Pre-AP II Summer Reading Assignment

Sophomores entering Pre-AP II will be expected to complete the following assignment prior to class beginning at the end of August. Estimated weekly commitment: 1 hour.

Following are six pairs of short stories. You are expected to read at least one of them (feel free to read both), and participate in an online discussion. I will moderate the discussion, but you and your classmates will be responsible to keep the conversation going. (Discussion links will appear the week after the story are assigned to be read.)

Week 1 (6/6-10): Irony

• The Lottery, Shirley Jackson
  (Listen to an audiofile of "The Lottery" as you read; right-click audiofile link to save file to your computer.)


• The Open Window, Saki (H.H. Munro)
  (Click the yellow player link on this website to listen to the story as you read; right-click this link to save file to your computer.)

Week 3 (6/20-24): Coming of Age

• Araby, James Joyce
  (Listen to an audiofile of "Araby" as you read; right-click audiofile link to save file to your computer.)


• A&P, John Updike

Week 5 (7/4-8): Horror

• Fall of the House of Usher, Edgar Allan Poe


• Tell-Tale Heart, Edgar Allan Poe

Week 7 (7/18-22): Prejudice

• Barn Burning, William Faulkner


• Cathedral, Raymond Carver

Week 9 (8/1-5): Magic Realism

• Very Old Man with Enormous Wings, Gabriel Garcia Marquez


• The Monkey’s Paw, W.W. Jacobs

Week 11 (8/15-19): Irony (yes, again!)

• The Bet, Anton Chekhov


• The Yellow Pill, Rog Phillips