Summer Reading Assignment for school year 2013- Book Money Due June 7th!!!

MIDDLE SCHOOL

SUMMER OF 2013:  READING LIST AND REQUIREMENTS

Students, your brain is like a muscle; if you do not use it, you will start to lose it.  The summer reading will keep your brain in shape.  You will buy two books, at a discounted price, from the Frederick Douglass Academy to read DURING THE SUMMER.  Each grade must read two books; while one literary work will be assigned, you will have a choice between three to four options for the other literary work.   You will be tested on the books at the beginning of the upcoming school year.  In addition, you are required to complete all components of the assignment for your grade level.

ALL WORK IS DUE ON MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2013. THESE ASSIGNMENTS WILL BE COUNTED TOWARD YOUR FIRST MARKING PERIOD AVERAGE. FAILURE TO COMPLETE THE ASSIGNMENT WILL RESULT IN A GRADE OF ZERO FOR THE PROJECT WHICH IN TURN COULD RESULT IN A FAILING GRADE.

ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS

The NYS Common Core curriculum emphasizes studying an author’s craft.  Thus, for the summer, each grade will be reading two books by the same author, so they can begin to analyze an author’s writing style.  Please see the attached document to help you decide which book you would like to read.  Then please return the last document with cash or money order payable to Frederick Douglass Academy.  All money needs to handed in by JUNE 7^th in order to ensure that the books are in by the last day of school. 

What You Will Be Reading

Incoming 7th grader books by Sharon Draper

Required Text: We Beat The Street

Select one of the following:

1. The Battle of Jericho
2. Fire From the Rock
3. Romiett and Julio

Incoming 8th grader books by Gary Soto

Required Text: Baseball in April

Select one of the following:

1. Taking Sides
2. Living Up the Street
3. Buried Onions
4. Accidental Love

What To Do After You Are Finished Reading

• PART ONE: Book Project (see attached document for details)

For each book, you will complete a book project that displays your understanding of the text.      Students must select a different project for each book.

• PART TWO: Analyzing Author’s Craft

After reading both books, please answer the following questions thoroughly.  Write a paragraph for each question.

1)    What did you notice about the author’s writing style? (ex. Did they write descriptively? Poetically? With suspense? Choppy and abrupt? How did the author decide to tell the story? From what point of view or order? Etc.). Give an example from each literary work to support your response.  If you are struggling to analyze the writing then look at  a specific paragraph or page in a text and then answer the above questions.

2)    What connections can be made between the two works?   More specifically, what themes (topics or lessons) do you see in both works? What can you conclude about the author then?

3)    Which novel did you prefer? Why? Give specific details from the texts to support your claim/stance.

4)    What is the author’s point of view or purpose in writing the texts?  (To persuade, Inform, Entertain) Give an example from each literary work to support your response.

Please see the attached document to help you decide which book you would like to read.  Then please return the last document with cash or money order payable to Frederick Douglass Academy.  All money needs to handed in by JUNE 7^th in order to ensure that the books are in by the last day of school.