Hello 2013-2014 Sixth Graders!
We are so excited to welcome you to Middle School and hope that you are excited about joining us! To help you
prepare, we are asking that you spend part of your summer reading and taking in some great literature! There will be a
set of comprehension questions for you to answer for the “required reading” book and an easy to complete mobile for
the “student choice” book.
For your required reading book, please read Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli. If you’ve already read this book,
please feel free to enjoy it again! While you read, answer the comprehension questions in complete sentences. You will
need to turn your answers in to your English teacher the first week of school. Sometime during the first grading period,
you will be asked to complete a writing activity and a multiple choice test for this book.
For your student choice book, choose one of the books from the suggested reading list. If you do not find a
book on this list that you think you would enjoy, please email us by the middle of July with a choice of your own. It must
be the appropriate reading level for a student entering sixth grade and must be something you haven’t read before.
Once you’ve finished reading, create a mobile to display information from the book. Turn in your mobile the first week
of school. There will not be a test for this book since not everyone will be reading the same book. Be prepared for a
writing activity based on the book you choose sometime during the first grading period.
Attached are the required reading questions for Maniac Magee and the mobile directions for your student
choice book. Remember to bring your completed questions and mobile sometime the first week of school. If you have
any questions, please don’t hesitate to email one of us, and we will do our best to respond as soon as possible. Our
email addresses are [email protected] and [email protected].
Happy Reading!
In HIS Service,
Michelle R. Grant
Michelle Dwyer
Sixth Grade Literature and
Seventh Grade Texas History
Sixth Grade Literature, Seventh Grade
Literature and Seventh Grade Theology
Required Reading
Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli
Student Choice
Choose one book below or email us with your own appropriate choice. Reminder that the book you
choose must be NEW to you.
From the Mixed up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E. L. Konigsburg
Bloomability by Sharon Creech
Sixth-Grade Glommers, Norks, and Me by Lisa Papademetriou
Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls
Any of the Chronicles of Narnia series by C. S. Lewis
**Need or want more help with your summer reading? Check out the Summer Reading Summer
Camp! It’s a weeklong opportunity to read, work on the forms, and ask questions! This will be
offered at least twice during summer break by Mrs. Grant. First Session: June 17-21; Second
Session: July 8-12
Maniac Magee Reading Comprehension Questions
Directions: As your read the novel, please answer the following questions in one or more complete
sentences:
Chapter One
a. What happened to Jeffrey’s (Maniac’s) parents?
b. After eight years, Jeffrey ran away from his aunt and uncle’s house. Why?
Chapter Two
Jeffrey ran and kept on running. Where did he end up and why?
Chapter Three
What did Amanda Beale have that was of interest to Jeffrey?
Chapter Four
What did Jeffrey do that stunned the boys who were playing football?
Chapters Five and Six
What did Jeffrey do in the forbidden yard of the Finsterwalds’?
Chapters Seven and Eight
Describe what happened with a frog in the baseball game.
Chapter Nine
John McNab and his gang, the Cobras, chased Jeffrey but stopped at Hector Street, why?
Chapters Ten and Eleven
What was unusual about Maniac taking a bite of the candy that was offered by Mars Bar Thompson?
Chapters Twelve through Fifteen
How did Mr. Beale know that Maniac did not live in the house that he claimed was his?
Chapter Sixteen
What was it that Maniac could not understand?
Chapters Seventeen through Twenty-one
Why did Maniac finally leave his home at the Beales?
Chapters Twenty-Two through Twenty-five
Who is Grayson and how did he help Maniac?
Chapters Twenty-six through Thirty-one
How did Grayson and Maniac spend their time in the months before Christmas?
Chapters Thirty-two and Thirty-three
After Grayson died, what did Maniac do?
Chapters Thirty-four and Thirty-five
a. How did Maniac end up staying at the McNab house?
b. Describe the McNab house.
Chapter Thirty-six
List some of the deals Maniac made with the McNab boys to get them to go to school.
Chapters Thirty-seven and Thirty-eight
a. What was the final challenge by the young McNab boys?
b. What happened with Mars Bar?
Chapters Thirty-nine and Forty
What was going on at the McNabs’?
Chapters Forty-one and Forty-two
What happened at the McNab birthday party?
Chapters Forty-three and Forty-four
When the McNab boy needed rescue, what happened?
Chapters Forty-five and Forty-six
Who came to get Maniac from his shelter at the zoo?
Student Choice Mobile Project
Directions: As you read the novel, please think about how to creatively display the following
information on your mobile.
Materials needed: Wire hanger with paper cover (clothes that have been dry cleaned often are on
this kind of hanger), colored construction paper, string or yarn, and markers
Once you are finished reading your novel and have gathered your materials, begin creating the
pieces and assembling the mobile. An example mobile is shown below.
1) On one side of the paper covering the hanger (cover any writing with paper), neatly and
creatively display the following information: your first and last name, the title and author of the
book, and the bibliography information (publishing company and location and copyright date)
2) On the other side of the paper covering the hanger (once again, cover any writing with paper),
create a picture that represents your favorite scene from the novel. The pictures can be hand
drawn, computer generated, cut from magazines, etc.
3) Use a hole punch to punch five holes along the bottom of the paper covering the hanger. Be
sure to space them evenly.
4) Use the construction paper to cut seven medium sized shapes (approximately the size of half a
sheet of construction paper). If possible, the shapes should represent events, people, scenes,
feelings, etc. from the book. Three of the shapes will be used to write a summary (beginning,
middle, and end) of the novel. The other four shapes will be used to write a quote, a
vocabulary word, a Christian perspective, and your opinion of the novel.
a. Summary – Use three shapes to write a summary of the novel. First punch a hole in the
top and bottom of two of the pieces and a hole in the top of the third piece. The holes
should be punched before writing anything to prevent punching through any writing.
Next begin writing the summary. The first shape should be about the beginning of the
novel, the second shape should be about the middle of the novel, and the third shape
should be about the end of the novel. If you write on both sides of a shape, be sure to
number the sides as A or B or as 1 or 2. All together your summary should be at least
15 sentences. Attach the three pieces together using yarn or string. Then attach the
summary pieces to the middle hole that was punched in the hanger.
b. Quote – Use one shape to write a quote from the novel. First punch a hole in the top of
the shape. Next, choose a quote from the book. Write the quote, page number where it
was found, and who said it on one side of the piece. On the back side of the piece,
write what you think the quote means. Attach this piece with yarn to one of the empty
holes on the hanger.
c. Vocabulary Word – Use one shape to write a vocabulary word from the novel. First
punch a hole in the top of the shape. Next, choose a word that you didn’t know or one
that you found interesting and write that word, the sentence it was used in (underline the
vocab word in the sentence), and the page it was found on one side of the piece. On
the back side of the piece, write the definition of the word. Attach this piece with yarn to
one of the empty holes on the hanger.
d. Christian’s Perspective - Use one shape to write a Christian’s perspective about the
novel. First punch a hole in the top of the shape. How would/should a Christian
respond to the events in this book? Were there things that would be disappointing to
God? How might you use this book to share the love and forgiveness that God offers?
Your response should be several sentences in length and should share details from the
book. If you write on both sides of a shape, be sure to number the sides as A or B or as
1 or 2. Attach this piece with yarn to one of the empty holes on the hanger.
e. Your Opinion - Use one shape to write your opinion of the novel. First punch a hole in
the top of the shape. Did you enjoy the novel? Was it the worst novel you’ve ever
read? Would you recommend this novel to others? How did the novel make you feel?
Your response should be several sentences in length. If you write on both sides of a
shape, be sure to number the sides as A or B or as 1 or 2. Attach this piece with yarn to
one of the empty holes on the hanger.
5) Once the mobile is complete, feel free to add any personal touches that will make your mobile
unique! These personal touches are not required and will not earn extra points, but they can
be fun to add nonetheless.
6) Turn in your mobile to your English teacher sometime during the first week of school!