8th Grade Summer Reading List
2009
Students entering the 8th Grade at Midland Elementary/Middle School in the
fall will be required to read two novels during the summer. Assessments
related to both novels will be graded. All students must read the novel, My
Brother Sam is Dead by James Lincoln Collier and Christopher Collier. It is
expected that students will read this book and be prepared for novel
activities/test at the beginning of the 2009-10 school year. Students may
either purchase this novel or check out a copy of the novel from the
Carnegie Library in Midland where 20 copies will be on reserve for Midland
students only. It is recommended that students read this book at the end of
summer so that it is fresh in their minds. Students may read both books
independently or parents may read to students.
Students will also be required to choose one book from the following book
list to read and then complete a book report (format included with this
letter). Summary information is available for each book; in addition, all
books are available at Carnegie Library unless otherwise noted. Students are
responsible for choosing a book they have never read before. All novels on
the list are Accelerated Reader books.
Why Summer Reading?
* Reading on a regular basis this summer will prepare students for the
upcoming school year..
* Reading will help to prevent loss of reading ability over the summer
months.
* Reading can be enjoyable if you find something that interests you.
* Successful completion of books will count toward your end-of-the-year trip!
***
I Hadn’t Meant to Tell You This by Jacqueline Woodson (not available at
Carnegie Library)
Despite differences in race and economics, Lena and Marie become friends
when they discover that neither of them has a mother at home. Lena’s mother
is dead and Marie’s has left for the lure of greater individual freedom. As
their friendship grows, Lena trusts Marie with a secret that both shames and
enrages her.
Themes: friendship, race relations, family life, abuse
***
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
Seconds before Earth is demolished to make room for a galactic freeway,
Arthur Dent is saved by Ford Prefect. Together, they journey through the
galaxy.
Themes: science fiction, adventure, humor
***
And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie
Ten people are invited to lonely mansion on Indian Island by a host who,
surprisingly, fails to appear—ten people who have something to hide and
something to fear.
Themes: murder mystery, suspense
***
Zel by Donna Jo Napoli
Based on the fairy tale Rapunzel, the story is told in alternating chapters
from the point of view of Zel, her mother, and the nobleman who pursues her,
and delves into the psychological motivations of each of the characters.
Themes: fairy tales, psychological identity, relationships
***
The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
Bilbo Baggins, a Hobbit who only wanted to be left alone, is drawn by a
wizard and a band of homeless dwarves into a quest where he confronts evil
orcs, savage wolves, and the great dragon, Smaug the Magnificent.
Themes: fantasy, adventure
***
On the Devil’s Court by Carl Deuker
Struggling with his feelings of inadquacy and his failure to make the
basketball team in his new school, seventeen-year-old Joe Faust finds
himself willing to trade his soul for one perfect season of basketball.
Themes: basketball, self-acceptance
***
Fallen Angels by Walter Dean Myers
Ina graphic story, 17 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.
Themes: Vietnam War, survival
***
First Test by Tamora Pierce
Keladry (known as Kel) is the first girl to take advantage of a decree that
permits girls to train for knighthood. The only thing than can stop her is
Lord Wyldon, the training master of pages and squires. He does not think
girls should be knights and puts her on probation for one year. But Kel is
not someone to be underestimated.
Themes: fantasy, knights
***
The Diary of Anne Frank by Anne Frank, Otto Frank (Ed.), Miriam Pressler
(Ed.)
Autobiography of Anne Frank who, with her family, fled the horrors of Nazi
occupation and hid in the back of an Amsterdam warehouse for two years. She
was thirteen when she went into the Secret Annex with her family.
Themes: autobiography, World War II, Jewish Holocaust, family relationships
***
I Am the Cheese by Robert Cormier
A young boy depsperately tries to unlock his past yet knows he must hide
those memories if he is to remain alive.
Themes: identity, suspense
***
My Life in Dog Years by Gary Paulsen
A book for every dog lover and every Paulsen fan. A perfect combination
that shows vividly the joy and wisdom that come from growing up with man’s
best friend.
Themes: dogs, coming of age, autobiography, recreational reading
***
The House of the Scorpion by Nancy Farmer
In a future where humans despise clones, Matt enjoys special status as the
young clone of El Patron, the 142 year-old-leader of a corrupt drug empire
nestled between Mexico and the United States.
Themes: science fiction, adventure, cloning
***
Milkweed by Jerry Spinelli
An unusual, fresh view of the Holocaust as seen through the eyes of a child
who struggles to understand the world around him. In Warsaw in 1939, a boy
wanders the streets and survives by stealing what food he can. He knows
nothing of his background: Is he a Jew? A Gypsy? Was he ever called
something other than Stopthief? Befriended by a band of orphaned Jewish
boys, he understands very little of what is happening when the
Nazi “jackboots” march into town.
Themes: historical fiction, World War II, the Holocaust, survival
***
Like Sisters on the Homefront by Rita Williams-Garcia
When 14-year-old Gayle gets pregnant for the second time, Mama sends her
south to live with her aunt and uncle, a minister. They hardly let her out
of the house and she doesn’t like her cousin Cookie. Then Gayle meets
Great, the family matriarch. Gayle’s life begins to change –perhaps she can
make her own place in the world.
Themes: families, relationships
***
Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer
The author relates his experience of climbing Mount Everest during its
deadliest season and examines what it is about the mountain that makes
people willingly subject themselves to such risk, hardship, and expense.
Themes: Mount Everest, mountain climbing, personal accounts, danger
***
The Amber Spyglass by Phillip Pullman
The long-awaited sequel to His Dark Materials trilogy started in The Golden
Compass and The Subtle Knife. Here, Lyra and Will find themselves at the
center of a battle between the forces of the Authority and those gathered by
Lyra’s father, Lord Asriel. Fans of the first two books will not be
disappointed.
(You may read any book in the trilogy mentioned above)
Themes: fantasy, science fiction, adventure
***
Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury
Two boys, best friends in a small town, finally come to understand that of
all the terrors threatening them from Coogera and Dark’s Pandemonium Shadow
Show, the greatest menace exists within themselves.
Themes: fantasy, suspense, horror
***
The Hound of Baskervilles by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Sherlock Holmes and his partner Dr. Watson confront one of their most
difficult cases ever: is there truly a curse on the old Baskerville
estate? Is there truly a ghostly beast lurking on the dark, eerie moors? A
masterful concoction of plot and mood, this story is guaranteed to give you
the shivers.
Themes: mystery, Sherlock Holmes, historical fiction
***
Hoop Dreams by Ben Joravsky (not available at Carnegie Library)
A study of the struggles of Arthur Agee and William Gates to win college
scholarships and positions on professional teams follows the stories of
their families, relationships, and personal aspirations.
Themes: non-fiction, identity, urban themes
***
Warriors Don’t Cry by Melba Pattillo Beals, Anne Greenberg
Follows the courageous story of Melba Pattilo, one of the nine brabe African-
American teens who was chosen to integrate Little Rock’s Central High School
after the 1954 Supreme Court ruling, Brown v. Board of Education.
Themes: non-fiction, recreational reading
***
The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman by Ernest J. Gaines
Fictional biography set in rural southern Louisiana. This is the story of
Jane Pittman, who was born a slave and witnessed 100 years of American
history, including the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s.
Themes: slavery, human dignity, African American culture
***
Taking Sides by Gary Soto (not available at the Carnegie Library)
Eighth-grader Lincoln Mendoza and his mother have just moved from a San
Francisco barrio to a wealthy, predominantly white suburb. He misses his
old friends and neighborhood. Having made first string on the basketball
team, he finds that the coach dislikes him for no good reason. Lincoln must
decide where his loyalty lies as an upcoming game between his new school and
the old one approaches.
Themes: cultural differences, basketball, moving, Hispanic culture
***
The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Ann Brashares
Carmen decides to discard an old pair of jeans, but Tibby, Lena, and Bridget
think they are great and decide that whoever the pants fit best will get
them. When the jeans fit everyone perfectly, a sisterhood and a memorable
summer begin.
(You may read any book in the Sisterhood series)
Themes: realistic fiction, friendship, life lessons
***
Monster by Walter Dean Myers
“Monster” is what the prosecutor called 16-year-old Steve Harmon for his
supposed role in the fatal shooting of a convenience-stor owner. But was
Steve really the lookout who gave the “all clear” to the murderer, or was he
just in the wrong place at the wrong time? In this innovative novel by
Walter Dean Myers, the reader becomes both juror and witness during the
trial of Steve’s life. To calm his nerves as he sits in the courtroom,
aspiring filmmaker Steve chronicles the proceedings in movie scrip format.
Themes: urban life, African Americans, screenwriting, crime, court
proceeding.
***
Book Report Format
This book report format is to be used for your choice book that you
selected from the reading list. It will be due the first week of school,
and I suggest completing it over the summer immediately after you have read
the novel.
Follow the directions carefully below, as this report will be
graded. This report may be typed (size 12 font, double spaced) or neatly
handwritten.
Students will write a five paragraph report, and the contents of
each paragraph are listed below:
Introduction
The introduction should include the book title (underlined or italicized),
the author, genre (fiction, non-fiction, historical fiction, etc.), setting,
main character, and other characters.
Paragraph 2
Summarize/Explain in your own words what happens in the beginning of the
novel in 5—8 sentences.
Paragraph 3
Summarize/Explain in your own words what happens in the middle of the novel
in 5—8 sentences.
Paragraph 4
Summarize/Explain in your own words what happens at the end of the novel in
5—8 sentences.
Conclusion
The conclusion should include answers to the following questions. Make sure
that your responses “flow” from one answer to another—use transition words;
it should not read as if you are simply listing answers to the questions:
What did you like/admire about the main character? What made you want to
read the book? Did you like the book? Explain why/why not.
