Antelope Valley School District

Summer Reading Lists

STUDENTS ENROLLED IN HONORS, IB or AP ENGLISH CLASSES ARE REQUIRED TO COMPLETE SUMMER READING BEFORE THE START OF THE SCHOOL YEAR

 

Honors English 9
Summer Reading Assignment

2023-2024

All students enrolled in Honors English 9 for the 2023-2024 school year will not have summer reading.

Contact Mrs. Jennifer McElroy at jmcelroy@avhsd.org if you have questions or concerns.

 

Honors English 10

Summer Reading Assignment

2023-2024

All students enrolled in Honors English 10 for the 2023-2024 school year will not have summer reading.

Contact Mrs. Jennifer McElroy at jmcelroy@avhsd.org if you have questions or concerns. 
 
 

AP/IB English 11

Summer Reading Assignment

2023-2024

All students enrolled in IB English 11 or Advanced Placement English 11 for the 2023-2024 school year are required to read the following books during the summer prior to the opening of school: 

IB English 11

Summer Reading Assignment

2023-2024

All students enrolled in IB English 11 for the 2023-2024 school year are required to read the following material during the summer prior to the opening of school:

  1. Novel --The Great Gatsby by F Scott Fitzgerald

  2. Essay on Medea (a Greek play by Euripides) by Natalie Haynes

The Great Gatsby is available for checkout at the QHHS Book Depot. 

The Natalie Haynes essay is linked below--you can  print it out at the library, or email Mrs. Wisdom (cwisdom@avhsd.org) before June and I will print out a copy and get it to your current 10H teacher. 

The most important part of the Medea essay, the part you must read slowly and carefully (no skimming, and please take notes), starts at the bottom paragraph of page 235 and runs through to the end of the essay. Haynes gives you an overview of the play, expressing and explaining her understanding of it. Her essay also helps orient you to Greek drama in general.

You can read the play itself over the summer if you like, but it is not necessary. We will act it out and study it in class in August.

Here is the Natalie Haynes essay. I've also attached a document listing helpful YouTube links. Be sure to open the document--the first link is required; the rest are for your benefit; some we will review as we study the play in August. 

NatalieHaynesMedea.pdf (this essay is required summer reading)--you need a PRINTED copy.

Medea Links:(the first YouTube video is required summer viewing)

Here is the translation of Medea that we are using in August. You are not required to read it over the summer, but glancing over it as you read Natalie Haynes’ essay will help. If you want a printed copy, let me know and I will send one to your current English teacher.

Medea (this is the version of the play we will study in August)

If you want to spend a couple of hours with a superficial celebration of Great Gatsby glam and glitz, the Baz Luhrmann version starring Leonardo diCaprio is entertaining. It will not help you develop much of an understanding of the ideas in the novel. Luhrmann’s energy was focused on the surface glitz, not the meaningful story.
Contact Mrs. Wisdom at cwisdom@avhsd.org for questions about IB English.

 

AP/English 11

Into the Wild, Jon Krakauer

IB English 11

The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald

The Crucible, Arthur Miller

Students should take careful notes in their books examining literary elements including, but not limited to: themes, motifs, characters, setting, tone, and point of view. These are terms students should be conversant with as they enter the junior year honors classroom. 

During the first few weeks of school, teachers will be focusing on these novels in class discussion; therefore, it is important that students are prepared.  As a culminating activity, students will write an analytical essay at their teacher’s direction. In addition, students should prepare to take objective tests on both books during the first weeks of the school year.  

Students are encouraged to purchase their own copies of these books so they can highlight and take notes as they read.  Books are available at any online book site or Barnes and Noble. 

Important:  Students who have not done the assigned reading are subject to being dropped from this honors class and placed in a regular English class in the fall.

Contact Mrs. Jennifer McElroy at jmcelroy@avhsd.org if you have questions or concerns.
 
 

International Baccalaureate Program
Advanced Placement

IB/AP English 12

Summer Reading Assignment

2023-2024

All students enrolled in AP/IB English 12 for the 2023-2024 school year are required to read the following books during the summer prior to the opening of school.

AP/English 12

Vonnegut, Slaughterhouse Five

O'Brien, In the Lake of the Woods

IB/English 12

Bui, The Best That We Could Do

O'Brien, In the Lake of the Woods

Students should take careful notes in their books examining literary elements including, but not limited to: themes, motifs, characters, setting, tone, and point of view. These are terms students should be conversant with as they enter the senior year honors classroom.

During the first few weeks of school, teachers will be focusing on these novels in class discussion; therefore, it is important that students are prepared.  As a culminating activity, students will write an analytical essay at their teacher’s direction.

Contact Mrs. Jennifer McElroy at jmcelroy@avhsd.org if you have questions or concerns.
 
Students are encouraged to purchase their own copies of these books so they
can highlight and take notes as they read. Books are available at Barnes and
Noble or any online site.