Advance Placement Language and Composition
Students enrolled in Advanced Placement Literature and Composition must complete all of the assigned books by the start of school, August 13, 2012. New students enrolled in the class after August 13, 2012, should begin therequired books immediately upon enrollment. All evaluations of summer reading will be completed by October 1, 2012 (end of fist six-weeks).
All books can be found at the local library or purchased at Barnes and Noble or online at BarnesandNoble.com. While Barnes and Noble is not the only store to carry the required books, they are sure to have copies. Used copies are available for purchase online.
Everything Bad Is Good For You: How Today’s Popular Culture is Actually Making us Smarter by Steven Johnson
Forget everything you’ve ever read about the age of dumbed-down, instant-gratification culture. In this provocative, unfailingly intelligent, thoroughly researched, and surprisingly convincing book, Steven Johnson draws from fields as diverse as neuroscience, economics, and media theory to argue that the pop culture we soak in every day—from Lord of the Rings to Grand Theft Auto to The Simpsons—has been growing more sophisticated with each passing year, and, far from rotting our brains, is actually posing new cognitive challenges that are actually making our minds measurably sharper. You will never regard the glow of the video game or television screen the same way again.
The Girl Who Was on Fire edited by Leah Wilson
Fans of the trilogy will undoubtedly enjoy exploring elements of the series through the eyes of the author's contemporaries, each with a different expertise. The selections address the deeper social and political issues as well as the development of multilayered characters through witty and sometimes raw essays that ask readers to look deeper. The 13 articles encompass various issues, such as genetic mutations ("Not So Weird Science" by Cara Lockwood), the reality television phenomenon ("Reality Hunger" by Ned Vizzini), politics that lead the unsuspecting into wars ("The Politics of Mockingjay" by Sarah Darrer Littman), and love ("The Heart Is a Weapon the Size of Your Fist" by Mary Borsellino). Essays explore these and other subjects from within Katniss's world of Panem with humor, irreverence, and social understanding. This thought-provoking text will be especially useful for educators or librarians utilizing the multidiscplinary themes in this trilogy with their students.
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
In a dystopian future, the totalitarian nation of Panem is divided between 12 districts and the Capitol. Each year two young representatives from each district are selected by lottery to participate in The Hunger Games. Part entertainment, part brutal retribution for a past rebellion, the televised games are broadcast throughout Panem. The 24 participants are forced to eliminate their competitors while the citizens of Panem are required to watch. When 16-year-old Katniss's young sister, Prim, is selected as District 12's female representative, Katniss volunteers to take her place. She and her male counterpart Peeta, are pitted against bigger, stronger representatives who have trained for this their whole lives.