St. Rose Middle School Language Arts Summer Reading List – 2021 - 2022 “When I look back, I am so impressed again with the life-giving power of literature. If I were a young person today, trying to gain a sense of myself in the world, I would do that again by reading, just as I did when I was young.” ~ Maya Angelou ~ Reading over the summer is an important part of preparing for the next school year, as well as becoming a life-long learner. Please choose at least two books that you have not read before from the list for your grade below to read over the summer. Of course, you can always read more books from any of the grades listed, but you are required to read at least two books from your incoming grade or higher, unless you pick Gone With the Wind, which has more than 800 pages. Enjoy reading and have a great summer! Tips for better summer reading: 1. Write down each major character’s name as he or she is introduced and describe each one. 2. Summarize what happens in the book. What are the important conflicts? 3. Write down a few statements or ideas from the books that are especially noteworthy or meaningful. 4. Analyze the ending of the book. What are the implications of the ending and its effect on the main characters? Was the main character successful in overcoming a difficulty? Why or why not? 5. Was the book worthwhile to you? Did it help you gain some insight or understand something better? 6. Remember to keep your Active Reading techniques learned in class in mind as you read. Reading/Writing Assignment: For each of the two required books you read (you may also wish to do this with additional books), write the following information on no more than one sheet of paper to be turned in on the first day of school: 1. Student name 2. Grade 3. Book title 4. Author 5. Setting – where and when the story takes place 6. Theme or major point the author makes 7. Summarize what the book is about in no more than two paragraphs. 8. Did you like the book? Would you encourage others to read it? Why or why not? Each report is worth 25 points, so students who complete this assignment start the school year with an A+ in Language Arts!: Summer reading list organized by grade: Grade 6 Wonder – R.J. Palacio (Fiction): August, nicknamed Auggie, is a 10-year-old boy with a facial deformity that causes others to avoid and even shun him. After being homeschoooled until fifth grade, he enters a mainstream school and must learn to cope with difficult new situations and people. The story is told from the point of view of Auggie, his new friends, his sister and her boyfriend. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer – Mark Twain (Fiction): The classic story of young boy growing up in a town of the banks of the Mississippi River. Tom is a young boy full of curiosity and doesn’t hesitate to take a chance. He finds himself pulled into many adventures. The Mysterious Benedict Society – Trenton Lee Stuart (Fiction): After Reynie Muldoon responds to an advertisement recruiting "gifted children looking for special opportunities," he finds himself in a world of mystery and adventure. The 11-year-old orphan is one of four children to complete a series of challenging and creative tasks, and he, Kate, Constance, and Sticky become the Mysterious Benedict Society. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone – J.K. Rowling (Fiction): Book One in the now classic series about Harry Potter, who gets a letter saying he is, in fact, a wizard. He is enrolled in the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and he, along with his new friend, the giant Hagrid, go to Diagon Alley, a magical bazaar. From there he is thrust into the magical universe that has captured the imagination of millions. My Side of the Mountain – Jean Craighead George (Fiction): A young boy runs away from home to live on his great-grandfather’s land, where he learns to survive. Crash - Jerry Spinelli (Fiction): The activities of a school bully as told from the bully’s perspective. Shallow, vain, and arrogant seventh-grader Crash Coogan has been bulldozing over people his entire life but his most consistent victim is Penn Webb – a Quaker who lives down the street from Crash. Chasing Vermeer – Blue Balliett (Fiction): This mystery involves two sixth-graders who are drawn into solving the theft of a Johannes Vermeer painting en route from the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., to Chicago when it disappears. The Boy Who Saved Baseball – John Ritter (Fiction): This story is about Tom Gallagher and his Wildcats baseball team. The team is woefully unprepared for a must-win game – until a mysterious recluse comes to town and gives Tom and the team advice. Hoot - Carl Hiaasen (Fiction): This book chronicles the adventures of Roy Eberhardt as he enters yet another middle school as “the new kid.” He meets a series of quirky characters and learns to confront bullies with humor. But his biggest achievement comes when he and a group of new friends combine to prevent development of a pancake restaurant house on a lot with burrowing owls. A Newbery Honor winner. The Black Stallion – Walter Farley (Fiction): While returning from a trip to India, Alec Ramsay’s ship is wrecked and he and a black stallion are the only survivors on a deserted island. They form a bond and, after they are rescued, they go to New York and enter the world of horse racing. The Yearling – Marjorie K. Rawlings (Fiction): This book is set in the Florida scrub country during the 1870s. A 12-year-old boy named Jody Baxter tames a fawn, which becomes his companion. What happens after that show how Jody moves from boyhood to manhood. The Magician’s Nephew – C. S. Lewis (Fiction): In this story we get our first look into Narnia. Two children Polly and Digory are transported to other worlds when they put on rings belonging to Digory’s uncle. The children meet Aslan, the lion and a witch in Narnia. The Bridge to Terabithia – Katherine Paterson (Fiction): Jess Aarons' greatest ambition is to be the fastest runner in his grade. He's been practicing all summer and can't wait to see his classmates' faces when he beats them all. But on the first day of school, a new girl boldly crosses over to the boys' side and outruns everyone. That's not a very promising beginning for a friendship, but Jess and Leslie Burke become inseparable. Together they create Terabithia, a magical kingdom in the woods where the two of them reign as king and queen, and their imaginations set the only limits. Grimm’s Fairy Tales – Jacob Grimm (Fiction): When the Grimm brothers collected folklore and published it as Grimms' Fairy Tales, it became extremely popular. Today, the Grimms are among the best-known storytellers of European folktales, and their work popularized such stories as "Cinderella," "The Frog Prince," "Hansel and Gretel." "Rapunzel," "Rumpelstiltskin.” and "Snow White.” But these original stories don’t necessarily have happy endings. Old Yeller – Fred Gipson (Fiction): A universal tale about a boy and his dog in the Texas hill country. Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH – Robert C. O’Brien (Science Fiction): when the lab rats at the National Institute of Mental Health are able to increase their learning ability, they use their intelligence to escape and set up their own society. Newbery Award. Peter Pan – J.M. Barrie (Fiction): Peter Pan is a character created by Scottish novelist and playwright J. M. Barrie. A mischievous boy who can fly and never ages, Peter Pan spends his never-ending childhood adventuring on the small island of Neverland as the leader of his gang, the Lost Boys, interacting with mermaids, Indians, fairies, pirates, and occasionally ordinary children from the world outside of Neverland. Honus and Me – Dan Gutman (Fiction): First in a series of time-travel stories about Joe Stoshack, who lives for baseball. He knows everything there is to know about the game -- except how to play well. Stosh feels like a real loser, but when he takes a low-paying job his neighbor's attic, he comes across a little piece of cardboard that takes his breath away. Stosh has stumbled upon a T-206 Honus Wagner -- the most valuable baseball card in the world! And he's about to find out that it's worth a lot more than money. Holes – Louis Sachar (Fiction): This book is about a boy named Stanley Yelnats who has been unjustly sent to a boys’ detention center, Camp Green Lake, where the boys build character by spending all day digging holes. Stanley realizes the boys are digging holes because the warden is looking for something. But what could be buried under a dried-up lake? Stanley tries to dig up the truth in this ironic tale of crime and punishment—and redemption. Grade 7 Where the Red Fern Grows – Wilson Rawls (Fiction): This is a classic story of a young boy of Appalachia and his special relationship with his two hunting dogs. We read this in 7th grade when we have time, but since we added Pride and Prejudice, we haven’t had time to read this during the school year. I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban – Malala Yousafzai (Non-fiction): This is the remarkable tale of a family uprooted by global terrorism, of the fight for girls’ education, and of a father who, himself a school owner, championed and encouraged his daughter to write and attend school.