8th GrCldeUst (for students entering 8th grade)

.-Mo.y 20,2013Dear Parents and Guardians,I would like to take this opportunity to tell you how much I have enjoyed working with your children thisyear. To those students who are about to enter 8th grade, I am very much lookingforward to having you inmy class this comingyear. Enclosed is a reading list for upcoming8 th graders for the summer. Studentshave choices of what book they'd most like to read. Please encourage your child to read something thatinterests him or her. I've tried to include titles that would interest both boys and girls.In addition to reading the book of his or her choice, sfudentmust complete:1) a list of "twenty unfamiliar words found in the reading of book. alongwith the definitions.2) a list of the main characters with a quote describing each character. This quote may be made bythe character or by someone speaking about the character. Be sure to include the page number onwhich the quote is found.3) Fill out the Book Review form attached to the list.-These are due on the first day of class. Later that week, sfudents will complete anotherassignment(s) concerning their summer reading book.8 th Grade UstThe House of Dies Drear by Virginia Hamilton - 13 year old Thomas moves with his family to a CivilWar-era house which usedto be a critical stop on the Underground Railroad and is rumored to be haunted by the ghost of the original abolitionist owner.The Pigman by PaulZindel - The story of two young New York City teenagers who feel unlovedat home and are on a path ofself-destruction when they meet by chance an old man named AngeloPignati. In the process of this relationship, the teenagerslearn some valuable truths about friendship and betrayal that can never be forgiven.Nothing But the Truth by Avi- This book is written in diary entries, personal letters, school memos, and transcripts ofdialogue. It tells the story of a young boy who is suspended from school for hummingalong with the National Anthem, as wellasthe effects of this story receiving national publicity.The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare - Forced to leave her sunny Caribbean home for the bleakConnecticut colony, Kit Tyler is filled with trepidation. As they sail up the river to Kit's new home, the moodiness and teasing ofa young sailor named Nat didn't help any. In the colonies of 1687, a girl who swims, wears silk and satin gowns,and talks back toher elders is not only considered to be headstrong, she's ingrave danger of being regarded as a witch. After befriending an oldQuaker womanknownas the witch of Blackbird Pond, Kit is soon defending her very life.Empress of Elsewhere by Theresa Nelson - There are many mysteries behind the grandiose exterior of Grandmother Monroe'smansion to which J.D. and his younger sister, Mary AI, have been talked into babysitting a capuchin monkeythat keeps escapingwhichis more than J.D. can do.Dancing in Cadillac Ught by KimberlyWillis Holt - In 1968, ll-year-old Jaynell's life inthe town of Moon,Texas, is enlivenedwhen her eccentric old Qrandfather' comes to live with her family.

The Mil"ClCleWorker by WilliamGibson - Twelve-year-old Helen Keller lived in a prison of silence and darkness. Borndeaf, blind,and mute, with no way to express herself or comprehend those around her, she flew into primal rages against anyone who triedto help her, fighting tooth and nail with a strength born of furious, unknowingdesperation. Then Annie Sullivan came. Half-blindherself, but possessing an almost fanatical de1ermination, she would begin a frightening and incredibly movingstruggle to tamethe wild girl no one could reach, and bring Helen into the world at last ....All Crea"tures Great and Small by James Herriot - Take an unforgettable journey through the English countryside and into thehomes of its inho.bitants- four-legged and otherwise-- with the world's best-loved animal doctor.For over 25 years- since All Creatures Great and SmallWOJS first published-- readers have delighted to the storytelling geniusof James Herriot, the Yorkshire veterinarian whose fascinating vignet1es brim with the wonder of life, animal and human.Whether struggling mightily to position a calf for birthing, or comforting a lonely old man whose beloved dog and onlycompanionhas died, Herriot's heartwarming and often hilarious stories of his first years as a country vet perfectly depict the wonderfulrelationship be1ween man and animal-- and they intima1elyportray a man whose humor, compassion, and love of life are trulyinspiring.I hope each of you has a safe and wonderful summer vocation.Sincerely,~~m.~Susan M. Wheelus