocks. (2015) -- a real mystery story intertwined with a fantastical world
*Penman, Sharon Kay. When Christ & His Saints Slept. (1996) – after Henry 1 dies, the Plantagenets rise (1135
AD England)
*Roberts, Gregory David. Shantaram. (2005) –a complex and rich story of India
Choose two books from the list below:
Allen, Roger Macbride. Isaac Asimov’s Caliban (1993) -- Three Laws of Robotics introduced
Alvarez, Julia. In the Time of Butterflies (1995) --set in the Dominican Republic
Berendt, John. Midnight in the Garden of Good & Evil. (1999) –a Savannah, GA story
*Boo, Katherine. Behind the Beautiful Forevers. (2014) – a rich story of multiple lives in Mumbai, India
*Bradley, Marion Zimmer. Mists of Avalon (1987) --Arthurian legend retold
Dick, Philip K. Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? (1996)– futuristic Earth and runaway droids
Fforde, Jasper. The Well of Lost Plots. (2004) – a mystery set in a world of books that are alive
Finney, Jack. (forward: Dean Koontz). Invasion of the Body Snatchers. (1955) --classic alien book
*Gaiman, Neil. American Gods. (2002) – fantasy, mythic gods
Ghosh, Amitav. The Hungry Tide. (2006) –set in the Bay of Bengal, India; a story woven through the watery lives
of the people who live on these islands
Kalotay, Daphne. Russian Winter (2011) --beautiful story of a Russian ballerina.
*Kidd, Sue Monk. Invention of Wings. (2015) historical fiction close to home-Charleston, SC slavery story
*Kollin, Dan & Eyton. The Unincoporated Man -- 300 years into the future, a new society, a new world
*Le Guin, Ursula. The Dispossessed. (1985)--sci-fi dystopian set on a restructured and settled planet
Myers, Walter Dean. Fallen Angels. (1989) --Vietnam War book.
Kidd, Sue Monk. Secret Life of Bees (2003) – a runaway teenager lands in the house of three strong black sister
beekeepers that change her life
Pirsig, Robert. Zen & the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. (1975) -philosophy book
*Rice, Anne. Interview with a Vampire. (1991)
Setterfield, Diane. The Thirteenth Tale. (2007) –a reader’s and writer’s type of story
Simmons, Dan. Ilium. (2005) –the Trojan War reimagined on Mars and in a futuristic setting
*Smiley, Jane. 1,000 Acres. (2003) – Midwestern family story parallel to King Lear
Smith, Betty. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. (1943) –a beautiful coming-of-age story
Zafon, Carols Ruiz. The Shadow of the Wind. (2005) – a Spanish mystery and love story.
A.P. English Literature 2016 Summer Reading Choices
TOPICAL/GENRE ORDER
(*=sexual scenes within the text)
The following book choices are worth two books because of length (but they are AWESOME! don’t be daunted!):
Historical Fiction:
*Follett, Ken. Pillars of the Earth (1989) – character-driven 11th century England story
*Penman, Sharon Kay. When Christ & His Saints Slept. (1996) – after Henry 1 dies, the Plantagenets rise
(1135 AD England)
India/Africa:
Kingsolver, Barbara. Poisonwood Bible. (1998) –dream of going on Mission trip to Africa?
*Roberts, Gregory David. Shantaram. (2005) –a complex and rich story of India
Fantasy Readers:
Kostova, Elizabeth. The Historian. (2000) --a quest to discover Vlad the Impaler’s truth (a Dracula story)
Mitchell, David. The Bone Clocks. (2015) -- a real mystery story mixed with a fantastical world
Choose two books from the list below:
Dramatic Stories:
Berendt, John. Midnight in the Garden of Good & Evil. (1999) –a Savannah, GA story
Ghosh, Amitav. The Hungry Tide. (2006) –set in the Bay of Bengal, India; a story woven through the watery
lives of the people who live on these islands
Kalotay, Daphne. Russian Winter (2011) --beautiful story of a Russian ballerina.
Kidd, Sue Monk. Secret Life of Bees (2003) – a runaway teenager lands in the house of three strong black
sister beekeepers that change her life
Setterfield, Diane. The Thirteenth Tale. (2007) –a reader’s and writer’s type of story
*Smiley, Jane. 1,000 Acres. (2003) – Midwestern family story parallel to King Lear
Smith, Betty. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. (1943) –a beautiful coming-of-age story
Zafon, Carols Ruiz. The Shadow of the Wind. (2005) – a Spanish mystery and love story.
Fantasy & Sci-Fi Readers:
Allen, Roger Macbride. Isaac Asimov’s Caliban (1993) -- Three Laws of Robotics introduced
Dick, Philip K. Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? (1996)– futuristic Earth and runaway droids
Fforde, Jasper. The Well of Lost Plots. (2004) – a mystery set in a world of books that are alive
Finney, Jack. (forward: Dean Koontz). Invasion of the Body Snatchers. (1955) --classic alien book
*Gaiman, Neil. American Gods. (2002) – fantasy, mythic gods
*Kollin, Dan & Eyton. The Unincoporated Man -- 300 years into the future, a new society, a new world
*Le Guin, Ursula. The Dispossessed. (1985)--sci-fi dystopian set on a restructured and settled planet
*Rice, Anne. Interview with a Vampire. (1991)
Historical-Cultural Fiction:
Alvarez, Julia. In the Time of Butterflies (1995) --set in the Dominican Republic
*Boo, Katherine. Behind the Beautiful Forevers. (2014) – a rich story of multiple lives in Mumbai, India
*Bradley, Marion Zimmer. Mists of Avalon (1987) --Arthurian legend retold
Ghosh, Amitav. The Hungry Tide. (2006) –set in the Bay of Bengal, India; a story woven through the watery
lives of the people who live on these islands
*Kidd, Sue Monk. Invention of Wings. (2015) historical fiction close to home-Charleston, SC slavery story
Myers, Walter Dean. Fallen Angels. (1989) --Vietnam War book.
Philosophy:
Pirsig, Robert. Zen & the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. (1975) -philosophy book