Pershing Middle School: 8th Grade Summer Reading 2018

During the summer you need to complete your first English class assignment. Included in this packet are the Summer Reading List and Assignment for incoming 8th grade students.  You should choose ONE (1) title from the list to read over the summer.  YOU MUST CHOOSE A BOOK THAT IS ON THE LIST!

Hints: Choose your book early to avoid being disappointed. There are limited

copies of the books in the libraries. If you choose a book from the library, return it on time so others can read it

also. Involve your parents! They will want to know what your assignment is and

what book you have selected. They can also help you meet the deadline. A parent will have to sign the attached graphic organizer when you’re finished.

Remember that reading is a great “everyday” activity!

If you lose your assignment or book list over the summer, extra copies can be found on the Pershing website.

Late Entrants:Those students who register after starting day will not be required to read a book from the approved list, but will still be asked to complete the summer assignment writing task based on a book the student read previously.

June 2018

Dear Parent/Guardian,

Thank you so much for supporting our summer reading assignment.  Our purpose in asking your child to read over the summer is to continue to develop an appreciation and enjoyment for reading.  Thinking, discussing, and writing about a book as the year begins gives us some common ground from which we can discuss and share.

Over the summer your assistance with book selection and setting up a time for your child to read will help your child get off to a successful start to the school year. Selecting the right book for this project is extremely important for your child to ensure enjoyment when reading, not frustration or boredom. Please encourage your child to select a book that is of interest to him/her and at an appropriate reading level.  Feel free to have your child read parts of his/her book to you, or you may take turns reading parts to each other.  Try to encourage your child to read a little bit each day.

By the end of the summer, the book and the attached assignment sheets should be completed and ready for 8th grade. Teachers will give students the specific due date once the school year begins, typically around the second week of school.

We look forward to meeting your child and working with him/her throughout the year.  Happy reading!

Sincerely,Pershing8th Grade ELA Teachers

8th Grade Summer Reading Project1. BUILD A PYRAMIDDirections: Follow the seven prompts below to fill in the pyramid.  You may only write one word in each blank space.

1. Write the main character's first name.2. Write 2 words that describe the main character.3. Write a three-word phrase that describes the setting.4. Write a four-word phrase that states the character's goal or problem.5. Write a five-word phrase that describes an important event.6. Write a six-word phrase that describes the conclusion.7. Write a seven-word phrase that describes your favorite part.

2. KIM CHART (Key word, Information, Memory clue) Directions: Choose four challenging or interesting words used in your book and copy them into the “K” column. Write down what you think each word means based on how it is used in the “I” column. Finally, paste in a picture to represent this word in the “M” column.

K(key word)

I(information or definition in your own words)

M(memory clue or picture)

Ex 1

Ex 2

Ex 3

Ex 4

1. type

here2. type here

3. type here

4. type here

5. type here

6. type here

7. type here

Feel free to reformat the text boxes as needed.Double click on the triangle to edit.

3. QUOTE ANALYSISDirections: Choose a quote from the novel that you think was important and rewrite it in the left column.  Using complete sentences, explain why it is significant in the right column.

QUOTE/EVIDENCE (include page number)

WHY SIGNIFICANT? (What does it reveal about the characters or conflict that matters?)

4. MAKING CONNECTIONS1. Make a text-to-text connection. (How does this book link to other texts?)

2.  Make a text-to-world connection. (How does this book link to the world or past/current events?)

3. Make a text-to-self connection. (This book reminds me of a time when I…)

5. RATINGDirections-Rate your book by giving it __________/5 stars.  Explain your rating in complete sentences.  One star=not recommend. Five stars=highly recommend.  

Explanation of rating:

6. Visual Representation of Novel: Design a visual representation of the themes present in your book. You may complete a collage, story board, Illustration etc. (Examples of themes: Love, Loss, Loyalty, Friendship, Family, etc.) You may use a poster board, typing paper, construction paper etc.

Pershing Middle SchoolSummer 2018 Reading List Grade 8

Pershing Middle School recognizes that all readers need a variety of books from which to choose.  Some books may contain mature subject matter.

We encourage parents to have conversations with their child about book choices.

Flake, Sharon, Pinned (realistic fiction)Adonis and Autumn tell this story in alternating chapters. Adonis was born without legs, but is a great student. Autumn is the only girl on the wrestling team and loves to cook, but has a lot of trouble reading and doing her schoolwork.  Adonis can’t stand her, but she insists on trying to be friends, which he resists at every opportunity.  This is the story of the two of them, how they cope with each other, and interact with their parents, teachers, friends and coaches.

Murdock, Catherine, Dairy Queen (sports fiction)Fifteen-year-old D.J. lives in Red Bend, Wisconsin, in a family in which all the boys play football.  She's a basketball star.  When her father breaks his hip, D.J. must give up sports and do all the milking and mowing on their farm.  D.J. trains the quarterback from rival Hawley High and discovers that football is her passion after all.

Older, Daniel Jose, Shadowshaper (fantasy)When the murals painted on the walls of her Brooklyn neighborhood start to change and fade in front of her, Sierra Santiago realizes that something strange is going on--then she discovers her Puerto Rican family are shadowshapers and finds herself in a battle with an evil anthropologist for the lives of her family and friends.

Yee, Lisa, The Kidney Hypothetical, or, how to ruin your life in seven days (realistic fiction)A week before high school graduation, Harvard-bound Higgs suddenly finds his life falling apart and the other students turning against him, and somehow it all started with a hypothetical question about donating a kidney--but really it goes much deeper, all the way back to the death of his older brother.

SAMPLE OF SUMMER READING ASSIGNMENT