May 30, 2017

Dear future AP English Literature Student and Parents,

In this college level course, students are encouraged to purchase the texts for the class, which is standard procedure for college. Students will then be free to write, highlight, and mark up these books as they read. Students are being asked to purchase about half of the books for the course (see table below), but it is acceptable to purchase them all. If you cannot purchase these books, a limited number will be available for checkout. Foster’s How to Read Literature Like A Professor is available for checkout NOW, as it is required reading over the summer. These books can also be purchased through the internet. (Check out Prestwick House, Amazon.com, half.com or any other book purchasing site to find these books.) Copies will be available to check out from the library for students with a financial hardship.* Of special note for Kindle users/e-book users is the fact that the free versions of these texts (when available) do not have page numbers, which will seriously impact your ability to navigate,cite, and discuss the text with your peers/teacher. Many other versions (which cost anywhere from $ 0.99-$15) have these features. You are still able to highlight, make notes, and bookmark pages in the Kindle Reader program. Make the best choice for you and your family, knowing you are expected to mark up your books.

Your first assignment is a summer assignment. You must have it in hand, printed and complete, on the first day of school. Be prepared to discuss your answers, as well as the book in general. See the included handout for further details.

**You will be expected to have the Foster book (How to Read Literature Like a Professor) with you on the first day of class. We will be checking out The Poisonwood Bible from the library in the first week.

Below is a list of the texts for the class/year.Minor changes may occur.

PURCHASE* / CHECKOUT
Semester 1
How to Read Literature Like a Professor (Foster)
Things Fall Apart (Achebe)
Semester 2
Hamlet (Shakespeare)
Frankenstein (Shelley) / Semester 1
Poisonwood Bible (Kingsolver)
Oedipus Rex (Sophocles)
Heart of Darkness (Conrad)
Semester 2
Candide (Voltaire)
Jane Eyre (Bronte)
Brave New World (Huxley)

If you have questions, feel free to email me (even in the summer) at .

Check my teacher website on westsalemhigh.com if you lose your copy of the summer assignment.

Sincerely,

Bryan Smart