MIDDLE SCHOOL SUMMER READING LIST 2021-2022

English Language Arts II (7th grade and other students placed in this course)                 

You will read 3 books and have a test when school starts. You may want to write some notes about your book if you don’t think you will remember everything by the first day of school, or you could record some notes on voice memos on a phone and listen to it before school starts. If you can’t find one of the books in the library, email me. I have most of these books, and I can arrange for you to check one out for 2 weeks.

1. Your first book will be a book of your choice. It must be a book on your reading level. You may not choose a book that has a movie version or a book that you have read before. You should not read an abridged version. You may not choose a graphic novel for this assignment.

2. Your second book will be The Outsiders by S. E. Hinton.

3. Your third book will be from this list. It must be a book you haven’t read before.

            The River by Gary Paulsen (sequel to Hatchet)—after Brian survived 54 days in the wilderness,

the government wants him to go back so they can learn how and why he survived. When

the government psychologist who goes with him is left unconscious from a freak storm,

will Brian be able to get him 100 miles to safety?

Jason’s Gold by Will Hobbs (In 1897, gold was discovered in the Klondike-an area in Alaska-and

people rushed to Dawson City to strike it rich. Jason is a teenager who hops a train and then stows away on a ship to find search for adventure and gold)

Percy Jackson series: You’ve probably heard of Percy Jackson, the boy who has many

adventures after he discovers he is a demigod (his father is the Greek god Poseiden)

      The Lightning Thief  by Rick Riordan (choose this if you haven’t seen the movie)

      The Titan’s Curse (note: this is the 3rd book in the series—this is a good choice if you’ve

read the first two or if you’ve seen a movie)

            Out of My Mind by Sharon Draper (Melody is very smart but can’t walk, talk, or write because

she has cerebral palsy. How will she show everyone how smart she is, and who will

believe it?)

             Out of My Heart (sequel to Out of My Mind) by Sharon Draper

Fish in a Tree by Lynda Mullaly Hunt (Ally is a troublemaker in school because she is

embarrassed that she can’t read. See what happens when she finds a teacher who shows her that she is not dumb)

     More challenging choices:

            The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkein

            The Call of the Wild by Jack London

            Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson

                        MIDDLE SCHOOL SUMMER READING LIST 2021-2022

English I (8th grade and others assigned to this course)                                                                                                   

You will read all 3 books and have a test when school starts. Students wishing to earn honors credit will read a 4th book and complete an assignment in August. You may want to write some notes about your books if you don’t think you will remember everything by the first day of school, or you could record some notes on voice memos on a phone and listen to it before school starts. If you can’t find one of the books in the library, email me. I have each of these books, and I can arrange for you to check one out for 2 weeks.

1. Your first book will be a book of your choice. It must be a book on your reading level. You may not choose a book that has a movie version or a book that you have read before. You should not read an abridged version or a graphic novel.

2. Your second book will be The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway.

3. Your third book will be a choice from this list. You may not choose a book you have already read.

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas (Starr lives in her Black neighborhood but attends a mostly

white private school. When she witnesses her childhood friend being shot and killed by

police, she struggles to find her place in the white school and Black neighborhood).

            The Martian by Andy Weir. When a dust storm threatens to strand the crew on Mars, the ascent

vehicle has to take off and leave Mark Watney behind. Can he find a way to communicate with his crew to tell them he is still alive? Can he find a way to survive for a year until another mission returns to Mars? Even if you’ve seen the movie, Mark has many adventures that were not included in the film. Note: I suggest the student edition that doesn’t have the foul language. ‘

            Unbroken (young adult version) by Lauren Hillenbrand. This is a student version of a true story

(about half the length of the original).Lo uis Zamperini goes from Olympic runner

to lost at sea to POW (prisoner of war) in a brutal Japanese camps during World War II.

Will anyone realize he’s still alive? Will he survive to make it home?

            The Lord of the Flies by William Golding. During a world war, a group of boys is stranded

without adults on a deserted Pacific island. Their attempts to govern themselves turn to

disaster. They are all afraid of a beast they think exists and at one point put up a boar’s head as an offering to the “beast.”  They call this head the “Lord of the Flies.” One night, they see a fighter pilot eject from a plane, but he dies parachuting to the island. Some think this is the beast. The beast, however, really exists inside themselves.

Honors—in addition to the 3 books listed above, you will read an additional book that you have not read.

            A Separate Peace by John Knowles or All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque