June 6, 2008
Dear Parents,
Below you will find the required books for the middle school summer reading and also the explanation for the
projects for the two books each child chooses to read from the list of pre-approved authors. The list is attached
to this letter.
Incoming 6th graders: Tuck Everlasting by: Natalie Babbitt
Incoming 7th graders: The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton
Incoming 8th graders: Flowers from Algernon by Daniel Keyes
Students will be tested on these texts upon their return in the fall. The assessment will be a take home examination
that will consist of short answer, essay, multiple choice, and matching. Students will be given a date by which the
test is to be completed and turned into their Language Arts teacher or they will receive a grade of “0” for their
summer reading exam. This is vital to begin the academic year in good standing. The summer reading grades will be
the first grades of the year. In addition to the summer reading exam, each student will be required to complete a
two-part project based on the two novels written by the authors on the pre-approved authors’ list.
Part 1: Students are to complete a project based upon a novel written by one of the authors on the pre-approved list.
The project has to be on a foldable project board (i.e. a board in the same style as a science fair project board).
There is a grading rubric at the bottom of the example page attached hereto and also located on the website.
Part 2: Students are to complete a character profile in the format designed by the Language Arts teachers. This project
must be completed on poster board. A sample project with a grading rubric is attached hereto and can also be found
on the website.
In conclusion, we would like to recap
the requirements:
1. Summer reading exam
-based upon the required text listed above
-will be distributed in the fall
Two part project
-foldable project board
-character profile
-both of the above based upon grading rubrics found on CSS website.
If you have questions about this project, please contact Mrs. Paulson
-Students must prepare a five point hand out that will cover material they will discuss in their presentation
(The student does not need to make copies, the teacher will facilitate the process)
-All presentations must be 5 minutes
-The summer reading project must be based upon the approved only, no substitutions and no exceptions.
Grading Rubric
1. Neatness 20
2. Creativity 20
Accuracy 20
D Demonstrated Knowledge
Of the text 20
5. Oral Presentation 20
Total: 100 points possible
Definition of Terms
Setting: The time, place, and culture in which the action of a narrative takes place. The elements of setting may
include geographic location, characters’ physical and mental environments, prevailing cultural attitudes, or the
historical time in which the action take place
Characters: fictional character: an imaginary person represented in a work of fiction (play or film or story)
“she is the main character in the novel”
Theme: a unifying idea that is a recurrent element in a literary or artistic work; “it was the usual ‘boy gets girl’ theme”
Tone: An expression of a writer’s attitude toward a subject. Tone can be serious, humorous, sarcastic, playful,
ironic, bitter, or objective
Mood: The feeling created in the reader by a literary work or passage
Moral: a message conveyed or a lesson to be learned from a story or event.
Plot: the order if events and actions with a story
Exposition: the part of the work that introduces the characters, the setting, and the basic situation
Rising Action: the part of the plot in which the tension of the story build, complications increase the conflict
Climax: the climax of a narrative work is its point of highest tension or drama
Falling action: is that portion of a story that occurs directly following the climax and leads to the resolution
Resolution: the portion of the play or story in which the problem is solved. It comes after the climax and falling action and is intended to bring the story to a satisfactory end.
My connections:
1.) Text to self: how do you (the reader) relate to the story and characters
2.) Text to text: how does this story remind you of another story (what is similar and what is different)
3.) Text to world: how does this story relate to events that are happening in the world or have happened in the past.
Grading Rubric
1.) Neatness 20
2.) Creativity 20
3.) Accuracy 20
4.) Demonstrated knowledge 20
Of the text
5.) Oral Presentation 20
Total Possible Points: 100 points
May 16, 2008
Dear 5th, 6th, and 7th grade students,
Here are the plans for this year’s summer reading assignment. First of all, each student will be required to read
one specific book (the title of this book will be given to you on the last day of school in June). You will be tested on
this book when you return to school in August. Secondly, each student will be required to read two other books
that they choose from a list of pre-selected authors. These author’s names will be available at the CSS Book Fair
next week. Students will complete projects on the two books that they choose to read. The details of the project
will be provided on the last day of school in June. This information will also be available on our website.
Ms. Claiborne has graciously arranged for many books by the pre-selected authors to be available for purchase at
the book fair next week. Come, support the school, and get a jump start on your summer reading! A list of the
pre-selected authors for each grade will be available at the book fair.
If you have any questions, please contact Mrs. Paulson or Mrs. Bell.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Paulson
Middle School Summer Reading List
Selected Authors
Louisa Alcott
Sharon Creech
Kate DiCamillo
Jean Ferris (please do not select the book entitled “Once Upon a Marigold”)
Sharon G. Flake (please do not select the book entitled “ The Skin I’m In)
Jacqueline Woodson (please do not select the book entitled “Miracle’s Boys)
Sharon Draper
Nancy Farmer
Jackie French- suggested title “Hitler’s Daughter”
Anne Issacs
Ian Lawrence
Harry Mazer
J. R. R. Tolkien
Gary Soto
Jerry Spinelli
Walter Dean Myers
Richard Peck
Christopher Paolini
Robert Lupsyte
S. E. Hinton
Faith Ringgold
Mark Twain
Christopher Paul Curtis (please do not select the book entitled “Watson’s Go to Birmingham , 1963)
Gary Paulsen
Katherine Patterson
Scott O’ Dell
Lois Lawry (please do not select the books entitled "Gathering Blue", “The Giver" or "Number the Stars")