Summer Reading
8th Grade Style!
C o n g r a t u l a t i o n s ! Y o u a r e n o w a n 8 th g r a d e r . S u m m e r r e a d i n g i s a b i t
different thi s year. Read On!
You are required to read two books this summer, o n e b o o k from the following required/recommended list
and one book of your own choosing ( i t c a n n o t b e a b o o k t h a t y o u h a v e p r e v i o u s l y r e a d ) .
The more books you read from the required/recommended list, the more choices you will have in September
for your assessment.
For example: If you read only one book from the required/recommended list, you will have only one choice in
the fall. If you read two books from the list, then you have a choice between the two books, and so on depending
on however many books you read from the required/recommended book list.
You should use the Summer Reading: Double Entry Journal (use separate paper if you run out of space). You
may go on the eighth grade websites and download more copies. You will be allowed to use these note sheets
when you complete your assessment in the fall. Keep them somewhere safe and bring them with you in
September. You should fill in all sections and make additional copies if you read more than two of the
required/recommended books.
8th Grade
Required/Recommended
Book L ist
Fo r the S ummer
Ghost in the Tokaido Inn
by Dorothy and Thomas Hoobler
The Angel Experiment: Maximum Ride ( graphic novel version is two books) by James Patterson
The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness- Mature Reading Level
Crispin: Cross of Lead, OR Crispin at the Edge of the World, OR Crispin: The End of
Time by AVI
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot OR
A non –fiction book of your choice: Some suggestions are on the 8th grade cluster
websites.
Hav e a wonderf ul Summer filled with a we-inspiring a dventures!
This is an example of how to write the Double Journal Entry
Name ________________________________________
Summer Reading-Double Entry Journal
Directions: Write quotes in the left column, the page number in the second column, and how
this quote explains one of the meanings (themes) of your book in the third column. Write 3-5
complete sentences for each reaction. Write the main idea or message (theme) the author wants
you to understand about human beings. You must figure out the theme of your novel.
Example:
Book Title/ Author __The Outsiders/ S.E.Hinton___
Main Idea (theme) of the entire novel: ___One of the main themes that S.E. Hinton wants to tell
the world is that we should not judge people based on what they look like, where they live, how
rich or poor they are, what job they have, or the clothes they wear.
Quotation
Ex: “But most (Soc girls) looked at us
like we were dirt… that kid Pip,
reminded me of us- the way he felt
marked lousy because he wasn’t a
gentleman- the way that girl kept looking
down on him”
Ex: Cherry says, "You greasers have a
different set of values. You're more
emotional. We're sophisticated - cool
to the point of not feeling anything.
Nothing is real with us."
Ponyboy answers, "It's not money,
it's feeling - you don't feel anything
and we feel too violently."
Ex. "We look hoody and they look
decent." Although most of the
Greasers are "pretty decent guys
underneath all that grease," and
the Socs are "just cold-blooded mean,"
it doesn't matter because "people usually
go by looks."
Ex. “Someone should tell their side of the
story, and maybe people would understand
then and wouldn’t be so quick to judge a
boy by the amount of hair oil he wore.” …
“I decided I could tell people, beginning
with my English teacher.”
Page
15
38
Reaction and Theme Connection
Ponyboy is talking about Soc girls.
They look down on him because he is a Greaser,
poor, and living on the rough side of
town. He is judging all of them, they way he
thinks they are all judging him, by his looks,
and where he lives.
Ponyboy and Cherry have a conversation that
talks about the difference between the two groups
that goes beyond money and what they look like.
The Greasers are more emotional and the Socs
don’t feel emotions
38
141
179
The theme of appearances is linked to the conflict
between the Socs and the Greasers. Ponyboy
realizes that the reason the Socs never get blamed
for causing trouble is because the town judges
teenagers by where they live and what they wear
and what they look like. Not who they really are
on the inside.
Ponyboy is trying to deal with the deaths of his
friends and he realizes the stereotypes and the
prejudices are wrong. He needs to tell his story
and give this message to everyone
Name: __________________________________________________
Summer Reading Double Entry Journal
Directions: You must figure out the theme of your novel and write it down for yourself.
Write the quotes in the left column, the page number in the second column, and why this quote
explains the meaning (theme you have chosen) of your book in the third column. Write 3-5
sentences for each reaction and theme connection. Choose quotes from different parts of the
book to prove your theme. Complete this process for each of the books you read from the 8th
grade list.
Book Title/ Author ____________________________________________
Main Idea (Theme from the choices given- You may not make-up your own theme):
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
Quotation
Page
Reaction and Theme Connection
Quotation
Page
Reaction and Theme Connection
Use this page to note information about all books you read over the
th​
summer. All students entering 8​
grade must read 2 books:
Your Name:
_________________________________
7​ Grade Cluster: ________________
th​
Grade English Teacher:
7th​
________________________________
#
Title
● one required from the list (choice of six (6) — see below), plus
● one (1) “choice” book.
In addition, we strongly recommend that you read at least six (6) total
books this summer, and encourage you to read seven or more! Add
extra pages as necessary. Enjoy your summer reading!
Author
#Page
s
Start
Date
Required Read: Pick ​
one (1) ​
: ​
​
Ghost in the Tokaido Inn​
by Dorothy and Thomas Hoobler End Date
Grade
8
Summer Reading LOG
Comment
​
Angel Experiment: Maximum Ride​
(graphic novel has two books that cover the story) by James Patterson ​
The Knife of Never Letting Go​
by Patrick Ness­ Mature Reading Level ​
Crispin: Cross of Lead​
, OR ​
Crispin at the Edge of the World​
, OR ​
Crispin: The End of Time​
by AVI The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks​
by Rebecca Skloot 1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Recommended: Read as many books as you can! Add additional pages as needed. 7.
8.
9.
From this point on, you
may reread favorite
books as well as new
books10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20
.
Indicate reread
books in the
comment section
Reread- I love this
book/series.
The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind: Creating
Currents of Electricity and Hope - William
Kamkwamba and Bryan Mealer
The autobiography of a Malawian boy whose village
suffers extreme drought and famine. His interest in
inventions and science leads him to build a windmill
for his village, bringing electricity and water.
Mountains Beyond Mountains - Tracy Kidder
A biographical look at Dr. Paul Farmer, the founder
of Partners in Health, and the work of the
organization in Haiti and Central America.
Mao's Last Dancer (Young Readers Edition) - Li
Cunxin
Li's memoir details how he was selected as a child
by Madame Mao to attend the dance academy in
Beijing.
Oil on the Brain: Petroleum's Long, Strange Trip
to your Tank - Lisa Margonelli
An account of the oil industry -- the people,
economies, and pipelines that bring us petroleum -brilliantly illuminating a world we encounter every
day.
hlinger, owner, Thriftown grocery store
Outcasts United is the story of a team of refugee
boys, the remarkable woman who coaches them,
and the town where they live, a once-sleepy
southern hamlet that has been upended by the
process of refugee resettlement. It's a story about
the challenges posed by our quickly changing world,
and one that reminds us of what is possible in this
country when we put our values in action.
Scroll down to read more about the team, the town
and the coach at the center of Outcasts United.
Rate this book
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks
Her name was Henrietta Lacks, but scientists know her as HeLa. She was a
poor Southern tobacco farmer who worked the same land as her slave
ancestors, yet her cells—taken without her knowledge—became one of the
most important tools in medicine. The first “immortal” human cells grown
in culture, they are still alive today, though she has been dead for more than
sixty years. If you could pile all HeLa cells ever grown onto a scale, they’d
weigh more than 50 million metric tons—as much as a hundred Empire
State Buildings. HeLa cells were vital for developing the polio vaccine;
uncovered secrets of cancer, viruses, and the atom bomb’s effects; helped
lead to important advances like in vitro fertilization, cloning, and gene
mapping; and have been bought and sold by the billions.
Yet Henrietta Lacks remains virtually unknown, buried in an unmarked
grave.