2018 Summer Reading Assignments – Rising 5th Grade

Dear Middle School Parents and Students:

The summer reading program is designed to continue to develop students’ reading skills and to help foster a love of reading. Rising 5th grade students are required to read two books.

For each of the books, students are asked to complete an annotated bibliography. The format for the annotated bibliography is attached. Students should bring their annotated bibliographies and their copies of the books when they return to school in August. We will be doing several follow-up activities during the first two weeks of the school year. I hope you enjoy your summer and keep reading!

Thank you,

Ms. Slayton

5th Grade: Read one selection from EACH of the following lists:

Choose between:  Fever 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson  Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis  The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth Spear

Read one selection from this list of classics:

 A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett  The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett  The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame  Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maude Montgomery  Holes by Louis Sachar  Black Beauty by Anna Sewell  Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson  Heidi by Johanna Sypri  The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkein  The Sword and the Stone by T.H. White Annotated Bibliography

Students must complete an annotated bibliography for each book that they read for summer reading. This may be typed or neatly handwritten on notebook paper.

1. Title

2. Author

3. Genre (nonfiction, historical fiction, fiction, fantasy, etc.)

4. Publication Date (copyright date)

5. Describe the setting fully (time and place)

6. Briefly, in 5 sentences or less, summarize the plot of the book in your own words (not the words on the back of the book).

7. Choose any one character and write a descriptive paragraph about that character. Some things to consider: What is he or she like? What is important to this character? What are the character’s strengths? What makes this character interesting? (You don’t have to write about the protagonist or main character—choose any character that interests you).

8. Find one sentence from the book that you think is significant or important. Make sure to give the page number. Following the quote, explain what you think it means and why you think it is important.

9. What is the theme of the book? That is, what is a lesson or message that can be learned from reading it?

10. Write a sentence explaining your reaction to the book. Did you enjoy reading it? Why or why not?