Boston College High School
Arrupe Division
7th Grade Summer Reading
“If we encounter a man of great intellect, we should ask him what books
he reads.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson
In order to challenge and inspire our students at Arrupe, we are requiring
students to read three books throughout summer vacation. Our goal is that all students
will develop a real appreciation of quality literature, be introduced to some great
characters, recognize the importance of cultural and historical settings, and learn valuable
life lessons.
The seventh grade courses will center on the question: "What kind of man
do I want to be?” and each novel listed below posses that question. Students should be
prepared to discuss that relevance in September. Students are required to complete five
journal entries and a vocabulary log for the required novel choice which will assist them
with the reading assessment in September. Students then can choose two books from the
free choice list to read. For these books, the students will complete a postcard assignment
answering specific questions for the Social Studies department and the English
department. Journals should be turned in the first week of school. Postcards can be
sent throughout the summer to:
The Arrupe Division
Boston College High School
150 Morrissey Blvd.
Boston, MA 02125
1. Book 1: English: Required Novel- All students will read
The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton
Assignment: Journal entries and vocabulary log (see attached directions)
2. Book 2 English: Free Choice Novel:
Choose a book from the attached book list
Assignment: After you have read the book, write the following on a postcard
(You can be creative with your postcard):
 Title
 Author
 One sentence summary of the book
 Two to three sentences about how this book relates to the theme of
“making choices and deciding what kind of man you want to be”
 One sentence about what you were doing while reading this book.
This is your chance to let us know a little something about you!
3. Book 3: Geography: Free Choice Novel
Choose a book from the book list.
Assignment: After you have read the book, write the following on a postcard:
(You can be creative with your postcard)
 Title
 Author
 One sentence summary of the book
 One to two sentences explaining how geography affected
the story
 One sentence about what you were doing while reading this
book. This is your chance to let us know a little something
about you!
Journal Assignment for The Outsiders
Students will keep a journal as they read and write 5 journal entries per book as well as
list new vocabulary words.
Entry 1: Pre-reading (based on looking at the front and back of book)
1. Write the title, author, amount of pages, and publisher information (company,
date, etc.).
2. First impressions: What are your predictions about the plot of this book? What
themes or issues do you think the book will address?
Entry 2: After Chapter 2 or 3
1. Who is the main character? Describe the character in detail.
2. Can you relate to this character? Explain why or why not.
3. Are there other characters that are important to the story? Describe these
characters in brief detail.
Entry 3: When you reach the middle
1. Does the book present a major conflict for characters to overcome? Describe
this conflict in greater detail.
2. Have you ever experienced a similar conflict? Explain how you responded to
this conflict.
3. If you have not experienced such conflict, what do you think you would do if
you were in a similar situation to the characters in question?
4. Are there any other minor conflicts apparent in the book? If so, explain.
Entry 4: At the Climax
Many books have one event which takes place somewhere in the final half of the story,
called the climax. It is the turning point, a moment at which something very important
occurs, which becomes almost a point of no return for the characters.
1. What is the climax of this book? Describe what happens and indicate why you
think it should be considered the turning point.
2. Were you surprised by the climax, or did the author hint somehow that it was
going to happen? What is your reaction to this event?
3. How do you think the event will change the characters? How do you think it
will affect the conclusion of the book?
Entry 5: Once you have finished the book
1. Describe the conclusion of the novel. What happens to the characters? Was the
conflict resolved? Why or why not?
2. Did you predict the ending? Why or why not?
3. What message or lesson do you think this book is attempting to communicate
to readers? Explain in detail.
Vocabulary Log
At the end of each entry, list 5 new words that you encountered while reading and
the definition of each word.
Free Choice Reading List Grade 7
(Geography and English)
CLASSICS
Doyle, Sir Aruthur Conan---The Hound of the Baskervilles
L'Engle, Madeleine---A Wrinkle in Time
London, Jack---The Call of the Wild
Montgomery, Lucy M.---Anne of Green Gables
Sewell, Anna---Black Beauty
Tolkien, J.R.R.---The Hobbit
CONTEMPORARY
Bauer, Joan---Stand Tall
Bell, William---Zack
Blackwood, Gary L.---The Shakespeare Stealer
Cormier, Robert---The Chocolate War
Ellis, Deborah---The Breadwinner
Gunnery, Sylvia---Out of Bounds
Holman, Felice---Slake's Limbo
Horvath, Polly---The Canning Season
Jacques, Brian---Redwall: A Tale of Redwall
Lawrence, Iain---B For Buster
Matas, Carol---Greater than Angels
McGraw, Eloise Jarvis---The Golden Goblet
Miles, Patricia---The Gods in Winter
Myers, Walter Dean---Hoops
O'Dell, Scott---Island of the Blue Dolphins
Philbrick, Rodman---Freak the Mighty
Richter, Hans Peter---Friedrich
Schmidt, Gary D.---Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy
Voight, Cynthia---Homecoming
Yolen, Jane---The Devil's Arithmetic
NON-FICTION
Dahl, Roald---Boy: Tales of Childhood
Filipovic, Zlata---Zlata's Diary: A Child's Life in Sarajevo
Griffin, John Howard---Black Like Me
Keller, Helen---The Story of my Life