Your summer assignment is to read The Latehomecomer

May 1, 2015
Welcome to AP Language & Composition!
Your summer assignment is to read The Latehomecomer: A Hmong Family
Memoir by Kao Kalia Yang and to visit the Minnesota History Center exhibit
We Are Hmong Minnesota.
You can find The Latehomecomer at most local bookstores, and there are also
many inexpensive used copies available online (ex. Amazon, Half Price Books,
etc.). If you opt to borrow your book from the library, please keep in mind that
you will need to check it out again for the first few weeks of the school year.
While you will do a lot of reading in this course, the emphasis is on composition—both the author's and your own. As
you are reading, it is important to keep in mind that the author is crafting the text by making choices to achieve a
particular purpose. Pay attention to details as small as the use of a significant word to details as large as the organization
of the entire text.
Questions to ask yourself while you are reading: What is the author doing? How is she doing it? Why is she doing it?
The Minnesota History Center is located in St. Paul at 345 W. Kellogg Blvd. You can find information about museum
hours and admission on their website www.minnesotahistorycenter.org. Student admission is $6, but admission is free
for everyone Tuesdays 5:00-8:00 pm.
Assignments
1. Purchase a college ruled composition notebook (non-spiral bound)
2. Complete a Double Entry Journal (see next page) for each section of The Latehomecomer
Prologue & Part I: People of the Sky (p. 1-52)
Part II: The Little Girl With Dimples (p. 55-128)
Part III: The American Years (p. 131-210)
Part IV: The Latehomecomer & Epilogue (p. 213-274)
3. Visit the Minnesota History Center
Take a picture of yourself in the We Are Hmong exhibit
Write one paragraph about something new you learned and make a connection to The Latehomecomer
Email the picture and paragraph to emily.westphal@delasalle.com and use We Are Hmong in the subject line
The summer reading assignments are due on the first day of school, Tuesday, August 25th. Failure to complete the
assignments may jeopardize your continuation in this course.
We both can be reached via email over the summer (emily.westphal@delasalle.com or shante.reed@delasalle.com), but
it may take us a few days to respond.
This is an intellectually challenging yet rewarding class, and we look forward to embarking on this journey with you next
fall.
Ms. Westphal and Ms. Reed
AP Language & Composition
The Latehomecomer
Double Entry Journal
For each section of The Latehomecomer, you will create a Double Entry Journal in a composition notebook. Your journal
should follow the format outlined below. In addition to the journal entries, you should be an active reader by taking
notes/annotating while you are reading. Strong readers are close readers!
Journal Entries:
Prologue & Part I: People of the Sky (p. 1-52)
Part II: The Little Girl With Dimples (p. 55-128)
Part III: The American Years (p. 131-210)
Part IV: The Latehomecomer & Epilogue (p. 213-274)
Double Entry Journal Format
*Title each journal with the name of the section (see above)
I. Double Entry Journal: Reader Response (3-5 entries)
Text and Page Number
Paraphrase or quote a meaningful passage
Response
Analyze the text, make a connection, or pose a
thoughtful question
II. Double Entry Journal: Language & Structure (3-5 entries)
Rhetorical & Literary Devices/Strategies, Diction, Syntax, Structure (ex. shifts/turns), etc…
Text and Page Number
Identify the device or strategy
Effect/Purpose
What is the effect of the use of a particular
device/strategy? OR How does it help the author
achieve his/her purpose?