6th Grade
Summer Reading Assignment 2014-2015
OPTION 1: READ ONE BOOK FROM THE LIST BELOW
DIRECTIONS: Select one of the novels listed below, answer the reflection questions, and complete
the attached graphic organizer. PREVIEW THE QUESTIONS IN STEP 3 AND ON THE CHART BEFORE
YOU BEGIN READING.
DUE ON THE 1ST DAY OF SCHOOL: Bring your annotated summer reading book, your typed response,
and the completed character map.
STEP 1: Read one of the novels listed below:
Al Capone Does My Shirts
A Wrinkle in Time
Flush
Number the Stars
Old Yeller
Shiloh
The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate
Waiting for Normal
Among the Hidden
The Boy Who Saved Baseball
STEP 2:
Gennifer Choldenko
Madeleine L’Engle
Carl Hiaasen
Lois Lowry
Fred Gipson
Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
Jacqueline Kelly
Leslie Connor
Margaret Peterson Haddix
John H. Ritter
While reading, keep track of the following elements in the story by writing notes in your book. If you
have one, use a four-color pen to identify them. Otherwise, use a pen or pencil.
GREEN Characters:
Who are the important characters in the story?
What words does the author use to describe them?
BLACK
Setting:
Where does the story take place?
Plot:
What important events take place?
Vocabulary: Whenever you see a word you don’t know, draw a box around it.
BLUE
Connection: Does anything remind you of an event from another story, historic
event, or one from your own life?
RED
Reaction:
STEP 3:


♥
OMG
LOL
?
!
=
=
=
=
=
=
=
Happy
Sad
Love
Shock
Funny
Confused
Angry
How do you feel about the story while reading? Use the symbols
in the box to record your reaction in the page margins.
Briefly answer the following questions in typed or handwritten complete sentences.
THIS IS NOT THE ESSAY, nor do you have to write lengthy paragraph responses.
1. Who is the main character of your novel? What qualities does this character have? Why are these
qualities important to the story? Do you identify with the characters? How do the characters’ decisions
surprise you? Did you agree with these decisions? Why or why not?
2. How does the setting affect the story?
3. What is the main character’s goal or desire? Does he or she achieve it? What obstacles stand in the way?
STEP 4:
Complete the graphic organizer on the following page.
University School Middle School
Summer Reading Assignment 2014-2015
Incoming 6th Grade
Directions: Complete the following graphic organizer by filling out the boxes with the main character’s traits.
Feelings
Appearance
Main character’s emotions?
How does character look?
Internal Traits
Character
External Traits
Personality
Behavior
How would describe them? Are
they funny or serious? Motivated
or lazy? Positive or negative?
How character acts? What they do.