Twin Lakes Academy Middle School

Suggested Summer Reading List

Did you know that a student could lose up to three months’ worth of reading progress

over the summer? Summer reading loss can be prevented by providing your child with

opportunities to read. At Twin Lakes Middle School, we want to ensure that our students

return to school prepared for the challenges of a new year. As you enjoy your summer,

we want to encourage everyone to spend some time reading. We have put together a

list from which you may choose at least one book to read. When you have read your

book, you should complete one of the activities, and bring it in with you on the first

day of school.

Suggested 6th grade List

Fiction Books: Al Capone Does My Shirts by Gennifer Choldenko The Alex Rider Series by Alan Gratz Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo The Black Cauldron by Lloyd Alexander A Corner of the Universe by Ann M. Martin Counting 7s by Holly Goldberg Sloan Crash by Jerry Spinelli The Crossover and/or Booked by Kwame Alexander Dicey’s Song by Cynthia Voight

Elijah of Buxton by Christopher Paul Curtis The Fourteenth Goldfish by Jennifer Holm Hiroshima by Laurence Yep

Nonfiction: 42 is Not Just a Number by Doreen Rappaport The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens by Sean Covey Bomb: The Race to Build-and Steal- the World’s Most Dangerous Weapon by Steve Sheinkin The Boys Who Challenged Hitler: Knud Pedersen and the Churchill Club By Phillip Hoose Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson Chasing Lincoln’s Killer by James Swanson Chicken Soup for the Preteen Soul by Jack Canfield The Dreamer by Pam Munoz Ryan

Hoot by Carl Hiaasen Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O’Dell Jump into the Sky by Shelley Pearsall The Lions of Little Rock by Kristin Levine Locomotion by Jacqueline Woodson Misty of Chincoteague by Marguerite Henry My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia One for the Murphys by Lynda Mullaly Hunt One Last Word (poetry) by Nikki Grimes Refugee by Alan Gratz Summer of the Swans by Betsy Byars The Wanderer by Sharon Creech Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls Wishtree by Katherine Applegate A Wrinkle in Time and/or sequels by Madeline L’Engle (A Wind in the Door, A Swiftly Tilting Planet, Many Waters, An Acceptable Time) A Year Down Yonder by Richard Peck

I am Malala by Malala Yousafzai Red Scarf Girl by Ji-li Jiang Soul Surfer by Bethany Hamilton Woodsong by Gary Paulsen

Incoming 7th Graders- The Color of My Words by Lynn Joseph Crash by Jerry Spinelli Flush by Carl Hiaasen Holes by Louis Sachar The Last Book in the Universe by Rodman Philbrick North by Night by Katherine Ayres Uglies by Scott Westerfield A Wrinkle in Time by Madeline L’Engle

Incoming 8th Graders- Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson The Call of the Wild by Jack London Eragon by Christopher Paolini Esperanza Rising by Pam Munoz Ryan Hoops by Walter Dean Myers Jacob Have I Loved by Katherine Paterson Stella by Starlight by Sharon Draper That Was Then, This Is Now by S.E. Hinton 90 Miles to Cuba by Enrique Flores-Galbis

When you finish reading your book select a project to complete from the choices listed.

Students must turn in the completed reading project to their Language Arts teacher during the

first week of the 2018-2019 school year.

Choose one project from the following list:

1. Travel Brochure – Create a travel brochure advertising the setting of the book you read.

Divide your paper into three parts and include a drawn graphic, clip art images, or

magazine pictures to illustrate your brochure. Write information to demonstrate your

understanding of key ideas in the novel like descriptions of settings, maps, and

characters.

2. Dear Friend- Write or type a letter to one of the characters in your novel or to the

author of the book. Suggestions include: ask questions about what is happening in the

book, make connections, discuss the theme, what lesson did you learn, why or why not

you liked the book, something interesting you didn’t know, and/or what else would you

like to know about the characters.

3. Newsletter- Create a newsletter about your book. Suggestions include: the main idea of

the book, short articles about important characters, challenging vocabulary, pictures,

quotes from the book, information about the author, themes that are in the book, life

lessons to learn from the book, and/or reviews about the book.

4. Four-Panel Comic- Using a 4-panel organizer, label and illustrate four elements of a

four-panel comic. The elements are: character, problem, solution, and change/ lesson

learned.

5. Complete a “Literacy Flip Book” mini- project following the rubric below

Literary Elements Flip Book Grading Rubric

_____Title and author on first flap; student’s name on the back of the flip book (5 points)

_____Character description includes character’s physical attributes, personality, behavior,

thoughts and feelings, and what others think of the character; entry labeled “Character”

(15 pts)

_____Setting described using vivid vocabulary; entry labeled “Setting” (15 pts)

_____Conflict/resolution described; entry labeled “Conflict/Resolution” (15 pts)

_____Plot included important events occurring in the story; entry labeled “Plot” (15 pts)

_____Critique uses specific details telling why the student liked or disliked the story; entry

labeled “Critique” (15 pts)

_____Correct spelling, usage, punctuation, capitalization, complete sentences, neatly

presented (20 points)

________FINAL PROJECT GRADE (Out of 100 points)

6. Complete “Milk Carton Mobile” mini-project following the rubric below

Milk Carton Mobile Grading Rubric _____Carton is painted or covered attractively (5 points) _____Project title is on top; student name is on bottom (4) -Each section of the carton contains a title and a well-written description or thorough research; and panel is illustrated (15 points EACH): _____Side panel #1 _____Side panel #2 _____Side panel #3 _____Side panel #4 _____Correct use of grammar, spelling, punctuation, capitalization, complete sentences (20) _____Neat/attractive presentation (10) ________FINAL PROJECT GRADE (Out of 100 points)