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AP English IV Summer Reading

12th grade- AP Summer Reading Assignment
 

Note:  This project is due on the FIRST day of class. Late projects will receive a twenty point deduction for every day it is late. You are taking a college-level class. I expect work to be turned in on time and to reflect thorough reading and analysis. Be prepared to discuss your text in detail.

Choose one of the novels listed below.

Pride and Prejudice                                                                  Jane Austen

Sense and Sensibility                                                               Jane Austen
Emma                                                                                                 Jane Austen
The Mayor of Casterbridge                                                 Thomas Hardy

Tess of the D’ubervilles                                                          Thomas Hardy

Beloved                                                                                             Toni Morrison

The Awakening                                                                             Kate Chopin

A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man                        James Joyce

A Farewell to Arms                                                                    Ernest Hemingway

For Whom the Bell Tolls                                                          Ernest Hemingway

Brave New World                                                                        Aldous Huxley

Invisible Man                                                                                  Ralph Ellison

Gullivers Travels                                                                          Jonathan Swift

Moby Dick                                                                                       Herman Melville

Jane Eyre                                                                                         Charlotte Bronte

***These books are all books that have appeared in the past on AP tests and have met the rigor and standards of reading required for the AP test. Be advised that these books may have some language or violent content, whether they by classics or modern books. You have many choices. Read a book you will both enjoy and be comfortable with. ***

Assignments:

  • Journal: In a spiral bound notebook (or similar composition book), keep a double entry journal on each chapter, completing each entry as you read. The top half of the page should reflect facts about the chapter, including notes on plot, setting, and characters. The bottom of the page should reflect your questions and observations about the plot, setting, and characters you have written about at the top. IMPORTANT:  Typed entries WILL NOT be accepted. These journal reflections should be thorough, thoughtful and detailed.

Note: The four essays below should be typed according to MLA style, and each must contain at least 500 words. (Google OWL Purdue MLA for help.) Use 12pt, Times New Roman, 1” margins, proper citations, etc. Wikipedia and Spark Notes are not allowed as sources.

  • Author: Research the author. Write a five paragraph report on the author’s background, works, and education. This paper should be in MLA format. (Google OWL Purdue MLA for help.). Use 12pt, Times New Roman, 1” margins, proper citations, etc. Wikipedia and SparkNotes are not allowed as sources. (at least 500 words)
  • Character: In a five paragraph essay, write an analysis of the main character, focusing on the character’s personality, inner feelings, and motivations. (at least 500 words)
  • Theme: In a five paragraph essay, analyze the theme of the novel, explaining what observations from life the novel focuses on and what the writer attempts to convey about life through his or her plot. (at least 500 words)
  • Setting: In a five paragraph essay, explain how the setting is significant to the novel. What is the author able to communicate through the use of this particular place and time? (at least 500 words)

***You will have an assessment based on your book to test your knowledge and whether you truly read the novel selection.