TRITON REGIONAL MIDDLE SCHOOL
Summer Reading 2015
Grade 7
May, 2015
Dear parents and students,
We believe that the most important activity to support learning is reading good books.
In order to become life-long learners, students must develop as self-directed and selfmotivated readers. Life-long readers are people whose love of literature has grown with them.
According to the International Reading Association, adolescents require “a wide variety of
reading material that appeals to their interests.” We acknowledge the importance of students’
choice of reading material.
All students are required to read the novel Wonder, by R.J. Palacio, this summer, as well
as a book of their choice, and to complete an essay and story map for each. Students should be
prepared to submit the completed assignments to their English teacher on the first day of
school. Assignments will be graded with the accompanying rubric and will count as one test
grade for the first quarter.
All summer reading information will be posted online at www.trsd.net/middle. Copies of
your summer reading information will also be available at your town libraries as well.
Make reading an enjoyable part of your summer. To quote Dr. Seuss “The more that
you read, the more you’ll know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.”
Enjoy the summer and we look forward to working with you in September.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Babendreier Team, 7-3
Mrs. Gearin Team 7-2
Triton Regional Middle School Summer Reading 2015
Grade Seven
Required reading for all:
1. Wonder – by R. J. Palacio
2. In addition, students must choose a book of their own. In choosing a
book, students should look for subject matter that is interesting as well
as a text that is slightly challenging. They might want to ask a friend or
teacher for recommendations, or search for a new book written by a
favorite author. The book should not have been read by the student
before.
*All free choice books should be approved by a parent or
guardian.
ASSIGNMENTS:
1. Wonder essay:
Throughout Wonder, Auggie describes the way that many people react to seeing his face
for the first time- by immediately looking away. In a well-developed essay of at least two pages,
please respond to the following questions, paying attention to the requirements:
a. Have you ever been in a situation where you have responded like this to seeing
someone different?
b. Find and quote at least three excerpts from the novel where people react to Auggie,
whether in a negative or positive way. Explain your reaction to each. (Please state the page
numbers.)
c. Having now read Wonder, how do you feel about your previous reactions to people
who look different? What would you do now if you saw a person who looked strange or
different in Middle School? How could you help him or her to have a good start and fit in?
2 Free Choice Book Essay: Complete an essay exploring the
main theme of the book. Use specific and relevant evidence from the
text to support your details and main points. We would prefer that
your essays be typed, but hand-written is fine, too.
3. Complete a story map for each novel.
Essay Rubric (Criteria for Evaluation)
Advanced
-rich topic/idea development
-applies appropriate details and examples from the story
-careful and/or subtle organization
-effective/rich use of language
-demonstrates skillful use of sentence structure
Proficient
-full topic/idea development- clear and interesting
-logical organization
-includes strong examples or details from the story
-appropriate use of language
-uses sentence variety
Apprentice
-basic topic/idea development and organization
-adequate supporting details- few examples from the story
-simplistic language/sentence structure
Novice
-limited or weak topic/idea development
-limited awareness of audience and/or task
-lacks evidence from the story
-lacks accurate sentence structure
“I have a passion for
teaching kids to become
readers, to become
comfortable with a book,
not daunted. Books
shouldn’t be daunting, they
should be exciting and
wonderful; and learning to
be a reader gives a terrific
advantage.”
~Roald Dahl
Story Map
Name: __________________________________________
Title: ____________________________________________
Author: __________________________________________
Genre: ___________________________________________
Setting:
Characters
Problem
Major Events
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Resolution
Story Map
Name: __________________________________________
Title: ____________________________________________
Author: __________________________________________
Genre: ___________________________________________
Setting:
Characters
Problem
Major Events
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Resolution