Rising 8th Grade Summer Reading 2015
Rising 8th graders must read and complete the following:
What you must read:
● All students must read the anchor title, To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee.
● All students must also read one biography, memoir, OR autobiography of a
person who demonstrates heroic traits and characteristics. Please choose
an appropriate title based on your reading level (lexile) and class placement. If
you are unsure of your lexile level, please visit www.lexile.com to take a very
short assessment to gauge your lexile range.
■ Please note this text will be used for not only the summer reading
assessment, but also your first embedded assessment of Unit 1.
■ There is a suggested list of interdisciplinary titles listed on page two
of this document. If there is a title not on this list that you wish to
read, please feel free to choose a different nonfiction title focusing
on an individual. Your self-selected title must be of sufficient length
(at least 200 pages) and the appropriate level (lexile).
★ PARENTAL WARNING: Some of these titles may have content
that families/parents may find inappropriate due to the nature
of the book and who it is about, as well as its level. Please be
sure to research your chosen title before purchasing and
reading.
Assignment:
A. For both books, you must annotate as you see fit. You should apply strategies
that your Language Arts teachers have taught you over the past two years.
B. For both books you also need to mark the text for Signposts.
● Please see “Signposts” document for a reminder of what each
signpost means and for its correlating symbol.
● Below is an electronic link to the Signposts (or you can copy/paste
it into your browser): Signpost Link
C. Be prepared for an assessment on both books given within the first 30 days
of school.
Rising 8th Grade Summer Reading 2015
Suggested Titles:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Gifted Hands, The Ben Carson Story by Ben Carson
Marley and Me by John Grogan
The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind by William Kamkwamba
Unbroken (The Young Adult Adaptation) by Laura Hillenbrand
5. Steve Jobs: The Man Who Thought Different by Steve Jobs
6. The Autobiography of Malcolm X by Malcolm X
7. Soul Surfer: A True Story of Faith, Family, and Fighting to Get Back on the Board by Bethany
Hamilton
8. Grace, Gold, and Glory: My Leap of Faith by Michelle Burford and Gabrielle Douglas
9. Women Heroes of World War II: 26 Stories of Espionage, Sabotage, Resistance, and Rescue
(Women of Action) by Kathryn J. Atwood
10. Coach Carter by Jasmine Jones
11. Stealing Home: The Story Of Jackie Robinson by Barry Denenberg
12. A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier by Ishmael Beah
13. Red Scarf Girl: A Memoir of the Cultural Revolution by Ji-li Jiang
14. Long Walk to Freedom, The Nelson Mandela Story by Nelson Mandela
15. Every Day I Fight by Stuart Scott
16. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
17. American Sniper: The Incredible Biography of an American Hero, Chris Kyle by Rick Laird
18. Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass by Frederick Douglass
19. I Am Malala by Malala Yousafzai
20. Autobiography of a Face by Lucy Grealy
21. Helen Keller, the Story of My Life by Helen Keller
22. My Life in France by Julia Child
23. The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls
24. Not Without Laughter by Langston Hughes
25. My Losing Season by Pat Conroy
26. Out of Africa by Isak Dinesen
27. October Sky by Homer Hickam
28. Coming of Age in Mississippi by Anne Moody
29. Go for the Goal: A Champion's Guide to Winning in Soccer and Life by Mia Hamm & Aaron
Heifetz
30. Charles and Emma: The Darwins' Leap of Faith by Deborah Heiligman
31. High Exposure: An Enduring Passion for Everest and Unforgiving Places by David Breashears
32. Chinese Cinderella by Adeline Yen Mah