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2016
Incoming Grades 6-8
Summer Reading List and
Assignment
Select one of the following books for your summer reading and complete the Reading
Response Assignment.
Your language arts teacher will collect your summer reading assignment the first week of
school.
How to Steal a Dog by Barbara O’Conner
Money Hungry by Sharon Flake
The Skin I’m In by Sharon Flake
Frindle by Andre Clements
The Cat Ate My Gym Suit by Paula Danziger
Smile by Raina Telgemeier
Wonder by R. J. Palacio
Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card
Hush by Jacqueline Woodson
Reading Response Assignment Directions
As you read, put a sticky note next to any line, sentence, or section that jumps out at you.
Write a brief note so you can remember what you were thinking. If nothing jumps out at
you by the time you have finished reading, go back and FIND something to respond to.
When you are finished reading, type or handwrite your Reading Response (RR).
YOU MUST:
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Write a minimum of seven (7) Reading Responses.
Write at least four (4) complete sentences for each Reading Response.
Give the page number and paragraph number of the part you are responding to
Mention which type of RR entry you are using (see the list of 14 Types of Reading
Responses below). You MUST use at least 4 types.
Types of Reading Response Entries
1. Give an Opinion: Tell what you think or feel about a certain part, and why. Be specific.
2. Ask a Question: This can be a basic question about something you don't understand in
the text or a larger question (about life, literature, or anything) that the text made you
consider.
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3. Make a Connection: As you read, a certain point in the text reminds you of another
story, poem, movie, song, or something from real life. Tell what the certain part in the text
reminds you of. Explain your connection.
4. Significant Passage: You realize a certain part in the text is important. Why do you
think it's important? What does it mean? What does it tell you about a character or the
entire book?
5. Language Recognition: You notice some appropriate sensory details, or figurative
language such as a simile, metaphor, onomatopoeia, or personification, and so on. What is
the language and how does it add to the story?
6. Find Foreshadowing: You read something that seems like a hint of what will come
later. Explain why you think this part is foreshadowing and make a prediction.
7. Spot the Setting: You notice a part that refers to the place or time of the story. Why is it
important?
8. Character Description: You notice a detail about a character (what he or she looks like,
thinks, says, or does). Why is it important? What does it reveal about that character?
9. Mark the Motivation: You realize a character's motive(s) (what a character wants).
Explain the motive(s) and its effect on the story or other characters.
10. Detect the Conflict: You realize one of the conflicts or problems in the story. Explain it
and explain how you recognized lt.
11. Find the Climax: You read a part that you realize is the biggest event (or most
important moment) in the story. Explain why it is so important.
13. Interesting Introduction: You think the author's introduction is interesting, clever, or
engaging. Tell what technique the author used and why you think it is effective.
14. Clever Conclusion: You think the author's conclusion is realty effective. Tell what
technique the author used and why it works.
Example of what a Reading Response looks like
1. Make a Connection
Page 10, paragraph 4
Your 4 sentence response
2. Language Recognition
Page 22, paragraph 3
Your 4 sentence response
Reading Response Assignment Source
Pryle, 2014