Northbridge Middle School
2012 Summer Reading Program
Summer shouldn't mean taking a break from learning, especially reading.
Studies show that most students experience a loss of reading skills over the
summer months, but children who continue to read actually gain skills. Efforts
should be made during the summer to help children sustain reading skills,
practice reading and read for enjoyment.
At Northbridge Middle School we consider summer reading very important in
developing life-long reading habits, in maintaining literacy skills and in promoting
reading for pleasure. Studies have repeatedly shown that children who continue
to read during the summer months perform better when school resumes in the
fall. Research has also shown that when parents are actively involved in
learning at home, their children become more successful in and out of school.
When choosing a book to read keep in mind the five finger rule for choosing
“just the right book”
1. Choose a book that you think you will enjoy.
2. Read the second page.
3. Hold up a finger for each word you are not sure of, or do not know.
4. If there are five or more words you did not know, you should choose an
easier book.
Students must create a project on an independently read 2012 Summer
Reading Book. This project is due the second week of school. Please make
sure you choose your book wisely as you will have to visually represent the
information and present it in the form of a project. Your project should include
the title of the book, author, characters, and important events. It should also
have your name on it. This will not count as a grade but it is expected that you
will present your project to your classmates upon returning to school. Please do
not create anything larger than an 8 ½ x 11 sheet of paper.
Copies of the book lists have been made available to the Whitinsville Social
Library, The Worcester Public Library and Barnes and Noble Bookstore at the
Shops at Blackstone Valley Mall in Millbury. Some of the titles, indicated with an
asterisk, are available from our own library at the Middle School.
Summer Reading 2012
Incoming Grade 8 Students
Matched by Ally Condie; Lexile Level: 680L ; Genre/theme: science fiction [series: Matched trilogy]
Cassia has always trusted the Society to make the right choices for her, so when Xander appears onscreen at her Matching ceremony, Cassia knows he is her ideal mate--until Ky Markham's face appears
for an instant before the screen fades to black.
Red Kayak by Priscilla Cummings: Lexile Level: 800L Genre/Theme: realistic fiction
Living near the water on Maryland's Eastern Shore, thirteen-year-old Brady and his best friends J.T.
and Digger become entangled in a tragedy which tests their friendship and their ideas about right and
wrong.
The Maze Runner by, James Dashner: Lexile Level: 770 L Genre/Theme science fiction [series: Maze
Runner trilogy]
Sixteen-year-old Thomas wakes up with no memory in the middle of a maze and realizes he must work
with the community in which he finds himself if he is to escape.
Games by Carol Gorman: Lexile Level: Genre/Theme: realistic fiction
When fourteen-year-old rivals Boot Quinn and Mick Sullivan fight once too often, the new principal
devises the punishment of having to play games together at his office, where they learn which battles
are worth fighting.
Million Dollar Throw by Mike Lupica: Lexile Level: 960L; Genre/Theme: realistic fiction
Eighth-grade star quarterback Nate Brodie's family is feeling the stress of the troubled economy, and
Nate is frantic because his best friend Abby is going blind, so when he gets a chance to win a million
dollars if he can complete a pass during the halftime of a New England Patriot's game, he is nearly
overwhelmed by the pressure to succeed.
Trash by Andy Mulligan: Lexile Level: Genre/ Theme: mystery
A group of fourteen year old boys, who make a living picking garbage from the outskirts of a large city,
find something special and mysterious that brings terrifying consequences.
Runaway by, Wendelin Van Draanen: Genre/Theme realistic fiction
After running away from her fifth foster home, Holly, a twelve-year-old orphan, travels across the
country, keeping a journal of her experiences and struggle to survive.
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by, Lewis Carroll: Lexile Level: 860 L; Genre/Theme: Fantasy
One summer day, young Alice is sitting on the riverbank with her sister when a big white rabbit runs
past. "Oh dear! Oh dear! I shall be too late," the rabbit says, taking a look at his watch. Then he pops
down a large rabbit hole, and Alice can't help but follow him
The Thief Lord by, Cornelia Funke: Lexile Level: 640L; Genre/Theme: Mysery/ Suspense/ Fantasy
Prosper and Bo are orphans on the run from their cruel aunt and uncle. The brothers decide to hide out
in Venice, where they meet a mysterious 13-year-old boy who calls himself the "Thief Lord."
The Golden Compass by, Phillip Pullman: Lexile Level: 930L; Genre/Theme: Fantasy
In a landmark epic of fantasy and storytelling, Philip Pullman invites readers into a world as
convincing and thoroughly realized as Narnia, Earthsea, or Redwall. Here lives an orphaned ward
named Lyra Belacqua, whose carefree life among the scholars at Oxford's Jordan College is shattered
by the arrival of two powerful visitors. First, her fearsome uncle, Lord Asriel, appears with evidence of
mystery and danger in the far North, including photographs of a mysterious celestial phenomenon
called Dust and the dim outline of a city suspended in the Aurora Borealis that he suspects is part of an
alternate universe.
The Magician’s Nephew by, C.S.. Lewis: Lexile Level: 790 L; Genre/Theme: Fantasy
Digory and Polly discover a secret passage that links their homes, and they are taken into the World of
Charn, where they wake up the evil Queen Jadis. There, they witness the creation of the Land of Narnia
as it is sung into being by the Great Lion, Aslan. When Digory and Polly attempt to send the wicked
witch, Jadis, back to her own world, the magic gets mixed up and they all land in Narnia, where they
witness Aslan blessing the animals with human speech.
The Angel Experiment by, James Patterson: Lexile Level: 700 L; Genre/Theme: Adventure
Fourteen-year-old Maximum Ride is not your typical teenager. She's one of a group of genetically
engineered children who have wings and are able to fly. They escaped from the school where they were
created and tortured, and are living together in the woods.