8th Grade Summer Reading
I wish for all students to have a wonderful summer, but while you are traveling or just enjoying your own backyard, it is important to stimulate your brain and imagination with a few good books.
Plus it makes the transition back to school in August much easier when your mind has been stimulated by literature, not just television or video games.
This Summer you will read TWO novels, write 5 blogs post, and create a one-pager!
Required Reading
The Night Diary by Veera Hiranandani
It's 1947, and India, newly independent of British rule, has been separated into two countries: Pakistan and India. The divide has created much tension between Hindus and Muslims, and hundreds of thousands are killed crossing borders.
Half-Muslim, half-Hindu twelve-year-old Nisha doesn't know where she belongs, or what her country is anymore. When Papa decides it's too dangerous to stay in what is now Pakistan, Nisha and her family become refugees and embark first by train but later on foot to reach her new home. The journey is long, difficult, and dangerous, and after losing her mother as a baby, Nisha can't imagine losing her homeland, too. But even if her country has been ripped apart, Nisha still believes in the possibility of putting herself back together.
On Kidblog.org
Once you complete The Night Diary, you will then write 5 blog entries of at least 200-300 words each over the course of the summer. You can always do more, but NOT LESS.
I will post some prompts on the kidblog.org for you to consider, or you can focus on themes, character development, symbolism, or writing style in your own pieces.
Be sure to make text-to- text, text- to- world, or text- to- self connections in your writing.
In addition, use at least 1 piece of text-based evidence from the novel in each of your blog posts. Format: "There are just one kind of folks. Folks." (Lee 215)
Reading List:
Then pick ONE (or more) additional novels from the list below and read. Please select novels you HAVE NOT READ before.
*** Please note that there are a variety of different kinds of novels for you to choose from. Some are more advanced reading material and some have more challenging subject matter that may range from content to language. Please research to select which novel is right for you! Try goodreads.com to help. All can be ordered on Amazon.com
Non - Fiction
The Port Chicago 50: Disaster, Mutiny, and the Fight for Civil Rights Steve Sheinkin
An astonishing civil rights story from Newbery Honor winner and National Book Award finalist Steve Sheinkin.
On July 17, 1944, a massive explosion rocked the segregated Navy base at Port Chicago, California, killing more than 300 sailors who were at the docks, critically injuring off-duty men in their bunks, and shattering windows up to a mile away. On August 9th, 244 men refused to go back to work until unsafe and unfair conditions at the docks were addressed. When the dust settled, fifty were charged with mutiny, facing decades in jail and even execution. This is a fascinating story of the prejudice that faced black men and women in America's armed forces during World War II, and a nuanced look at those who gave their lives in service of a country where they lacked the most basic rights.
The Greatest: My Own Story
Muhammad Ali
In his own words, the heavyweight champion of the world pulls no punches as he chronicles the battles he faced in and out of the ring in this fascinating memoir edited by Nobel Prize-winning novelist, Toni Morrison.
Growing up in the South, surrounded by racial bigotry and discrimination, Ali fought not just for a living, but also for respect and rewards far more precious than money or glory. He was named Sportsman of the Century by Sports Illustrated and the BBC. Ali redefined what it meant to be an athlete by giving hope to millions around the world and inspiring us all to fight for what is important to us.
This is a multifaceted portrait of Muhammad Ali only he could render: sports legend; unapologetic anti-war advocate; outrageous showman and gracious goodwill ambassador; fighter, lover, poet, and provocateur; an irresistible force to be reckoned with.
Who better to tell the tale than the man who went the distance living it?
It’s Trevor Noah: Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood (Adapted for Young Readers)
Trevor Noah
Trevor Noah shares his story of growing up in South Africa, with a black South African mother and a white European father at a time when it was against the law for a mixed-race child like him to exist. But he did exist--and from the beginning, the often-misbehaved Trevor used his smarts and humor to navigate a harsh life under a racist government.
The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind: Young Readers Edition
William Kamkwamba & Bryan Mealer
When a terrible drought struck William Kamkwamba's tiny village in Malawi, his family lost all of the season's crops, leaving them with nothing to eat and nothing to sell. William began to explore science books in his village library, looking for a solution. There, he came up with the idea that would change his family's life forever: he could build a windmill. Made out of scrap metal and old bicycle parts, William's windmill brought electricity to his home and helped his family pump the water they needed to farm the land.
Retold for a younger audience, this exciting memoir shows how, even in a desperate situation, one boy's brilliant idea can light up the world. Complete with photographs, illustrations, and an epilogue that will bring readers up to date on William's story, this is the perfect edition to read and share with the whole family.