AP Language and Composition
Mrs. Haase
Stephanie.Haase@matsuk12.us
Summer Assignments
Welcome to AP English Language and Composition! I’m looking forward to working with you as you prepare
for the AP exam in May 2016, and for college.
According to The College Board, the AP English Language and Composition course “requires expository,
analytical, and argumentative writing assignments that are based on readings representing a wide variety of
prose styles and genres.” Starting this summer and continuing throughout the school year, we will read a
range of nonfiction prose works in order to deepen our awareness of rhetoric (look it up if you don’t know the
meaning) and how language works.
This summer’s reading assignments should give you an introduction to the type of reading you will experience
and the degree of close reading you will do throughout the year. This class requires you to delve deeply into
the readings, to question the writer’s claims, audience, and purpose, and to analyze how the writer achieves
his/her purpose (i.e. his/her stylistic choices which create an overall effect). Enjoy!
Assignment #1
This summer you will read Good Prose: The Art of Nonfiction by Tracy Kidder and Richard Todd published by
Random House, January 2013. Be sure to do a little research into the background of each author before you
read their book. Also, you should skim some of the reviews from the New York Times and other established
newspapers to see what critics have said about the book (reviews on Amazon.com are great, but they’re not
usually written by paid reviewers – people who make their living writing reviews).
Look over the Nonfiction Book Report format (see back side of this paper) before you begin to read so you
know what your tasks will be and you can take notes as you read. After you have finished reading the book,
type a nonfiction book report, following carefully the directions provided.
Assignment #2
Choose one of the prompts from the Common App (perform a simple web search) and type a response (500650 words) in MLA format. These will be read aloud our first week of school and we will continue to revise
them throughout the semester after we have gleaned more knowledge about personal narratives.
If you have any questions about any of these assignments, please email me. Feel free to email me any
assignments before the first day of school (August 17, 2015).
Both assignments are due on the first day of school – August 17, 2015. Have them printed off and
ready for me to collect. No work will be accepted late. Please note that the successful completion of
your summer reading and writing assignments is a prerequisite for continued work in this course.
This means I will recommend a different English class for you if you do not turn in your summer
reading assignment on the first day of class. There are no exceptions to this rule.
Revised from V. Stevenson, AP English Language and Composition PHHS; October, 2008
Assignment #1 Nonfiction Book Reporting Form
AP Language and Composition
Use the content below as a template for reporting on your book. Strictly adhere to the format – make your paper look like
what you see here (match bold to bold, use headings, bullets, etc.), with your content added. It is a form, not an essay. The
only parts of it that should be written in paragraph form are the “Use of Outside Sources” and “Personal Response”
sections at the end.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Name:___________________________________Date:____________________Period:____________
Book Title:______________________________________________Genre:______________________
Author:_________________________________________________ Number of Pages:_____________
Brief Summary and Arrangement of the Book:
Include comments on how the book is structured. Does it have chapters? Parts? How many? How are they organized?
Chronologically? Thematically?
This section should be done in a bulleted format with brief (2-3 sentences) summaries by chapter. Do label the chapters by
number.
Include comments on the extra-textual elements such as preface, introduction, appendix, notes, bibliography, index, etc.
Rhetorical Analysis: Comment briefly (3-5 sentences) on the rhetorical elements below. The purpose of this section is to
highlight the book’s distinctive features.








Exigence
Audience
Purpose
Logos
Pathos
Ethos
Style/Tone
Delivery (this refers to the appearance of the book, its physicality. This includes font style, white space, visuals,
front and back cover – what messages about the book are the publishers sending with their choices?
Use of Outside Sources: Pay attention to how the writer uses additional sources. How frequently does the author use
additional sources? How authoritative are they? What effect does the writer’s use of sources have on the book? Does the
writer use any additional notes? Write a paragraph that comments on this element.
Personal Response: So, how was it? Dis you like it or not? Why? What did you gain by reading it? How would you
praise the book? How would you criticize it? Do you recommend that we keep it on the book list for the class? Why?
Revised from V. Stevenson, AP English Language and Composition PHHS; October, 2008