Summer Reading Program 2014
Dear Parent(s)/Guardian(s),
Literacy is a curriculum focus of Bok Academy. All Bok Academy students are encouraged to
read over the summer. Research has shown that students who read during the summer maintain
the gains that they have made during the school year. Middle school students should read
about 20-30 daily to increase comprehension and stamina. With that in mind all Bok Academy
students are expected to read throughout the summer.
Your child will read one fiction novel and one non-fiction novel from the assigned grade level list
over the summer. Attached, you will find the list for each grade level. Once they have read
the required novels, they will complete the response questions for the nonfiction book. They
will also complete one project for the fiction book. Students are strongly encouraged to read
additional books and record those titles on the “2014 Summer Reading Log”. Extra copies of the
response questions and rubric for the project will be available on our website for download,
in the front office of Bok Academy, and at the Lake Wales Public Library.
Upon returning to school, your child will be expected to turn in this completed response
questions and project to his/her Critical Thinking and Research or Intensive Reading teacher.
We hope that reading this summer will be a wonderful adventure for you and your child.
The books are available for check-out…
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At Bok Academy or your public library. The public libraries have been made aware of our
summer reading program.
Parents can download the book on a Nook, Kindle, or iDevice.
You may also check the books out on our Overdrive Online Library.
If you are checking out a book from the school or public library, please keep in mind we will
have approximately 120 students checking out the same books. Please only keep your books
no more than 2 weeks.
These assignments will be the first graded assignments of the new school
year.
Due: August 18th-22nd 2014
The Reading Department
Bok Summer Reading List
All incoming 6th, 7th, and 8th graders will read a fiction and a nonfiction novel. Students will be
asked to complete one project for the fiction novel. They will also complete the response
questions for the nonfiction book. Attached is a list of projects to choose from.
7th Grade
Fiction
Sounder by William H. Armstrong 900L **
The Call of the World by Jack London 990L **
The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin 750L *
Non-fiction
Through my Eyes by Ruby Bridges 860L
Promises to keep by Sharon Robinson 1030L **
Navaho Code Talkers by Andrew Santella 1020L
Navaho Code Talkers by Nathan Aaseng 1170L
Tim Tebow- Through my Eyes by Tim Tebow 930L
Flags of our Fathers: Heros of Iwo Jima by James Bradley 950L
Tim Thrope by Ellen Labrecque 1000L
Red Scarf Girl by Ji-li Jiang 780L *
*Indicate the book is available at Bok to checkout for free.
** Indicates the books can be downloaded for free on any electronic device.
If you have any questions, please contact one of the teachers representing your child’s grade level. 6th Grade-­‐ [email protected]; [email protected]; 7th Grade-­‐ [email protected]; [email protected] 8th Grade-­‐ [email protected]; [email protected]
Non-­‐Fiction Response Form One Sentence Summary: New Facts/Information Learned: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. Text Features Used in the Book: Table of Contents Introduction Photos Captions Graphs Maps Charts Bold Print Italics Index Glossary Diagrams Special Text-­‐related Vocabulary:
Project Ideas
Choose ONE project listed below to complete for your fiction book.
Project 1: Write a letter to the author of your book.
Write a letter of 250-500 words telling the author how reading his or her book (name
the title) somehow changed your way of thinking about yourself and the world around you. Make
a connection between yourself and a character or an event in the story. Did the book mirror
your life in some way? What questions did the author force you to ask yourself or others? You
do not need to summarize the plot of your book. You are writing about how the book affected
YOU! Remember to include a return address. Print your name and complete address in the
upper right corner of the first page of the letter. Your letter may be typed or handwritten.
Project 2: Awards
Create an award for each of the main characters based of their actions in the novel.
Write at least a paragraph detailing why the character deserved the award. One might be
awarded “most courageous” for fighting peer pressure for the guidance he/she gave to other
characters.
Project 3: Heroes and Superheroes
Select two or three people your character would think of as a hero or superhero.
Describe the characteristics of the hero and why those characteristics would be important to
your character. Also describe which characteristics your character would most want for
himself/herself that that hero or superhero possesses.
Project 4: Book Critique- Using the following questioning guide, take notes as you read in
preparation for your book critique.
Main Character- Who is the main character? What does the character do? What have you
learned about the character from what he or she has done?
Goal: What does the main character want? What do you know about the main character after
discovering his or her goal? What does the main character do to reach his or her goal? What
do you learn about the main character from what he or she does to reach his or her goal?
Problem- What is the first problem that the main character has? What does the main
character do about it? How does the main character change as a result of the problem? What
does that tell you about the main character?
Resolution- Does the main character get what he or she wants? What has helped the character
most? (forces within the character’s control? Or forces beyond that character’s control?)
Name the forces to support your opinion.
Theme- What does the story basically tell about? A- a struggle with self; B- a struggle with
nature; C- a struggle with others
Using the questions to guide your thinking about the book, write a critique of the book, which
includes a discussion of: the main character, goal, problem, resolution, and theme.
Project 5: Word Collage
Write the title of the book in the center of a poster board. Then, look through
magazines for words, phrases, and sentences that illustrate or tell something about your book.
As you look, think in terms of the theme, setting, plot, and characters. Work to get at least
fifty words, phrases, or sentences so that the entire poster board is covered. The visual
impact of the collage should be telling potential readers all about the book.
Project 6: Character Alphabet
Choose a character you liked from your reading selections. Create sentences based on
the alphabet scheme that demonstrates your knowledge of the character. Your project should
include the title of the book and the characters name. The following example illustrates a
character alphabet of the character Zeke on the book Spite Fences.
A- is the Abuse Zeke took at the hands of the racist mob.
B- is for the Bending over Backwards to make sure the visiting civil rights activist could
work in obscurity.
C- is for the Camera that he have Maggie so she could begin to look at the world in new
ways.
Project 7: Poster Design
Your book as been chosen by Hollywood to be made into a feature protection. Design the
poster that will be placed in movie theatres across the country advertising the coming
attraction.
Project 8- Social Worker’s Report
If the events of the story merit it, write a report as a social worker would on the
conditions in the home and whether or not it is a good environment for a child. For example, if a
social worker went to the McNab’s house in Manic Magee by Jerry Spinelli, how would she
describe the home and parenting style of Mr. McNab? What would her recommendations be?
Project 9- Make up a word test for the novel.
Think of fifteen words that are essential to the understating of the book. Explain why
you picked the words you did and how you would define them in terms of story.
Project 10- Current Events
Select five current news or feature stores from television or new magazines that you
think your character would be interested in. Then explain how your character would respond to
each of the stories and the opinions your character would have about what was happening in the
story.
2014 Summer Reading Log
Name:_____________________________ Incoming Grade:______
Date
Book Title
Pages
Read
Time Read
Parent
Initials