Total Summer Assignments Due:
Books to Read: 3 (The Power of Half and 2 books from the list)
Summary Sheets to Complete: 3
Book Projects: 2 (only on the TWO books you choose)
Reading Response Typed Statements: 3
Note: All summer assignments and summary sheets are due on first day of class.
8th Grade Summer Reading Selection List
Salwen, Kevin - The Power of Half: One Family's Decision to Stop Taking and Start Giving Back(Required for all 7th and 8th grade students)
It all started when fourteen-year old Hannah Salwen had a “eureka” moment. Seeing a homeless man in her neighborhood at the precise second a glistening Mercedes coupe pulled up, she said “You know, Dad, if that man had a less nice car, that man there could have a meal.” Until that day, the Salwens had been caught up like so many of us in the classic American dream—providing a good life for their children, accumulating more and more stuff, doing their part but not really feeling it. So when Hannah was stopped in her tracks by this glaring disparity, her parents knew they had to act on her urge to do something. As a family, they made the extraordinary decision to sell their Atlanta mansion, downsize to a house half its size, and give half of the sale price to a worthy charity. What began as an outlandish scheme became a remarkable journey that transported them across the globe and well out of their comfort zone. In the end they learned that they had the power to change a little corner of the world—and they found themselves changing, too.
8th graders please read TWO of the following as well as The Power of Half:
Alcott, Louis May Little Women (Realistic Fiction)
Meg is the eldest and on the brink of love. Then there’s tomboy Jo who longs to be a writer. Sweet-natured Beth always puts others first, and finally there’s Amy, the youngest and most precocious. Together they are the March sisters. Even though money is short, times are tough and their father is away at war, their infectious sense of fun sweeps everyone up in their adventures – including Laurie, the boy next door. And through sisterly squabbles, their happy times and sad ones too, the sisters discover that growing up is sometimes very hard to do.
Carter, Allie I'd Tell You I Love You But Then I'd Have to Kill You (YA Fiction)
Cammie Morgan is a student at the Gallagher Academy for Exceptional Young Women, a fairly typical all-girls school—that is, if every school taught advanced martial arts in PE and the latest in chemical warfare in science, and students received extra credit for breaking CIA codes in computer class. The Gallagher Academy might claim to be a school for geniuses but it’s really a school for spies.
Even though Cammie is fluent in fourteen languages and capable of killing a man in seven different ways, she has no idea what to do when she meets an ordinary boy who thinks she’s an ordinary girl. Sure, she can tap his phone, hack into his computer, or track him through town with the skill of a real “pavement artist”—but can she maneuver a relationship with someone who can never know the truth about her? Cammie Morgan may be an elite spy-in-training, but in her sophomore year, she’s on her most dangerous mission—falling in love.
Christie, Agatha Murder on the Orient Express (Mystery) or any other title by this author
Traveling from Istanbul to Paris on the Orient Express in the midst of a blizzard, the vacationing detective, Hercule Poirot, is faced with the unexpected task of finding out who on board the train has just committed a murder.
Dumas, Alexandre The Count of Monte Cristo (Adventure)
Falsely accused during the final days of Napoleon's reign, Edmond Dantès is imprisoned in the bleak Chateau d'If. After a hair-raising escape, he launches an elaborate plot to extract a bitter revenge against those who betrayed him. Amazingly based on actual events, Dumas' labyrinthine tale is popular fiction of the highest mark.
Farmer, Nancy House of the Scorpion (Futuristic Fiction)
Matt, a clone, lives in Opium, a futuristic country carved out between the U.S. and Mexico specifically for the world's drug lords. Clones are despised but Matt has special status because he is the clone of El Patron, the ruling drug lord. As Matt begins to understand who he is he refuses to accept his fate and the injustices he uncovers around him.
Ferris, Jean Once Upon a Marigold (Fantasy)
Christian became lost in the woods as a child. He decided he would rather stay lost. For many years he lives with a troll in a cave. One day, looking through his telescope, he spies a princess reading a book. It is evident that something is wrong and a spell is in effect. Without completely understanding what is happening to him, his heart begins to feel a little different and he is irresistibly drawn to the castle of the princess. The sequel, Twice Upon a Marigold, is equally delightful.
Ferris, Jean Twice Upon A Marigold (Fantasy)
Since Queen Olympia's fateful fall into the river, newlyweds Christian and Marigold have been living happily ever after. And they had every intention of keeping it that way--until they find out that Olympia may not be as gone as they thought. Turns out Olympia is alive and well in a faraway village, having lost her memory after her ill-timed tumble. But one day she awakes and remembers her previous glory as queen. Accompanied by Lazy Susan (Sleeping Beauty's slacker sister) and Stan Lucasa (a gentleman with a surprising destiny), Olympia returns, determined to take back the kingdom. Yet, thanks to a cast of familiar characters, grabbing the throne may not be as easy as Olympia thinks!
Frank, Anne The Diary of Anne Frank (Non-Fiction)
Since its publication in 1947, Anne Frank's Diary has been read by tens of millions of people. This Definitive Edition restores substantial material omitted from the original edition, giving us a deeper insight into Anne Frank's world. Her curiosity about her emerging sexuality, the conflicts with her mother, her passion for Peter, a boy whose family hid with hers, and her acute portraits of her fellow prisoners reveal Anne as more human, more vulnerable and more vital than ever.
Gaiman, Neil The Graveyard Book (Fantasy)
This winner of the 2008 Newbery Medal, is a winning fantasy that grows from a singularly disturbing beginning. Awakened when his family is murdered, a toddler wanders out of his house and into a nearby graveyard. There he is taken in by the cemetery's ghosts who protect and eventually rear him. The murderer, who unsuccessfully searches for the boy, vows never to give up his hunt. The child, named Nobody Owens by the graveyard ghosts, has an upbringing and education that is understandably bizarre, at times frightening, but also charming and filled with the sense of what a family should be.
Hinton, S.E. The Outsiders (Realistic Fiction)
Written by the author in 1967, when she was only sixteen, this classic picture of a high school split by two factions, the Socs and the Greasers, reads as if the ink was barely dry. The Socs’ idea of having a good time is beating up Greasers like Ponyboy. Ponyboy knows what to expect and knows he can count on his brothers and friends – until the night someone takes things too far.
Kidd, Sue Monk The Secret Life of Bees (Realistic Fiction)
Maybe the last straw was being forced to kneel on the rough grits on the floor. Lily Owen knows that she cannot live with her father T. Ray anymore. The housekeeper Rosaleen, the only person who provides her with any mothering, is not safe in their town anymore. Lily plans their escape and together they head toward a town Lily knows only from a picture found among her mother's possessions.
LeGuin, Ursula The Wizard of Earthsea (Fantasy)
Ged was the greatest sorcerer in all Earthsea, but once he was called Sparrowhawk, a reckless youth, hungry for power and knowledge, who tampered with long-held secrets which resulted in him releasing a terrible shadow upon the world. This is the tale of his testing, how he mastered the mighty words of power, tamed an ancient dragon, and crossed death's threshold to restore the balance.
London, Jack White Fang (Realistic Fiction)
Part wolf and part dog, the small puppy born in a cave is the only one of his litter to live. Seemingly marked as being different from the beginning by his appearance, strength, and intelligence, White Fang struggles to survive in a brutal world. Forced to fight other dogs by his cruel owner, he is saved by the interference of a young man who believes in him.
Smith, Betty A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (Realistic Fiction)
Francie Nolan, avid reader, penny-candy connoisseur, and adroit observer of human nature, has much to ponder in colorful, turn-of-the-century Brooklyn. She grows up with a sweet, tragic father, a severely realistic mother, and an aunt who gives her love too freely--to men, and to a brother who will always be the favored child. Francie learns early the meaning of hunger and the value of a penny. She is her father's child--romantic and hungry for beauty. But she is her mother's child, too--deeply practical and in constant need of truth. Like the Tree of Heaven that grows out of cement or through cellar gratings, resourceful Francie struggles against all odds to survive and thrive. Betty Smith's poignant, honest novel created a big stir when it was first published over 50 years ago. Her frank writing about life's squalor was alarming to some of the more genteel society, but the book's humor and pathos ensured its place in the realm of classics--and in the hearts of readers, young and old.
Taylor, Mildred D. Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry (Historical Fiction)
The Mississippi of the 1930s is a hard place for a black child to grow up in and Cassie finds it difficult to understand why the farm means so much to her father. But, as she witnesses the hatred and destruction around her, she begins to learn the importance of fighting for your principles.
Tolkien, J.R. Any book in the The Lord of the Rings Series including The Hobbit (Fantasy)
The Fellowship of the Ring is the first book in The Lord of the Rings trilogy (The Hobbit is a prequel). This story is set in the world of Tolkien's invention, known as Middle Earth. A specter of evil is looming over Middle Earth as the Dark Lord, Sauron, seeks to consolidate his already immense power, by reclaiming the One Ring that he has lost. Most of his power is held in this ring. With this power, he can enslave Middle Earth and unleash an incredible evil with little opposition. Frodo, a hobbit, along with the fellowship of the ring, must find a way to destroy the ring.
It all started when fourteen-year old Hannah Salwen had a “eureka” moment. Seeing a homeless man in her neighborhood at the precise second a glistening Mercedes coupe pulled up, she said “You know, Dad, if that man had a less nice car, that man there could have a meal.” Until that day, the Salwens had been caught up like so many of us in the classic American dream—providing a good life for their children, accumulating more and more stuff, doing their part but not really feeling it. So when Hannah was stopped in her tracks by this glaring disparity, her parents knew they had to act on her urge to do something. As a family, they made the extraordinary decision to sell their Atlanta mansion, downsize to a house half its size, and give half of the sale price to a worthy charity. What began as an outlandish scheme became a remarkable journey that transported them across the globe and well out of their comfort zone. In the end they learned that they had the power to change a little corner of the world—and they found themselves changing, too.
8th graders please read TWO of the following as well as The Power of Half:
Alcott, Louis May Little Women (Realistic Fiction)
Meg is the eldest and on the brink of love. Then there’s tomboy Jo who longs to be a writer. Sweet-natured Beth always puts others first, and finally there’s Amy, the youngest and most precocious. Together they are the March sisters. Even though money is short, times are tough and their father is away at war, their infectious sense of fun sweeps everyone up in their adventures – including Laurie, the boy next door. And through sisterly squabbles, their happy times and sad ones too, the sisters discover that growing up is sometimes very hard to do.
Carter, Allie I'd Tell You I Love You But Then I'd Have to Kill You (YA Fiction)
Cammie Morgan is a student at the Gallagher Academy for Exceptional Young Women, a fairly typical all-girls school—that is, if every school taught advanced martial arts in PE and the latest in chemical warfare in science, and students received extra credit for breaking CIA codes in computer class. The Gallagher Academy might claim to be a school for geniuses but it’s really a school for spies.
Even though Cammie is fluent in fourteen languages and capable of killing a man in seven different ways, she has no idea what to do when she meets an ordinary boy who thinks she’s an ordinary girl. Sure, she can tap his phone, hack into his computer, or track him through town with the skill of a real “pavement artist”—but can she maneuver a relationship with someone who can never know the truth about her? Cammie Morgan may be an elite spy-in-training, but in her sophomore year, she’s on her most dangerous mission—falling in love.
Christie, Agatha Murder on the Orient Express (Mystery) or any other title by this author
Traveling from Istanbul to Paris on the Orient Express in the midst of a blizzard, the vacationing detective, Hercule Poirot, is faced with the unexpected task of finding out who on board the train has just committed a murder.
Dumas, Alexandre The Count of Monte Cristo (Adventure)
Falsely accused during the final days of Napoleon's reign, Edmond Dantès is imprisoned in the bleak Chateau d'If. After a hair-raising escape, he launches an elaborate plot to extract a bitter revenge against those who betrayed him. Amazingly based on actual events, Dumas' labyrinthine tale is popular fiction of the highest mark.
Farmer, Nancy House of the Scorpion (Futuristic Fiction)
Matt, a clone, lives in Opium, a futuristic country carved out between the U.S. and Mexico specifically for the world's drug lords. Clones are despised but Matt has special status because he is the clone of El Patron, the ruling drug lord. As Matt begins to understand who he is he refuses to accept his fate and the injustices he uncovers around him.
Ferris, Jean Once Upon a Marigold (Fantasy)
Christian became lost in the woods as a child. He decided he would rather stay lost. For many years he lives with a troll in a cave. One day, looking through his telescope, he spies a princess reading a book. It is evident that something is wrong and a spell is in effect. Without completely understanding what is happening to him, his heart begins to feel a little different and he is irresistibly drawn to the castle of the princess. The sequel, Twice Upon a Marigold, is equally delightful.
Ferris, Jean Twice Upon A Marigold (Fantasy)
Since Queen Olympia's fateful fall into the river, newlyweds Christian and Marigold have been living happily ever after. And they had every intention of keeping it that way--until they find out that Olympia may not be as gone as they thought. Turns out Olympia is alive and well in a faraway village, having lost her memory after her ill-timed tumble. But one day she awakes and remembers her previous glory as queen. Accompanied by Lazy Susan (Sleeping Beauty's slacker sister) and Stan Lucasa (a gentleman with a surprising destiny), Olympia returns, determined to take back the kingdom. Yet, thanks to a cast of familiar characters, grabbing the throne may not be as easy as Olympia thinks!
Frank, Anne The Diary of Anne Frank (Non-Fiction)
Since its publication in 1947, Anne Frank's Diary has been read by tens of millions of people. This Definitive Edition restores substantial material omitted from the original edition, giving us a deeper insight into Anne Frank's world. Her curiosity about her emerging sexuality, the conflicts with her mother, her passion for Peter, a boy whose family hid with hers, and her acute portraits of her fellow prisoners reveal Anne as more human, more vulnerable and more vital than ever.
Gaiman, Neil The Graveyard Book (Fantasy)
This winner of the 2008 Newbery Medal, is a winning fantasy that grows from a singularly disturbing beginning. Awakened when his family is murdered, a toddler wanders out of his house and into a nearby graveyard. There he is taken in by the cemetery's ghosts who protect and eventually rear him. The murderer, who unsuccessfully searches for the boy, vows never to give up his hunt. The child, named Nobody Owens by the graveyard ghosts, has an upbringing and education that is understandably bizarre, at times frightening, but also charming and filled with the sense of what a family should be.
Hinton, S.E. The Outsiders (Realistic Fiction)
Written by the author in 1967, when she was only sixteen, this classic picture of a high school split by two factions, the Socs and the Greasers, reads as if the ink was barely dry. The Socs’ idea of having a good time is beating up Greasers like Ponyboy. Ponyboy knows what to expect and knows he can count on his brothers and friends – until the night someone takes things too far.
Kidd, Sue Monk The Secret Life of Bees (Realistic Fiction)
Maybe the last straw was being forced to kneel on the rough grits on the floor. Lily Owen knows that she cannot live with her father T. Ray anymore. The housekeeper Rosaleen, the only person who provides her with any mothering, is not safe in their town anymore. Lily plans their escape and together they head toward a town Lily knows only from a picture found among her mother's possessions.
LeGuin, Ursula The Wizard of Earthsea (Fantasy)
Ged was the greatest sorcerer in all Earthsea, but once he was called Sparrowhawk, a reckless youth, hungry for power and knowledge, who tampered with long-held secrets which resulted in him releasing a terrible shadow upon the world. This is the tale of his testing, how he mastered the mighty words of power, tamed an ancient dragon, and crossed death's threshold to restore the balance.
London, Jack White Fang (Realistic Fiction)
Part wolf and part dog, the small puppy born in a cave is the only one of his litter to live. Seemingly marked as being different from the beginning by his appearance, strength, and intelligence, White Fang struggles to survive in a brutal world. Forced to fight other dogs by his cruel owner, he is saved by the interference of a young man who believes in him.
Smith, Betty A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (Realistic Fiction)
Francie Nolan, avid reader, penny-candy connoisseur, and adroit observer of human nature, has much to ponder in colorful, turn-of-the-century Brooklyn. She grows up with a sweet, tragic father, a severely realistic mother, and an aunt who gives her love too freely--to men, and to a brother who will always be the favored child. Francie learns early the meaning of hunger and the value of a penny. She is her father's child--romantic and hungry for beauty. But she is her mother's child, too--deeply practical and in constant need of truth. Like the Tree of Heaven that grows out of cement or through cellar gratings, resourceful Francie struggles against all odds to survive and thrive. Betty Smith's poignant, honest novel created a big stir when it was first published over 50 years ago. Her frank writing about life's squalor was alarming to some of the more genteel society, but the book's humor and pathos ensured its place in the realm of classics--and in the hearts of readers, young and old.
Taylor, Mildred D. Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry (Historical Fiction)
The Mississippi of the 1930s is a hard place for a black child to grow up in and Cassie finds it difficult to understand why the farm means so much to her father. But, as she witnesses the hatred and destruction around her, she begins to learn the importance of fighting for your principles.
Tolkien, J.R. Any book in the The Lord of the Rings Series including The Hobbit (Fantasy)
The Fellowship of the Ring is the first book in The Lord of the Rings trilogy (The Hobbit is a prequel). This story is set in the world of Tolkien's invention, known as Middle Earth. A specter of evil is looming over Middle Earth as the Dark Lord, Sauron, seeks to consolidate his already immense power, by reclaiming the One Ring that he has lost. Most of his power is held in this ring. With this power, he can enslave Middle Earth and unleash an incredible evil with little opposition. Frodo, a hobbit, along with the fellowship of the ring, must find a way to destroy the ring.