English III and AP English Literature Email: james.sheridan@yesprep.org Phone: 713-569-2381 Movie Reviews: www.jamesintexas-moviesintexas.blogspot.com Goodreads: www.goodreads.

com Goodreads Group: Sheridans Voracious Scholars 12-13 COMPLETE: Select and read one independent novel. Complete one essay assignment for your independent novel. Complete all work on Fahrenheit 451.

Required Reading for AP Literature Students In addition to reading and completing the assignment for Fahrenheit 451, you must read one book from the list below and complete the additional assignment. All of these texts are exciting and challenging.

Challenging: The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini o Amir, an Afghan immigrant now living in the United States, receives a mysterious phone call and must face his past and his mistakes and travel back to war-torn Afghanistan to complete a mission. This is a story of sin, redemption, discrimination, and family. I was surprised by how powerful this book was for me. An intense read that I covered in about one week in January of 2007. The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver o Narrated by the women in a family, The Poisonwood Bible tells the story of a missionary family that moves from Georgia to the Belgian Congo. The fathers inability to see past the mission leads to intense conflicts and inevitably tragic consequences. Im not giving this book enough credit; it is phenomenal. One of my favorite books of all-time, and Im planning on rereading it this summer! The Road by Cormac McCarthy o A father and his son walk alone through burned-out, decimated America. Nothing moves in the ravaged landscape save the ash on the wind. It is cold enough to crack stones, and when the snow falls it is gray. The sky is dark. Their destination is the coast, although they don't know what, if anything, awaits them there. They have nothing; just a pistol to defend themselves against the lawless bands that stalk the road, the clothes they are wearing, a cart of scavenged foodand each other. A novel about the end of the world and what happens after the apocalypse. I read this book four years ago in the summer. The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri o Both a family novel and a story of immigration. The Ganguli family moves from India to Cambridge, Massachusetts, and the interrelationships between parents and children are fascinating. A heartbreaking novel that I love with some of the best writing of the past ten years. I read this book on my own for fun about six years ago. The Bonesetters Daughter by Amy Tan o Made up of two major stories, The Bonesetters Daughter first tells the story of Ruth, a ChineseAmerican woman who is concerned about her mothers progressing dementia, and the story of that mother, as written for her daughter as a record of her life. Ive never read this novel, but I love The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan, and I will read this book this summer for the first time! Join me!

Extremely Challenging: The Handmaids Tale by Margaret Atwood o A feminist dystopian novel, The Handmaids Tale explores a society where reproductive rights are now in the hands of the government, after the overthrow of United States government by a racist, chauvinist, theocratic terrorist group. Fans of The Hunger Games but want to go darker. Warning: Intense and very graphic in terms of sexuality, issues of power, and government interference into private lives! I read this book in my 20th Century Novel and Politics class my first year at Kenyon College. The Brief and Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz o Things have never been easy for Oscar, a sweet but disastrously overweight, lovesick Dominican ghetto nerd. From his home in New Jersey, where he lives with his old-world mother and rebellious sister, Oscar dreams of becoming the Dominican J. R. R. Tolkien and, most of all, of finding love. But he may never get what he wants, thanks to the Fuk-the curse that has haunted the Oscar's family for generations, dooming them to prison, torture, tragic accidents, and, above all, ill-starred love. Oscar, still waiting for his first kiss, is just its most recent victim. Mr. Diaz is visiting Houston this year, and he is a fantastically talented and hilarious writer! Ms. Sarah Ruzic recommended this book to me. The Awakening by Kate Chopin o Short, but very powerful. The kind of novella that you will need to read twice. Do not choose this book just because it seems short. Set at the end of the nineteenth century, this novel explores the changing views of what it means to be a woman and a mother in the South. While contemporary writers criticized its blatant depictions of female sexuality, it has become widely hailed as one of the most influential novels ever written in this country, fueling and inspiring feminism to this day. This book is a college level text, but a serious AP student can wrestle with it. A very challenging, serious text. I read this book in my Gilded Age Literature course my senior year at Kenyon College. Angels in America by Tony Kushner o Made into a miniseries and an opera, this contemporary play has several central characters who are deal with issues such as religion, homosexuality, AIDS, family, love, and self-love. Im reading this play for the first time this summer, and I love reading plays! The Bear by William Faulkner (a novella contained as a portion of the collection Go Down Moses) o There is a bear. There is a boy. There is a dog named Lion. This novella is Mr. Sheridans favorite 100 pages or so ever written in the English language. I first read The Bear upon recommendation from Mr. Sibley my 9th Grade English teacher, and I ended up writing my Honors Thesis in college about this story (among others by William Faulkner). Highly recommended, but incredibly dense and difficult. Note: There is one sentence that extends for over four pages! Be warned! Assignment: Complete the steps below. You will find all necessary materials in your AP packet. o Choose one of the essay prompts in the packet and write an essay about your book of choice. You should integrate multiple quotations from your book. Your essay should be well-planned and thoughtfully written; this piece is my first impression of your writing. Post a review on our class goodreads page as well as updating your page with books read and ratings! Email me (james.sheridan@yesprep.org) to get the official invitation to our junior goodreads page!

AP Essay Topics: Choose one of the essay topics below and address it using your independent reading book. You must include quotations to support your statements. Your essay will be scored on the AP essay rubric. Requirements: Typed, double spaced, Times New Roman 12 point font 2-4 pagesbe succinct and clear! Analysis supported by multiple quotations and paraphrasing of specific details Parenthetical citations of page numbers. Example: The narrators grandfather encourages him to undermine em with grins (Salinger 16).

1976. The conflict created when the will of an individual opposes the will of the majority is the recurring theme of many novels, plays, and essays. Select the work of an essayist who is in opposition to his or her society; or from a work of recognized literary merit, select a fictional character who is in opposition to his or her society. In a critical essay, analyze the conflict and discuss the moral and ethical implications for both the individual and the society. Do not summarize the plot or action of the work you choose. 1980. A recurring theme in literature is the classic war between a passion and responsibility. For instance, a personal cause, a love, a desire for revenge, a determination to redress a wrong, or some other emotion or drive may conflict with moral duty. Choose a literary work in which a character confronts the demands of a private passion that conflicts with his or her responsibilities. In a well-written essay show clearly the nature of the conflict, its effects upon the character, and its significance to the work. 1991. Many plays and novels use contrasting places (for example, two countries, two cities or towns, two houses, or the land and the sea) to represent opposed forces or ideas that are central to the meaning of the work. Choose a novel or play that contrasts two such places. Write an essay explaining how the places differ, what each place represents, and how their contrast contributes to the meaning of the work. 1997. Novels and plays often include scenes of weddings, funerals, parties, and other social occasions. Such scenes may reveal the values of the characters and the society in which they live. Select a novel or play that includes such a scene and, in a focused essay, discuss the contribution the scene makes to the meaning of the work as a whole. You may choose a work from the list below or another novel or play of literary merit. 2007. In many works of literature, past events can affect, positively or negatively, the present activities, attitudes, or values of a character. Choose a novel or play in which a character must contend with some aspect of the past, either personal or societal. Then write an essay in which you show how the character's relationship to the past contributes to the meaning of the work as a whole. 2008, Form B. In some works of literature, childhood and adolescence are portrayed as times graced by innocence and a sense of wonder; in other works, they are depicted as times of tribulation and terror. Focusing on a single novel or play, explain how its representation of childhood or adolescence shapes the meaning of the work as a whole. 2009. A symbol is an object, action, or event that represents something or that creates a range of associations beyond itself. In literary works a symbol can express an idea, clarify meaning, or enlarge literal meaning. Select a novel or play and, focusing on one symbol, write an essay analyzing how that symbol functions in the work and what it reveals about the characters or themes of the work as a whole. Do not merely summarize the plot.