Grades 5/6/7/8 Summer Reading 2016
Former U.S. Slave Fredrick Douglass once said, “Once you learn to read, you will be forever free.” Can
you imagine putting anything on the same level of importance as your physical freedom? And yet Mr.
Douglass realized the immense value in being able to read- and not just read, but read well. Reading is
not only a gateway to higher knowledge and skill-development, but also a path to enjoyment, personal
growth, and fulfillment. Let’s keep our skills strong and robust over the summer!
Your summer reading assignment is to read one (1) award winning book of your choice, and choose a
project that fits your own personal style. We have included some helpful websites that you can use as a
guide in your search for a good book.
THESE SITES ARE ONLY A PLACE TO START! Feel free to visit your local library or book store for more
options. Bear in mind that e-bay and amazon.com are great websites where you may find a great book
for as little as one dollar
Newbery Awards
The Newberry Medal is awarded to the year’s most distinguished contribution to American literature for
children. http://www.goodreads.com/award/show/21-newbery-medal
Coretta Scott King Awards
This award is given to African-American authors and illustrators for outstanding contributions to
children’s and young adult literature in books which promote appreciation of the contribution of all
people to the realization of the American Dream, to peace, and to world brotherhood.
http://www.ala.org/emiert/cskbookawards
Pura Belpré Medal
The Pura Belpré Award, established in 1996, is presented annually to a Latino/Latina writer and
illustrator whose work best portrays, affirms, and celebrates the Latino cultural experience in an
outstanding work of literature for children and youth.
http://www.ala.org/alsc/awardsgrants/bookmedia/belpremedal
Edgar Awards
Each spring, Mystery Writers of America present the Edgar® Awards, widely acknowledged to be the
most prestigious awards in the genre of mystery. http://www.theedgars.com/nominees.html
National Book Critics Circle Awards
Every year since 1974, the National Book Critics Circle (NBCC) presents awards for the finest books
published in English. Awards are presented annually, in March. Awards are in six categories:
Autobiography; Biography; Criticism; Fiction; Nonfiction; Poetry.
http://www.goodreads.com/award/show/6609-national-book-critics-circle-award
Your job this summer will be to choose one book and complete the following steps.
1) Read the entire novel. Make sure you have NOT read this novel before and that it is ageappropriate.
2) Look at the choice board to see your activity options. If you are entering 8th grade, choose four
different activities that you would like to do. If you are entering 7th, choose three. For incoming
5th and 6th graders, choose two.
3) When you are half-way done with your novel, incoming 8th graders need to complete two of
their activities. All other grade levels will complete one of activities they chose.
4) When you have finished your novel, incoming 8th graders will complete the other two activities.
7th graders will complete their last two activities, and 5th and 6th graders will complete their
second activity.
5) 8th graders will have a total of four activities to turn in, 7th graders will have three, and 5th and 6th
graders will have two. All work will be turned in on the first day of school.
Please read the following choice board rubric, the accompanying choice board, and the attached work
samples to see what your options are and what is required.
Choice Board Rubric
Criteria
Value
Student completes any written
assignments in APA format (see
attached guidelines)
Student follows ALL of the instructions
listed on the choice board, completing
both the artistic product as well as any
required writing component.
Student includes textual evidence for
each point made in their product.
10
Student prepares a neat and carefullydone product, editing it before
completion, and making sure it is free of
errors and/ or sloppiness.
Total Points:
10
40
20
80
Earned
Choice Board:
1.
Visual Tour
Choose pictures of five “artifacts” from
the book that best illustrate the events
and what they mean in the story. Draw or
print out a picture of this image. Beneath
each picture, explain the significance of
the item in one paragraph. Include
quotations and page numbers to back up
your statement.
2.
Letter to a Producer
3.
Say it in Music
Write a letter to a movie producer trying
to get that person interested in making
your book into a movie. Explain why the
story, characters, conflicts, etc. would
make a good film. Suggest a filming
location and the best actors to play
various roles. Make your argument
convincing and include quotations and
page numbers when referencing story
events. Your letter must be in the
business letter format.
5. Personal Letter
Find a song or poem that relates to the
theme of your book. In at least two
paragraphs, use specific quotations from
both the song and the novel to explain
the similarities between the theme and
the song/ poem.
Create a cartoon of the whole book or
one significant chapter from the book.
Create at least eight panels and fully
illustrated with captions (text written
out). 5 of the panels need to have an
explanation paragraph attached with
quotations and page numbers.
7. Dear Diary
Write a letter to the main character of
your book asking questions, protesting a
situation, and/ or making a complaint
and/ or a suggestion. This must be done in
correct letter format. Include page
numbers and quotations to back up your
claims.
8. Present with Pizzazz
Create a PowerPoint presentation, which
includes 10-15 slides that provide a
summary of the novel and insight into the
main character’s life.
Write two diary entries from the
perspective of a main character in the
book that describes your reactions to the
events in the book. As the character,
express your feelings and how and why
they changed throughout the story. Use
quotations to back up your statements.
Create a presentation on poster board or
a large piece of construction paper. In
your presentation, you need to start with
one sentence stating the main idea of the
section or chapter. Follow your main idea
with five bullet points of supporting
details. These details must include
quotations with page numbers. Finally,
write two sentences on how these details
add to the story’s theme and one
paragraph on how this theme is visible in
our world today.
11. Monologue Video
Draw and label the plot pyramid for a
sequel to this book. Be sure to include the
five stages of development with a
paragraph describing each part.
(Exposition, rising action, climax, falling
action, resolution)
Pretend you are your character. Record a
two minute video where you “think out
loud” and talk about your feelings about
an incident that occurs in the book.
Pretend you are “talking” to your diary or
a sympathetic audience. The video must
be accompanied by a notes sheet with ten
bullet points on it, referencing the event
that occurred (including page numbers
and quotations) and textual clues
indicating that the character feels a
certain way about it. How you choose to
express those feelings is up to your acting
imagination; just make sure you are true
to the spirit of the story (for example if
the character is mad about something,
don’t be happy about it in your video).
Create a timeline of the events in your
story. List ten things that occur (describe
the event in two sentences each) and give
quotations with page numbers to back up
your statement. Include 5 illustrations
(either hand-drawn or printed from the
internet) that give us an idea of what this
event may have looked like.
4.
Do it Like Disney
10. One-Pager
Create a decorative summary of the story
on a piece of paper. Choose at least 7
literary elements that you see examples
of in your story, and create a text box for
each on your one-pager. Write one
sentence explaining the example, include
a page number and quotation to back up
your point, and make sure you have three
different colors to add to the artistic
quality. (See the attached sample onepager and list of literary elements)
6.
9.
Power in the Point
Part Two Plot
12. Story Timeline
Possible Literary Elements:
1) Figurative Language- Similes/ Metaphors (“her smile is like the morning sun”/ “She is a
habanero pepper when she’s mad!”)
2) Symbolism- something represents an idea (for example in the Christmas Story, the gun
represents being a “Real” little boy to the kid)
3) Foreshadowing- a hint that something bad will happen (ex: in “The Cay”, when Timothy says
“we have a lot of work to do- stay alive” it hints they have a long battle ahead of them.)
4) Voice- who is telling the story? Is it in first, second, or third person?
5) Imagery- it paints a picture in your mind
6) Characterization- do we “Get to know” the characters through continual description or watching
them do or say things? When the author tells us what the character is like that is direct
characterization; when we infer it based on the character’s words/ actions, that is indirect.
7) Theme- what are some big ideas the story makes you think of?
8) Conflict- every story has one! Is it internal or external? Furthermore, you can describe the type
of conflict: Man vs. Man, Man vs. Self, Man vs. Society, or Man vs. Nature.
9) Idioms: use of slang (for example, remember that in the cartoon Charlie Brown, he is often
called a “Blockhead.”)
General APA Formatting Expectations

Double spacing and typed (not handwritten) work is necessary.

All work should be submitted on 8.5 x 11 paper.

Page headers, with numbers flush to the right, should run on each page of the essay and include
a brief version of the essay’s title in less than 50 words.

One-inch margins are necessary.

Font should be very clear - 12 pt. Times New Roman is recommended.

Essays must include four sections: References, Abstract, Body and a Title Page.

On the Title Page include a centered (both horizontally and vertically) Title. The author’s name
should appear underneath the title. Underneath the author’s name should be the institution
with which the author is affiliated.

Between 150 - 250 words, the Abstract should be the second page of the essay.

The Abstract should be titled with the centered word “Abstract” at the top of the page.

The Abstract should include major information from the research such as topic, question,
methodology, analysis, participants and an overall analysis.
Please note: For two or three paragraph write-ups that accompany a project, an abstract and reference
page are not needed. Just include a title page so you can get used to making one, and a header with the
title of the assignment at the top of the page of text. Make sure you type it in Times New Roman 12 point
font, double spaced.
Read more at http://examples.yourdictionary.com/apa-format-examples.html#lDCG4gCUsD1C7Ep0.99
One Pager Sample: