Summer Reading Guide for
College Reading and Writing (CRAW)
The following questions will help you prepare for the summer reading examination in
September. Before you start each book, go over the suggested areas of focus so that you
know what to keep in mind as you read. It is recommended that you take notes when the
questions apply to the book you are reading.
The Kite Runner
by Khaled Hosseini
The Things They Carried
by Tim O’Brien
Into the Wild
by Jon Krakauer
PLOT
Is the story told chronologically? – If so, tell how the passage of time is presented; if not,
explain how flashback is used. Are there particular motifs that unify the plot? What
conflicts are at the basis of the story? Where do you see the story’s outcome
foreshadowed? What three or four scenes do you see as important in the plot’s
development?
What is the point of view of the narrator? (To answer this question you need to do more
than simply identify point of view as first or third person.) Is there a distinction between
the writer and the narrator? Explain your response. How does the narrator’s selection of
details and use of diction depict his or her personality? What do you know about the
writer’s point of view? What in the writer’s experience relates to the book? Describe how
the protagonist see his or her world? How does the writer give the point of view of
characters other than the protagonist?
SETTING
Where and when does the story take place? How does the setting create mood or
atmosphere? What three or four scenes are particularly effective in describing the setting?
How is the setting related to book’s presentation of characters and theme? (See
“Character” and “Theme” questions that follow.)
CHARACTER
Is the protagonist a static or dynamic character? If the protagonist is dynamic, how does
he or she change? What are the causes for the change? What are the major conflicts the
protagonist faces? To what extent is the protagonist responsible for the outcome of his or
her story? Does the protagonist’s view of the world he lives in differ from that of the
writer? -- In what way? What do you know about the writer that leads you to this
conclusion? What three or four scenes are particularly effective in revealing the
motivation of the protagonist?
What is the function of the static characters? What is the relationship of their actions to
the development of the plot? If there are characters who can be seen as foils, how are they
related to the theme of the story?
How can the setting of the book be seen as a microcosm of the larger world? What is the
universal truth about human nature that is depicted in the book? Why do you think the
book was chosen for your summer reading – in what ways might you identify with the
characters? What aspects of the story are relevant to the problems or conflicts faced in
your world?
If you see the characters as victims in a world which determines their fates, explain how
that view is supported by the story. Do you see the protagonist as a person who acts
according to your moral code? –explain.
How is the book’s title related to the book’s theme? How does the ending of the book
reflect the universal truth of the story?
All seniors enrolled in College Reading and Writing OR in A.P. English
4 are required to use How to Write a Winning College Application Essay,
4th Edition.
If you are enrolled in A.P. English 4 or in College Reading and Writing
for fall semester, you are required to submit to Mr. Mason a completed
personal profile project when you return to Loyola during the first week of
fall semester. This assignment is part of your summer reading requirement
and relates directly to How to Write a Winning College Application Essay, 4th
Edition. The profile is intended to help you, your counselors, and Mr. Mason
create a unique, positive, and successful college application essay. (If you are
enrolled for fall semester in A.P. English 4, however, and you enroll in
Exploring Literary Traditions IV: Advanced Placement during Loyola High
School's Summer Session, this profile will be completed during that course,
and no further written work will be required. If you are enrolled for fall
semester in College Reading and Writing and for summer session in Literary
Traditions IV, you are required to complete the personal profile project on
your own.)
The personal essay you send to your prospective college is crucially
important to your success or failure in acceptance to the school of your
choice. This personal essay replaces the face-to-face interview for most
colleges and is your only opportunity to show the admissions committee your
personality, special abilities, and other distinctive qualities. Following the
steps in Mr. Mason's How to Write a Winning College Application Essay will
help you write your essay, giving you information that is easy to read and
activities that are easy to do.
Unless you are enrolled in Literary Traditions IV: Advanced
Placement during the summer session, you are required to complete all
26 of the profile questions by the first week of school in August. Read the
book, and when you finish Chapter Three, "The History of You, Part I,"
spend a half hour of writing time for each of the Profile Questions. Write a
minimum of eight to ten sentences, typewritten on white paper in MLA
format, for each and every question. Number and write the question and
then respond to each activity. The responses should follow the guidelines in
Chapter Three and can be written in simple language. Your responses are
designed to help you generate ideas to create a personal essay that will
distinguish you from the thousands of other young men who will be
candidates for admission to the colleges of your choice. If you complete
three questions per week during the summer, you will finish the required
profile with time enough to finish the book before classes begin in August.
Bring the finished copy of your Personal Profile--which must be
approximately 10 to 12 pages long when typed--on the first day of your A.P.
English 4 or College Reading and Writing class. Remember, this is a
requirement for your summer reading credit, and it is also a major step in
preparing your applications for college.