Summer Reading List
Rising 8th Grade
Each student must read one of the following:
R. Adams
L. M. Alcott
Watership Down
Little Women
Each student must read one of the following works of fiction:
Aeschylus
J. Austen
R. Bradbury
C. Bronte
J. Bunyan
L. Carroll
A. Christie
S. Crane
D. Defoe
C. Dickens
A. C. Doyle
Euripides
Homer
C. Marshall
A. Miller
B. Orczy
H. Pyle
G. B. Shaw
W. Shakespeare
B. Smith
J. R. R. Tolkien
T. H. White
T. Williams
P. G. Wodehouse
P. Zindel
The Oresteia (trilogy of plays)
Emma
Fahrenheit 451
Jane Eyre
The Pilgrim’s Progress
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland & Through the Looking Glass (both)
Murder on the Orient Express
The Red Badge of Courage
Robinson Crusoe
A Tale of Two Cities
The Hound of the Baskervilles
Medea (play)
The Iliad
Christy
Death of a Salesman (play)
The Scarlet Pimpernel
Men of Iron
St. Joan (play)
The Comedy of Errors (play)
Henry V (play)
A Midsummer Night’s Dream (play)
Richard III (play)
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
The Hobbit
The Fellowship of the Ring (or any in series)
The Once and Future King
The Glass Menagerie (play)
The Code of the Woosters
The Pigman
Each student must read one of the following works of non-fiction:
M. Angelou
J. H. Griffin
J. Herriot
P. Kreeft
A. Lansing
C. S. Lewis
J. Lovell
N. Philbrick
M. K. Rawlings
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
Black Like Me
All Creatures Great and Small
The Best Things in Life
Endurance: Shackleton’s Incredible Voyage
Mere Christianity
Apollo 13: Lost Moon
In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex
Cross Creek
Summer Reading List
Instructions, 8th Grade
All incoming eighth graders must read three books they’ve never read before. Eighth graders
must read one required book and choose two others, one fiction and one non-fiction.
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What’s my assignment?
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For Watership Down or Little Women, you must take a test on the basic content of the
book. See the study guides for more details.
For one of the books of your choice, you must prepare an oral book talk. See the
instructions and rubric for more details.
For the other book of your choice, you must complete a written book report. See the
instructions for more details.
When are the assignments due?
The book report, test, and book talk are due on the first, second, and third day of school,
respectively.
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Where can I find the books?
Any book vendor will do, as long as the books are complete and unabridged. Nothing from
the “Illustrated Classics” series is allowed! Most of these books can be found easily online or
at your nearest Barnes & Noble. However, to save money, try the public library or one of
these used book stores:
 The Book Stop (3599 Atlanta Road, Smyrna)
 The Book Nook (1547 Roswell Road, Marietta)
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What if I don’t like the book?
You must read the book from the required list, regardless of how you feel about them.
However, feel free to hunt for a book you like from the other lists. If you get to the third or
fourth chapter and still can’t get into it, put it aside and choose another.
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May I just watch the movie?
No! Reading a book and watching a film are two completely different experiences. Don’t be
fooled into thinking you know the story just from the movie. Books are much more detailed
and often differ greatly from their film versions. Read the book before seeing the movie.
Then you can intelligently observe the changes and decide whether or not the filmmakers
made good choices in adapting the original. Parents should view the films first for any
inappropriate content.
BOOK REPORT
INSTRUCTIONS, 8th Grade
A book report is a written summary of the plot, an explanation of the major
theme(s), and an opinion of a book. Follow the instructions below as you prepare.
1. Your book report must contain at least three paragraphs (introduction, body,
and conclusion) which must include the following:
 Introduction
Include the title, author, genre, theme, and your opinion of the book.
 Body
Summarize the major points and/or key events of the book.
 Conclusion
Restate your opinion of the book and explain why/how you formed this
opinion, whether it’s positive or negative. Support your conclusion with
specific details. Include any additional thoughts about the book which
would be helpful to another reader.
2. Write the report in the following format:
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300-400 words in length
Typed (Times New Roman, 12-point font) OR handwritten (in cursive)
Name, date, and title in top left corner
Black or blue ink
Double-spaced
One-sided
Stapled
BOOK TALK
INSTRUCTIONS, 8th Grade
A book talk is similar to an oral book report, but with more emphasis on getting other students
interested in reading the book on their own. It does not have to be written out word-for-word,
but you must prepare notes on index cards to use during your talk. Follow the instructions below
as you prepare.
3. Bring a copy of the book with you to class.
4. Divide the talk into three sections: introduction, body, and conclusion.
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Introduction
Begin your talk with a hook that gets the audience’s attention (e.g., an interesting
quote from the book, a startling statement about it, or an interesting question). Tell
the class the basic information about the book: title, author, genre, major characters,
setting (both where and when).
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Body
Summarize the plot without giving away the ending. Describe the basic conflict in
the book, and create a sense of suspense to entice others to read it.
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Conclusion
End your talk with an evaluation of the book: choose at least one aspect of it (e.g.,
plot, characters, or dialogue) that you either liked or disliked and explain what was
good or bad about it. Finally, include a recommendation for the book, explaining who
would like it, who wouldn’t, and why.
5. Choose a favorite passage of 100-200 words from the book to share with the class. This
passage may come from anywhere in the book as long as it doesn’t give away the ending.
Choose a passage you like and will enjoy reading aloud. The passage should give the class a
sense of the author’s style and should make them want to read more on their own. It could be
a descriptive paragraph, a section of dialogue, or an action sequence.
You must decide where in your book talk to read the passage; you may read it during the
introduction, body, or conclusion – wherever you think the passage best fits in your talk. Be
creative and find just the right place for it.
BOOK TALK
EVALUATION SHEET, 8th Grade
Student: ____________________________________________________________________________
Title of Book: ________________________________________________________________________
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Preparation
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Introduction (20 points)
Bring the book with you.
Make note cards for your talk.
Capture my attention with an interesting hook.
Include the title, author, and genre.
Describe the setting – both where and when.
Name the major characters.
Points Earned _____
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Body (30 points)
Summarize the story without revealing the ending.
Discuss the basic conflict in the story with specific details.
Choose a favorite passage from the book to read aloud.
End with a cliffhanger to make others want to read the book.
Points Earned _____
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Conclusion (10 points)
Points Earned _____
Evaluate the author's style – plot, characters, or dialogue.
Make a recommendation about who would or wouldn't like it, and why.
Presentation
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Posture (10 points)
Points Earned _____
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Eye Contact (10 points)
Points Earned _____
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Enthusiasm, smoothness, and expression (10 points)
Points Earned _____
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Poise to and from the podium (5 points)
Points Earned _____
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Gestures and mannerisms (5 points)
Points Earned _____
Additional Comments:
Final Grade: _____
Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
Study Guide, 8th Grade
Little Women is a story about four sisters on the journey to adulthood. Each
sister has her own distinct personality, temperament, and talents. They
struggle with serious problems, overcome obstacles, and even stumble along
the way because of some bad choices, experiencing both success and failure
as they grow up. As you prepare for the test, review the key events in the life
of each sister, but pay special attention to the following aspects of the novel.
First, note that this novel is driven more by the characters than by the plot.
Each character is well-defined and speaks with a unique voice. The members
of the March family and their friends have their specific likes and dislikes,
and they are driven by different passions. These differences are evident in
the ways they speak. On the test, you will encounter a series of quotes from
the novel. Be prepared to identify the speakers of these quotes based on what
they say and how they say it.
Second, in Part One of the book, the girls are reading The Pilgrim's Progress
by John Bunyan, a Christian allegory (a symbolic story) about a man named
Christian who is on a journey to the Celestial City (aka Heaven). As
Christian – a character who symbolizes all Christians – travels to the
Celestial City, he experiences ups and downs just like the March sisters. In
fact, Louisa May Alcott uses events from The Pilgrim's Progress to show
how the girls' journey to adulthood parallels the Christian's journey to
Heaven.
Alcott uses Bunyan's book especially in chapters 6-9, when she mentions the
Palace Beautiful, the Valley of Humiliation, Apollyon, and Vanity Fair. Use
the Internet to research how these four terms from The Pilgrim's Progress
relate to what is happening to Beth, Amy, Jo, and Meg, respectively.
Finally, consider how the girls have become women in Part Two of the novel.
How have they changed and matured? What experiences have they had, and
what lessons have they learned about what it means to be a woman instead of
a girl? Focus on the journey to womanhood of one sister in particular, and be
prepared to explain how she grew from a little girl into a little woman.
Watership Down by Richard Adams
Study Guide, 8th Grade
Watership Down is a modern epic about a group of rabbits trying to make a
home for themselves when their first home is destroyed. Like all epics, there
is a hero at the center, someone whom the other characters respect and want
to emulate. Recall the heroes of the epics you have read and compare them to
the rabbits in this novel. Do they have similar qualities? Do they undergo
similar trials? Did you notice the reference to a famous epic hero early in
Chapter 22? Remember also the epic conventions we studied last year.
Where does Richard Adams use some of those conventions in his story?
Each chapter begins with a quote from another book that relates to that
chapter. Did you notice the quote at the beginning of the first chapter? From
what Greek tragedy is that quote taken? Why do you think Adams used a
quote from the Greeks to kick off the novel?
As you prepare for the test, consider the questions below and be prepared to
defend your answers on the test:
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Who's the hero of the story?
Who is the rabbits’ chief god?
Who's the prophet/seer in the story?
Who's the singer/storyteller for the rabbits?
Who is the ancient hero the singer/storyteller talks about? How is he
similar to one of the great epic heroes we studied?
 Where is an epic simile (see Chapter 23)?
 When do the gods intervene in the rabbits' lives (see Chapter 27)?
 When does one of the characters move to the realm of the gods?
Also, to make his story more authentic, Adams uses specific vocabulary
words drawn from The Private Life of the Rabbit by R. M. Lockley (see the
glossary at the back of the book). Be prepared to define some of the terms
from the rabbit world that are most commonly used throughout the novel.
Finally, consider the opening and closing lines of the book. There is a
recurring symbol in those lines. What is the symbol and what does it
symbolize? What is Adams trying to say about the lives of the rabbits?