Upper School 8th Grade Class English Language Arts Summer Reading Assignment English Language Arts Summer Reading Assignment 2020 Reading Assignment: Purpose: Our goal for summer reading is to have students continue to practice their reading for approximately 30 minutes a day to maintain their reading skills and acquire new vocabulary. We have made some suggestions regarding book choices in the hope that it will provide guidance for those who find it helpful. Please do not feel limited by the suggested book list. Again, our goal is that students read at their independent reading level to maintain skills not that they read particular books. Selecting a book that matches the student’s interests and independent reading level should be the priority. Students are responsible for reading two books this summer and for filling out the ​ ​ attached reading log. One of those two books must be our “all school read,” One Goal by Amy Bass. This ​ ​ ​ book is particularly relevant today in light of current events, and we have included some discussion questions that will help guide students to make connections. When we return to school, we look forward to discussing the book and affirming the importance of our ongoing work around diversity, equity, and inclusion. For the other book, students are encouraged to find books that they will enjoy and that they find manageable. For both books, please record the books that you read on the attached log, and bring the log back to school on the first day of school. Have a great summer! Thank you. Mrs. Ahern Book 1: One Goal: A Coach, A Team, and the Game That Brought a ​ Divided Town Together by Amy Bass ​ Available on Learning Ally and Audible. In the tradition of Friday Night Lights and Outcasts United, ​ ​ ​ ​ ONE GOAL tells the inspiring story of the soccer team in a town bristling with racial tension that united Somali refugees and multi-generation Mainers in their quest for state--and ultimately national--glory. When thousands of Somali refugees resettled in Lewiston, Maine, a struggling, overwhelmingly white town, longtime residents grew uneasy. Then the mayor wrote a letter asking Somalis to stop coming, which became a national story. While scandal threatened to subsume the town, its high school's soccer coach integrated Somali kids onto his team, and their passion began to heal old wounds. Taking readers behind the tumult of this controversial team--and onto the pitch where the teammates vied to become state champions and achieved a vital sense of understanding--ONE GOAL is a timely story about overcoming the prejudices that divide us. Guiding Questions: 1. Consider One Goal’s epitaph, a statement by Ronaldinho: “When you have a ​ ​ football at your feet, you are free.” What might this mean? In what various ways do the many stories throughout the book concern the idea of freedom? What are essential freedoms? 2. Considering Mike McGraw, Abdullahi Abdi, Abdijabar Hersi, Abdikadir Negeye, and players like Shobow Saban, Abdi H., and others, what are the qualities of strong and effective leaders? 3. What challenges beyond those of normal competition did the Blue Devils face? What responses were suggested or demanded by Coach McGraw, especially regarding unfair and even racist treatment? Is it always best to “ignore ignorance”? When, if ever, is some kind of retaliation necessary? What form should it take? 4. What does the huge supportive crowd at the state championship game reveal about the evolution of Lewiston? What is it about the team that seems to override animosity or bias in many people? How do sports in general offer an opportunity to gather seemingly disparate people? At what point can team loyalty become divisive? Book 2: Student Choice Books NOT to Read . It is requested that the books listed below NOT be selected as a summer reading choice. These ​ ​ are books that are frequently read in language classes in Carroll’s 8th grade, and pre-reading might adversely affect certain skills taught in class as well as the student’s enjoyment and engagement in class. Also, we would prefer that students not watch movie versions of these books for the same reasons. ● To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee ​ ● The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas ​ ● Navigating Early by Clare Vanderpool ​ Suggestions for choosing a book . ● Students should look for books that intrigue them. Consider your child’s interests as well as books that were previously enjoyed. Some students prefer specific genres (mysteries, fantasy, science fiction, historical fiction, etc.) or enjoy the work of particular authors. ● The book should be at the student’s independent reading level. The student should be able to read the book with 90 – 95% accuracy and comprehension. Parents can help determine this by listening to the student read a page or two aloud and deciding together how many parts of the text were difficult. ● Reading the summary found on the book jacket or back cover often helps a student to determine whether the book seems interesting. ● Amazon.com provides book summaries and reader reviews. Sometimes sample pages are provided as well. ● This packet contains lists sorted by genre that give the number of pages and a brief summary for each story. In addition, many school systems, libraries, and other organizations post suggested summer reading lists on the web. th​ 8​ Grade Summer Reading Suggestions Historical Fiction Civil War Era Bull Run/Paul Fleischman. ​ Sixteen different voices narrate this story: soldier and civilian, slave and free, male and female, young and old, Yankee and Confederate. All tell the tale of how their lives were changed by the First Battle of Bull Run, the first major conflict of the Civil War. This book won the Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction and made many 1993 and 1994 best books lists. My Last Skirt: The Story of Jennie Hodgers, Union Soldier/Lynda Durrant ​ Jennie Hodgers was a real woman who lived her life dressed as a man, from the time she left Ireland through her three years with the 95th Illinois Infantry. She even kept up the disguise after the war; her true identity was discovered shortly before her death. Although this book is a novel, it is based on the true story of the soldier who was known as Albert Cashier. Girl in Blue/Ann Rinaldi. ​ Sixteen-year-old Sarah Louisa has no intention of allowing herself to be forced into marriage, so she disguises herself as a boy and runs off to join the 2nd Michigan Infantry. Although she is eventually found out, she winds up working as a spy for Allan Pinkerton's fledgling Secret Service. Excitement, intrigue and a spunky heroine make this a great read for girls who don't picture themselves as Scarlett O'Hara-type Southern belles. Shades of Gray/Carolyn Reeder and Tim O’Brien. ​ ​ Orphaned by the Civil War, 12-year-old Ben learns some unexpected truths from his Uncle Jed, a "coward" who refused to fight in the war; PW said, "thoughtfully told, the novel captures the hardships that followed the last war fought on U.S. soil." Across Five Aprils/Irene Hunt. ​ ​ The events of the Civil War unfold Across Five Aprils (Berkley Pub., 1986) in this moving story by Newbery Award winner, Irene Hunt. It is set in southern Illinois where Jethro Creighton, an intelligent, hardworking boy, is growing into manhood as his brothers and a beloved teacher leave to fight in the Union and Confederate armies. Hunt presents a balanced look at both sides of the conflict, and includes interesting information on lesser-known leaders and battles. Of course, Abraham Lincoln is a frequent topic of conversation, and Jethro even receives a letter from his fellow Illinoian. Adventure Hatchet/Gary Paulsen ​ 195 pages After a plane crash, thirteen-year-old Brian spends fifty-four days in the wilderness, learning to survive initially with only the aid of a hatchet given him by his mother, and learning also to survive his parents' divorce. The Ruins of Gorlan/John Flanagan (The Ranger’s Apprentice, Book 1) ​ (Any title in the series) 288 pages They have always scared him in the past—the Rangers, with their dark cloaks and shadowy ways. The villagers believe the Rangers practice magic that makes them invisible to ordinary people. And now 15-year-old Will, always small for his age, has been chosen as a Ranger's apprentice. What he doesn't yet realize is that the Rangers are the protectors of the kingdom. Highly trained in the skills of battle and surveillance, they fight the battles before the battles reach the people. And as Will is about to learn, there is a large battle brewing. The exiled Morgarath, Lord of the Mountains of Rain and Night, is gathering his forces for an attack on the kingdom. This time, he will not be denied. Stormbreaker/Anthony Horowitz (Any title in this series) ​ ​ 304 pages They told him his uncle died in a car accident. Fourteen-year-old Alex knows that's a lie, and the bullet holes in his uncle's windshield confirm his suspicions. But nothing prepares him for the news that the uncle he always thought he knew was really a spy for MI6, Britain's top secret intelligence agency. Recruited to find his uncle's killers and complete his final mission, Alex suddenly finds himself caught in a deadly game of cat and mouse. The Wanderer/Sharon Creech ​ 305 pages Sophie and her cousin Cody keep journals during their voyage aboard the sailboat Wanderer on the way to see their ailing grandfather in England. Wild Man Island/Will Hobbs ​ 184 pages After fourteen-year-old Andy slips away from his kayaking group to visit the wilderness site of his archaeologist father's death, a storm strands him on Admiralty Island, Alaska, where he manages to survive, encounters unexpected animal and human inhabitants, and looks for traces of the earliest prehistoric immigrants to America.