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Summer Reading and Novels for 2017 – 2018
3rd Grade
Summer Reading Assignment:
1. Read, or have someone read to you, Third Grade Angels by Jerry Spinelli. Be ready to
take the AR test during the first week of school.
2. Read, or have someone read to you, What’s the Matter in Mr. Whiskers’ Room? by
Michael Elsohn Ross. Be ready to write a summary paragraph about one of Mr.
Whiskers’ “big ideas” the first week of school.
Novels for next year:
Sarah, Plain and Tall, Charlotte's Web, The Iron Giant
4th Grade
Summer Reading Assignment:
Please read any 3 books on the 2017-2018 Bluebonnet list. Children will take the AR tests in the
library during the first week of school.
5th Grade
Summer Reading Assignment:
1. Read each of the following novels:
Out of Mind by Sharon Draper
Crossover by Kwame Alexander
2. Choose one of the activities below to turn in the first day of school.
Circle Map (Out of My Mind)
Draw a circle map on white copy paper (8.5’ X 11”). Write the name of your
favorite character in the center. Include words and phrases that describe the
character in the outside circle. On the back of the paper, draw a sketch of the
character.
Create a Collage (Crossover)
The poet incorporates ten poems about “rules” that offer connections between
basketball and life throughout the novel. Create a collage poster that pulls
together images related to key words of the poems in a new, visual representation
of the rules.
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“Basketball Rule #1” (p.20)
“Basketball Rule #2” (p.51)
“Basketball Rule #3” (p. 66)
“Basketball Rule #4” (p. 71)
“Basketball Rule #5” (p. 93)
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“Basketball Rule #6” (p. 129)
“Basketball Rule #7” (p. 146)
“Basketball Rule #8” (p.191)
“Basketball Rule #9” (p.214)
“Basketball Rule #10” (p. 230)
Novels for next year:
Wonder-R. J. Palacio-1st quarter
Tuck Everlasting-Natalie Babbitt-3rd quarter
6th Grade
Summer Reading Assignment:
1. Read two interesting books within your ZPD—one fiction and one nonfiction.
2. Be prepared to take the AR quizzes on these after school begins in August.
3. An iPad project will also be required based on this summer reading.
Novels for next year:
The Giver
Brooklyn Bridge
7th Grade
Summer Reading Assignment:
1. Read two interesting books within your ZPD—one fiction and one nonfiction.
2. Be prepared to take the AR quizzes on these after school begins in August.
3. An iPad project will also be required based on this summer reading.
Novels for next year:
Listening for Lions. Gloria Whelan. iBook. ATOS Level: 5.7 – 2nd quarter
The Outsiders. S. E. Hinton. iBook. ATOS Level 4.7 – 4th quarter
8th Grade
Summer Reading Assignment:
1. Read novel Red Kayak by Priscilla Cummings
2. Read 1 book from the following list:
Fever 1783 by Laurie Halse Anderson
The Boy in the Wooden Box by Leon Leyson
The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park
3. For each novel you read – Identify theme, climax, resolution, setting, conflict, and main
characters (with a brief description). This can be done in list format with one or two sentences
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for each item. This information will be used in a project during the first week of school. This
does not need to be written to be turned in.
4. Write 4 vignettes (vignette is very brief short story that focuses on one moment in time) about
different times in your life. These should be no more than one page each. You should focus on
an important event, memory, or special time in your life. You must use at least 10 of the words
from the attached vocabulary list. Each vignette must have 10 different vocabulary words.
Please highlight the words you used. These vignettes must be in Office 365, so that you have
access to the files during school. These vignettes will be turned in on Moodle.
Novels for next year:
The Pearl by John Steinbeck – This is an E-book.
Numbering All the Bones by Ann Rinaldi – This is a paperback book.
Vocabulary List for 8th Grade – Summer
This list contains some of the words you will need to know to excel on the ISEE test. Study these words.
Learn these words. Use these words in your writing this summer. They are loosely grouped around
certain themes, but they are not to be considered synonyms. Knowing the meanings of these words and
using them correctly will add color and sophistication to your writing style.
Love and Hate
1. allure (n): fascination, appeal
Synonyms: temptation, fascination, attraction
2. ardent (adj): characterized by passion or desire
Synonyms: passionate, enthusiastic, fervent
3. compassion (n): a deep feeling of pity or sympathy for others
Synonyms: pity, sympathy, mercy
4. despicable (adj): deserving contempt
Synonyms: hateful, contemptible, base, mean, vile, detestable, depraved
5. repugnant (adj): gross, repulsive, or revolting
Synonyms: distasteful, objectionable, offensive
6. spurn (v): reject with scorn, turn away
Synonyms: refuse, snub
7. vehement (adj): with deep feeling
Synonyms: passionate, earnest, fervent
8. vex (v): to irritate to a great degree, to annoy
Synonyms: tease, irritate, provoke, torment, pester, harass, bother
9. wrath (n): extreme anger
Synonyms: ire, fury, rage
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Hot and Cold
10. arid (adj): very dry, lacking moisture; unproductive, unimaginative
Synonyms: dry, parched, barren, dull, uninteresting, insipid
11. dehydrate (v): to remove water from
Synonyms: dry out, parch
12. deluge (n): flood, large overflowing of water; too much of anything
Synonyms: (n) flood, overflow, inundation, torrent; (v) inundate, engulf, flood, overwhelm
13. humid (adj): moist or damp
Synonyms: muggy, sticky, sultry
14. scald (v): to burn with hot liquid or steam
Synonyms: burn, scorch, boil
15. temperate (adj): a mild climate; denying oneself too much pleasure; avoiding
extreme positions, moderate, sensible
Synonyms: mild, moderate; self-denying, sensible, level-headed, rational
16. tepid (adj): neither hot nor cold; lukewarm; lacking character or spirit, bland
Synonyms: mild, temperate; unenthusiastic, halfhearted, indifferent
17. torrid (adj): extremely hot, scorching
Synonyms: hot, parched, sizzling
Coming and Going
18. abduct (v): to carry, take, or lead away forcefully and wrongly
Synonyms: kidnap, carry off
19. adjourn (v): to postpone; to suspend (a meeting) for a period of time
Synonyms: suspend, recess, postpone
20. banish (v) to send away, condemn to exile; drive or put away
Synonyms: expel, exile, deport
21. caprice (n): sudden, unpredictable change
Synonyms: impulse, whim, fancy
22. compel (v): to force someone or something to act
Synonyms: force, coerce, goad, motivate
23. disseminate (v): to scatter or spread widely
Synonyms: spread, broadcast, disperse
24. divert (v): to change the course of; to draw someone’s attention by amusing them
Synonyms: deflect, reroute, turn; amuse, entertain, distract
25. evacuate (v): to empty out, remove, or withdraw
Synonyms: expel, empty, vacate, remove
26. extraction (v): the process of removal; (n): something removed
Synonyms: (v) removal
27. finale (n): the final part of some entertainment, often musical
Synonyms: end, finish, conclusion, wind-up
28. hasty (adv): done quickly (often too quickly); rushed, sloppy
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Synonyms: rushed, sloppy, shoddy, careless
29. imminent (adj): about to happen
Synonyms: impending, approaching, near
30. kinetic (adj): related to motion
Synonyms: animated, energetic, spirited, moving
31. nimble (adj): quick and agile in movement or thought
Synonyms: agile, active, quick, clever
32. nomad (n): someone who has no permanent home and wanders
Synonyms: wanderer, vagrant
33. propel (v): to move, make something to forward
Synonyms: compel, project, drive
34. terminate (v): to stop, end
Synonyms: cease, finish, conclude
35.
vacate (v): leave
Synonyms: depart, go
Sublime and Ridiculous
36. altruistic (adj): concerned for the welfare of others
Synonyms: benevolent, charitable, compassionate, humane
37. articulate (adj): well spoken; (v) to pronounce clearly
Synonyms: eloquent; enunciate
38. astute (adj): shrewd and perceptive; able to understand clearly and quickly
Synonyms: keen, discerning, penetrating, incisive, perceptive, crafty, wily
39. banal (adj): boringly predictable
Synonyms: boring, dull, bland, insipid
40. benefactor (n): one who gives financial or general assistance
Synonyms: patron, backer, donor
41. beneficial (adj): advantageous, helpful; conferring benefit
Synonyms: advantageous, favorable
42. benevolence (n): inclination to do good deeds
Synonyms: largesse
43. devout (adj): deeply religious
Synonyms: pious, religious, reverent
44. eccentric (adj): deviating from accepted conduct; (n) an odd or peculiar person
Synonyms: odd, unorthodox, unconventional, offbeat; freak, oddball, weirdo, nonconformist
45. err (v): to make a mistake
Synonym: sin
46. erudite (adj): knowledgeable and learned
Synonyms: wise, informed
47. felicity (n): happiness, bliss
Synonym: contentment
48. magnanimous (adj): having a great or noble spirit; generous, patient, kind
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Synonyms: big-hearted, noble, tolerant
49. obtuse (adj): not acute; not smart ; thick or dull
Synonyms: slow, stupid
50. ostentatious (adj): pretentious and flashy
Synonyms: conspicuous, flashy, flamboyant, showy
51. pompous (adj): characterized by stiff, unnatural formality; pretentious
Synonyms: stuffy, affected, mannered, self-important, conceited
52. profound (adj): deep, wise, serious
Synonym: sagacious
53. suave (adj): smooth, graceful, and confident is speech and behavior
Synonyms: gracious, worldly, sophisticated, urbane, cosmopolitan, cultured, refined
54. superb (adj): wonderful, superior, excellent
Synonyms: splendid, magnificent, grand
55. trite (adj): lacking originality, inspiration, and interest
Synonyms: tired, banal, unoriginal, common, stale, pedestrian
All or Nothing
56. dearth (n): scarcity, lack
Synonym: shortage
57. desolation (n): condition of being deserted and destroyed
Synonyms: barrenness, desertion, bleakness
58. dogmatic (adj): asserting without proof; forcefully stating opinion as fact
Synonyms: absolute, opinionated, dictatorial, authoritative, arrogant
59. residue (n): something that remains after a part is taken
Synonyms: remainder, remnant, leftover
60. squalid (adj): very dirty or foul; wretched
Synonyms: filthy, sordid, poor, foul
61. vacuous (adj): silly, empty-headed, not serious
Synonyms: shallow, vapid
Horrible
62. atrocity (n): horrible act
Synonyms: horror, barbarity, outrage
63. dismal (adj): gloomy; cheerless
Synonyms: miserable, dreary
64. ferocious (adj): savage and fierce
Synonym: furious, violent
65. grotesque (adj): odd or unnatural, monstrous
Synonyms: bizarre, outlandish, ugly
66. harbinger (n): omen, precursor, forerunner
Synonyms: herald, predecessor
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67. horrid (adj): grossly offensive to decency or morality
Synonyms: hideous, horrific, outrageous, dreadful, shocking
68. murky (adj): dark, dim
Synonyms: obscure, gloomy
69. ominous (adj): threatening, menacing, having the character of an evil omen
Synonyms: foreboding
70. sinister (adj): threatening, evil, menacing
Synonyms: ominous, wicked
71. trepidation (n): fear, apprehension
Synonyms: fright, anxiety, trembling, hesitation
72. wretched (adj): miserable, pathetic
Synonyms: dejected, forlorn
Dramatic
73. bile (n): ill temper, irritability
Synonym: bitterness
74. bravado (n): a showy and pretentious display of courage
Synonyms: bluster, bombast, swagger
75. cantankerous (adj): quarrelsome or grouchy
Synonyms: argumentative, ill-tempered
76. choleric (adj): bad-tempered
Synonyms: hot-tempered, irascible, quick-tempered
77. contentious (adj) eager to quarrel
Synonyms: quarrelsome, feisty, combative, irascible, pugnacious
78. ebullient (adj): overflowing with fervor, enthusiasm, or excitement; high-spirited
Synonyms: bubbly, enthusiastic, exuberant
79. ecstatic (adj): deliriously overjoyed
Synonyms: delighted, euphoric
80. extroverted (adj): outgoing or interested in people
Synonyms: gregarious
81. fanatic (n): someone with excessive enthusiasm, especially in politics or religion
Synonyms: zealot, enthusiast, fiend
82. rabid (adj): (figuratively) acting fanatically or madly, as if afflicted with rabies
Synonyms: fanatical, mad, irrational, maniacal, lunatic
83. saucy (adj): impudent, impertinent, flippant
Synonyms: pert, lively, rude, insolent
84. vivacious (adj): lively, full of spirit
Synonyms: animated, spritely, spirited
85. zealous (adj): enthusiastic, eager
Synonyms: fervent, fervid, intense, passionate
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Lost and Found
86. aimless (adj): lacking purpose or goals
Synonyms: purposeless, haphazard, accidental
87. ascertain (v): to find out or discover by examination
Synonyms: determine, discover, unearth
88. demote (v): to reduce to a lower grade, position, or class
Synonym: downgrade
89. elusive (adj): hard to catch or find
Synonyms: slippery, evasive
90. ensnare (v): to capture
Synonym: trap
91. obscure (adj): hard to see; unknown, uncertain; (v) to hide or make difficult
Synonyms: vague, unclear, dubious; confuse, becloud
92. squander (v): to waste (often money) on some worthless purchase of practice
Synonyms: fritter away, consume, exhaust
93. usurp (v): to seize, take by force (used with abstract nouns like “power”)
Synonyms: seize, grab, steal
Hallowed
94. devotee (n): someone passionately devoted
Synonyms: enthusiast, fan, admirer
95. eminent (adj): distinguished, high in rank or station
Synonyms: prominent, famous, distinguished, noteworthy
96. hallowed (adj): regarded as holy; worthy of reverence
Synonym: sacred
97. immaculate (adj): spotless, free from error
synonyms: errorless, faultless, unblemished, impeccable
98. impious (adj): lacking piety or respect for religion
Synonyms: irreverent, sacrilegious
99. pious (adj): religiously devout or moral
Synonyms: religious, God-fearing, reverent, moral, righteous, upstanding
100. regal (adj): royal, splendid
Synonyms: kingly, majestic
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