Dear Future 8th Grade Students,
Students entering 8th grade have a required summer reading assignment to complete before school
begins in August. They will have 3 books to read:
8th Grade
Required class book: – Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card (2 Paragraphs )
Required all-school read: The Great Trouble: A London Mystery by Deborah Hopkinson
Lone Star book of your choice from the 2015-2016 list.
8th Grade All-Class Required Book: Ender’s Game 3 paragraphs
This 8th grade assignment sheet has been given to returning students, who will need to purchase their
copies. Students will follow the directions and answer the attached questions. This writing assignment is
due on the first day of class and should be neatly hand-written and independently completed by the
student. Students may have a writing assignment or test on the novel. Tip: Read the class book last so
you can remember it! Enjoy your reading!
8th Grade Lone Star Book choice: Oral presentation
Students will choose a novel from the 2015-2016 Texas Lone Star list to read and give a short
presentation to the class. Content should include title, author, setting, protagonist(s), antagonists,
major conflicts, and themes. It should also include your personal opinions of the book and your
recommendations of who might enjoy the book.
Write your answers to the questions attached.
8th All-school read: The Great Trouble: A London Mystery by Deborah Hopkinson. Fill in and answer the
questions attached. You should read this book first.
Enjoy your summer reading!
Mrs. Howard
7th and 8th Grade English Teacher
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8th English -Literature
Free Choice Lone Star (2015-16)
Full Name: ____________________________8____
Date Due: First day of class
Fill in this sheet for your choice of Lone Star book. Please handwrite your answers neatly, spell correctly
and use correct grammar and punctuation. This book should be read second. It has the collage project
and rubric attached. You may want to use separate college rule paper for your answers. Use a heading
for each answer, for example:
Plot
#1 (then answer)
Plot
2#
Title:______________________________________________________________________________
Author(s): __________________________________Type/genre of fiction: ________________________
# of pages: _______ Copyright Date: _______
(10 = Excellent)
Publisher _____________________Rating: ____1-10
Plot
1. Write a brief summary of the story (5-10 sentences).
2. Describe the major conflict in the story (who, what, when how or why).
3. Explain how the title fits the book.
Characters
1. Describe the protagonist(s) and the antagonist(s).
2. Who are your favorite characters and why do you like them?
3. From whose point of view do you understand the story?
Themes
4. What is the major theme of the book?
5. What is the setting (time & place)?
6. Would this book make a good movie? Why or why not?
Overall Effect
4. What is your general opinion of the book?
5. Would you recommend this book to your classmates? Why or why not?
6. What three adjectives would you use to describe this novel?
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8th English -Literature
All-class book Ender’s Game
Full Name: ____________________________8____
Date Due: First day of class
Ender’s Game: Questions for Written Expression and Discussion
Think before you write!
You will choose 3 of the following topics to write 3 well thought out and developed paragraphs by
answering the questions. Print each paragraph on white paper using a header for your name and topic
number. Double space, check your spelling and grammar. Do not email them to me, but paper clip them
to your list of questions. Check the rubric attached for point values and details.
1. Is childhood a right? Does a person robbed of a "normal" childhood have any possibility of
stability as an adult? Does Ender have any chance of living "happily ever after"?
2. The Buggers communicate telepathically using no identifiable external means of
communication. Was it inevitable that war would have to occur when two sentient species met
but were unable to communicate?
3. Card has stated that "children are a perpetual, self-renewing underclass, helpless to escape from
the decisions of adults until they become adults themselves." Does Ender's Game prove or
disprove this opinion?
4. The government in Ender's world plays a huge role in reproductive decisions, imposing financial
penalties and social stigma on families who have more than two children but exerting pressure
on specific families who show great genetic potential to have a "third" like Ender. Is government
ever justified in involving itself in family planning decisions? Why or why not?
5. Peter appears to be the personification of evil, but as Locke, acts as a good person. How does
Card treat the concept of good versus evil in Ender's Game?
6.
In their thoughts, speech, and actions, Card describes children in terms not usually attributed to
children. In the introduction to Ender's Game, he states that he never felt like a child. "I felt like
a person all along -- the same person that I am today. I never felt that my emotions and desires
were somehow less real than an adult's emotions and desires." Do young teens feel this same
way? Do only gifted children feel this way or is it a universal feeling?
Remember to do your own work. You may look up words you do not understand.
8th Grade English
Name _______________________8___
Development of 3 separate paragraphs
Evidence of clear, original student thought
Correct use of grammar, spelling
Organization
Followed directions
Total points
40 pts.
30 pts
15 pts.
10 pts.
5 pts.
_____
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