Middle School (Entering grades 6-8)
Summer Reading List
Revised March, 2016
Dear Middle School Parents,
It is our sincere desire that the PACS summer reading program will develop in your child a love for
reading while maintaining the current levels of skills that your child has worked to achieve during
the school year. We hope that the summer assignment will be a “stress-free” time for you to discover
and dialogue together about books. We hope that you will enthusiastically support this program
and make reading a daily part of your child’s summer. Happy reading!
Why Read?
Research proves students who read during the summer break period will increase fluency,
vocabulary, and comprehension. According to one three-year study “children who do not read in
the summer lose two to three months of reading development while kids who do read tend to gain a
month of reading proficiency. This creates a three to four month gap every year. Every two or three
years the kids who don't read in the summer fall a year behind the kids who do" (“Summer” 1).
Philosophy:
The PACS reading program is designed to promote the love of reading while maintaining or
advancing the student’s current reading level and cognitive skills. Assignments are meant to be
academic in nature, developmentally appropriate, and student-manageable.
Assignments:
Assignments are based on the revised version of Bloom’s taxonomy called A Taxonomy for Learning,
Teaching, and Assessing, a classification system used to define and distinguish different levels of
human cognition; this revised version classifies cognitive skills as Remembering, Understanding,
Applying, Analyzing, Evaluating, and Creating, in that order. One way PACS addresses the
development of increased cognitive skills is through written expression. Beginning in third grade,
students are assigned a writing component through which they demonstrate understanding and
analysis of the text.
Grade-Specific Objectives:
Grades 6-8 (analyzing, evaluating and creating)
As students transition from elementary school to middle school, they read increasingly difficult
texts and begin to analyze those texts through personal connections and relationships. Students
recognize important textual passages and articulate connections as they quote texts then chose a
response based on give prompts such as “This character reminds me of…” or “I agree with this
character’s decision because…” Many middle school texts are listed to complement the history
curriculum.
Book lists:
Book lists are provided as a list of engaging and well-written stories that represent a variety of
genres. Many of the lists complement the PACS history curriculum. While we endeavor to choose
books that are representative of appropriate content, age level, and maturity, teachers recommend
each family research the suggested selections.
Choosing a Book:
One key to student success is ensuring the student’s reading level, comprehension ability, and the
difficulty level of the text are aligned. One quick way to assess whether a book is at the appropriate
level is to use the “five finger rule.” The student should choose a book that he or she wants to read.
Open to any page and begin reading. As the child comes to words he can’t pronounce or doesn’t
understand, put up a finger. If the reader puts up five fingers, put the book back. It’s too hard.
References:
“How to Make Summer Reading Effective.” National Summer Learning Association. 14 Nov. 2014. Web 4 Feb. 2015.
http://c.ymcdn.com/sites/www.summerlearning.org/resource/collection/CB94AEC5-9C97-496F-B230-
1BECDFC2DF8B/Research_Brief_03_-_Kim.pdf
Overview: Prince Avenue Middle School Summer Reading Program
Philosophy:
The PACS reading program is designed to promote the love of reading while maintaining or
advancing the student’s current reading level and cognitive skills. Assignments are meant to be
academic in nature, developmentally appropriate, student-manageable and “stress free.”
Book lists:
Book lists are provided as a compilation of engaging and well-written stories that represent a variety
of genres. Many of the selections complement the PACS history curriculum. While we endeavor to
choose books that are representative of appropriate content, age level, and maturity, teachers
recommend each family research the suggested selections. You may find sites such as
www.squeakycleanreviews.com, www.commonsensemedia.org, or www.thrivingfamily.com helpful
as you discern the best publication for your student.
Assignments:
Assignments are based on the revised version of Bloom’s taxonomy called A Taxonomy for Learning,
Teaching, and Assessing, a classification system used to define and distinguish different levels of
human cognition; this revised version classifies cognitive skills as Remembering, Understanding,
Applying, Analyzing, Evaluating, and Creating, in that order. One way PACS addresses the
development of increased cognitive skills is through written expression. Beginning in third grade,
students are assigned a writing component through which they demonstrate understanding and
analysis of the text.
Grade- specific objectives:
Grades 1 & 2 (remembering and understanding)
In 1
st
and 2
nd
grades, students are required to read at least twenty books over the summer break.
The goal for these students is to read frequently, thus increasing familiarity with words and
increasing comprehension skills. The goal of the summer reading program for first and second
graders is to maintain or increase the student’s end-of-year reading level. Students and parents will
complete a chart in which they record at least twenty books from the school list.
Grade 3 (applying)
By 3
rd
grade, students have mastered basic reading skills and can read independently. These
students have also become more proficient in writing skills, and that proficiency is demonstrated in
the summer reading assessment. Third grade students will read two books and produce a one-
paragraph response to a book of their choice. Since students have become familiar with the
Accelerated Reader program, students are required to take an AR quiz on the second book.
Grades 4-5 (applying and analyzing)
In 4
th
and 5
th
grades, students again choose two books to read. An AR quiz will be required of one
book, and a writing response is required for the other book. As students mature as readers and
writers, the paragraph requirement increases in complexity as students are asked to summarize
and evaluate a book’s content. The fifth grade summary and evaluation includes the incorporation
of examples to provide evidence of the student’s analysis.
Grades 6-8 (analyzing, evaluating and creating)
As students transition from elementary school to middle school, they read increasingly difficult
texts and begin to analyze those texts through personal connections and relationships. Students
recognize important textual passages and articulate connections as they quote texts then choose a
response based on given prompts such as “This character reminds me of…” or “ I agree with this
character’s decision because…” Many middle school texts are listed to complement the history
curriculum.
ENTERING 6
TH
GRADE READING LIST
Parents: Below you will find a list of engaging and well-written stories that represent a variety of genres.
Your student should choose one novel from the list below. While we endeavor to choose books that are
representative of appropriate content, age level, and maturity, we recommend each family research the
suggested selections. You may find sites such as www.squeakycleanreviews.com,
www.commonsensemedia.org, or www.thrivingfamily.com helpful as you discern the best publication for your
student.
Assignment: Each student should read one required book and complete a reading journal, due Monday,
August 8, 2016. Directions regarding the reading journal can be found below.
Fever, 1793 Anderson, Laurie
Crispin: The Cross of Lead Avi
Twenty and Ten Bishop, Claire Huchet
The Martian Chronicles Bradbury, Ray
The Secret Garden Burnett, Francis
Door in the Wall De Angeli, Marguerite
The Wheel on the School De Jong, Meindert
Candy Bomber s Elmer, Robert
Hitty: Her First Hundred Years Field, Rachel
Calico Bush Field, Rachel
Understood Betsy Fisher, Dorothy Canfield
Johnny Tremain Forbes, Esther
Dragon Slippers George, J.D.
Adam of the Road Gray, Elizabeth
A Father’s Promise Hess, Donna Lynn
A Murder for Her Majesty Hilgartner, Beth
Alex Rider series Horowitz, Anthony
Marlfox or Redwall series Jacques, Brian
The Phantom Tollbooth Juster, Norton
The Second Mrs. Giaconda Konigsburg, E. L.
The Tales of Uncle Remus Lester, Julius
A Snicker of Magic Lloyd, Natalie
The Princess and Curdie MacDonald, George
Rascal North, Sterling
The Black Pearl O’Dell, Scott
Streams to the Rivers, Rivers to the Sea O’Dell, Scott
Island of the Blue Dolphins O’Dell, Scott
My Friend Flicka O’Hara, Mary
Bridge to Terabithia Paterson, Katherine
The Light in the Forest Richter, Conrad
The Bark of Bog Owl Rogers, Jonathan
Esperanza Rising Ryan, Pam Munoz
Holes Sachar, Louis
Invention of Hugo Cabret Selznick, Brian
Miracles on Maple Hill Sorensen, Virginia
The Bronze Bow Speare, Elizabeth
Calico Captive Speare, Elizabeth
Maniac Magee Spinelli, Jerry
Freedom Train Sterling, Dorothy
The Mysterious Benedict Society series Stewart, Trenton Lee
Wings of Fire series Sutherland, Tui T
Joni: An Unforgettable Story Tada, Joni Eareckson
Amos Fortune, Free Man Yates, Elizabeth
Loot: How to Steal a Fortune Watson, Jude
ENTERING 6
TH
GRADE SUMMER READING ASSIGNMENT
During the seventy-two days of summer break, rising sixth grade students will read one (1) book of their
choice from the 6th grade reading list. This should be a book not previously read. Students will take an AR
quiz the first full week of school; additionally, students will produce a written response as described below.
The AR component will count toward their first quarter point requirements; the written component of the
assessment will count as a quiz grade. Please submit the written portion of the assessment to your language
arts teacher Monday, August 8, 2016.
Instructions:
1. Read the book of your choosing from the 6
TH
grade book list.
2. Divide your novel into four (4) equal sections. Choose one meaningful passage from each of the 4 sections
of your novel; quote it and write the page number of the passage.
(E.g.: Your book has 240 pages … 240/4= 60. This example shows you should write a response every 60 pages.)
3. Next, use one response below to give your personal insight (NOT a summary) for each of the four passages.
Provide a word count at the end. (Use the following examples only once so that you have a variety of four
responses.)
a. This passage is important because…
b. This passage reveals the character’s…
c. This passage fits with the book as a whole since…
d. Christians can relate to this quote because…
e. This excerpt makes me feel (angry/sympathetic/confused etc.) because…
f. This character reminds me of…
g. This character exhibits the quality of courage (honesty, etc.) …
h. The point the author wants to make here is…
i. I have felt the same emotions as this character when…
j. The author uses the literary device of (imagery/symbolism/theme etc.)…
k. This setting is significant because…
l. I agree/disagree with this character’s decision because…
m. This is exciting /boring because…
n. The author does a good/bad job of…
Each commentary should be no less than 50 words in length. You should have a total of four entries.
4. Include a cover page with your name, the book’s title, the book’s author, and the book’s total page
count.
Example:
Passage 1
“Fire swamps are, of course, entirely misnamed…Simply, there are swamps which contain a large percentage
of sulfur and other gas bubbles that burst continually into flame. They are covered with lush giant trees that
shadow the ground, making the flame bursts seems particularly dramatic. Because they are dark, they are
almost always quite moist, thereby attracting the standard insect and alligator community that prefers a
moist climate” (page 199).
Response:
The author uses imagery in this passage as he describes the fire swamps. The writing is so powerful that I
could see in my mind a huge, dark swamp like something out of a fairy tale, only with jets of flames popping
up. The author does a great job of describing the swamps and why they were such a terror to Florin and
Guilder. (64 words)
6
TH
Grade Summer Reading Journal Rubric Student ______________
Rubric Score _____ (-1 pt for each grammar/spelling mistake)= Final Grade: ___________
Exemplary
25
Accomplished
22
Developing
18
Beginning
15
Your
Score
Meaningful passage selections.
Quote marks and page numbers are
provided for ALL 4 citations
Less detailed, but significant
quotes
OR
missing no more than 1-3 of
8 quotation marks and page
numbers
Few significant details
from the text
OR
missing no more than
4-5 of 8 quotation
marks and page
numbers
Hardly any significant
details from the text
OR
missing no more than
6-8 quotation marks
and page numbers
Includes a variety of unique
comments about passages
(4 from list)
Includes some variety of
comments (3 from list)
Little variety of
comments (2 from list)
Comments are limited
to the same response
4 responses
No paraphrasing or summary
4 responses, but
1 is a summary response
2-3 responses;
summary in nature
1 response
Word count (50+) included for each
response
AND
Student name, book title, author,
page count
Word count (50+) on
3 responses
OR
Missing one cover item
Word count (50+) on
2 responses
OR
Missing 2 cover items
Word count on 1 or
less response
OR
No cover
Rubric Score
ENTERING 7
TH
GRADE READING LIST
Parents: Below you will find a list of engaging and well-written stories that represent a variety of genres.
Your student should choose one novel from the list below. While we endeavor to choose books that are
representative of appropriate content, age level, and maturity, we recommend each family research the
suggested selections. You may find sites such as www.squeakycleanreviews.com,
www.commonsensemedia.org, or www.thrivingfamily.com helpful as you discern the best publication for your
student.
Assignment: Each student should read one required book and complete a reading journal, due Monday,
August 8, 2016. Directions regarding the reading journal can be found below.
Watership Down Adams, Richard
Wolves of Willoughby Chase Aiken, Joan
Before We Were Free Alvarez, Julia
A Gathering of Days: A New England Girl’s Journal Blos, Joan
The Incredible Journey Burnford, Sheila
My Brother Sam is Dead Collier, James
Bud, Not Buddy Curtis, Christopher
Catherine, Called Birdy Cushman, Karen
The Chosen Dekker, Ted
The Three Musketeers Dumas, Alexandre
Out of Darkness: The Story of Louis Braille Freedman, Russell
The Double Life of Pocahontas Fritz, Jean
Dragon Rider Funke, Cornelia
The Miracle Worker Gibson, William
Found/ Caught/Sent Haddix, Mararet
Olive’s Ocean Henkes, Kevin
Beardance Hobbs, Will
The Goose Girl Hale, Shannon
Redwall series Jacques, Brian
Mark of the Dragonfly Johnson, Jaleigh
The Phantom Tollbooth Juster, Norton
Cracker! Best Dog in Vietnam Kadohata, Cynthia
The Jungle Book Kipling, Rudyard
The View from Saturday Konigsburg, E. L.
Onion John Krumgold, Joseph
A Wrinkle in Time L’Engle, Madeline
Hana’s Suitcase: A True Story Levine, Karen
Gathering Blue Lowry, Lois
Homer Price McCloskey, Robert
The Golden Goblet McGraw, Eloise
Mara, Daughter of the Nile McGraw, Eloise
The Spy Who Came in From The Sea Nolan, Peggy
The Hawk That Dare Not Hint by Day O’Dell, Scott
Hatchet Paulsen, Gary
The River Paulsen, Gary
Eragon series Paolini, Christopher
Wingfeather series Peterson, Andrew
Revenge of the Whale Philbrick, Nathaniel
The Westing Game Raskin, Ellen
Under the Blood Sun Sailsbury, Graham
Five Ancestors series Stone, Jeff
The Time Machine Wells, H.G.
Dragonwings Yep, Laurence
ENTERING 7
TH
GRADE SUMMER READING ASSIGNMENT
During the seventy-two days of summer break, rising seventh grade students will read one (1) book of their
choice from the 7th grade reading list. This should be a book not previously read. Students will take an AR
quiz the first full week of school; additionally, students will produce a written response as described below.
The AR component will count toward their first quarter point requirements; the written component of the
assessment will count as a quiz grade. Please submit the written portion of the assessment Monday, August
8, 2016.
Instructions:
1. Read the book of your choosing from the 7
TH
grade book list.
2. Divide your novel into five (5) equal sections. Choose one meaningful passage from each of the 5 sections of
your novel; quote it and write the page number of the passage.
(E.g.: Your book has 250 pages … 250/5= 50. This example shows you should write a response every 50 pages.)
3. Next, use one response below to give your personal insight (NOT a summary) for each of the five passages.
Provide a word count at the end. (Use the following examples only once so that you have a variety of
responses.)
a. This passage is important because…
b. This passage reveals the character’s…
c. This passage fits with the book as a whole since…
d. Christians can relate to this quote because…
e. This excerpt makes me feel (angry/sympathetic/confused etc.) because…
f. This character reminds me of…
g. This character exhibits the quality of courage (honesty, etc.) …
h. The point the author wants to make here is…
i. I have felt the same emotions as this character when…
j. The author uses the literary device of (imagery/symbolism/theme etc.)…
k. This setting is significant because…
l. I agree/disagree with this character’s decision because…
m. This is exciting /boring because…
n. The author does a good/bad job of…
Each commentary should be no less than 50 words in length. You should have a total of five entries.
4. Include a cover page with your name, the book’s title, the book’s author, and the book’s page count.
Example:
Passage 1
“Fire swamps are, of course, entirely misnamed…Simply, there are swamps which contain a large percentage
of sulfur and other gas bubbles that burst continually into flame. They are covered with lush giant trees that
shadow the ground, making the flame bursts seems particularly dramatic. Because they are dark, they are
almost always quite moist, thereby attracting the standard insect and alligator community that prefers a
moist climate” (page 199).
Response:
The author uses imagery in this passage as he describes the fire swamps. The writing is so powerful that I
could see in my mind a huge, dark swamp like something out of a fairy tale, only with jets of flames popping
up. The author does a great job of describing the swamps and why they were such a terror to Florin and
Guilder. (64 words)
7
TH
Grade Summer Reading Journal Rubric Student ______________
Rubric Score _____ (-1 pt for each grammar/spelling mistake)= Final Grade: ___________
Exemplary
25
Accomplished
22
Developing
18
Beginning
15
Your
Score
Meaningful passage selections.
Quote marks and page numbers are
provided for ALL 5 citations
Less detailed, but significant
quotes
OR
missing no more than 1-3 of
10 quotation marks and page
numbers
Few significant details
from the text
OR
missing no more than
4-6 of 10 quotation
marks and page
numbers
Hardly any significant
details from the text
OR
missing no more than
7-9 quotation marks
and page numbers
Includes a variety of unique
comments about passages
(5 from list)
Includes some variety of
comments (4 from list)
Little variety of
comments (3 from list)
Comments are limited
to the same response
5 responses
No paraphrasing or summary
5 responses, but
1 is a summary response
3 responses are
summary in nature
2 responses are
summary in nature
Word count (50+) included for each
response
AND
Student name, book title, author,
page count
Word count (50+) on
4 responses
OR
Missing one cover item
Word count (50+) on
3 responses
OR
Missing 2 cover items
Word count on 2 or
less response
OR
No cover
Rubric Score
ENTERING 8
TH
GRADE READING LIST (CP and Honors)
Parents: Below you will find a list of engaging and well-written stories that represent a variety of genres.
Your student should choose one novel from the list below. While we endeavor to choose books that are
representative of appropriate content, age level, and maturity, we recommend each family research the
suggested selections. You may find sites such as www.squeakycleanreviews.com,
www.commonsensemedia.org, or www.thrivingfamily.com helpful as you discern the best publication for your
student.
Assignment: Each student should read one required book and complete a written assignment due Monday,
August 8, 2016. Directions regarding the written assignment can be found below.
The Boy in the Striped Pajamas Boyne, John
A Little Princess Burnett, Frances Hodgson
The Perilous Journey of the Donner Party Calabro, Marian
Ender’s Game Card, Orson Scott
The Red Badge of Courage Crane, Stephen
Gregor the Overlander Collins, Suzanne
The Dark is Rising Cooper, Susan
Mark Twain Cox, Clinton
Walk Two Moons Creech, Sharon
Sherlock Holmes Mysteries Doyle, Arthur
City or Ember or People of Sparks DuPrau, Jeanne
Johnny Tremain Forbes, Esther
Summer of My German Soldier Greene, Bette
Hoot Haasen, Carl
Clara Barton Hamilton, Leni
The Dark Frigate Hawes, Charles
Stormbreaker (Alex Rider series) Horowitz, Anthony
Across Five Aprils Hunt, Irene
No Promises in the Wind Hunt, Irene
The Witchcraft of Salem Village Jackson, Shirley
Trumpeter of Krakow Kelly, Eric
The Story of My Life Keller, Helen
When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit Kerr, Judith
To Be A Slave Lester, Julius
White Fang London, Jack
A Night to Remember Lord, Walter
A Young Patriot Murphy, Jim
Sarah Bishop O’Dell, Scott
Hangman’s Curse, Nightmare Academy Peretti, Frank
Harriet Tubman: Conductor… Petry, Ann
Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figg Philbrick, Rodman
The Yearling Rawlings, Marjorie
The Lightening Thief Riordan, Rick
Stargirl Spinelli, Jerry
Treasure Island Stevenson, Robert Louis
Chasing Lincoln’s Killer Swanson, James
Let the Circle be Unbroken Taylor, Mildred
Air Raid-Pearl Harbor Taylor, Theodore
Dicey’s Song Voigt, Cynthia
Homecoming Voigt, Cynthia
The Sword in the Stone White, T.H.
Swiss Family Robinson Wyss, Johann
Entering 8
th
Grade Summer Reading Assignment (2016)
During the seventy-two days of summer break, rising eighth grade students will read one (1) book of their choice from
the 8th grade reading list. Students will take an AR quiz the first full week of school; additionally, students will produce a
written response as described below. The AR component will count toward their first quarter point requirements; the
written component of the assessment will count as a quiz grade. Please submit the written portion of the assessment
Monday, August 8, 2016.
Protagonist: In a story, the protagonist is the central character or hero in a narrative or a drama, usually the one with whom the
audience tends to identify. Cassie Logan is the protagonist in Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry.
Antagonist: In a story, an antagonist is a force working against the protagonist, or main character; an antagonist can be another
character, society, a force of nature, or even a force within the main character. In Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry, an example of an
antagonist is Mr. Granger. The Wallace family is also an antagonist. Lastly, racism is an antagonist.
Motivation: A character’s motivation is the reason why he or she acts, feels, or thinks in a certain way. In Roll of Thunder, Hear My
Cry, Cassie’s motivation for refusing to use the textbook provided for her by the school is to make a statement of her belief that
racial slurs are morally wrong. Also, Stacy chases T.J. out of the classroom because T.J. allowed Stacy to take the blame and
punishment for T.J.’s cheating.
Think about the protagonist and antagonist(s) in your summer reading book. What actions/words/thoughts allow you to draw
that conclusion? Write two examples about the actions/words/thoughts of the protagonist and two examples of the
antagonist(s) in your book. Each example should be 3-5 sentences in length and include the character’s motivation for acting the
way he/she does (if your antagonist is a character rather than a force of nature). If the antagonist in your book is a force of
nature, choose another character and identify two actions, whether positive or negative, and explain his/her motivation for each
action.
Grading Rubric (Each Example 25 pts. Each)
Protagonist:
Example 1
3-5 sentences in length
Thoughts/words/actions thoroughly explained
Motivation thoroughly explained
Total Pts. Earned
Example 2
3-5 sentences in length
Thoughts/words/action thoroughly explained
Motivation thoroughly explained
Total Pts. Earned
Example paragraph:
In Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry, racism is an antagonist. One event that supports racism as an
antagonist is when the school bus driver of the white students’ school bus sprays mud all over Cassie
and her brothers on the road the first day of school. Cassie and her brothers’ clothes are ruined. As the
bus driver pulls away, the white students laugh and yell racial slurs. The reader understands the
motivation of the driver is purely for entertainment at the expense of the Logan children. The act is
unnecessary and hateful. Racism is definitely an antagonist in the story.
Antagonist(s):
Example 1
3-5 sentences in length
Thoughts/words/action thoroughly explained
Motivation thoroughly explained
Total Pts. Earned
Example 2
3-5 sentences in length
Thoughts/words/action thoroughly explained
Motivation thoroughly explained
Total Pts. Earned