Boston Latin Academy
AP English Language & Composition - grade 11–Summer Reading List- 2018
Welcome to the AP Language & Composition course and a year of lots of interesting reading and writing.Remember that the grade11 curriculum mainly focuses on American literature; however, the AP course and exam are mainly based on non-fiction reading. In order to assure that you master most of the required American literature and are familiar with some non-fiction reading, please follow the guidelines of this reading list. Be sure to bring all your typed notes on the first day of school.
I. You must read the two required summer reading books for grade 11.
1) Pachinko–Min Jin Lee
2) March Book 1 -John Lewis
II. Choose two(2) of the following books:
1)An Illustrated Book of Bad Arguments - Ali Almossawi (64 pages)
2)Tuesdays with Morrie– Mitch Albolm (192 pages)
3)The Writing Life – Annie Dillard (113 pages)
4)A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Future – Michael J. Fox (112 pages)
III. Choose one (1) of the following books:
1) Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother (240 pages)OR
The Triple Package… - Amy Chua (352 pages)
2) I’d Like to Apologize to Every Teacher I Ever Had… – Tony Danza
3) The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks – Rebecca Skloot (369 pages)
4) I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban–Malala
Yousafzai, Christina Lamb (372 pages)
5)Alone Together: Why We Expect More from Technology and Less from Each Other – Sherry Turkle (360 pages)
Take notes on allthree AP readings based on either the SOAPSTone OR SOLIDD method. Be sure to write a detailed paragraph for each item.
There will be separate assignments for the school wide reading book.
Also, read essays from magazines such as The New Yorker, Atlantic Monthly, Time, Sports Illustrated, Newsweek, etc., to become familiar with good writing topics and styles that will be helpful in preparing for the AP exam. Due to limited availability over the summer, if you have any questions/concerns, see Mrs. Shah in Rm. 310 by June 21st.
Be sure to fill in and bring the form below with your summer reading notes.
Name: ______
I have read the following books for the AP English Language & Composition course:
Required Readings 1) ______
2) ______
Three (3) Other Selections:
1) ______
2) ______
3) ______
4) ______
5) ______
Student’s signature: ______
Parent / Guardian’s signature: ______
Date: ______
SOAPSTone (Speaker, Occasion, Audience, Purpose, Subject, Tone) is an acronym for a series of questions that students must first ask themselves, and then answer, as they begin to plan their compositions.
Who is the Speaker?
The voice that tells the story. Before students begin to write, they must decide whose voice is going to be heard. Whether this voice belongs to a fictional character or to the writers themselves, students should determine how to insert and develop those attributes of the speaker that will influence the perceived meaning of the piece.
What is the Occasion?
The time and the place of the piece; the context that prompted the writing. Writing does not occur in a vacuum. All writers are influenced by the larger occasion: an environment of ideas, attitudes, and emotions that swirl around a broad issue. Then there is the immediate occasion: an event or situation that catches the writer's attention and triggers a response.
Who is the Audience?
The group of readers to whom this piece is directed. As they begin to write, students must determine who the audience is that they intend to address. It may be one person or a specific group. This choice of audience will affect how and why students write a particular text.
What is the Purpose?
The reason behind the text. Students need to consider the purpose of the text in order to develop the thesis or the argument and its logic. They should ask themselves, "What do I want my audience to think or do as a result of reading my text?"
What is the Subject?
Students should be able to state the subject in a few words or phrases. This step helps them to focus on the intended task throughout the writing process.
What is the Tone?
The attitude of the author. The spoken word can convey the speaker's attitude and thus help to impart meaning through tone of voice. With the written word, it is tone that extends meaning beyond the literal, and students must learn to convey this tone in their diction (choice of words), syntax (sentence construction), and imagery (metaphors, similes, and other types of figurative language). The ability to manage tone is one of the best indicators of a sophisticated writer.
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SOLIDD (Syntax, Organization, Level of Discourse, Imagery, Diction, and Details) Reading Analysis
Syntax - defined by Merrriam Webster as the way “linguistic elements are put together to form constituent parts (as phrases and clauses)”
Points to consider-
-are the sentences simple and direct, or complex and convoluted
-is repetition or parallel structure used for emphasis
-are rhetorical questions used for emphasis
Organization - how has the author organized the novel, the chapters, or a smaller section and how do these choices influence the piece?
Level of Discourse - what level of language is used throughout the piece? Do we feel as though the writing is matter of fact, using common language and images? Do we feel as though the writing is more poetic and metaphorical, sometimes using sophisticated diction and images?
Imagery - think of the five senses: Sight- visual; Hearing- auditory; Taste- gustatory; Touch- tactile; Smell- olfactory. How does the author incorporate these senses in order to create imagery? What literary elements are used?
Diction - word choice, word choice, word choice!
Points to consider:
-concrete or abstract words
-monosyllabic or polysyllabic words
-interesting connotations for the words
-formal or colloquial words
-a shift in the level of diction in the passage
-what can be inferred about the speaker’s attitude from the given diction?
Details - Where is the setting: does the setting create a certain mood or level of expectation; does the time period hold certain significance, etc. Who are the characters: what are their interests, fears, educational levels, etc.
Charles and Emma: the Darwins' Leap of Faith, by Deborah Heiligman, 2009. Charles Darwin and his wife, Emma, were deeply in love and very supportive of each other, but their opinions often clashed. Emma was extremely religious, and Charles questioned God's very existence. (1020L)
The Courage to be Yourself: True Stories by Teens About Cliques, Conflicts, and Overcoming Peer Pressure, edited by Al Desetta with Educators for Social Responsibility, 2005. In 26 first-person stories, real teens write about their lives with searing honesty.
Say What?: The Weird and Mysterious Journey of the English Language, byGena K. Gorrell, 2009. Presents the history of the modern English language and how previous languages and civilizations influenced its development.
Why'd They Wear That?: Fashion as the Mirror of History, by Sarah Albee, 2015. A narrative chronicle of fashion through the ages describes the outrageous, politically perilous, and life-threatening creations people have worn in different historical eras, from spats and togas to hoop skirts and hair shirts.
Sugar Changed the World: A Story of Spice, Magic, Slavery, Freedom, and Science, by Marc Aronson and Marina Budhos, 2010. Sugar has left a bloody trail through human history. Traces the history of sugar from its origins in New Guinea around 7000 B.C. to its use in the 21st century to produce ethanol. (1130L)
An Illustrated Book of Bad Arguments, by Ali Almossawi, 2013. Have you read (or stumbled into) one too many irrational online debates? Almossawi certainly had, so he wrote An Illustrated Book of Bad Arguments. A software engineer and a graphic designer combine forces to depict the lost art of logic, including the "false dilemma" and the "appeal to ignorance," old-school logic (really old-school, a la Aristotle).
We Should All Be Feminists, by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, 2015. Offers an updated definition of feminism for the twenty-first century, one rooted in inclusion and awareness. This is theedited version of Adichie's TED Talk first presented in the United Kingdom at TEDxEuston, in 2012.