BAYLOR COLLEGE OF MEDICINE ACADEMY AT RYAN

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1 BAYLOR COLLEGE OF MEDICINE ACADEMY AT RYAN Principal Jyoti Malhan Dean of Students 6 th Grade Gnelida De Dios Dean of Students 7 th Grade Maria Garrett-Jackson 2610 Elgin Street, Houston, Texas Phone: Fax: Website: Dear Parents, With the end of the school year upon us, we know that you are making plans for your child's summer vacation activities. Like most parents, you are aware that while the summer months are a welcome opportunity for fun and relaxation, the break from school activities often causes students to experience a lag in learning upon returning to school in the fall. The goal of Baylor College of Medicine Academy at Ryan Middle School is to ensure each and every one of our students attain success by becoming avid readers and learners. There are a myriad of benefits of reading throughout the summer such as refinement of reading comprehension, vocabulary, and critical thinking skills. We also recommend that you read aloud to your child as this may provide a great opportunity for a further interest in books, intellectual discussions, character analysis, and more. We ask that you thoroughly review this packet as you will find two organized reading lists according to grade level, instructions, and suggested activities. Regarding the reading lists, one list is accessible through MyOn, an online reading library, and the other list contains books from HISD s Name That Book reading list, which have texts that can be found in your local library and or bookstore. We are recommending a total of five books for your child to read this summer. There will be one required reading, which is denoted on the respective grade-level list. The required text will be used as a reference in their class when the students return for the next school year. We are also recommending your child to read his/her respective Health Science text, which relates to what they will learn in their respective Health Science class next year. Your support in promoting literacy skills is especially critical during the secondary years. That is why we are strongly encouraging you child to log on to our Summer Reading blog, found under the Parent and Student section of our website, and respond to the weekly question asked by one of our English Language Arts Reading teachers. We will be monitoring their blogging activity. These general questions will be general in nature and students can respond based on the book they are currently reading from the respective reading lists. We hope that you and your child have a wonderful time enjoying many great books this summer! Happy reading! Sincerely, BCMA Faculty & Staff

2 REQUIRED TEXT & RECOMMENDED READINGS 6 TH GRADE Required Text The Great Trouble: A Mystery of London, The Blue Death, and A Boy Named Eel Recommended Health Science Text: Gifted Hands by Dr. Ben Carson A Midsummer's Night Dream William Shakespeare - Comedy Gulliver's Travels Jonathon Swift - Fantasy Jane Eyre Jane Austin - Historical Fiction Jason and the Golden Fleece Nel Yomtov - Mythology Journey to the Center of the Earth Jules Verne - Science Fiction Brown Girl Dreaming Jacqueline Woodson Memoir The Crossover Kwame Alexander Realistic Fiction The Fire Wish Amber Lough Fantasy The Great Trouble: A Mystery of London, the Blue Death, and a Boy Called Eel Deborah Hopkinson Historical Fiction The Nethergrim Matthew Jovin Adventure Tut: The Story of My Immortal Life PJ Hoover Fantasy/Historical Fiction 7 th GRADE Required Text Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl by Harriet A. Jacobs (This novel will be the basis for the first 6 week cycle. Students must purchase a personal copy and should be prepared for intensive study over the novel beginning the first week of school. This may include quizzes, writing samples, close reading analysis, etc.) Recommended Health Science Text: Deadly by Julie Chibbaro A Boy Called Twister by Anne Schraff A Horse Called Courage by Anne Schraff A Deadly Game by Janet Lorimer Medieval Medicine (Express) by Nicola Barber *Modern Medicine by Chris Oxlade Anatomy of a Pandemic by Amber Keyser *Freedom from Slavery by Briana Hall NOTE: The texts denoted with an asterisk are recommended for reading in addition to the required texts In the After by Demitria Lunetta The Glass Sentence by S. E. Grove Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson Bird in a Box by Andrea Pickney 8 th GRADE Required Text - Industrial Age Medicine by Vickers, Rebecca

3 Recommended Health Science Text: Red Madness: How a Medical Mystery Changed What We by Gail Jarrow 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne Loki s Wolves by Armstrong, K. L. and Marr, M. A. Diary of Charlotte Forten: A Free Black Girl Before the Civil War by Charlotte Forten The Canterville Ghost by Oscar Wilde The Boundless by Kenneth Oppel Fatal Fever: Tracking Down Typhoid Mary by Gail Jarrow Mark of the Thief by Jennifer Nielson The Port Chicago 50: Disaster, Mutiny and the Fight for Civil Rights by Steve Sheinkin Tut: The Story of My Immortal Life by P.J. Hoover 4 Easy Steps to Students Reading on myon 1. For students, the login username is the HISD student network id (same as the istation username) and the password is myon (all lower case). 2. Have Students Sign in at and Finish the Initial Assessments (For Students Who Have Never Used myon) Please allow 5-8 minutes for you to take the interest inventory and minutes for you to take the Lexile placement. Please take the assessment seriously because it will affect your Recommended book list. The interest inventory can be changed later, but not the initial Lexile placement. 3. Focus on the Recommended List (For all Students) After completing the interest inventory and Lexile placement, be sure students read at least one book completely and click on the red button to get credit for finishing the title. As students use myon for independent reading, please choose from the recommended titles found using the Recommended button on your myon home page. 4. Help myon Get to Know Students Please rate each book you For support, contact myon at read with 1 to 5 stars (1 being most disliked and being liked the most) to improve myon recommendations. When students rate and review books, they are eligible to win prizes in myon s Summer Reading Contest!

4 SUMMER READING BLOG INSTRUCTIONS Instructions: Please access the Parent and Students portal when going to the BCMA at Ryan MS website. Under the Announcements section you will locate our summer reading blog. Please make sure to enter your respective grade level and answer the weekly question. We are looking for insightful and intellectual responses pertaining to the novel which your child is currently reading. Please find some tips below about internet etiquette for the blog; The blog will open for comments on Monday, June 8, Guidelines: Respond based on the question that is being asked and nothing more Refrain from using any foul, vulgar, and or inappropriate language that may be offensive to others Proofread by checking for spelling, grammar, and technical errors before submitting your response Refrain from including personal information, besides your first name and the initial of your last name, as an identifier No plagiarism under any circumstances Be respectful of all other users NOTE: The editors of the blog have the right to delete or not publish any post they feel that may violate the aforementioned guidelines. If you need assistance please feel free to submit your questions to the blog, contact by phone at , or Mrs. Jackson at

5 Middle School Name That Book Title List for 2015_2016 Title Author Genre ISBN Abby Spencer Goes to Bollywood Bajaj, Varsha Realistic Fiction The Assault Falkner, Brian Adventure Bird in a Box Pickney, Andrea Historical Fiction *A Blind Spot for Boys Chen, Justina Romance *The Boundless Oppel, Kenneth Adventure Brown Girl Dreaming Woodson, Jacqueline Memoir *Buzz Kill Fantaskey, Beth Mystery Courage for Beginners Harrington, Karen Realistic Fiction *The Crossover Alexander, Kwame Realistic Fiction Edge of Nowhere George, Elizabeth Suspense Fatal Fever: Tracking down Typhoid Mary Jarrow, Gail Nonfiction The Finisher Baldacci, David Fantasy *The Fire Wish Lough, Amber Fantasy *Forget Me Harrington, Kim A. Mystery The Fourteenth Goldfish Holm, Jennifer L. Humor The Glass Sentence Grove, S. E. Fantasy *The Great Greene Heist Johnson, Varian Adventure *The Great Trouble: A Mystery of London, Historical fiction Hopkinson, Deborah the Blue Death, and a Boy called Eel *The Haunting of Gabriel Ashe Poblocki, Dan Horror How Lamar s Bad Prank Won a Bubbasized Trophy Realistic Fiction Allen, Crystal How they choked: Failures, flops, and flaws Biography Bragg, Georgia of the awfully famous *In the After Lunetta, Demitria Science Fiction *The Kiss of Deception Pearson, Mary E. Fantasy March: Book One Lewis, John Graphic Novel; memoir Mark of the Thief Nielson, Jennifer Fantasy *The Nethergrim Jobin, Matthew Adventure *Popular: Vintage Wisdom for a Modern Humor; memoir Van Wagenen, Maya Geek *The Port Chicago 50: Disaster, Mutiny and Nonfiction Sheinkin, Steve the Fight for Civil Rights *Proxy London, Alex Science Fiction *Steelheart Sanderson, Brandon Science Fiction Sure Signs of Crazy Harrington, Karen Realistic Fiction *There Will Be Bears Gebhart, Ryan Adventure *The Thickety: A Path Begins White, J. A. Fantasy *Tut: The Story of My Immortal Life Hoover, P. J. Fantasy/Historical Fiction *Unbreakable Garcia, Kami Fantasy *2014 Texas Lone Star Reading List: The Lone Star reading list encourages reading for pleasure & is aimed at students in grades 6-8. The purpose of the list is to encourage students in grades 6, 7, or 8 to explore a variety of current books. The Lone Star list is intended for recreational reading, not to support a specific curriculum. Each year, 20 books exploring a variety of topics, reading tastes, & maturity levels are chosen by a committee of school & public librarians from across Texas. (4_20_2015)