8th Grade Summer Reading 2009

Eighth Grade Summer Reading 2009

Students in Grades 8-12 will all be required to read A Slave No More by David Blight and to make journal entries that comment on the book's themes, characters and challenge. Students should avoid plot summaries.

Also, for English class, students are required to read Spite Fecnes by Trudy Krisher during the summer and two other books chosen from the list below. In response to Spite Fences, students should respond in writing to one of the following questions. Responses should be typed, double-spaced, and at least two pages long. Use a 12-point Times New Roman font. Students need not respond to the other two books in writing, but should be prepared to discuss selected books on the first several days of school.

A note to parents:

Spite Fences is a compelling narrative that addresses in a direct and explicit manner the struggles of a young woman growing up under extremely difficult circumstances. One such circumstance involves an attempted rape, which the protagonist contemplates in some detail. While matters related to sexuality can be difficult for some readers, the quality of the narrative and the optimism of its lead character made the novel an obvious choice for the eighth grade. We ask you to read the book so that you can talk with your child, as needed. If you have questions or concerns, please contact Mr. Thomas Kelly, English Department Chair, at tkelly@williamsschool.org.

1. Like many of the books we read in the seventh grade, this is a coming of age story. Maggie learns several lessons about life from her experiences and the people around her. Discuss three people and/or experiences that enable her to grow and mature. How is she a different person at the end of the story? Make sure you use quotations and specific evidence from the story in your discussion.

2. There are many important symbols in the novel. Discuss three of the most significance ones; the camera, for example, should be one of those discussed. What is the symbol, what does it stand for, and how is it important to the story? Use quotations and specific evidence in your discussion.

3. On page 160 Cassie states the following: “I think I’m in danger just like everyone else in Kinship. Mama. Daddy. Pert Wilson. I think the meanness comes from living here, from living in Kinship day by day.” What is it about Kinship that can destroy people’s humanity? How does it divide people? How does it stereotype people? Write an analysis of the town and its negative impact on people. Bring quotations and specific evidence into your discussion.

Spite Fences by Trudy Krisher
Laurel-Leaf Books ISBN#0-440-22016-5

Required Reading:

Choice of two of the following:

Alcott, Little Women; Eight Cousins

Anderson, Speak

Armstrong, Sounder

Avi, The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle

Barry et al., Peter and the Starcatchers

Bloor, Tangerine

Burch, They Cage the Animals at Night

Bray, A Great and Terrible Beauty

Bruchac, The Winter People

Carroll, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland

Cather, My Antonia

Christie, And Then There Were None

Cleaver, Where the Lillies Bloom

Colfer, Artemis Fowl

Collier and Collier, With Every Drop of Blood; Jump Ship

to Freedom; War Comes to Willy Freeman

Collodi, Pinocchio

Cooper, King of Shadows

Cormier, The Chocolate War

Creech, Walk Two Moons

Crutcher, Whale Talk

Dickens, A Christmas Carol

Eliot, Silas Marner

Fleischman, Whirligig

Funke, Inkheart; Inkspell

Funke and Burmingham, The Thief Lord

Gaiman, Coraline

Hesse, Out of the Dust

Howe, The Misfits

Johnson, The Key to the Golden Firebird

Kidd, The Secret Life of Bees

Lamb, Tales from Shakespeare

L'Engle, A Wrinkle in Time

London, The Call of the Wild

Maguire, Son of a Witch

Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables

Myers, Monster

Paterson, Lyddie; Bridge to Terabithia

Paolini, Eragon; Eldest

Pullman, The Golden Compass

Rawlings, The Yearling

Riordan, The Lightening Thief

Sage and Zug, Magyk

Shute, On the Beach

Smith, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn

Spinelli, Stargirl; Loser

Sone, Nisei Daughter

Speare, The Witch of Blackbird Pond

Steinbeck, The Pearl; Grapes of Wrath

Stevenson, Kidnapped; Treasure Island

Sykes, The Seven Daughters of Eve

Tolan, Surviving the Applewhites

Tolkien, Lord of the Rings

Trueman, Stuck in Neutral

Twain, A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court;

The Prince and the Pauper; Tom Sawyer

Wharton, Ethan Frome

Yep, Dragonwings

Voigt, Homecoming; Izzy-Willy Nily

Yolen, The Devil’s Arithmetic

Westerfeld, Uglies

NONFICTION

Bruchac, Joseph. Bowman’s Store: A Journey to Myself (memoir)

Brumberg, Joan Jacobs. The Body Project (history)

Frank, Anne. The Diary of a Young Girl (diary)

Ulrich, Laurel Thatcher. A Midwife’s Tale (history)

Strauch, Barbara. The Primal Teen (science)

Schlosser, Chew on This (science)

Especially for Eighth Graders (sequels and other books related to 7th grade curriculum)

Collier and Collier, My Brother Sam is Dead

Stowe, Uncle Tom’s Cabin

Taylor, Let the Circle Be Unbroken; The Land

Zindel, The Pigman’s Legacy

	Eighth Grade Summer Reading 2009 Students in Grades 8-12 will all be required to read A Slave No More by David Blight and to make journal entries that comment on the book's themes, characters and challenge. Students should avoid plot summaries. Also, for English class, students are required to read Spite Fecnes by Trudy Krisher during the summer and two other books chosen from the list below. In response to Spite Fences, students should respond in writing to one of the following questions. Responses should be typed, double-spaced, and at least two pages long. Use a 12-point Times New Roman font. Students need not respond to the other two books in writing, but should be prepared to discuss selected books on the first several days of school. A note to parents: Spite Fences is a compelling narrative that addresses in a direct and explicit manner the struggles of a young woman growing up under extremely difficult circumstances. One such circumstance involves an attempted rape, which the protagonist contemplates in some detail. While matters related to sexuality can be difficult for some readers, the quality of the narrative and the optimism of its lead character made the novel an obvious choice for the eighth grade. We ask you to read the book so that you can talk with your child, as needed. If you have questions or concerns, please contact Mr. Thomas Kelly, English Department Chair, at tkelly@williamsschool.org. 1. Like many of the books we read in the seventh grade, this is a coming of age story. Maggie learns several lessons about life from her experiences and the people around her. Discuss three people and/or experiences that enable her to grow and mature. How is she a different person at the end of the story? Make sure you use quotations and specific evidence from the story in your discussion. 2. There are many important symbols in the novel. Discuss three of the most significance ones; the camera, for example, should be one of those discussed. What is the symbol, what does it stand for, and how is it important to the story? Use quotations and specific evidence in your discussion. 3. On page 160 Cassie states the following: “I think I’m in danger just like everyone else in Kinship. Mama. Daddy. Pert Wilson. I think the meanness comes from living here, from living in Kinship day by day.” What is it about Kinship that can destroy people’s humanity? How does it divide people? How does it stereotype people? Write an analysis of the town and its negative impact on people. Bring quotations and specific evidence into your discussion. Spite Fences by Trudy Krisher Laurel-Leaf Books ISBN#0-440-22016-5 Required Reading: Choice of two of the following: Alcott, Little Women; Eight Cousins Anderson, Speak Armstrong, Sounder Avi, The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle Barry et al., Peter and the Starcatchers Bloor, Tangerine Burch, They Cage the Animals at Night Bray, A Great and Terrible Beauty Bruchac, The Winter People Carroll, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland Cather, My Antonia Christie, And Then There Were None Cleaver, Where the Lillies Bloom Colfer, Artemis Fowl Collier and Collier, With Every Drop of Blood; Jump Ship to Freedom; War Comes to Willy Freeman Collodi, Pinocchio Cooper, King of Shadows Cormier, The Chocolate War Creech, Walk Two Moons Crutcher, Whale Talk Dickens, A Christmas Carol Eliot, Silas Marner Fleischman, Whirligig Funke, Inkheart; Inkspell Funke and Burmingham, The Thief Lord Gaiman, Coraline Hesse, Out of the Dust Howe, The Misfits Johnson, The Key to the Golden Firebird Kidd, The Secret Life of Bees Lamb, Tales from Shakespeare L'Engle, A Wrinkle in Time London, The Call of the Wild Maguire, Son of a Witch Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables Myers, Monster Paterson, Lyddie; Bridge to Terabithia Paolini, Eragon; Eldest Pullman, The Golden Compass Rawlings, The Yearling Riordan, The Lightening Thief Sage and Zug, Magyk Shute, On the Beach Smith, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn Spinelli, Stargirl; Loser Sone, Nisei Daughter Speare, The Witch of Blackbird Pond Steinbeck, The Pearl; Grapes of Wrath Stevenson, Kidnapped; Treasure Island Sykes, The Seven Daughters of Eve Tolan, Surviving the Applewhites Tolkien, Lord of the Rings Trueman, Stuck in Neutral Twain, A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court; The Prince and the Pauper; Tom Sawyer Wharton, Ethan Frome Yep, Dragonwings Voigt, Homecoming; Izzy-Willy Nily Yolen, The Devil’s Arithmetic Westerfeld, Uglies NONFICTION Bruchac, Joseph. Bowman’s Store: A Journey to Myself (memoir) Brumberg, Joan Jacobs. The Body Project (history) Frank, Anne. The Diary of a Young Girl (diary) Ulrich, Laurel Thatcher. A Midwife’s Tale (history) Strauch, Barbara. The Primal Teen (science) Schlosser, Chew on This (science) Especially for Eighth Graders (sequels and other books related to 7th grade curriculum) Collier and Collier, My Brother Sam is Dead Stowe, Uncle Tom’s Cabin Taylor, Let the Circle Be Unbroken; The Land Zindel, The Pigman’s Legacy