SUMMER READING for Grade 7
SUMMER READING for Grade 7 For summer reading, students entering each grade are required to read one book and encouraged to read a minimum of three books in preparation for their English classes. Summer reading books should be read deeply and students should be able to speak intelligently about the plot, characters, and themes found within the literature. The summer reading book will be discussed thoroughly in class when students return to school and will be the first novel students are formally held accountable for. Students should expect to be tested, write thoughtfully, or complete projects or other activities relevant to their book. The required reading book is pictured below. Additional books may be chosen from the Recommended Reading List. Good reading skills are critical for success in the Middle School. There is no better way to keep sharp or improve your reading ability than to practice. If none of the recommended books suit you, you may find better options at bookstores, the library, or even on bookshelves at home. You may feel free to download your books and read them on electronic reading devices. Such devices offer a wide range of advantages over traditional books such as built-in dictionaries and note-taking and underlining capabilities to facilitate a student’s understanding of a given novel. Electronic readers are welcome in Middle School classrooms as long as the student’s name is on the device. Required Summer Reading Book for Grade 7 The Way of the Warrior (Young Samurai) by Chris Bradford ISBN-10: 142311986X ISBN-13: 978-1423119869 Shipwrecked on the shore of Japan, twelve-year-old Jack Fletcher is wounded and alone. His father and the entire crew have been slaughtered by ninja pirates. Jack's last remaining possession is his father's rudder, an invaluable book of maps and notes about the world's uncharted oceans. Masamoto-sama, one of Japan's greatest samurai, rescues Jack, adopts him, and sends him to samurai school, where Jack will be trained in the Way of the Warrior. Will it be enough to help Jack defeat Dragon Eye, the ruthless ninja who is intent on stealing the rudder at any cost.
Recommended Reading list on Page 2
SUMMER READING for Grade 7 Page 2 of 2
Recommended Summer Reading for Grade 7 Hero by Mike Lupica When the father he idolizes dies in a covert government operation, Billy Harriman is determined to find out who killed him, and why. In the course of his investigation he discovers that his father had superpowers, and that he has inherited them. Ninth Ward by Jewell Parker Rhodes Twelve-year-old Lanesha lives in a tight-knit community in New Orleans' Ninth Ward. She doesn't have a fancy house like her uptown family or lots of friends like the other kids on her street. But what she does have is Mama Ya-Ya, her fiercely loving caretaker, wise in the ways of the world and able to predict the future. So when Mama Ya-Ya's visions show a powerful hurricane--Katrina--fast approaching, it's up to Lanesha to call upon the hope and strength Mama Ya-Ya has given her to help them both survive the storm. The Limit by Kristen Landon In a world eerily similar to our own, the government imposes debt limits on families. Exceed the limit, and the family’s oldest child will be taken away to a special workhouse. Thirteen-year-old Matt doesn’t think he has anything to worry about. After all, his parents are financially responsible, unlike the parents of those other kids. But after Matt’s family unexpectedly surpasses their limit, Matt’s whisked away to a workhouse where far more serious dangers exist than anyone on the outside realizes. Highly relevant to modern financial challenges and sure to captivate readers, The Limit is a fast-paced thriller that never lets up. Crash by Jerry Spinelli A winning story about 7th-grader Crash Coogan's transformation from smug jock to empathetic, mature, young man. In a clever, breezy first-person style, Spinelli tackles gender roles, family relationships, and friendship with humor and feeling. Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech 13-year-old Salamanca Tree Hiddle's mother has disappeared. While tracing her steps on a long car trip, Salamanca tells a story to pass the time about a friend whose mother vanished and who received secret messages after her disappearance. By drawing strength from her Native American ancestry, she is able to face the truth about her mother.
The Warriors by Joseph Bruchac Jake Forrest, a young teenager, leaves the Iroquois reservation where he was raised to live with his mother, a lawyer in Maryland, and attend a prestigious private boy's school. Like many kids his age, Jake wrestles with the difficulties of moving to a new city, fitting in at a new school, and trying to make the best of his one-parent family. The House of Silk: A Sherlock Holmes Novel by Anthony Horowitz London, 1890. 221B Baker St. A fine art dealer named Edmund Carstairs visits Sherlock Holmes and Dr John Watson to beg for their help. He is being menaced by a strange man in a flat cap - a wanted criminal who seems to have followed him all the way from America. In the days that follow, his home is robbed, his family is threatened. And then the first murder takes place. Witch and Wizard by James Patterson The world is changing: the government has seized control of every aspect of society, and now, kids are disappearing. For 15-year-old Wisty and her older brother Whit, life turns upside down when they are torn from their parents one night and slammed into a secret prison for no reason they can comprehend. The New Order, as it is known, is clearly trying to suppress Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Being a Normal Teenager. But while trapped in this totalitarian nightmare, Wisty and Whit discover they have incredible powers they'd never dreamed of. Can this newly minted witch and wizard master their skills in time to save themselves, their parents--and maybe the world? Matched by Ally Condie Cassia has always trusted the Society to make the right choices for her: what to read, what to watch, what to believe. So when Xander's face appears onscreen at her Matching ceremony, Cassia knows with complete certainty that he is her ideal mate . . . until she sees Ky Markham's face flash for an instant before the screen fades to black.
Happy Reading & Happy Summer!
Recommended Reading list on Page 2
SUMMER READING for Grade 7 Page 2 of 2
Recommended Summer Reading for Grade 7 Hero by Mike Lupica When the father he idolizes dies in a covert government operation, Billy Harriman is determined to find out who killed him, and why. In the course of his investigation he discovers that his father had superpowers, and that he has inherited them. Ninth Ward by Jewell Parker Rhodes Twelve-year-old Lanesha lives in a tight-knit community in New Orleans' Ninth Ward. She doesn't have a fancy house like her uptown family or lots of friends like the other kids on her street. But what she does have is Mama Ya-Ya, her fiercely loving caretaker, wise in the ways of the world and able to predict the future. So when Mama Ya-Ya's visions show a powerful hurricane--Katrina--fast approaching, it's up to Lanesha to call upon the hope and strength Mama Ya-Ya has given her to help them both survive the storm. The Limit by Kristen Landon In a world eerily similar to our own, the government imposes debt limits on families. Exceed the limit, and the family’s oldest child will be taken away to a special workhouse. Thirteen-year-old Matt doesn’t think he has anything to worry about. After all, his parents are financially responsible, unlike the parents of those other kids. But after Matt’s family unexpectedly surpasses their limit, Matt’s whisked away to a workhouse where far more serious dangers exist than anyone on the outside realizes. Highly relevant to modern financial challenges and sure to captivate readers, The Limit is a fast-paced thriller that never lets up. Crash by Jerry Spinelli A winning story about 7th-grader Crash Coogan's transformation from smug jock to empathetic, mature, young man. In a clever, breezy first-person style, Spinelli tackles gender roles, family relationships, and friendship with humor and feeling. Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech 13-year-old Salamanca Tree Hiddle's mother has disappeared. While tracing her steps on a long car trip, Salamanca tells a story to pass the time about a friend whose mother vanished and who received secret messages after her disappearance. By drawing strength from her Native American ancestry, she is able to face the truth about her mother.
The Warriors by Joseph Bruchac Jake Forrest, a young teenager, leaves the Iroquois reservation where he was raised to live with his mother, a lawyer in Maryland, and attend a prestigious private boy's school. Like many kids his age, Jake wrestles with the difficulties of moving to a new city, fitting in at a new school, and trying to make the best of his one-parent family. The House of Silk: A Sherlock Holmes Novel by Anthony Horowitz London, 1890. 221B Baker St. A fine art dealer named Edmund Carstairs visits Sherlock Holmes and Dr John Watson to beg for their help. He is being menaced by a strange man in a flat cap - a wanted criminal who seems to have followed him all the way from America. In the days that follow, his home is robbed, his family is threatened. And then the first murder takes place. Witch and Wizard by James Patterson The world is changing: the government has seized control of every aspect of society, and now, kids are disappearing. For 15-year-old Wisty and her older brother Whit, life turns upside down when they are torn from their parents one night and slammed into a secret prison for no reason they can comprehend. The New Order, as it is known, is clearly trying to suppress Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Being a Normal Teenager. But while trapped in this totalitarian nightmare, Wisty and Whit discover they have incredible powers they'd never dreamed of. Can this newly minted witch and wizard master their skills in time to save themselves, their parents--and maybe the world? Matched by Ally Condie Cassia has always trusted the Society to make the right choices for her: what to read, what to watch, what to believe. So when Xander's face appears onscreen at her Matching ceremony, Cassia knows with complete certainty that he is her ideal mate . . . until she sees Ky Markham's face flash for an instant before the screen fades to black.
Happy Reading & Happy Summer!
