Dear Future Seventh Graders and Parents,
“Reading is the sole means by which we slip, involuntarily, often helplessly, into another’s skin, another’s
voice, another’s soul.” — Joyce Carol Oates
The Diocese of Rockville Centre Language Arts curriculum states, “Students will read a minimum of 25 books or
the equivalent per year across all content areas.” Similarly, the Common Core Standards encourage the constant reading
of both fiction and nonfiction texts. Learning is a year-round endeavor, and summer vacation presents a unique
opportunity to catch up on reading for personal enjoyment.
To assist students in reaching the goal of becoming active readers, I have assembled a summer reading list. Most
books are available in paperback at Barnes & Noble, as well as online at www.amazon.com. The local bookstores may
not have 50 copies of each title in stock but have assured me that they can be ordered easily, and of course, you can check
your local library for these selections as well.
This year, there are two required texts for future 7th graders, as well as a third book of student choice. All students
must read Freak the Mighty by W.R. Philbrick (fiction selection) and The Notorious Benedict Arnold: A True Story of
Adventure, Heroism, & Treachery by Steve Sheinkin (nonfiction selection). Students will also choose one book from the
list below or read another grade level selection of their choice.
Stargirl (Jerry Spinelli)
Gathering Blue (Lois Lowry)
Chains (Laurie Halse Anderson)
Travel Team (Mike Lupica)
Wonder (RJ Palacio)
Flipped (Wendelin van Draanen)
Nothing but the Truth (Avi)
Slam (Walter Dean Myers)
Thief Lord (Cornelia Funke)
Wednesday Wars (Gary Schmidt)
One Crazy Summer (Rita Williams- Garcia)
Tangerine (Edward Bloor)
Steve Jobs- The Man Who Thought Different (Karen Blumenthal)
Blizzard of Glass: The Halifax Explosion of 1917 (Sally Walker)
Titanic: Voices from the Disaster (Deborah Hopkinson)
Bomb: The Race to Build—and Steal--- the World’s Most Dangerous Weapon (Steve Sheinkin)
Imprisoned: The Betrayal of Japanese Americans during World War II (Martin W. Sandler)
Courage Has No Color: The True Story of the Triple Nickels, America’s First Black Paratroopers (Tanya Lee)
The President Has Been Shot! The Assassination of John F. Kennedy (James L. Swanson)
The Nazi Hunters: How a Team of Spies and Survivors Captured the World’s Most Notorious Nazi (Neal Bascomb)
*One book of the student’s choice (must be grade level) may be substituted for one of the optional selection books.*
Many of these are Newbery Award Medal Winners or Honor Books. I enjoyed each of them, and I hope the
students will as well.
Students will be expected to demonstrate their understanding of these books in September. In order to help
students with this, I have prepared a series of assignments and instructions for each book. Please read through the
following pages carefully to ensure that all the necessary parts of each assignment are complete.
Sincerely,
Lauren Gibbons
Freak the Mighty Reading Assignment
1. During Reading: Read the novel and complete graphic organizers. Your notes will be collected in September, so
please be sure to complete these thoroughly.
2. During Reading: As you read, make sure that you look up any vocabulary words you may find challenging. You are
not required to write any definitions for these words, but in order to monitor your understanding of the text, be sure to
read with a dictionary close by.
3. After Reading: When you are finished reading, make sure that you can answer the reading guide discussion questions.
Again, you are not expected to write a response for these questions, but they will serve as the starting point for our
discussion on the book in September. Therefore, it would be helpful for you to make sure that you will be able to
adequately respond to these questions. If there are any questions you are unsure of, you should go back into the text to
find the answer.
Thinking About the Book
1. Why is Max convinced he does not have a brain? Is his assessment of himself as a "butthead" correct? Do our
opinions of ourselves affect what others think of us? Do others' opinions of us affect how we feel about ourselves?
2. How does Kevin prove to Max he is not a "butthead"? How does Kevin help Max learn how to read and write?
3. Why is Freak's Christmas gift of the pyramid-shaped box and handwritten dictionary so important to Max?
4. Why does Max call the first chapter of his book, "The Unvanquished Truth"?
5. Why do we care about what happens to Max and Kevin? How does the author make us care about them?
6. How does the location of Max's room "down under" relate to how he feels about himself?
7. How does Freak get Max out of his room? What is "magic" about their quests?
8. Does Freak really believe that he will be "the first bionically improved human" by having a body transplant?
What does Freak mean when he says "you can remember anything, whether it happened or not?"
9. Why does Max agree with his father, who says, "I, Kenneth David Kane, do swear by all that's Holy that I did
not murder this boy's mother"? What does the story Kenny recounts about the "injustice" that was done to him,
tell us about him?
10. How are Kevin and Kenny similar in how they deal with the world? How are they different?
11. What is the irony in calling the tenements the New Testaments? What is ironic about Killer Kane posing as
the Reverend Kenneth David Kane? Why is Kenny's remark that you should never trust a cripple ironic?
12. Why does Loretta try to save Max? What does this tell us about her? How does she finally save Max?
13. Why is the scene with Kevin and the squirt gun funny? Does Kevin recognize the humor? Does Max?
14. With whom is Max angry when he realizes that Kevin is dead? Why? What helps him get over his anger?
4. After Reading: When you get back to school in September, you will have a test that consists of multiple choice
questions, short answers, and an essay. Since you will be required to answer very specific questions on this test, I would
suggest reading this text last. This way, the specific details will be fresh in your head for the test.
Name: ___________________________________________________ Freak the Mighty Reading Map and Graphic Organizer
On loose-leaf or typed on the computer, follow the template below and complete the graphic organizer after each chapter. This will help you remember
important details from the novel and will serve as an excellent resource for you when you are studying for your test. Remember: These sheets will be collected in
September!
Directions: For all chapters, create this chart to help you keep track of your reading. Summarize the setting or settings, and then summarize each major event in
the chapter. Keep your summaries short--- a few key words or phrases will do. You do not need to write in complete sentences for your notes. Chapter 1 has been
done for you as a model.
Chapter
Setting-
Action Summary (Plot) and Characters Involved
Important Things We Learn In This Chapter
Max flashes back to meeting Kevin in daycare. Sees
him again in a special bus when he is in about 3rd
grade. Then he moves into a duplex down the street
the summer before 8th grade.
Max had a temper- nicknamed Kicker. Kevin
(Freak) had leg braces even then. Max is really
growing. Grim and Gram notice that he is
beginning to look a lot like his father.
Where The Chapter Takes Place
1
2
3
No real setting given; he just flashes
back to telling how he met Freak in
daycare, but the daycare is not
described in the scene.
The Notorious Benedict Arnold Reading Assignment
1. During Reading: Read the biography and takes notes as you read. As you read, you should try to determine
whether Benedict Arnold is a traitor or a hero. For your notes, you must first complete the attached graphic
organizer. Then you should also take some other notes to address the question “Is Benedict Arnold a hero or a
traitor?” These notes can be taken in whatever form you would like. All notes can be hand-written or typed.
These notes will be collected in September.
2. During Reading: Use the guided questions to help make sure you understand the main concepts as you read.
You are NOT required to write responses for each question, but rather you are encouraged to use these
questions as a means of monitoring your understanding of the text.
3. After Reading: When you get back to school in September, you will be asked to write an essay on this
biography. This will count as your first Performance Task grade of the 1st trimester.
The Notorious Benedict Arnold Guided Reading Questions
“Clearing in the Woods”
What is the setting of the chapter? Who is the prisoner? How do you know?
“Benedict Arnold”
What was Benedict’s father? Why were Benedict’s parents afraid for the baby? How would you describe Benedict’s
ancestors? When the baby survives, how does this foreshadow his life?
“Pranks and Plays”
How did people describe young Benedict? What causes Benedict to become more aggressive? Why? What character
traits did Benedict show in his apprenticeship? What is Benedict’s “explosive mix”?
“Making of a Rebel”
How would Hannah describe her brother? How did politics affect Benedict? How was Benedict described as a young
man? What was Benedict’s reaction to the Boston Massacre? What did he then want to do?
“Arnold’s War"
Describe the American camp. What did Benedict plan to do to help? What smell did Benedict hate and why?
“Across the Lake”
What did Benedict have that Ethan Allen did not? What did Ethan Allen have that Benedict needed? How did they resolve
the problem? How long did it take to capture Fort Ticonderoga? Why was it so easy?
“Trouble at Fort Ti”
What did the author mean by saying Benedict’s enemies were politics and free time? What events happened then to
upset Benedict?
“Enter André”
Describe John André. Contrast Benedict and André. How do you think the author learned information about John André to
write in this book?
“A Risky Proposition"
What was the cause of Benedict’s idleness? Why were his ships idle? What does a special shoe closet reveal about
Benedict’s personality? Why do you think George Washington listened to Benedict’s plan? Tell how Benedict’s plan was a
“risky proposition”.
“To the Dead River”
Describe seasickness. How did Simon Forbes feel? Have you ever been seasick? What caused progress down the river
to be so slow? How did soldiers feel about their commander, Benedict Arnold? By September 17th, how many men had
Benedict lost?
“Critical and Alarming”
How could the author know the rain was caused by a hurricane? Why did the officers vote to go forward? What was their
other choice? How did Colonel Enos’ actions affect the rest of Benedict’s army?
“City on a Cliff”
How did the Chaudiére River get its name? What disaster saved their lives? What do you find interesting about Jemima
Warner?
“Prisoner of War"
What problems did the small British army have at Fort St. John’s? What led to the British surrender? What was surprising
to the British about their enemy’s appearance? Describe how André must have felt while he surrendered. According to the
common rules of battles, prisoners gave up their weapons. Why was an exception made here?
“To the Storming”
How was Steele saved? How did the Americans soldiers and the people of Quebec look to each other? What did
Montgomery give Benedict’s men? Why was Benedict in such a hurry to launch an attack?
“Battle for Quebec”
Why did soldiers put paper in their hats? Describe grapeshot and its use. Who took over the attack from Benedict and
why?
“Blockade in the Snow”
How was the weather a factor in the battle? How did the author help readers understand the violence of the battle? What
impression do you have of Morgan? What impression do you have of Benedict? What impression did George Washington
have of Benedict Arnold? What impression did Benedict have of himself?
“André in Pennsylvania"
What could be the author’s purpose in mentioning Henry Knox and Peggy Shippen now in the story? Describe the daily
life of a British officer as a prisoner of war.
“The Last Man Out”
What is the relationship between Hazen and Benedict? What happened to make it worse? What was the British plan?
Summarize Benedict’s new plan. Do you think it will work?
“Arnold’s Motley Crew”
What is your opinion of Hazen’s accusing Benedict of theft in Montreal? List examples of the poor abilities of the crewmen
Benedict had on the ship.
“Battle of Valcour Island”
What was the purpose of sand on decks? What adjectives were used to describe the battle? Compare the British and
American ships and weapons.
“The Revolution Lives”
Explain the meaning of the title of this chapter.
“André Fights On"
Explain how a prisoner exchanges works. Why do you think André drew charts and maps?
“A Question of Honor”
Benedict loved being famous. How does this reflect his character? Why was Congress so sick of military heroes? What
bad news did Benedict receive?
“Exceedingly Unhappy”
Why did Benedict have trouble with his militia? Why was Congress so reluctant to help Benedict? What was celebrated in
Philadelphia on July 4, 1777? Was this important?
“Arnold Rides North”
What is the main goal of the British army? How were Americans blocking this goal? Why do you think the author included
the story about Hon Yost?
“Conquer or Die"
How did Benedict and Gates differ in their military plans? 2. How far apart are the two armies?
“Bloody Piece of Work”
What common problem did the generals of both sides have? Why was the British attack called a massacre?
“Beyond Reconciliation”
What was one slightly humorous event? What did Benedict say when asked about his hurt leg? Why would he say that?
How did the doctors feel about Benedict?
“Fracture Box”
What was the alternative to the box? Why were the British so rude when they surrendered?
“Peggy Shippen”
Where did André stay in Philadelphia? Describe Peggy Shippen.
“Back to Philadelphia”
What two celebrations were held in Philadelphia in May, 1778? Why was Benedict a poor choice for military governor of
Philadelphia?
“Cupid’s Wound”
Describe the condition of Philadelphia after the British army had left. Did the merchants and shop owners have cause to
be so angry? Explain. How did Benedict justify his private business deals? What does Cupid have to do with all this?
“Arnold Under Attack”
What was Joseph Reed’s obsession with Benedict?
“André in New York”
Describe André’s new position.
“Delay Worse Than Death”
Compare Benedict’s expenses with his income. How did Congress handle the charges against Benedict? What do you
think Benedict and Peggy were planning?
“Everything At Stake“
What was the “bomb” that shocked André? How would Benedict and André communicate? André wanted Benedict to find
a weak spot in the army for what purpose?
“The Price of West Point”
How much money did Benedict expect to receive for giving information? What was the cause of rioting in Philadelphia?
Explain why West Point was called “the key to America.”
“Attacking Fort Arnold”
What reason did Benedict give Washington for wanting West Point? Why were Americans sick of the war? Give three
reasons.
“The Floating Vulture”
Describe the three points Clinton told André about spying. Why did the Vulture move away?
“No-Man’s Land”
Describe the dangers of No-Man’s Land. What was the plan between André and Benedict?
“Papers of a Dangerous Tendency”
What could have happened if André had said he was American? Explain André’s emotions when he was taken prisoner.
“A Scene Too Shocking”
How can you explain Peggy Arnold’s behavior? What color did George Washington use to describe treason? Why?
Why did Lafayette describe dinner as “melancholy”?
“Ready at Any Moment”
How did people react to Arnold now and for what reason? Why is the scene of André’s hanging familiar to the reader?
“The Devil’s Reward”
Why was Peggy Arnold told to leave Pennsylvania? How much money did Benedict receive?
“I Must Never Return”
What did one prisoner tell Benedict? Describe Benedict’s final years. What does the title of this chapter mean?
Name: _____________________________________________________ Benedict’s Battles Graphic Organizer
Benedict fought in many battles for the American Revolution before he made the choice to betray his country.
Fill in the chart below with information from the book.
Name
and Location of Battle
Attack on Fort Ticonderoga
Location: northern New York
Colony, on Lake Champlain
March to Quebec
Location:
Storming Quebec with
General Montgomery
Location:
Battle of Valcour Island
Location:
The Danbury Fight
Location:
Fort Stanwix
Location:
Battle of Saratoga
Location:
Main points of the battle:
gains or losses
Benedict had the official orders, but
Ethan Allen had 200 men. They
attacked together and captured Fort
Ticonderoga in less than ten
minutes, and gained many big guns
How the battle affected Benedict
physically and emotionally
Benedict tried to stay calm
around Ethan Allen’s rowdy
men. Benedict liked to stay
active; he hated to be idle.
Optional Book Reading Assignment
For your third optional book, you will create a project in class when you get back to school. In order for you to
be able to successfully complete this project, you should take notes on the book as you read. Notes will be
collected in September. Your notes must include the following information:
 Title and Author
 Setting: A detailed description of “when” and “where” the story takes place.
 Characters: A list of major characters, as well as a description of each.
 Conflict: A description of the main problem of the story and how it is solved.
 Timeline of Events: List of 10-15 major events for the story.
 Evaluation of the Book: A description of your reaction to the book- What did you think of the book?
What did you like and not like about the book? Was the story confusing? Hard to believe? Interesting?
Boring? Predictable? Surprising?