J. J. Daniel Summer Reading

A minimum of 2 books from the list on the back with a project for each book is required. 

However, we encourage you to read as many books as possible

Choose one (1) topic for each book you read. Written responses must include at least 8 to 10 sentences in a paragraph. Remember to write with style by varying your sentence beginnings, using vivid vocabulary, and mixing your sentence types (simple, compound, complex).

·         Explain the way(s) in which you would rewrite the ending of the novel and state your rationale.

·         Create a poster or other pictorial representation illustrating important scenes or characters.

·         Write a letter to the editor about an issue you encountered from a non-fiction book.

  • ·         Create a graphic organizer* showing major concepts from the book. * Venn Diagram, Free Form Map, KWL Chart (What I Know-What I Want to Learn-What I Learned), Comparison Chart, Cause and Effect Chart, etc.
     

FORMAT:
Make sure to neatly write or type your assignment and to include the information listed below on your work.

·         Your first and last name    

·         The date

·         Book title and author

 Return to your Language Arts teacher within the first 2 weeks of school.

CELEBRATION!

There will be a celebration for students completing their summer reading assignments on time!

Also, we will be displaying your projects throughout the schoolJ 

Reading List


A Musical Mystery
- This story centers around 12 year old Alto Octave, who is leaving home and moving hundreds miles away.  It is difficult leaving his friends and most of all his piano, which is too fragile to move.

 Queenie Peavy- A captivating story about the biggest troublemaker in school, a remarkable girl named Queenie who learns a lesson about responsibility when her father is put in jail.

 Al Capone Does My Shirts- A 12 year old boy named Moose moves to Alcatraz Island in 1935 when guards’ families were housed there, and has to contend with his extraordinary new environment in addition to life with his austistic sister.

 The Wanderer- Thirteen- year old Sophie and her cousin Cody record their transatlantic crossing aboard the Wanderer, a forty-five foot sailboat, which, along with uncles and another cousin is enroute to visit their grandfather in England.

 Because of Winn-Dixie- Because of Winn-Dixie, a big, ugly, happy dog, ten year-old Opal learns things about her long-gone mother from her preacher father.

 Joey Pigza Loses Control- Joey is spending the summer with his dad who is just as hyperactive as he is.  Is this going to be a summer to remember or one that everyone is going to wish that they could forget?  Its definitely going to be full of energy.

 Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key- Joey has ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder) and is trying to get a grip on his behavior.  His life is roller coaster ride with mishaps at home and school including swallowing a key.

 Black Women of the Old West- Using primary sources and photographs, Katz tells stories of African American women who made the journey west and illuminates times in which they lived and their reasons for going.

 Living in Space-  What an adventure.  Go for it!

 Ella Enchanted- Was it a blessing or a curse?  Ella is fated to “always be obedient” in this Cinderella story.

 A Single Shard- Tree-ear, a thirteen-year-old orphan in medieval Korea under a bridge in a potters’ village, and longs to learn how to throw the delicate celadon ceramics himself.

Rosa Parks, My Story- Rosa Park’s life story reveals the deliberate choices she made that earned her the title “Mother to a Movement”.

 How Angel Peterson Got His Name: and other outrageous tales about extreme sports

 The Night of the Twisters- An exciting adventure story!