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S U M M E R
3
R E A D I N G
Reading in the summer is great because
it’s more of your own choice. You can pick up
any old book and if you don’t like it
you don’t have to finish it.
I can’t read as much during the school year
because of sports and homework.
—Matt Johnson (Grade VIII)
Five girls in my class started a
book group last year. Its fun to discuss books
with your friends, but we don’t do it
over the summer.
—Catherine Hemp (Grade VIII)
GRADE VIII: SHORT ESSAY
As students mature, their summer reading assignments become
increasingly difficult. Knowing that they will begin the year reading
John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men, Park’s newest eighth graders
are required to read a historical novel over the summer. Upon their
return to school, they must write a short essay for homework in
the first week.
Over the summer, each of you read a novel, which can be
categorized as HISTORICAL FICTION. Tonight, write a
paragraph in which you explain WHY your book qualifies
as a piece of historical fiction. First you need to define
historical fiction for yourself and your reader and then
explain with examples from the text why your book falls
under that category. Be sure to:
• Grab the reader with your first sentence
• Have a clear, compelling topic sentence
• Cite the title and author of the book you read
• Give three or four specific examples from your book
• Conclude your paragraph in a thoughtful manner
This is NOT a standard book report; take care not to oversummarize.
This can be hand-written or typed. Be sure to
closely proofread for correct spelling, punctuation, diction,
and syntax.
Shakespeare Bats Cleanup
by Ron Koertge (Poetry)
For Grades VI, VII, and VIII
Prevented by a case of mononucleosis
from pursuing his passion, baseball,
Kevin reluctantly starts a poetry
journal with the encouragement of his
father, who is an English teacher. In
free verse, with occasional excursions
into haiku, sonnet, and ballad form,
he writes about family, school, girls,
and, of course, baseball.
GRADE VII
Summer Reading Choices:
One mystery from this list and
one book from any source
(including this list, which features
popular favorites, classics, and
books that will enliven and extend
your school studies).
A Thief of Time by Tony Hillerman
(Mystery/Suspense)
For Grades VIII and IX
Navajo Tribal Policemen Lt. Joe
Leaphorn and Officer Jim Chee solve
the mystery surrounding murders
at an ancient Indian burial site.
Beautiful, valuable Anasazi clay pots
are among the few clues.
Behind the Curtain by Peter
Abrahams (Mystery/Suspense)
For Grades VI and VII
Eighth grader Ingrid Levin-Hill, who
has practically memorized all the
Sherlock Holmes stories, uses observation
and logic to solve crime cases
in her hometown of Echo Falls. In this
page-turning adventure, she discovers
a steroid selling ring, but can’t tell
the police because her brother might
be involved.
Half-Moon Investigations by
Eoin Colfer (Mystery/Suspense)
For Grades V, VI, and VII
Fletcher Moon, after he earns a real
detective’s badge from an Internet
course, is passionate about solving
criminal cases. When the head of a
girl’s clique hires him to investigate a
theft at school, he finds himself far too
involved in the business of the town’s
notorious crime family.
The London Eye Mystery by
Siobhan Dowd (Mystery/Suspense)
For Grades VI, VII, VIII, and IX
Two siblings take their visiting cousin
sightseeing to the London Eye. They
watch him go into the ride, and they
watch all the passengers leave, but
their cousin has disappeared.
Montmorency by Eleanor Updale
(Mystery/Suspense)
For Grades VI and VII
Montmorency is a small time thief
until he discovers the possibilities of
London’s new underground sewer
system. He develops a split identity:
Scarper, the virtuoso thief who
escapes crime scenes through the
sewers; and Montmorency, a gentleman
with fine taste and a betterdeveloped
sense of honor. This is the
first of four books in a popular
mystery/spy series.
The Park Bulletin | Fall 2009 27