E. T. Richardson Middle School 2018 Summer Reading Requirements for Incoming 7th Grade LA Plus Students 1 June 2018 Dear Incoming Seventh Grade LA+ Student, During the summer, you are expected to read three books (two assigned, one choice) and complete the reading response assignment for each. The book you choose may be from the list provided or your own choice from off the list as long as you get parent/guardian approval (complete attached permission slip). Your teachers encourage you to make a selection from the range of books that best fits your interests and needs. Book #1: Required Classic Reading – The Red Pony by John Steinbeck It is recommended that you read this story in the weeks just before returning to school since there will be an assessment of the story elements in early September. Book #2: Required Contemporary Reading – Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie by Jordan Sonnenblick. Book #3: Free Choice of Fiction or Nonfiction* Select any book that interests you and is on grade level or above. *Nonfiction books must be narrative nonfiction, biography, autobiography, or memoir. In addition to reading your three books, you are required to complete a reading response assignment for each of them. Your summer reading responses are due on the second day of school in the fall. Additional copies of the reader response assignments can be found on the E.T. Richardson Middle School website located from http://www.ssdcougars.org/. Reading for enjoyment is a lifelong habit that your teachers at ETR support and want to develop in you. For this reason, the list of books provided includes novels from a variety of genres and from many great young adult authors. Your teachers are confident that you will choose a book that will interest you and engage you in your reading experience. Set regular time aside for reading, away from the many screens that take up so much of our time In seventh grade language arts plus, you will be expected to read at least thirty minutes a night as part of your language arts homework, so it helps to build up your reading “muscles” over the summer. Have a safe and fun-filled summer vacation, and enjoy your summer reading! Your teachers look forward to meeting you in September and hearing about your summer reading adventures. Sincerely, Your Seventh Grade LA+ Teachers 2 E.T. Richardson Middle School Seventh Grade Summer Reading List During the summer, you are expected to read three books (two assigned, one choice) and complete the reading response assignment for each. The book you choose may be from the list provided or your own choice from off the list as long as you get parent/guardian approval (complete attached permission slip). Your teachers encourage you to make a selection from the range of books that best fits your interests and needs. Recommended Book List Manageable: Among the Hidden (Shadow Children Series) by Margaret Peterson Haddix, Ages 9-12, 160 pages Luke has never been to school. He's never had a birthday party, or gone to a friend's house for an overnight. In fact, Luke has never had a friend. Luke is one of the shadow children, a third child forbidden by the Population Police. Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key (Joey Pigza Series) by Jack Gantos, Ages 10-up, 160 pages To the constant disappointment of his mother and his teachers, Joey has trouble paying attention or controlling his mood swings when his prescription medications wear off and he starts getting worked up and acting wired There’s a Girl in my Hammerlock by Jerry Spinelli, RL 5.5, 199 pgs. 13 year old Maisie joins her school’s formerly all-male wrestling team and tries to last through the season, despite opposition from other students, her best friend, and her own teammates. Heat by Muke Lupica, Ages 9-12, 240 pages Michael Arroyo has a pitching arm that throws serious heat. But his firepower is nothing compared to the heat Michael faces in his day-to-day life. Newly orphaned after his father led the family’s escape from Cuba, Michael’s only family is his seventeen-year-old brother Carlos. If Social Services hear of their situation, they will be separated in the foster-care system—or worse, sent back to Cuba. Together, the boys carry on alone, dodging bills and anyone who asks too many questions. But then someone wonders how a twelve-year-old boy could possibly throw with as much power as Michael Arroyo throws. With no way to prove his age, no birth certificate, and no parent to fight for his cause, Michael’s secret world is blown wide open, and he discovers that family can come from the most unexpected sources. The Smugglers by Iain Lawrence, RL 4.2, 183 pgs. th In 18 century England, after his father buys a schooner called the Dragon, 16 year old John sets out to sail it from Kent to London and becomes involved in a dangerous smuggling scheme. Storm Warriors by Elisa Carbone, RL 6.5, 168 pgs. In 1895, after his mother’s death, 12 year old Nathan moves with his father and grandfather to Pea Island off the coast of North Carolina where he hopes to join the all-black crew at the nearby lifesaving station, despite his father’s objection. The Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket, Ages 9-12 Are you made fainthearted by death? Does fire unnerve you? Is a villain something that might crop up in future nightmares of yours? Are you thrilled by nefarious plots? Is cold porridge upsetting to you? Vicious threats? Hooks? Uncomfortable clothing? It is unlikely that your answers will reveal A Series of Unfortunate Events to be ill-suited for your personal use. A librarian, bookseller, or acquaintance should be able to suggest books more appropriate for your fragile temperament. But to the rarest of readers we say, "Proceed, but cautiously." 3 Chasing the Falconers (On the Run Series) by Gordon Korman, Ages 9-12, 160 pages Aidan and Meg Falconer are their parents' only hope. The Falconers are facing life in prison -- unless Aidan and Meg can follow a trail of clues to prove their innocence. The problem? Right now they're trapped in a juvenile detention center. Until they escape one night -- and find themselves on the run, both from the authorities and from a sinister attacker t who has his own reason to stop them. The Falconers must use their wits to make it across the country . with plenty of tests along the way. Gordon Korman takes readers into FUGITIVE territory -- with thrilling results. The Abduction (Kidnapped Series) by Gordon Korman, Ages 9-12, 144 pages It's every brother's worst fear: As Aiden and his sister Meg are walking home from school one day, a van pulls over and Meg is kidnapped. There's no way for Aiden to stop it from happening. He's the only witness to his sister's disappearance. Why has Meg been kidnapped? Is it for ransom? As a vendetta against Meg and Aiden's parents? Or is there an even bigger conspiracy at work? While Meg fends off her kidnappers and plans an escape, Aiden must team up with the FBI to try to find her--tracking down clues only a brother could recognize. The Great Fire by Jim Murphy, 8-12, 144 pgs. An unforgettable you-are-there account of the great Chicago fire of 1871. Freedom Walkers: The Story of the Montgomery Bus Boycott by Russell Freedman, Ages 8-12 112 pages Written by an acclaimed author of nonfiction for young readers, this well-researched account of the Montgomery bus boycott is a must-read for students in the upper elementary grades and middle school. The account sets the stage for the boycott by reviewing what life was like for blacks living in the South in the 1950s. The author uses personal accounts of various citizen participants as well as Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King, Jr., providing powerful words and experiences for readers. Esperanza Rising by Pam Munoz Ryan, Ages 8-12, 272 pgs. Esperanza and her mother are forced to leave their life of wealth and privilege in Mexico to go to work in the labor camps of Southern California, where they must adapt to the harsh circumstances facing Mexican farm workers on the eve of the Great Depression. The Watsons Go to Birmingham-1963 by Christopher Paul Curtis, Ages 9-12, 224 pages The ordinary interactions and everyday routines of the Watsons, an African American family living in Flint, Michigan, are drastically changed after they go to visit Grandma in Alabama in the summer of 1963. Moderate: Guts: The True Story Behind Hatchet and the Brian Books by Gary Paulsen, Young Adult, 160 pgs. The author tells the real story behind several of his award-winning adventure stories. The Last Book in the Universe by Rodman Philbrick, Ages 9-12, 224 pages It's the story of an epileptic teenager nicknamed Spaz, who begins the heroic fight to bring human intelligence back to the planet. In a world where most people are plugged into brain-drain entertainment systems, Spaz is the rare human being who can see life as it really is. When he meets an old man called Ryter, he begins to learn about Earth and its past. With Ryter as his companion, Spaz sets off an unlikely quest to save his dying sister -- and in the process, perhaps the world. Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech, Ages 12 and up, 280 pgs.