Advanced English Summer Reading Assignments:
The Wednesday Wars & Choice Book
For The Wednesday Wars:
1. Character Chart: In addition to annotating and reading actively, create a chart like the one below to identify who
each character is and what their personality is like. Also determine if they are a static character (do not change
during the story) or a dynamic character (do change during the story). If they are dynamic, explain what changes
about them.
*It does not matter if this is typed or handwritten as long as it is organized and easy to read. Make it something
you actually want to look at again. By the way, these are notes, so lists and bullet points may be more beneficial
than lengthy paragraphs.
Character
Who they are
Personality (strong, precise,
adjectives)
Dynamic or Static (and
why if dynamic)
2. Three Interesting Quotations: Also choose three quotations from the novel that you think will spark a great
class discussion. Type them out exactly as they appear in the text and include the page number in parentheses
after the quotation.
For your choice book:
Did you look at the list of books our last year students recommended for you? If not, go check it out on any 7th grade
English teacher’s webpage!
Read and enjoy! After you finish, write a book review. A book review evaluates the quality of a book. It examines
specific elements that were fantastic, terrible, or just mediocre. I’ll let the length be up to you, but your response should
be interesting, personal, and worth reading. A book review is not a plot summary. It may include a brief explanation of
what the book is generally about, but that is not all it should be. Here’s an example from a former student:
Review of Divergent by Veronica Roth:
I loved reading Divergent because I saw a version of a dystopian world that is unique is set apart
from any other related book. As I read, I was fascinated with the future that Veronica Roth
painted so clearly. Furthermore, anyone could tell that a lot of thought was put into the book
because even the names of the factions and their purposes are related. The way the book was laid
out made it more interesting. You never knew what was going to happen until it did, and that adds
suspense and keeps you reading. Also, I fell in love with the romance between Tobias (Four) and
Beatrice (Tris), and found myself longing to meet them. I feel that the only thing that could have
perfected this book would be if the author had provided more information about the factions and
their beliefs, though in the later books in the series more is provided. The point of view in this
book is completely appropriate, and adds to the fast pace by honing in on all of Beatrice’s
thoughts. If I could jump into the story, I would want to be in the Dauntless faction too because
they get to experience freedom and courage, which is kind of like selflessness. (Though I wouldn’t
want to commit to a single way of thinking.) Divergent is one of the best books I ever read, and I
look forward to reading the rest of the series.
*The Lightning Thief assignment is on a separate document.*
*All assignments are due on the first day of school.*