7th Grade Summer Reading Assignment 2016
Part 1 Core Novel (required reading for all incoming 7th grade students)
Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy by Gary Schmidt
Assignment: Jackdaw Independent Reading Project
A Jackdaw is a small black bird similar to a crow or a raven. They are known to go out and collect
shiny objects to bring back and hoard in their nests.
While reading your novel, keep the Jackdaw bird in mind. You will become a Jackdaw and “collect”
items to represent your novel. You will need to have a container (nest) that represents the overall
novel. Then you will need to include a minimum of FIVE items that each represents one of the
following elements of your novel. Be creative…as long as you can defend your item and how it
represents your novel, there are no wrong answers. Label each artifact and briefly write a short
(two-three sentences) description of its importance to the book. You must also include a quotation
for each artifact.
Things to “Collect”:
Container (Nest) to house all the items that you bring back from your reading
Items that represent a minimum of FIVE of the following:
Protagonist
Antagonist
Setting
Plot
Mood
Genre
Theme
Conflict
Symbolism
Due: The first week of school
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Part II: Choice Novels
Assignment: Choose TWO novels from the following list and be prepared to give “Book Talks” to
your class the first week of school.
Wednesday Wars by Gary Schmidt
El Deafo by Cece Bell
The False Prince by Jennifer Nielson
One Came Home by Amy Timberlake
Touching Spirit Bear by Ben Mikaelsen
Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson
Things Not Seen by Andrew Clements
Moon Over Manifest by Claire Vanderpool
The Girl Who Threw Butterflies by Mick Cochrane
Summer Reading Book Talk Notes
Select TWO of your Summer Reading novels (other than the required read) and prepare
“Book Talks.” (Type your notes!)
•
Provide the title, author, genre, and the reason you selected that book.
•
Provide a summary for the class in your own words that does NOT reveal the ending of the
book. This summary should include an “attention grabbing” beginning, the main
character(s), setting, and main conflict.
•
Read an interesting, suspenseful, or exciting passage to the class that possibly has a
cliffhanger to get everyone interested in reading the book.
•
Have the book (or a picture of the book) to hold as you present your book talk.
•
Create a visual that illustrates something from the book. (symbol, character, event, theme,
etc.).
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