CCS Middle School Summer Reading 2015
For this year’s summer reading, you’ll read two books: one for your upcoming English class and another
book for a book group that will meet in August. For your choice book, you’ll meet for an extended time
of conversation with fellow students who read the book and the teacher who sponsored it. Accountability
for reading both books will be headquartered in your English class.
Once you decide which title you’d like to read, sign up using the Google form sent to your CCS email
account from [email protected]. You will receive this email on Monday, April 27th. Don’t
delay! Groups are limited to 20 students. If you are a new, incoming student to CCS, please email your
top five choices from the list below to [email protected].
Required Summer Reading for English class
English 6
Wonder by R.J. Palacio
English 6 Honors
The Wednesday Wars by Gary Schmidt
English 7
Choose one: The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle by Avi OR City of Orphans by Avi
English 7 Honors
The Princess and the Goblin by George MacDonald
English 8
The House of the Scorpion by Nancy Farmer
English 8 Honors
The House of the Scorpion by Nancy Farmer
Book Group Choices
(Use the Google form sent to your CCS email account from [email protected] to sign
up for your book. Sign-ups start April 27th. Spaces are limited to 20 per group.)
Code Talker by Joseph Bruchac
“Throughout World War II, in the conflict fought against Japan, Navajo code talkers were a crucial part
of the U.S. effort, sending messages back and forth in an unbreakable code that used their native
language. Joseph Bruchac brings their stories to life for young adults through the riveting fictional tale of
Ned Begay, a sixteen-year-old Navajo boy who becomes a code talker. His grueling journey is eyeopening and inspiring. This deeply affecting novel honors all of those young men, like Ned, who dared to
serve, and it honors the culture and language of the Navajo Indians.” (Amazon)
--Mr. Goette
Daniel's Story by Carol Matas
Daniel barely remembers leading a normal life before the Nazis came to power in 1933. He can still
picture once being happy and safe, but memories of those days are fading as he and his family face the
dangers threatening Jews in Hitler's Germany in the late 1930's. No longer able to practice their religion,
vote, own property, or even work, Daniel's family is forced from their home in Frankfurt and sent on a
long and dangerous journey, first to the Lodz ghetto in Poland, and then to Auschwitz —, the Nazi death
camp. Though many around him lose hope in the face of such terror, Daniel, supported by his courageous
family, struggles for survival. He finds hope, life and even love in the midst of despair. (Amazon.com)
--Ms. Cottrell
First the Dead (Bug Man Series #3) by Tim Downs
Nick Polchak’s job is to uncover evidence by examining a corpse before insects completely destroy it. As
a forensic entomologist, he is called on many times to natural disasters before they even end. When
Hurricane Katrina strikes New Orleans, he finds himself wading through muck and water to discover that
this hurricane is a perfect opportunity to hide a murder. Bodies floating in contaminated water decompose
at a rapid rate and evidence is almost non-existent. Nick considers himself a Christian and struggles with
several issues surrounding how life and death play out in his world.
--Mrs. Johnson
Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story by Ben Carson
Ben struggled in life: He was a low achiever in school, had a single working-mother, and couldn’t control
his temper. God worked mightily in his life to restore him and bring him not only to his salvation but also
to become a world-renown surgeon. He may even run for president. This is a very inspirational story and
a movie was even made based on this book.
--Ms. Cone
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling
This group is open to seasoned Harry Potter fans and newcomers alike. If you’ve read Deathly Hallows
before, you must commit to re-reading it this summer. In order to participate, you will need to have read
the other books at some point, but not necessarily this summer. Although an understanding of the first six
books will be necessary, our discussion upon returning to school will focus on the final book of the series
and its connection to Matthew, Chapter 6.
--Mr. Gruetzemacher
Heap House: The Iremonger Trilogy: Book One by Edward Carey
If you're the kind of person who is a pessimist, enjoys dark humor and sarcasm, and maybe even prefers
sad endings over romantic comedies, then this is the book for you. The Iremonger family lives atop
"heaps" of junk. The main character, Clod, is about to be unhappily married when Lucy Pennant, an
orphan servant, changes the course of his life as she helps him uncover his dark family's past. Filled with
detailed drawings, the Iremonger trilogy is sure to delight or depress--whichever you prefer!
--Mrs. Bond
The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
And what is a Hobbit? “Hobbits are little people, smaller than dwarves. They love peace and quiet and
good tilled earth. They inhabit a land they call The Shire, a place between the River Brandywine and the
Far Downs. They are inclined to be fat. They wear bright colors but seldom wear shoes. They like to
laugh, eat (six meals a day), and drink.”
The Hobbit is a story of one of these delightful creatures--Bilbo Baggins. Step into Middle- Earth and join
this far-wandering hobbit who discovered the One Ring of Power and brought it back to The Shire. “If
you care for journeys there and back, out of the comfortable Western World, over the edge of the Wild,
and home again, and can take an interest in a humble hero blessed with a little wisdom and a little courage
and considerable good luck, here is a record of such a journey and such a traveler” (J.R.R. Tolkien).
--Mrs. Caine
The Horse and His Boy by C.S. Lewis
“This is the story of an adventure that happened in Narnia and Calormen and lands between, in the
Golden Age when Peter was High King in Narnia and his brother and his two sisters were King and
Queens under him.” ( Book Jacket) It is a tale of the adventures of Shasta and Aravis and their talking
horses.
--Mrs. Rayers
Lead...for God’s Sake! by Todd Gongwer
Although he’s one of the most successful high school basketball coaches in Kentucky’s history, Steve
Rocker, for the first time in his life, is falling short of expectations. His players have lost their will to win,
their love for their teammates, and their passion to play. Coach Rocker’s motivational methods that have
always worked before--and have resulted in his success--are now failing, and he doesn’t know why.
Struggling to understand what’s happening, Coach seeks the counsel of one of his most successful
friends, CEO Grant Steffin, who, while fighting his own battles, offers advice based on his own
leadership experiences. Coach Rocker also stumbles upon some unexpected insight from, of all people,
Joe Taylor, the high school janitor.
As Coach’s season spirals downward, and as he continues to interact with these two intriguing men, the
why questions become louder and louder in his head. Why does he do what he does? Or for that matter,
why does he even exist? These questions eventually push him to go deeper into his own heart than he ever
imagined possible to determine his purpose not only in leadership but also in life. (Book Introduction)
--Mr. Arnold
The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis
“Narnia...the land beyond the wardrobe, the secret country known only to Peter, Susan, Edmund, and
Lucy...the place where the adventure begins. Lucy is the first to find the secret of the wardrobe in the
professor's mysterious old house. At first, no one believes her when she tells of her adventure in the land
of Narnia. But soon Edmund and then Peter and Susan discover the Magic and meet Aslan, the Great
Lion, for themselves. In the blink of an eye, their lives are changed forever. Four English schoolchildren
find their way through the back of a wardrobe into the magic land of Narnia and assist Aslan, the golden
lion, to triumph over the White Witch, who has cursed the land with eternal winter.” (Barnes and Noble)
--Mrs. Daugherty
Maze Runner by James Dashner
Thomas wakes up in an elevator, remembering nothing but his own name. He emerges into a world of
about 60 teen boys who have learned to survive in a completely enclosed environment. A new boy
arrives every 30 days. The original group has been in "the glade" for two years, trying to find a way to
escape through a maze that surrounds their living space. They have begun to give up hope. Then a
comatose girl arrives with a strange note, and their world begins to change. (Amazon)
--Mrs. Matthews
North! Or Be Eaten by Andrew Peterson (Book Two of Wingfeather Saga and sequel to At the Edge
of the Dark Sea of Darkness)
Last summer we followed Janner, Tink and Leely Igiby as their lives were turned upside down and they
lost everything they knew running with their mother, (pirate) grandfather and dog (Nugget) from the
Fangs of Dang. Now, in the second book, they've learned they are the royal family of Anniera and must
flee north to the Ice Prairies to survive. But will they escape the monsters of Glipwood, murderous
Stranders, and the dreaded Fork Factory?
--Chaplain Hutchinson
Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse
This gripping story, written in sparse first-person, free-verse poems, is the compelling tale of Billie Jo's
struggle to survive during the dust bowl years of the Depression. With stoic courage, she learns to cope
with the loss of her mother and her grieving father's slow deterioration. There is hope at the end when
Billie Jo's badly burned hands are healed, and she is able to play her beloved piano again. The 1998
Newbery Medal winner. (Barnes & Noble)
--Mr. Russell
The Reason I Jump by Naoki Higashida
Naoki is a thirteen-year-old boy with autism who is mostly non-verbal. Many of the actions Naoki
chooses for pleasure are seen as odd behaviors by others. Naoki wrote this book to explain his perception
of the world and his interactions with others, and he offers descriptions of why he does certain things.
Have you ever wanted to ask a student with autism why he or she does what they do? Through question
and answer format, Naoki explains the reason he jumps, along with answers to many other questions.
--Mrs. Caines
Same Kind of Different As Me: A Modern-Day Slave, An International Art Dealer, and the Unlikely
Woman Who Bound Them Together by Ron Hall & Denver Moore
“A dangerous, homeless drifter who grew up picking cotton in virtual slavery. An upscale art dealer
accustomed to the world of Armani and Chanel. A gutsy woman with a stubborn dream. A story so
incredible no novelist would dare dream it.” If you love gritty true stories, lives flipped upside down, and
proof that the Gospel is powerful, this is the book for you.
--Ms. French
Seven Men: And the Secret of Their Greatness by Eric Metaxas
Curious about what makes a great man in today’s world? Seven men’s short biographies show the lives of
men who experienced the struggles and challenges to be strong in the face of forces and circumstances
that would have destroyed the willpower and determination of lesser men. The lives of each of the seven
motivate the reader to a higher walk, one that exemplifies the gospel to our surrounding world. The men
profiled are George Washington, William Wilberforce, Eric Liddell, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Jackie
Robinson, John Paul II, and Charles Colson.
-- Mrs. Kessel and Mr. Joel Johnson
Summer of My German Soldier by Bette Greene
“The summer that Patty Bergen turns twelve is a summer that will haunt her forever. When her small
hometown in Arkansas becomes the site of a camp housing German prisoners during World War II, Patty
learns what it means to open her heart. Even though she's Jewish, she begins to see a prison escapee,
Anton, not as a Nazi, but as a lonely, frightened young man with feelings not unlike her own.” Amazon
--Mrs. Charlene Wolfe
Through Gates of Splendor by Elisabeth Elliott
Based on a true story of five missionaries who were killed while trying to bring the gospel to the Auca
Indians of Ecuador. The story is told from the perspective of Elisabeth Elliott, whose husband Jim was
killed in the attack. This is a story of love, commitment and faith. “He is no fool who gives what he
cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose.” Jim Elliott
--Mrs. Smith
Turning 15 on the Road to Freedom by Lynda Blackmon Lowery
Lynda's a student who's ready to make life better for the people she loves. As a civil rights protester,
Lynda joins hundreds of students who, each day, stand up in the face of violence and hatred to gain access
to the basic rights that all other Americans have. She's arrested for protesting nine times before her 15th
birthday. After marching on what will be known as Bloody Sunday, Lynda, battered and bloodied, has a
choice to make: continue to march or let fear overcome the desire to be free. Does she have what it takes?
(Common Sense Media)
--Mr. Novenson
Twelve Mighty Orphans: The Inspiring True Story of the Mighty Mites Who Ruled Texas Football by
Jim Dent
Verne Lundquist, CBS Sports said, “This might be the best sports book ever written.” The story is far
more than a “sports book” about a high school football team in Texas during the depression. Jim Dent
masterfully researches the lives of young boys growing up in an obscure orphanage in Fort Worth,Texas
called the Masonic Home. They began with nothing-not even a football-yet in a few years were playing
for the state championship on the highest level of Texas football. This is a story of a team,their coach and
their journey to an improbable finish; the original “Friday Night Lights.”
--Coach Spence
Unbroken (Young Adults Adaptation) by Laura Hillenbrand
“An instant before the plane struck the water, Louie’s mind throbbed with a single, final thought:
Nobody’s going to live through this.” In 1943, Louis Zamperini’s B-25 plane was shot down by the
Japanese over the Pacific ocean, during one of the most chaotic and deadly periods of human history. A
story that transcends far beyond a simple tale of war, witness and experience Louis Zamperini’s WWII
epic of courage, perseverance, suffering, transformation, and forgiveness.
---Mr. Huffaker
Warriors Don’t Cry by Melba Patillo Beals
In the 1957-58 school year, Melba Patillo and eight of her friends became known as the “Little Rock
Nine.” This group of courageous high school students chose to take part in the court-ordered integration
of Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas. Challenged by their community, teachers, and peers,
Melba and her friends struggled to support one another through a difficult year, all while the nation
looked on. Warriors Don’t Cry invites discussion on topics like courage and forgiveness set against the
backdrop of the American Civil Rights Movement.
--Mrs. Bodine
The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin
“The Westing Game is about a multi-millionaire, Sam Westing, who set up an elaborate game to
determine who will inherit his wealth. Through the book, the reader will meet Westing heirs and their
families, all of whom mysteriously end up living in the same apartment building, Sunset Towers. Two
months after moving in, Sam Westing is found dead, and his will dictates the rules of the game. The heirs
are paired off and then pitted against one another in attempt to find Westing's killer and win the two
hundred million dollar reward.”
--Ms. Flores