8th Grade Honors ELA Summer Reading Assignments
**Mandatory for Enrollment in 8th Grade Honors English**
Due by noon on August 1, 2013
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The novel The Giver by Lois Lowry describes a Utopian society as seen through the eyes of the main character,
Jonas.
You can purchase the novel at the Louisiana Tech Bookstore or at Amazon.com.
Your novel assignment will be evaluated for complete and thorough responses. You will be responsible for
turning in Publication Information, three (3) Character Analysis Charts, and a book jacket project. These will be
combined for a test score.
These assignments are available on the Ruston Junior High School website (rustonjunior.lincolnschools.org) if
you need extra copies or choose to type your assignments.
Your Name:
________
Publication Information (10 points)
Book Title: _______________________________________________________________________________________
Author: __________________________________________________________________________________________
# of pages: ___________________________________
Copyright Date: ______________________________
Publisher and City of Publication:___________________________________
Characterization Analysis (75 points)
Characterization is the method used by the writer to develop a character. A character can be developed in three ways:
1. What the other characters say about the specific character
2. What the character says (dialogue) and how the character acts
3. What the narrator says about the character, including physical descriptions
Complete a Character Analysis Chart for each of the following major characters in the novel: Jonas, Jonas’s father, and
The Giver. For an example see the Tom Sawyer Character Analysis Chart below. The rubric that will be used to assess
your charts is included in this packet.
Character: Tom Sawyer
Evidence: Quotes from throughout the novel
(include page numbers)
“With his big toe, Tom drew a line in the dust.
‘I dare you to step over that. If you do, I’ll lick
you til you can’t stand up’” (6).
“This would have helped Tom understand why
carrying something up a hill is work while
mountain climbing is play” (15).
Role: Tom is the protagonist of the novel and motivates
much of the action that takes place. He is moving away from
his childhood concerns and making mature, responsible
decisions.
Commentary: Written explanation of what the evidence
shows the reader about the character’s personality (include
character traits in your explanation)
Tom is a rough fighter and will not back away from a
challenge. He shows no mercy.
Tom’s discovery here reveals that he is growing up. He now
knows that work and play are not the same thing and also
understands that we may sometimes have to do things that
we don’t like to do.
.
Book Jacket Project (15 points)
Supplies:
 White, unlined copy paper, 8 ½ x 11 or 8 ½ X 14
 Colored pencils, markers, etc.
Directions:
 Fold the paper so that it covers the book around both sides just as it were a true book jacket.
 Inside the jacket on the left fold, write an original plot (events in the novel) summary about the novel.
Do not copy from the back of the book. The summary should start with the beginning of the novel and
go through to the end, but do not give the ending away. (5 points)
 Inside the jacket on the right fold, write some brief information on the author. This can be found on
the internet. Author information should include awards won and reviews given about the author and
his/her books. (5 points)
 The front of the book jacket should be a representation of the book and must not be copied from the
book. Use your imagination to illustrate the title and plot, themes, or characters. Your cover must be
neat and attractive. (5 points)
 The plot summary and author information should be written in your own words and not plagiarized.
Character Analysis Rubric
Character
Needs
Improvement
Fair
Good
Excellent
Role
Excellent=8 points
Good=6 points
Fair=4 points
Needs Improvement=2
The description of the
role does not
sufficiently explain
the character’s
importance in the
novel as a whole.
Language control*
errors significantly
detract from the
author’s meaning.
The description of the
role adequately
explains the character’s
importance in the novel
as a whole. Language
control errors are
present but do not
significantly detract
from the author’s
meaning.
The description of the
role sufficiently explains
the character’s
importance in the novel
as a whole. Language
control errors are
minimal.
Evidence/Commentary
Excellent=17 points
Good=15 points
Fair=11 points
Needs Improvement=8
The evidence is
carelessly chosen and
inconsistently pulled
from the text. Whole
chapters have not
been included. The
commentary provides
little more than a
summary of the
evidence.
The selection of
evidence is inconsistent
and may not
demonstrate careful
reading. Significant
moments of
characterization have
not been included. The
commentary merely
provides a summary of
the evidence and does
not indicate what traits
are made evident.
Page references are
included for ALL
quotes.
The selection of
evidence shows careful
reading and
consideration of the
author’s
characterization of the
selected character.
Each quote selected is
explained in
accompanying
commentary and
indicates what character
traits are made evident.
Page references are
included for ALL quotes.
The description of the
role is insightful and
thorough. The
character’s importance in
the novel as a whole is
clearly explained.
Language control is
evident and in some
places contributes to the
effectiveness of the
author’s meaning.
The selection of evidence
shows deep reading and
thorough consideration
of the author’s
characterization of the
selected character. Each
quote selected is
thoroughly explained in
accompanying
commentary and clearly
indicates what character
traits are made evident.
Page references are
included for ALL quotes.
OR
Page references are
not included for ALL
quotes.
*Language control refers to the author’s effective and accurate use of grammar and mechanics.
Character Analysis Chart
Character:
Role:
Evidence: Quotes from throughout the novel
(include page numbers)
Commentary: Written explanation of what the evidence
shows the reader about the character’s personality (include
character traits in your explanation)
Character Analysis Chart
Character:
Role:
Evidence: Quotes from throughout the novel
(include page numbers)
Commentary: Written explanation of what the evidence
shows the reader about the character’s personality (include
character traits in your explanation)
Character Analysis Chart
Character:
Role:
Evidence: Quotes from throughout the novel
(include page numbers)
Commentary: Written explanation of what the evidence
shows the reader about the character’s personality (include
character traits in your explanation)
Sample Character Traits
able
active
adventurous
affectionate
afraid
alert
ambitious
angry
annoyed
anxious
apologetic
arrogant
attentive
average
bad
blue
bold
bored
bossy
brainy
brave
bright
brilliant
busy
calm
careful
careless
cautious
charming
cheerful
childish
clever
clumsy
coarse
concerned
confident
confused
considerate
cooperative
courageous
cowardly
cross
cruel
curious
dangerous
daring
dark
decisive
demanding
dependable
depressed
determined
discouraged
dishonest
disrespectful
doubtful
dull
dutiful
eager
easygoing
efficient
embarrassed
encouraging
energetic
evil
excited
expert
fair
faithful
fearless
fierce
foolish
fortunate
foul
fresh
friendly
frustrated
funny
gentle
giving
glamorous
gloomy
good
graceful
grateful
greedy
grouchy
grumpy
guilty
happy
harsh
hateful
healthy
helpful
honest
hopeful
hopeless
humorous
ignorant
imaginative
impatient
impolite
inconsiderate
independent
industrious
innocent
intelligent
jealous
kindly
lazy
leader
lively
lonely
loving
loyal
lucky
mature
mean
messy
miserable
mysterious
naughty
nervous
nice
noisy
obedient
obnoxious
old
peaceful
picky
pleasant
polite
poor
popular
positive
precise
proper
proud
quick
quiet
rational
reliable
religious
responsible
restless
rich
rough
rowdy
rude
sad
safe
satisfied
scared
secretive
selfish
serious
sharp
short
shy
silly
skillful
sly
smart
sneaky
sorry
spoiled
stingy
strange
strict
stubborn
sweet
talented
tall
thankful
thoughtful
thoughtless
tired
tolerant
touchy
trusting
trustworthy
unfriendly
unhappy
upset
useful
warm
weak
wicked
wise
worried
wrong
young