Grade 7 Summer Reading List - Northbridge Public Schools

Northbridge Middle School Summer Reading 2013
We strongly believe in the importance and benefits of a summer reading
program. Reading a good book during the summer enhances student
achievement and stimulates a lifelong interest in reading for pleasure.
We understand that students work hard all year and some families feel that
it’s ok to “give them a break” from school work during the summer. As
literacy professionals we feel that reading will always be an important part of
life and it shouldn't stop just because school did. In order to continue with
the academic rigor we require during the school year, we are beginning a
mandatory summer reading assignment for all students attending Northbridge
Middle School.
Students are required to read one book from the suggested titles for their
grade level, or one book of their choosing. Students must create a project on
the book they read. Project ideas are attached. The deadline for this project
is Friday September 6, 2013. Students will receive a grade on the project,
and there will be an opportunity to present your project to your classmates
upon returning to school for extra points.
Copies of the book lists have been made available to the Whitinsville Social
Library, the Worcester Public Library and Barnes and Noble Bookstore at the
Shops at Blackstone Valley Mall in Millbury. Some of the titles, indicated
with an asterisk, are available from our own library at the Middle School.
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Book Project Ideas
1) Comic book/story board: Create a comic book or story board covering the major plot of the book.
Be sure to include scenes to help someone who has not read the novel understand the novel.
2) 3-D Model: Create a 3-dimensional model of major scenes in your novel (at least 4) be sure to
include a brief explanation of each scene and some quotes from that scene. You may also choose to
create a 3-D model of a major setting.
3) Reading letter: Write a letter giving a summary of the novel, and a convincing argument as to why
someone should read the novel. The goal is to persuade another reader to choose this book.
4) Treasure Chest: Create a treasure chest with items that were mentioned in the book. Pick items that
were important or significant for some reason. Your treasure chest should include at least 10 items, and
a written description of each item.
5) A Brush with Hollywood: Design an interesting movie poster that includes at least 5 facts (Hint:
The five elements of fiction) you have learned from the book. Include information about the setting,
characters, and problems faced in the book. Be sure to list the title, author, and any actors/actresses that
you would cast in the major roles; add colorful illustrations and pictures to help you get your point
across. If your book has already been made into a movie, do your best to be creative and see if you can
do a better job than Hollywood!
6) Scrapbook: Create a unique scrapbook that represents events or characters that are in your book.
Use pictures that would represent ten occurrences in your book. For each occurrence, be sure to add a
brief description, but don’t give the story away.
7) Read All About It: You will create a one page, 4-5 story newspaper. All the stories in your
newspaper will be directly related to your outside reading book. Decide what articles to include in the
newspaper. Ideas for articles include: Crime: Write about a plot complication as if was a crime or news
event. Include interviews with eyewitnesses, police reports, and so on. Personal Interest: Interview a
character in the story about his or her life, hopes, dreams, concerns, and so on.
Sports/Weather/International Events: Write about other newsworthy people and/or events in the story.
The title of the newspaper should be something appropriate to the book.
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Summer Reading 2013 - Incoming Grade 7 Students
Hurricane Song – Paul Volpini . Miles recently moved to live with his musician father in New Orleans and is
still trying to get used to his new city when Hurricane Katrina unexpectedly changes his life forever. Miles, his
father, and his uncle all end up in the overcrowded Superdome. There are terrible living conditions, including
not enough food, gang activity, and limited bathrooms. They also lose the freedom to come and go freely. Miles
and his family try to make the best out of their stay, but face many hardships as they try to wait out the storm.
The Lost Hero – Rick Riordian. There's a whole new group of heroes at Camp Half-Blood, the summer camp
for kids who are half human, half Greek god. In this first book in the new series, we learn that after defeating
the evil Titan Lord Kronos, Percy Jackson and his friends rebuilt Camp Half-Blood for the next generation of
demigods. Now these new half-bloods are facing a deadly prophecy of their own.
Bud, Not Buddy – Christopher Paul Curtis. It's 1936, in Flint, Michigan. Ten-year-old Bud may be a motherless
boy on the run, but he's on a mission. His momma never told him who his father was, but she left a clue: posters
of Herman E. Calloway and his famous band, the Dusky Devastators of the Depression! Bud's got an idea that
those posters will lead to his father.
Esperanza Rising – Pam Munoz Ryan. When Esperanza and Mama are forced to flee to the bountiful region of
Aguascalientes, Mexico, to a Mexican farm labor camp in California, they must adjust to a life without fancy
dresses and servants like they were accustomed to on Rancho de las Rosas. Now they must confront the
challenges of hard work, acceptance by their own people, and economic difficulties brought on by the Great
Depression.
Peeled – Joan Bauer. Sixteen-year-old Hildy Biddle, high school newspaper reporter, takes it upon herself to
reveal the truth about the seemingly strange occurrences happening at the local haunted house.
Shark Girl – Kelly Bingham. On a sunny day in June, at the beach with her mom and brother, fifteen-year-old
Jane Arrowood went for a swim. And then everything — absolutely everything — changed. Now she’s counting
down the days until she returns to school with her fake arm, where she knows kids will whisper, "That’s her —
that’s Shark Girl."
Dead-end Job – Vicki Grant Frances works the night shift at a local convenience store, dividing her time
between restocking shelves and working on her art. Her routine is broken one night when Devin comes into the
store. He claims to be the son of a famous local artist and offers her advice on her drawings. Although he seems
to know way too much about her, Frances decides, against the advice of her boyfriend, that he is odd but
harmless. By the time she realizes the danger she is in, Devin is completely obsessed with her and convinced
that if he can't have her, no one will. Frances will be forced to use all her strength to escape from Devin.
No More Dead Dogs - Gordon Kormon. Nobody understands Wallace. This reluctant school football hero has
been suspended from the team for writing an unfavorable book report of Old Shep, My Pal. But Wallace won't
tell a lie — he hated every minute of the book! Why does the dog in every classic novel have to croak at the end?
After refusing to do a rewrite, his English teacher, who happens to be directing the school play Old Shep, My
Pal, forces him go to the rehearsals as punishment. Although Wallace doesn't change his mind, he does end up
changing the play into a rock-and-roll rendition, complete with Rollerblades and a moped!
Rumble Fish - S.E. Hinton. Rusty-James knows he is a tough teen, but he wants to be even tougher, just like
his older brother, the Motorcycle Boy. He wants to stay calm and laugh when things get dangerous, to be the
strongest street fighter and the most respected guy this side of the river.
Absolutely Normal Chaos - Sharon Creech. Mary Lou Finney grudgingly begins writing a journal as a
summer project for school. Then her cousin Carl Ray comes to stay, and what started out as a dull assignment
quickly becomes an amazing record of first love and family intrigue. Mary Lou's hilarious observations on love,
death, and the confusing mechanics of holding hands will delight fans of Walk Two Moons.

Summer Reading 2013 - Incoming Grade 7 Students (continued)
Guts - Gary Paulsen. Guess what: Gary Paulsen was being kind to Brian. In Guts, Gary tells the real stories
behind the Brian books, the stories of the adventures that inspired him to write Brian Robeson's story: working
as an emergency volunteer; the death that inspired the pilot's death in Hatchet; plane crashes he has seen and
near-misses of his own.
The Boy in the Striped Pajamas - John Boyne. Berlin, 1942: When Bruno returns home from school one day,
he discovers that his belongings are being packed in crates. His father has received a promotion and the family
must move from their home to a new house far, far away, where there is no one to play with and nothing to do. A
tall fence running alongside stretches as far as the eye can see and cuts him off from the strange people he can
see in the distance. But Bruno longs to be an explorer and decides that there must be more to this desolate new
place than meets the eye. While exploring his new environment, he meets another boy whose life and
circumstances are very different to his own, and their meeting results in a friendship that has devastating
consequences.
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