Grade 7 Summer Reading
Read TWO books from the following list. See the back of this page for instructions on completing a book
review for one of the books and a project for the other. You can find descriptions and the length of the books
on websites like Amazon.com.
COMPLETED WORK IS DUE ON THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL.
Adler, David. B. Franklin, Printer
Kadohata, Cynthis. Kira-kira
Anderson, Laurie Halse. Fever, 1793
Korman, Gordon. Schooled or No More Dead Dogs
Balliett, Blue. Chasing Vermeer
Lisle, Janet Taylor. Black Duck
Basye, Dale. Heck: Where the Bad Kids Go
Lord, Cynthia. Rules
Blackwood, Gary. The Shakespeare Stealer
Lupica, Mike. Heat or Summer Ball
Bloor, Edward. Tangerine
MacHale, D.J. Pendragon
Clements, Andrew. The Janitor’s Boy
Mass, Wendy. 11 Birthdays
Colfer, Eoin. Half Moon Investigations or The Wish
Meyer, Carolyn. Mary, Bloody Mary
List
Palacio, R.J. Wonder
Collins, Suzanne. The Hunger Games
Paolini, Christopher. Eragon
Curtis, Christopher Paul. Bud, Not Buddy
Patterson, James. Maximum Ride
Cushman, Karen. Catherine, Called Birdy
Peck, Richard. A Long Way from Chicago
Dahl, Roald. Danny the Champion of the World or
Philbrick, Rodman. The Mostly True Adventures of
Boy
Homer P. Figg
Dowell, Frances O’Roark. Shooting the Moon
Preller, James. Bystander
Doyle, Arthur Conan. Study in Scarlet
Riordan, Rick. The Red Pyramid, The Lost Hero, or
DuPrau, Jeanne. The City of Ember
The 39 Clues (Book 1 The Maze of Bones)
Funke, Cornelia. The Thief Lord
Ruby, Lois. Steal Away Home
Gaiman, Neil. The Graveyard Book
Schmidt, Gary. The Wednesday Wars
Haddix, Margaret Peterson. Found or Uprising
Scieska, Jon. Guys Write for Guys Read
Hahn, Mary Downing. Wait Till Helen Comes
Spinelli, Jerry. Stargirl or Knots in My Yo-yo
Hart, Mark. Blessed are the Bored in Spirit: A
String: The Autobiography of a Kid
Young Catholic’s Search for Meaning
Swanson, James L. Chasing Lincoln’s Killer
Hiaasen, Carl. Scat
Tolan, Stephanie. Surviving the Applewhites
Horowitz, Anthony. Alex Rider
Wallace, Susan. Saint Bakhita of Sudan
Jian, Ji-Li. Red Scarf Girl
Vazquez, Ana Maria. Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati
Book 1—Book Review - 1½ -2½ pages typed. (12 pt. Times New Roman, double spaced, 1” margin)
Top of the Page –On the left, include a picture of the book cover (approximately 3 inches tall.) To the right of the picture,
include the book title, author, and genre. Then type, “Reviewed by [your name].” This information may be larger than
12pt. font. Be sure to italicize the title.
Part 1 –Introduce the book in a brief paragraph. Have an interesting opening sentence to catch the reader’s attention.
Include general information about the book (title, author, and genre) as well as your reasons for selecting this book to
read.
Part 2 –Summarize the main story elements in two to three paragraphs. Write about the setting, the main character(s), and
discuss the overall conflict the main character faces. Tell the major events that lead up to the climax, but do not give
away the ending. Be sure to use descriptive, vivid, and precise words. Think about what information is important to tell
someone who has never read the book. Provide enough information so that the plot will be understood; do not, however,
retell the entire story.
Part 3 –In two paragraphs, give your opinion. Write about what you liked in the first paragraph and what you disliked in
the second. Back up your opinions with specific details. Ask yourself questions such as: Was the book confusing, too
easy, or too hard? Was the plot predictable, believable, or surprising? What was your favorite part? Could you relate to
the characters? Did the book make you think? Did you enjoy the author’s writing style? Did the descriptions of the
setting, action, and characters made you feel like you were there?
Part 4 –In a brief concluding paragraph, sum up your overall opinion of the book. Explain whether or not you would
recommend the book to a classmate and why. Rate the novel between one and five stars, five being the best.
Book 2 (choose a project) – All work should be 12pt. double-spaced. Proofread your work!
1. Interview a character from your book. Type at least 15 questions and answer them in detail from the character’s
point of view. Give the character the opportunity to discuss his/her thoughts and feelings about events in the
story. These should not be simple yes or no questions.
2. Write a diary (five or six well-written one-paragraph entries) that one of the story's main characters might have
kept before, during, or after the book's events. Remember that the character's thoughts and feelings are very
important in a diary. This should not just be a summary of the events.
3. Write a 1½ -2 page feature article (with a headline) that tells the story of the book as it might be found on the
front page of a newspaper in the town where the story takes place. (1½ -2 pages typed)
4. Do some research and write a 1½ -2 page essay about a real topic brought up in your book. Explain how the
author used this real topic to affect the fictional characters in the story.
5. Write and record an original song that tells the story of the book.
6. Create five illustrations of important scenes from the book and type five paragraphs (6-8 sentences each), one for
each illustration describing what is happening. The illustrations should show the plot of the story.
7. After reading a book of history or historical fiction, make an illustrated timeline showing 7-8 events of the story
and draw a map showing the location(s) where the story took place. Write 2-3 sentences about each event on the
timeline.
8. Imagine that you are the author of the book you have just read. Suddenly the book becomes a best seller. Write a
letter to a movie producer trying to get that person interested in making your book into a movie. Explain why the
story, characters, conflicts, etc., would make a good film. Suggest a filming location and the actors to play the
various roles. (1½ -2 pages typed)
9. Create a comic book (5-10 pages) relating one chapter of the book. The story line should be clear and the color
illustrations should be done with care.
If you have any questions, please send me an email at nettamorelli@smsmd.org. I will check my email at least once
a week over the summer. Don’t wait until the last minute to get started and be sure to do your own work in your
own words.