Summer Reading Assignment - Incoming 7th Grade
Welcome to another summer, soon to be 7th graders! I look forward to having you in my class. In the meantime, I have gathered together a rather nice little list of books to help you keep up with your reading practice over the summer. Your reading and the related required assignment (which is below the book list) is an excellent way for me to get to know you right away as a student and a person. So, this assignment will be an introduction of sorts. It will help me get to know where you and your class are in terms of the reading levels, your quality of work, and how well you are able to follow through and understand requirements for an assignment. It will also help me know where to start to create a curriculum program unique to each of you. Through these selections and the assignment, you also will have the opportunity to get to know me a bit as well. Most importantly, however, I hope you find a very special read here on this list for the summer to help you enjoy your days. This list has so many voices, styles of writing, experiences, periods of time, and so much more. I sincerely hope that you take your time to look through the list carefully and select a book just right for you to enjoy. A good book is a great companion for lazy summer days and warm nights. Enjoy!
Note: I'm also offering a summer reading group zoom class to help students enjoy their summer reading even more. Email me for more information if you are interested. [email protected]
Reading Choices: Choose ONE based on interest and to support or improve your reading level.
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Stop... Read this first... Before you automatically skim your eyes down to the category you think you best fit, please look at the questions that go with each level. For instance if you know you are an advanced reader but don't enjoy reading a lot, you might find selections in a different category that best fits your reading style. Or do you read a lot or enjoy reading even if it can be hard for you? Then, you might want to choose a book from a different category. All of these books are well within an appropriate grade-level read, no matter the categories below. If you wish, you may also use an audio version of the book IF you follow along in the text at the same time and are doing the work as you go.
Most importantly, choose a book you really think you will enjoy.
Look at all of the titles on amazon and read a bit about them to make the best choice for you.
The actual summer assignment is listed below the book list.
Advanced/Avid Readers: Are you comfortable reading at or above your grade level? Do you tend to read a lot, or do you enjoy reading when you do find a good book? Are you often drawn to books that are meant for older readers (i.e. high school or best sellers, etc.?) Do you like a challenge or a well written story? If you could answer yes to the majority of these questions, then here are some recommendations for you:
Classics: -A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith
-Sir Gawain and the Green Knight; Pearl; and Sir Orfeo by J.R.R. Tolkien
-Watership Down by Richard Adams (unabridged)
Youth Literature:
Mystery: - The Silence of Bones by June Hur (YA)
Historical Fiction: - Fallen Angels by Walter Dean Myers (told from the point of view of an American soldier in the Vietnam War)
Grade Level / Reading is Ok Readers: Are you comfortable reading at grade level most of the time? Do you enjoy reading if you find something you like or have you enjoyed reading your novels in your class this year? Do you think reading is ok for the most part and will read if it's a good book? Do you sometimes struggle in reading but like a good story? Then, this category might be for you. Here are some recommendations at this level:
Classics: - The Wind and the Willows by Kenneth Grahame (unabridged)
- Kidnapped by Robert Louis Stevenson
- Animal Farm by George Orwell
Youth Literature:
Fantasy: The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill
Zahrah the Windseeker by Nnedi Okorafor-Mbachu
Historical Fiction: Refugee by Alan Gratz
Code Talker: A Novel about the Navajo Marines of World War II by Joseph Bruchac
Other Fiction: The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind by William Kamwamba and Bryan Mealer
Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson (verse novel)
The Dreamer by Pam Munoz Ryan
Kino and the King by Jen Angeli (Adventure/Fantasy set in Hawaii)
The Wednesday Wars by Gary D. Schmidt
I Sometimes Struggle with Reading / OR I'm a Reluctant Reader: Can reading sometimes be a challenge, or has it been a challenge for you this past year? If so, you might want to look at these selections; they may be more manageable while still helping you strengthen your reading skills. OR... Are you a reluctant reader, in other words, is it often hard to sit down and read, or are you already asking what the shortest book is on the list... then, you may be a reluctant reader, and you might want to choose from the list below as well: Some of these books are shorter than many of the others, but they are still at a grade level that you should be reading this summer.
Youth
Classics: -Soldier's Heart by Gary Paulsen
-Number the Stars by Lois Lowry
Youth Literature:
Epic Fail of Arturo Zamora by Pablo Cartaya
Look Both Ways: A Tale Told in 10 Blocks by Jason Reynolds
Out of My Mind by Sharon Draper
Red, White, and Whole by Rajani LaRocca (verse novel)
Science of Breakable Things by Tae Keller
Two Roads by Joseph Bruchac
Wish by Barbara O'Connor
-------- Summer Assignment Specifications Below...
Stop... Read this first... Before you automatically skim your eyes down to the category you think you best fit, please look at the questions that go with each level. For instance if you know you are an advanced reader but don't enjoy reading a lot, you might find selections in a different category that best fits your reading style. Or do you read a lot or enjoy reading even if it can be hard for you? Then, you might want to choose a book from a different category. All of these books are well within an appropriate grade-level read, no matter the categories below. If you wish, you may also use an audio version of the book IF you follow along in the text at the same time and are doing the work as you go.
Most importantly, choose a book you really think you will enjoy.
Look at all of the titles on amazon and read a bit about them to make the best choice for you.
The actual summer assignment is listed below the book list.
Advanced/Avid Readers: Are you comfortable reading at or above your grade level? Do you tend to read a lot, or do you enjoy reading when you do find a good book? Are you often drawn to books that are meant for older readers (i.e. high school or best sellers, etc.?) Do you like a challenge or a well written story? If you could answer yes to the majority of these questions, then here are some recommendations for you:
Classics: -A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith
-Sir Gawain and the Green Knight; Pearl; and Sir Orfeo by J.R.R. Tolkien
-Watership Down by Richard Adams (unabridged)
Youth Literature:
Mystery: - The Silence of Bones by June Hur (YA)
Historical Fiction: - Fallen Angels by Walter Dean Myers (told from the point of view of an American soldier in the Vietnam War)
Grade Level / Reading is Ok Readers: Are you comfortable reading at grade level most of the time? Do you enjoy reading if you find something you like or have you enjoyed reading your novels in your class this year? Do you think reading is ok for the most part and will read if it's a good book? Do you sometimes struggle in reading but like a good story? Then, this category might be for you. Here are some recommendations at this level:
Classics: - The Wind and the Willows by Kenneth Grahame (unabridged)
- Kidnapped by Robert Louis Stevenson
- Animal Farm by George Orwell
Youth Literature:
Fantasy: The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill
Zahrah the Windseeker by Nnedi Okorafor-Mbachu
Historical Fiction: Refugee by Alan Gratz
Code Talker: A Novel about the Navajo Marines of World War II by Joseph Bruchac
Other Fiction: The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind by William Kamwamba and Bryan Mealer
Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson (verse novel)
The Dreamer by Pam Munoz Ryan
Kino and the King by Jen Angeli (Adventure/Fantasy set in Hawaii)
The Wednesday Wars by Gary D. Schmidt
I Sometimes Struggle with Reading / OR I'm a Reluctant Reader: Can reading sometimes be a challenge, or has it been a challenge for you this past year? If so, you might want to look at these selections; they may be more manageable while still helping you strengthen your reading skills. OR... Are you a reluctant reader, in other words, is it often hard to sit down and read, or are you already asking what the shortest book is on the list... then, you may be a reluctant reader, and you might want to choose from the list below as well: Some of these books are shorter than many of the others, but they are still at a grade level that you should be reading this summer.
Youth
Classics: -Soldier's Heart by Gary Paulsen
-Number the Stars by Lois Lowry
Youth Literature:
Epic Fail of Arturo Zamora by Pablo Cartaya
Look Both Ways: A Tale Told in 10 Blocks by Jason Reynolds
Out of My Mind by Sharon Draper
Red, White, and Whole by Rajani LaRocca (verse novel)
Science of Breakable Things by Tae Keller
Two Roads by Joseph Bruchac
Wish by Barbara O'Connor
-------- Summer Assignment Specifications Below...
SUMMER BOOK ASSIGNMENT
You've chosen and purchased your book, now what..... READ DIRECTIONS CAREFULLY!
Your assignment has two main parts 1) A Readers Response Journal AND 2) A Collage
1) Purchase a composition notebook for your work (I recommend one that easily opens when you write in it). A large journal could work as well. I don't recommend spiral bound notebooks. You can also get creative, if you are the creative type, and create one yourself or make it into a scrapbook or illuminated manuscript of some type if the inspiration strikes. Extra creativity will get you extra-credit to start the new school year right.
2) Purchase a smaller size poster board for your collage (it should be a neutral color that reflects the mood and tone of your book).
3) Decide - Would it be easier for you to type this assignment? If so, print it and turn it in in a binder. Do not email me your assignment. I definitely prefer that you handwrite it yourself which also helps you to take it anywhere, like the beach, and it makes the learning experience more personal. However, if your handwriting is not as neat as you'd like, you may submit it to me printed and in a small 1/2" binder on the day it is due.
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PART 1: Inside your composition notebook / READERS RESPONSE JOURNAL (3 parts):
After you create a title page with the name of your book and your name, save about 5-6 pages at the front for your vocabulary list. The rest will be used as a log for summaries and your personal responses to what is going on in the story. The requirements are listed below:
SECTION 1: VOCABULARY
As you read, keep a list of words you don't know or could clarify (saying you knew all the words in the book won't cut it, then you need a higher level book to read). You will need 30 words from the entire book. In your vocabulary section of your notebook, number the words and write the definitions fully (add the page number in the book where you found it and write the sentence it was in. The best way to do this is to have your journal nearby and write them as you read, leaving enough space for the definition, sentence and a space between. Here's an example of a vocabulary entries to follow:
1. Machiavellian (adj.) - cunning, scheming, and unscrupulous, especially in politics.
"Bloody Machiavellian English Intelligence Officer playing God." (81)
2. Fey (adj.) - 1. giving an impression of vague unworldliness; 2. having supernatural powers of clairvoyance; 3. fated to die or at the point of death (Scottish).
"The fey Queenie, Maddie knew, was given to fits of madness..." (50)
SECTION 2: SUMMARIES AND RESPONSES
After you have made sufficient room for your ongoing vocabulary list, the rest of the notebook is for the following tasks:
1) After you read each chapter, create a page in your notebook for that chapter and include a 1/2 page summary of the key ideas or things that occurred.
2) Following the summary, write a paragraph expressing your thoughts or how you feel about what is going on. What are you learning? What popped up in your mind that was connected to what you read? Try to really listen to your inner voice as you read. That will help you with this portion. A paragraph at minimum should be 5-7 sentences (yes, I will count them).
NOTE: If your book not divided by chapter but in some other way, follow those divisions the best you can. If you need assistance with that, let me know.
SECTION 3: YOUR REVIEW AND TAKEAWAY (1 page)
All authors write to teach as well as to entertain. Once you finish the book, write one page explaining to me what you have learned from the book or thought about in some way. What is your takeaway? Why do you think the author created this story in order to teach us something or get us to see something in a different way? Do you think the writer was effective? Please place yourself in the persona of a book reviewer and make this a book review as well as a reflection. How many stars would you give it? Would you recommend it to others?
CAUTION: Some of the book choices have been made into movies. I have seen them. Please take great care to show me that you have read the book rather than only watched a movie, read summaries, or worse yet, copied summaries online. This will be very easy to detect, and I would hate for our year to begin from a unpleasant place such as this. Your honest work is all I ask for.
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PART II: The Collage.... What Do I Do?
First of all - what is a collage?
- A piece of art made by sticking various different materials such as photographs and pieces of paper or fabric on to a backing;
- A combination or collection of various things.
A. Setting
B. Mood/Tone
C. Main Characters
D. Scenes / Moments in the Plot that are Essential
E. Themes ( what the narrator/author want you to learn or think about)
Your pictures can be taken from magazines, printed from the internet, drawn by you or any combination of things. Please do not do this on the computer, but you can use cut out images you find there.
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