New Leadership Charter School Summer Reading List: 2010 Incoming 6th Grade Students

This assignment is due on the first day of school. It will be the first graded assignment for your 6 th Grade English Language Arts class.

Reading Assignment

• Read two books from the reading list provided.

Writing Assignment

Write an essay about each book.

• Each essay must be at least three paragraphs long: hand written or typed.
• Each paragraph should be at least five sentences long.
• Your writing must identify and discuss characters, theme, plot, conflict, and resolution of the novel.
• You must express one of the following: your personal opinion of the novel, connections you made to the novel or a lesson you learned.

Your work should be:

1. Neat/organized
2. Pleasing to the eye (for example, use colorful illustrations)
3. Creative/Original
4. Accurately related to book events, characterization, theme etc.
   

Extra Credit

You may earn extra credit by completing one of the projects listed below (applied to your ELA class):

• 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.

• Extra Extra! Read All About It ! Design a front page of a newspaper that tells about events and characters in your book. You may 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.

• Diorama Box Collect items that represent the characters, setting, and events in the novel. You may use a shoe box to collect all the items and display them in a neat and organized manner. For example, if you read the novel Maniac Magee , you may include a sneaker, a book, a newspaper, and string. Select items that would help you retell the story and describe the characters.

2010 Summer Reading List: Incoming Grade 6

 

A Single Shard by Linda Sue Park

Set in 12th century Korea, this is the story of Tree-ear who lives under a bridge with his disabled older friend Crane-man. Tree-ear becomes fascinated with the potter's craft and longs to create celadon ceramics. A Newberry Award Winner.

Al Capone Does My Shirts by Gennifer Choldenko

When Moose's family moves to Alcatraz so his father can work as a guard and his sister can attend a special school in San Francisco, Moose has to leave his friends and his winning baseball team behind. But it's worth it, right? If his sister, Natalie, can finally get help, maybe his family will finally be normal.

Among the Hidden by Margaret Peterson Haddix

The Population Police allow two children per family, no more. As a third child in this future society, Luke has spent his life in hiding – until he meets Jen whose plan to free these "shadow children" draws Luke into the adventure of a lifetime.

Bud Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis

Set in Michigan during the Great Depression, the Newberry Award Winner tells the story of an orphan who sets out to find his real father. Buddy's convinced that the musician on an old poster his mother has saved is the man he's looking for.

Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life by Wendy Mass

One month before his 13th birthday, Jeremy Fink receives a mysterious box in the mail. It is securely locked and has the engraving "The Meaning of Life." It is a truly optimistic look at the world and the people who inhabit it.

Flush by Carl Hiaasen

Noah's dad is sure that the owner of the Coral Queen casino boat is flushing raw sewage into the harbor -- which has made taking a dip at the local beach like swimming in a toilet. He can't prove it, though, and so he decides that sinking the boat will make an effective statement.

Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli

Maniac Magee has no home and no family, but he is an athlete, a brain, and a great friend who is destined to be a hero and a legend.

Million Dollar Throw by Mike Lupica

Thirteen year old Nate is already a star football player when he wins a chance to throw a football through a target and win a million dollars. His dad has lost his job and his family may lose their house. But even worse, his best friend Abby is losing her eyesight to a disease. His team is counting on him to win games, his parents really could use the million dollars, and Abby needs his support.

 

The White Giraffe by Lauren St. John

The night Martine Allen turns eleven years old is the night her life changes completely. Martine's parents are killed in a fire, so she must leave her home to live on an African wildlife reserve with a grandmother she never knew she had.

 

Rules by Cynthia Lord

Twelve-year-old Catherine just wants a normal life, which is nearly impossible when you have a brother with autism and a family that revolves around his disability. She spend years creating list of "rules" for her brother. The novel is filled with warmth and humor.

Sounder by William Armstrong

The story of a poor black sharecropper family living in the Deep South during the Depression.

Stormbreaker by Anthony Horowitz

Fourteen-year-old Alex has always been told that his uncle was killed in a car accident. But Alex starts to unravel the mysterious truth when he discovers that his uncle's windshield was riddled with bullet holes.

Surviving the Applewhites by Stephanie Tolan

Jake, a budding juvenile delinquent, is sent to the arty Applewhite family's Creative Academy, where he becomes involved in a very unusual staging of "The Sound of Music." A cast of eccentric characters makes this Newberry Book funny and memorable.

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne

Bruno returns home from school one day, and he discovers that his belongings are being packed in crates. His father has received a promotion and the family must move from their home to a new house far, far away, where there is no one to play with and nothing to do.

The Tail of Emily Windsnap by Liz Kessler

Twelve-year-old Emily Windsnap lives on a houseboat in Brightport Harbor, but she has never learned to swim. When Emily hits the water, she gets the surprise of her life. Her long skinny legs have turned into a tail. That's right --- Emily is a mermaid!

The Lightning Thief by Percy Jackson

The adventures of modern day twelve-year-old Percy Jackson as he discovers he is a demigod , the son of a mortal woman and the Greek god Poseidon. Percy and his friends go on a quest to prevent an apocalyptic war between the Greek gods Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades.

The River by Gary Paulsen

Two years ago, Brian Robeson was stranded alone in the wilderness for fifty-four days with nothing but a small hatchet. He survived.

There's a Dead Person Following My Sister Around by Vivian Vande Velde

The story is about three siblings who live in a house that's about 150 years old. The youngest sister is haunted by a ghost who was a runaway slave. A thrilling and historical book!

Things Not Seen by Andrew Clements

Bobby wakes up to find himself invisible – which can be kind of cool, but with the police involved thinking he's been kidnapped or murdered, Bobby needs all the help he can get. His new friend Alicia, who is blind, may be able to see a solution.

Wait Till Helen Comes by Mary Downing Hahn

Molly and Michael, like most kids, weren't thrilled when their mom remarried, especially due to their creepy new stepsister, Heather, who seems determined to blame small problems on them and start fights. Exacerbating the problem is the new family's move to an old house (a converted church) in the country. A ghostly tale!

 

6/10

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