Summer Reading Requirements
Dear Incoming 7th Grade Parents:
Countless studies in education have proven the benefits of summer reading. Stephen Krashen in his study, The
Power of Reading, discovered the following results:
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People who read, write better.
Outstanding high school writers reported extensive summer reading.
If children read one million words a year, at least one thousand words will be added to their vocabulary.
Spelling improved when kids read.
In summary, readers demonstrated better reading comprehension, writing style, spelling, and
grammatical development.
Reading:
Every effort has been made to provide a summer reading list with books that appeal to various types of readers
and adhere to the rigor of the Common Core State Standards. Students will find the selections enjoyable and
appealing. Selections and requirements have been made according to grade levels. All reading assignments are
due Monday, September 8, and will be counted as a grade in English Language Arts.
Reading Requirements:
1. Choose two books to read from the Summer Reading List provided. One book should be fiction, and
the other non-fiction.
2. You are required to complete two out of the three assignments on the following pages. You must
complete Assignment #1 for one of the books. Then, you may choose any of the three assignments for
the second book you read.
3. Each assignment should be typed or written VERY neatly.
Reading Assignment Choice 1: Book Report***Required Assignment**
After you read the book, a three-four page typed, double spaced, font size 12 report is to written in
which you complete the following tasks:
o Write an introductory paragraph which includes title and author. Explain the author’s
purpose for writing this book. Give examples from the book to show your knowledge of the
content.
o Write a paragraph which includes an overall summary of the book.
o Choose five of the most interesting or exciting chapters in the book. Describe each one and
state why you found each one interesting.
o Describe at least five new facts or ideas that you learned from reading this book. Be sure that
you do not use the same information that you have used in the section above. Include details.
o If you met the author of this book, what are two suggestions or compliments you would make
about the book?
o Would you recommend this book to anyone? Why or why not?
o Find at least ten vocabulary words in the book that are new to you. In your personal
dictionary, write the words, the part of speech, the definition and the sentence from the book
that the word appeared. Hand in your personal dictionary with your book report.
o Create a neat and attractive cover for your report. Cover should include title, author, and a
scene either drawn by you or by a computer that depicts an important scene or theme of the
story. You may not use a cover used by the publisher.
Your grade will be based on adherence to all of the tasks described above and on adherence to
grammatical, spelling, punctuation, and capitalization rules. Please remember to proofread
carefully.
Reading Assignment Choice 2: A Letter to the Author
This letter must be at least three paragraphs. Each paragraph must be at least five to seven sentences.
Paragraph One: Tell the author how you feel about the settings in the novel. Comment on the descriptive
passages, the time of the novel, and the place where the events take place. Setting can create a certain mood.
How did you react to the mood of the story?
Paragraph Two: Tell the author about the main character, and how you enjoyed the traits he or she exhibited.
Was the character humorous, and if so, recall when and how it contributed to the enjoyment of the story. Was
the character brave or troubled, and how did this contribute to the development of the story. Compliment the
author on the formation of the character through the conflicts and/or problems that this character had to resolve.
Paragraph Three: Tell the author about a particular scene from the story that impressed you greatly. It could
be a dialogue between two people, or a scene when the main character is faced with difficulty, or a humorous
scene that had you holding on to your sides. It might even be a suspenseful scene or a scene filled with danger.
Describe it in detail and comment to the author why it was so well-written.
Close your letter with your personal reasons why you would recommend this book to others. Give your reasons
in at least two or three sentences.
Reading Assignment Choice 3: A Newspaper
This assignment involves selecting a scene from the book that demonstrates a conflict between two people, or
between a person and nature (like a storm), or between two groups of people. On scrap paper, list the elements
of the scene: the characters, the setting, the struggle itself, and the people who were affected by this conflict.
Read a news story or two from a newspaper to get an idea about how to write up your selected scene as though
it really happened and was written in a daily newspaper.
Give your story a title and write it making sure you give all the facts. You might want to open with a quote from
a character. Make sure that you write in the third person, that is, that you write about the people, the events,
and the setting. The article should be about 150 words. Don’t forget to give your story a title as well. You may
draw or obtain graphics to complement your story.
Again, check a daily newspaper to observe how photos are used to balance a page as well as to draw the
attention of the reader. You may type your one page newspaper on Publisher or on any program that will allow
you to create columns. Name your newspaper and be sure to include a date.
St. Dominic Elementary School: Summer Reading Lists for Students Entering 7th Grade:
Parents: If you would like to read brief synopses of the books and their appropriateness for your child, the
following website offers reviews of many of the books and a “what parents need to know” section. The web
address is: www.commonsensemedia.org.
FICTION BOOKS (PICK ONE OF THE FOLLOWING BOOKS)
Author
Title
Christopher Collier
My Brother Sam is Dead
Roderick Philbrick
Freak the Mighty
Mark Twain
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
Jerry Spinelli
Star Girl
Laurie Halse Anderson
Chains
Louisa May Alcott
Little Women
Robert Louis Stevenson
Treasure Island
Gary Paulsen
Roland Smith
Wood Runner
Peak
Gloria Whelan
Listening for Lions
Wendy Mass
Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life
NON-FICTION BOOKS (PICK ONE OF THE FOLLOWING BOOKS)
Author
Jim Murphy
Steve Sheinkin
Elizabeth Partridge
Sally M. Walker
Jennifer
Armstrong
Title
An American Plague: The True and Terrifying Story of the
Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1793
The Notorious Benedict Arnold: A True Story of Adventure,
Heroism, and Treachery
Marching for Freedom
Written in Bones: Buried Lives of Jamestown and Colonial Maryland
Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World
Jean Fritz
Jim Murphy
Around the World in a Hundred Years
Truce: the Day the Soldiers Stopped Fighting
Helen Keller
Rosalyn Schanzer
The Story of My Life
Witches: The Absolutely True Tale of Disaster in Salem