Rising 8th Grade Summer Reading Choices:
Read a classic literature piece from the list of author’s below. You should annotate and take
notes as you read. You should focus on characterization, theme and symbolism more so than the
basic plot. Assignment for this novel selection will be discussed the first week of school. Parents
should help students in the selection of the novel, as some titles may contain themes
unsuitable for your child.
Shakespeare, William
Wells, H. G.
Defoe, Daniel
Dickens, Charles (not Christmas Carol)
Marlowe, Christopher
Wilde, Oscar
Twain, Mark (AC students should not
choose Tom Sawyer or Huck Finn)
London, Jack
Bellamy, Edward
Orwell, George
Austen, Jane
Bronte, Charlotte
Bronte, Emily
Cooper, James Fennimore
Milton, John
Verne, Jules
Dumas, Alexandre
Hemingway, Ernest
Cather, Willa
Salinger, J. D.
Ellison, Ralph
Kipling, Rudyard
Shelley, Mary
Carroll, Lewis
Hawthorne, Nathaniel
Sinclair, Upton
Swift, Jonathan
Hugo, Victor
Faulkner, William
Cervantes, Migel de
Heller, Joseph
Baum, L. Frank
Stoker, Bram
Homer
Stowe, Harriet Beecher
Forbes, Esther
Crane, Steven
Alcott, Louisa Mae
Melville, Herman
Montgomery, Lucy Maud
McCullers, Carson
O’Connor, Flannery
Golding, William
While you read your novel, you should annotate your selection. Directions for annotation are
given below.
How to Annotate a Text
Do you want to be able to recall a book that you read weeks or months later? The best way to do that is to be an
active reader by annotating (or making notes in) a text! Annotation is a key component of close reading. In eighth
grade we will annotate texts all year, so as you read this summer begin to work on a system that works for you
(within the following guidelines). By annotating effectively, you can review an entire text in 30 minutes and be
prepared for any assessment! Follow the instructions below…
Materials Needed:
Yellow highlighter: This color is most preferred because it is the least distracting than other colors and
emphasizes the parts of the text that you want to remember. (You will only need the highlighter if you own your
own copy of the text.) If you don’t own the text, consider using yellow sticky notes in lieu of highlighting.
You may want other colors: when you re-read, use different colors to show additional detail or development of
ideas as you have time to reflect.
Pencil: You need this to write in the text (or on a sticky note if you don’t own the text). Using a pencil is a better
choice since even geniuses need to correct mistakes!
A Dictionary: It is a good idea to keep a dictionary nearby in order to look up words you may not know so that
you can better understand the text.
Your Text: If possible, it is best to have your own copy of the text so that you can highlight and write in it.
However, if you don’t, you need to get some sticky notes that you can use to put in the book and then take out when
you return the book.
Before Reading: A caution for you speed readers – close reading & annotation require a more methodical approach.
Slow down so you can complete the annotation. You can always go back and read it straight through later.
1. Read the front and rear jackets of the book, including information about the author. This can give you a more
rounded picture of the book while reading.
2. Always read the title page, introductions, table of contents, prefaces and any notes from the author. These will
help familiarize yourself with the content of the book and its origins.
3. Check to see if there is a glossary or any other information at the back of the book that you can use while you are
reading.
4. Find the right place to read your book. Some people need complete silence while others can read in any
environment. Only you know what your best reading environment is, so find it and use it!
Active Reading and Annotation Methods (Please use these for standardization of class instruction):
1. Highlight key information, including vocabulary you don’t understand, significant quotes, references to other
literary works, or any parts of the text relating to themes, significant characters, or events. Close reading means that
you are thinking while reading. Have a conversation with the text. Talk back to it.
2. While you read, use your pencil to make notes in the margins about key material. You can use punctuation marks
such as stars, arrows, question marks, check marks, and brackets to mark the text that you may want to come back
to. You should come up with your own unique system to mark what you think is important or questionable. You
should comment on things that you think are significant, powerful, meaningful – things you agree/disagree with in
the text.
3. At the end of each chapter, summarize the main ideas/events in the chapter in one or two sentences. Make note of
where plot events occur (exposition to rising action, climax, falling action, resolution, conclusion).
4. Use the inside front cover of the book to keep a list of important information with page number references in the
book. Some examples of what you could list here are themes, text that connects to the book’s title, important names
of characters & character development, memorable quotes, or key questions you may have about the text. Consider
literary elements such as symbolism, mood, tone, setting, archetypes, and motifs. (If you don’t own the book, do this
on a separate piece of paper or on sticky notes.)
5. Use the inside back cover to make a list of key vocabulary words and definitions from the text. Choose words that
are unique to the author/story/culture or advanced vocabulary. (If you don’t own the book, do this on a separate
piece of paper or on sticky notes.)
6. Additional information you may want to include in margins or on post-it notes may include – any epiphanies that
you have while reading – mark your ah-ha moments; what about word choice (diction or syntax), repetition,
figurative elements.
After Reading:
1. After you have read the book, you may want to re-read it, or skim it again, adding to your notes and highlighting.
2. Keep all of your notes with the book (if you didn’t write in it) so that you can go back and review it.
3. You may also want to make a list of characters and descriptions for the characters to better help you remember
them.
4. If there is a confusing timeline in the book, you may want to create your own timeline on paper to help you
understand the sequence of events. Choose the top ten events from the book and put them in order.
5. When you are done with the book, don’t put it down for a while! Complete any assignments for it and review
your notes before any tests.
Don’t want to buy the book, most classic literature can be found on line in pdf format. Consider using the following
web sites to look for your selection.
http://www.online-literature.com/
http://www.read.gov/books/
http://www.gutenberg.org/
Using an e-reader like Kindle, Nook or i-Pad, check out their annotation software and become familiar with it before
you start to read. If your device has a memory card, consider saving your annotations there or to your cloud so they
can be recovered if your device is lost or damaged.
Information on how to annotate a novel is taken from http://www.collegeboard.com .