Grade 6 Summer Reading List Directions: Students are to read two novels of their choice from the list below. Students need to complete a graphic organizer for each novel. Students will submit a total of two completed graphic organizers to their teacher in September. A completed sample of each organizer has been posted for students to view, using the text Freedom Summer by Deborah Wiles. Blank copies of each organizer have also been posted for students to use to complete this assignment. Fiction/Realistic Fiction The One and Only van by Katherine Applegate When van, a gorilla who has lived for years in a down-and-out circus-themed mall, meets Ruby, a baby elephant that has been added to the mall, he decides that he must find her a better life. El Deafo by Cece Bell Starting at a new school is scary, even more so with a giant hearing aid strapped to your chest! At her old school, everyone in Cece's class was deaf. Here she is different. She is sure the kids are staring at the Phonic Ear, the powerful aid that will help her hear her teacher. Too bad it also seems certain to repel potential friends. Gustav Gloom and the People Taker by Adam T. Castro There's one house on Sunnyside Terrace that isn't like the others. t's a dark, eerie mansion with looming towers, a layer of mist in the front yard, and one resident: Gustav Gloom, a paleskinned ten year old boy. Lunch Money by Andrew Clements Twe1ve-year-old Greg, who has always been good at money-making projects, is surprised to find himself teaming up with his lifelong rival, Maura, to create a series of comic books to sell at school. to:: 1,.e. er Le;-:'er "Te.r P.S. Longer Letter Later by Paula Danziger and Ann M. Martin Twelve- year- old best friends, Elizabeth and Tara Starr continue their friendship through letter writing atter Tara Starr's family moves to another state. Ransom by Lois Duncan A typical school bus ride home for five teenagers turns into a nightmare when the bus driver is a stranger intent on kidnapping them and holding them for ransom.
Grade 6 Summer Reading List Fiction/Realistic Fiction Continued Kidnapped, Book One: The Abduction (Or Other Titles in the Series) by Gordon Konnan t's every brother's worst fear. As Aiden and his sister, Meg, are walking home from school one day, a van pulls over and Meg is kidnapped, While Meg fends off her kidnapers and plans an escape, Aiden must team up with the FB to try to find her. Game Changers (Or Other Titles in the Series) by Mike Lupica When the coach's son, Shawn O'Brien, is chosen to play quarterback, eleven-year-old Ben McBain is not surprised--but when he tries to be a good teammate and help the inconsistent Shawn, he is startled to learn that his new friend does not really want the position, Heat by Mike Lupica Pitching prodigy Michael Arroyo is on the run from social services after being banned from playing Little League baseball because rival coaches doubt he is only twelve years old and he has no parents to offer them proof. Q!ll by Mike Lupica Jake Cullen, fourteen, lives in the shadows of his father and older brother until he becomes the starting quarterback for the high school football team and fmally has his chance to shine, Habibi by Naomi Shihab Nye When fourteen- year- old Liyanne Abboud, her younger brother, and her parents move from St, Louis to a new home between Jerusalem and the Palestinian village where her father was born, they face many changes and must deal with the tensions between Jews and Palestinians, The Young Man and the Sea by Rodman Philbrick After his mother's death, twelve-year-old Skiff Beaman decides that it is up to him to earn money to take care of himself and his father, so he undertakes a dangerous trip alone out on the ocean off the coast of Maine to try to catch a Bluefin tuna, Beneath by Roland Smith Pat O'Toole has always idolized his older brother, Coop, right up until the day Coop ran away from their home just outside Washington, D,C.; now a year later he has received a package containing a digital voice recorder and a cryptic message from his brother, This leads Pat on a strange and dangerous journey to the mysterious community living beneath the streets of New York City,
Grade 6 Summer Reading List Fiction/Realistic Fiction Continued Crash by Jerry Spinelli Seventh grader John "Crash" Coogan has always been comfortable with his tough, aggressive behavior, until his relationship with an unusual Quaker boy and his grandfather's stroke make him consider the meaning of friendship and the importance of family. Wringer by Jerry Spinelli As Palmer comes of age he must either accept the violence of being a wringer at his Pennsylvania town's annual Pigeon day or find the courage to oppose it. The River Between Us by Richard Peck Tilly Pruitt is fifteen-years- old when a steamboat docks at her small llinois town on the banks of the Mississippi River. The boat carries two mysterious female passengers who will change Tilly's life, and that of her family, forever. When Tilly's twin brother Noah runs away to fight in the Civil War, Tilly and one of the women follow in an action-packed adventure. Flipped by Wendelin Van Draanen =: -,, n alternating chapters, two teenagers describe how their feelings about themselves, each other and their families have changed over the years. Historical Fiction Sophia's War: A Tale of Revolution by Avi n 1776, after witnessing the execution of Nathan Hale in New York City, newly occupied by the British army, young Sophia Calderwood resolves to do all she can to help the American cause, including becoming a spy. The Fighting Ground by Avi Thirteen-year-old Jonathan goes off to fight in the Revolutionary War and discovers the real war is being fought within himself.
Grade 6 Summer Reading List Historical Fiction Continued Johnny Tremain by Ester Forbes When a fourteen-year-old silversmith apprentice is severely burned by molten silver, he becomes a dispatch rider for the Committee for Public Safety where he meets many Boston patriots involved in the new struggle for independence from England. There he learns that he may be able to overcome his handicap enough to join the fight. Titanic Book One: Unsinkable (Or Other Titles in the Series) by Gordon Korman Although the Titanic ship is meant to be unsinkable, there is plenty of danger waiting on its maiden voyage for four of its passengers--paddy, a stowaway; Sophie, under police custody; rich yet troubled Juliana; and Alfie, who hides a secret. Tides of War: Blood in the Water (Or Other Titles in the Series) by C. Alexander London Cory McNab wanted to be a Navy SEAL, but he washed out of the program. Now he is a member of the Navy's Marine Mammals Program, where he is partnered with a search-and-recovery dolphin named Kaj. Together, Cory and Kaj are the Navy's best hope when a US spy submarine is lost in enemy waters. With the help of Kaj's bio-sonar, they should be able to locate the submarine before its secrets fall into the wrong hands. But the mission gets complicated when a team of Navy SEALs runs into trouble. Can Cory succeed where his heroes have failed, or is he in too deep? Dear America Series by Various Authors An impressive series that will challenge students to make connections from prominent historical events to relevant life situations. Mystery Something Upstairs: A Tale of Ghosts by Avi When he moves from Los Angeles to Providence, Rhode sland, Kenny discovers that his new house is haunted by the spirit of a Black slave boy who asks Kenny to return with him to the early nineteenth century and prevent his murder by slave traders. Chasing Vermeer by Blue Balliet When seemingly unrelated and strange events start to happen and a precious Vermeer painting disappears, eleven-year-olds Petra and Calder combine their talents to solve an international art scandal.
Grade 6 Summer Reading List Mystery Continued On the Run: Chasing the Falconers (Or Other Titles in the Series) by Gordon Korman Aidan and Meg Falconers' parents are facing life in prison unless Aidan and Meg can prove their innocence, but first they must escape from a juvenile detention center and elude both the authorities and a sinister attacker who has his own reason to stop them. The 39 Clues; Book One: The Maze of Bones (Or Other Titles in the Series) by Rick Riordan After their beloved aunt and matriarch of the world's most powerful family dies, orphaned siblings Amy and Dan Cahill compete with the less honorable Cahill descendants in a race around the world to find cryptic clues to a mysterious fortune. Sammy Keys and the Hollvwood Mummy (Or Other Titles in the Series) by Wendelin Van Draanen A Hollywood actress, who had been competing with Sammy's mother for an important role, is murdered, but thirteen year old Sammy and her friend Marissa are on the case. Fantasy/Science Fiction Gregor the Overlander (Or Other Titles in the Series) by Suzanne Collins When eleven-year-old Gregor and his two-year-old sister are pulled into a strange underground world in New York City, they trigger an epic battle involving men, bats, rats, cockroaches, and spiders while on a quest foretold by ancient prophecy Tales of Magic: Half Magic (Or Other Titles in the Series) by Edward Eager Faced with a dull summer in the city, Jane, Mark, Katharine, and Martha suddenly find themselves involved in a series of extraordinary adventures after Jane discovers an ordinarylooking coin that seems to grant wishes. The Beasts of Clawstone Castle by Eva bbotson While spending the summer with elderly relatives at Clawstone Castle in northern England, Madlyn and her brother Rollo, with the help of several ghosts, attempt to save the rare cattle that live on the castle grounds. A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle Meg and Charles Wallace set out with their friend Calvin in a search for their father. His top secret job as a physicist for the government has taken him away and the children search through time and space to find him.
Grade 6 Summer Reading List Fantasy/Science Fiction Continued Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightening Thief (Or Other Titles in the Series) by Rick Riordan After learning that the father he never knew is Poseidon, god of the Sea, Percy Jackson is whisked away from boarding school to Camp Half-Blood, a summer camp fo r demigods, and becomes involved in a uest to revent a war between the ods. The Kane Chronicles: The Red Pyramid (Or Other Titles in the Series) by Rick Riordan Brilliant Egyptologist, Dr. Julius Kane accidentally unleashes the Egyptian god Set, who banishes the doctor to oblivion and forces his two children to embark on a dangerous journey, bringing them closer to the truth about their family and its links to a secret order that has existed since the time of the pharaohs. Traditional Tales The Magician'S Elephant by Kate DiCamillo When ten-year-old orphan Peter Augustus Duchene encounters a fortune teller in the marketplace one day and she tells him that his sister, who is presumed dead, is in fact alive, he embarks on a remarkable series of adventures as he desperately tries to find her. Olympians: Zeus. King of the Gods (Or Other Titles in the Series) by George O' Connor A graphic novel retelling of stories from Greek mythology about the exploits of the young Zeus and how he rallied an army and overthrew his father, l(;onos, to become king of the gods. Non Fiction Boys in the Boat: The True Story of an American Team's Epic Journey to Win Gold at the 1936 Olympics (Young Readers Adaptation) by Daniel James Brown Out of the depths of the Great Depression comes the astonishing tale of nine working class boys, from the American West, who at the 1936 Olympics showed the world what true grit really meant. With rowers who were the sons of loggers, shipyard workers, and fanners, the University of Washington's eight-oar crew was never expected to defeat the elite East Coast teams. Yet, they did, and went on to shock the world by challenging the Gennan boat rowing for Adolf Hitler.
Grade 6 Summer Reading List N on Fiction Continued Stealing Home: The Story of Jackie Robinson by Barry Denenberg n 1947, Jackie Robinson walked onto Ebbets Field as a Brooklyn Dodger, confronting racism on and off the diamond, while becoming one of the greatest players of the game. Famous Phonies: Legends, Fakes and Frauds Who Changed History by Brianna DuMont Some of the biggest names in the past are actually fakes and frauds. Uncover the fabrications in the lives of twelve history changers, from philosophers to presidents. Marley: A Dog Like No Other (Young Readers Adaptation of Marley and Me) by John Grogan Adapted for young readers, Marley: A Dog Like No Other follows the life story of an exuberant Labrador Retriever that gets into perpetual trouble and experiences a range of inspiring adventures. Across America on an Emigrant Train by Jim Murphy An account of Robert Louis Stevenson's twelve day journey from New York to California in 1879, interwoven with a history of the building of the transcontinental railroad and the settling of the West. Hidden Like Anne Frank by M. Prins and P.H. Steenhuis The story of fourteen children who hid in secret rooms and behind walls, suffering from hunger, siclmess, and the looming threat of Nazi raids; all in the name of survival. Smile by Raina Telgemeier Raina just wants to be a normal sixth grader. But one night she trips and falls, severely injuring her two front teeth. What follows is a long and frustrating journey with on-again, off-again braces, surgery, embarrassing headgear, and even a retainer with fake teeth attached. And on top of all that, there's still more: a maj or earthquake, boy confusion, and friends who tum out to be not so friendly.
Grade 7 Summer Reading List Directions: Students are to read two novels of their choice from the list below. Students need to complete one graphic organizer for each novel. Students will submit a total of two completed graphic organizers to their teacher in September. A completed sample of each organizer has been posted for students to view, using the text Freedom Summer by Deborah Wiles. Blank copies of each organizer have also been posted for students to use to complete this assignment. Fiction/Realistic Fiction Ainnan by Eoin Colfer n the late nineteenth century, when Conor Broekhart discovers a conspiracy to overthrow the king, he is branded a traitor, imprisoned, and forced to mine for diamonds under brutal conditions while he plans a daring escape from Little Sal tee prison by way of a flying machine that he must design, build, and, hardest of all, trust to carry him to safety. The Face on the Milk Carton by Caroline B. Cooney A photograph of a missing girl on a milk carton leads Janie on a search for her real identity. Absolutely Nonnal Chaos by Sharon Creech Thirteen year old Mary Lou grows up considerably during the summer while learning about romance, homesickness, death, and her cousin's search for his biological father. Ruby Holler by Sharon Creech Thirteen year old fraternal twins Dallas and Florida have grown up in a terrible orphanage but their lives change forever when an eccentric but sweet older couple invites them each on an adventure, beginning in an almost magical place called Ruby Holler. Stranger with My Face by Lois Duncan A seventeen year old senses she is being spied on and probably impersonated; but when she discovers what actually is occurring, it is more unbelievable than she ever imagined. Seventh grader Lewis "Shoe" Blake is used to the joys and difficulties of life on the Tuscarora ndian reservation in 1975. What he's not used to is white kids being nice to him, especially white kids like George Haddonfield, whose family recently moved to town with the Air Force. As the boys become friends, Lewis finds he has to lie more and more to hide the real
Grade 7 Summer Reading List FictionlRealistic Fiction Continued The Eyeball Collector by F.E. Higgins When a blackmail artist reveals a secret from the past, wealthy Hector Fitzbaudly ends up losing his social standing and fortune, prompting him to seek revenge on the man responsible for the the sinister Collector. Stormbreaker (Or Other Titles in the Series) by Anthony Horowitz After the death of the uncle who had been his guardian, fourteen year old Alex Rider is coerced to continue his uncle's dangerous work for Britain's intelligence agency, M6. Silent to the Bone by E.L. Koningsberg When he is wrongly accused of gravely injuring his baby half-sister, thirteen year old Branwell loses his power of speech and only his friend Connor is able to reach him and uncover the truth about what really halnn"neo The Only Game by Mike Lupica Sixth grade is supposed to be the year that Jack Callahan would lead his team to a recordshattering season and the Little League World Series, but after the death of his brother he loses interest in baseball and only Cassie, star of the girls' softball team, seems to understand. t Notes from the Dog by Gary Paulsen When Johanna shows up at the beginning of summer to house-sit next door to Finn, he has no idea of the profound effect she will have on his life by the time summer vacation is over. The Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figg by Rodman Philbrick Young Homer Figg sets otto follow his brother into the thick of the Civil War. Through a series of fascinating events, Homer's older brother has been illegally sold to the Union Army. t is up to Homer to find him and save him. Zane and the Hurricane by Rodman Philbrick From an award-winning author comes a gripping, poignant novel about a twelve year old boy and his dog who become trapped in New Orleans during the horrors of Hurricane Katrina.
Grade 7 Summer Reading List Fiction/Realistic Fiction Continued Trapped by Michael Northrop Seven high school students are stranded at their New England high school during a week-long blizzard that shuts down the power and heat, freezes the pipes, and leaves them wondering if they will survive. Shadow Club by Neal Shusterman A junior high school boy and his friends decide to fo rm a club of "second bests" and play anonymous tricks on each other's arch rivals. However, when the harmless pranks become life-threatening, no one in the club will admit responsibility., '., ', t. " 't / t ',, t 'f t f f Counting by 7s by Holly G. Sloan Twelve-year-old genius and outsider Willow Chance must figure out how to connect with other people and find a surrogate family for herself after her parents are killed in a car accident. Curveball: The Year Lost My Grip by Jordan Sonneblick Meet Peter Friedman, high school freshman, talented photographer, and baseball star. When a freakish injnty ends his pitching career, Peter has some major things to figure out. s there life after sports? Racing in the Rain: My Life as a Dog (Young Readers Adaptation of The Art of Racing in the Rain) by Garth Stein A dog decides that when he dies and returns to earth as a man, he will model his behavior after his beloved owner, a race car driver. Homecoming by Cynthia Voight Abandoned by their mother, four children begin to search fo r a home and an identity. Historical Fiction ron Thunder by Avi After his father is killed during the Civil War, thirteen-year-old Tom takes on ajob at the local ironworks to support his family, and finds himself a target of ruthless spies when he begins assisting with the construction of the ironclad ship the "Monitor".
""- Wayne Township Public Schools Grade 7 Summer Reading List Historical Fiction Continued Across Five Aprils by rene Hunt This is the unforgettable story of young Jethro Creighton, who comes of age during the turbulent years of the Civil War. Young Jethro Creighton grows from a boy to a man when he is left to take care of the family farm in llinois during the difficult years of the Civil War. _. My Name is America: The Journal of Scott Pendleton Collins. A WW Soldier. Normandy. France 1944 by Walter D. Myers Award winning author Walter Dean Myers makes the hardships and heroics of the Normandy invasion personal through the journal style entries of a fictional WW soldier. Murder at Midnight by Avi A plot to overthrow King Claudio is brewing in the Kingdom of Pergamontio. Scholarly Mangus, the magician, along with his street-smart and faithful new servant boy, Fabrizio, have been marked as easy scapegoats for the traitor lurking within the king's court. Together, these two unlikely partners must gather clues to solve the mystery and prove their innocence before the stroke of midnight, or face death! The Calder Game by Blue Balliet When seventh-grader Calder Pillay disappears from a remote English village, along with an Alexander Calder sculpture to which he has felt strangely drawn; his friends Petra and Tommy fly from Chicago to help his father find him. The Danger Box by Blue Balliet n small-town Michigan, twelve-year-old Zoomy and his new friend Lorrol investigate the journal found inside a mysterious box only to find family secrets and a more valuable treasure--all while a dangerous stranger watches and waits. The Wolf Princess by Sophie Smith is a teenage orphan stuck in a boarding school in London, who dreams of Russia and wolves. On a class trip to St. Petersburg, Sophia and her two friends find themselves deliberately separated from the group and whisked off into the silver forest of her dreams, where a awaits.
Grade 7 Summer Reading List F cience Fiction Skellig by David Almond Unhappy about his baby sister's illness and the chaos of moving into a dilapidated old house, Michael retreats to the garage and finds a mysterious stranger who is something like a bird and something like an angel. The Seer of Shadows by Avi Raised to believe in science and reason, Horace Carpetine passes off spirits as superstition. When he becomes an apprentice photographer he suddenly discovers an eerie and even dangerous supernatural power in his very own photographs. Ender's Shadow by Orson S. Card Dark and gripping, this intriguing sci -fi novel traces the life of a street thug who becomes a hero in the war to save the world. Artemis Fowl (Or Other Titles in the Series) by Eoin Colfer When a twelve-year-old evil genius tries to restore his family fortune by capturing a fairy and demanding a ransom in gold, the fairies fight back with magic, technology and a particularly nasty troll. Found (Or Other Titles in the Series) by M.P. Haddox When adopted thirteen year olds, Jonah and Chip, learn they were discovered on a plane that appeared out of nowhere, full of babies with no adults on board, they realize that they have uncovered a mystery involving time travel and two opposing forces; each trying to repair the fabric of time. Eragon (Or Other Titles in the Series) by Christopher Paolini n Alagaesia, a fifteen-year-old boy of unknown lineage called Eragon finds a mysterious stone that weaves his life into an intricate tapestry of destiny, magic, and power. fum1!y by Suzanne Weyn This thought-provoking futuristic thriller tells the story of what happens to an ordinary town when the world around it suddenly changes forever.
Grade 7 Summer Reading List Traditional Tales/LiteratureN erse The Crossover by K warne Alexander Fourteen-year-old twin basketball stars Josh and Jordan wrestle with highs and lows on and off the court as their father ignores his declining health. The Trojan War by Olivia Coolidge n this retelling of the Trojan War, Olivia Coolidge crafts heroes and gods into real, multidimensional characters, not just the figures of legend. Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine Ella struggles against the childhood curse that forces her to obey any order given to her. White Fang by Jack London The adventures of a dog who is also part wolf and how he comes to make his peace with man. Non-Fiction Black Potatoes: The Story of the Great rish Famine. 1845-1850 by Susan C. Bartoletti This is the story of the disaster that struck reland from 1845 to 1850. Overnight, a mysterious blight attacked the potato crops, destroying the staple food of the rish people. Escape!: The Story of the Great Houdini by Sid Fleischman A biography of the magician, ghost chaser, aviator, and king of escape artists whose amazing feats are remembered long after his death in 1926. Profiling his early years, personal life, and great accomplishments in show business, the story of the famous magician, Harry Houdini, comes to life a review of his greatest tricks and most amazing feats.
Grade 7 Summer Reading List N on=fiction Continued Heroes of Baseball: The Men Who Made it America's Favorite Game by Robert Lipsyte Hitting monster home runs, pitching perfect games, making impossible catches, and stealing home during the World Series -- these are the kinds of feats that tum baseball players into baseball superstars. However, it takes more than great feats to become a hero of the game. Fields of Fury: The American Civil War by James McPherson A stirring account of the greatest conflict to happen on our nation's soil, the Civil War. From the initial Confederate attack on Fort Sumter, to the devastating loss of life at Shiloh as Ulysses S. Grant led the Union to unexpected victory, to the brilliance of Stonewall Jackson's campaign at Shenandoah, to General Pickett's famous charge at Gettysburg, to the Union's triumph at Appomattox Court House, Fields of Fury details the war that helped shape us as a nation. Enrique'S Journey (Young Readers Adaptation) by Sonia Nazario This is the true story of Enrique, a teenager from Honduras, who sets out on a journey, braving hardship and peril, to find his mother, who had no choice, but to leave him when he was a child and go to the United States in search of work. Profiles: Peace Warriors by Andrea Davis Pickney Peace Warriors features men and women who have worked passionately to pioneer peaceful solutions to violent conflicts throughout history. The text includes inspiring tales of courage and conviction about Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Dalai Lama, Desmond Tutu, Dorothy Day, and Ellen Sirleaf. Find out about their childboods, where they went to school, what their families were like, and their rna' or accom lishments.
Grade 8 Summer Reading List Directions: Students are to read two novels of their choice from the list below. Students need to complete one graphic organizer for each novel. Students will submit a total of two completed graphic organizers to their teacher in September. A completed sample of each organizer has been posted for students to view, using the text Freedom Summer by Deborah Wiles. Blank copies of each organizer have also been posted for students to use to complete this assignment. FictionlRealistic Fiction NOTHNG--'.n ""'... TRUTH-- -.-"......-- - Nothing but the Truth by Avi A ninth-grader's suspension for singing "The Star-Spangled Banner" during homeroom becomes a national news story. When sixteen-year-old Hope and the aunt who has raised her move from Brooklyn to Mulhoney, W, to work as a waitress and cook in the Welcome Stairways Diner, they become involved with the diner owner's political campaign to oust the town's corrupt -:s:.,', :;;; Accomplice by Eireann Corrigan Finn and Chloe's advisor says that colleges have enough kids with good grades and perfect attendance, so Chloe decides they'll have to attract attention another way. She and Finn will stage Chloe's disappearance, and then, when CNN is on their doorstep and the nation is riveted, Finn will find and save her. t seems like the perfect plan --until things start to go ronman by Chris Crutcher While training for a triathlon, seventeen-year-old Bo attends an anger management group at school, which leads him to examine his relationship with his father. The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen The summer following her father's death, Macy plans to work at the library and wait for her brainy boyfriend to return from camp, but instead she goes to work at a catering business where she makes new friends and finally faces her grief. Two orphaned brothers, Prosper and Bo, have run away to Venice, taly, where crumbling canals and misty alleyways shelter a secret community of street urchins. The leader of this motley crew oflost children is a clever, charming boy with a dark history of his own. He calls himself the "Thief Lord".
Grade 8 Summer Reading List Fiction/Realistic Fiction Continued Left on her own after a terrible disaster, fifteen-year-old Green is haunted by loss and by the past. She retreats into the ruined realm of her garden. t is only through a series of mysterious encounters that Green can relearn the lessons of love and begin to heal enough GORDON "'''"' POP Pop by Gordon Korman Lonely after a midsummer move to a new town, sixteen-year-old high-school quarterback Marcus Jordan becomes fr iends with a retired professional linebacker who is great at training him, but whose childish behavior places Marcus in hot water. The Silent Boy by Lois Lowry Katy, the precocious ten-year-old daughter of the town doctor, befriends a developmentally disabled boy. Travel Team by Mike Lupica After he is cut from his travel basketball team, the very same team that his father once led to national prominence, twelve-year-old Danny Walker fo rms his own team of cast-offs that might have a shot at victory. Vietnam. Book One: Pledge Allegiance (Or Other Titles in the Series) by Chris Lynch Enlisting as a group when one of them is drafted into the Vietnam War, best friends Morris, Rudi, van, and Beck pledge their loyalty to one another before reporting to different branches of service. Slam! by Walter Dean Myers Seventeen-year-old "Slam" Harris is counting on his basketball talents to get him out of the inner city and give him a chance to succeed in life, but his coach sees things diffe rently. - nvasion by Walter Dean Myers Josiah Wedgewood and Marcus Perry were friends in Virginia. However, now that they are both involved in the Normandy invasion, the differences in their positions makes thing uncomfortable, for Josiah is a white infantryman and Marcus is a black transport driver, the role the will allow him.
Grade 8 Summer Reading List Fiction/Realistic Fiction Continued Scribbler of Dreams by Mary Pearson Despite her family's long feud with the Crutchfields, seventeen-year-old Kaitlin falls in love with Bram Crutchfield and weaves a tangled web of deception to conceal her identity from him. 'll Be There by Holly Goldberg Sloan Raised by an unstable father who keeps constantly on the move, Sam Border has long been the voice of his silent younger brother, Riddle, but everything changes when Sam meets Emily Bell and, welcomed by her family, the brothers are faced with normalcy for the first time. Just Call My Name by Holly Goldberg Sloan The happily-ever-after that teenagers Sam and Emily envisioned for themselves is turned on its head when Sam's unstable father makes a jailbreak and comes after his sons and Emily for revenge. Historical Fiction! Yll( H L5l A;>'; O F RSON Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson After being sold to a cruel couple in New York City, a slave named sabel spies for the rebels during the Revolutionary War. My Brother Sam is Dead by James Lincoln Collier and Christopher Collier Tim's older brother Sam has joined the Patriot army, even though their father supports the King. The Revolutionary War is raging, and Tim knows he'll have to pick a side. But how can he choose if it means fighting his father on one side or his brother on the other? The Royal Diaries: Anastasia. The Last Grand Duchess by Carolyn Meyer n the pages of this fictional yet historically accurate diary, a princess chronicles the wealth and luxury of her youth and her family's fall from power during a pivotal moment in history.
Grade 8 Summer Reading List Historical Fiction Continued Soldier's Heart by Gary Paulsen Eager to enlist, fifteen-year-old Charley has a change of heart after experiencing both the physical horrors and mental anguish of Civil War combat. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak Trying to make sense of the horrors of World War, Death narrates the story of Liesel--a young German girl whose book-stealing and story-telling talents help sustain her family and the Jewish man they are hiding, as well as their neighbors. Hold Fast by Blue Balliett On a cold winter day in Chicago, Early's father disappeared, and now she, her mother, and her brother have been forced to flee their apartment and join the ranks of the homeless. t is up to Early to hold her family together and solve the mystery surrounding her father. The Haunting of Gabriel Ash by Dan Poblocki Since eighth-grader Gabriel Ashe moved into his grandmother's house, he has been spending a lot of time playing in the woods with his new friend, Seth, but the games Seth invents involve a child-eating monster called the Hunter. Gabriel is not sure how much is imagination and how much is real. And Then Everything Umaveled by Jennifer Struman Delia's mother is declared dead when her ship disappears on the way to Antarctica, but when Delia arrives in New York to live with aunts she has never met, she begins ttying to figure out what really happened to her mother.
Grade 8 Summer Reading List Fiction The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman Nobody Owens is a normal boy, except that he has been raised by ghosts and other denizens of the graveyard. Tunnels (Or Other Titles in the Series) by Roderick Gordon When Will Burrows and his friend Chester embark on a quest to find Will's archaeologist father, who has inexplicably disappeared, they are led to a labyrinthine world underneath London. This world is full of sinister inhabitants with evil intentions toward "Topsoilers" like Will and his father. Gone (Or Other Titles in the Series) by Michael Grant n a small town on the coast of California, everyone over the age of fourteen suddenly disappears. As a result, a battle between the remaining town residents and the students from a local private school ensues, including those who have "The Power" and are able to perform supernatural feats and those who do not. The Darkest Path by Jeff Hirsch Since he was captured by the Glorious Path, a militant religion based on the teachings of a former soldier, fifteen-year-old Cal has served the Path in its brutal war with the remains of the United States government. n his struggle to survive and protect his younger brother he kills an officer to protect a stray dog. As a result, Cal is forced to run away with his brother and the dog he saved. Pendragon Series: The Merchant of Death (Or Other Titles in the Series) by DJ MacHale Bobby Pendragon is a seemingly normal fourteen year old boy. He has a family, a home, and even Marley, his beloved dog. But there is something very special about Bobby. He is going to save the world. Before he can object, he is swept off to an alternate dimension lmown as Denduron, a territory inhabited by strange beings, ruled by a magical tyrant, and plagued by a dangerous revolution. The Tomorrow Series: Tomorrow, When the War Began (Or Other Titles in the Series) by John Marsden Seven Australian teenagers return from a camping trip in the bush to discover that their country has been invaded, and they must hide to stay alive.
Grade 8 Summer Reading List Fiction Continued Witch and Wizard (Or Other Titles in the Series) by James Patterson Torn from their parents in a society increasingly controlled by the government, fifteen-yearold Wisty and her older brother Whit, are incarcerated in a totalitarian prison where they discover they have incredible supernatural powers. Elsewhere by Gabrielle Zevin After fifteen-year-old Liz Hall is hit by a taxi and killed, she finds herself in a place that is both like and unlike Earth. She must adjust to her new status and figure out how to "live". Literature/Verse Kaleidoscope Eyes by J en Bryant n 1968, with the Vietnam War raging, thirteen year old Lyza inherits a project from her deceased grandfather, who had been using his knowledge of maps and the geography of Lyza's New Jersey hometown to locate the lost treasure of Captain Kidd. Rhyme Schemer by K.A. Holt k' A HOlT This is a novel in verse about Kevin's journey from bully to being bullied, as he learns about friendship, family, and his talent for poetry. Non-Fiction The Nazi Hunters by Neal Bascomb n 1945, at the end of World War, Adolf Eichmann, the head of operations for the Nazis' Final Solution, walked into the mountains of Germany and vanished from view. Sixteen years later, an elite team of spies captured him at a bus stop in Argentina and smuggled him to srael, resulting in one of the century's most important trials -- one that cemented the Holocaust in the ublic ima ination. Chinese Cinderella: The True Story of an Unwanted Daughter by Adeline Y. Mah A riveting memoir of a girl's painful coming-of-age in a wealthy Chinese family during the 1940s.
Grade 8 Summer Reading List N on-fiction Continued The action begins in October of 1875, as Secret Service agents raid the Fulton, llinois workshop of master counterfeiter Ben Boyd. Soon after Boyd is hauled off to prison, members of his counterfeiting ring gather in the back room of a smoky Chicago saloon to discuss how to spring their ringleader. Their plan: grab Lincoln's body from its Springfield tomb, stash it in the sand dunes near Lake Michigan, and demand, as a ransom, the release of Ben --and in cash. The Hidden Girl: A True Story of the Holocaust by Lola Rein Kaufman After deciding to donate the dress her mother had made for her to a museum, Lola Rein Kaufman, survivor of the Nazi Holocaust, decides that it is finally time to speak publicly about her experiences The Greatest: Muhammad Ali by Walter Dean Myers An introduction to Ali's life from his childhood to the present day, focusing on his career and the controversies surrounding him.
Storv Notes Nome Topic Dote Period _ Setting (Tip: Seiting includes notjusttime, but place and atmosphere.) Primary Confilcts/Ceolrol ProblemS Moln Events (Tip: Before silng them, determine the crruia for Q "rna n event.") almax - -- e<olution - May be opied fot classroom use. Tools for Thought by Jim Burke (Heinemann: Portsmouth, NH)i. C 2002. 167
, Time line Notes :fi+le.. and. aw!atv : '..., Name Date _ Directions: Each line represents!:tie next stage n Q sequence. n Q novel this might meon the next scene or chapter; n hlstorv t might mean the next event or yeor. n ile box underneoth eoch line you should explain why this happened, what t means, why t s mportant, or what it will cause to happen next 1- r 2_ -, L _ J 3. r -, 4_ L _ _ J r L _ J 5. L _ J r -, 6_ L _ J 7. L _ J r -, 8. L _ J 9. L _ J r -1 10_ L _ J 11- r "1 12_ L _ J r r r r L _ J r "1 L _ J.,.,., -, "l Notes/Observations: May be id for clamvom use. Tools for Thought by Jim Burke (Heinem.tmn: ourh, NH); C 2002. 175
Sensory Notes Nome Date Topic Period Directions: Sensory- Notes ore a tool and ted1nlque designed to help you pcy closer attention to details while you read. EfFective reeders use on their senses while thev read. Use this sheet to take: notes on what you see, hear, smell, feel-and think-os you read. Be specific and, f posslbfe, write down the page numbers for future reference. see. Most mportant mage HERR... Most mportant Sound FEEL... Most mportant Sensation SMEll. Most mportant Scent THNK Mast mportant Thought 162 May be copied for clasnoom l4e. Tools for Thought by Jim BUTke (HeinemtJnn: Portsmouth, NH); @2002.
Q Notes Nome Date TopiC Period Overview, Q Notes combine two well known ond powerful methods: SQ3A and Cornell Notes. call them "Q Notes" because vou Can onlv write Q uestlons n the left-hand margin; when vou prepare for a Q ulz, the Q uestlons selve as CUES to remind Vau what vau must know. When using these notes to studv, fold the right edg. of the paper over so that t lines up with the dotted line. 'ou should then onh be able to see your questions in the Q-column. Use these to Q-ulz yourself. Directions: Turn the titles, subheadings, and topic sentences nto questions n this column. Directions: n this area, write the answers to the questions. Use bullets or doshss to help organize vour ideas. Also. use symbols and abbreviations to help '.ou toke notas more efficienth... Here \lou should review. retell. or reflect on what 'ou read so for. 160 May be CfJ(Jidfor cllwtoom use. Tools for Thought by Jim Burke (Heinenumn: outh. NH); 02002.
Story Notes DQte 07/2011 '-..Joe -la zdz7. " hl1 hny-:ee!j # enj... '.. 'Ai!>ln (1iF iisting tii...tdd8nnlne wbotnicke..,..,1ionb Q """n cllci"ode<.") r- Period Setting (Tip: Settin ;;des not Just time. but ploc.. and atmosphere.) oummtjr /n.l -lof cu.s;dr-;..sttjlm. /(;60J- {!; (/(1 R:Jhl5 /SSUe.s ofj fa ' /) egvcdilj primary Conlcts/Centlal Proble'".. f} law (!}Ja:!f c/jic!- /1J10jr -/owfrpo()/. V Of)e.. fa; i / he. 'h e. -fa l& (.. Q Events (np: il.tlng th<im. determine the criteria for Q "main ""ent. avoe O/d... JOhfl //&'rg-ttl.0s!..vh1711/ j a...ji J::e ailjne.. in Qsfore. bu.y oojl, DOYS cepop.5 -!f nnertjoe.. (earll.5 ik-!otjol wcl/ be. fir ev OfJe-.7k. lied d \/be. «'Obn {lf run v 'kf"'olso /-J1Nj (!fl n '-' 1 e -Me h:f on6 hsid,. aim"" 'JO JOhn fkn di and (ts wor/( ers f\1 ve.. 0 o. e... Resolution. ;'.y5 rk j1r. e s/vre ( (e.. -pops, May be ropied for cla.. mu om: use. Tools for Thought by Jim Burke {Heinemann: Portsmouth, Nff);.4:1 2002. 167
Nome Dote 07j2111/ --------------- - Jo t;b;rhn kn, ha no fssue:/{aj':jj, r AencLsh:p * We. &u1 &'a e. laws, M nat how pecfk fdd May be ctjfjied. for,1as5taom use. Toob for Thought Jim Burke (Heinemann: mouth, NH); C 2002. 175
Sensory Notes Nome -------::::----7"--:-----,---- Topic FFeeclw SUmmer, Woc/lh &2tles Dote ca/2b11 Period Directions: Sensory Notes are Q tool and technique designed to help you poj c,(s?t attention to details while ljou read. Effective readers use 011 their senses while they read. Use this sheet to tok notes on what you see, hear, smell, feel-ond think-as " ou read. Be specific and, F possible, write down the page numbers for future reference. Most mportant Sensation ':3-(uh/ ]!m f1(jtv 'm also im/?rcsst'c/ ltj41i..jmj- rhvrc;je- 162 7 7J:i-A;;ls;fl (V/t! hofre/vl1 h ce Yk-iJd 'Y /kli-w:j.. May be G<1pied for c1(1s'syuemt lle. Thos for.thought by Jim Burke (Heinemann: Portsmouth, NH); @2002..
Q Notes Dote Period OVerview: Q Notes combine two well-known and powernj methods: SQ3R and Cornell Notes. call them "Q Notes" because you can onl', write Q-uestlons n the left-hand margin; when you prepare for a Q-ulz. the Q uestlons se,ve os cues to remind you what you must know. When using these notes to study. fold the rightodgo of the poperoverso that t lines up with the dotted line. You should then onllj be able to see,-,our questions n the Q-column. Use these to Q ulz ljourself. Directions: Turn the tides. subheadings, and topic sentences nto questions n this column. ; Directons: n this area. write the answers to the questions. Use bullets or dashes to help organize ",our deas. Also, use symbols cnd abbreviations to help \ou toke notes more efficiently. ==--- --:--Tr-------- wad )5 Y-At. Se/JiJd 0/ k Slinmechtn&-JOe and \J2ihn tkn04 go 31lJmal/fv/ 0TO!J. nvvj..5tj. -f1aaij.z;; Odd rna&. 1dt'J5 qtjal n.l 7 () ;i.. J.JJ '1, : /..9htJ!s-(2y,U2.4hl5 _1lJ.l).Ll1.&Jf J 0. Ce5cn'be J"" '+Joh(\ 5 to-entlsh 'P, : ' +LT- Uf - -tjuhn f11s b)'d ijjctj -the-pod f,- f\ /k;n dmtk. t: drj/ s tv/. CL wtrker./ U:!rlO had 10 R 1/ 160 May be copied D t dasstdmt use. Tools forthought by Jim Burke (Heinemann: POJtm/JJuth. NH); C 2002.