BEXLEY MIDDLE SCHOOL
SUMMER READING ASSIGNMENT 2012-2013
INSTRUCTIONS
The summer reading assignment is to encourage students to enjoy reading, improve reading
skills, and make personal connections to characters. Students will read a minimum of two books from
the list on the following pages.
Students will be required to keep summer reading journals. Notebooks will be due the first day
of school. In these notebooks, students will choose five journal prompts from the following list for each
book they choose. Each journal entry should be at least six sentences. For each journal entry, use the
following organizational format.
Name:
Date:
Book Title:
Author:
Pages Referenced:
Journal Prompt:
Response (Six Sentence Minimum):
These journal entries should be written in a notebook or organized in a folder. Your summer
reading journal will be graded by your teacher. Furthermore, the teacher will have students use this
information in class through a variety of activities, such as discussions, book reviews, and group
projects.
Journal Entry Choices
1. Describe a conflict (external or internal) in the book. The conflict could be between
characters, between characters and nature, or between a character and him/herself. How
would you respond if this happened to you? Who would you go to for advice? Explain your
response.
2. What does the book teach you about human behavior, or what is the life lesson expressed in
this book? What lesson did you learn from this book? How can you apply this lesson to
your own life? Provide text examples/specific details from the book to support your
responses.
3. If you could become one character in the book, who would it be and why? What personality
traits and/or physical features attract you to this character? What does this character have
that you admire? If you could select one actor to play one of the characters in the book, who
would it be and why? Consider physical characteristics and personality traits in your
response.
BEXLEY MIDDLE SCHOOL
SUMMER READING ASSIGNMENT 2012-2013
4. Choose one chapter or one section from the book that you liked. Explain why this chapter or
section appealed to you. Illustrate a scene from this section. Your illustration may be a
realistic sketch or symbolic. Explain how your illustration represents what you liked about
this section.
5. Summarize and explain the ending of the book. Write a new ending.
6. Compare and contrast this book to another book you have read. How are the plots similar
and different? How are the main characters alike or different (both physically and
emotionally)? How are the endings alike and different?
7. Write a letter to one of the characters that you liked in the book. What would you say to this
character? Include several questions for the character to answer. If you could give advice to
one character in the book, who would it be and why? Be sure to reference a particular
conflict.
8. Choose a character, event, or conflict, and write a poem, song, or other creative piece that
symbolically represents your choice.
9. Select one socially relevant topic discussed in the book. State and defend your position on the
topic. Provide facts to support the way you feel. What values and ethics support your
position?
10. What is the setting of the book? List twenty examples from the book that reveal or support
the setting, such as music, language, clothing, food, recreation, and geographical features.
BEXLEY MIDDLE SCHOOL
SUMMER READING ASSIGNMENT 2012-2013
SEVENTH GRADE
Science Fiction/Fantasy
The House of the Scorpion by Nancy Farmer
In the not too distant future, a young man, Matteo Alacron, solves the mystery of his origin: he is
a clone of a wealthy drug lord. He soon realizes that in order to survive, he must escape to the
United States. The only things standing between Matteo and freedom are devious relatives,
armed guards, and a toxic desert wasteland.
The Maze Runner by James Dashner
Thomas awakes with no memories except for his own name in a place called the Glade, a small
community nestled in the middle of high stone walls that create an impenetrable maze. There is
a small band of other teenage boys to welcome him, but no one can explain the mystery of why
they are all seemingly trapped in the maze. However, with Thomas’ arrival, things begin to
change for the first time in the Glade. How will this group of boys who deal out brutal
punishment to maintain order face the chaos as the mystery of the maze begins to unravel?
A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness
Conor’s world is a fusion of fantasy and harsh reality. Part of his life involves his confrontations
a yew tree that mysteriously transforms into an ominous monster. In the other half of his life,
Conor deals with circumstances equally threatening, social rejection and terminal illness.
Conor’s quest to resolve these conflicts allows readers the opportunity to evaluate their own lives
and actions.
Nonfiction
Within Reach: My Everest Story by Mark Pfetzer and Jack Galvin
Climbing Mt. Everest may not be a typical goal for an adolescent boy. Mark Pfetzer, as the book
reveals, is not a typical adolescent. This book captures Mark’s journey of fulfilling his dreams.
With realistic detail, occasional humor, and adventurous spirit, Within Reach: My Everest Story
provides both insight and inspiration into a young man’s quest to conquer mountains as well as
live life.
The Greatest by Walter Dean Myers
This is a biography of the person Sports Illustrated named Athlete of the Twentieth Century.
Myers takes the reader through Ali’s humble childhood to his battles with championship boxers,
the United States government, and Parkinson’s disease. In the midst of each struggle, the reader
will understand Ali’s profound courage, conviction, and will.
BEXLEY MIDDLE SCHOOL
SUMMER READING ASSIGNMENT 2012-2013
Classics
Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
Whether the four March sisters—Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy—are putting on plays, forming the
Pickwick Club or entertaining Laurie, the lonely boy next door, they and their mother play and
work together to maintain an interesting and enjoyable household while their father is away at
war. Drawing on her own childhood, Alcott created a story full of warmth and love, perfect for
anyone who wants to savor the transformation from childhood to adulthood.
The Prince and the Pauper by Mark Twain
It was a lark—two boys, identical except for their clothes that they switched. Suddenly, the
Prince of Wales, Edward Tudor, was thrown to a filthy drunken mob—by his own guards.
Beaten, starved, chased by dogs, forced to beg and steal, while even the prince’s one friend,
adventurer Miles Hendon, thought the boy was only a demented beggar. The pauper, Tom
Canty, was thrust into an alien life of protocol, ritual, and diplomacy. He, too, was thought mad,
for suddenly “forgetting” classic languages, courtly manners, and his role in world destiny. Then
King Henry VIII died. Unless these two boys could convince someone of the truth, their fates
would be sealed forever—by a crown.
Realistic Fiction
Monster by Walter Dean Myers
When a trip to a local store ends in robbery and murder, Steve Harmon must stand trial for the
crimes. As this book alternates between a book, screenplay and drama, the young man must
come to terms with his actions and the stereotypes and generalizations the world seems to hold
against him.
Color of My Words by Lynn Joseph
Ana Rosa, a twelve-year-old girl growing up in the Dominican Republic, wants to be a writer.
Writing is a dangerous activity in her culture, however. The danger becomes real, resulting in
conflict and tragedy, when Ana Rosa decides to defend her land and the people she loves. Color
of My Words is concise; its message is both powerful and provocative.
City of Orphans by Avi
Thirteen-year-old Maks Geless is a newsie in New York City in 1893. Living in a crowded
tenement building, he and his family face common daily struggles to survive as well as some
uncommonly dangerous ones, like threatening gangs, false imprisonment in The Tombs and
tuberculosis. How they survive depends on resourcefulness and family bonds. City of Orphans
provides readers with insight into an often overlooked time period of American history and is a
Newbery Award Medal winner.
BEXLEY MIDDLE SCHOOL
SUMMER READING ASSIGNMENT 2012-2013
Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy by Gary D. Schmidt
This humorous but haunting novel is a coming of age story based on actual events that took place
on the coast of Maine in 1912. The protagonist, Turner Buckminster, tries to fit into his new
community but only manages to humiliate himself. Just as he is ready to head off to the
“territories,” he meets an unlikely ally, Lizzie Bright. However, due to racism and the economic
schemes of the community, he and Lizzie are forbidden to see each other. However, the two
overcome many obstacles in an effort to save Lizzie’s community from destruction.
Multicultural Fiction
Under the Persimmon Tree by Suzanne Fisher Staples
During the 2001 Afghan War, the lives of Najmal, whose name means “star,” a young refugee
from Kunduz, Afghanistan, and Nusrat, an American-Muslim teacher who is awaiting her
husband’s return for Mazar-I-Sharif, intersect under a persimmon tree at a school in Peshawar,
Pakistan. Najmah’s father had always assured her that the stars would take care of her, just as
Nusrat’s husband had promised that they would tell Nusrat where he was and that he was safe.
As the two look to the skies for answers, their fates entwine.
Navajo Code Talkers by Nathan Aaseng
Navajo Code Talkers is the compelling story of the over 400 Navajos that were credited with
saving countless lives during World War II in the Pacific via the unique code they developed.
Fewer than 30 non-Navajos understood the Navajo’s unwritten language. The code did not
become declassified by the US government until 1968. Due to this, the account of Allied
successes attributed to the code talkers' service could not be given national acclaim until
recently.
Iqbal by Francesco D’Adamo
Iqbal, a character based on the life of Iqbal Masih, leads a courageous attack on Pakistani child
labor practices. The story is revealed through the voice of a young girl, Fatima. Fatima must
work creating rugs in order to pay off her father’s debts and is far removed from her family.
Essentially, she is a slave, living in inhumane conditions with other children who are also
physically and emotionally abused. Iqbal arrives and gives them hope of escaping. He
demonstrates the power of one and the price it costs to challenge injustice.
BEXLEY MIDDLE SCHOOL
SUMMER READING ASSIGNMENT 2012-2013
Historical Fiction
Just Like Martin by Ossie Davis
It is August 28, 1963, the day of the Freedom March on Washington, D. C. Everyone is going—
except Isaac Stone. His father, a bitter Korean War veteran, forbids it. “Nonviolence is the same
as cowardice,” he says. However, Stone has heard Martin Luther King, Jr., preach, and he wants
to follow in his footsteps. He is sure he will change his father’s mind.
Milkweed by Jerry Spinelli
Misha, the narrator of Milkweed, is an orphan living in Nazi-occupied Warsaw. Beyond a
survival story, this book allows readers the opportunity to travel throughout Warsaw as Misha
did, invisibly. From this perspective, war’s grayness becomes more real; life’s opportunities,
more self-directed.
BEXLEY MIDDLE SCHOOL
SUMMER READING ASSIGNMENT 2012-2013
EIGHTH GRADE
Science Fiction/Fantasy
Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer
A meteor passing Earth causes world-wide calamity when it collides with the moon, bringing the
moon closer to the Earth’s surface and creating havoc with weather, earthquakes, and tidal
waves. A young girl named Miranda narrates this story as her life goes from that of a typical
high school student to that of a survivor on whom her family depends.
A Stranger Came Ashore by Mollie Hunter
A young sailor, Finn Learson, shipwrecks and comes ashore. He falls for Elspeth, the younger
sister of Robbie Henderson who is being courted by many suitors. Robbie senses evil within
Finn, and he believes Finn is hiding a great secret. It is up to Robbie to save his sister from Finn.
Realistic Fiction
Jumping the Nail by Eve Bunting
High school graduate Dru Driscoll narrates a story of tragic adventure. Filled with emotional
turmoil and life-changing events, Jumping the Nail confronts readers with what-would-you-do
questions—forcing answers that define people’s conviction and courage. Although the story is
told from a female perspective, it challenges male readers to consider how they, too, might
respond when their close peers choose activities that may totally alter their lives—or someone
else’s.
Black Duck by Janet Taylor Lisle
A teenager’s interest in journalism leads him to an unlikely friendship with an old man. The old
man, Ruben Hart, was once a rum runner during the Prohibition Era, a period of time in the
United States when rum and other alcoholic beverages were outlawed. Ruben tells the story of
how he found a dead body on a beach of the Rhode Island coast. The ensuing story involves
questions about the corpse’s identity, fast boats, and the brutal tactics of the Coast Guard.
Okay for Now by Gary Schmidt
Award-winning author Gary Schmidt presents a view of the late 1960’s in upstate New York
through the lives of Doug Swieteck and his fragmented family. In spite of challenges and
humiliation from teachers, peers and even his father, Doug perseveres in following his passion—
art—and in maintaining his commitment to his family. Interwoven with a variety of storylines
from bullying to surviving Vietnam, Okay for Now contains life lessons combined with the
emotional struggles characteristic of exemplary coming-of-age stories.
BEXLEY MIDDLE SCHOOL
SUMMER READING ASSIGNMENT 2012-2013
EIGHTH GRADE CONTINUED
Nonfiction
Marooned: The Strange by True Adventures of Alexander Selkirk by Robert Kraske and Robert
Andrew Parker
Do you ever wonder where authors find ideas for books? One author, Daniel Defoe, based his
book Robinson Crusoe on this book’s main focus, Alexander Selkirk. A Scottish mariner,
Selkirk was abandoned on a South Pacific island in the 1700’s. How he survives, both mentally
and physically, and how these adventures impact the rest of his life are both answered.
Death Be Not Proud: A Memoir by John Gunther
Written to reveal a realistic account of the author’s son’s courageous struggle with cancer, Death
Be Not Proud excels at capturing the essence of the human spirit. Johnny’s thoughts, words, and
actions provide more than revelations of a personal tragedy; they illustrate how one individual’s
life can impact everyone who has the pleasure of knowing him—whether in real life or through
his memoir.
Good Brother, Bad Brother: The Story of Edwin Booth and John Wilkes Booth by James Cross Giblin
Good Brother, Bad Brother is the true story of John Wilkes Booth, the man who became famous
in history books for shooting Abraham Lincoln in Ford's Theater. What many people do not
know is that there was another famous Booth brother, Edwin. This book chronicles the lives of
both men from childhood to adulthood and shows how they could be as close as brothers yet live
in two completely separate worlds.
Historical Fiction
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
Told from death’s perspective, the book thief herself, Liesel Meminger, epitomizes survival.
Abandoned by her mother, raised by her foster mother, living in Nazi Germany, Liesel covets
books and understands the power of words. From her journey, we learn of life—and of death.
The River Between Us by Richard Peck
The Pruitt family lives in Grand Tower, Illinois—right on the border between the North and
South. In the early days of the Civil War, two mysterious young ladies arrive by boat from New
Orleans, and the Pruitts take them in. This book, written by award-winning author Richard Peck,
is a wonderful piece of historical fiction that tells a Civil War story from a female viewpoint.
BEXLEY MIDDLE SCHOOL
SUMMER READING ASSIGNMENT 2012-2013
Then by Morris Gleitzman
Set in Poland in the 1940s, Then is a tale of two children, Felix and Zelda, who have escaped
from a Nazi cattle car and face the daunting task of survival in a hostile world. They learn that
others are both their rescuers and their enemies. Knowing who is who is part of the challenge
they must overcome. As in all holocaust stories, the realities are reminders of humankind’s
potential to oppress as well as its innate drive to survive.
EIGHTH GRADE CONTINUED
Elephant Run by Roland Smith
During the beginning of WWII, Nick’s mother decides that London is too dangerous after their
apartment is destroyed by German bombs. She sends to Nick to Burma to be with his father.
However, Burma turns out to be just as dangerous when the Japanese invade. Nick’s father is
captured by the Japanese, and Nick is forced into work as a servant. Nick escapes and attempts
to free his father with the help of the wild timber elephants of Burma.
Keeping Corner by Kashmira Sheth
Set in India during the early 1900’s, Keeping Corner reveals the struggles of a twelve-year-old
girl named Leela, after her husband dies from a snake bite. Following tradition, Leela must keep
“corner” for one year, following mourning practices that remove her from society. During one
year’s time, Leela changes as she begins to question the rules that oppress her as well as the laws
that control her country.
Multicultural Fiction
The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros
This is the beautiful tale of twelve-year-old Esperanza. The book chronicles a year in her life,
and it is centered around Esperanza’s ambition to rise above her surroundings and eventually
move off of Mango Street. Esperanza uses writing as a means of escape. Esperanza’s story is one
of friendship, love, coming of age, and appreciation.
Shabanu by Suzanne Fisher Staples
Shabanu is a strong-willed girl growing up in modern Pakistan. Her nomadic, camel-dealing
family is commanded by her unyielding father. Shabanu’s independent ways are threatened
when her marriage is arranged. She resists, but disaster strikes Shabanu and her family. In the
end she must confront the reality of being a daughter in a traditional Muslim family.
Classics
And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie
This book has been called “the greatest mystery book of all time.” In this masterpiece of murder
and suspense, ten strangers are gathered together on an isolated island by a mysterious host. One
by one, the guests share the darkest secrets of their wicked pasts. One by one, they die…
BEXLEY MIDDLE SCHOOL
SUMMER READING ASSIGNMENT 2012-2013
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith
Francie Nolan lives in poverty with her family in an apartment in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, New
York City. She has dreams and aspirations that someday things will be different. Her mother is
a hard-working janitor and her father is an alcoholic, singing waiter. Her family collects scrap
metal to sell for pennies from which they live. She, and her brother Cornelius, have to take on
part-time jobs, and eventually Francie needs to drop out of school to help make ends meet with
the birth of her new baby sister. Despite all the hardships, Francie still holds onto hope for a
better life.