Summer 2016
Language Arts Assignments
Grades 6-8
1. Read one book from the book list to be found on the
school web site. You must read one book from the list
However, you may choose one not on the list, but you must email me to get permission:
kwallace@stleonardlouisville.org
For each book, create a PowerPoint presentation, using the following guidelines:
Slide one: Book title, author, sub-genre, your name and date ( list—cover page)
Slide two: Description of setting—includes time and place (must be a
paragraph)
Slide three: Summary of the plot, describing the problem, conflict, or goal of
the characters (without telling the ending—paragraph)
Slide four: Description of main characters—2-3 characters (2-3 paragraphs).
Please include personality traits.
Slide five: Your reaction to the story and reasons for recommending or not
recommending this book to others (must be a paragraph)
Slide six: Information about the author (paragraph)
and a list of other books she/he wrote (list)
We will share these in class in August, so be careful with your editing.
Turn in PP reports on Google Classroom. Each PP is 40 points.
2. Write out and send to Ms. Wallace one postcard (10pts.) from a place that you visit
this summer. Include the following: a) Location—2 pts. b) Who went with you—2 pts.
c) What you did there—2 pts.
d) Reactions to your visit—2 pts. Correct editing
earns 2 pts. for a total of 10 points for your postcard. (Due by the first day of school)
Mail your postcard to
Ms. Wallace
2120 Murray Ave
Louisville, KY 40205
DUE DATES: (Late reports will result in a loss of 3 points.)
Book PP is due July 15th (or before).
The rubric for grading follows this letter.
Remember that correct grammar, spelling, punctuation, and capitalization are expected.
Have a safe and enjoyable summer. See you in August!
Ms. Wallace
PowerPoint Book Review Rubric
Title of Book
____________________________________________
Slide one: Includes book title, author, genre/sub-genre,
your name and date (in that order)
Slide two: Description of setting—includes time and place
Slide three: Summary of the plot, describing the problem,
conflict, or goal of the main character or characters
(without telling the ending)
Slide four: Description of main characters—23characters
Slide five: Your reaction to the story and reasons for
recommending or not recommending this book to others
Slide six: Information about the author and a list of other
books she/he wrote
Spelling, grammar, punctuation and capitalization are
correct
Creative, attractive presentation of information
Literary Genres
Type
Definition
1) Fiction stories with imaginary characters and events
Possible
Point
5 (list)
Points
Earned
5 (paragraph)
10 (paragraph)
10 (2-3
paragraphs)
5 (paragraph)
5
(paragraph/list)
5
5
a) Realistic Fiction stories with characters who take part in activities that
could
really happen
b) Historical Fiction stories set in the past with characters who take part
in
actual historical events
c) Science Fiction stories involving actual or future scientific phenomena
d) Fantasy stories set in make-believe worlds, often with non-human
characters
e) Mystery stories with characters who try to solve a crime or
unexplained event
2) Nonfiction true stories of actual events or characters
a) Biography a person's life story written by another person
b) Autobiography A person's life story written by himself or herself
c) Reference information sources such as encyclopedias, yearbooks,
directories, and atlases
d) Information a book or article that introduces the reader to various
topical
material and "how to" information on various subjects
e) Newspaper a daily or weekly publication of current events
3) Poetry words arranged in metrical pattern, often using rhymed
verse in an imaginative style
4) Play/Drama a story for stage performance by actors
5) Folk Tale an anonymous, timeless, and placeless story that was
originally told rather than written
Title of Nonfiction Book
_____________________________________________
Slide one: Includes book title, author, genre, your name and
date
Slide two: Topics and Information Covered in the Book (list)
Slide three: Summary of the Book (paragraph)
Slide four: Three Interesting Facts (list—bullets)
Slide five: Why I Chose This Book and My Opinion of the Book
(paragraph)
Slide six: Information about the author and a list of other
books she/he wrote
Spelling, grammar, punctuation and capitalization are correct
Creative, attractive presentation of information
Possible Points
Points
Earned
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
2016 Summer Reading List:
2016 KBA Master List, 6-8
Brown Girl Dreaming/ Jacqueline Woodson – Nancy Paulsen Books, an imprint of Penguin Group
(USA), 2014.
The author shares her childhood memories and reveals the first sparks that ignited her writing career
in free-verse poems about growing up in the North and South
The Crossover/ Kwame Alexander – Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2014.
Fourteen-year-old twin basketball stars Josh and Jordan wrestle with highs and lows on and off the
court as their father ignores his declining health.
Curses and Smoke: A Novel of Pompeii / Vicky Alvear Schecter – Arthur A. Levine Books, and
imprint of Scholastic, Inc., 2014.
Tagus is a medical slave who wants be a gladiator, Lucia is the daughter of Tag's owner and
betrothed to an older man, and the two teenagers are in love with each other--but it is the year 79 and
soon Vesuvius will alter their lives forever.
I Kill the Mockingbird/ Paul Acampora – Roaring Brook Press, 2014.
When best friends Lucy, Elena, and Michael receive their summer reading list, they are excited to see
'To Kill A Mockingbird' included. However, not everyone in their class shares the same enthusiasm.
To get the entire town talking about the Harper Lee classic, they hatch a plot that quickly becomes
more than they bargained for.
The Iron Trial/ Holly Black and Cassandra Clare; with illustrations by Scott Fischer. – Scholastic
Press, 2014.
Warned away from magic all of his life, Callum endeavors to fail the trials that would admit him to the
Magisterium - only to be drawn into its ranks against his will and forced to confront dark elements from
his past. Book 1 of an exciting new fantasy series.
The Night Gardener/ Jonathan Auxier – Amulet Books, 2014.
Irish orphans Molly, fourteen, and Kip, ten, travel to England to work as servants in a crumbling manor
house where nothing is quite what it seems to be. The siblings are confronted by a mysterious
stranger and the secrets of the cursed house in this spooky tale.
The Secret Hum of a Daisy/ Tracy Holczer – G. P. Putnum’s Sons, an imprint of Penguin Group
(USA), 2014.
After 12-year-old Grace's mother's sudden death, Grace is forced to live with a grandmother she's
never met. Then she discovers clues in a mysterious treasure hunt--one that will help her find her true
home.
Skink: No Surrender/ Carl Hiaasen – Alfred A. Knopf, 2014.
With the help of an eccentric ex-governor, a teenage Richard searches for his missing cousin in the
Florida wilds. There are a million places she could be, a million unpleasant fates that might have
befallen her, but one thing is certain: in the Florida swamp, justice is best served wild.
Unfriended/ Rachel Vail – Viking, an imprint of Penguin Group (USA), 2014.
When thirteen-year-old Truly is invited to sit at the Popular Table, she finds herself caught in a web of
lies and misunderstandings, made inescapable by the hyper-connected social media world.
Wildflower/ Alecia Whitaker – Poppy/Little Brown and Company, 2014.
Sixteen-year-old Bird Barrett is discovered by a country music record label while playing in her
family's bluegrass band. As her star rises, she must learn to stay true to her roots while navigating a
brave new world of glamour and gold records in Nashville, Tennessee.
2016-2017 Kentucky Bluegrass Award Master List for 6-8
Drowned City: Hurricane Katrina and New Orleans / Don Brown – Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2015.
On August 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina's monstrous winds and surging water overwhelmed the protective
levees around low-lying New Orleans, Louisiana. The riveting tale of this historic storm and the drowning of an
American city is one of selflessness, heroism, and courage--and also of incompetence, racism, and criminality.
Echo / Pam Munoz Ryan; Dinara Mirtalipova, ill. Scholastic Press, 2015.
Lost in the Black Forest, Otto meets three mysterious sisters and finds himself entwined in a prophecy, a
promise, and a harmonica--and decades later three children, Friedrich in Germany, Mike in Pennsylvania, and
Ivy in California find themselves caught up in the same thread of destiny in the darkest days of the twentieth
century, struggling to keep their families intact, and tied together by the music of the same harmonica.
Goodbye Stranger / Rebecca Stead – Wendy Lamb Books, 2015.
Bridge, survivor of a childhood accident, wonders why she’s still alive. As she makes her way through seventh
grade on Manhattan's Upper West Side with her best friends, curvaceous Em, crusader Tab, and new friend,
Sherm, she finds the answers she has been seeking. Each character navigates the challenges of love and
change in this captivating novel.
The Honest Truth / Dan Gemeinhart – Scholastic Press, 2015.
A boy named Mark, tired of being sick with cancer, conceives a plan to climb Mount Rainier, and runs away
from home with his dog, Beau--but with over two hundred miles between him and his goal, and only anger at
his situation to drive him on, nothing will be easy, and only his best friend, Jessie, suspects where he is heading.
Lost in the Sun / Lisa Graff – Philomel Books, an imprint of Penguin Group (USA), 2015.
In 5th grade, Trent mistakenly shot a hockey puck into a boy's chest. Jared, who had a heart defect, died. Now
Trent is filled with rage, convinced everyone hates him. It isn't until Trent gets caught up in the whirlwind that
is Fallon Little--the girl with the mysterious scar across her face--that things begin to change.
Masterminds / Gordon Korman – Balzer + Bray, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, 2015.
Eli Frieden lives in the most perfect town in the world: Serenity, New Mexico. Honesty and integrity are valued
above all else. One day, he bikes to the edge of the city limits and something so crazy and unexpected happens,
it changes everything. Eli convinces his friends to help him investigate and it becomes clear that nothing is as it
seems in Serenity.
The Nest / Kenneth Oppel; Jon Klassen, ill. – Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2015.
For Steve, summer is just another season of worries. Worries about his sick newborn baby brother who is
fighting to survive, worries about his parents who are struggling to cope, even worries about the wasp's nest
looming ominously from the eaves. So when a mysterious wasp queen invades his dreams, offering to "fix" the
baby, Steve thinks his prayers have been answered. But "yes" is a powerful word. And dangerous. Once it is
uttered, can it be taken back?
Losers Take All : A Novel / David Klass – Farrar Strauss Giroux, 2015.
Jack Logan is the youngest brother in a family of talented football players, and he might actually enjoy sports if
he were not constantly pressured into taking one up. When the new principal decides that all seniors must
play on a team, Jack and a ragtag group decide to get even by starting a rebel JV soccer team whose mission is
to avoid victory at any cost.
Popular: A Memoir: Vintage Wisdom for a Modern Geek / Maya Van Wagenen – Dutton, an imprint of
Penguin Group (USA), LLC, 2014.
Maya has never been popular, but before starting eighth grade, she decides to begin a unique social
experiment - spend the school year following a 1950s popularity guide, written by former teen model Betty
Cornell and record the results. Told with humor and grace, Maya's journey offers a thoroughly contemporary
example of kindness and self-confidence.
Rhyme Schemer / K.A. Holt – Chronicle Books, 2014.
This novel in verse follows one seventh grader's journey from bully-er to bully-ee, as he learns about friendship,
family, and the influence that words can have on people's lives.
Newbery Medal and Honor Books
2015 Medal Winner: The Crossover by Kwame Alexander (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)
Honor Books:


El Deafo by Cece Bell (Amulet Books, an imprint of ABRAMS)
Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson (Nancy Paulsen Books, an imprint of Penguin
Group LLC)
2014 Medal Winner: Flora & Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures by Kate DiCamillo (Candlewick
Press)
Honor Books:




Doll Bones by Holly Black (Margaret K. McElderry Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster
Children’s Publishing)
The Year of Billy Miller by Kevin Henkes (Greenwillow Books, an imprint of HarperCollins
Publishers)
One Came Home by Amy Timberlake (Alfred A. Knopf, an imprint of Random House
Children’s Books)
Paperboy by Vince Vawter (Delacorte Press, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books)
2013 Medal Winner: The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate (HarperCollins Children's Books)
Honor Books:



Splendors and Glooms by Laura Amy Schlitz (Candlewick Press)
Bomb: The Race to Build—and Steal—the World’s Most Dangerous Weapon by Steve
Sheinkin (Flash Point/Roaring Brook Press)
Three Times Lucky by Sheila Turnage (Dial/Penguin Young Readers Group)
2012 Medal Winner: Dead End in Norvelt by Jack Gantos (Farrar Straus Giroux)
Honor Books:


Inside Out & Back Again by Thanhha Lai (HarperCollins Children's Books, a division of HarperCollins
Publishers)
Breaking Stalin's Nose by Eugene Yelchin (Henry Holt and Company, LLC)
2011 Medal Winner: Moon over Manifest by Clare Vanderpool (Delacorte Press, an imprint of Random House
Children's Books)
Honor Books:




Turtle in Paradise by Jennifer L. Holm (Random House Children's Books)
Heart of a Samurai by Margi Preus (Amulet Books, an imprint of Abrams)
Dark Emperor and Other Poems of the Night by Joyce Sidman, illustrated by Rick Allen (Houghton
Mifflin Books for Children, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)
One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia (Amistad, an imprint of HarperCollins)
2010 Medal Winner: When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead (Wendy Lamb Books, an imprint of Random
House Children's Books)
Honor Books:




Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice by Phillip Hoose (Melanie Kroupa Books/Farrar, Straus &
Giroux)
The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate by Jacqueline Kelly (Henry Holt)
Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin (Little, Brown and Company Books for Young
Readers)
The Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figg by Rodman Philbrick (The Blue Sky Press, an imprint
of Scholastic, Inc.)
2009 Medal Winner: The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman, illus. by Dave McKean (HarperCollins)
Honor Books:




The Underneath by Kathi Appelt, illus. by David Small (Atheneum Books for Young Readers, an
imprint of Simon & Schuster)
The Surrender Tree: Poems of Cuba's Struggle for Freedom by Margarita Engle (Henry Holt)
Savvy by Ingrid Law (Dial Books for Young Readers, a division of Penguin Young Readers Group in
partnership with Walden Media)
After Tupac & D Foster by Jacqueline Woodson (G.P. Putnam's Sons, a division of Penguin Books for
Young Readers)
2008 Medal Winner: Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! Voices from a Medieval Village by Laura Amy Schlitz
(Candlewick)
Honor Books:



Elijah of Buxton by Christopher Paul Curtis (Scholastic)
The Wednesday Wars by Gary D. Schmidt (Clarion)
Feathers by Jacqueline Woodson (Putnam)
2007 Medal Winner: The Higher Power of Lucky by Susan Patron, illus. by Matt Phelan (Simon &
Schuster/Richard Jackson)
Honor Books:



Penny from Heaven by Jennifer L. Holm, (Random House)
Hattie Big Sky by Kirby Larson (Delacorte Press)
Rules by Cynthia Lord (Scholastic)
2006 Medal Winner: Criss Cross by Lynne Rae Perkins (Greenwillow Books/HarperCollins)
Honor Books:




Whittington by Alan Armstrong, illustrated by S.D. Schindler (Random House)
Hitler Youth: Growing Up in Hitler's Shadow by Susan Campbell Bartoletti (Scholastic)
Princess Academy by Shannon Hale (Bloomsbury Children's Books)
Show Way by Jacqueline Woodson, illustrated by Hudson Talbott (G.P. Putnam's Sons)
2005 Medal Winner: Kira-Kira by Cynthia Kadohata (Atheneum Books for Young Readers/Simon &
Schuster)
Honor Books:



Al Capone Does My Shirts by Gennifer Choldenko (G.P. Putnam's Sons/a division of Penguin Young
Readers Group)
The Voice that Challenged a Nation: Marian Anderson and the Struggle for Equal Rights" by
Russell Freedman (Clarion Books/Houghton Mifflin)
Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy by Gary D. Schmidt (Clarion Books/Houghton Mifflin)
2004 Medal Winner: The Tale of Despereaux: Being the Story of a Mouse, a Princess, Some Soup, and a
Spool of Thread by Kate DiCamillo, illustrated by Timothy Basil Ering, (Candlewick Press)
Honor Books:


Olive's Ocean by Kevin Henkes (Greenwillow Books)
An American Plague: The True and Terrifying Story of the Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1793 by Jim
Murphy (Clarion Books)
2003 Medal Winner: Crispin: The Cross of Lead by Avi (Hyperion Books for Children)
Honor Books:





The House of the Scorpion by Nancy Farmer (Atheneum)
Pictures of Hollis Woods by Patricia Reilly Giff (Random House/Wendy Lamb Books)
Hoot by Carl Hiaasen (Knopf)
A Corner of The Universe by Ann M. Martin (Scholastic)
Surviving the Applewhites by Stephanie S. Tolan (HarperCollins)
2002 Honor Books:


Everything on a Waffle by Polly Horvath (Farrar Straus Giroux)
Carver: A Life In Poems by Marilyn Nelson (Front Street)
2001 Medal Winner: A Year Down Yonder by by Richard Peck (Dial)
Honor Books:




Hope Was Here by Joan Bauer (G.P. Putnam’s Sons)
Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo (Candlewick Press)
Joey Pigza Loses Control by Jack Gantos (Farrar, Straus, and Giroux)
The Wanderer by Sharon Creech (Joanna Cotler Books/HarperCollins)
Book Bee List
Grade 6
Abduction
by Peg Kehret
Al Capone Does My Shirts
by Gennifer Chodenko
The Eleventh Plague by Jeff Hirsch
Elijah of Buxton
Found
by Christopher Paul Curtis
by Mary Peterson Haddix
Kingdom Keepers: Disney after Dark
The Klipfish Code
by Mary Cassanova
Powerless
by Matthew Cody
Red Kayak
by Priscilla Cummings
So B. It
by Sarah Weeks
Two Hot Dogs with Everything
Ungifted
by Ridley Pearson
by Paul Haven
by Gordon Korman
Junior High
An Acquaintance with Darkness
by Ann Rinaldi
Dying to Meet You
by Kate Klise
The False Prince
by Jennifer Nielsen
Hattie Big Sky
by Kirby Larson
Life As We Knew It
Nation
by Susan Beth Pfeffer
by Terry Pratchett
Nothing But the Truth by Avi
Peter and the Starcatchers
by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson
Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cryby Mildred Taylor
The Schwa Was Hereby Neal Shusterman
A Tale Dark and Grimm
Tangerine
by Adam Gidwitz
by Edward Bloor
Name: _________________________________________________________________ 7th gr Problems of the Month for June 1. ​
In a school 50% of the students are younger than 10, 1/20 are 10 years old and 1/10 are older than 10 but younger than 12, the remaining 70 students are 12 years or older. How many students are 10 years old? 2. ​
A person jogged 10 times along the perimeter of a rectangular field at the rate of 12 kilometers per hour for 30 minutes. If field has a length that is twice its width, find the area of the field in square meters. 3. ​
15 cm is the height of water in a cylindrical container of radius r. What is the height of this quantity of water if it is poured into a cylindrical container of radius 2r? 4. ​
Calculate the circumference of a circular field whose radius is 5 centimeters. 5.​
The rectangular playground in Tim's school is three times as long as it is wide. The area of the playground is 75 square meters. What is the primeter of the playground? 6. What four consecutive integers have a sum of 86. Name them. 7. ​
Linda spent 3/4 of her savings on furniture and the rest on a TV. If the TV cost her $200, what were her original savings? 8.​
How many inches are in 2000 millimeters? (round your answer to the nearest hundredth of of an inch). 9.Two negative consecutive integers have a sum of ­65. What are the integers? 10. Lauren goes to the exhibition. She purchased some wooden antiqures for $70. She purchases a table for $44 and 2 chairs. Each chair costs the same price. Write an equation representing the cost of the antiques and determine the price of one chair. Incoming Grades 6th­8th Science Summer Homework 2016 Dear Students and Parents, I am so excited to have your student in my science class next year! Attached are three assignments for summer. ​
They only need to complete one of them! ​
The goal of these assignments are to help them continue to “do science” over the summer while practicing their reading and writing skills. As my students who have already had me know, having their experiment fail is perfectly ok ­ as long as they tell me why they think it failed. Encourage your kids to ​
not freak out if animals do not cooperate or a design plan doesn’t work ­ those are all part of the scientific method and engineering design process! I have included rubrics for each assignment ­ each assignment is worth 20 points and the rubrics will help your student focus on the key pieces I would like to see from each activity. Students can also self­evaluate using the rubric. Please feel free to e­mail me with any questions at cousley@stleonardlouisville.org​
. Thank you! Enjoy Doing Science! Mrs. Ousley Incoming Grades 6­8​
: Choose one of the following activities below. 1. Practice your observation skills: Track an animal’s behavior for 2 weeks. You may try an (ethical) experiment with your animal (like seeing which toy a cat likes best) or simply note their behavior at different times of day (like observing birds in your yard). Keep detailed notes. At the end of your two weeks, write a conclusion showing what you learned from your observations AND compare that with notes from research you have done on that type of animal. (Note: Humans are not acceptable subjects for this observation project). Journal Entries ­ Complete 4 pts ­ Journal includes entries for each day of the 2 week experiment. Journal entries should be at least one paragraph per day. Journal Entries ­ Detailed 4 pts ­ Journal entries are appropriately detailed and indicate changes that occur from day to day. Details may include (but are certainly not limited to): animal behavior at that time of day, how an animal reacts to stimulus, food eaten, etc. May also include the weather (especially if it appears to affect your animal!) Students write down clear observations. Research 4 pts ­ Students have references from at least 3 articles, websites or books about their animal. Conclusion ­ Complete 4 pts ­ Two to three paragraph conclusion; student not only summarizes their observations but also details how their research ties into their observations. Conclusion ­ Grammar/Punctu
ation 4 pts ­ Conclusion is nearly free of grammatical errors. Total: 20 points 2. Practice your engineering skills: Find something in your house that is broken or doesn’t work right or is going to be thrown away (it could be a toy, a piece of furniture, a container, whatever!). With an adult’s permission, figure out how you could fix this item OR repurpose it into something useful. Then, go ahead and see if you can fix it (if possible)! Write and draw a design plan, take photos of your process and caption those photos! Then write a conclusion telling the reader about the success of your project. Design Process 4 pts ­ Students pick a challenging but appropriate project to embark on. Design Plan 4 pts ­ Students have a drawn and labeled plan of their design project, including a list of materials needed. Photos 4 pts ­ Students take at least 6 photos showing them working on the project. Each photo includes a caption detailing what precisely they are working on in each shot. Conclusion ­ Complete 4 pts ­ A three paragraph or longer description of their finished project and its function is detailed, provides an overview of the process to reach that point and addresses any issues that the students ran into while completing their design. Conclusion ­ Grammar/Punctu
ation 4 pts ­ Conclusion is nearly free of grammatical errors. 3. Practice your research skills: Read a nonfiction book on a scientific subject (at or above your reading level). Your book could be about an animal, plants, disease, anything! Once you have finished reading, write a 5 paragraph essay summarizing your book (introduction, important idea 1 in detail, important idea 2 in detail, important idea 3 in detail, conclusion). Book Choice 3 pts ­ Students pick a challenging but appropriate book on a scientific subject. Introduction/Con
clusion 3 pts ­ Students write an introduction that provides all relevant information on the book (title, author, subject) and a conclusion that successfully “wraps up” their essay. Body Text 9 pts ­ In each body paragraph, students give an important idea from the text and explain it in detail. Paragraphs are at least 4 sentences in length and are relevant to the text. Report ­ Grammar/Punctu
ation 5 pts ­ Report is nearly free of grammatical errors. Total: 20 points