English 7 Summer Reading
Dear Parents of Rising Seventh Grade Readers,
In addition to reading Lessons from a Sheep Dog by Phillip Keller
ISBN-13: 978-0-8499-1765-3,
Below you’ll find an introduction and an additional assignment from the English Department:
Dear Parents of Rising English 7 Readers,
As your son or daughter’s English teachers, we desire to encourage intellectual curiosity and stimulate a
love for reading; we want students at HHCA to become lifelong readers, not just “forced” summer
readers.
Students are given the opportunity to choose a text that both interests and challenges them. Here, you
parents are in the position to know what your child is both compelled by and capable of understanding.
You may have favorite books of your own that you would like to share with your children, or perhaps
feel that your son or daughter would benefit from a particular read; this is your opportunity to partner
with HHCA’s English faculty in fostering a lifelong affinity for reading by aiding your son or daughter
in the selection of a book that will be meaningful and lasting to him or her.
We hope that this will be an opportunity for you to read with your children, together or independently,
and then discuss the book and the impact it has on your child, both intellectually and spiritually. Those
of you with several children may choose a single book that you can read and discuss as a family. If you
are uncertain as to an appropriate choice, we have provided a list of possible options from which you
can help your child choose. This list is only a guide; please feel free to draw from it or to search out
alternate options that will meet the needs and interests of your child.
In the quest for the perfect book, we simply ask that it be a book that is age appropriate. Each student
will be responsible for reading the book. He or she may take notes on it or keep a reading journal if that
helps with his or her comprehension, but note-taking is not required. Students will be assessed on the
book of their choice by the assignments that they complete, details of which are provided on the last
page of this document. These assignments will be due on the first day of school.
Sincerely,
The HHCA English Department
Summer Reading Assignments
For Seventh Grade English this summer, you will be reading one book of your choice and working on
assignments for that book.
1. Read a book of your choice that is 150 pages or more in length that you have
not already read.
2. Be prepared to answer an in-class writing prompt based on your book. I will give
you the writing prompt during the first week of school. The writing prompt will
be a 40-point test grade.
3. Choose and complete the two assignments I explain below:
Assignment #1:
Keep a journal with a minimum of seven entries that correspond with your reading.
Each entry should be at least a decent-sized paragraph in length and should not be a
retelling/summary of the book.
Journal entry ideas for fiction:
1. If you could change one scene or chapter in the book, which would it be
and why?
2. Rewrite the ending.
3. Imagine what would happen if one of the characters from your book
entered the world of another book you’ve read. How would he/she react?
4. Discuss the strengths and/or weaknesses of the book.
5. Which characters would you like to have as friends?
6. Which characters would you not want as friends?
7. Compare and/or contrast your book to another book you’ve read.
8. Discuss a theme or main idea of your book.
9. Rewrite a scene in script format.
10.If they made a movie of your book, who would play the main characters
and why?
11.Rate your book on a scale of one to ten and explain why you gave it the
rating you did.
12.If you could change the setting of the book to a different time in history,
how would that change the characters and/or the plot of the book?
13.If you could change the setting of the book to a different place, how
would that change the characters and/or the plot of the book?
14.If you changed the point of view of the story (whether it’s told in first
person, second person, or third person), how would that affect the story?
15.Write a journal entry as if you are one of the characters.
16.Discuss the use of symbolism in the book.
17.Surprise me!
Journal entry ideas for nonfiction:
1. If you have to only choose three, what would the three most important
points of the book be and why?
2. If this book were to be taught in school, which class/subject area would
be most appropriate for it to be taught in and why?
3. If you could ask the author three questions about the book, what would
they be and why?
4. Explain three new things you learned by reading this book.
5. Explain one or two things that surprised you in the book.
6. If your book is an autobiography, a biography, or includes extensive details
about a person’s life, did reading the book make you want to meet that
person or not and why?
7. Would your book make a good movie? Explain why or why not.
8. If your book were made into a movie, what kind of actors, writers, and/or
producers would likely be involved in the project?
9. Compare and/or contrast your book to another book you’ve read.
10. Explain why you chose to read this book. What drew your attention to it?
11. Rate your book on a scale of one to ten and explain why you gave it the
rating you did.
12. Create a graphic organizer that could be used to organize a chapter or
section of your book. Fill out the organizer once you’ve designed it.
13. Surprise me!
Assignment #2
(continued on next page)
Assignment #2
Compose a three to four minute presentation for the class that includes the following:
• A visual component (PowerPoint, artistic illustration, poster, etc.)
• A brief summary of the book’s plot (don’t give away the ending though!)
• A description of four or more main characters and their values or personalities
• A discussion of three or more themes, messages, or main ideas in the book
• A recommendation to potential readers based on your enjoyment/dislike of the
book
Once you’ve chosen which book to read, begin working and have the
assignment finished by the second day of school. This part of the summer
reading will be a substantial homework, quiz, and test grade.
NOTE TO PARENTS: Below is a list of recommended texts. Each novel on the list is a highly
acclaimed piece of work and has great literary merit; they are in alphabetical order by author last name.
They are of varied backgrounds and subject matter; however, this does not mean that we believe that
each family represented in this grade will agree with every word of every book. Use your judgment
when assisting your son or daughter with a summer reading novel selection.
List of Recommended Texts for 7th Grade Summer Reading
Fever 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson
The Man Who Was Poe by Avi
Peter and the Shadow Thieves by Dave Barry
Sticks by Joan Bauer
Code Talker by Joseph Bruchac
The Trial: A Novel by Jen Bryant
Journey of the Sparrows by Fran Leeper Bus
Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul by Jack Canfield
Where the Lilies Bloom by Vera and Bill Cleaver
Crazy Lady! by Jane Leslie Conly
Waiting for Normal by Leslie Connor
The Last Apprentice: Revenge of the Witch by Joseph Delaney
The London Eye Mystery by Sioban Dowd
Cover Up by John Feinstein
The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
Summer of My German Soldier by Bette Green
Project Sweet Life by Brent Hartinger
The Great Wide Sea by M.H. Herlong
Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse
The Maze by Will Hobbs
Redwall by Brian Jacques
Beyond the Burning Time by Kathryn Lasky
Fairest by Gail Carson Levine
Prince Caspian by C.S. Lewis
The Clone Codes by Pat McKissack
Myst, The Book of Atrus by Rand Miller, etc.
The Wild Girls by Pat Murphy
Z for Zachariah by Robert C. O’Brien
How Angel Peterson Got His Name by Gary Paulsen
Define Normal by Julie Anne Peters
Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls
When the Whistle Blows by Fran Cannon Slayton
Shabanu, Daughter of the Wind by Suzanne Fisher Staples
The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
Homecoming by Cynthia Voigt