St. Louis School Summer Reading 2017 Students entering 8 th Grade

Transcription

1 St. Louis School Summer Reading 2017 Students entering 8 th Grade Read three books from the list, making sure that you choose at least one fiction and one non-fiction title. Please see the accompanying instructions for responding to your summer reading. Fiction The Pearl by John Steinbeck Kino is a poor diver, gathering pearls from the gulf beds that once brought great wealth to the Kings of Spain and now provide Kino, Juana, and their infant son with a meager subsistence. Then, on a day like any other, Kino emerges from the sea with a pearl as large as a sea gull's egg, as "perfect as the moon." Summer of My German Soldier by Bette Greene This is the story of Patty Bergen, a young Jewish girl growing up in rural Arkansas in World War 2. Often the subject of her mother s criticism and her father s violent temper, Patty s only real friend is Ruth, the family s housekeeper. That all changes the summer Patty is twelve, and German POW s are relocated to Patty s hometown. Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson This is the most popular pirate story ever written in English, featuring one of literature s most beloved bad guys. Its unforgettable characters include young Jim Hawkins, who finds himself owner of a map to Treasure Island, where the fabled pirate booty is buried. A Tree grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith This much loved American classic is about a young girl's coming-of-age at the turn of the century. Crowded with life and people, it is a poignant and moving tale filled with compassion and cruelty, laughter and heartache.

2 The Hot Zone by Richard Preston A highly infectious, deadly virus from the central African rain forest suddenly appears in the suburbs of Washington, D.C. There is no cure. In a few days 90 percent of its victims are dead. Ender s Game by Orson Scott Card The Earth is under attack from aliens known as buggers. The only hope is a brilliant general named Ender Wiggin. The only problem is that he is a child. Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier With a husband she barely knows, Mrs. Maxim de Winter, the young bride, arrives at his immense estate, only to be drawn into the life of the first Mrs. de Winter, the beautiful Rebecca, dead but never forgotten...her suite of rooms never touched, her clothes ready to be worn, her servant -- the sinister Mrs. Danvers -- still loyal. As an eerie presentiment of evil tightens around her heart, the second Mrs. de Winter begins her search for the real fate of Rebecca...for the secrets of Manderley. Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury What happens when earth destroys itself? Will earthlings on Mars destroy their new planet also? These classic short stories use man's contact with Mars and its mysterious inhabitants to reveal modern society's need to recognize and accept the dark side of man's nature. Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson This horror story is a perennial favorite. How thin is the line between good and evil? Dr. Jekyll has been experimenting with his identity. He has developed a drug which separates the two sides of his nature and allows him to occasionally become the monstrous Mr. Hyde. gradually he begins to find that the journey back to goodness becomes more and more difficult, and the risk that Mr. Hyde will break free entirely from Dr. Jekyll s control puts all of London in grave peril. Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie The great detective Hercule Poirot finds himself once again in the midst of murder when a decidedly unpleasant man is stabbed while riding on the Orient Express. Poirot must use all of his skills to piece together the answer to the murder of a man whom many on the train have reason to dislike. And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie Considered the best mystery novel ever written by many readers, It is the story of 10 strangers, each lured to Indian Island by a mysterious host.

3 Once his guests have arrived, the host accuses each person of murder. Unable to leave the island, the guests begin to share their darkest secrets until they begin to die. (You may choose only one Agatha Christie for your three books!) Non Fiction A Night to Remember by Walter Lord The book recounts the minute-by-minute details of what occurred on April 14 th, 1912 after the Titanic s fatal collision with an iceberg. Through a massive collection of details, the author manages to weave a story that makes you feel like you are there, visualizing what is happening to these people aboard this gigantic ocean liner. Into Thin Air: A Personal Account of the Mount Everest Disaster by Jon Krakauer, His dream expedition to Everest became a nightmare when human error and a sudden storm combined to claim the lives of some of the world's best mountain climbers. The Bermuda Triangle by Charles Berlitz You may have heard of it as the Hoodoo Sea, the Graveyard of the Atlantic or the Devil's Triangle. But it is most famous as the Bermuda Triangle - an area of the Western Atlantic between Bermuda and Florida where, since 1945, over 100 ships and planes and 1,000 people have vanished - without a trace. Soul Surfer by Hamilton, Berk, and Bundschuh. This is the amazing story of a thirteen-year-old girl who lost her arm in a shark attack but never lost her faith, and of her triumphant return to competitive surfing. All Creatures Great and Small by James Herriot Whether struggling mightily to position a calf for birthing, or comforting a lonely old man whose beloved dog and only companion has died, Herriot's heartwarming and often hilarious stories of his first years as a country vet perfectly depict the wonderful relationship between man and animal, and they portray a man whose humor, compassion, and love of life are truly inspiring. Lone Survivor: The Eyewitness Account of Operation Redwing and the Lost Heroes of SEAL Team 10 by Marcus Luttrell American Navy SEAL and team leader Marcus Luttrell tells his story of the loss of his teammates in July 2005, along the mountainous Afghanistan-Pakistan border to al-qaida insurgents.

4 Farewell to Manzanar by Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston During World War II a community called Manzanar was built to house thousands of Japanese American internees. One of the first families to arrive was the Wakatsukis, who were ordered to leave their fishing business in Long Beach and take with them only the belongings they could carry. Jeanne Wakatsuki, a sevenyear-old child, struggled and adapted. At age thirty-seven, Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston recalls life at Manzanar through the eyes of the child she was. She tells of her fear, confusion, and bewilderment as well as the dignity and great resourcefulness of people in oppressive and demeaning circumstances. Eighth-grade summer reading Instructions for responding to summer reading You must respond in writing to two of the books you read. You may not use an Agatha Christie title for a written response. For one book you will submit your writing online. On the SLS website, find the icon for 8 th grade reading. Follow the directions to enter your name and the title of the book. You will then write a paragraph on your reaction to the book - thoughts, questions, or emotions - any aspect of the book you would like to write about. Lastly, submit your piece so that I can read it! This should be submitted before school begins. For the second book, you will create a double-entry journal. Take a notebook and draw a vertical line down the center of each page 4/5 pages should be enough. You will choose 6 quotations from the book, two from the beginning chapters, two from the middle, and two towards the end. The left column (QUOTES) is used for quotations from the book. The quotation you choose does not have to be character dialogue. Your quotation will be something that you find important or meaningful. When you write the quotation, use quotation marks and indicate the page number. The right column (NOTES) is where you explain why you chose this

5 particular passage and how it made you think or feel. It can include a personal reaction, questions, remarks, thoughts, or predictions. You will write only a few lines - 5/6 - for each response. You may type your journal if you wish. 1. Open a Word Document and type a heading on the upper left-hand side of the page. (The entire document should be typed in 12 font Times New Roman.) 2. Beginning on the next line, go to your toolbar and select Table and then insert table. You will need two columns and 6 rows. 3. The first column you will label QUOTES and the second column NOTES. Please make sure your double - entry journal is complete by the first day of school. Happy reading! Enjoy your summer!