What are Teacher Reviewers Saying About Prestwick House AP Language and Composition?

While most AP test preparation guides on the market are designed for use by students on their own, Prestwick House AP Language and Composition by former AP teacher Douglas Grudzina teaches them how to analyze the elements and devices of language assumed by the College Board and provides many of the full-length nonfiction essays, letters, and speeches that standards require students to read.

Included in this student-centered guide are individual chapters that each focus on analyzing a different element of language with direct instruction and explanation. Each lesson is followed by a passage annotated to point out how the particular element is being used, and then the concept is reinforced with five AP-style multiple-choice questions. The answers to these questions are included in the text so the student can see how the material from the passage might appear on an AP exam.

Selections from Prestwick House AP Language and Composition include Martin Luther King's "Letter Written from Birmingham Jail," two of Winston Churchill's most famous speeches from World War II, several of the Federalist Papers by John Jay and Alexander Hamilton, and a number of speeches by Presidents Abraham Lincoln, John Kennedy, and Barack Obama. In addition, the new synthesis essay is addressed with two annotated models with student essays and accompanying exercises. Models and exercises include text, graphic, and pictorial documents for the students to read and glean information from for their synthesis.


Recently, we have received feedback on Prestwick House AP Language and Composition from teachers on the Prestwick House National Curriculum Advisory Board. Read quotations from teachers below, download a free lesson "Analyzing Language Conventions: Diction and Syntax," featuring Patrick Henry's Speech to the Second Virginia Convention, or find out more at PrestwickHouse.com!

"This book starts with the topics that are essential to any AP Language course and progresses to more specific pieces that the teacher can pick and choose to suit their class' needs. "

Susan Mulligan



"Students must master certain concepts in order to pass the AP exam. This book presents a number of challenging, high-quality literature selections to engage students in learning and practice of rhetorical ideas. This is the best resource I've seen to assist in preparation for the exam. "

Sharon King-Hanley


"The multiple choice questions and free response questions coincide well with the units. I also like that these types of questions are dispersed throughout the text."

Shekema Silveri




"AP teachers have a short time to do a lot of work. Any opportunity to compress key readings, examples, sample questions and responses into one resource is valuable. This also offers a teacher the flexibility to use it on a regular or semi-regular basis."

Michael Wheer



"As someone who as taught AP Language and Composition, having such complete texts with such sophisticated questions would have been immensely helpful. Beautiful job on Appendix 1, the list of rhetorical devices and logical fallacies. That is a huge help."

"I truly appreciate the variety of texts chosen. They are lively (even considering the actual date of the pieces), and provide some excellent examples of language and composition."

"The language within this text is sophisticated and lucid. It speaks to the Advanced Placement student who should be expecting to take a rigorous examination for college credit. Totally on point."

Leticia Geldart


"From my experience, lots of AP exam practice books are too generic, and don't really give students/teachers much choice when it comes to preparing for the exam. This new book fits the bill perfectly, integrating the skills with pertinent passages the students can benefit from most."

"The selections and the accompanying questions are high level, inducing the students into actually thinking deeply about the selections, not just replying with basic information like many test prep books do. I am already planning on how to incorporate this book into my curriculum this year and the next."

Luis Garza


"As an AP teacher, I am continually looking for new, interesting materials to present to the class. This product focuses on non-fiction, a genre that is often less addressed in textbooks. The chosen pieces are historically significant and of notable literary merit. The multiple choice and free response questions are challenging and appropriate, and the annotated pieces and sample student essay responses are wonderful exemplars for the students. I teach an eleventh grade pre-AP/humanities course that links social studies and English. "

"Students are required to explore historical, social, political, and philosophical aspects of different cultures and must read widely and critically in preparation for the Advanced Placement exam, which they take during their senior year. This product is an excellent tool that I can use to encourage the analysis of nonfiction, teach various literary terms and rhetorical devices, prepare the students for the AP exam, and demonstrate the interrelatedness of history and English."

"This book is appropriate for an Advanced Placement class. The reading is challenging, worthwhile, and varied, and the multiple choice questions and free response prompts are prime examples of what the kids will see on the AP exam."

"I particularly like the student annotations and essay exemplars. It is always beneficial for students to see models of work. Another strength of this product is the quality of the pieces. They are not generic pieces meant solely to teach skills. Instead, the pieces are all of significant literary and historical merit and intertwine the teaching of skills, literary devices, test taking strategies, and literature."


Julie Petitbon


"I especially liked that each chapter had an opening explanation, a reading, then practice multiple choice, an essay prompt and then a student essay. Showing my students sample essays helps them grasp the concept better, I find. I also liked the exercises. I'm always finding that the students need more practice."

Janice Mullan


"The examples are very challenging and appropriate - I especially like the diversity and scope of the examples, and the addition of student essays is very helpful for students so that they can aspire to improve their own writing."

Michelle Peeling




"The book is straightforward and easy to understand for both students and teachers. The multiple choice explanations were in-depth and helpful. Marisol Cruz It's a great resource for AP students. The selections are direct and the questions push students to think at a higher level."

Sara Zeek