TheCalloftheWild
BYJACKLONDON
Summerreadingassignmentforincoming7thand8thgraders:ReadthenovelCalloftheWildby
JackLondonandanswerthefollowingquestionsincompletesentences.Allquestionsaretobe
typedandansweredcompletely.Theyareduethefirstdayofschool.Pleaserefertothesample
belowandtheattachedrubricforgradingpurposes.
Samplequestion:
Whatdoesthereaderlearninthefirstsentence—abouttheproblem,themaincharacter,andthe
setting?
Sampleresponse:
Thereaderlearnsthatthereissomekindoftrouble,butdoesnotyetknowwhatthetroubleis,
beyondthatitinvolvesdogsinsomeway. Welearnaboutacharacterinthebook,Buck,whomust
beadog,sincethesentencesaysthatthetroublewas“notaloneforhimself,butforeverytideͲwater
dog…” WelearnthatthesettingofthebookmightbethewestcoastoftheUnitedStates,sincethe
authorreferstotheareafromPugetSoundtoSanDiego—allthewayfromWashingtonStatetothe
southerntipofCalifornia.
ComprehensionQuestionsforsummerreading
1. Definetheliterarytermsepigraph,personification,foreshadowing,euphemism,and
inference.
2. WhatcanareaderinferaboutBuck’sfuturefromthelastsentenceofthefirst
paragraph?
3. WhatdoesthereaderlearnaboutJudgeMiller’shomeinthesecondparagraph?
Describethissetting
4. WhatdoyoulearnaboutBuckintheinitialfewparagraphs?Referthetexttosupport
youranswer.
5. ExplainhowtheencounterwithManuelandthesubsequenteventdescribedin
paragraph10changesBuck,citingevidencefromthetext.
6. Londonwrites,“…hewasmetamorphosedintoaragingfiend.Sochangedwashethat
theJudgehimselfwouldnothaverecognizedhim;andtheexpressmessengers
breathedwithreliefwhentheybundledhimoffthetrainatSeattle.”Whatdoesthe
authormeanwhenhedescribesBuckasmetamorphosed?Whyisthiswordchoice
significant?
7. Whatwordsandphrasesdoestheauthorusetoshowtheviolenceofthesceneinwhich
Buckmeetstheman“witharedsweater”?
8. Howdowelearnthatthismanisdifferentthantheother“tormentors”Buck
encounters?
9. WhatdowelearnofPerraultandFrançois?DescribethemandwhatBuckthinksof
them,usingexamplesfromthetexttosupportyouranswer.Howaretheydifferent
fromtheothermenthatBuckhasencounteredsofar?
10. Gobackandlookatthetitleofthechapter:“IntothePrimitive.”Explainwhyyouthink
theauthortitledthechapterthisway.Useexamplesfromthetexttosupportyour
ideas.
I understand this assignment is my responsibility to complete during the
summer. I will return to SSJ with the completed assignment on the first day of
school.
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Student’s Name
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