Mesquite ISD
AP English Language and Composition Summer Reading
As part of MISD’s Advanced Academic program, summer reading will be REQUIRED for all levels.
Rationale
The purpose of the MISD summer reading program is to provide a foundation of close reading and analysis
that will enable a student to be successful in Advanced Placement classes and beyond. This course
differentiates by employing content immersion, a faster paced scope and sequence, and performance assessed
at the analysis and synthesis levels. The summer assignments serve as a springboard into the year’s
academic focus by allowing academic discussion to begin with the first day of class.
Assignment I: In Cold Blood by Truman Capote
On November 15, 1959, in the small town of Holcomb, Kansas, four members of the Clutter family were savagely murdered
by blasts from a shotgun held a few inches from their faces. There was no apparent motive for the crime, and there were
almost no clues. As Truman Capote reconstructs the murder and the investigation that led to the capture, trial, and
execution of the killers, he generates both mesmerizing suspense and astonishing empathy. In Cold Blood is a work that
transcends its moment, yielding poignant insights into the nature of American violence.
Read Truman Capote’s In Cold Blood. This book is available at book stores or the local library. As you read,
choose one meaningful, memorable passage from each section (section I “The Last to See Them Alive,”
section II “Persons Unknown,” section III “Answer,” section IV “The Corner”). Each passage should be
1-2 pages long in the original work and clearly demonstrate careful selection. The passages, when viewed
together, must represent the four people groups within the literary work: the victims, the townspeople, the
investigators, and the criminals. You may focus on these groups in any order, but consider that Capote will
likely focus on “the victims” in the earlier sections. For each passage, you will photo-copy it (or type it up) to
create a clean, attractive copy; include Part, Chapter and Page(s) on your copy. Then, you will annotate all
four excerpts using the notation directions.
Notation Directions (for each passage): all notations must be written in blue or black ink; do not use pencil.
On each passage, complete (and clearly label) the following:
1) In the space at the top of your passage (or on the back), clearly answer the following: What is happening at
this point in the text? (Provide the context. Make sure to include the 5 Ws [who, what, where, when, why].)
2) Mark the following elements on the excerpts:
a. Meaningful diction (nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs) in the passage. Comment marginally on
at least five of these words, considering: (1) What connotations/emotions/tone do the word
choices create? (2) Are the word choices similar throughout the passage or is there a shift? What
do the words suggest about the characters, setting, conflict, etc.? What is the author’s purpose in
selecting these particular words? [Hint: In general, marginal comments will take the form of a
phrase such as: conveys ________, shows _________, suggests _________, fitting because
_________ , or significant because _________.] Example: In the opening passage of the non-fiction
piece, Capote describes the “village” of Holcomb as “a lonesome area” in order to _____________.
b. Meaningful punctuation choices (dashes, parentheses, ellipses, etc.). Comment marginally on one
aspect of the syntax that seems meaningful to you. See above.
c. Narrative strategies and rhetorical devices. (I have listed ideas in the boxes on the reverse side; the
list is not comprehensive.) Label the strategy or device marginally and briefly comment on its effect.
d. Bracket around two 5-10 line blocks of text within the passage; for each, choose an appropriate
tone. Be as precise as possible in choosing tone words. Again, notate the author’s purpose in
creating the tone.
For use with Notation Directions (c)
Some strategies and devices for narrative writing:
Point of view
Figurative Language
Flash forward and flashback
Imagery
Events/actions/thoughts
Voice (of narrator)
Pacing
Verb tense
Conflicts / Tension / Suspense
Sentence length (rhythm, pacing)
Some rhetorical devices:
alliteration or assonance
allusion
analogy
antithesis
metaphor or simile
juxtaposition
oxymoron
parallelism
personification
Irony
Language (colloquial, informal, jargon, etc.)
Humor
Repetitions
Focus (of a chapter, of a paragraph, etc.)
rhetorical question
paradox
extended metaphor
Assignment II: Self-Selected Book
Select and read 21st century work of nonfiction. Although you are the one choosing the book, keep in mind that you
want to choose carefully. Choose a work that deals with a topic that interests you, even if, at first glance, you feel like you
disagree with the author. Great works often create controversy, challenge fixed beliefs, and stretch our thinking. Even so,
the writers can teach us something about language, rhetoric, and the world around us. Some amazing books are available,
but their content may be controversial, so be sure your parents approve of your choice. Below are two links to lists of
books to choose from. These books all meet the following criteria: 1) published 2000 or later and 2) nonfiction (Note:
Your selection cannot be autobiographical or biographical). Please select a book from these lists. You can find many of
these titles at your local library or used bookstores. Again, please choose carefully and make sure that your parents are
aware of your selection.
Links:
Nonfiction Part I A-M: http://tinyurl.com/nonfictiona-m
Nonfiction Part II N-Z: http://tinyurl.com/nonfictionn-z
Make notes about the non-fiction work on a 4x6 note card (seriously, 4x6). You are limited to both sides of one note
card, and it should contain the following information:
o Title of the work and the author (top line)
o Two quotes you find significant (and their page
o Summary or synopsis
numbers)
o Author’s purpose (what he hopes will happen
o Your name should go on the line with the title
with this book)
and the author
o Methods the author uses to achieve the purpose
After you’ve created the notecard, you will type a page or so response to your book. Begin by writing a succinct but wellwritten summary of the topic addressed. Then discuss the author’s purpose in presenting this book, how he/she addresses
the issue – locally and/or globally, what you have learned about the issue since reading the work, and how the issue
affects you personally. This needs to be in MLA format. Please see the MLA formatting guide provided in this packet.
We will use our self-selected book for our first essay. It is very important that you pay attention to the arguments
presented in this book. Choosing not to read a self-selected book from the links above will negatively impact your first
semester grade.
Additional Information
Novels/plays: Because we engage in close reading analysis, you should purchase your own
copies of the works we will study for the sake of convenience (reading ahead, marking
passages, and writing notes in the text). These titles are available at the local library if you
are unable to purchase them.
The Scarlet Letter – Nathaniel Hawthorne
The Grapes of Wrath – John Steinbeck
Death of a Salesman – Arthur Miller
The Great Gatsby – F. Scott Fitzgerald
King Lear – William Shakespeare
The Things They Carried – Tim O’Brien
School Supplies: I’m including this list just in case you’d like to purchase your items before the
madness sets in and when they are on sale.
o Three-ring binder (1” should suffice)
o Pencils (to keep with your binder at
o Five different colors of highlighters
all times)
(to keep with your binder at all times)
o Loose-leaf paper (to keep in your
o Blue/black/red ink pens (to keep with
binder at all times)
your binder at all times)
o One folder with pockets and brads
o Box of tissue or paper towel roll for
o One composition notebook
classroom
Because your Summer Reading assignments are due the first day of class, please
do not hesitate to email with concerns and/or questions. You may reach me via
school email at [email protected]. I look forward to meeting you.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Slaughter