Eighth Grade Summer Reading
Book 1: The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton
Assignment: Read the directions carefully before complete the chart attached.
Book 2: Soldier’s Heart – Gary Paulsen
Assignment: Reading Response Journal: You will complete a series of journal entries that demonstrates
engagement with the text as well as understanding and critical thinking.
All information must be typed (12 point font, Times New Roman).
In addition, you must:
• Create a heading with your name, the book title, and book author.
• Select 1 meaningful passage per chapter (passage can be a sentence or two)
• Type out the entire passage to which you will refer and include the page number from which it came.
• Paraphrase or summarize the passage. You may want to provide context of what is happening before and
after this passage appears.
• Analyze and react to the passage in full sentences. This should NOT just be a personal reaction or
summary; rather, this is where you will show your ability to break down the text, engage, and reflect. Your
analysis should be longer than the selected quotation or passage.
Student Name
Night
Elie Wiesel
Quotation/Passage from the
text with page number
“Never shall I forget that
night, the first night in camp,
which has turned my life into
one long night, seven times
cursed and seven times
sealed....Never shall I forget
those moments which
murdered my God and my
soul and turned my dreams to
dust. Never shall I forget these
things, even if I am
condemned to live as long as
God Himself. Never” (101).
“His cold eyes stared at me.
At last, he said wearily: "I
have more faith in Hitler than
in anyone else. He alone has
kept his promises, all his
promises, to the Jewish
people” (55)
Paraphrase or Summary
Analyze and React
At the end of the book, the
author reflects on the impact
of being in a concentration
camp. He is saying no matter
how long, he will always
remember the awfulness
experienced no matter the
length of time that has passed.
This quote appears at the end of the story and
uses imagery to gain the emotional appeal of
the reader. Within this description, the author
brings in the title of the book, “night” to
symbolize a time with no hope. Night is a
metaphor for the prolonged experience of
darkness/torture. The author also uses
personification to say that the “moments”
literally killed God. This is to illustrate to the
reader his loss of hope. I believe this quote
brings everything together full circle and
helps the reader understand the emotions felt
by the victims.
This quote carries great meaning as typically
having faith would have a positive
connotation; however, in this case, Hitler is
the recipient of this faith. This shows that the
individuals within the concentration camp
have lost hope and are certain of the evil
Hitler has in store for them. The promise to
the Jewish people was that they would be
exterminated and clearly, this was kept.
This passage is in the middle
of the story and comes from
an individual inside
Auschwitz. This individual
most likely died in this
concentration camp. He is
saying that no one has kept
their word more than Hitler.
Therefore, he is the only one
who has his faith.
Book 3: To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee Not to be read, but part of your supply list. Can be bought or
checked out from the library. Student will need second week of school.