Kottke/2015
AP Literature & Composition Summer Reading Assignment
Welcome to AP English Literature and Composition! I look forward to meeting
and working with you next fall. In order to introduce you to the kind of reading
we’ll be doing, I’m sending you a few summer reading assignments that you may
find challenging and enjoyable. While it is perfectly acceptable for you to borrow
the required novel from the library, I strongly encourage you to purchase your
own copy. Having your own book will allow you to practice the close and active
reading strategies outlined by the enclosed Mortimer Adler essay.
Your assignments this summer are as follows:
1.) Look over the literary terms sheet enclosed in this mailing. Define those terms
with which you are unfamiliar or uncertain. You may find it helpful to type in
“literary terms dictionary” if you go to the Internet as a resource; otherwise, use a
dictionary of literary terms (Oxford, Penguin, and Norton are good). You will be
quizzed on your knowledge of these terms during the first week of the course.
2.) Read through the enclosed Mortimer Adler essay, “How to Mark a Book.” I
strongly encourage you to practice his suggestions on the required summer novel.
When you read for this class, please look for things that puzzle you, disturb you,
or resonate with you. Mark them. Ask questions in the margins; underline things
that interest you. Read actively. If you’re using a book you don’t own, use postit notes to create a response log as you read.
3.) Purchase (or borrow) a copy of Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe. As you
read Adler-style, please write your responses to the following questions on a
separate piece of paper. I will collect this on the first day of school. In addition,
pay special attention to the concept of identity.
A.) What is the author’s style?—consider diction, syntax, and tone. Find
three passages that illustrate the author’s style best. You really MUST
learn what these terms mean before you discuss them.
B.) What are some illuminating quotes or passages? (Pare your choices
down to 3-5.) Paraphrase—DON’T QUOTE—them and cite page
numbers. State in one paragraph (that discusses all selected passages)
the reason(s) you think these quotes or passages are illuminating to the
meaning of the work as a whole.
C.) What themes are presented in the novel? Remember that a theme is a
statement (a complete sentence)—not a word. Briefly explain why
you’ve selected these themes. (Three to five themes are sufficient.)
* Be prepared to write a timed essay response on Robinson Crusoe by Defoe
during the first week of the term.
4.) Review and prepare to discuss. When you’ve finished the novel, please
review your markings, notes/comments, questions, and so on.
Ask yourself, and briefly respond to the questions below:
 How does the POV impact character development, tone, and
audience perception of the main character? (You are the audience.)
 How does Defoe use setting to develop character and theme?
 How do Defoe’s plot choices impact the themes presented in the
novel?
Keep your responses to these questions SEPARATE FROM your responses to
questions A-C from #3.
Our first three-four days together will center on discussion of Robinson Crusoe.
The organization and legibility of your responses to question #4 will help you
participate intelligently, so write clearly!
5.) If you have not taken the Mythology class and/or have little knowledge of
Greek/Roman mythology, obtain a copy of Edith Hamilton’s Mythology (from
the library or bookstore) and familiarize yourself with the Greek and Roman gods,
goddesses, and myths covered. Many works of literature assume knowledge of
this subject.
6.) Enjoy reading! If you have any questions about this assignment, please e-mail
the AP Literature teacher listed on your schedule. We will check our e-mail at
least once per week this summer.
alison.brown@wayzata.k12.mn.us
kathryn.kottke@wayzata.k12.mn.us.
Words of wisdom from high school teacher Eileen Murphy:
“I would like you to begin thinking about the idea of literature as a made thing.
By this I mean that the writers of great fiction do more than tell a story by simply
relaying information about characters and events. They deliberately guide us
through fictional representations of worlds, making choices about how to tell their
story in order to bring certain aspects of a (our) world into focus and give them
presence. Using the story as a roadmap through our own human experience, we
often begin to explore the questions that are most important to us as human
beings.”