8th Grade Summer Reading List

8th Grade World Studies Summer Reading AssignmentThe Gladiator, By Harry TurtledoveThe Soviet Union won the Cold War. The Russians were a littlesmarter than they were in our own world, and the United States was alittle dumber and a lot less resolute. Now, more than a century later, theworld's gone Communist, and capitalism is a bad word. For Gianfrancoand his friend Annarita, a couple of teenagers growing up in Milan,life in a heavily regimented, surveillance-rich command economy isjust plain dreary. The eventual withering-away of the state doesn't looklike it's going to happen anytime soon. Annarita's a hard-workingstudent and a member of the Young Socialists' League. Gianfranco is alot less motivated--but on the other hand, his father's a Party apparatchik. The biggestexcitement in their lives is a war game shop called The Gladiator, which runstournaments, and stocks marvelous complex games you can't find anywhere else. Then,abruptly, the shop is shut down. Someone's figured out that The Gladiator's games areteaching counterrevolutionary capitalist principles. The Security Police are searchinghigh and low for the shop's proprietors, who've not only vanished into thin air, but haveleft behind sets of fingerprints that aren't in the records of any government on earth. Onlyone staffer is left: Gianfranco and Annarita's friend Eduardo. He's on the run, and hecomes to them in secret with an astonishing story: he's a time trader from our owntimeline, accidentally left behind when the store was evacuated. The only way Eduardocan get home to his own timeline is if Gianfranco and Annarita can help him reach one ofthe other time trader sites in this world--and the Security Police will be on their tails allthe way there.Book Selection/Difficulty:This book is written at an early seventh grade level, which should make the textaccessible for most students. The novel was selected primarily for its content rather thanits literary challenge. The text teaches students about the communist lifestyle of theSoviet Union era in a fictional setting. The novel has a male and female lead character toengage readers of both genders. The content of the book aligns perfectly with thecurriculum for eighth grade world studies.Differentiation:While this book is estimated to be appropriate for readers in 8th grade, it is understoodthat selecting a single text for the entire grade will mean that it is too hard for some andtoo easy for others. The following are strategies for approaching the text from a widerange of abilities:The book seems hard: There are a number of strategies to aid in the comprehension ofthe novel. The first strategy would be for students to access an audio version of the textand to listen to the novel while reading along with the text. (Note: it’s important to followalong with an audio version and not just listen) Secondly, parents are encouraged to readthe text along with students to facilitate discussions on comprehension and also to havethe opportunity to read difficult sections aloud.