New Leadership Charter School Summer Reading List: 2008 Incoming 7th Grade Students
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Mandatory Requirements:
- Read at least two of the books from the summer reading list.
- For each book, complete part 1 and part 2.
- Assignments are due on the first day of school. This will be your first test grade for your ELA class.
Answer the questions below. You may write the information as an essay or you may number your paper and respond to each part separately. Either way, all responses must be in complete sentences. Be sure to respond completely to all parts of all questions.
Questions in this section are graded on: 1) use of standard English conventions and; 2) the accuracy/completeness of your answers.
Questions:
- What was the title of the book? (All book titles should be in italics - if typed - or underlined - if hand-written.) (2 points)
- Who was the author of the book? (2 points)
- Describe the setting of the book. (Don't forget, setting is the time and place.) (2 points)
- Who was the protagonist? (The person affected by the conflict) What were his/her most admirable traits? What obstacles was s/he faced with? How did s/he overcome them? (2 points)
- Who was the antagonist? (The person/issue that causes the conflict) How did this character or issue cause conflict for the protagonist? (2 points)
- Clearly state one theme that is present in this book and describe how you know that is what the author was suggesting. (10 pts)
Write a 350-word summary of the book you read. Your summary should include a little bit about all the parts of the book, such as a few memorable events and the ending. Do not write 245 words about the first chapter and then write, "...and if you want to know how it ends, you'll have to read it yourself!"
The composition is graded on a scale of 1-10 for each FCA as follows:
Exceptional 9-10 Very good 7-8 Good 5-6 Needs improvement/Emerging 3-4 Warning 0-2
FCA's:
- Standard English Conventions
- Elaboration/Support
- Variety in sentence structure and vocabulary
- Organization
- Completeness of Summarizing information (events and ending of story)
*Are you interested in earning a little extra credit? Turn the page to see how you can earn 50 more points.
Extra Credit
There are two ways you may earn extra credit (to be applied to your ELA class):
- Read more than one book from the summer reading list and complete parts 1 and 2 of the reading assignment.
- Complete one of the projects listed below.
Extra credit projects will be graded on a scale of 1-10 for each FCA as follows:
Exceptional 9-10 Very good 7-8 Good 5-6 Needs improvement/Emerging 3-4 Warning 0-2
- Standard English conventions and/or artwork (as applicable)
- Completeness
- Aesthetics (How neat and pleasing to the eye/ear is your project?)
- Creativity/Originality
- Accuracy related to book events, characterization, theme etc.
Choose from one of the projects below. Don't forget to have fun!
- Create a Book Jacket: Accurately recreate a book jacket but use your own original artwork and written ideas. Include a description, of the setting, name of the main character(s) and introduce the problem of the story (no ending, please!). On the "spine" put the book title and the author's name.
- Script It: Lights, camera, action! Write a movie script for a favorite scene in your book. At the top of the script you can assign real-life TV or movie stars to play each role. Double bonus (yes, that's 100 points): Video record your script. Create backdrops and costumes for a full effect.
- In the News! Create the front page of a newspaper that tells about events and characters in your book. Include weather reports, an editorial or editorial cartoon, ads, etc. which relate to the book. The title of the newspaper and headlines should be appropriately related to topics/themes from the book.
- Create a comic book! Turn a scene from your book into a comic book, complete with comic-style illustrations and dialogue bubbles.
- Characters Come to Life! Create life-size "portraits" of one of the characters from your book. The portrait should include a written piece that tells about the character including information about events, traits, or conflicts in the book that involve your character. Try adding and labeling objects from sections of the story.
- Picture Books: Create a picture book version of your book that would appeal to younger students.
- "Dear Diary" Create a diary or journal and write at least five entries that might have been written by a character in your book; the entries should share important details and events from the story.
- Jackdaw. A jackdaw is a crow-like bird known for picking up various brightly colored objects to add to its nest. Create a jackdaw by choosing important aspects of your novel and placing them in a container representative of your character and the times. Example: Based on the book Holes, you might choose a suitcase to hold your items. Include in your container such things as letters, maps, diary entries, drawings, newspaper articles, pictures and any other item significant to the main character. Attach a note to each item describing the significance of each item.
New Leadership Charter School
2008 Summer Reading List: Grade 7
- The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain
- The adventures of Tom Sawyer and his friend, Huck Finn, in a Mississippi River town during the nineteenth century.
- The Afterlife by Gary Soto
- The victim of a random stabbing at a teen disco, Chuy comes back as a ghost to view his family as they carry on without him -- and to experience both deep friendship and true love.
- The Brave by Robert Lipsyte
- Having left the Indian reservation for the streets of New York, 17-year-old boxer Sonny Bear tries to harness his inner rage by training with Alfred Brooks, who has left the sport to become a policeman.
- Breaking Through by Francisco Jimenez
- At the age of fourteen, Francisco Jiménez, together with his older brother Roberto and his mother, are caught by la migra. Forced to leave their home, the entire family travels all night for twenty hours by bus, arriving at the U.S. and Mexican border in Nogales, Arizona. In the months and years that follow, Francisco, his mother and father, and his seven brothers and sister struggle to keep their family together.
- 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.
- Cuba 15 by Nancy Osa
- Violet is preparing for her quinceanera somewhat reluctantly. Her Cuban-American family wants to go all out for her traditional 15th birthday celebration, but she sees herself as a modern American teen.
- Dicey's Song by Cynthia Voight
- Dicey Tillerman and her three younger siblings James, Maybeth, and Sammy are now living with their widowed grandmother Abigail Tillerman, or Gram as the children call her, on Gram's farm just outside of Crisfield, Maryland. In Crisfield, the children have the chance to start living a completely new life in their new family home, even though several of the major issues of Homecoming are not resolved.
- Dunk by David Lubar
- While hoping to work as the clown in an amusement park dunk tank on the New Jersey shore the summer before his junior year in high school, Chad faces his best friend's serious illness, hassles with police, and the girl that got away.
- Eragon by Christopher Paolini
- This fantasy novel tells the story of a young farm boy named Eragon and his dragon, Saphira. After Saphira hatches for Eragon in the opening chapters, King Galbatorix sends his servants (including the Ra'zac , Urgals, and the shade Durza) after Eragon and Saphira, in an effort to capture or kill them.
- Heat by Mike Lupica
- Pitching prodigy Michael Arroyo yearns to play in the Majors like his hero, El Grande, also a Cuban immigrant. Michael gets in big trouble when rumors fly that he is older than he claims.
- Last Shot: A Final Four Mystery by John Feinstein
- School newspaper reporters Stevie and Susan have a chance to cover college basketball's thrilling playoffs in person. Stumbling on a scheme involving game-fixing and blackmail, they find themselves dealing in real journalism - and real danger.
- Milkweed by Jerry Spinelli
- Newberry Award winning author paints a vivid picture of the streets of the Nazi-occupied Warsaw during World War II, as seen through the eyes of a curious, kind, and naïve orphan.
- Once Upon a Marigold by Jean Ferris
- It's a modern fairy tale with a bunch of clever twists. It's a comedy in several acts. Above all it's fun! It takes place in a long ago far away kind of magical land, but has a witty tone. Eighteen-year-old Christian, a hero, is a bright, independent boy. When he was only six-years-old he ran away from his parents and persuaded a troll to let him live with him in his forest cave.
- Perfect by Natasha Friend
- Isabelle lost her dad to a heart attack, and her mom is too depressed to talk with her daughter. Now Isabelle copes by binging and purging. She makes friends with popular Ashley in her eating-disorder support group, but is the friendship worth the price?
- Secret of Me by Meg Kearney
- Lizzie and two of her best friends are adopted. At home, Lizzie feels accepted and comfortable, but at school her adoption story is a secret. In a series of poems, Lizzie considers a future where she could share her secret and even look for her birthmother.
- Shakespeare Bats Cleanup by Ron Koertge
- Kevin would much rather play baseball than read or write poetry -- who wouldn't? But now he's got a case of mono and he's surprised to find that writing poems not only passes the time, but also helps him deal with love and loss.
- Spellbound by Janet McDonald
- Raven and her best friend are teenage mothers headed nowhere -- until Raven enters a spelling bee that just might win her a place in an intensive college prep course.
- The Skin I'm In by Sharon Flake
- A gripping story about 14-year-old Maleeka, a girl whose very dark skin causes her trouble at school until she becomes close to a teacher who has lived with a visible birthmark.
- Thirteen by James Howe
- An assortment of stories by current authors all dealing with the awkward, thrilling, and sometimes funny experience of being age thirteen.
Call the Reference Desk at 413-263-6828 ext. 213, your branch library, or use our Askalibrarian service to reserve a book today! |
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