8th Grade
West Bloomfield School District
Educating Students to be their
`sest IN and FOR the World!
Amy Hughes, Principal Abbott Middle School and Morrison Borders, Principal Orchard Lake Middle School
Middle School Summer Reading Assignment
Dear Parents and Guardians of Future West Bloomfield Middle School Students:
As a student in the West Bloomfield School District, your child is expected to participate in the West Bloomfield Middle School Summer Reading
Assignment. Research shows that continual reading is a predictor of future academic success.
Below is a list of required books along with their Lexile ratings. Students are encouraged to choose books that are within their Lexile range;
however, a Lexile score is not the onty indicator when choosing a book. Lexile levels are merely a suggestion of the level of vocabulary and difficulty
of the text. interest in the novel topic can play a significant part in a student's success with a book. Also, if you are willing to read the text with your
student or listen to an audio version of the book, the Lexile level may not be an issue. Below the book list is a chart that indicates Lexile ranges and
approximate grade equivalents.
Incoming gth graders are expected to read two books:
Required Book:
Note: If you change schools during the
• Abbott Students: Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli: 5BOL
® OLMS Students: Trouble by Gary D. Schmidt: 990L
summer, make sure you read the
appropriate required book.
and one book from the following list:
Choice Book:
o
®
•
e
e
o
•
e
•
Gifted Hands by Ben Carson: £SOL
My Thirteenth Winter: A Memoir by Samantha Abeel: 1050L
Behind Rebel Lines: The incredible Story o/Emma Edmonds, Civil War Spy by Seymour Reit: 830L
To Be a.Slave by Julius Lester: 10801.
The Traitor's Gate by Avi: 810L
Maze Runner by James Dashner: 770L
Models Don't Eat Chocolate Cookies by Erin Dionne: 690L
Afice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll: 950L
The Journey Back by Priscilla Cummings: 810L
Grade equivalents for LexUe Scores:
2nd-3rd grade: 420-820L
4th 5th grade: 740q101OL
6th-8th grade: 925 1185 L
In addition, students must:
® Complete a Summer Reading Text Analysis Work Along and Annotated Reading Notes form for each book they read (see attached)
• Bring completed Summer Reading Text Analysis Work Along to school on the first day
o Bring completed Annotated Reading Notes to school on the first daÿL for both books
e Take a quiz on each book read (see Quiz Direction sheet)
• Participate and collaborate in a discussion about each book read
These books are available in local bookstores, libraries and online. If you need assistance obtaining copies of the selected texts, please contact
either the Abbott Middle School office at (248)865-3670 or Orchard Lake Middle School office at (248) 865 4480. Additionally, you may email
Kathleen Bertolini at [email protected] at Abbott or Joanna Friday at [email protected] at Orchard Lake.
West Bloomfield School Districÿ
5810 Commerce Road
West Bloomfield, M148324
8 Grade
S,Vest Bloomfield School Disnict
Educating Students to be their
Best IN and FOR the World!
Amy Hughes, Principal Abbott Middle School
Morrison Borders, Principal Orchard Lake Middle School
Middle School Summer Reading Assignment
Book Quiz Directions
After reading each of your books, you will need to take a 20 question multiple choice
book quiz. These quizzes can be taken online from any computer with internet access.
You will only be able to log in once and take this quiz. Please be sure you are prepared
since you will not be able to retake the quiz.
To access the Summer Reading Assignment Book Quizzes:
1. Go to: www.examlogin.com
2. Type in the Access Code for the quiz you wish to take. See the list below of titles
and codes. Click "Find"
3. Type in your student ID number* - this is a nine digit number. Click "Start"
Title
Access Code
Abbott Students: StargM by Jerry SpineIli
2TPZ
OLMS Students: Trouble by Gary D. Schmidt
8CSX
My 13th Winter: A Memoir by Samantha Abeel
2TPL
Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card
2T4X
Behind Rebel Lines: The Incredible Story of Emma Edmonds,
Civil War Spy by Seymour Reit
2T4Q
To Be a Slave by Julius Lester
2TPD
Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story by Ben Carsen M.D.
2TFC
The Traitor's Gate by Avi
2TP3
Maze Runner by James Dashner
2T4S
Models Don't Eat Chocolate Cookies by Erin Dionne
2TP7
Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
2TFG
The Journey Back by Priscilla Cummings
2TPB
*Your student ID number can be found on your student ID.
West Bloomfield School District
5810 Commerce Road
West Bloomfield, HI 48324
8th Grade Literary Concepts
Use the following list as a reference to guide you while you read your novels. This list is merely to help
students better complete these assignments. Think of this as a glossary of terms.
1. allusion:
a reference to a famous person, place event, or work of literature
2. antagonist:
a character or force working against the protagonist/main character
3. characterization: consists of all the techniques writers use to create and develop characters
4. climax:
the highest point of action or suspense in a story's main conflict
5. conflict:
a struggle between opposing forces
* external conflict: when a character struggles against another person or
some other outside force
• internal conflict: a struggle within a character
6. dialogue:
7. falling action:
a conversation between two or more characters
comes after the climax (most exciting part or turning point of the story);
it's the opposite of the rising action which leads to the climax; the falling
action usually leads to the resolution
8. figurative language: descriptive language in which one thing is compared to another,
through the use of simile, metaphor, or personification
9. flashback:
an interruption of the action to present events that took place at an earlier
time
10. foreshadowing:
occurs when a writer provides hints that suggest furore events in a story
(you often don't know it's foreshadowing until later in the story)
11. genre:
a type/category of literature (ex. poetry, nonfiction, fiction, biography,
science fiction, fantasy, narrative)
12. imagery:
consists of words and phrases that appeal to the reader's five senses
13. irony:
a contrast between what is expected and what actually exists or happens
14. metaphor:
a comparison of two things that have something in common;
unlike a simile, it does not use like or as
15. mood:
a feeling that a literary work conveys to the reader
16. narrative:
any writing that tells a story; can be real or imaginary
17. personification:
the giving of human qualities to an animal, object, or idea
18. plot development:
a sequence of events in a story from beginning, middle to end
19. point of view:
the perspective from which a story is told
• first-person:
the narrator in the story is a character in the
story(uses I, me, we etc.)
o third-person: the narrator is not a character (uses he, she, they etc.)
20. protagonist:
a main character who is involved in the story's conflict, usually the hero;
a story may have more than one
21. resolution:
the part of the story/plot of a story that occur which are building up
tension; leads to the climax of the story
22. rising action:
the series of events in the plot of a story that occur which are building up
tension; leads to the climax of the story
23. setting:
the setting of a story, poem, or play is the time and place of action
24. simile:
a comparison of two things that have something in common
that must use like or as
25. symbol:
a person, a place, an object, or an action that stands for something
beyond itself
26. theme:
a message about life or human nature that is communicated by a literary
work
27. tone:
expresses the writer's attitude toward his/her subject
28. voice:
author's voice is his/her distinct style or manner of expression
Annotated Reading Notes: The process of recording your thoughts as you read
Benefits of annotated readinq notes:
• keeps your brain engaged with the text while you read
• gives you the ability to review text quickly by rereading notes (this is a great way to prepare for a quiz over what
you read)
o allows you to better understand, remember and think more deeply about the text
On which parts of the text should I take annotated readinq notes?
key information
• vocabulary you don't understand
® significant quotations or passages
•
o
,,
•
•
,,
•
parts of the text relating to themes, important characters or events
questions that you have about the text
literary concepts that you notice, including: figurative language, symbols, foreshadowing
characterization
major plot developments; shocking or revealing moments in the text
setting descriptions
conflicts
You will be gathering 20 Annotations for four different categories:
Cateqoÿ I. Theme: A minimum of 5 Annotations with Textual Evidence supporting a theme from the following list:
• Courage
o Forgiveness
,, Friendship
• Love
o Family
•
Loss
o Death
,, Identity
e
War
We have provided specific examples and directions for your books on the Annotated Reading Notes pages.
Cateqorv 2: Character Development: A minimum of 5 Annotations with Textual Evidence around Character
Development.
• Pay attention to the way the author gives you details about characters
• Readers generally learn about characters through one of the following ways:
o by something the author states directly
o by something another character says about a character
o by the character's own thoughts, actions, and dialogue
Literary Concepts: A minimum of 5 Annotations with Textual Evidence identifying Literary Concepts. Use
the Literary Concepts page for ideas, if needed,
Choice: A minimum of 5 Annotations of Your Choosing. These could be from any of the previously listed
topics or from the bulleted list on the previous page.
Remember there are different types or styles of annotations.
Annotated reading notes can be a powerful tool for comprehension but they can also be a complete waste of time if not
done well. There are two types of annotated reading notes: labelin.q andrespondin.q.
When you use the labeling technique, you are identifying an important part of the text that you may want to go back to
later.
• Labeling works best with common elements of literature like figurative language, character descdption, setting,
plot development, and possible foreshadowing. These are elements you may use later to make deeper
meanings.
For example:
Chapter/Page
p.15
Passage/Text From the Book
Your Thinking About That Passage
(Connections/Reactions/Inferences/
Questions
"Ten months now Derek had been gone. Her big
brother. He'd been the same age as she was
Main character description for Derek
now when, on a day like any other, he'd gone off
to school and just never came back."
@
When you take annotated reading notes by rÿ you are recording your thoughts, questions or .
connections about a specific part of the text. This helps you interact with the text so you can comprehend and
remember what you read.
For example:
Chapter/Page
p. 30
Passage/Text From the Book
Your Thinking About That Passage
(Connections/Reactions/Inferences/
Questions
"When the Taliban first came and ordered all Why were all men ordered to grow beards?
men to grow beards, Parvana had a hard time
getting used to her father's face. He had never
worn a beard before."
Remember: Good annotated reading notes are selective. If you highlight, label and respond to every little part of the text,
nothing stands out as important.
)
J
ca
q
El
Eÿ
€ÿ
u
o
oJ
O"
8
L
o
C
o
o
oJ
0
aÿ
I--
0
o0
-c::
p-
0
:>.
J
tÿ
Q"o
0
0
E
2
OJ
fO
D-
€
.o
tD
, ul
iÿ-
" ÿ, ÿ _ÿ ÿ
._>
.a
>
-8° ÿ$ÿ.ÿ
g
.:
O
.ÿ
U
u
n
QJ
-ÿ
O
.-
u
Cÿ
g
-ÿ ÿ .ÿ
• ÿ, ÿ .a_
u
>-c
D.
C
o
ÿ- ÿ
0 ÿ::
=
"ÿ=N
.N ÿ E"o
€
€._ÿ
o
owx
.ÿ ÿ.r-
0 ÿ
E,,'- .ÿ'o
"-- 0
"0 iÿ,
OJ m
4ÿ
ÿ. O .ÿ.,ÿ
0 "0 ::3
w
m -o
0
0 u
0
=_=
ÿ-
'ÿ
- Eÿ
ÿ
.ÿ E.ÿ ÿ
o ÿ m< o
q; 13_ ÿ
E'ÿ
ÿ ,=.ÿ F.ÿ
£z __ 0 uÿ ÿj
:ÿ
_
Z =2
,ÿ_ÿ
._ÿ
ÿ
,ÿ'ÿ
E ._o
mo
0..ÿ
0
t'M
LI
rn
Cÿ
8
P
m
o
u
c
cÿ
oJ
o J0
D-
-c
0
o J3
..c
0
0J
oo
"o
to
0
0
J
,.c:
4-J
E
2
4.0
X
r@
0
E
"O
0
n,
a
E
iÿ o
E
m
xÿ°
ÿ'c E
ÿ.ÿ
u ÿ ._ÿ
0
I---
._
g
,
E ÿ
,--
Q; Q;
-ÿ
ÿ-ÿ
o ÿ.-ÿ
ÿ.-
ÿ
ÿ-ÿ
._ÿEÿ
.ÿ_
ÿ-_o×
.
tÿ
tÿ
m
E
+ÿ
cD
E
c
o
sÿ
0
S
m .2
.Q
0_
E
0
pÿ
cu
I
oJ
E
4ÿ
E
£
o
s
>"
E
(D
0
C
oÿ
X
W
D
0
U
pÿ
o
0._6.
. ,Jÿ
o_ÿ ÿ.ÿ
oÿ
,-ÿ ÿ
"ÿo>
0 -0 ='0
<ÿ.ÿ ÿ
'ÿ ÿ ÿ ._ÿ
N-->,ÿg
A
E
('ÿ
z
0
0
E
u
E
m
x
w
C
E
E
o
J
o
c.J
o
o
o
f0
L/%
.I=
0
0
"o
.E
0
>-
0J
"0
(o
0
0
E
o
1.1.
-
Lÿ
E
o
o
E
o
S
o
o
>
0
o
E2.
E
O
o
o
8
E
o
o
o
o o
o
o
E
oÿ
E)_
0
C O
o
o
.o
o
E
C
O
_o
.E
o
o
o
c
o
E
o
o
c
o
o
o
c •
x E
x
o
o
o
2
o
.i
"O
c
o
I
8
O-
c
o
.E o
ENZ
E
o
o
rf
x
o
£
o
.o
E
-- O
O
×8
W
E
kr3
tÿ
cÿ E
E
o
°
0
E2
..C
E
0
rÿ
(b
E
o
II)
..ÿ
¢u
(/)
°
>-
o
m
E
x
._ÿ
0
0
t-
WBSD Middle School Summer Reading Assignment
Text Analysis Work Along
Name:
Title:
Grade in the fall (circle one)
7 8
Author:
Directions: While reading, fill out this worksheet. When you return to school in the fall, YOU
MUST bring this completed form with you for EACH book you read. Refer to the literary
concepts list in this packet for more information on the terms in the questions.
Describe where and when the story takes place:
Is the setting an important element in this book? Why or why not?
Describe, in detail, the protagonist in the book:
Find a significant statement made by/about the protagonist; copy it (textual evidence):
° Describe the situation in which it was made:
• Explain what it reveals about the protagonist:
Describe, in detail, the antagonist(s) in your novel:
Explain the main conflict in your novel:
What is a major theme/author's purpose in this book?
Explain using several specific details from the book, why you believe this is a theme/author's
purpose (textual evidence):
Find a direct quotation (textual evidence) that supports the theme (copy it here):
Fill in the following boxes describing key events from your book: (Use additional paper if
needed)
Beginning
Middle
End
Closing Thoughts*
*Use this box to
reflect on how
reading this book
has changed your
thinking about
people, places,
cultures, history,
relationships, etc.
WBSD Middle School Summer Reading Assignment
Text Analysis Work Along
Name:
Title:
Grade in the fall (circle one)
7 8
Author:
Directions: While reading, fill out this worksheet. When you return to school in the fall, YOU
MUST bring this completed form with you for EACH book you read. Refer to the literary
concepts list in this packet for more information on the terms in the questions.
Describe where and when the story takes place:
Is the setting an important element in this book? Why or why net?
Describe, in detail, the protagonist in the book:
Find a significant statement made by/about the protagonist; copy it (textual evidence):
• Describe the situation in which it was made:
° Explain what it reveals about the protagonist:
Describe, in detail, the antagonist(s) in your novel:
Explain the main conflict in your novel:
What is a major theme/author's purpose in this book?
Explain using several specific details from the book, why you believe this is a theme/author's
purpose (textual evidence):
Find a direct quotation (textual evidence) that supports the theme (copy it here):
Fill in the following boxes describing key events from your book: (Use additional paper if
needed)
Beginning
Middle
End
Closing Thoughts*
*Use this box to
reflect on how
reading this book
has changed your
thinking about
people, places,
cultures, history,
relationships, etc.