Cyrus Peirce Middle School 2007 Summer Reading Packet and ...

adventure that will make you not want to put the book down. If you have an imagination thisbook will make you feel as if you are on the journey with them. The characters, events andplaces are so vividly described for the imagination that you can almost picture them and whatthey might actually look like. You will wish you yourself were really a part of Middle Earth afterreading this epic adventure tale.The Subtle Knife by: Philip PullmanPart two of His Dark Materials takes up where The Golden Compass left off, offering up fascinatingcross-world quests and some creative ideas and plot elements that do much to make up for therather basic characterization of all but the two main protagonists. The only real frustration is thatthe cliffhanger ending is even less satisfying than the conclusion of the first book.The Tale of Desperaux by: Kate DiCamilloWinner of the 2004 Newbery Medal, this superbly suspenseful tale of a little mouse with bigaspirations comes from Kate DiCamillo, author of another Newbery Honor book, Because ofWinn-Dixie. In lilting storytelling language reminiscent of fairy tales of old, DiCamillo spins theyarn of Despereaux Tilling, a literate mouse who lives by a different code and happens to fall inlove with a real princess. Despereaux is anxious to profess his love, but when he tells hiscommunity of his dreams, he gets banished into the dark dungeon where mice never leave.Adjacent to Despereaux's dilemma is the story of a rat named Chiaroscuro, ruthless inpersonality and in love with making his way toward light. When these two characters eventuallycollide -- along with Miggery Sow, a down-and-out servant who aims to become a princess ofher own -- the result is a heroic, surprising heartwarmer that brings families together, gives hopeto underdogs everywhere, and teems with justice.Science FictionGathering Blue by: Lois LowryKira, an orphan with a twisted leg, lives in a world where the weak are cast aside. She fears forher future until she is spared by the all-powerful Council of Guardians. Kira is a gifted weaverand is given a task that no other community member can do. While her talent keeps her aliveand brings certain privileges, Kira soon realizes she is surrounded by many mysteries andsecrets. No one must know of her plans to uncover the truth about her world and see whatplaces exist beyond.Gossamer by: Lois LowryReaders first meet the dream-givers as they creep around a dark house in the middle of thenight where an old woman and a dog named Toby are sleeping. Littlest was very small, new tothe work, energetic and curious. Fastidious was tired, impatient, and had a headache. Littlest issoon paired with a new partner, Thin Elderly, who is a much better guide and teacher thanFastidious was. They are benevolent beings who visit humans (and pets, too) at night. Theyhandle objects, gather memories, and give them back in the form of happy dreams that comfortand help those they're assigned to. The dream-givers' counterparts are the strong and wickedSinisteeds, who inflict nightmares and sometimes travel in frightening Hordes. And the humansthat Littlest and Thin Elderly care for do need help and protection from bad dreams. The oldwoman is lonely and has taken in a foster child named John, who's living apart from an abusivefather and the fragile mother who desperately wants him back. Lowry's prose is simple andclear. This carefully plotted fantasy has inner logic and conviction.Jurassic Park by: Michael CrichtonAn astonishing technique for recovering and cloning dinosaur DNA has been discovered.Creatures once extinct now roam Jurassic Park, soon-to-be opened as a theme park. Untilsomething goes wrong...and science proves a dangerous toy....