Boston College High School
Arrupe Division
8th Grade Summer Reading
“If we encounter a man of great intellect, we should ask him what books he reads.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson
In order to challenge and inspire our students at Arrupe, we are requiring students
to read three books throughout summer vacation. Our goal is that all students will develop a real
appreciation of quality literature, be introduced to some great characters, recognize the
importance of cultural and historical settings, and learn valuable life lessons.
The eighth grade English course will connect to social studies and religion
courses exploring themes of justice and how people treat others. Each novel listed below touches
on those themes and students should be prepared to discuss their relevance in September.
Students are required to complete five journal entries and a vocabulary log for the English
required novel choice which will assist them with the reading assessment in September. Students
must choose a second book for English from the free choice list attached and complete a postcard
assignment answering specific questions. Students must also read a required novel for social
studies and complete a postcard assignment answering specific questions. Journals should be
turned in the first week of school. Postcards can be sent throughout the summer to:
The Arrupe Division
Boston College High School
150 Morrissey Blvd.
Boston, MA 02125
Social Studies: Required Novel- All students will read
The Wave by Todd Strasser
Assignment: After you have read the book, write the following on a postcard:
(You can be creative with your postcard):
 Title
 Author
 One sentence summary of book
 One to two sentences explaining why so many students wanted to be in The Wave
 One sentence explaining what you were doing at the time you read the book. This is
your chance to let us know a little something about you!
English: Free Choice NovelChoose one book from the attached book list.
Assignment: After you have read the book, write the following on a postcard
(You can be creative with your postcard):
 Title
 Author
 One sentence summary of the book
 Two to three sentences about how this book relates to the theme of
justice and treating others fairly.
 One sentence about what you were doing while reading this book. This is
your chance to let us know a little something about you!
English: Required Novel- All students will read:
Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
Journal Assignment for Of Mice and Men:
Students will keep a journal as they read and write 5 journal entries per book as well as list new
vocabulary words.
Entry 1: Pre-reading (based on looking at the front and back of book)
1. Write the title, author, amount of pages, and publisher information (company, date,
etc.).
2. First impressions: What are your predictions about the plot of this book? What themes
or issues do you think the book will address?
Entry 2: After Chapter 2 or 3
1. Who is the main character? Describe the character in detail.
2. Can you relate to this character? Explain why or why not.
3. Are there other characters that are important to the story? Describe these characters in
brief detail.
Entry 3: When you reach the middle
1. Does the book present a major conflict for characters to overcome? Describe this
conflict in greater detail.
2. Have you ever experienced a similar conflict? Explain how you responded to this
conflict.
3. If you have not experienced such conflict, what do you think you would do if you were
in a similar situation to the characters in question?
4. Are there any other minor conflicts apparent in the book? If so, explain.
Entry 4: At the Climax
Many books have one event which takes place somewhere in the final half of the story, called the
climax. It is the turning point, a moment at which something very important
occurs, which becomes almost a point of no return for the characters.
1. What is the climax of this book? Describe what happens and indicate why you think it
should be considered the turning point.
2. Were you surprised by the climax, or did the author hint somehow that it was going to
happen? What is your reaction to this event?
3. How do you think the event will change the characters? How do you think it will affect
the conclusion of the book?
Entry 5: Once you have finished the book
1. Describe the conclusion of the novel. What happens to the characters? Was the conflict
resolved? Why or why not?
2. Did you predict the ending? Why or why not?
3. What message or lesson do you think this book is attempting to communicate to
readers? Explain in detail.
Vocabulary Log
At the end of each entry, list 5 new words that you encountered
while reading and the definition of each word.
Free Choice Reading List Grade 8
CLASSICS
Cooper, Susan---Over Sea Under Stone
Keyes, Daniel---Flowers for Algernon
Neufeld, John---Lisa, Bright and Dark
Renault, Mary---The King Must Die
Seton, Anya---Katherine
Sutcliff, Rosemary---The Eagle of the Ninth
CONTEMPORARY
Abrahams, Peter---Down the Rabbit Hole: An Echo Falls Mystery
Almond, David---Skellig
Bell, William---Forbidden City
Duble, Kathleen Benner---The Sacrifice
Gaines, Ernest J.---The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman
Hudson, Jan---Sweetgrass
Koja, Kathe---Straydog
Konigsburg, E. L.---Silent to the Bone
Kositsky, Lynne---The Thought of High Windows
Martin, Ann---A Corner of the Universe
Morpurgo, Michael---Private Peaceful
Napoli, Donna Jo---Bound
Paterson, Katherine---Lyddie
Porter, Pamela---The Crazy Man
Rees, Celia---Pirates
Sachar, Louis---Small Steps
Wulffson, Don---Soldier X
Wynne-Jones, Tim---A Thief in the House of Memory
NON-FICTION
Adoff, Arnold ed.---I Am the Darker Brother: An Anthology of Modern Poems by
African Americans
Gore, Al---An Inconvenient Truth (Teen Edition)
Herriot, James---All Creatures Great and Small
Kherdian, David---The Road from Home: The Story of an Armenian Girl
Russell, Nancy---So Long Jackie Robinson
Ye, Ting-Xing---My Name is Number