Knox Summer Reading Program
PRE-AP 8th GRADE 2016
The value of summer reading is well known. Research has indicated that, with practice, people
become better readers. Practice makes perfect. With this thought in mind, our language arts
teachers will be fostering the habit of reading by continuing a requirement of summer reading.
For Eighth Grade Pre-AP Students:
 Read The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton
 Annotate as you read (see bookmark on the back of this sheet)
 View the film
 Complete the comparison chart (see attached page)
To make summer reading a richer experience, we would like you to READ ACTIVELY.
Please complete the following for each chapter:
1) As you read each chapter, use sticky notes to mark 5-7 important passages. Use the
categories on the bookmark (back of this sheet) to help you decide which important
passages to mark.
2) After you read the chapter, follow the instructions on the bookmark for creating a
summary sentence and giving the chapter a title.
3) Review the passages you have marked with a sticky note. Underline or highlight
important details in the passage. Then write your response/annotations. (Use the
bookmark to help you.) You may write your annotations on the sticky note or in the
margins of the book itself.
Note about the film: The movie is available to rent digitally for a few dollars through Amazon,
Googleplay, and Itunes. (The SD version is less expensive.) The film is approximately 90
minutes.
For students who are not able to rent the movie, there will be several opportunities for students to
view the film before or after school, free of charge. Your teacher will make an announcement
during the first week of school about what times the movie will be shown.
Completion Dates: Please plan to bring your book to class with you starting the first week of
school, as there will be a major grade assignment and other graded activities over the summer
reading novel. You should be prepared to discuss the novel and your notes during the first week
of school. You should be prepared to discuss the book to film comparison by the beginning of
the third week of school (Tuesday, September 6).
The Outsiders Annotations
Plot (What happens?)
 Write a one sentence summary on the last
page of each chapter.
 At the beginning of each chapter, write a
creative or literal title.
What's That Word?
 mark new words and slang words
 write a brief definition
Character
 mark significant behavior and dialogue
that shows the character's personality
 make notes about what this suggests or
how it is important
Theme
 highlight/underline possible themes
 make notes about what the character
(and reader) are learning
Author's Style/Author's Tools
 highlight/underline strong examples of:
- figurative language
- imagery
- symbolism
- foreshadowing & flashback
- irony
 label examples (give type for figurative
language)
 make notes about how/why the author
uses the tool (explain the effect it
has on readers)
Key Terms

Theme- the message that readers can
learn from a story about an abstract
idea/topic (such as love, honesty, anger,
pride, etc.)

Imagery- descriptions that appeal to the
five senses (sight, smell, taste, touch,
hearing)

Figurative Language- similes (compare
two unlike things using like or as),
metaphor (direct comparison of two unlike
things), hyperbole (exaggeration), and
personification (describing nonhuman
objects as if they are human)

Symbolism- when a particular object,
color, or item in nature is used to represent
an abstract idea (these are objects that
would already be connected to this idea
such as light representing goodness or
knowledge)

Foreshadowing-giving hints about future
events in the story

Flashback- the story shifts to an event
that happened in the past (and tells that
story)

Irony- when a character or situation turns
out differently than expected
You will include a minimum of 5-7
notes per chapter (in addition to plot). Choose
which details are the MOST important.
Cut out box above and fold on the middle line. Then glue or tape together to make a bookmark.
The Outsiders Novel vs. Movie Comparison
Directions: As you read the novel, complete the first column below. As you watch the film,
complete the second column. Be specific in your responses and be ready to turn this in when
you return to school after the summer.
Novel
Characters Descriptions:
How were they described
in the book? Did they look
the way you thought they
were going to in the movie?
Additions: What did they
add to the movie that
wasn’t in the book? What
was in the book but wasn’t
in the movie?
Deletions: What was
deleted from the movie?
Was there anything in the
movie that should have
been in the book?
Relationships: How did
each genre portray the
relationships between the
characters? Was the
movie accurate in the
portrayal?
Theme: What themes
were present in each?
Which was portrayed the
strongest?
Plot: How did the
author/director tell the
story? In order? With
Flashbacks? When? Why?
Film