This year there is a summer reading assignment AND a grammar packet.
READING
Students must choose ONE of the following novels below to read.
The Alchemist by Paul Coelho
Andalusian shepherd boy named Santiago, who travels from his homeland in Spain to the Egyptian desert in search of a treasure buried near the Pyramids.
The Candymakers by Wendy Mass
Four children have been chosen to compete in a national competition to find the tastiest confection in the country. Who will invent a candy more delicious than the Oozing Crunchorama or the Neon Lightning Chew?
Forever, or a Long, Long Time by Caela Carter
Flora and her brother, Julian, don’t believe they were born. They’ve lived in so many foster homes, they can’t remember where they came from. And even now that they’ve been adopted, Flora still struggles to believe in forever.
Full Cicada Moon by Marilyn Hilton
It’s 1969, and the Apollo 11 mission is getting ready to go to the moon. But for half-black, half-Japanese Mimi, moving to a predominantly white Vermont town is enough to make her feel alien.
Genevieve’s War by Patricia Reilly Giff
Thirteen-year-old American girl Genevieve has spent the summer of 1939 at her grandmother’s farm in Alsace, France. Then she makes an impulsive choice: to stay in France. It proves to be a dangerous decision.
In the Footsteps of Crazy Horse by Joseph Marshall
Jimmy McClean is a Lakota boy—though you wouldn’t guess it by his name: his father is part white and part Lakota, and his mother is Lakota. When he embarks on a journey with his grandfather, Nyles High Eagle, he learns more and more about his Lakota heritage—in particular, the story of Crazy Horse, one of the most important figures in Lakota and American history.
The Inquisitor’s Tale: Or, The Three Magical Children and Their Holy Dog by Adam Gidwitz
On a dark night, travelers from across France cross paths at an inn and begin to tell stories of three children. Their adventures take them on a chase through France: they are taken captive by knights, sit alongside a king, and save the land from a farting dragon.
Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy by Gary D. Schmidt
It only takes a few hours for Turner Buckminster to start hating Phippsburg, Maine. No one in town will let him forget that he’s a minister’s son, even if he doesn’t act like one. But then he meets Lizzie Bright Griffin, a smart and sassy girl from a poor nearby island community founded by former slaves.
The Notorious Benedict Arnold by Steve Sheinkin
Most people know that Benedict Arnold was America’s first,most notorious traitor. Few know that he was also one of its greatest war heroes. This accessible biography introduces young readers to the real Arnold: reckless, heroic, and driven.
Reaching for the Moon: The Autobiography of NASA Mathematician Katherine Johnson by Katherine Johnson
As a young girl, Katherine Johnson showed an exceptional aptitude for math. In school she quickly skipped ahead several grades and was soon studying complex equations with the support of a professor who saw great promise in her.
The Red Bandanna by Tom Rinaldi
Welles Crowther always kept a red bandanna with him, a gift from his father. Little did he know how that bandanna would help him in a time of crisis, during the fall of the South Tower of the World Trade Center. Readers will be fascinated by the story of an ordinary man who did extraordinary work to save lives of others while sacrificing his own
Soar by Joan Bauer
Jeremiah is the world’s biggest baseball fan. He really loves baseball and he knows just about everything there is to know about his favorite sport. So when he’s told he can’t play baseball following an operation on his heart, Jeremiah decides he’ll do the next best thing and become a coach.
Stella by Starlight by Sharon M. Draper
Stella lives in the segregated South; in Bumblebee, North Carolina, to be exact about it. Some stores she can go into. Some stores she can’t. Some folks are right, pleasant. Others are a lot less so.
Wolf Hollow by Lauren Wolk
Growing up in the shadows cast by two world wars, Annabelle has lived a mostly quiet, steady life in her small Pennsylvania town. Until the day new student Betty Glengarry walks into her class.
Summer Reading Assignment
Directions: Choose and answer all of the following questions. These should be well-thought out answers with details to support students’ answers.
Answers should be typed with MLA heading, size 12 font, double-spaced, Times New Roman.
MLA Heading on the left-hand side of the page is as follows:
Student Name
Teachers Name English Language Arts Day Month Year
**Spelling, grammar, and punctuation all count!!!**
1. Summarize the story in at least 5 sentences. Include characters, setting, conflict and resolution.
2. Describe a choice one of the main characters or people made in the book. How did this choice change that character/person? How did it affect the story as a whole?
3. What was the theme of the story? What lesson was the author trying to teach?
4. From whose point of view is this story told? How does this point of view shape the story?
5. Describe some personal connections that you made while reading the book. Were they related to any personal experiences, past readings, and/or current events? Be sure to reference specific moments from the text.
Note: Students are required to type their responses and print them out to be handed in on the due date. Students should take their time to plan and organize their thoughts and responses prior to writing. Spelling, grammar, and punctuation all count!
SUMMER WORK IS DUE THE FIRST DAY BACK TO SCHOOL SEPTEMBER 3, 2024
GRAMMAR PACKET Assignment
The grammar packet needs to be completed and turned in on the first day of school (9/3/2024).
The packet can be found on the following Google Classroom
Classroom Code: 43khprv
Math updated 6/20/2023
***Summer work is posted in your Math 2022-2023 Google classroom.