Dear Parents and Guardians of Rising Seventh Grade Students,
This email is about the required summer reading for incoming seventh grade students. The new seventh
grade summer reading selection for English Humanities is The Diary of Anne Frank.
Many of us are familiar with this book, a published diary of a girl who lived in hiding in Amsterdam during
the Holocaust and later perished in a concentration camp. This book is one of the seminal examples of
the human cost of the Holocaust and a moving example of personal memoir. This memoir has been read
by millions of people and translated into many languages. Primo Levi claims that “...one single Anne
Frank moves us more than the countless others who suffered just as she did but whose faces have
remained in the shadows. Perhaps it is better that way; if we were capable of taking in all the suffering of
all those people, we would not be able to live.” Because of her extraordinary literary talent and capacity
for wonder, many students felt a deep kinship with Anne. For many young people, this book accomplishes
what only the best stories can do: it develops our ability to sympathize and connect with another person
on a deeply personal human level.
The Diary of Anne Frank, of course, has adult themes. Anne later perished in the Holocaust and often
worried about the threats of the Nazis during her time inside. The returning seventh-graders learned about
the Holocaust during sixth grade and should have some historical context for this event. Beyond these
more serious events, Anne was a teenager: she smoked the occasional cigarette, reflected on her
sexuality and experienced her first kiss. Based on its reading level and young adult themes, Scholastic
and Common Sense Media rate this book as appropriate for sixth and seventh grades.
Beyond Anne Frank’s literary and historical significance, we chose her memoir as a terrific example of a
first person narrative to use as a model for our first unit on personal narrative. However, we also chose
this book in hopes that our students will share that same sense of connection, empathy and wonder
experienced by countless readers around the globe.
We leave you with some of Anne’s writing:
It’s utterly impossible for me to build my life on a foundation of chaos, suffering and death. I see
the world being slowly transformed into a wilderness, I hear the approaching thunder that, one
day, will destroy us too. I feel the suffering of millions. And yet, when I look up at the sky, I
somehow feel that everything will change for the better, that this cruelty too shall end, that peace
and tranquility will return once more. In the meantime, I must hold on to my ideals. Perhaps the
day will come when I’ll be able to realize them!
In our other required book for seventh grade, The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind, students will read a true
story about a boy who transformed his life and community in Malawi, Africa with things we take for
granted—electricity and running water. In order to make summer reading a fruitful experience for all our
students, the book comes in two versions: the New York Times bestseller edition and the Young Readers
Edition. Students should begin reading the original version; however, know that the Young Readers
Edition is also available.
Best,
The seventh grade humanities team
AVENUES NEW YORK LLC 212.524.9000
INFORMATION FOR STUDENTS
Dear Rising Seventh-Graders,
Welcome to seventh grade! Because we think reading is so important for your success in the Upper
Division, we want you to devour as many books as possible over the course of the summer. Set a goal for
yourself, and make a plan to reach that goal. If you’re traveling, pack along a few books. If you’re home,
build in a consistent time to do some reading.
We do have two required texts that we want all rising seventh-graders to read before we return to school
in September: The Diary of Anne Frank by Anne Frank and The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind by
William Kamkwamba.
Beyond these two texts, it is important you continue to build your own personal reading habits. To do this,
we ask that you also read one book of your choice.
Therefore, we are requiring each student to read three books in total:
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One free choice book at an appropriate reading level for you from the book list below OR from the
library web sites:
o http://school.avenues.org/msuslibrary/
o http://school.avenues.org/elclslibrary/ (There are great middle-level book suggestions on the
Lower Division site)
The Diary of Anne Frank by Anne Frank. This must be in a paper copy and not on your iPad so you
can annotate. Important: There are three versions of the diary: the original, the revised and the
critical. Make sure you buy the REVISED edition of the diary in the blue hyperlink. This book is
one of the most important memoirs of Western literature, and your teachers are excited to talk about it
with you in the seventh grade.
The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind by William Kamkwamba
You do not need to do any writing about the books, but we suggest that you annotate Anne Frank in order
to deepen your understanding of it. If you need help focusing your annotations, practice looking for the
literary elements you learned about this year, such as themes, motifs, symbols, suspense,
characterization, conflict, etc. However, remember that annotating might be as simple as marking a line
here or there or starring phrases that look important. Focus on the meaning and quality of what you mark
and not a volume of annotations. If you are new to Avenues, annotate in whatever way is familiar to you.
We look forward to working with you in the seventh grade.
Best,
The seventh grade humanities team
AVENUES NEW YORK LLC 212.524.9000