Summer Scholars Reading Program 2013

1. Read your book

2. Choose and complete an assignment

3. Return your book and assignment to school in September

7th and 8th Grade Summer Reading Options

Read your book and…

then, choose one of the following:

Character Choices: In the first paragraph, introduce the author, title, and genre of the book and give a very short summary. Pick a character in the text and discuss the choices the character makes and the result of their choices. Give specific actions and outcomes. How would YOU handle that particular situation?

OR:

Movie/Text Comparison: Pick a book that is also a movie. Read the book and also watch the movie. Write a comparison and discuss the similarities and differences. Discuss which you preferred and why.

OR:

Dialectical Journal: As you read your text, find interesting or

important lines or parts of your book and record them on

the dialectical journal handout. On the other side of the

page record your thoughts about the passage.

Name_____________________________________ Date

Your book report is due on the first day of school. For full credit, you will need to

follow all directions. Your report may be handwritten or typed.

FOR NARRATIVE NON FICTION AND FICTION BOOKS

(These are books that tell a story and involve a main character.)

MOST BOOKS WILL FALL IN TO THIS CATEGORY!!!

Paragraph 1 should introduce the book. It should tell the title, author, and the

setting (time and place).

Paragraph 2 should focus on the plot of the book, especially emphasizing the

major conflicts (issues). You should tell the major events of the text and describe

what the main character goes through, and/or what they are trying to achieve.

This paragraph will naturally be longer than your first paragraph, since you are

writing a summary of the main events of the book.

Paragraph 3 will focus on the characters of your book. You should describe the

main characters. . You should also describe one character (a character who

learned something or changed) and explain how and why that character changed.

Paragraph 4 is your conclusion, in which you should review the book that you

read. In this paragraph, you should tell your opinion of the book and why you

would or would not recommend it to your friends to read.

FOR NON FICTION BOOKS

(These are books that discuss a topic, usually historical or scientific)

Paragraph 1- should introduce the book. It should tell the title, author,

the genre, and the topic. You should also tell why you chose this topic to

read about.

Paragraph 2- should tell about what you have learned from the book. You

should tell the major facts (4-5) and why they are interesting or

important. This paragraph will naturally be longer than your first

paragraph, since you are writing a summary of the main facts of the

book.

Paragraph 3- This will focus on the vocabulary in the text. Choose 3

words that you learned from the text or by researching the topic that you

thought were interesting. Write the words and the meaning that you

learned in your words.

Paragraph 4- Would you recommend this book to a friend or family

member? Why or why not?

Name____________________________________________ Date______________________________

Dialectical Journal for ______________________________ by ______________________________

(Title of Text) (Author)

From the Text (Copy a direct quotation or paraphrase

the text you find interesting or important)

Page Number

Respond and Analyze (Why do you find this passage

interesting or important?)

7th – 9th Grade Suggested Titles and Authors

Gifted hands: The Ben Carson story by Ben Carson

Captures the physician's fight to beat the odds, the secret behind his outstanding accomplishments, and what

drives him to take risks.

Hunger games (any title) by Suzanne Collins

Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen accidentally becomes a contender in the annual Hunger Games, a grave

competition hosted by the Capitol where young boys and girls are pitted against one another in a televised fight to the

death.

The midwife's apprentice by Karen Cushman

In medieval England, a nameless, homeless girl is taken in by a sharp-tempered midwife, and in spite of obstacles

and hardship, eventually gains the three things she most wants: a full belly, a contented heart, and a place in this world.

The pact: Three young men make a promise and fulfill a dream by Sampson Davis, George Jenkins, &

Rameck Hunt

Presents the true story of three African-American kids from the inner city of Newark, New Jersey, who made a

pact to support each other as they rose from an environment of poverty, crime, and drugs, and went on to become

successful doctors.

Narrative of the life of Frederick Douglass by Frederick Douglass

Autobiographical account of the life of Frederick Douglass, describing his life, his freedom, and how slavery

effects slaves and slave owners.

Copper Sun by Sharon Draper

Two fifteen-year-old girls--one a slave and the other an indentured servant--escape their Carolina plantation and

try to make their way to Fort Moses, Florida, a Spanish colony that gives sanctuary to slaves.

Pinned by Sharon G. Flake

Autumn, who struggles with a learning disability and exceeds at wrestling, and Adonis, who is confined to a

wheelchair and loves books, learn how their weaknesses can become assets.

Bronx masquerade by Nikki Grimes

While studying the Harlem Renaissance, students at a Bronx high school read aloud poems they've written,

revealing their innermost thoughts and fears to their formerly clueless classmates.

African princess: The amazing lives of Africa's royal women by Joyce Hansen

Six brief biographies of African princesses from Hatshepsut of Ancient Egypt to the contemporary Elizabeth of

Toro.

Breaking through by Francisco Jiménez

Having come from Mexico to California ten years ago, fourteen-year-old Francisco is still working in the fields

but fighting to improve his life and complete his education.

Inside out & back again by Thanhha Lai

Through a series of poems, a young girl chronicles the life-changing year of 1975, when she, her mother, and her

brothers leave Vietnam and resettle in Alabama.

Charly's epic fiascos by Kelli London

Struggling to live with an overbearing and selfish mother while holding down a job and helping to pay the

household bills, Charly never stopped dreaming and planning to become an actor. Going to New York will put her closer

to her dreams and ultimate escape from a life that no teen should have to live.

Ambitious by Monica McKayhan

When Marisol Garcia, a new student at a competitive performing arts high school, is chosen to take part in a

dance contest, she becomes obsessed with winning and risks losing her friends, her good grades, and her place at the

school.

Black swan green by David Mitchell

Thirteen-year-old Jason Taylor comes of age in 1982 in what is for him the sleepiest village in Worcestershire,

experiencing first cigarettes, first kisses, and first deaths.

Discovering Wes Moore by Wes Moore

The author, a Rhodes scholar and combat veteran, analyzes factors that influenced him as well as another man of

the name and from the same neighborhood who was drawn into a life of drugs and crime and ended up serving life in

prison, focusing on the influence of relatives, mentors, and social expectations that could have led either of them on

different paths.

Fallen angels by Walter Dean Myers

Seventeen-year-old Richie Perry, just out of his Harlem high school, enlists in the Army in the summer of 1967

and spends a devastating year on active duty in Vietnam.

Monster by Walter Dean Myers

While on trial as an accomplice to a murder, sixteen-year-old Steve Harmon records his experiences in prison and

in the courtroom in the form of a film script as he tries to come to terms with the course his life has taken.

Sunrise over Fallujah by Walter Dean Myers

Robin Perry, from Harlem, is sent to Iraq in 2003 as a member of the Civilian Affairs Battalion, and his time there

profoundly changes him.

A long way from Chicago by Richard Peck

A boy recounts his annual summer trips to rural Illinois with his sister during the Great Depression to visit their

larger-than-life grandmother.

Stuck in neutral by Terry Trueman

Fourteen-year-old Shawn McDaniel, who suffers from severe cerebral palsy and cannot function, relates his

perceptions of his life, his family, and his condition, especially as he believes his father is planning to kill him.

RCSD 2013

Summer RocRead

Every student is encouraged to enjoy reading with their families over the summer break. You can

read any title you choose, if you’re looking for inspiration we have a newly expanded list of

suggested titles at:

www.rocread.com

Please visit a branch of the Monroe County or Rochester Public Libraries this summer. There are 11

branches throughout the city offering special programs throughout the summer. Check with your

local branch to see what events and programs are scheduled.

You can turn in this form at the Red Wings game on August 22nd. If you turn it in at the game, you

will get two (2) free tickets to the game and a book. Older students are encouraged to read a book

with younger students and turn in this form.

We would love to see pictures of you and your family reading! You can email your picture (include

your first and last name, and which school you attend) to:

rocread@rcsdk12.org

Student First and Last Name:_______________________________

Home School #:_________________________________________

Grade in September:______________________________________

Teacher’s Name: ________________________________________

What book did you read?

Title: ______________________________________________

Author: ____________________________________________

What are the names of the family members you read with?

Names: ____________________________________________

__________________________________________________

Tell me about your favorite part of the book and what made it special to you.

William & Mildred

Levine Foundation

As we all know, the summer months will go by so fast. Research has shown that children who

don’t read over the summer can lose up to three months of reading progress and that loss has

cumulative, long term effects. We want to encourage your children to keep reading over the

summer. Please take a few moments to review the material below and share this information with

your child. Have a wonderful summer, remember to visit your local library and keep reading!!! Visit

your local public library or the American Library Association site at http://www.ala.org to get names of

award winning books.

Check out the kids place at the Monroe Public Library! Rochester Public Library

and suburban branches will be hosting free Kids & Teen programs all summer long. Check

at each branch for their schedule of events.

http://www.libraryweb.org/

Find events from all over the city and

county at

Kids Out and About:

http://rochester.kidsoutandabout.com

Check out Writers & Books for the SummerWrite Program for students ages 6 - 18. See the program catalog online

http://www.wab.org/area-of-class-workshop/youth-classes/

. A quick look through the brochure will show you the wide range of classes that offer something for all reading and writing levels.

The program runs throughout the summer, and sessions can be half-day or full-day. For more information, contact Sally Bittner-

Bonn at 473-2590, ext 109, or e-mail at "sallyb@wab.org." Ask about scholarship funds

Visit the Read-Write-Think

website for some fun activities: http://readwritethink.org/beyondt

heclassroom/summer/

Visit Sylvan Learning’s Book

Adventure for book suggestions

and quizzes by grade level at

http://www.bookadventure.org/

**********

The Department of Instructional Technology is

sponsoring a contest for students using Compass

Odyssey Learning. Check it out at

https://compass.rcsdk12.org.

* * * * *

* * * * * * * * * * * *

Earn a free book from

Barnes & Noble – 1)

read any eight books, record them in

a journal (print your journal at

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/summerreadi

ng/index.asp )

2) take the journal to a local B&N

store

3, Choose a Free Book from a

selection on the Reading Journal List

at the store

For Grades 1 - 6

Math games, Mad

Libs, Read Diary of a Wimpy Kid online at:

http://www.funbrain.

com/

Join the Applebee's Bookworm

Reading Club this summer!

The Rochester area is overflowing with ideas to

encourage children to read. How about some free food

and fun? Once again, children can join the Applebee's

Bookworm Reading Club this summer, and win a

tasty prize! Download the reading card from

(http://www.tlcneighborhood.com./documents/1_page

doc_Bookworm%20Club%20Card%20back.pdf)

Keep track of all of the books read. Parents also supply

some basic personal information (name, address, phone

number).

When the card is completed, a total of 10 books listed

with author, the child can detach the bookmark portion

as a keepsake and turn the completed card into

Applebee's to be redeemed for a free meal. The free

meal only applies when purchased with an adult entree.

One card per child, and one card per adult entree.

Valid only in Upstate NY and in Connecticut

Scholastic

Summer Reading

Challenge

Log your reading minutes for a chance to earn prizes

Visit http://www.scholastic.com/ups/campaigns/src-

2013?eml=BNL/e/20130522////MayNL///LIB///&ym_

MID=1480400&ym_rid=18740979 for more

information and reading log.

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Looking for more –

Check out other local restaurants and special locations for more summer reading programs:

Horizon Skate Wendy’s Friendly’s Taco Bell