Dear Parents and Students,
Through the New York State Learning Standards, it is recommended that students read a minimum of twenty-five books per year across all content areas. This includes textbooks, non-fiction, magazines, and fiction.
To help students gain a head start reaching this goal, I am recommending that students entering eighth grade read at least two fiction books during the summer as well as some non-fiction material (magazines, newspapers, biographies, etc). Of course, students’ reading skills will become better the more they read, so students should be encouraged to read for enjoyment throughout the summer.
*The books listed on the back of this letter are suggestions. Students should feel free to choose other age appropriate books according to ability level and interests. You may want to check the following websites for other suggestions: *http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/yalsa/booklistsawards/booklistsbook.cfm
*commonsensemedia.org/book-lists
*teenreads.com
* scholastic.com/parents/books-and-reading/book-lists-and-recommendations/ages-11-13
This activity is meant to be regarded as entertainment and not as a dreaded task. I have included titles on the list that most students will find enjoyable. There are books that are considered to be "classics" and books that supplement the 8th grade English/Social Studies curriculum, as well as books that are my personal favorites.
I would also encourage students to work on crossword, search-a-word, or even Sudoko puzzles. Find a few family members or friends and play some board games or put a puzzle together. Perhaps you may want to keep a photo journal of your summer activities. You could even email letters to faraway friends or relatives… but PLEASE use “real” English and not “text-speak.”
Feel free to contact me if you have questions. Leave a message at the Middle School office (265-2000, ext 513) or send an email to me [email protected] Enjoy your summer!
Sincerely,
Mrs. Baxter
Rumble Fish - S.E. Hinton
Night –Wiesel
Nightjohn –Paulsen
The Red Badge of Courage - Crane
Diary of a Young Girl - Anne Frank
Hiroshima - Hersey
A Wrinkle in Time - L'Engle
Where the Red Fern Grows - Rawls
Deathwatch - White
The Chocolate War - Cormier
That Was Then, This is Now - S.E. Hinton
Summer of My German Soldier – Greene
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings-Angelou
A Pizza the Size of the Sun – Prelutsky
To Kill a Mockingbird – Harper Lee
Jacob Have I Loved - Paterson
Little Women - Alcott
Gathering Blue, Messenger, Son
(sequels to The Giver ) -Lois Lowery
Charlie Skedaddle - Beatty
Daniel's Story - Matas
Lord of the Rings Trilogy - Tolkien
The Hobbitt - Tolkien
Falling Up - Shel Silverstein
The Pigman - Zindel
I Am the Cheese –Cormier
Life As We Knew It (and sequels)- Pfeffer
Artemis Fowl series—Colfer
Ashes of Roses—M.J. Auch
Roll of Thunder. Hear My Cry and sequels-Taylor
The Hunger Games (and sequels)- Collins
A Long Walk to Water- Park
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn- Smith
The Horrors of Andersonville: Life and Death
Inside a Civil War Prison- Gourley
* Please rate the books that you read on a scale of 1 (less than so-so) – 5 (Great!).
* Bring this paper with you to school in September.
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