Summer Reading for Incoming 5 th graders Dear future 5 th grade students, Now that your summer vacation has begun, you will have plenty of free time We want you to enjoy your time off; kick back, relax, and pick up a few good books All students will choose two books from the reading list Students will write a book report for one of the books and complete graphic organizers for the second book Instructions for completing the reports are included All papers will be collected the first week of school The reports will be graded on the following criteria: neatness (on graphic organizers), following directions, and completeness of specified information These will be the first grades you ll receive in Reading Getting Started: For each book you read, take notes on key information, such as the names of the main characters, personality quirks of these characters, the setting, key plot twists, important events, and any other things that seem important and that you think you might want to include in your book report/graphic organizers First Book: Do a Book Report (Typed) for one of the books you chose: Start your report with an introductory paragraph that states the book's title, the author, and the type of book it is (mystery, fairy tale, science fiction, western, etc) It should also include the problem of the story Then type at least four to five paragraphs that clearly describe the book End the report with a closing paragraph that summarizes what you learned from the book and if you liked or disliked the book (and why) Report should be in 14 font, normal spacing and about a page and a half Remember to put your name and the title of the book at the top of the page Check that your grammar, spelling, and punctuation are correct Make sure to use complete sentences! Do not plagiarize or you will not be given credit for the report Topics to Include in Your Report: When you write your report, try to cover as many of the following topics as you can: Setting: Describe the setting or settings of the book Note where the action takes place and when Main Character: Write about the main character, including what they are like, what they look like, what they like to do, and so on Does the character change, learn, or grow in the story? If so, describe how and why this happens Would you like to be friends with this character? Other Characters: List the other characters in the book and give some characteristics for each Which characters did you like/dislike?: State why you liked/disliked certain characters Did any of the characters do things that you think are wrong, noble, risky, etc? What happened at the beginning of the story?: How does the story start? Usually this is where the characters are introduced to us and the problem is stated What happened in the middle of the story?: This is usually where we find out a lot about the characters and the story becomes more exciting What happened at the end of the story?: This is usually where the main problem in the book is resolved What was the problem in the story and how was it solved?: What was the big problem in the story, how was it solved, who solved it and why? What did you learn from this story?: The best books leave the reader with a lot to think about and learn Theme/Main Idea: What was the main idea or theme of the book? Some stories have a moral (like Aesop's fables), while others try to teach a life lesson Do you like this story?: Tell if you liked or disliked this story and why you did or didn't like it
The Following is a Rubric For Assessing each Part of Your Book Report: Beginning 1 Developing 2 Accomplished 3 Introduction Research Part 1 (describe the book's setting, major and minor characters) Research Part 2 (describe the book's beginning, middle and end, the problem in the story and how it was solved, etc) Life Lesson for character/ What did you learn from the book/ Did you enjoy the book Spelling/Grammar Disorganized, no information on what is to come Does not cover all appropriate topics Does not cover all appropriate topics Answered only 1 topic in this area with little or no detail Many spelling and grammatical errors Gives too little information Covers some of the appropriate topics Covers some of the appropriate topics Answered only 2 parts in this area with little detail A few errors Summarizes report Covers most of the appropriate topics Covers most of the appropriate topics Answered all 3 parts in this area but with little detail Only one or two errors Excellent 4 Concise, wellwritten introduction All appropriate topics covered well Also includes interesting facts All appropriate topics covered well Also includes interesting facts Answered all 3 parts of this area with detail Spelling and grammar perfect Score Second Book: Complete the following graphic organizers (Character Trait & Plot Graphic Organizer) Character Trait Organizer: Choose one character from your book and complete the organizer with evidence from the text that helps to describe the character Character Box: Write the name of the character you will be describing Appearance Box: Tell what the character looks like Situation Box: What situation (problem) is the character in in the story Trait Box: Use an adjective to describe the character For example: smart Evidence Box: Give evidence from the story that supports the adjective you chose in the trait box For example, if you said the character was smart, evidence from the book might be that the character earns A s every quarter at school Plot Graphic Organizer: What was the book about? Complete all areas/boxes in the graphic organizers Descriptions of each area are given on the organizer The organizers combine to be worth 18 points (1 point for each box (15) plus 3 points for neatness) Summer Recommended Book List (please choose two books from this list) Looking For Me by Betsy R Rosenthal Castle of Shadows by Ellen Renner The Adventures of Beanboy by Lisa Harkrader Gifts From the Gods by Lisa Lunge-Larsen Dogtag Summer by Elizabeth Partridge The Silver Bowl by Diane Stanley The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame Raiders Ransom by Emily Diamand The Shadows of Elsewhere by Jacqueline West
The Mousehunter by Alex Milway The Black Book of Secrets by F E Higgins The Watsons Go To Birmingham-1963 by Christopher Paul Curtis Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbit Popular Clone by M E Castle Way Down Deep by Ruth White Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin Drizzle by Kathleen Van Cleve 100 Cupboards by N D Wils Crickwind by Janell Cannon Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes by Eleanor Coerr Snow Goose by Paul Gallico Homesick by Jean Fritz The Shakespeare Stealer (Dutton Children s Books, 1998) No Talking by Andrew Clements Prizefighter en mi Casa by E Charlton-Trujillo Holes by Louis Sachar The Lemonade War by Jacqueline Davies