SPM Summer Reading 2015 - St. Peter Marian Junior

SPM Summer Reading 2015
REQUIRED SUMMER READING FOR SPANISH STUDENTS (Assignments for the books will be
mailed home during the summer):
8TH Grade: Brandon Brown quiere un perro por Carol Gaab; Price $6.00 buy it here:
h ps://tprstorytelling.com/products-page/featured-novels/brandon-brown-quiere-unperro/
ISBN # 978-1-935575-94-8
9th Grade: Brandon Brown versus Yucatan por Carol Gaab; Price $6.00 buy it here:
h ps://tprstorytelling.com/products-page/featured-novels/brandon-brown-versusyucatan/
ISBN # 978-1-940408-00-2
10th Grade: Los Baker van a Peru by various authors; edited by Carol Gaab and Kris n
Placido; Price $6.00 buy it here:
h ps://tprstorytelling.com/products-page/featured-novels/los-baker-van-a-peru-novel/
ISBN # 978-1-934958-06-3
11th Grade: Piratas y el triangulo de las Bermudas por Carol Gaab y Chris ne Tiday;
Price $6.00 buy it here:
h ps://tprstorytelling.com/products-page/featured-novels/piratas-del-caribe-y-eltriangulo-de-las-bermudas-novel/
ISBN # 978-1-935575-64-1
12 Grade (SP IV and SP V):
1. La hija del Sastre por Carrie Toth y Carol Gaab; Price $6.00 buy it here:
h ps://tprstorytelling.com/products-page/featured-novels/la-hija-del-sastre/
ISBN # 978-1-935575-61-0
2. La Guerra Sucia por Nathaniel Kirby; Proce $6.00 buy it here:
h ps://tprstorytelling.com/products-page/featured-novels/la-guerra-sucia/
ISBN # 978-1-934958-05-6
SUMMER READING FOR ALL
Please peruse the wonderful books below. Each student must choose ONE of these books to
enjoy over the summer break. Each tle has a limited number of available slots, so you may
want to choose a few just in case. When school resumes in August students and teachers will
meet in small groups to discuss the books and participate in reflective activities on their
reading.
A written component must be completed by the first day of school in August and will be turned
in during homeroom. The written assignment can be found in the link below at left. AP
students may have additional book provided to you by your teacher.
Check out all of the amazing titles and get lost in your reading adventures. Once you have
decided the book(s) you would like choose click on the link below and submit your selection.
Once the slots for that book have reached the limit it will be taken off the list, so if you do not
see it there that is why. If you do not select a book by the deadline of June 30, you will be
assigned a book and that selection will be emailed or mailed to you. Enjoy!
Book Choices for Grades 7 & 8
Book Choices for Grades 9-12
**All book descriptions are from Amazon.com
A Child Called Itby David Pelzer
This book chronicles the unforgettable account of one of the most severe child
abuse cases in California history. It is the story of Dave Pelzer, who was brutally
beaten and starved by his emotionally unstable, alcoholic mother: a mother who
played tortuous, unpredictable games--games that left him nearly dead. He had
to learn how to play his mother's games in order to survive because she no
longer considered him a son, but a slave; and no longer a boy, but an "it."
Dave's bed was an old army cot in the basement, and his clothes were torn and raunchy. When
his mother allowed him the luxury of food, it was nothing more than spoiled scraps that even
the dogs refused to eat. The outside world knew nothing of his living nightmare. He had nothing
or no one to turn to, but his dreams kept him alive--dreams of someone taking care of him,
loving him and calling him their son. *Violent subject matter, physical abuse. Grades 9-12
Illustrated History of Edgar Allan Poe by Paul J. Macek
The book presents itself with a great deal of visual appeal--the graphics are
stunning--not a book that can easily be put down. Once the book is in the
hands of the reader there is an irresistible urge to turn the page. Graphics by
Gustave Doré, Harry Clarke, Aubrey Beardsley, and others capture quickly the
interest of the reader. But the book goes far beyond the pictorial level of
reading. The book also contains 204 epigrams or famous sayings which link
with Poe's writings or personal life. This level of reading falls within the realm
of marginal notes-perhaps the most difficult and satisfying level of reading.
Lastly, the figure caption and the exposition of text lead the reader from one part of Poe's life
to the next: from Boston to Richmond to Philadelphia to New York with two timelines clearly
outlining the structure of the book Edgar Allan Poe influenced not only American but also world
culture, especially in the area of literature, from Charles Baudelaire in France to Fyodor
Dostoyevsky in Russia. Poe invented science fiction with his stories "MS Found in a Bottle," "The
Unparalleled Adventure of One Hans Pfaall," and "A Descent into the Maleström," which
provided the inspiration for Jules Verne and H. G. Wells. As the father of mystery fiction, Poe
created the first detective stories and horror stories in American literature.
Book is available in C/W Mars Connecting Libraries in Central Massachusetts.
Quickest way to purchase is the webpage: webpages.charter.net/pmacek
Other Options: Facebook, Annie's Book Stop in Worcester, Booklover's Gourmet in Webster, or
Amazon.com. Grades 9-12
Shoeless Joe by W. P. Kinsella
More than the inspiration for the beloved film Field of Dreams, Shoeless
Joe is a mythical novel about “dreams, magic, life, and what is
quintessentially American” (Philadelphia Inquirer).
“If you build it, he will come.” These mysterious words, spoken by an
Iowa baseball announcer, inspire Ray Kinsella to carve a baseball diamond
in his cornfield in honor of his hero, the baseball legend Shoeless Joe
Jackson. What follows is both a rich, nostalgic look at one of our most
cherished national pastimes and a remarkable story about fathers and
sons, love and family, and the inimitable joy of finding your way home. Grades 7-12
A Walk to Remember by Nicholas Sparks
There was a time when the world was sweeter....when the women in Beaufort,
North Carolina, wore dresses, and the men donned hats.... Every April, when
the wind smells of both the sea and lilacs, Landon Carter remembers 1958, his
last year at Beaufort High. Landon had dated a girl or two, and even once
sworn that he'd been in love. Certainly the last person he thought he'd fall for
was Jamie, the shy, almost ethereal daughter of the town's Baptist
minister....Jamie, who was destined to show him the depths of the human heart-and the joy
and pain of living. The inspiration for this novel came from Nicholas Sparks's sister: her life and
her courage. From the internationally bestselling author Nicholas Sparks, comes his most
moving story yet....Grades 7-12
Dicey’s Song by Cynthia Voigt
The four Tillerman children finally have a home at their grandmother's
rundown farm on the Maryland shore. It's what Dicey has dreamed of for
her three younger siblings, but after watching over the others for so long,
it's hard to let go. Who is Dicey, if she's no longer the caretaker for her
family?
Dicey finds herself in new friends, in a growing relationship with her
grandmother, and in the satisfaction of refinishing the old boat she found
in the barn. Then, as Dicey experiences the trials and pleasures of making a new life, the past
comes back with devastating force, and Dicey learns just how necessary -- and painful -- letting
go can be. Grades 7-10
Gym Candy by Carl Deuker
Mick Johnson is determined not to make the same mistakes his father, a
failed football hero, made. But after being tackled just short of the end zone
in a big game, Mick begins using “gym candy,” or steroids. His performances
become record-breaking, but the side effects are terrible: Mick suffers ’roid
rage, depression, and body acne. Gym Candy’s subject matter is just as hardhitting as its football scenes. You’ll find yourself unable to look away as Mick
goes down a road that even he knows is the wrong one to travel. Grades 712
The Heart is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers
With the publication of her first novel, THE HEART IS A LONELY HUNTER,
Carson McCullers, all of twenty-three, became a literary sensation. With its
profound sense of moral isolation and its compassionate glimpses into its
characters' inner lives, the novel is considered McCullers' finest work, an
enduring masterpiece first published by Houghton Mifflin in 1940. At its center
is the deaf-mute John Singer, who becomes the confidant for various types of
misfits in a Georgia mill town during the 1930s. Each one yearns for escape
from small town life. When Singer's mute companion goes insane, Singer moves into the Kelly
house, where Mick Kelly, the book's heroine (and loosely based on McCullers), finds solace in
her music. Wonderfully attuned to the spiritual isolation that underlies the human condition,
and with a deft sense for racial tensions in the South, McCullers spins a haunting, unforgettable
story that gives voice to the rejected, the forgotten, and the mistreated -- and, through Mick
Kelly, gives voice to the quiet, intensely personal search for beauty. McCullers became an
overnight literary sensation, but her novel has endured, just as timely and powerful today as
when it was first published. THE HEART IS A LONELY HUNTER is Carson McCullers at her most
compassionate, endearing best. Grades 9-12
Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline
Penobscot Indian Molly Ayer is close to “aging out” out of the foster care
system. A community service position helping an elderly woman clean out
her home is the only thing keeping Molly out of juvie and worse...
As she helps Vivian sort through her possessions and memories, Molly learns
that she and Vivian aren’t as different as they seem to be. A young Irish
immigrant orphaned in New York City, Vivian was put on a train to the
Midwest with hundreds of other children whose destinies would be determined by luck and
chance.
Molly discovers that she has the power to help Vivian find answers to mysteries that have
haunted her for her entire life—answers that will ultimately free them both.
Rich in detail and epic in scope, Orphan Train is a powerful novel of upheaval and resilience, of
unexpected friendship, and of the secrets we carry that keep us from finding out who we are.
**Parental guidance suggested: Mature topics including rape. Grades 10-12
The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd
The Secret Life of Bees was a New York Times bestseller for more than two
and a half years. A coming of age tale set in South Carolina in 1964, The
Secret Life of Bees will appeal to fans of Kathryn Stockett’s The Help and Beth
Hoffman’s Saving CeeCee Honeycutt, and tells the story of Lily Owens, whose
life has been shaped around the blurred memory of the afternoon her
mother was killed.
When Lily’s fierce-hearted black “stand-in mother,” Rosaleen, insults three of the town’s most
vicious racists, Lily decides they should both escape to Tiburon, South Carolina—a town that
holds the secret to her mother’s past. There they are taken in by an eccentric trio of black
beekeeping sisters who introduce Lily to a mesmerizing world of bees, honey, and the Black
Madonna who presides over their household. This is a remarkable story about divine female
power and the transforming power of love—a story that women will continue to share and pass
on to their daughters for years to come. Grades 7-12
Seeking Human Kindness by many authors
"Seeking Human Kindness" is a heart-warming collection of 50 inspirational,
real life adventures. Each unique story illustrates a powerful example of
how one good turn can lead to thousand fold return. The charming
book spreads a wonderful message that any one has the power to make a
difference.
Each account is told by a different author with a personal life experience to share. Some relate
life altering experiences, when one small act actually saved the life of another. Others recall
simple gestures, which in the grand scheme of things ended up making all the difference. Even
tiny deeds can have a mighty impact on making the world a better and more livable place.
Authors were carefully chosen, based on those who had compelling stories to tell. They hail
from multiple countries, diverse backgrounds, education, skillsets, life journeys, etc. They come
together in this compilation to share their experiences in dealing with the life altering after
effects of human kindness. Grades 9-12
Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell
Eleanor, 15, is the new girl at school and bullied because she’s overweight
and dresses in a flamboyant manner. Park is a half-Korean boy who has
lived in Omaha, Nebraska, all his life but still feels like an outsider. This is a
story of first love, which very slowly builds from the first day Eleanor sits
next to Park on the school bus. First they ignore each other, and then they
slowly become friends through their love of comic books and 1980s
alternative music. Park is the only good thing in Eleanor’s life. Her home
life is a miserable exercise in trying to stay out of her abusive stepfather’s
way, and finding new ways to wear the same clothes repeatedly since there is no money for
anything extra. Park adores everything about Eleanor, and she finds refuge at his house after
school with his understanding parents. Things finally explode at Eleanor’s house and Eleanor
and Park’s relationship is truly tested. **Mature language and some domestic violence, Grades
10-12 only.
Outliers: The Story of Success by Malcolm Gladwell
There is a story that is usually told about extremely successful people, a
story that focuses on intelligence and ambition. Gladwell argues that the
true story of success is very different, and that if we want to understand
how some people thrive, we should spend more time looking around themat such things as their family, their birthplace, or even their birth date. And
in revealing that hidden logic, Gladwell presents a fascinating and
provocative blueprint for making the most of human potential.
In The Tipping Point Gladwell changed the way we understand the world. In Blink he changed
the way we think about thinking. In OUTLIERS he transforms the way we understand success.
Grades 9-12
Eleven Seconds: A Story of Tragedy, Courage and Triumph by Travis Roy
In this heartfelt testament to the power of love and the strength of the human
spirit, Travis Roy, who suffered a devastating injury eleven seconds into his first
college hockey game, reveals how he has managed to cope after the accident
and, with the help of family and friends, overcome tremendous barriers to begin a new life.
Grades 9-12
The Skin I’m In by Sharon G. Flake
Maleeka suffers every day from the taunts of the other kids in her class. If
they're not getting at her about her homemade clothes or her good grades,
it's about her dark, black skin. When a new teacher, whose face is blotched
with a startling white patch, starts at their school, Maleeka can see there is
bound to be trouble for her too. But the new teacher's attitude surprises
Maleeka. Miss Saunders loves the skin she's in. Can Maleeka learn to do the
same? Grades 7-12
The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom
Eddie is a wounded war veteran, an old man who has lived, in his mind,
an uninspired life. His job is fixing rides at a seaside amusement park. On
his 83rd birthday, a tragic accident kills him, as he tries to save a little girl
from a falling cart. He awakes in the afterlife, where he learns that
heaven is not a destination. It's a place where your life is explained to you
by five people, some of whom you knew, others who may have been
strangers. One by one, from childhood to soldier to old age, Eddie's five
people revisit their connections to him on earth, illuminating the mysteries of his "meaningless"
life, and revealing the haunting secret behind the eternal question: "Why was I here?" Grades
9-12
What If?: Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions by Randall Munroe
From the creator of the wildly popular webcomic xkcd, hilarious and
informative answers to important questions you probably never thought to
ask
Millions of people visit xkcd.com each week to read Randall Munroe’s iconic
webcomic. His stick-figure drawings about science, technology, language, and
love have an enormous, dedicated following, as do his deeply researched answers to his fans’
strangest questions.
The queries he receives range from merely odd to downright diabolical:
• What if I took a swim in a spent-nuclear-fuel pool?
• Could you build a jetpack using downward-firing machine guns?
• What if a Richter 15 earthquake hit New York City?
• Are fire tornadoes possible?
His responses are masterpieces of clarity and wit, gleefully and accurately explaining everything
from the relativistic effects of a baseball pitched at near the speed of light to the many horrible
ways you could die while building a periodic table out of all the actual elements.
The book features new and never-before-answered questions, along with the most popular
answers from the xkcd website. What If? is an informative feast for xkcd fans and anyone who
loves to ponder the hypothetical. Grades 9-12
Margaret’s Ark by Daniel G. Keohane
On April ninth, thousands of people wake from the same dream, angels
instructing them to build a biblical ark in their front yard, or the town
square or little league field. Anywhere, to prepare for the worst natural
disaster to strike the world since the days of Noah. A widowed California
high school teacher risks everything to build a boat in the sixty days she is
given. A homeless and self-proclaimed prophet of God preaches across
Boston's waterfront, unaware that he is not alone in his visions. A young
priest is torn between the signs around him and the skepticism of his Church. A physician’s
plans for advancement are threatened by her husband’s dreams of a coming flood.
In the end, only thirty people may board each boat. As the world slowly comes to grips with
events unfolding around them, they must weigh their own faith in the exceptional and identical
visions of so many people. The skies are clear, without a hint of rain. But if the dreams are true,
something terrible is looming on the horizon. Grades 9-12
The Unforgiving Minute: A Soldier’s Education by Craig Mullaney
In this surprise bestseller, West Point grad, Rhodes scholar, Airborne
Ranger, and U. S. Army Captain Craig Mullaney recounts his unparalleled
education and the hard lessons that only war can teach. While stationed in
Afghanistan, a deadly firefight with al-Qaeda leads to the loss of one of his
soldiers. Years later, after that excruciating experience, he returns to the
United States to teach future officers at the Naval Academy. Written with
unflinching honesty, this is an unforgettable portrait of a young soldier
grappling with the weight of war while coming to terms with what it means to be a man.
Grades 9-12
Sailing Alone Around the Room by Billy Collins
Sailing Alone Around the Room, by America’s Poet Laureate, Billy Collins,
contains both new poems and a generous gathering from his earlier
collections The Apple That Astonished Paris, Questions About Angels, The
Art of Drowning, and Picnic, Lightning. These poems show Collins at his best,
performing the kinds of distinctive poetic maneuvers that have delighted and
fascinated so many readers. They may begin in curiosity and end in grief;
they may start with irony and end with lyric transformation; they may, and
often do, begin with the everyday and end in the infinite. Possessed of a unique voice that is at
once plain and melodic, Billy Collins has managed to enrich American poetry while greatly
widening the circle of its audience. Grades 9-12
You’re Not You by Michelle Wildgen
Bec is adrift. It's the summer before her junior year in college. She's sleeping
with a married professor, losing interest in her classes, and equivocating
about her career. She takes a job caring for Kate, a thirty-six-year-old
woman who has been immobilized by ALS.
As it turns out, before the disease Kate was a stylish and commanding
woman, an advertising executive and an accomplished chef. Now, as she and Bec spend long
days together, Bec begins to absorb Kate's sophistication and her sensuality, cooking for her,
sharing her secrets, and gradually beginning to live her own life with a boldness informed by
Kate's influence. The more intense her commitment to Kate, the further Bec strays from the
complacency of her college life. And when Kate's marriage veers into dangerous territory, Bec
will have to choose between the values of her old life and the allure of an entirely new one.
Grades 9-12
The Road by Cormac McCarthy
The searing, postapocalyptic novel destined to become Cormac McCarthy's
masterpiece.
A father and his son walk alone through burned America. Nothing moves in
the ravaged landscape save the ash on the wind. It is cold enough to crack
stones, and when the snow falls it is gray. The sky is dark. Their destination is
the coast, although they don't know what, if anything, awaits them there. They have nothing;
just a pistol to defend themselves against the lawless bands that stalk the road, the clothes they
are wearing, a cart of scavenged food—and each other.
The Road is the profoundly moving story of a journey. It boldly imagines a future in which no
hope remains, but in which the father and his son, "each the other's world entire," are
sustained by love. Awesome in the totality of its vision, it is an unflinching meditation on the
worst and the best that we are capable of: ultimate destructiveness, desperate tenacity, and
the tenderness that keeps two people alive in the face of total devastation. Grades 9-12
Black by Ted Dekker
An Adrenaline-Laced Epic Where Dreams and Reality Collide.
Fleeing assailants through deserted alleyways, Thomas Hunter narrowly escapes to
the roof of a building. Then a silent bullet from the night clips his head . . . and his
world goes black.
From the blackness comes an amazing reality of another world where evil is contained. A world
where Thomas Hunter is in love with a beautiful woman.
But then he remembers the dream of being chased through an alleyway as he reaches to touch
the blood on his head. Where does the dream end and reality begin?
Every time he falls asleep in one world, he awakes in the other. Yet in both, catastrophic
disaster awaits him . . . may even be caused by him.
Some say the world hangs in the balance of every choice we make. Now the fate of two worlds
hangs in the balance of one man's choices. Grades 10-12
The Glass Castle by Jeannette Wells
Jeannette Walls grew up with parents whose ideals and stubborn
nonconformity were both their curse and their salvation. Rex and Rose Mary
Walls had four children. In the beginning, they lived like nomads, moving among
Southwest desert towns, camping in the mountains. Rex was a charismatic,
brilliant man who, when sober, captured his children's imagination, teaching
them physics, geology, and above all, how to embrace life fearlessly. Rose Mary, who painted
and wrote and couldn't stand the responsibility of providing for her family, called herself an
"excitement addict." Cooking a meal that would be consumed in fifteen minutes had no appeal
when she could make a painting that might last forever.
Later, when the money ran out, or the romance of the wandering life faded, the Walls retreated
to the dismal West Virginia mining town -- and the family -- Rex Walls had done everything he
could to escape. He drank. He stole the grocery money and disappeared for days. As the
dysfunction of the family escalated, Jeannette and her brother and sisters had to fend for
themselves, supporting one another as they weathered their parents' betrayals and, finally,
found the resources and will to leave home.
What is so astonishing about Jeannette Walls is not just that she had the guts and tenacity and
intelligence to get out, but that she describes her parents with such deep affection and
generosity. Hers is a story of triumph against all odds, but also a tender, moving tale of
unconditional love in a family that despite its profound flaws gave her the fiery determination
to carve out a successful life on her own terms.
For two decades, Jeannette Walls hid her roots. Now she tells her own story. A regular
contributor to MSNBC.com, she lives in New York and Long Island and is married to the writer
John Taylor. Grades 9-12
Boy21 by Matthew Quick
You can lose yourself in repetition--quiet your thoughts; I learned the value of
this at a very young age.
Basketball has always been an escape for Finley. He lives in broken-down
Bellmont, a town ruled by the Irish mob, drugs, violence, and racially charged
rivalries. At home, his dad works nights, and Finley is left to take care of his
disabled grandfather alone. He's always dreamed of getting out someday,
but until he can, putting on that number 21 jersey makes everything seem
okay.
Russ has just moved to the neighborhood, and the life of this teen basketball phenom has been
turned upside down by tragedy. Cut off from everyone he knows, he won't pick up a basketball,
but answers only to the name Boy21--taken from his former jersey number.
As their final year of high school brings these two boys together, a unique friendship may turn
out to be the answer they both need. Grades 7-12
The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros
Acclaimed by critics, beloved by readers of all ages, taught everywhere from
inner-city grade schools to universities across the country, and translated all
over the world, The House on Mango Street is the remarkable story of
Esperanza Cordero. Told in a series of vignettes – sometimes heartbreaking,
sometimes deeply joyous – it is the story of a young Latina girl growing up in
Chicago, inventing for herself who and what she will become. Few other books in our time have
touched so many readers. Grades 7 & 8
The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936
Berlin Olympics by Daniel James Brown
The #1 New York Times–bestselling story about American Olympic triumph in
Nazi Germany
For readers of Unbroken, out of the depths of the Depression comes an
irresistible story about beating the odds and finding hope in the most desperate
of times—the improbable, intimate account of how nine working-class boys
from the American West showed the world at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin what
true grit really meant.
It was an unlikely quest from the start. With a team composed of the sons of loggers, shipyard
workers, and farmers, the University of Washington’s eight-oar crew team was never expected
to defeat the elite teams of the East Coast and Great Britain, yet they did, going on to shock the
world by defeating the German team rowing for Adolf Hitler. The emotional heart of the tale
lies with Joe Rantz, a teenager without family or prospects, who rows not only to regain his
shattered self-regard but also to find a real place for himself in the world. Drawing on the boys’
own journals and vivid memories of a once-in-a-lifetime shared dream, Brown has created an
unforgettable portrait of an era, a celebration of a remarkable achievement, and a chronicle of
one extraordinary young man’s personal quest. Grades 7-12
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon
Christopher John Francis Boone knows all the countries of the world and their
capitals and every prime number up to 7,057. He relates well to animals but
has no understanding of human emotions. He cannot stand to be touched.
And he detests the color yellow.
This improbable story of Christopher's quest to investigate the suspicious
death of a neighborhood dog makes for one of the most captivating, unusual,
and widely heralded novels in recent years. Grades 9-12
Tuesdays with Morrie: An Old Man, A Young Man, and Life’s Greatest Lesson by Mitch Albom
Maybe it was a grandparent, or a teacher, or a colleague. Someone older,
patient and wise, who understood you when you were young and searching,
helped you see the world as a more profound place, gave you sound advice to
help you make your way through it.
For Mitch Albom, that person was Morrie Schwartz, his college professor from
nearly twenty years ago.
Maybe, like Mitch, you lost track of this mentor as you made your way, and the insights faded,
and the world seemed colder. Wouldn't you like to see that person again, ask the bigger
questions that still haunt you, receive wisdom for your busy life today the way you once did
when you were younger?
Mitch Albom had that second chance. He rediscovered Morrie in the last months of the older
man's life. Knowing he was dying, Morrie visited with Mitch in his study every Tuesday, just as
they used to back in college. Their rekindled relationship turned into one final “class”: lessons in
how to live.
Tuesdays with Morrie is a magical chronicle of their time together, through which Mitch shares
Morrie's lasting gift with the world.
It’s been ten years since Mitch Albom first shared the wisdom of Morrie Schwartz with the
world. Now–twelve million copies later–in a new afterword, Mitch Albom reflects again on the
meaning of Morrie’s life lessons and the gentle, irrevocable impact of their Tuesday sessions all
those years ago. . . Grades 9-12
With Friends Like These by ReShonda Tate Billingsly
In the year since Camille, Alexis, Jasmine, and Angel joined Rachel Jackson's
church youth group, the four best friends have bonded over boys, pitched in on
community projects, and shared their deepest secrets. There's nothing they don't
know about each other -- or is there? When a special guest arrives at Rachel's
group and announces auditions for a television talk show, the girls will come to
know a side of each other they never knew existed. And they may not like what they see. Grades
9-12
Ender’s Shadow by Orson Scott Card
Orson Scott Card brings us back to the very beginning of his brilliant Ender
Quartet, with the novel that begins The Shadow Series and allows us to
reenter Ender's world anew.
With all the power of his original creation, Ender's Shadow is Card's parallel
volume to Ender's Game, a book that expands and complements the first,
enhancing its power, illuminating its events and its powerful conclusion.
The human race is at War with the "Buggers", an insect-like alien race. The first battles went
badly, and now as Earth prepares to defend itself against the imminent threat of total
destruction at the hands of an inscrutable alien enemy, all focus is on the development and
training of military geniuses who can fight such a war, and win.
The long distances of interstellar space have given hope to the defenders of Earth--they have
time to train these future commanders up from childhood, forging then into an irresistible force
in the high orbital facility called the Battle School.
Andrew "Ender" Wiggin was not the only child in the Battle School; he was just the best of the
best. In this new book, card tells the story of another of those precocious generals, the one
they called Bean--the one who became Ender's right hand, part of his team, in the final battle
against the Buggers.
Bean's past was a battle just to survive. He first appeared on the streets of Rotterdam, a tiny
child with a mind leagues beyond anyone else's. He knew he could not survive through
strength; he used his tactical genius to gain acceptance into a children's gang, and then to help
make that gang a template for success for all the others. He civilized them, and lived to grow
older.
Bean's desperate struggle to live, and his success, brought him to the attention of the Battle
School's recruiters, those people scouring the planet for leaders, tacticians, and generals to
save Earth from the threat of alien invasion. Bean was sent into orbit, to the Battle School. And
there he met Ender.... Grades 9-12
A Mother’s Journey: Through Faith, Hope, and Courage by Lisa Brodeur
"This is the story of an incredible and inspirational journey of a mother
dedicated to her three children. She was determined to survive a tragic
event through faith, hope, and courage.
The mother was severely injured, and her devoted husband and father of her
children was killed instantly. She watched her son fight for every breath he
took to survive. Her daughters, only three and five years old, were traumatized. The young girls
screamed in pain and wondered where their father and brother were.
The mother buried her husband, stood by strongly as her son had surgery after surgery, and
went to court to see that the man who changed their lives forever was served with justice. She
tried to stay strong and focused for her children. She wasn’t able to grieve the loss of her
husband. She made endless medical decisions and stayed with her son in the hospital for many
months. She waited to see progress from her comatose son and saw her little girls only on
weekends. The girls trying to adjust emotionally and physically to their new life.
This book will make someone think about his or her choices. Making the wrong choice, like
doing drugs or driving intoxicated, can have a lasting impact on your life and the lives of others.
Someone else’s choices caused this mother’s family to go on a journey that no one should ever
have to endure." Grades 7-12
Wonder by R. J. Palacio
August Pullman was born with a facial difference that, up until now, has
prevented him from going to a mainstream school. Starting 5th grade at
Beecher Prep, he wants nothing more than to be treated as an ordinary
kid—but his new classmates can’t get past Auggie’s extraordinary face.
WONDER, now a #1 New York Times bestseller and included on the Texas
Bluebonnet Award master list, begins from Auggie’s point of view, but
soon switches to include his classmates, his sister, her boyfriend, and others. These
perspectives converge in a portrait of one community’s struggle with empathy, compassion,
and acceptance.
"Wonder is the best kids' book of the year," said Emily Bazelon, senior editor at Slate.com and
author of Sticks and Stones: Defeating the Culture of Bullying and Rediscovering the Power of
Character and Empathy. In a world where bullying among young people is an epidemic, this is a
refreshing new narrative full of heart and hope. R.J. Palacio has called her debut novel “a
meditation on kindness” —indeed, every reader will come away with a greater appreciation for
the simple courage of friendship. Auggie is a hero to root for, a diamond in the rough who
proves that you can’t blend in when you were born to stand out. Grades 7 & 8
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
Few creatures of horror have seized readers' imaginations and held them for so
long as the anguished monster of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. The story of
Victor Frankenstein's terrible creation and the havoc it caused has enthralled
generations of readers and inspired countless writers of horror and suspense.
Considering the novel's enduring success, it is remarkable that it began merely as
a whim of Lord Byron's.
"We will each write a story," Byron announced to his next-door neighbors, Mary Wollstonecraft
Godwin and her lover Percy Bysshe Shelley. The friends were summering on the shores of Lake
Geneva in Switzerland in 1816, Shelley still unknown as a poet and Byron writing the third canto
of Childe Harold. When continued rains kept them confined indoors, all agreed to Byron's
proposal.
The illustrious poets failed to complete their ghost stories, but Mary Shelley rose supremely to
the challenge. With Frankenstein, she succeeded admirably in the task she set for herself: to
create a story that, in her own words, "would speak to the mysterious fears of our nature and
awaken thrilling horror — one to make the reader dread to look round, to curdle the blood, and
quicken the beatings of the heart." Grades 11 & 12
Toughness by Jay Bilas
The popular ESPN basketball analyst and former Duke player looks at the true
meaning of toughness.
If anyone knows tough, it’s Jay Bilas. A four-year starter at Duke, he learned an
incomparable work ethic under coach Mike Krzyzewski, battling against the
greatest college players in the game. After playing professionally overseas for
several years, he returned to Duke, where he served as Krzyzewski’s assistant
coach for three seasons, during which the Blue Devils won back-to-back titles. A graduate of
Duke Law School, he has since become one of basketball’s most recognizable faces through his
insightful, intelligent work on ESPN’s SportsCenter and College GameDay.
Through his ups and downs, on and off the court, Jay learned the true meaning of toughness from
coaches, teammates, and colleagues. Now, he discusses this misunderstood—yet vital— attribute
and how it contributes to winning in sports and in life. Featuring never-before-heard stories and
personal philosophies on toughness from top players and coaches including Coach K, Bob
Knight, Grant Hill, Mia Hamm, Jon Gruden, Tom Izzo, Bill Self, Curtis Strange, and many
others—Bilas redefines what it takes to succeed.
Reading Between the Lines
Written Assignment
RECOMMENDATIONS
1.
Purchase the summer reading text(s) for highlighting and note taking.
2. Print out the bookmark on the following page and use it to guide your thought process as you
read. The bookmark will also aid you in the required journal response below.
SUMMER READING JOURNAL
Directions
1.
Write intelligently about the readings.
2. Reflect beyond the literal meaning on the text.
3. Print out and use the bookmark on the following page.
4. Create a personal journal that is 2 pages written or one page typed, double space. You must use
at least three prompts from the column: “Sentence starters…” to develop the content of your
journal. Use the “Strategies…” column to guide you as you go. Be prepared to turn this in to
your homeroom teachers the first day of school.
STRATEGIES TO USE WHILE
READING
SENTENCE STARTERS FOR JOURNAL
ENTRIES
(at least three for a 1 to 2 page response)
Predict
-What will happen next?
 I wonder why…
 I predict…
 I compare myself to a
Visualize
character…
-I can just picture….
 I like the way the author…
Make Connections
 I think the main thing the
-This reminds me of….
writer was trying to say is….
 I was surprised when…
Question
 What does the author mean
-Who is the narrator?
by…
-What is my purpose?
 I was confused about…
-What does the author mean?
 This book reminds me of
another book…
Clarify
 This quote is important
-Reread unclear parts
because…
-Reread section before
 The author’s life or time
-Try to connect
period affected this book
because…
Identify Confusion
 This reminds me of what is
-I didn’t expect….
happening in the world right
-I got confused when….
now…
-I’m not sure of …..
 A pattern I noticed in this
writing is…
Summarize
 The setting affects the
-Retell as another character
characters by…
-Answer or create Chapter titles
 When I finished this book, I
-Symbolic Visual
still wondered…
-Retell in your own words
 I would/would not
recommend this book to a
friend because…
 I would like to bring this idea
up in a book discussion…
Fold Page in Half for Bookmark