Summer Reading

General Directions: Read at least two of the books from this summer reading list and choose one to complete the writing topic and the other to complete the artifact. Bring the writing assignment and artifact to class by the first week of school. Any book from one of the series listed is fine, but you must be reading it for the first time.

Reading List: There are more on this list than are on the print out in your summer packet - all count but enjoy the bigger selection!f

Aru Shah and the End of Time by Roshani Chokshi

The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill

The Night Diary by Veera Hirana

Habibi by Naomi Shihab Nye

The Unfortunate Son by Constance Leeds

Mountains Beyond Mountains (Adapted for Young People): The Quest of Dr. Paul Farmer, a Man Who Would Cure the World by Tracy Kidder, Michael French

The Inquisitor's Tale: Or, the Three Magical Children and Their Holy Dog by Adam Gidwitz

A Night Divided by Jennifer Nielsen

Threads by Ami Polonsky

The Trials of Apollo (Series) Ric Riordan

Black Ships before Troy by Rosemary Sutcliff, Alan Lee

Good Masters!, Sweet Ladies! Voices from a Medieval Village by Laura Amy Schlitz, Robert Byrd

The Doll Maker of Krakow by R.M. Ramiro

Amina's Voice by Hena Khan

Amal Unbound by Aisha Saeed

Other Words for Home by Jasmine Warga

Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes by Eleanor Coerr, Ronald Himler

The War that Saved My Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley

Life Boat by Susan Hood

Heart of a Samurai by Margi Preus

Echo by Pan Munoz Ryan

Shadow of a Bull by Maia Wojciechowska

The Blackthorn Key by Kevin Sands (any in the series)

I am Malala: How One Girl Stood up for Education and Changed the World (The Young Reader's Edition) Malala Yousafzai

Inside Out and Back Again by Thanhha Lai

Number the Stars by Lois Lowery

Between the Dragon and The Eagle by Mical Schneider

Rickshaw Girl by Mitali Perkins

Catherine Called Birdy by Karen Kushman

Eye of the Storm OR Wake up Missing by Kate Messner

Shadow Spinner by Susan Fletcher

Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell

A Hope More Powerful Than the Sea (young readers edition) by Melissa Fleming

Stolen Girl by Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch

Queen of the Sea by Dylan Meconis

Sweep the Story of a Girl and Her Monster by Jonathan Auxier


PART 1: LITERATURE ASSIGNMENT

Writing Assignment: Complete the following writing assignment using one of the books from the Reading List. Include a hand-written first draft and a typed final copy of your paragraph. Turn in both drafts stapled together on the first week of class (Sept. 3rd)

Character Study: Personal Changes: In a paragraph, explain two ways the main character changes over the course of the story. These changes could be about his or her personal views of life, attitude, or actions displayed to others. Explain the impact of each of his or her changes. Include specific examples from the story to support each main idea. End your paragraph with a few good closing sentences that return to the main idea of the topic. Double-space all work.

PART 2: SOCIAL STUDIES ASSIGNMENT

Artifact Project: Use your second selection from the Reading List to complete the artifact project and accompanying Museum Description Card.


  1. Make an Artifact: Make an artifact that comes from the world of your selected book. An artifact is any object (such as a tool, item of clothing, a weapon, or artwork) made by people. Your artifact should be a model of any scale, made of materials of your own choosing. These need to be handmade (don’t buy a plastic sword etc.). Be creative with your design, and take time to create it out of original materials.


  1. Museum Description Card: Make a “museum description card” that can be displayed with your artifact. It should be a large index card that briefly gives answers to all of the following questions, based on what you have read. This card should be about one paragraph in length. Type it, and paste it on the card, if needed.
  • Define the term artifact.
  • What is the name of your artifact?
  • Where might it have been found?
  • What is known about that artifact? (List: who made it, where it was made, what it is made of, how it was made – anything you can determine from the book.)
  • Who used it in the novel?
  • How was it used?

Note: Bring your artifact and museum description card to school with your writing assignment during the first week of school we will make a museum gallery tour and look at everyone’s work. They will be displayed in the school during the first month of school including the Back to School Night Event.

We looking forward to having everyone in class this year!!

Mrs. Mancini and Ms Cummings

English and Social Studies/Literature and Religion