Summer Reading – Grade 6
Read TWO books from the following list. Complete a book report for one of the books and chose an activity
to complete for the other. You can find descriptions and the length of the books on websites like
Amazon.com.
Completed work is due by Friday of the first week of school.
Questions? E-mail me: fzuniga@smsmd.org
Babbitt, Natalie. Tuck Everlasting
Barnett, Mac. Brixton Brothers: The Case of the Mistaken Identity
Barry, Dave. Science Fair
Buckley, Michael. The Fairy Tale Detectives (The Sisters Grimm, Book 1)
Clements, Andrew. The Janitor’s Boy
Creech, Sharon. Absolutely Normal Chaos or Walk Two Moons
Dahl, Roald. Boy or Matilda
Du Prau, Jeanne. The City of Ember
Durrant, Lynda. My Last Skirt: The Story of Jennie Hodgers, Union Soldier.
Funke, Cornelia. The Thief Lord
Freedman, Russell. The Life and Death of Crazy Horse or Kids at Work
Gantos, Jack. Heads or Tails: Stories from the Sixth Grade
Hiaasen, Carl. Scat or Hoot
Holm, Jennifer. Middle School is Worse than Meatloaf
Korman, Gordon. No More Dead Dogs
Levine, Gail. Ella Enchanted
Lupica, Mike. Summer Ball or Heat
Patterson, James. Maximum Ride or I Funny: A Middle School Story
Paulsen, Gary. Woods Runner
Philbrick, Rodman. The Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figg
Powers-Water, Alma. Mother Seton and the Sisters of Charity
Riordan, Rick. The Lightning Thief or The Lost Hero or The 39 Clues (The Maze of Bones)
Rowling, J.K. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone
Scieszka, Jon. Knucklehead or Guys Write for Guys Read
Spinelli, Jerry. Loser or Stargirl
Swanson, James L. Chasing Lincoln’s Killer
Book 1—Book Review - 1½ -2 pages typed. (12 pt. Times New Roman, double spaced, 1” margin)
Top of the Page –Include a picture of the book cover (approximately 3 inches tall.) Beside 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, introduce the
main character(s), and discuss the overall conflict the main character faces. Talk 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 three paragraphs, comment on the book’s strengths and weaknesses. Talk about what you liked and
what you didn’t like. Back up your opinions with specific details from the book. Give the chapter names or
numbers of those details. Think about the author’s writing style, whether the characters were believable, and if
the description of the setting and action 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 12pts. 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. (1-2 pages typed)
4. Do some research, and write 1 ½ - 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 a paragraph (6-8 sentences) 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. Video-tape yourself as TV reporter and give a report of a scene from the book as if it is happening
"live". Be sure to give information about what is happening, the setting, and the characters. The script
should be 2-3 pages typed.
9. 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. (1-2 pages typed)
10. 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 neatly and with care.