Christian Heritage Academy
2015-2016
Summer Reading – Grade 6
Dear Incoming Sixth Graders,
Welcome to Middle School! We all look forward to a wonderful year of learning with you and
especially for the reading in our language arts classes next school year! As you may already know, incoming
sixth graders are required to read three books during the summer. Mrs. DeWit, our librarian, and the
middle school language arts teachers worked together to create lists for each grade that we think you will
enjoy. This summer, in preparation for sixth grade, you will read two books listed in this packet of
information and one book of your own choice you have not read before.
As you read, please complete the following questions for the three books. We will be completing
writing activities in the first week of school, so read well. The summer reading ties into our other novel
reading throughout the coming year. Complete your reading and the corresponding questions in a timely
manner this summer. Your packets will be collected on the first day of school.
Remember—this your first impression for your sixth-grade teacher! Please use your best spelling,
vocabulary, grammar, and handwriting! Feel free to type your responses. Take time to do your best.
Enjoy your summer and your time with family and friends. Many blessings! Happy reading!
In Him,
Mr. Olson and Mrs. Arnold
Sixth Grade Teaching Team
Grade 6 Summer Reading List:
Read one fiction/nonfiction book of choice you have not read before
--book must be age and reading level appropriate.
Read two of the following books:
The Lightning Thief Rick Riordan
Twelve-year-old Percy Jackson is on the most dangerous quest of his life. With the help of a satyr and a daughter of
Athena, Percy must journey across the United States to catch a thief who has stolen Zeus’ master bolt.
Hatchet Gary Paulsen
Brian Robertson, sole passenger on a Cessna 406, is on his way to visit his father when the tiny bush plane crashes in the
Canadian wilderness. With nothing but his clothing, a tattered windbreaker, and the hatchet his mother had given him as
a present, Brian finds himself completely alone. How will he survive?
Rules Cynthia Lord
Twelve-year-old Catherine wants a “normal” life though she has a family that revolves around her brother’s autism.
However, the summer Catherine meets Jason, a new friend, and Kristi, the next-door friend she's always wished for, it's
her own shocking behavior that turns everything upside down and forces her to ask: What is normal?
Shooting Kabul N.H. Senzai
In July 2001, as 11-year-old Fadi and his family hastily board a truck to begin their escape from Afghanistan, six-year-old
Mariam lets go of her brother's hand and is tragically left behind. A photography contest with the prize of a trip to India
seems to be his best means of finding a way back to Afghanistan to help in the search for his sister.
The Hobbit J.R.R. Tolkien
Bilbo Baggins must leave his comfortable home to help the dwarves recover their lost gold from a fire-breathing dragon.
As he is in the midst of this adventure, he discovers a ring that has the power to make him invisible.
Crispin Avi
Falsely accused of theft and murder, an orphaned peasant boy in fourteenth-century England flees his village and meets a
larger-than-life juggler who holds a dangerous secret.
Bamboo People Mitali Perkins
When 15-year-old Chiko is pressed into military service by the Burmese government, he finds himself involved in an
ongoing war with the Karenni people, one of the many ethnic minorities in modern Burma.
The Secret Garden Frances Hodgson Burnett
A ten-year-old orphan comes to live in a lonely house on the Yorkshire moors where she discovers an invalid cousin and
the mysteries of a locked garden.
Adventures of Sherlock Holmes Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Sherlock Holmes is one of the world’s greatest fictional detectives.
The Running Dream Wendelin Van Draanen
Jessica has run her personal best at a track meet-then there's a tragic bus accident and the high school junior loses her leg
as well as her future dreams. From waking up in the hospital and coping with the trauma, to her return home, then
school, she tries to grab her life back.
A Single Shard Linda Sue Park
Tree-ear, a thirteen-year-old orphan in medieval Korea, lives under a bridge in a potters' village, and longs to learn how to
throw the delicate celadon ceramics himself.
Listening for Lions Gloria Wahalen
Left an orphan after the influenza epidemic in British East Africa in 1918, thirteen-year-old Rachel is tricked into assuming
a deceased neighbor's identity to travel to England, where her only dream is to return to Africa and rebuild her parents'
mission hospital.
*Summaries are adapted from Novelist, Amazon, and Honey for a Teen’s Heart (Gladys Hunt)
Book #1
*Respond to questions with complete sentences and correct punctuation, capitalization, and spelling.
Make sure you are thorough in your answers and support your responses with details from the book.
Please use your best handwriting or type your responses.
1. Book Title: ___________________________________________
2. Author: _____________________________________________
3. On a scale of 1-10, 10 being the best, what would you rate this book? ______________
4. Why did you give the rating that you did?
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
5. Character Traits—Identify a positive personality trait that the protagonist (main character) possesses,
AND provide an example of how the character reveals that trait in the novel. (Ex: honesty,
determination, courage, kindness, sense of humor, other…)
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
6. Decisions, Decisions—Describe ONE decision the protagonist makes in the novel and explain why they
make that decision. Then, share why you believe their decision is right or wrong.
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
7. Symbols—In the space provided or on a separate sheet of paper, draw a collage of 3 objects or symbols
that best represent your novel. Label each object/symbol and explain why you chose those symbols.
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
8. Dynamic Character—Which character changes most during the course of the book? How do they
change? What causes the change?
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
9. Important Quote—Select an important quote from the text and explain why it was important to your
understanding of an aspect of the story. Write both the quote and your explanation.
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
10.Conflict—Describe one of the conflicts in the story. Choose which type it is from the choices below and
explain why it is that type.
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
Man vs. self: when a character has a struggle within himself /herself
Man vs. man: when two characters have conflict with each other
Man vs. nature: character is faced with problems from outside sources, such as weather, animals, land
Man vs. society: when a character disagrees with societal laws, beliefs, values.
Man vs. fate: character has to battle what seems to be an uncontrollable problem.
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
11.Connect—What issues did the main character face that reminds you of issues you encounter in your
own life or in the world at large?
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
12.Theme—What message or lesson about life might the author have been trying to teach the reader
through this story?
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
Book #2
*Respond to questions with complete sentences and correct punctuation, capitalization, and spelling.
Make sure you are thorough in your answers and support your responses with details from the book.
Please use your best handwriting or type your responses.
13.Book Title: ___________________________________________
14.Author: _____________________________________________
15.On a scale of 1-10, 10 being the best, what would you rate this book? ______________
16.Why did you give the rating that you did?
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
17.Character Traits—Identify a positive personality trait that the protagonist (main character) possesses,
AND provide an example of how the character reveals that trait in the novel. (Ex: honesty,
determination, courage, kindness, sense of humor, other…)
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
18.Decisions, Decisions—Describe ONE decision the protagonist makes in the novel and explain why they
make that decision. Then, share why you believe their decision is right or wrong.
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
19.Symbols—In the space provided or on a separate sheet of paper, draw a collage of 3 objects or symbols
that best represent your novel. Label each object/symbol and explain why you chose those symbols.
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
20.Dynamic Character—Which character changes most during the course of the book? How do they
change? What causes the change?
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
21.Important Quote—Select an important quote from the text and explain why it was important to your
understanding of an aspect of the story. Write both the quote and your explanation.
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
22.Conflict—Describe one of the conflicts in the story. Choose which type it is from the choices below and
explain why it is that type.
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
Man vs. self: when a character has a struggle within himself /herself
Man vs. man: when two characters have conflict with each other
Man vs. nature: character is faced with problems from outside sources, such as weather, animals, land
Man vs. society: when a character disagrees with societal laws, beliefs, values.
Man vs. fate: character has to battle what seems to be an uncontrollable problem.
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
23.Connect—What issues did the main character face that reminds you of issues you encounter in your
own life or in the world at large?
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
24.Theme—What message or lesson about life might the author have been trying to teach the reader
through this story?
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
Book #3
*Respond to questions with complete sentences and correct punctuation, capitalization, and spelling.
Make sure you are thorough in your answers and support your responses with details from the book.
Please use your best handwriting or type your responses.
25.Book Title: ___________________________________________
26.Author: _____________________________________________
27.On a scale of 1-10, 10 being the best, what would you rate this book? ______________
28.Why did you give the rating that you did?
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
29.Character Traits—Identify a positive personality trait that the protagonist (main character) possesses,
AND provide an example of how the character reveals that trait in the novel. (Ex: honesty,
determination, courage, kindness, sense of humor, other…)
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
30.Decisions, Decisions—Describe ONE decision the protagonist makes in the novel and explain why they
make that decision. Then, share why you believe their decision is right or wrong.
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
31.Symbols—In the space provided or on a separate sheet of paper, draw a collage of 3 objects or symbols
that best represent your novel. Label each object/symbol and explain why you chose those symbols.
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
32.Dynamic Character—Which character changes most during the course of the book? How do they
change? What causes the change?
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
33.Important Quote—Select an important quote from the text and explain why it was important to your
understanding of an aspect of the story. Write both the quote and your explanation.
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
34.Conflict—Describe one of the conflicts in the story. Choose which type it is from the choices below and
explain why it is that type.
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
Man vs. self: when a character has a struggle within himself /herself
Man vs. man: when two characters have conflict with each other
Man vs. nature: character is faced with problems from outside sources, such as weather, animals, land
Man vs. society: when a character disagrees with societal laws, beliefs, values.
Man vs. fate: character has to battle what seems to be an uncontrollable problem.
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
35.Connect—What issues did the main character face that reminds you of issues you encounter in your
own life or in the world at large?
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
36.Theme—What message or lesson about life might the author have been trying to teach the reader
through this story?
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________