Mark Twain for the Gifted and Talented. Summer Reading Assignment for Incoming 6 th Graders

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Jonah Spencer
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1 Mark Twain for the Gifted and Talented Summer Reading Assignment for Incoming 6 th Graders

2 Incoming 6 th Graders Summer Reading Assignment 2017 Choose ONE Book. Due date: Friday, September 15, This assignment will be graded. No late assignments will be accepted. Book Author Synopsis Tuck Everlasting (Tuck Everlasting is a fantasy children s novel by Natalie Babbitt. It was published in It explores the concept of immortality and the reasons why it might not be as desirable as it appears to be.) Natalie Babbitt Doomed to - or blessed with - eternal life after drinking from a magic spring, the Tuck family wanders about trying to live as inconspicuously and comfortably as they can. When ten-year-old Winnie Foster stumbles on their secret, the Tucks take her home and explain why living forever at one age is less a blessing than it might seem. Complications arise when Winnie is followed by a stranger who wants to market the spring water for a fortune. Hatchet (Hatchet is a 1987 Newbery Honorwinning young-adult wilderness survival novel. It is the first novel of five in the Hatchet series.) The Dollhouse Murders (The book's supernatural events and Aunt Clare's denial of her grandparents' death will move readers and send chills up their spines!) Gary Paulsen Betty Ren Wright Brian Robeson, a thirteen-year-old boy traveling in a small airplane to Canada to spend the summer with his father, is involved in a plane crash in an uninhabited part of the Canadian woods after the pilot dies. Brian then must find a way to survive and in the process, discovers much about himself and becomes a man. This novel is a suspenseful horror tale of murder and family secrets aimed at readers ages 10 to 12. On a visit to her Aunt Clare's home, which was originally owned by her greatgrandparents, Amy discovers a dollhouse that is designed exactly like her greatgrandparents' home. The noises she hears and the moving dolls haunt Amy. But one night she learns an important clue in the mystery. What will become of Amy, her family secret, and the magical dollhouse?

3 Name: Book Title: Author: Summer Writing Assignment Respond to the following questions in complete sentences. Each response should be a 5-8 sentence paragraph. Cite textual evidence to support each response. 1. Write a brief paragraph that describes the setting of the book. Explain when and where the story takes place. 2. Who were the TWO most important characters in the book? Why do you think they are the most important characters in the book? How did they impact the story?

4 3. From whose point of view is the story being told? How were you able to identify the point of view?

5 4. What was the main conflict (problem) in this book? How did the character solve the problem? 5. Do you think the author chose a good title for this book? If you could rename this book, what would you call it and why?

6 6. Authors write to entertain, persuade, inform and express their opinions. What was the author s purpose for writing this book?

7 Essay Theme: A lesson/message about life that the author is trying to convey to the reader. The theme may be stated or implied. The reader must make his /her own meaning as to the general idea or insight about life that the author is trying to make in the literary work. The theme may be conveyed through the setting, character details and conflicts. Task Directions: Write a three to four paragraph well developed essay that explains how the author conveyed the theme of the book. The essay should be organized as follows: Introduction (include title and author of the book) Body (include textual evidence to support the theme) Conclusion (summarize important points)

8 Name: Class: Date

3. Describe themes in the novel and trace their development throughout the text.

3. Describe themes in the novel and trace their development throughout the text. Time with Nature Do you enjoy spending time exploring nature? What can you learn from observing a bird or a turtle? In Gary Paulsen s The Island, Wil Neuton finds such peace and serenity in nature that