Plantation Key School 6-8 th Grade Summer Reading Each incoming 6-8 th grade student will be required to select and read one book from this list OR select an appropriate book that suits the student s reading level. If you select a book that is not on the list below, please get your alternate book approved by your reading teacher BEFORE summer break. It must be an Accelerated Reader book. Book report forms, essays, or poster boards are due on the first day of school to the 6 th -8 th grade language arts teachers. Book selections are from the Sunshine State Reader List and the Florida Teens Read list (for 8 th grade only). Sunshine State Books- For 6 th, 7 th, and 8 th Graders: Counting by 7s By Holly Goldberg Sloan The Eighth Day Eye of the Storm Jack Strong Takes a Stand Jungle of Bones The Night Gardener Project Jackalope The Secret of Rover Seeing Red Skink No Surrender Stung Tesla s Attic The Testing This Journal Belongs to Ratchet Twerp By Dianne K. Salerni By Kate Messner By Tommy Greenwald By Ben Mikaelsen By Jonathan Auxier By Emily Ecton By Rachel Wildavsky By Kathryn Erskine By Carl Hiaasen By Bethany Wiggins By Neal Shusterman and Eric Elfman By Joelle Charbonneau By Nancy J. Cavanaugh By Mark Goldblatt Choices from Florida Teens Read List- for 8 th Grade ONLY: The Impossible Knife of Memory By Laurie Halse Anderso Avalon You Look Different in Real Life Foul Trouble By Mindee Arnett By Jennifer Castle By John Feinstein
Fake ID We Were Liars Jackaby The Winner s Curse Steelheart Noggin By Lamar Giles By E. Lockhart By William Ritter By Marie Rutkoski, By Brandon Sanderson By John Corey Whaley Please select ONE of the following assignment choices to complete based on your book. Assignment Choice #1: Book Report Form- the form is attached below (at the end of this notice). Assignment Choice #2: Using the following questions as a guide, type a two-page essay (minimum length) about the elements of your book. Be sure to include textual evidence from your book to back up your ideas. Use a variety of the Level I, Level II, and Level III questions below to write a complete response. You do not have to answer all of the questions. The writing rubric is attached. Literary Analysis Guide- Fiction or Non-fiction Level 1 Questions 1. What is the time and place of the book? What evidence in the book tells you this? 2. Name and describe the main character in the book. Describe him/her physically and describe his/her personality and history, if known. Then give your impression of him/her. 3. Name and describe a minor character. Describe her/him physically and describe her/his personality and history, if known. Explain how s/he is important to the story and the ideas of the book.
4. Describe the nature of the relationship between two characters. Include their history together and details of their relationship. Explain the significance of their relationship to the book. 5. Describe one important event in the book and explain why it is significant to the story (to the plot, the characters, the ideas of the book). 6. What are your feelings and thoughts about the novel based on one or more specific things you have read? 7. Find one specific idea, event, or behavior in the book that relates to real life. Explain the relationship you see. Level 2 Questions - 1. If the time or place switches around during the book, explain how and give examples. How does this switching serve the story? 2. What is the general feeling or mood of the book? Give specific examples of how the author creates that feeling or mood.. 3. Choose two from below and explain and give examples of a conflict or conflicts between: 1. two people 2. a person and his/her conscience (internal conflict) 3. a person and society 4. a person and an animal or nature 5. a person and a spiritual/supernatural being 4. Who is the narrator of the story? Is s/he inside or outside the story? What is her/his relationship to the story? 5. Is the book written in the first or third person (I or s/he)? How does that affect the story? 6. Explain the organization of the book. How it is important to the story? Level 3 Questions - 1. Does the author use figurative language, humor, irony, symbolism, similes, or metaphors? Give examples and explain the effect. 2. What is the peak event, the climax, of the novel? What major conflicts lead up to it and what is the resolution afterward? 3. What is the theme or themes in the novel? How does the author show this idea? Give evidence. Comment on how this theme fits in the novel and how it applies to life outside the book. What does this theme mean to you?
4. What did you learn from this novel? In answering this, you may comment on any aspect of the novel including how it is written. Assignment choice #3: Create a poster board or project display board about the elements in your novel. Include a summary of the book, main idea, theme, symbols, main characters (or figures for non-fiction), textual evidence (quotes) etc. Project rubric is below. 1. Needs improvement Poster is incomplete and messy. Time and effort were not put into completing the final project. 2. Emerging 3-Proficient 4-Exemplary Poster is challenging to read in places. It is not obvious that time and effort went into creating the final project. Poster is neat, creative and colorful. It is obvious that time and effort went into creating the final project. Poster is extremely neat, creative, and colorful. It is evident that effort and time were put into completing the final project. Poster includes a few of the story elements, but is missing important components. Poster includes some elements, but is missing a few things. Poster includes most of the required elements. Poster includes all of the required elements. Student writing (including grammar, punctuation, word choice, and spelling) needs improvement in most areas. There are many errors in the student writing (including grammar, punctuation, word choice, and spelling) There are a few errors in the student writing (including grammar, punctuation, word choice, and spelling) There are no errors in the area of student writing (including grammar, punctuation, word choice, and spelling)
Assignment choice #1: Book Report form: You must select an AR book that you have NEVER read before or taken an AR quiz on. You MUST write complete sentences to receive full credit. Name: Pd. Title: Author: Fiction or non-fiction? What is the Main Idea of the book? (2-3 sentence summary): Describe the Setting in detail and tell if the story is happening in the past, present, or future: (2-3 sentences) Point of View (first or third)? If first person, who is narrating the story? Theme of the Text: Determine the key theme of the text (moral or message) and explain how it is conveyed or developed (give specific examples from the book).
Vocabulary: List TWO key words that you may not know or you think others may not know. Using context clues, write what you initially thought the word meant. Then, look the word up in a dictionary and write the denotation that best applies to the word, as it is used in the sentence in which it appears. Vocabulary Word 1 and page number: What you think it means: Denotation (dictionary definition) of the word: Vocabulary Word 2 and page number: What you think it means: Denotation of the word: Summary of the Plot: Provide a three paragraph (one on the beginning of the book, one on the middle, and one on the end of the book) summary of the text. Include the exposition, rising action, climax, and falling action. You may attach a sheet if you run out of space.
Characters: Identify and describe the protagonist, the antagonist and a supporting character of your choice. If the antagonist is not a person, find a quote about the antagonist. The Protagonist: Description (write 2-3 complete sentences): Key Quote (must be something important to the story) and page number: Why is this person the protagonist? (Example: She saves the people in her village from the fire.)
Relationship to other main characters (how do they interact in the story?): Antagonist: Description (write 2-3 complete sentences): Key Quote (must be something important to the story) and page number: Why / how is this person the antagonist? - Relationship to other main characters (how do they interact in the story?): Name of a supporting character: Description (write 2-3 complete sentences):
Key Quote (must be something important to the story) and page number: Relationship to other main characters (how do they interact in the story?): Compare and Contrast the Protagonist and the Antagonist in your book. How are they different? How are they alike? BE SPECIFIC. (3-4 sentences) Scene Analysis Key Scene: Choose ONE key scene or passage from the piece that you believe plays a crucial role in the text. It does not have to be the climax, but it can be. Describe what happens in that scene and how it contributes to the text as a whole. Description of a key scene (3-4 sentences): Tone: Identify the tone of this scene and explain why giving specific details from the story. (2-3 sentences)
Figurative Language: Identify TWO examples of the author s use of figurative language (imagery, simile, metaphor, personification, onomatopoeia, or hyperbole). Examples and page numbers: 1. 2. Opinion: What is your opinion of this book? Include SPECIFIC EXAMPLES from the story to back up your opinion (4-5 sentences). I truthfully read this entire book: Student Signature required for book report credit