5/28/2014 8:26:00 PM
6th Grade Summer Reading Packet for Maniac Magee
As a student entering the Sixth Grade, you are required to read Maniac
Magee by Jerry Spinelli. This book will be an integral part of the sixth grade
curriculum and students will be held accountable for their reading through
discussion, writing and assessment. You are encouraged to take careful
notes on this book including character, plot details and a list of at least
twenty new and interesting vocabulary words that you have encountered
while reading the novel. These notes can be recorded in the five-subject
notebook that you will use in September 2014 for ELA.
In addition, students must complete a Story Summary sheet and a
Character Challenge sheet for this novel. These sheets are attached as well
as on the 6th grade ELA website.
Ten writing prompts based on the novel Maniac Magee have been provided;
you must complete six of them. They may be written on loose leaf or printed
as a Word document.
For your second book report, you may choose any book that interests you.
You are to use the template in your packet entitled “Book Report” to rate
and summarize this selection. This report will be placed in a recommended
book file for students to access when choosing a new book for their reading
logs. This report should not exceed the one page form that has been
provided.
As you prepare to enter sixth grade, remember to plan your summer reading
activity ahead. July and August are filled with many activities and your
reading schedule must be planned around vacations and other
commitments. Be careful not to leave the entire assignment to the end of
your vacation.
I wish you all a safe and happy summer!
Mrs. Nehr
Name: ____________________
Story Summary Sheet
Title: Maniac Magee
Author: Jerrry Spinelli
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Main characters (include short description): ___________________
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Minor characters (include short description): __________________
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Summary of plot: ________________________________________
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Favorite part: ___________________________________________
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Name: _______________________
Character Challenge
Directions: We face challenges everyday in our lives, but usually not on the
same scale as a character in a novel. Decide what the main character's
biggest challenge was and describe how he handled it. Put yourself in the
same situation and explain how you would have dealt with it.
Character: ___________________________
1. The biggest challenge you think the character faced was ____________
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2. He handled it by ____________________________________________
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3. If I were in the same situation I would have _______________________
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because ______________________________________________________
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Writing Prompts
Below you will find a list of ten writing prompts for summer writing
assignment. You are to choose six prompts and write a three-paragraph
response. Your three paragraphs must include an introductory, body, and
concluding paragraph. An easy way to begin your essay is to use the POQ
method, part of the question in your response. You must choose one of the
following three for one of your six prompts: number four, seven, or eight. To
be able to respond to most of these prompts you must be making steady
progress in reading. I suggest that you spread out this writing assignment
by completing one prompt per week.
1. If you were to carry a suitcase like Amanda Beale, what would you carry
with you for safekeeping? Defend your answer in a three-paragraph essay.
2. Maniac Magee had a difficult time with John McNab and the Cobras. What
advice would you give to Maniac to help him deal with this problem? Be sure
to respond in at least three paragraphs.
3. Create a comic strip of the baseball incident that occurs in Chapter 7 of
Maniac Magee. You must include dialogue in your comic strip. Your comic
strip must include at least six segments or sections.
4. Maniac Magee longed to have a home and an address. Create a T-diagram
for “homeless” and “having an address.” Use this diagram to write a short
response in which you explain why it is better to have an address than to be
homeless. Your three paragraph response must include details from your Tdiagram.
Example of a T-diagram:
Homeless
Having an Address
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5. Maniac is allergic to pizza. What would you like to have as an allergy?
Explain your choice using details to explain why you would choose this item
to be unable to eat or touch. Answer in three paragraphs.
6. Grayson is one of the kindest characters in Maniac Magee. Create an
attribute web for Grayson including six characteristics. Attributes are
qualities or features regarded as a characteristic or a part of someone. Some
examples might include kind, friendly, or hardworking. Describe Grayson
using details from your web in a three-paragraph response.
7. Compare Russell and Piper with Hester and Lester. Record your answers
on a T-diagram. Use the details from that T-diagram to write a threeparagraph essay comparing Russell and Piper with Hester and Lester.
8. Compare John McNab and Mars Bar. Record your answers on a T-diagram.
Use the details from that T-diagram to write a three-paragraph essay
comparing John McNab and Mars Bar.
9. How would you begin teaching an adult to read? It is important not to
embarrass a person who cannot read. What would be some of the ways you,
as a younger person, could help an older person learn how to read without
embarrassing him or her? Your response must include three paragraphs.
10. Choose one favorite quote from the novel. Illustrate the quote with your
own drawing of the character that makes the statement. Write a short
response explaining your illustration. Explain why you chose this quote and
how it helps us understand the character. You must include the page where
the quote can be found.