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.

Animal Stories

The One and Only Ivan/Katherine Applegate ​ 336 pages Winner of the 2013 Newbery Medal and a #1 New York Times bestseller, this stirring ​ ​ and unforgettable novel from renowned author Katherine Applegate celebrates the transformative power of unexpected friendship. Inspired by the true story of a captive gorilla known as Ivan, this illustrated novel is told from the point of view of Ivan himself.

Fantasy

Artemis Fowl/Eoin Colfer (Any title in this series) ​ ​ 277 pages (approximately) When a twelve-year-old evil genius tries to restore his family fortune by capturing a fairy and demanding a ransom in gold, the fairies fight back with magic, technology, and a particularly nasty troll.

Children of the Red King/Jenny Nimmo (Any title in this series) ​ ​ 425 pages (approximately) A magical fantasy that is fast-paced and easy-to-read. The fabulous powers of the Red King were passed down through his descendants, after turning up quite unexpectedly, in someone who had no idea where they came from. This is what happened to Charlie Bone, and to some of the children he met behind the grim, gray walls of Bloor's Academy. Charlie Bone has discovered an unusual gift-he can hear people in photographs talking! His scheming aunts decide to send him to Bloor Academy, a school for geniuses where he uses his gifts to discover the truth despite all the dangers that lie ahead.

The Chronicles of Prydain/ (Any title in this series) ​ 275 pages (approximately) This is a series of five children’s fantasy novels that follows the protagonist from youth to maturity. Taran has the title Assistant Pig-Keeper at Caer Dallben but initially dreams of being a grand hero. Hiis most important companions in adventure are , a girl his age; Fflewddur Fflam, a wandering bard and minor king; , a wild hominid between animal and man; and Doli a dwarf.

Dealing with Dragons/Patricia Wrede (Any title in this series) ​ 212 pages Bored with traditional palace life, a princess goes off to live with a group of dragons and soon becomes involved with fighting against some disreputable wizards who want to steal away the dragons' kingdom.

First Test/Tamora Pierce (Any title in this series) ​ 240 pages Ten-year-old Keladry of Mindalen, daughter of nobles, serves as a page but must prove herself to the males around her if she is ever to fulfill her dream of becoming a knight.

The Golden Compass/Philip Pullman(Any title in the trilogy) ​ 351 pages Accompanied by her daemon, Lyra Belacqua sets out to prevent her best friend and other kidnapped children from becoming the subject of gruesome experiments in the Far North.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone/J. K. Rowling (Any title in this series) ​ 309 pages Harry Potter is a series of seven fantasy novels written by British author J. K. Rowling. ​ The series chronicles the adventures of a young wizard, Harry Potter, and his friends Ronald Weasley and Hermione Granger, all of whom are students at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

The Hobbit/J.R.R. Tolkein ​ 305 pages The place is Middle-earth. The time is long ago, when man shared his days with elves, wizards, goblins, dragons, heroes...and hobbits. Bilbo Baggins is a hero and a hobbit, a roundish, peaceable homebody who sets off on a dangerous quest -- even though adventures make hobbits late for dinner!

The Hunger Games/Suzanne Collins (Any title in the trilogy) ​ 374 pages In a not-too-distant future, the United States of America has collapsed, weakened by drought, fire, famine, and war, to be replaced by Panem, a country divided into the Capitol and 12 districts. Each year, two young representatives from each district are selected by lottery to participate in The Hunger Games.

The Lightning Thief/Rick Riordan (Any title in this series) ​ 375 pages This first installment of Rick Riordan's best-selling series is a non-stop thrill-ride and a classic of mythic proportions

The Lost Hero/Rick Riordan (Any title in this series) ​ 592 pages Jason has a problem. He doesn't remember anything before waking up on a school ​ bus holding hands with a girl. Apparently she's his girlfriend Piper, his best friend is a kid named Leo, and they're all students in the Wilderness School, a boarding school for "bad kids." What he did to end up here, Jason has no idea-except that everything seems very wrong.

Piper has a secret. Her father has been missing for three days, and her vivid ​ nightmares reveal that he's in terrible danger. Now her boyfriend doesn't recognize her, and when a freak storm and strange creatures attack during a school field trip, she, Jason, and Leo are whisked away to someplace called Camp Half-Blood. What is going on?

Leo has a way with tools. His new cabin at Camp Half-Blood is filled with them. ​ Seriously, the place beats Wilderness School hands down, with its weapons training, monsters, and fine-looking girls. What's troubling is the curse everyone keeps talking about, and that a camper's gone missing. Weirdest of all, his bunkmates insist they are all-including Leo-related to a god. ​ ​

Warriors/Erin Hunter (Any title in this series) ​ ​ 290 pages (approximately) For generations, four Clans of wild cats have shared the forest according to the laws laid dow by their ancestors. But the warrior code is threatened, and the ThunderClan cats are in grave danger. The sinister ShadowClan grows stronger every day. Noble warriors are dying—and some deaths are more mysterious than others. In the midst of this turmoil appears an ordinary housecat named Rusty . . . who may turn out to be the bravest warrior of them all.

More Historical Fiction

The Ballad of Lucy Whipple/Karen Cushman ​ 195 pages In 1849, a twelve-year-old girl who calls herself Lucy is distraught when her mother moves the family from Massachusetts to a small California mining town, where Lucy helps run a boarding house and looks for comfort in books while trying to find a way to get "home."

Catherine, Called BIrdy/Karen Cushman ​ ​ 176 pages Catherine, a spirited and inquisitive young woman of good family, narrates in diary form the story of her fourteenth year--the year 1290. A Newbery Honor Book

Crispin: The Cross of Lead/Avi ​ 262 pages Falsely accused of theft and murder, a peasant boy in fourteenth-century England flees his village and meets a larger-than-life juggler who holds a dangerous secret.

Dear America/various (Any title in the series) ​ is a series of historical fiction novels published by Scholastic. Each book ​ ​ ​ is written in the form of a diary of a young woman's life during an important event or time period in American history.

Journal of Scott Pendleton Collins: A World War II Soldier/Walter Dean Meyers ​ 140 pages (My Name is America series) A seventeen-year-old soldier from central Virginia records his experiences in a journal as his regiment takes part in the D-Day invasion of Normandy and subsequent battles to liberate .

King of Shadows/Susan Cooper ​ 186 pages While in London as part of an all-boy acting company preparing to perform in a replica of the famous Globe Theater, Nat Field suddenly finds himself transported back to 1599 and performing in the original theater under the tutelage of Shakespeare himself.

The Land/Mildred Taylor ​ 375 pages After the Civil War Paul, the son of a white father and a black mother, finds himself caught between the two worlds of colored folks and white folks as he pursues his dream of owning land of his own.

Matilda Bone/Karen Cushman ​ 167 pages Fourteen-year-old Matilda, an apprentice bonesetter and practitioner of medicine in a village m medieval England, tries to reconcile the various aspects of her life, both spiritual and practical.

The Royal Diaries/various authors (Any title in the series) ​ The Royal Diaries has covered many famous women in royalty, including Jahanara, ​ ​ ​ ​ Marie Antoinette, Eleanor of Aquitaine, Queen Elizabeth I, Mary, Queen of Scots, ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Isabella I of Castile, Cleopatra VII, the Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna, Catherine ​ ​ ​ ​ the Great, Empress Elisabeth, and Queen Victoria. The series has also covered much ​ ​ ​ less known women, such as Anacaona of the Taínos,Weetamoo of the Pocassets, the ​ ​ ​ ​ Lady of Ch'iao Kuo of the Hsien, the Lady of Palenque of the Mayans, and Nzingha of ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Ndongo. It also covers the life and customs of these women. ​

Single Shard/Linda Sue park ​ ​ 152 pages Tree-ear, a thirteen-year-old orphan in medieval Korea, lives under a bridge in a potters' village, and longs to learn how to throw the delicate celadon ceramics himself.

Humor

The Bad Beginning/Lemony Snicket (Any title in the series) ​ 162 pages After the sudden death of their parents, the three Baudelaire children must depend on each other and their wits when it turns out that the distant relative who is appointed their guardian is determined to use any means necessary to get their fortune.

Chomp/Carl Hiaasen ​ 290 pages Wahoo Cray lives in a zoo. His father is an animal wrangler, so he's grown up with all manner of gators, snakes, parrots, rats, monkeys, and snappers in his backyard. The critters, he can handle. His father is the unpredictable one. When his dad takes a job with a reality TV show called Expedition Survival!, Wahoo figures he'll have to do a bit of ​ ​ wrangling himself—to keep his dad from killing Derek Badger, the show's inept and egotistical star, before the shoot is over.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid/Jeff Kinney (Any title in this series) ​ 200 pages Greg Heffley decides to keep a journal, not only because his mother wants him to, but also because he wants something he can give to people who ask him questions once he is rich and famous. In handwritten type and through the use of cartoon illustrations, Greg details his day-to-day life as a middle school student.

Fantastic Mr. Fox/Roald Dahl ​ ​ 96 pages Three farmers, each one meaner than the other, try all-out warfare to get rid of a fox and his family.

Frindle/Andrew Clements ​ 105 pages When he decides to turn his fifth grade teacher's love of the dictionary on her, clever Nick Allen invents a new word and begins a chain of events that quickly move beyond his control.

Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life/James Patterson (Any title in the series) ​ 261 pages It's Rafe Khatchadorian's first day at Hills Village Middle School, and it's shaping up to be the worst year ever. He has enough problems at home without throwing his first year of middle school into the mix, but luckily he's got an ace plan for the best year ever--if only he can pull it off.

Mystery

The Maze of Bones/(39 Clues No. 1)/Rick Riordan (Any title in the series) ​ 220 pages Minutes before she died Grace Cahill changed her will, leaving her descendants an impossible decision: "You have a choice - one million dollars or a clue."Grace is the last matriarch of the Cahills, the world's most powerful family. Everyone from Napoleon to Houdini is related to the Cahills, yet the source of the family power is lost. 39 Clues hidden around the world will reveal the family's secret, but no one has been able to assemble them. Now the clues race is on, and young Amy and Dan must decide what's important: hunting clues or uncovering what REALLY happened to their parents.

Sammy Keyes and Hotel Thief/Wendelin Van Draanen (Any title in the series) ​ ​ 192 pages Thirteen-year-old Sammy gets in trouble when she involves herself in the investigation of a robbery at the "seedy" hotel across the street from the seniors' building where she is living with her grandmother.

Time Stops for No Mouse/Michael Hoeye (Any title in the series) ​ ​ 250 pages When Linka Perflinger, a jaunty mouse, brings a watch into his shop to be repaired and then disappears, Hermux Tantamoq is caught up in a world of dangerous search for eternal youth as he tries to find out what happened to her.

Realism

Chasing Redbird/Sharon Creech ​ 272 pages Thirteen-year-old Zinnia Taylor uncovers family secrets and self truths while clearing a mysterious settler trail that begins on her family's farm in Kentucky.

A Corner of the Universe/Ann M. Martin ​ 189 pages The summer that Hattie turns twelve, she meets the childlike uncle she never knew and becomes friends with a girl who works at the carnival that comes to Hattie's small town.

Crash/Jerry Spinelli ​ 162 pages Seventh-grader John "Crash" Coogan has always been comfortable with his tough, aggressive behavior, until his relationship with an unusual Quaker boy and his grandfather's stroke make him consider the meaning of friendship and the importance of family.

Getting Near to Baby/Audrey Couloumbis ​ 211 pages Although thirteen-year-old Will Jo and her Aunt Patty seem to be constantly at odds, staying with her Uncle Hob helps Willa Jo and her younger sister come to terms with the death of their family’s baby.

Hope was Here/Joan Bauer ​ 186 pages When sixteen-year-old Hope and the aunt who has raised her move from Brooklyn to Mulhoney, Wisconsin, to work as a waitress and cook at the Welcome Stairways diner, they become involved with the diner owner’s political campaign to oust the town’s corrupt mayor.

Smile/Raina Telgemeier ​ 224 pages Raina just wants to be a normal sixth grader. But one night after Girl Scouts she trips and falls, severely injuring her two front teeth. What follows is a long and frustrating journey with on-again, off-again braces, surgery, embarrassing headgear, and even a retainer with fake teeth attached. And on top of all that, there's still more to deal with: a major earthquake, boy confusion, and friends who turn out to be not so friendly.

Twerp/Mark Goldblatt ​ 288 pages Julian Twerski isn't a bully. He's just made a big mistake. So when he returns to school after a weeklong suspension, his English teacher offers him a deal: if he keeps a journal and writes about the terrible incident that got him and his friends suspended, he can get out of writing a report on Shakespeare. Julian jumps at the chance. And so begins his account of life in sixth grade--blowing up homemade fireworks, writing a love letter for his best friend (with disastrous results), and worrying whether he's still the fastest kid in school. Lurking in the background, though, is the one story he can't bring himself to tell, the one story his teacher most wants to hear.

The Well/Mildred Taylor ​ ​ 92 pages In Mississippi in the early 1900's ten-year-old David Logan's family shares their well water with both white and black neighbors in an atmosphere of potential violence.

A Year Down Yonder/Richard Peck ​ 130 pages During the recession of 1937, fifteen-year-old Mary Alice is sent to live with her feisty, larger-than-life grandmother in rural Illinois and comes to a better understanding of this fearsome woman.

Science Fiction

The Ear, the Eye, and the Arm/Nancy Farmer ​ 336 pages The year is 2174. The place is Zimbabwe, . Three adventurous children escape their parents' heavily guarded mansion to explore the dangerous world outside. They soon learn how dangerous it really is. Tendai, the oldest boy, is their leader, although he worries about being brave enough. Rita, his sister, is an expert at starting fights. Kuda, his little brother, is willing to try anything. They are quickly enslaved in a plastic mine ruled by the terrifying She Elephant and her army of vlei people.

The Maze Runner/James Dashner (Any title in this series) ​ 375 pages Imagine waking up one day in total darkness, unsure of where you are and unable to remember anything about yourself except your first name. You're in a bizarre place devoid of adults called the Glade. The Glade is an enclosed structure with a jail, a graveyard, a slaughterhouse, living quarters, and gardens. And no way out. Outside the Glade is the Maze, and every day some of the kids -- the Runners -- venture into the labyrinth, trying to map the ever-changing pattern of walls in an attempt to find an exit from this hellish place. So far, no one has figured it out. And not all of the Runners return from their daily exertions, victims of the maniacal Grievers, part animal, part mechanical killing machines.

Sports

At the Plate with Ichiro/Matt Christopher (Any book by this author) ​ ​ 95 pages A biography of the Seattle Mariners hitting and fielding star who won the MVP and Rookie of the Year Award in 2001 and became the first successful Japanese player in the Major League.

The Batboy/Mike Lupica (Any book by this author) ​ 272 pages Brian is living every baseball kid's dream: he is a batboy for his hometown Major League team. Brian believes that it's the perfect thing to bring him and his big-leaguer dad closer together. And if that weren't enough, this is the season that Hank Bishop, Brian's baseball hero, returns to the Tigers for the comeback of a lifetime. The summer couldn't get much better! Until Hank Bishop starts to show his true colors, and Brian learns that sometimes life throws you a curveball

Legends in Sports series/Matt Christopher (Any title in the series) ​ ​

Unstoppable/Tim Green (Any book by this author) ​ ​ 368 pages

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SUMMER READING LOG

Book Title Author Main Character Rating