During the summer vacation, students must read their English class’s assigned literature. After returning, an assessment of the books will be administered the third week of school. This assignment will count as both a writing grade and a test grade.
“Read the book in August, complete the study guide questions, and be finished before school starts,” English teacher Stephanie Bonneau said. “If you wait until school starts to read the book, you’re so overwhelmed with beginning of the year stuff that it does not get done.”
The required reads are similar to last year’s assignments, except All Quiet on the Western Front will replace Ethan Frome for the sophomore class. Study guides and more information can be found here.
“The sophomore book has changed to All Quiet on the Western Front, which will be easier and more engaging for students,” Mrs. Bonneau said. “It’s probably the most friendly list we’ve had.”
Pre-AP English I
The Princess Bride (copyright 1988 or newer) – William Goldman
The young and beautiful Buttercup falls in love with her farm hand, Westley. Westley leaves to seek a fortune for their marriage, but Buttercup later receives word that the Dread Pirate Roberts, notoriously known for killing all those whose vessels he boards, attacketd his ship at sea. Believing her love to be dead, Buttercup becomes engaged to Prince Humperdinck, the heir to the throne of Florin.
Pre-AP English II
All Quiet on the Western Front – Erich Maria Remarque
The book follows Paul Bäumer’s story after arriving at the Western Front with friends and schoolmates. While fighting at the front, they frequently engage in unnamed skirmishes and must endure the dangerous conditions of warfare.
AP English III
In Cold Blood – Truman Capote
The Clutters, a widely respected family, had established a successful and prosperous farm from modest beginnings. On November 15, 1959, four members of their family were murdered. In In Cold Blood, Truman Capote reconstructs the murder and investigation that led to the capture, trial, and execution of the killers.
AP English IV
Invisible Man – Ralph Ellison
Invisible Man is a novel that addresses the social and intellectual issues facing African-Americans in the early twentieth century. The story follows a man who feels metaphorically invisible to the world because of his skin color, and it tells of the events in the narrator’s life that lead him to feel as if people do not see him for who he is, but instead only see the color of his skin.
