Summer Assignments

EPHS students take Honors, Advanced, AP or other college-level courses for more intellectually challenging content and atmosphere. The rigor of these high school courses is a major consideration by colleges in their admissions decisions. It demonstrates an ability and willingness to work hard and pursue academic excellence. All Honors, Advanced, and AP teachers expect you to learn at a faster pace than a regular class. These courses cover similar content as regular courses, but add more breadth and depth to the material.

Several EPHS Honors and AP courses require summer assignments (see the assignment links listed by department). The summer assignments promote critical thinking and expand background knowledge. To reach these goals, summer assignments provide a wide range of learning experiences, encourage rigorous discourse and analysis and help students develop their identities as independent thinkers.

Summer assignments are generally due at the end of summer break. However, we want students to continue and succeed in their courses even if they do not complete summer assignments by that time. We do allow students to complete and turn in the assignment during the course if they do not complete the assignment over the summer. Check in with your teacher to determine a reasonable due date.

You may also check out books from the EPHS Media Center front desk before you leave for the summer.

English Department Summer Reading Philosophy

The Eden Prairie High School English Department believes in the power of reading. We will engage our students as readers in order to promote critical thinking, expand background knowledge and explore what it means to be human. To reach these goals, we will provide a wide range of reading experiences, encourage rigorous literary discourse and analysis, and help students develop their identities as independent readers. We will offer choice and access to a variety of genres, perspectives and cultures to create a community of learners.

To this end, our summer reading requirements will provide students with opportunities to…

Develop critical reading and vocabulary skills that increase overall academic achievement and prepare them for future endeavors
Improve reading comprehension and fluency
Read multiple perspectives to deepen insights into both new and familiar cultures
Develop a lifelong appreciation and enjoyment of reading
Create a community of readers through purposeful, skillful selection of texts by students and teachers
Improve student writing abilities through exposure to and study of quality texts
Challenge themselves with appropriately rigorous texts

Honors English 9

Dear Soon-to-be Honors English 9 Student:

The 2026-27 Honors 9 English teachers wish for students to read over this coming summer. This desire is based on the English department’s philosophy that students will, among other things:

Read multiple perspectives to deepen insights into both new and familiar cultures
Develop a lifelong appreciation and enjoyment of reading
Challenge themselves with appropriately rigorous texts

SUMMER READING ASSIGNMENT:

Read one memoir over the summer and write a 5-paragraph report to discuss that memoir. This will be submitted electronically to turnitin.com once you start your Honors English 9 course. There is no place to submit this writing before you start class. A Google Doc using your @ep-student.org account is the best and easiest way to keep track of it.

A memoir is a first-person nonfiction narrative, usually focusing on a specific time period or particular aspect of the author’s life.

You MUST choose one of the books from the list below. You may not select any memoir that is NOT on the list below.

DEADLINE? Your writing is due the first day of your Honors English 9 course. Your schedule will be released late in the summer and could always shift, so we strongly recommend you complete your reading and writing before the school year begins no matter what your schedule says.

DESCRIPTION OF THE 5-PARAGRAPH WRITING: Type five paragraphs about your book per the description below.

In your writing, be specific! Saying a lot about two details is better than briefly mentioning seven details. Format your document according to MLA format guidelines.

For a title, use “Honors English 9 Summer Reading”

INTRODUCTION: Start the document off with a very brief introductory paragraph of about 3-4 sentences. Write a few creative sentences to lead off the paper that introduces the memoir and its author and perhaps says something that would interest your reader (the teacher, in this case). Then finish that short paragraph with a controlling purpose statement that announces the purpose of this writing.

BODY PARAGRAPH #1: In the first BODY paragraph, reflect on the reading, including personal connections you have or can make to the figures and events in the book as well as what you learned from the book, whether that is something about yourself, about people, or about an aspect of history/geography/culture/etc.

BODY PARAGRAPH #2: In the second BODY paragraph, share 3-5 pieces of information about the author and the culture(s) portrayed in the book. Use the internet or library resources to research details about the author’s own background and learn more factual information about people, places, traditions, or history presented through the narrative(s) in the book.

BODY PARAGRAPH #3: In the third BODY paragraph, explore one or more of the questions below. Use what you learned from your research and your reading of the book to generate your ideas.

How authentically does the author portray multiple perspectives? How do you know?
How multidimensionally does the author portray culture(s)? How do you know?
In what ways does the author integrate cultural details? Are the details accurate and current?

CONCLUSION: Finish your document off with a very brief closing paragraph of about 3-4 sentences. Remind the reader of the title of the memoir and its author's name and then briefly what these three paragraphs were about.

MEMOIR CHOICE SELECTIONS

The book you select MUST be from the list below:

I Will Always Write Back by Caitlin Alifirenka and Martin Ganda
Shout by Laurie Halse Anderson
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
A Long Way Home by Saroo Brierly
The Beautiful Struggle: A Memoir by Ta-Nehisi Coates
Boy Erased by Garrard Conley
Finding Me by Viola Davis
A Drop of Midnight by Jason Diakite
A Stolen Life: A Memoir by Jaycee Lee Dugard
Ordinary Hazards by Nikki Grimes
Autobiography of Malcolm X as told to Alex Haley
Return to Auschwitz by Kitty Hart
Fifty Miles from Tomorrow by William L. Iggiagruk Hensley
Rethinking Normal by Katie Rain Hill
The Kikuchi Diary by Charles Kikuchi
All But My Life by Gerda Weisman Klein
Stolen by Ann-Helen Laestadius
H Is for Hawk by Helen MacDonald
The Other Wes Moore by Wes Moore
Dreams from My Father by Barack Obama
Tomboy by Liz Prince
Americanized: Rebel without a Green Card by Sara Saedi
A List of Things that Didn’t Kill Me by Jason Schmidt
Stitches by David Small
Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson
I Love Yous Are for White People by Lac Su
Hand to Mouth: Living in Bootstrap America by Linda Tirado
How Dare the Sun Rise: Memoirs of a War Child by Sandra Uwiringiyimana
Glass Castle by Jeanette Walls
Educated by Tara Westover
Brown Girl Dreaming by Jaqueline Woodson
Black Boy by Richard Wright

Do Not Read list (memoirs that are already in the EP curriculum):

Night by Elie Wiesel
Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier by Ismael Beah
Apple by Eric Ganson
The Woman Warrior by Maxine Hong Kingston
When Stars Are Scattered by Victoria Jamieson and Omar Mohamed
Kaffir Boy by Mark Mathabane
The Color of Water by James McBride
Persepolis I or II by Marjane Satrapi
Solito by Javier Zamora

In class we will read Elie Wiesel’s memoir Night about his experiences during the Holocaust and write a short narrative that may be memoir-based. Your summer reading will tie to both of these units in the course.

We hope you enjoy your book and encourage you to read more beyond this assignment. We look forward to meeting all of you next school year.

Sincerely,
Alex Bauer, Sarah Buchli, and Linda Wallenberg, Honors English 9 Teachers

abauer@edenpr.org, sbuchli@edenpr.org, lwallenberg@edenpr.org

***Many of these titles are available at the EPHS Media Center and Hennepin County Library.

Honors English 10 & AP Seminar

Summer Reading Assignment
Honors English 10 AND AP Seminar
2026-2027

The purpose of reading the novel over the summer is to prepare you to make connections to literature we will read and discuss throughout the course. In the first week of class, you will complete a writing assessment about the novel. In addition, after the first few weeks of Honors English 10 and AP Seminar, you will write short comparison essays about the summer novel and another text read in class, noting similarities and/or differences.

Assignment: Read The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

You must get your own copy of the novel.
1. there may be copies available at the EPHS Media Center
2. Hennepin County Library or Carver County Library
3. Bookstores typically have copies for purchase, as well as Amazon
4. Online PDF versions exist (Google it)
All you need to do is READ THE NOVEL and be prepared to compare it to another novel.
It will be assumed that you have read the novel by the FIRST DAY OF CLASS!

Questions can be directed to any of the following Honors English 10 teachers:
Mrs. Beutz - Kari_Beutz@edenpr.k12.mn.us (Honors)

Mr. Organ - Todd_Organ@edenpr.k12.mn.us (AP Seminar and Honors)

Mr. Yun - Joseph_Yun@edenpr.k12.mn.us (Honors)

Dr. Fullmer - Kathryn_Fullmer@edenpr.k12.mn.us (AP Seminar and Honors)

Mrs. Strand-Young – Kirsten_Strand@edenpr.k12.mn.us (Honors)

Honors American Literature

Each Honors American Literature student will be required to read ONE choice reading book by an American author this summer.

Students may choose their book from any of the genres listed below. Please make sure your choice is written by an American author. The book should be appropriate for honors 11th/12th grade students’ reading level and at least 200 pages in length.
If you are not sure if an author is American, please use the internet to verify before you begin reading.
You will be completing various activities with the book when class begins, so please mark favorite lines, quotes, scenes, or descriptions as you read. Read and enjoy the book without additional requirements.
Bring your book with you on the first day of class.
You will eventually choose two additional books from different genres below for Term A and Term B.

**Honors American Literature Summer Work 2024**
OPTIONS	GENERAL REQUIREMENTS	RESOURCES
Option #1: Nonfiction	Nonfiction is about people, topics, and situations that are true, not imagined, and include memoir, biography, autobiography, and other writings about real life.	Best Books by American Authors Minnesota Book Awards list American Scholar 100 Best American Classics National Book Awards Great American Reads (not all authors on this list are American. Choose carefully.) Choices Reading Lists New York Times Bestsellers American Library Association book lists: Best Fiction for Young Adults Quick Picks Teens’ Top Ten Hennepin County Library Staff Reviews **You can always search “Best American ______ (genre)” to find additional ideas.
Option #2: Historical Fiction	Historical Fiction explores history through story. The story is based on history, but is fictionalized.
Option #3: Parent Choice	Readers often like to share ideas and titles with other readers. Maybe your parents, or other adults in your life, have a particular book by an American author they think you might enjoy.
Option #4: Contemporary Fiction	Contemporary fiction books are generally written from the 1990’s to today.
Option #5: Classics	A classic has stood the test of time by remaining interesting, challenging, relevant, and is beautifully written. Most classics are written before 1980, but there are exceptions.
Option #6: Your Favorite Genre	Maybe your favorite genre is not included in the above options. Do you like science fiction, adventure, thrillers, or mysteries?

Contact: Kirsten Strand-Young (Kirsten_Strand@edenpr.k12.mn.us)

AP English: Language and Composition

Summer Reading for AP English Language and Composition

Read Thank You for Arguing by Jay Heinrichs

How to get the book: You can check out a copy of Thank You for Arguing at the media center before the end of the year. Alternatively, you could buy a copy of your own, borrow one from a former student, or check a copy out from another library. There are multiple editions of the book, but you do not have to have the most current edition.

ADDING THIS BOOK TO YOUR FUN SUMMER PLANS IS WORTHWILE BECAUSE . . .

Please get some sunscreen and some camping dirt on your book—that will mean that you opened it during the summer. The reading will open some mental doors for your own exploration of persuasive communication, and you will have a better experience in the class if you learn about verbal jujitsu from Heinrichs now. When we start class, you will already be observing the world through a rhetorical lens, and we’ll all be able to jump in with some common vocabulary.

TASK #1 Read and summarize the book

For each of the four main categories—Offense, Defense, Advanced Offense, and Advanced Agreement—write a ½ page summary. You will write four summaries. Do not summarize each chapter; instead, write an overview capturing the main ideas of the entire category.

TASK #2 Choose one chapter from each category and write a ½ page reflection (four total)

Use any combination of the following to reflect on applications for Heinrich’s ideas about persuasion: your strengths and weaknesses, your personal experience, how you could apply the information to your writing, what makes sense, what is still confusing, and what you want to explore further.

Your assignment should be typed as a single document. A work cited page and parenthetical references are not required, but you do need to reference specific ideas and examples from the text to support your summary and reflection. Your work will be due the second day of class. If you have class 2^nd semester, your work will be due on the second day of 2^nd semester. The grading for this work is formative.

If you have questions about the reading or the assignment, you can email Mrs. Nebeker (lnebeker@edenpr.org). She will check email at least once a week during the summer.

We look forward to a great semester!

Mrs. Nebeker, Ms. Strand, and Ms. Fullmer

Honors English: Humanities

Assignment & Guidelines:

The intent of the summer reading requirement is to expose students to literature for enjoyment and for knowledge and application in the class. For the Honors English: Humanities course, the student will read one book over the summer of his/her choice that is at a college reading level T.

The book should not have previously been covered in a different school course or have been read by the student prior to this summer. Do NOT read The Arrival, Oedipus the King, Antigone, The Inferno, Othello, or Dracula, as we will read all those in class.

Choose a book that interests you (see the list below, should be a higher reading level - no YA novels or previously studied books).
- While the focus of this course is European Literature, this is not necessarily a required emphasis for summer reading, although it is highly recommended.
- The following are summer reading recommendations based on various internet reading lists:

i.“100 must-read classics, as chosen by our readers” from Penguin Publishing: [click here]

ii.“100 Must-Read Classics by People of Color” from Book Riot: [click here]

iii.Feel free to Google other lists of classic books from genres you are interested in - Russian authors? Horror novels? Historical Fiction? Etc…

Check out what is available in the EPHS Media Center as well as the Hennepin County Libraries.
Read the book – keep notes as you see fit (you will be expected to remember your book, so you may want to write some things down).
Send an email to your teacher introducing yourself and the book you are reading for this assignment.
Bring a copy of your summer reading book to the first day of class—be prepared to discuss your summer reading book. This book will become the subject of your first casual writing and other small assignments in this class.

Please email your teacher should you have any questions or concerns or want a more specific recommendation!

Sara Stein

Honors English: Psychology and Philosophy

Assignment and Guidelines:

Choose a book that interests you (see the list below, should be a higher reading level- no YA novels or previously studied books).
- While the focus of this course is World Literature, this is not necessarily a required emphasis for summer reading, although it is highly recommended.
- Recommendations and resources that align with the course curriculum are provided on the choice book list (below).
Check out what is available in the EPHS Media Center as well as the Hennepin County Libraries. Read the book – keep notes as you see fit (you will be expected to remember your book, so you may want to write some things down)
Once you receive your class schedule/teacher assignment, send an email to your teacher introducing yourself and the book you are reading for this assignment.

Teacher emails (make sure you send your introduction and book title to the correct teacher):

4. Bring a copy of your summer reading book to the first day of class—be prepared to discuss your summer reading book. This book will become the subject of your first essay and other assignments in this class.

Please email your teacher should you have any questions or concerns!

Contacts: Joe Carpenter, Joseph_Carpenter@edenpr.k12.mn.us

Psych of Lit Summer Reading Recommendations

The following are summer reading recommendations based on genre, focus, and culture from National Endowment for the Humanities “Recommended Reading List for College-Bound Students” and the 100 Most Often Recommended Works:

AP English: Literature and Composition

2026-2027 AP Literature and Composition Summer Assignment

WHAT MUST BE COMPLETED, DUE DATES, AND HOW TO TURN IN THE SUMMER ASSIGNMENTS:

2026-2027 DUE DATES:

First semester AP Lit: September 8, 2026
Second semester AP Lit: February 1, 2027

Regardless if your AP Lit course runs first or second semester, the following assignments are due the FIRST FRIDAY of your assigned class.

Note that you will not know for sure until late August which semester you will be assigned AP Lit, so it is imperative to complete the reading over the summer. We will be working with these novels right away in class.

Here is what is due the first Friday of class:

1.) The three annotated print copies of the AP Lit Summer Reading Novels (and any accompanying notes):

Everyone: Charles Dickens' A Tale of Two Cities

Choice of either Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice or John Irving's A Prayer for Owen Meany.

Choice of either F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby or Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart.

2.) WA 1 Quote Pondering Journal

3.) Info Packet: AP Lit Short Answer Questions and Essay Writing Sample

Links to documents needed:

MORE ABOUT THE REQUIRED SUMMER READING NOVELS:

It is a requirement of AP Literature and Composition to have read and annotated actual print copies (not digital copies) of THREE of the following novels:

Everyone: Charles Dickens' A Tale of Two Cities

Choice of either Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice or John Irving's A Prayer for Owen Meany.

Choice of either F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby or Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart.

HOW TO ACCESS THE NOVELS:

You need to use actual print copies of the novels. You may check out the three novels prior to the end of the school year in the EPHS Library, the English department, OR purchase your own copies at a local bookstore or online. You may choose any edition of these novels.

Happy reading!

Contact: Linda “Wally” Wallenberg, Lwallenberg@edenpr.org