grade Books - Lawton Chiles Middle School

6 thth grade Books:Almost Astronauts: 13 Women Who Dared toDream by Tonya Lee Stone: What does it take to bean astronaut? When America created NASA in 1958,there was another unspoken rule: you had to be aman. Here is the tale of thirteen women who provedthat they were not only as tough as the toughest manbut also brave enough to challenge the government.They were blocked by prejudice, jealousy, and thescrawled note of one of the most powerful men inWashington. But even though the Mercury 13 womendid not make it into space, they did not lose, for theirexample empowered young women to take their placein the sky, piloting jets and commanding spacecapsules. ALMOST ASTRONAUTS is the story ofthirteen true pioneers of the space age.Flush by Carl Hiassen: You know it's going to be arough summer when you spend Father's Day visitingyour dad in the local lockup. Noah's dad is sure thatthe owner of the Coral Queen casino boat is flushingraw sewage into the harbor -- which has made takinga dip at the local beach like swimming in a toilet. Hecan't prove it though, and so he decides that sinkingthe boat will make an effective statement. Right. Theboat is pumped out and back in business within daysand Noah's dad is stuck in the clink. Now Noah isdetermined to succeed where his dad failed. He willprove that the Coral Queen is dumpingillegally...somehow.Kidnapped in Key West by Edwina Raffa: WhenEddie Malone's father Frank is falsely accused andthen jailed for stealing the payroll from his employerthe Florida East Coast Railway, Eddie feelsresponsible. If he had obeyed his father instead ofgoofing off, his dad would have been at home insteadof looking for Eddie. He never would have seen, orgone to check out the suspicious light in thepaymaster's car. Determined to prove his father'sinnocence, Eddie and his faithful dog Rex track thereal thieves from his hometown of Marathon to KeyWest, where the thieves kidnap him and leave Rex fordead. Along the way, Eddie endures some hardshipsbut also makes some fast friends.7 thth grade Books:Code Orange by Caroline Cooney: Walking aroundNew York City was what Mitty Blake did best. He lovedthe city, and even after 9/11, he always felt safe. Mittywas a carefree guy–he didn’t worry about terrorists orblackouts or grades or anything, which is why he was lategetting started on his Advanced Bio report. Mitty doesfeel a little pressure to hand something in–if he doesn’t,he’ll be switched out of Advanced Bio, which would beunfortunate since Olivia’s in Advanced Bio. So heconsiders it good luck when he finds some old medicalbooks in his family’s weekend house that focus onsomething he could write about. But when he discoversan old envelope with two scabs in one of the books, thereport is no longer about the grade rather it’s about lifeand death. This edge-of-your-seat thriller will leave youbreathless.Tangerine: Paul is a teenager who lives at home with hisdistracted dad and his mean brother and his mom. Hehas just moved to this home in Tangerine and has startedthe school year. What is special about Paul is that he islegally blind. He can see with his glasses on, but withoutthem he cannot. He tries out for soccer at his school, andmakes the team, only to be told he cannot play becausehe is legally blind. To make matters worse, his daddoesn't seem to care, all he cares about is Paul's brotherEric. Eric is a football star who can kick a field goal veryaccurately. Because of a natural disaster, Paul has to goto a new school, the Tangerine County school that is filledwith tough people. He doesn't think he will fit in, butwhen he tries out for the soccer team, he finds that thepeople who he plays with are some of the toughestpeople in the school, and they accept him into theirgroup. All goes well until his his brother insults his friendsbrother and his friend attacks him. His brother beats uphis friend. This leads to his friends brother coming over totell Eric to leave him alone. Eric has him hit with aBlackjack. Paul knows he should tell someone, but he isscared of Eric and of what anyone he told would think ofhim for keeping it a secret for so long. Paul doesn't knowwhat to do.Zlata’s Diary: A Child’s Life in Wartime Saravejo byZlata Filipovic It begins as the day-today record of thelife of a typical eleven-year-old girl, preoccupied by pianolessons and birthday parties. But as war engulfsSarajevo, Zlata Filipovi´c becomes a witness to foodshortages and the deaths of friends and learns to wait outbombardments in a neighbor's cellar. Yet throughout sheremains courageous and observant. The result is a bookthat has the power to move and instruct readers a worldaway.8 thth grade BooksDouble Dutch by Sharon Draper : Delia lovesDouble Dutch. And she's good at it. So good that herteam has a chance to win the World Double DutchChampionships this year -- Delia is sure of it. Whatshe is less sure of is her chance of passing theschool's state exam, because Delia has been usingher success at Double Dutch to mask a secret thatcould jeopardize her place on the team, and also herfuture. Delia's not the only one with a secret. Herpotential boyfriend, Randy, has one too -- his dad hasbeen missing for weeks, and Randy hasn't toldanyone for fear he'll be put in a foster home. But he isrunning out of money and getting scared. The onething that isn't a secret is that their classmates, theTolliver twins, are out to cause trouble.Flipped by Wendelin Van Draanen: Flipped is aromance told in two voices. The first time Juli Bakersaw Bryce Loski, she flipped. The first time Bryce sawJuli, he ran. That’s pretty much the pattern for thesetwo neighbors until the eighth grade, when, just asJuli is realizing Bryce isn’t as wonderful as shethought, Bryce is starting to see that Juli is prettyamazing. How these two teens manage to seebeyond the surface of things and come togethermakes for a comic and poignant romance.Money Hungry by Sharon Flake: Thirteen-year-oldRaspberry Hill is starved for money. She will do justabout anything legal to get her hands on the almightydollar—wash cars, sell rotten candy, skip lunch, cleanhouses. She is obsessed. She is driven. She is afraid.Memories of being homeless, sleeping in the streets,and eating handouts keep Raspberry's eye on theonly prize that matters to her: cold, hard cash. Whenthe green stuff greases her palm, she gets comfortfrom feeling its crinkly paper power. And, whenmoney is your best friend, there's more to do thanhold it. Raspberry kisses her cash. She smells it. Sheloves it. But even money can't answer the questionsthat keep Raspberry awake at night. Will she andMomma ever move out of the projects? What didJa'nae do with the two hundred bucks Raspberryloaned her? And what's really going on with Mommaand that rich doctor?

STUDENT ACTIVITIESStudents must read one book from their grade level list andcomplete an activity for the book (see list below). Students mayalso choose to read a second book for extra credit. Theassignments will be due to Language Arts teachers on or beforeSeptember 17th, 2010.Summarize the book: Write a 2-3 page report. Include all theliterary elements from the list. It should be typed with 1” inchmargin, 12 pt. font, double spaced.Picture Book Project: Create a picture book for younger readers.Choose 10-20 major events from the story. Write each event on asheet of drawing paper along with art illustration. Bind all thepages together and design a cover for your book.Poster: Create a visual representation. The poster should includethe title, author, and at least 4 different graphic organizers(Thinking Map, Venn Diagram, a Web, Timeline, etc). A briefsummary of the graphic organizers must be included on theposter. (Poster size should be 22’ x 28’)Cereal Box Book Report: A) Cover an empty cereal box withwhite or light covered paper. On the front of the box write thename of the cereal. Choose a name that sounds enticing and thatrelates to the story. Draw an illustration to go with it. The shape ofthe cereal, the colors, and the ingredients should relate to thebook. B) On the back of the cereal box write a summary of thebook. Describe the three elements (conflict, climax, resolution) andthe plot in detail. C) On the right side under the heading“ingredients” list the main characters and write a sentence abouteach one. Then describe the setting (time & place). D) On the leftside write the title, author of the book, number of pages, and yourname.Power Point Presentation: Develop a 10-slide presentationincluding the following: Slide 1= student name, title and author orbook; Slide 2-9= should include ALL LITERARY ELEMENTS*(seelist). Be sure to include your opinion of the book and why you didOR did not like the book. Slide 10= Biographical information aboutthe author.Book Mobile: A) Cut out paper cloud shapes. On one cloud writethe Title and the Author of the book. B) On the back of a cloud,write where and when the story takes place. C) Label a cloudOpinion and on the back of the cloud write your opinion of thestory. You need to write at least 4-5 complete sentences statingyour opinion and why you did or did not like the book. D) Have acloud for each Main Character in the book. Draw a picture of thecharacter and write the names under the pictures. On the back ofeach cloud, tell why this character is important in the story. E)From the Plot cloud, hang three additional clouds. On the front ofeach cloud write Beginning, Middle and End. Under each labeldraw a scene from each of these sections of the books. On theback of each cloud, write five-sentences explaining that part of thebook.LITERARY ELEMENTS1. Title & Author – Record the title and author of the novel.2. Setting – Identify where and when the story takes place.3. Character Description – Identify the main character and listfive adjectives that best describe him or her.4. Character Development – Describe how the main characterundergoes change from the beginning to the end of the novel.What did they learn?5. Other Characters – Identify three other characters and theirrelationships and/or interactions with the main character.6. Conflict – Identify the central issue or main problem the maincharacter faces.7. Climax & Resolution – Document in detail the climax (turningpoint; the moment when the readers' interest and emotionalintensity reach the highest point; usually toward the end of a story)and resolution (how the problem was resolved; usually happensafter the climax) of the story.8. Timeline – Starting with the beginning, the middle and the end(conclusion) of the novel, write or create a Flow Map usingseven or more major events that take place in the novel. (Atimeline is a sequence of related events arranged in chronologicalorder and displayed along a line (usually drawn left to right or topto bottom)9. Theme – The theme provides an answer to the question "Whatis the work about?" Identify the main moral, message, or humaninsight of the novel. What universal truth or statement of wisdom isbeing expressed?ADDITIONAL INFORMATIONONBooks can be found at your local library and also your localbookstore. They may also be ordered online at:www.amazon.comwww.bn.comwww.borders.comwww.half.comwww.overstock.comThe prices for the books are as follows:-Almost Astronatuts: 13 Women WhoDared to Dream $12.23-Code Orange $6.99-Double Dutch $5.99-Flipped $8.95-Flush $8.99-Kidnapped in Key West $11.21-Money Hungry $7.99- Tangerine $6.95- Zlata’s Diary $12.60LAWTON CHILESMIDDLE SCHOOL2010-20112011SUMMER READING“There is more treasure in booksthan in all the pirate's loot onTreasure Island.”- Walt Disney