G.W. Hewlett High School
English Department
Summer Reading 2016
For Students Entering Grade 11
11R: Select and read one of the books on the list below. On the first day of school in September, you will be asked
to discuss the books in your English class with your teacher. You will need to be prepared to talk about the book’s
literary techniques such as characterization, point of view/narration, theme, tone, symbolism, etc. After teacherdirected discussions, there will be a writing assignment given in class.
11H: Select and read one of the books on the list below, and be aware of the book’s literary techniques such as
characterization, point of view/narration, theme, tone, symbolism, etc. In addition, please complete the
Supplemental Summer Assignment for English 11H which will require you to read a second work described in
the supplemental assignment.
11AP: Select and read one of the books on the list below, and be aware of the book’s literary techniques such as
characterization, point of view/narration, theme, tone, symbolism, etc. In addition, please complete the 11AP
English Language and Composition Summer Assignment which is required for entrance to the course.*
Fiction
As You Like It by William Shakespeare
Babe in Paradise by Marisa Silver
Cannery Row by John Steinbeck
Non-fiction
A Letter to America by David Boren
A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the
Appalachian Trail by Bill Bryson
Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mom by Amy Chua
Defending Jacob by William Landay
Blink: the Power of Thinking without Thinking by
Malcom Gladwell
Fire From Heaven by Mary Renault
Falling Through the Earth: A Memoir by Danielle
Trussoni
Freedom by Jonathan Franzen
Gulp: Adventures on the Alimentary Canal by Mary
Roach
Jasmine by Bharati Mukherjee
How to Write a Sentence and How to Read One by Stanley
Fish
Just Don’t Fall by Josh Sundquist
The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold
Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult
Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson
The Abolition of Man by C. S. Lewis
The Twenty-Five Books that Shaped America by Thomas
C. Foster
Say You’re One of Them by Uwem Akpan
Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail by
Cheryl Strayed
The Awakening by Kate Chopin
The New Yorker Stories by Ann Beattie
The Old Man and the Sea by Earnest Hemingway
The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski
*Copies of the essays for 11AP can be picked up in the English office or they can be found online.
Parents, please note: Works of literature may contain mature language or content. However, these works have been
recommended based on their literary merit and relevant themes. These selections have been included in summer
reading assignments in well-regarded school districts across Long Island. Parents may wish to assist their children in
making an appropriate selection. Students may confer with their current teacher in making a selection.
G.W. Hewlett High School
English Department
Summer Reading 2016
Supplemental Summer Assignment for English 11H
To be completed in addition to the 11th grade assignment attached

Conduct your own research into novels and plays that have been banned or challenged. The
American Library Association website (www.ALA.org) is a great place to start your
investigation. The American Library Association—ALA—along with many other literary
organizations sponsors Banned Books Week in September so there is ample information for
you to access on this topic.

Once you understand the concept of a banned or challenged book, choose a work that you
believe is appropriate for English 11H. (Do NOT choose a text you already read in 10th grade.)

Read the book. Take notes as you read, once again, keeping in mind the book’s literary
techniques such as characterization, point of view/narration, theme, tone, symbolism, etc., as
well its appropriateness for English 11H.

As you read and consider the work, keep track of how you felt/what you thought about how
appropriate this text is at different times in your reading.
In the first weeks of school, be prepared to discuss and write about the following:
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
Which text you chose?
Why you chose it?
How you decided its appropriateness for English 11H?
Why it was banned/challenged?
Do you agree? Why/why not?
G.W. Hewlett High School
English Department
Summer Reading 2016
11AP English Language and Composition Supplemental Summer Assignment
To be completed in addition to the 11th grade assignment attached
Overview: English 11AP focuses on the study of rhetoric (the effective use of language; the analysis of
effective language use). Throughout the year, you will be reading many pieces of writing, both fiction and
nonfiction, that will allow you to gain expertise in analyzing language as it conveys meaning. In preparation for
this, you are to complete the following assignment:
Instructions:
 Read and annotate (make note of the central idea, intended audience, author’s purpose, devices used,
etc.) three of the following essays:
How to Tame a Wild Tongue by Gloria Anzaldua
On Compassion by Barbara Lazear Ascher
Turkeys in the Kitchen by Dave Barry
On Dumpster Diving by Lars Eighner
The Ways We Lie by Stephanie Ericsson
How it Feels to Be the Colored Me by Zora Neale Hurston
Our Vanishing Night by Verlyn Klinkenborg
The Fourth of July by Audre Lorde
Shooting an Elephant by George Orwell
Just Walk on By by Brent Staples
Required Assignment (due on the first day of class):
Create 8 multiple choice questions for each essay that you have read and annotated. Multiple choice
questions should follow the format of the AP English Language Multiple Choice Question Stems provided for
you on the next page. Each multiple choice question should include 5 answer choices.
AP English Language Multiple Choice Question Stems
Questions about Rhetoric
1. The shift in point of view has the effect of …
2. The syntax of lines _____ to _____ serves to …
3. The author’s reference/allusion to “___” serves primarily to …
4. The second sentence is unified by metaphorical references to …
5. As lines _____ and _____ are constructed, "_____" is parallel to which of the following?
6. The antecedent for "_____" is …
7. The diction in the piece is best described as…
8. The syntax in the piece is best described as …
9. In paragraph __ the author employs which of the following rhetorical strategies …
10. One prominent stylistic characteristic of the piece is the use of…
11. The primary rhetorical function of lines--- “____” is to …
12. In the sentence “___” the speaker employs all of the following EXCEPT…
Questions about the Author's Meaning and Purpose
13. Which of the following best identifies the meaning of "_____"?
14. Which of the following best describes the author's purpose in the last sentence?
15. The author’s primary purpose is to…
16. The primary audience of the piece could be described as…
17. The authors uses (this certain image) for the purpose of…
18. The author emphasizes "_____" in order to …
19. The reason for the shift in tone in paragraph __ is due to …
20. The sympathy (or other word) referred to in line _____ is called "adjective" because it …
21. What is the function of _____ ?
22. The phrase, “__” functions primarily as …
Questions about the Main Idea
23. The theme of the second paragraph is …
24. The speaker's attitude is best described as one of …
25. The tone of the piece (or parts of it) is one of…
26. In context, the sentence "_____" is best interpreted as which of the following?
27. The atmosphere is one of …
28. Which of the following would the author be LEAST likely to encourage?
29. Which of the following best summarizes the main topic of the passage …
30. In the piece, the author makes all of the following assumptions about his/her readers EXCEPT…
Questions about Organization and Structure
31. The quotation "_____" signals a shift from …
32. The tone of the passage shifts from one of___ to one of ___.
33. The speaker's mention of "_____" is appropriate to the development of her argument by …
34. The type of argument employed by the author is most similar to which of the following?
35. The author uses a pattern of organization best described as …
36. The relationship between _____ and _____ is explained primarily by the use of which of the following?
37. Which of the following best describes the function of the ____ paragraph in relation to the paragraphs that
precede it …
Questions about Rhetorical Modes
38. The pattern of exposition exemplified in the passage can best be described as …
39. The author's use of description is appropriate because …
40. Which of the following best describes the author's method?
41. Because the author uses expository format, he is able to …
42. The speaker's rhetorical strategy is to …
43. The author contrasts ___ and ___ in order to …