Incoming Eighth Grade Summer Reading List
The Face on the Milk Carton, Caroline B. Cooney (Lexile 660)
ISBN-13: 9780385742382
No one ever really paid close attention to the faces of the missing children on the milk
cartons. But as Janie Johnson glanced at the face of the ordinary little girl with her hair in
tight pigtails, wearing a dress with a narrow white collar—a three-year-old who had been
kidnapped twelve years before from a shopping mall in New Jersey—she felt overcome
with shock. She recognized that little girl—it was she. How could it possibly be true?
Janie can't believe that her loving parents kidnapped her, but as she begins to piece
things together, nothing makes sense. Something is terribly wrong. Are Mr. and Mrs.
Johnson really her parents? And if not, who is Janie Johnson, and what really
happened?
The Impossible Knife of Memory, Laurie Halse Anderson (Lexile 720)
ISBN-13: 978-0670012091
For the past five years, Hayley Kincaid and her father, Andy, have been on the road,
never staying long in one place as he struggles to escape the demons that have tortured
him since his return from Iraq. Now they are back in the town where he grew up so
Hayley can attend school. Perhaps, for the first time, Hayley can have a normal life, put
aside her own painful memories, even have a relationship with Finn, the hot guy who
obviously likes her but is hiding secrets of his own. Will being back home help Andy’s
PTSD, or will his terrible memories drag him to the edge of hell, and drugs push him
over?
Fallen Angels, Walter Dean Myers (650 Lexile)
ISBN-13: 978-0756987978
Richard Perry is a young man trying to hold on to his dreams amidst his troubled
neighborhood, Harlem, New York City. Though highly intellectual, Perry cannot afford to
attend college and thus enlists in the United States Army when his basketball career is
ended early by an injury. Little does he know that the Vietnam conflict is about to
escalate to gruesome levels. Amid philosophical reflections and a dire struggle to
maintain their humanity, a bleak but realistic depiction of combat gradually unfolds for
the young soldiers far from home. Careless military leadership, brutal guerrilla
resistance, and American war crimes are just a few of the horrors young Perry witnesses
firsthand. With no end in sight to the war, the men wonder if any will return home at all.
The Unlikely Hero of Room 13B, Teresa Toten (Lexile 620)
ISBN-13: 978-0553507867
The instant Adam Spencer Ross meets Robyn Plummer in his Young Adult OCD
Support Group, he is hopelessly, desperately drawn to her. Robyn has a hypnotic voice,
blue eyes the shade of an angry sky, and ravishing beauty that makes Adam’s insides
ache. She’s also just been released from a residential psychiatric program—the kind for
the worst, most difficult-to-cure cases; the kind that Adam and his fellow support group
members will do anything to avoid joining. Adam immediately knows that he has to save
Robyn, must save Robyn, or die trying. But is it really Robyn who needs rescuing? And
is it possible to have a normal relationship when your life is anything but?
Seraphina, Rachel Hartman (Lexile 760)
ISBN-13: 978-0375866562
In the kingdom of Goredd, dragons and humans live and work side by side – while below
the surface, tensions and hostility simmer. The newest member of the royal court, a
uniquely gifted musician named Seraphina, holds a deep secret of her own. One that
she guards with all of her being. When a member of the royal family is brutally
murdered, Seraphina is drawn into the investigation alongside the dangerously
perceptive—and dashing—Prince Lucien. But as the two uncover a sinister plot to
destroy the wavering peace of the kingdom, Seraphina’s struggle to protect her secret
becomes increasingly difficult… while its discovery could mean her very life.
We Were Liars, E. Lockhart (600 Lexile)
ISBN-13: 978-0385741262
A beautiful and distinguished family.
A private island.
A brilliant, damaged girl; a passionate, political boy.
A group of four friends—the Liars—whose friendship turns destructive.
A revolution. An accident. A secret.
Lies upon lies.
True love.
The truth.
We Were Liars is a modern, sophisticated suspense novel from New York
Times bestselling author, National Book Award finalist, and Printz Award honoree E.
Lockhart.
Read it.
And if anyone asks you how it ends, just LIE.
Chains, Laurie Halse Anderson (780 Lexile)
ISBN-13: 978-1416905868
As the Revolutionary War begins, thirteen-year-old Isabel wages her own
fight...for freedom. Promised freedom upon the death of their owner, she and her
sister, Ruth, in a cruel twist of fate become the property of a malicious New York
City couple, the Locktons, who have no sympathy for the American Revolution
and even less for Ruth and Isabel. When Isabel meets Curzon, a slave with ties
to the Patriots, he encourages her to spy on her owners, who know details of
British plans for invasion. She is reluctant at first, but when the unthinkable
happens to Ruth, Isabel realizes her loyalty is available to the bidder who can
provide her with freedom.
The Berlin Boxing Club, Robert Sharenow (880 Lexile)
ISBN-13: 978-0061579707
Karl Stern has never thought of himself as a Jew. But the bullies at his school in
Nazi-era Berlin, don't care that Karl has never been in a synagogue or that his
family doesn't practice religion. Demoralized by attacks on a heritage he doesn't
accept as his own, Karl longs to prove his worth. So when Max Schmeling,
champion boxer and German national hero, makes a deal with Karl's father to
give Karl boxing lessons, a skilled cartoonist, Karl has never had an interest in
boxing, but now it seems like the perfect chance to reinvent himself. But when
Nazi violence against Jews escalates, Karl must take on a new role: protector of
his family. And as Max's fame forces him to associate with Hitler and other Nazi
elites, Karl begins to wonder where his hero's sympathies truly lie. Can Karl
balance his dream of boxing greatness with his obligation to keep his family out
of harm's way?
All American Boys, by Jason Reynolds (770 Lexile)
ISBN-13: 978-1481463331
two teens—one black, one white—grapple with the repercussions of a single violent act
that leaves their school, their community, and, ultimately, the country bitterly divided by
racial tension.
A bag of chips. That’s all sixteen-year-old Rashad is looking for at the corner bodega.
What he finds instead is a fist-happy cop, Paul Galluzzo, who mistakes Rashad for a
shoplifter, mistakes Rashad’s pleadings that he’s stolen nothing for belligerence,
mistakes Rashad’s resistance to leave the bodega as resisting arrest, mistakes
Rashad’s every flinch at every punch the cop throws as further resistance and refusal to
STAY STILL as ordered. But how can you stay still when someone is pounding your face
into the concrete pavement?
There were witnesses: Quinn Collins—a varsity basketball player and Rashad’s
classmate who has been raised by Paul since his own father died in Afghanistan—and a
video camera. Soon the beating is all over the news and Paul is getting threatened with
accusations of prejudice and racial brutality. Quinn refuses to believe that the man who
has basically been his savior could possibly be guilty. But then Rashad is absent. And
absent again. And again. And the basketball team—half of whom are Rashad’s best
friends—start to take sides. As does the school. And the town. Simmering tensions
threaten to explode as Rashad and Quinn are forced to face decisions and
consequences they had never considered before.
Written in tandem by two award-winning authors, this four-starred reviews tour de force
shares the alternating perspectives of Rashad and Quinn as the complications from that
single violent moment, the type taken from the headlines, unfold and reverberate to
highlight an unwelcome truth.
The Year We Disappeared, Cylin and John Busby (940 Lexile)
1599904542
ISBN-13: 978-
When Cylin Busby was nine years old, she was obsessed with Izod clothing, the
Muppets, and a box turtle she kept in a shoebox. Then everything changed overnight.
Her police officer father, John, was driving to his shift when someone leveled a shotgun
at his window. The blasts that followed left John's jaw on the passenger seat of his car—
literally. While clinging to life, he managed to write down the name of the only person he
thought could have pulled the trigger. The suspect? A local ex-con with rumored mob
connections. The motive? Officer Busby was scheduled to testify against the suspect's
family in an upcoming trial. Overnight, the Busbys went from being the "family next door"
to one under 24-hour armed guard, with police escorts to school, and no contact with
friends. Worse, the shooter was still on the loose, and it seemed only a matter of time
before he'd come after John—or someone else in the family—again. With few choices
left to them, the Busby family went into hiding, severing all ties to the only life they had
known.
Noggin, John Corey Whaley (760 Lexile)
1442458734
ISBN-13: 978-
Travis Coates has a good head…on someone else’s shoulders.
Listen—Travis Coates was alive once and then he wasn’t.
Now he’s alive again.
Simple as that.
The in between part is still a little fuzzy, but Travis can tell you that, at some point or
another, his head got chopped off and shoved into a freezer in Denver, Colorado. Five
years later, it was reattached to some other guy’s body, and well, here he is. Despite all
logic, he’s still sixteen, but everything and everyone around him has changed. That
includes his bedroom, his parents, his best friend, and his girlfriend. Or maybe she’s not
his girlfriend anymore? That’s a bit fuzzy too. Looks like if the new Travis and the old
Travis are ever going to find a way to exist together, there are going to be a few more
scars. Oh well, you only live twice.
*Book descriptions courtesy of Amazon.com and Barnes&Noble.com
Eighth Grade Summer Reading Project
Overview: You will read one of the books from the eighth grade summer reading list
and you will complete four activities on Padlet about four different signposts before the
first day of school. On the first day of school, you will bring with you the completed
checklist indicating your summer work.
How to access Padlet:
1. Type in the Padlet link for your book
2. Click on the key symbol on the right side of the page to sign up for a free Padlet
account
3. Log in using your school email account with Google (if you do not have a school
e-mail account or cannot access it, use a personal e-mail.)
4. Double click anywhere on the board to add your work
Padlet links:
Berlin Boxing Club-- Padlet password: Sharenow
https://padlet.com/cstuart1/v6h6kclj0lmz
Chains-- Padlet password: Anderson
https://padlet.com/cstuart1/dh0v8ic6ntcf
Seraphina-- Padlet password: Hartman
https://padlet.com/cstuart1/58uacvfp5zhg
The Unlikely Hero of Rm. 13B-- Padlet password: Toten
https://padlet.com/cstuart1/3c1j47e9yqrg
Fallen Angels-- Padlet password: Myers
https://padlet.com/cstuart1/fhv3gg603o6p
The Year We Disappeared-- Padlet password: Busby
https://padlet.com/cstuart1/332d0i0mwlex
All American Boys--Padlet password: Kiely
https://padlet.com/cstuart1/gudr5qz9r0r0
Noggin--Padlet password: Whaley
https://padlet.com/cstuart1/v62i380c2y74
We Were Liars--Padlet password: Lockhart
https://padlet.com/cstuart1/o73brq8z6cuh
The Face on the Milk Carton--Padlet password: Cooney
https://padlet.com/cstuart1/jxu0bd49cuv
The Impossible Knife of Memory-- Padlet password: Anderson
https://padlet.com/cstuart1/gc9qq13idcni
Things to understand about this summer project: Your eighth grade language arts
teachers know that you have practiced identifying the six signposts in sixth grade and
then again in seventh grade. This project is not going to ask you to identify them again.
We assume you can all identify them. Instead, this summer project requires you to apply
your understanding of the signposts to larger, abstract concepts that can be found in
books through close, careful reading.
Some of the activities require you to craft your response in paragraph format. In eighth
grade, a well-developed paragraph must begin with a topic sentence and be between 57 sentences in length.
Finally, an example of each activity has been provided for you following each of the
activity choices. The example provided is meant to show you the basics, but it is
incomplete and should not be considered what a final post would look like.
Conscientious, well-prepared students will do the following:
1. Use post-it notes as they read to mark signposts and keep notes along the way
instead of waiting until they’ve read the entire book.
2. Write (or type) a rough draft of their Padlet postings before logging onto Padlet to
submit the posts.
3. Plan and practice the video postings (perhaps even writing a few notes) so the
product everyone sees is polished.
Questions?
If you have ANY questions about this summer project or how to use Padlet, please email
one of the eighth grade language arts teachers and we will get back to you as soon as
we possibly can.
Mrs. Stuart:
Miss Ferdinando:
Mrs. McCorkle
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
It’s important to us that you enjoy your summer reading choice and that you are able to
have fun using Padlet to show us what you understand about close reading by applying
the signposts you’ve learned. So please, don’t hesitate to contact us if you need help.
Eighth Grade Summer Reading Project
Directions
This is what you MUST do:
Choose a passage that is an example of either Contrasts and Contradictions
OR an Aha Moment.
THEN
Create an audio or video recording of yourself reading the passage (about half a page)
aloud from your book. You may create the recording using the webcam on a laptop or
on a smart phone.
AND
Include in your recording why the passage you’ve selected is an example of the
signpost you chose.
These are the activities you can CHOOSE from (select three):
1. Find something visual that can represent ANY one signpost in your book.
You may look for a picture, an artifact or a work of art that shows what you
visualize when you think of one of the signposts in the book you are reading.
Post the picture on Padlet. Write a caption of at least five sentences which
explains the connection between the visual element and the signpost you’ve
chosen.
Example: In the book Hunger Games, I notice a Contrast and Contradiction when
Katniss Everdeen volunteers to be a tribute for her sister,
Prim. When I ask myself why Katniss would do such a
thing, I arrive at the conclusion that her little sister means
more to Katniss than her own safety. I think about how
wonderful it would be to have a sister like that. Here is a
picture I’ve found that does a good job of showing what I
envision when I think about the bond between sisters.
2. Find a Memory Moment that you can
connect to personally. Type the memory moment
passage from the book (include the page number). In one well-developed
paragraph, explain the importance of the memory to the character in the book.
Then, in a second well-developed paragraph, explain how this reminds you of an
important memory of your own.
Example: In the novel Divergent, Tris remembers something her mother said
when she was little about making sacrifices. When both of Tris’s parents are killed, this
memory moment comes back to Tris. As an adult and mom of three children, there have
been times when I’ve sacrificed something I’ve wanted for the betterment of my children.
This memory moment in the book makes me wonder if my children will one day
understand that being a parent sometimes means making sacrifices.
3. Find a theme in your book. Use your knowledge of the Again and Again
signpost AND the Tough Questions signpost to help you to identify an important
theme of the book. Choose a poem or a set of song lyrics that is connected to
the theme that you’ve identified. On Padlet, write the theme as a complete
sentence. Post the poem or the song lyrics (give credit to the author or artist). In
a well-developed paragraph, explain the connection between the poem or song
and the theme that you’ve found in the book.
Example: The book, The Things They Carried, by Tim O’Brien, is about the
many aspects of warfare. An important theme is that humans can still see and appreciate
beauty in the midst of terrifying circumstances. When reading this book, I am reminded
of a song titled “Peace on Earth,” by the band U2. Here are the lyrics to this song:
Heaven on Earth, We need it now, I'm sick of all of this hanging around…”
4. Make a book recommendation. Who would enjoy this book? Either record
yourself in a video making a recommendation or compose a well-written
paragraph recommending this book to a particular kind of reader. The person
can be a peer, a teacher or a family member. In your recommendation, be sure
to cite a signpost to form your recommendation.
Example: Gary Paulsen’s outdoor adventure book, Hatchet, is filled with Words
of the Wiser. When reading this book I am reminded of Mr. Shirley and the way he is
always giving one-liner pieces of advice to his students...I think that Mr. Shirley would
like to read this book because...
5. Connect your book to current events. Young adult authors frequently choose
their subjects based on current events. Using Time.com or The New York Times
on-line, search for an article (type in key words) that relates to the theme or plot
of your book. On Padlet, explain the topic or theme you have honed in on and
include a link to the article.
The science fiction novel, Feed, by M. T. Anderson, explores the idea of online
communication and its dangers. Here is an article from The New York Times Learning
Network that addresses real-life teens’ need for constant social interaction:
http://learning.blogs.nytimes.com/?s=teens+internet
6. Find Words of the Wiser in real life: If the subject of your book is a recurring
issue in the world, find a person who has been an important real-life figure in this
area. Identify this person and his or her significance to this area. Include one of
his or her quotes or pieces of advice and explain what it means.
Example: Scott Westerfeld’s book, Uglies, deals with teens’ body image and
how it is linked to self-esteem and self-worth. A role model for teens today that supports
the idea of loving oneself for the way you are is Lady Gaga. She once said, “Sometimes
in life you don’t always feel like a winner, but that doesn’t mean you’re not a winner, you
want to be like yourself…”
Cathleen Stuart 6/2/2015 10:05 PM
Comment [1]: I think we need to actually
state the theme in a sentence. Maybe...An
important theme is that humans can still
see and appreciate beauty in the midst of
terrifying circumstances. (or maybe that it
is the young who are expected to fight
their countries' battles--but I think the first
one goes along with the U2 song better)
7. Use the Again & Again signpost to inspire an original piece
of art: Create an original piece of artwork that reflects your
understanding of this signpost in the book you are reading. You
may paint, draw or create any piece of artwork that illustrates a
recurring image in the book. Take a picture of you holding your
artwork and post it to Padlet. In 2-3 sentences, identify the
Again & Again signpost in the book and explain how your
artwork captures this idea.
Example: In the book, Tuck Everlasting, an Again & Again
signpost that caught my attention is the ferris wheel, which is meant to show the
unending passage of time...Here is a picture of a ferris wheel that I made to show…
8. Use the Tough Questions signpost to evaluate character development:
Apply your understanding of this signpost to a place in the novel in which the
character asks questions that reveal his or her inner struggles. Write a oneparagraph response that includes the tough questions, what the character did to
address the situation and how the character changes as a result of this
introspection. Then, in a second paragraph, evaluate the character’s actions: Is
the character development realistic or unrealistic? Explain your thinking.
Example: Deadline, by Chris Crutcher, is a book about a boy who finds out that
he has only one year to live. At one point in the story, he breaks down and asks himself
tough questions… This character decides not to tell any of his friends about his terminal
illness so that he can live out his senior year of high school as normally as possible…
Thinking about all of the teenagers I’ve known, I think that this is unrealistic for many
reasons…
Contrasts & Contradictions
When a character does something that contrasts with what you’d expect or contradicts his earlier acts or
statements, STOP and ask, “What is the character doing that?”
Aha Moment
When a character realizes, understands, or finally figures something out, STOP and ask yourself, “How
might this change things?”
Tough Questions
When a character asks herself a very difficult question, STOP and ask yourself, “What does this question
make me wonder about?”
Words of the Wiser
When a character (probably older and wiser) takes the main character aside and offers serious advice,
STOP and ask, “What’s the life lesson and how might it affect the character?”
Again & Again
When you notice a word, phrase or situation mentioned over and over, STOP and ask yourself, “Why
does this keep happening again and again?”
Memory Moment
When the author interrupts the action to tell you about a memory, STOP and ask yourself, “Why might this
memory be important?”
First and Last Name/Pd: ____________________________
Title of book: _____________________________________
Summer Reading Project Completion Checklist
DIRECTIONS: Let your teacher know what you posted to Padlet by completing the
appropriate items below. Bring this completed checklist to language arts class on
the first day of school and give it to your teacher.
Required Activity:
I posted
(circle one)
a video recording
an audio recording
reading aloud from page(s) _____________________________________________
Option 1: I posted a picture of ____________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
to represent (name of a signpost) __________________________________________
Option 2: The Memory Moment that I can connect to is on pages ________________
One sentence that names the personal connection: ____________________________
______________________________________________________________________
Option 3: Title of the song or poem I chose: _________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
Option 4: Name of person I recommend this book to: __________________________
______________________________________________________________________
Option 5: Current event subject I related my book to: __________________________
______________________________________________________________________
Option 6: Name of the real-life person who inspires others: _____________________
______________________________________________________________________
Option 7: Description of the original artwork I created: _________________________
______________________________________________________________________
Option 8: Name of the character I evaluated: ________________________________
______________________________________________________________________