Summer Reading
Students entering 7th grade, September 2011
The Cay by Theodore Taylor
Your Name ________________________________
**Bring this completed packet and your book to your L.A. class on the first day of school.**
“All his life Phillip had looked down upon blackskinned people. Now, suddenly, he was a refugee
from a fatal shipwreck. A crack on the head had
left Phillip blind and dependent on an
extraordinary West Indian named Timothy.”
Character Traits: A CHARACTER TRAIT may be one word that a reader could use to
describe the personality of a character. For example, a character may be
considered courageous, disciplined, or curious. A reader can identify a character’s
trait(s) through what the character says or does as well as how other characters
relate to him/her.
Identify the main characters, their relationship to Phillip, describe their
personalities, and provide specific examples from the text to support the
character traits you have listed.
Characters
Relationship to
Phillip
Phillip
Enright Jr.
XXXXXXXXX
Phillip
Enright Sr.
Timothy
Stew Cat
Henrik
Van Boven
Character Traits
Evidence from text & page #
Vocabulary
As you read The Cay, look for these vocabulary words, write the sentence and
page number from where is appears in the book, and write down the dictionary
definition.
Vocabulary Word
Definition from
Dictionary
Find the vocabulary word in the
book. Write the sentence from the
book and page number.
refinery
(Chapter 1)
schooner
(Chapter 3)
fronds
(Chapter 8)
rancid
(Chapter 10)
malaria
(Chapter12)
lee
(Chapter 16)
drone
(Chapter 18)
As you read The Cay, look for words that you are unfamiliar with or don’t know
the meaning of very well. Write down the word, the chapter it comes from, the
sentence and page number from where is appears in the book, and write down
the dictionary definition. You must have a total of seven words!
Unfamiliar Word
and Chapter.
Word:
Chapter:
Word:
Chapter:
Word:
Chapter:
Word:
Chapter:
Word:
Chapter:
Word:
Chapter:
Word:
Chapter:
Definition from
Dictionary
Find the vocabulary word in the
book. Write the sentence from the
book and page number.
Book Quotes
Choose three different sentences from the book that have significant meaning in
the story. Choose a sentence from the beginning, the middle, and the end of the
book.
Quote from book Page #
From beginning:
From middle:
From end:
Meaning in own words
Why I chose this quote
Write three journal entries from the perspective of Phillip at the beginning,
middle, and end of the book. Each entry should be at least five sentences.
Include Phillip’s feelings, internal, and external conflicts. Through his journal
entries, demonstrate how he changed his perspective in the book. Do your best
to capture his “voice”.
Beginning of the book:
Middle of the book:
End of the book:
Theme:
Look at the list of words below. Then choose two that you would like to write
about. What would Phillip say he has learned about each of these two words
through his experiences in The Cay? Write a 5 sentence paragraph using a 1:2
ratio (TS, CD, CM, CM, CS). Remember your CD needs to be a book event or book
quote that supports the word you chose.
1. courage
2. survival
3. prejudice
4. war
5. friendship
6. nature
Word#1____________________________________________________________
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What does Timothy mean when he says, "D'large kag 'ave a way o' losin' it's
veree size."? (pg. 36)
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Timothy believes that Stew Cat brings bad luck. What are some other signs of bad
luck in the book?
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How did Phillip change in the story? Use examples from The Cay to back up your
answer.
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Make sure you bring your book and this packet on the first day of school.