ADVANCED PLACEMENT ENGLISH LITERATURE AND COMPOSITION
PRE-COURSE ASSIGNMENT Ms. Ciuperca
Prior to the start of the AP course you are asked to complete a summer reading assignment that will demonstrate high commitment and outstanding skills to justify your advanced placement.
Summer Reading
1. Read Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë. I suggest you buy your own copy so you can annotate the text. You can also download the e-book for free at http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/1260
Apply the close reading techniques you have learned in your current English class. If you feel more comfortable keeping notes of your reading, create a dialectical journal or write a brief summary of each chapter. I will not check these for credit, they are meant only to keep you focused on the events in the book.
For those who are more inclined to study guides, please check the one I have posted on my website homepage to see a chapter-by-chapter list of questions that guide your understanding of the text. Again, the responses to these questions will not be checked for credit.
See my website at
www.msciupercasenglishclass.weebly.com
There is also a link to my webpage on the school website at
http://www.orthohighschool.org/
Click on Contacts, go to Teachers, and open Teachers’ Pages.
2. Read How to Read Literature Like a Professor, by Thomas C. Foster. You can find the book in stores or libraries, or in pdf format online at:
http://ziveuniverzity.sk/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Foster-How-to-Read-Literature-Like-a-Professor.pdf
This book is meant to teach you how to read, interpret, and make proper associations when engaging with any text, which is a valuable tool you will need throughout the course of the year. Read the book patiently and carefully, and try to apply those techniques to your reading of Jane Eyre or to any other of your summer readings.
Additional Reading Titles (optional, not for credit)
Due to time constraints, we will not be able to read longer pieces of literature that are being extensively used on the AP exam, so this might be the perfect time to read these books. Here are some suggested titles that will enrich your reading experience:
Charles Dickens- Great Expectations
Thomas Hardy – Tess of the d’Urbervilles
Fyodor Dostoyevsky - Crime and Punishment
Emily Brontë -Wuthering Heights
Barbara Kingsolver – The Poisonwood Bible
Margaret Atwood - The Handmaid’s Tale
Ian McEwan –Atonement
Ralph Ellison - Invisible Man
First Day of School (August 15, 2017)
On the first day of school, you will be tested on both mandatory readings. You will not be allowed to use any resource during the test; therefore, review a week before school begins.
Feel free to contact me during the summer via e-mail at with any questions or concerns.
I look forward to working with you and sharing with you the wonderful experience of AP Lit.