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15 days ago
Students:
These are possible choices
for your summer reading books. Students, make sure you discuss with your
parents(s)/guardian(s) what you choose to read remembering these are choices
and some may have delicate material.
Please do not read something you have already read and remember to
choose at your reading level. Junior high students may read up into the high
school level if desired. Don’t read
something too easy for you. Challenge yourself as well as choose a book you
will love. Some of these you may check out from the school, but you must return
in the fall or you will be charged for it.
If there is a listed
book which is in a series, please remember you may read any book in that series
that you have not already read.
The following are NOT
choices because they are used in classes:
Les
Miserables, Count of Monte Cristo,
Frankenstein, Hound of the Baskervilles, Black Like Me, Tale of Two
Cities, Macbeth, A Separate Peace, The Scarlet Letter, Ethan Frome, My Antonia, Huckleberry Finn¸ The Crucible, Fahrenheit 451,
The Giver, Night, Julius Caesar , Great Expectations, To Kill a Mockingbird,
Anne Frank, I Heard the Owl Call My Name, Guts, Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry,
Esperanza Rising ,Rent Collector
Grade Level Recommendation |
Book |
Author |
Genre |
School has this book for checkout if you desire |
Junior High |
Touching Spirit Bear |
Ben Mikaelsen |
fiction |
X (SR) |
Every Soul a Star |
Wendy Mass |
fiction |
|
|
Outsiders |
S.E. Hinton |
fiction |
X (SR) |
|
Summer of My German Soldier |
Bette Greene |
fiction |
X (SR) |
|
The Call of the Wild |
Jack London |
Adventure fiction |
|
|
A Day No Pigs Would Die |
Robert Newton Peck |
Fiction |
Library |
|
The Sign of the Beaver |
Elizabeth George Spear |
Historical fiction |
Library |
|
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer |
Mark Twain |
Satire, Folklore, Adventure Fiction |
X (BR) |
|
Bridge to Terabithia |
Katherine Paterson |
Realistic fiction |
Library |
|
Park’s Quest |
Katherine Paterson |
fiction |
Library |
|
The Pinballs |
Betsy Byars |
Fiction |
|
|
The Crossing |
Gary Paulsen |
Fiction |
Library |
|
Sarny: A Life Remembered |
Gary Paulsen |
Historical fiction |
|
|
Fablehaven Series |
Brandon Mull |
Fantasy |
|
|
From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler |
E.L. Konigsburg |
Fiction |
|
|
Devil’s Arithmetic |
Jane Yolen |
Historical fiction |
|
|
A Family Apart |
Joan Lowery Nixon |
Fiction |
Library |
|
Number the Stars |
Lois Lowry |
Historical Fiction |
Library |
|
Julie of the Wolves |
Jean Craighead George |
Fiction |
Library |
|
Harriet Tubman Conductor on Underground Railroad |
Ann Petry |
Biography |
|
|
The Boys in the Boat(Abridged) |
Daniel James Brown |
Narrative nonfiction |
X(SR) |
|
Finest Hours by Tougias and Sherman |
Casey Sherman and Michael Tougias |
Nonfiction-true story of coast guard’s daring rescue |
|
|
Anne of Green Gables Books |
L.M. Montgomery |
Realistic fiction |
|
|
Chronicles of Narnia Books |
C.S. Lewis |
Fantasy |
|
|
The Hiding Place |
Corrie Ten Boom |
nonfiction |
|
|
Junior high(continued) |
Beneath A Scarlet Sky(series) |
Mark Sullivan |
Epic tale(based on true story) |
|
Dragon’s Keep |
Janet Lee Carey |
Adventure/Fantasy |
|
|
Candy Shop War |
Brandon Mull |
Fantasy Fiction |
Library |
|
The Brotherband Chronicles |
John Flanagan |
Fantasy Fiction |
|
|
Wild Life |
Richard Ford |
nonfiction |
|
|
The False Prince |
Jennifer A. Nielsen |
Fantasy fiction |
|
|
Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief |
Rick Riordan |
Fantasy, young adult, Greek mythology |
|
|
The Ghost of Graylock |
Dan Poblocki |
Ghost story, paranormal fiction |
|
|
The Quick and the Dead |
Louis L’Amour |
Western/fiction |
|
|
Sounder |
James Barkley/William Armstrong |
fiction |
|
|
Indian in the Cupboard |
Lynne Reid Banks |
fantasy |
|
|
High school |
Where I Belong The Great Gatsby |
Marcia Argueta Mickelson |
Fiction Realistic fiction |
Library |
Shane |
Jack Schaefer |
Western |
|
|
A Lesson Before Dying |
Ernest Gaines |
Fiction but based on true story |
|
|
The Alchemist |
Paulo Coelho |
Adventure, Fantasy |
|
|
Lightning Thief |
Rick Riordian |
Fantasy, Greek Mythology |
X |
|
Education of Little Tree |
Forrest Carter |
Historical Fiction |
X(a few) |
|
Of Mice and Men |
John Steinbeck |
Realistic fiction/Tragedy |
Library |
|
The Book Thief |
MarKus Zusak |
Realistic/historical fiction |
Library |
|
Finest Hours by Tougias and Sherman |
Casey Sherman and Michael Tougias |
nonfiction |
|
|
The Help |
Kathryn Stockett |
Realistic fiction |
X |
|
Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet |
Jamie Ford |
Japanese American Experience WWII |
X |
|
Orphan Keeper |
Camron Wright |
Suspense, Historical Fiction |
X |
|
And Then There Were none |
Agatha Christie |
Mystery |
Library |
|
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time |
Mark Haddon |
Mystery |
|
|
The Maltese Falcon |
Dashielle Hammott |
Mystery |
|
|
Rebecca |
Daphne du Maurier |
Mystery |
|
|
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes |
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle |
Mystery |
|
|
Murder on the Orient Express |
Agatha Christie |
Mystery |
Library |
|
The Turn of the Screw |
Henry James |
Mystery |
Library |
|
Michael Vey Series |
Richard Paul Evans |
Fantasy |
X |
|
The Hunger Games Series |
Suzanne Collins |
Fantasy/Science Fiction |
X |
|
The Lord of the Rings Series |
J.R.R. Tolkien |
Fantasy/Science Fiction |
Library |
|
Brave New World |
Aldous Huxley |
Fantasy/Dystopian-Science Fiction |
Library |
|
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone Series |
J.K.Rowling |
Fantasy/Science Fiction |
Library |
|
Unwind(Series) |
Neal Shusterman |
Fantasy/Science Fiction |
|
|
Enders Game |
Orson Scott Card |
Fantasy/Science Fiction |
X (SR) |
|
The Things They Carried |
Tim O’Brien |
Historical Fiction- |
Library |
|
All Quiet on the Western Front |
Erich Maria Remarque |
Historical Fiction |
|
|
Red Badge of Courage |
Stephen Crane |
Historical Fiction |
X (SR) |
|
Uncle Tom’s Cabin |
Harriet Beecher Stowe |
Anti-slavery novel |
X (SR) |
|
The Poisonwood Bible(longer book-slow read but good) |
Barbara Kingsolver |
Historical Fiction |
|
|
The Secret Life of Bees |
Sue Monk Kidd |
Historical fiction |
|
|
The Odyssey |
Homer |
epic |
|
|
The Scarlet Pimpernel |
Baroness Orczy |
Historical fiction |
|
|
The Boy on the Wooden Box |
Leon Layson |
Nonfiction |
Library |
|
The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind |
Bryan
Mealer and William Kamkwamba |
Nonfiction |
|
|
Life of Pi |
Yann Martel |
Adventure Fiction |
|
|
The Chosen |
Chaim Potok |
Student recommended |
|
|
The Glass Castle |
Jeannette Walls |
Biography |
Library |
|
Tuesdays With Morrie |
Mitch Albom |
Biography |
Library |
|
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings |
Maya Angelou |
Biography |
|
|
The Other Wes Moore |
Wes Moore |
Biography |
|
|
Angela’s Ashes |
Frank McCourt |
Biography |
|
|
A Long Way Gone |
Ishmael Beah |
Biography |
Library |
|
Mountains Beyond Mountains |
Tracy Kidder |
Biography |
|
|
Stiff |
Mary Roach |
Science |
Library |
|
Jurassic Park |
Michael Crichton |
Science |
Library |
|
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks |
Rebecca Skloot |
Science |
|
|
Silent Spring |
Rachel Carson |
Science |
Library |
|
The Hot Zone |
Richard Preston |
Science |
Library |
|
Einstein’s Dreams |
Alan Lightman |
Science |
|
|
Chesapeake |
James A Michener |
History |
|
|
Long Walk to Freedom |
Nelson Mandela |
History |
X(BR) |
|
Unbroken |
Laura Hillenbrand |
History/Biography |
X (SR) |
|
Light in the Forest |
Conrad Richter |
Coming of Age |
X (SR) |
|
A Farewell to Arms |
Ernest Hemingway |
Fiction |
Library |
|
Animal Farm |
George Orwell |
Satire |
X(BR) pretty rough
shape) |
|
Grapes of Wrath |
John Steinbeck |
Historical Fiction |
X |
|
The Good Earth |
Pearl S. Buck |
Historical Fiction |
Library |
|
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn |
Betty Smith |
Fiction |
|
|
1984 |
George Orwell |
Dystopian Fiction |
X |
|
A Prayer for Owen Meany |
John Irving |
Fiction |
|
|
Death of a Salesman |
Arthur Miller |
Tragedy |
Library |
|
East of Eden |
John Steinbeck |
Allegory/drama |
Library |
|
Hiroshima |
John Hersey |
War Account |
Library |
|
Pride and Prejudice |
Jane Austen |
Fiction |
Library |
|
Jane Eyre |
Charlotte Bronte |
Romance, Classic Regency |
Library |
|
Wuthering Heights |
Emile Bronte |
Tragedy, Gothic Fiction |
X (BR) |
|
The Canterbury Tales |
Geoffrey |
Fiction |
Library |
|
The House on Mango Street |
Sandra Cisneros |
Fiction |
|
|
Roots |
Alex Haley |
Fiction |
Library |
|
The House of Seven Gables |
Nathaniel Hawthorne |
Gothic Fiction |
Library |
|
A Midsummer Night’s Dream |
William Shakespeare |
Fantasy Fiction |
X (BR) |
|
The Joy Luck Club |
Amy Tan |
Fiction |
X (BR) |
|
Death on the Nile |
Agatha Christie |
Crime Fiction |
X (BR) |
|
Three Cups of Tea |
Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin |
Memoir |
X (BR) |
|
Anthem |
Ayn Rand |
Science Fiction |
X (BR) |
|
The Long Walk |
Slavomir Rawicz |
Fiction |
X (BR) |
|
Laughing Boy |
Oliver La Farge |
Historical Fiction |
X (BR) |
|
Fellowship of the Ring |
J.R.R. Tolkien |
Fantasy |
X(BR) |
|
The Jungle |
Upton Sinclair |
Fiction |
X (BR) |
|
The Pigman |
Paul Zindel |
Fiction |
X (BR) |
|
April Morning |
Howard Fast |
Historical Fiction |
X(BR) |
|
The Kite Runner |
Khaled Hosseini |
Fiction |
X |
|
The Pearl |
John Steinbeck |
Parable, Fiction |
X (BR) |
|
High School(continued) |
The Fifth Wave(series) |
Rick Yancy |
Science fiction |
|
Gathering Blue, Messenger, Son |
Lois Lowry |
Dystopian fiction |
|
|
Sense and Sensibility |
Jane Austen |
romance |
|
|
The Landry News |
Andrew Clements |
Nonfiction(history, journalism, government) |
|
|
Steve Jobs Biography |
Walter Isaacson |
nonfiction |
|
|
Heroes of Olympus Series-junior high and high school level |
Rick Riordan |
Fantasy/fiction |
|
|
The Silent Storm |
Sherry Garland |
Adventure |
|
|
Insignia |
S.J. Kincaid |
Nonfiction |
|
|
The Selection(series) |
Kiera Cass |
Dystopian, young adult, romance |
|
|
Doomed Queen Anne |
Carolyn Meyer |
Historical fiction, young adult fiction |
|
|
Lunar Chronicles(series) |
Marissa Meyer |
Fantasy, fiction, dystopian |
|
|
Bamboo People |
Mitali Perkins |
fiction |
|
|
The Running Dream |
Wendelin Van Draanen |
fiction |
|
|
Sammy’s Song |
Alma Yates |
fiction |
|
|
If I Stay |
Gayle Forman |
fiction |
|
|
The Captive Maiden |
Melanie Dickerson |
fiction |
|
|
Escape from Camp 14 |
Blain Harden |
biography |
|
|
Where the Crawdads Sing |
Delia Owens |
fiction |
|
|
Between a Rock and a Hard Place |
Aron Rolsten |
nonfiction |
|
|
The Shallows |
Nicholas Carr |
nonfiction |
|
|
Between Shades of Gray |
Ruta Sepetys |
Historical |
|
Name: __________________
English: _________________
Summer Reading Rubric and Reflection
Date: ___________________
Summer Reading Book of Choice Written Project
Please review the following rubric and give yourself an honest appraisal. Then answer the following questions.
Category | 3 Proficient | 2 Developing | 1-Inadequate |
Length -1 ½ to 2 pages(junior high) 2-3 pages(high school) Essay Format—beginning, middle, ending paragraphs |
|
|
|
Introduction-introduce title and author of the book with a few engaging sentences about the book. Hook the reader. |
|
|
|
Body- Required components--Characterization: Who is the protagonist? Why has the writer used this character as the protagonist? Expound on how the protagonist changes or doesn’t change by using events. Explain protagonist’s traits. Resolution: How does the book end? Discuss if you liked or did not like the ending and why or why not. How did the climax resolve the conflict? |
|
|
|
Body- Own choice component—two more for high school and one more for junior high(Follow guidelines-Expound) |
|
|
|
Conclusion-Evaluate the storyline and reflect upon own reading of the book |
|
|
|
BEST EFFORT was shown in written report. |
|
|
|
Did you complete your book by Wednesday, August 16 _____________________________________
If no, FINISH and let the teacher know when you are done because points are being given for completion as well as above categories on written essay. (Over)
Reflect on your overall experience with reading your book. Consider strengths and weaknesses. What was the best part of the experience? What were some of your struggles? If you did struggle, what are some goals you can make to make the next reading assignment more successful? ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
2023 Summer Reading Book of Choice Written Project
Directions: All writing is due on Wednesday, August 16 except incoming seventh graders will write their projects in class the first two days of school. All students need to make sure their book is read before school starts. Grades for the writing project will be included in the fall 2023 grades. The typed assessment should be written in essay form following the outline. Use the outline for specifics
on what to discuss. Writing should expound on these points in paragraph format. Junior high needs to be one and a half pages minimum to two pages maximum which includes three components from Roman numeral two below. High school needs to be two pages minimum to three pages maximum which included four components from Roman numeral two below. Use different events to prove your answers. Line spacing is double but make sure there are no extra spaces between paragraphs. All books need to be read. Audio books are okay IF the students read with the audio book.
I. Introduction Paragraph-Required
A. Introduce the title and author of the book with a few original summarizing sentences about the book. Hook the reader in introduction.
II. Body Paragraphs-Required to do the A component and F component then choose other components(at least one more for junior high and two more for high school) for the body of your essay.
Remember to indent paragraphs each time you start a new component (A, B, C, etc.)
A. Characterization
1. Who is the protagonist?
2. Why has the writer used this character as the hero/protagonist?
3. Discuss if the protagonist (main character) is a dynamic (changes throughout the course
of the book-Do not explain physical changes but internal) or static(does not
change) character. Expound on how the protagonist changes or doesn’t change by using
events which occur during the course of the novel and how these events affect the
protagonist. Explain what traits this character possesses from beginning to ending.
The same trait may be used throughout the whole book if applicable but use
different events to prove the protagonist’s trait(s).
B. Theme(moral to the story statement)
1. What is the lesson learned from the novel? State this as a complete sentence.
2. Discuss at least two different events from the beginning and ending of the book which
give supporting evidence for the theme. Choose the best events to prove the theme.
C. Conflict
1. What is the conflict which drives the entire plot of the novel?
2. Expound on this conflict and how it leads to other events throughout the novel.
D. Point of View
1. What point of view was the novel narrated in?
2. What is the writer’s purpose for writing in this point of view?
3. Share two events showing why this point of view was best in these events.
E. Climax
1. What was the most emotional turning point of the novel? Expound on it.
2. Discuss what led up to it being the most emotional part.
F. Resolution
1. How did the book end?
2. Discuss if you liked or did not like the ending and why or why not.
3. How did the climax resolve the conflict?
G. Facts vs. Opinions
1. List three facts found in this book. To be a fact, one must be able to prove it.
2. Expound on at least one of the facts and why it is important and/or startling.
3. List three opinions about those facts.
4. Expound on at least one of your opinions.
H. Title Interpretation
1. Why was the book given the title it was?
2. Was it an effective or ineffective title?
3. If you were to give it a new title, what would it be and why? Even if you like the title, think of a
different one.
I. Relationships in the book
1. Discuss at least one relationship in the book.
2. How did the relationship change or stay the same throughout the novel? Show this through events.
III. Concluding Paragraph-Required
A. Evaluate and summarize the storyline
B. Reflect upon your own reading of the book
Make sure you make your conclusion a strong paragraph and don’t announce that you are concluding. Just do it. Proofread and fix your own errors. Your grammar and mechanics matter in your grade.