8th Grade Summer Reading

Libraries

Summer Reading for Rising 8th Graders

2012

Dear Rising Eighth Grader, I hope you have lots of time to read books this summer.

Reading for pleasure is one of the most important things you can do over the summer to be ready for school in the fall. You gain vocabulary, learn more about writing, and get better at reading, all while enjoying the books you read. If you aren’t enjoying the book you are reading, put it down, and find one that you like.

Please keep a reading log this summer. There is an example at the end of this booklet. This allows you to record what you read over the summer. You will turn in your reading log in English class during the first week of classes.

1) Please read a book for our book discussion groups. You should have chosen one already and know what group you are in.

2)We enourage you to read a book by our visiting author, David Lubar. A list and description of some of his books are in this booklet.

3) You should also read at least three additional books of your choice. Following is a list of my suggestions if you need ideas. For these books, you should be prepared to write a brief review of the book for our library catalog. Other students will be able to read your reviews. We will write the reviews in the fall, but you may want to write some notes on your reading log for the summer so you have an easier time remembering what happened in the book.

Students will be able to check out books from the Faulkner Library for summer reading. Of course any books not returned in the fall will be billed.

If you have any questions at all, please don’t hesitate to contact me by email.

Sincerely, Toni Vahlsing Director of Libraries Abington Friends School (215) 576-3976 tvahlsing@abingtonfriends.net Distinguished Summer Reading: For those of you who want an additional challenge, aim to become a “Distinguished Reader.” To earn this recognition, you must do the following: 1) Read 2400 pages during the summer months, including the books required above.

2) Write an additional review for our catalog in the fall.

3) Total the pages that you read on your reading log.

Students who rise to this challenge will receive a notation on their official school transcript and will be recognized in other ways as well.

We highly suggest that you read one book by David Lubar.

If you like books that are funny, I think you will like his books. If you don’t like a book you are reading, choose a different book, but try to become familiar with some of Lubar’s work.

Books by David Lubar

Hidden Talents: Martin can’t seem to stay in any one school for very long because he seems to have a talent for making teachers angry. So he is shipped off to an alternative boarding school which seems to be the end of the line. There he finds some other boys who have talents that they won’t admit they have. A fun read.

True Talents: A year after the end of Hidden Talents Martin and his friends are back home, trying to control their talents go to high school and keep in touch with their friends. One of them gets in trouble and the others have to rally to save him.

The Weenie Books: Lubar writes a collection of dark, but funny short stories in each of these books. If you like short stories and you like to know what inspired each story, try one of these.

Dunk: Chad lives on the Jersey shore and is fascinated by Bozo the clown, who taunts people from a dunk tank. Chad wants to be Bozo, thinking he would be good at it. His dad has left, his friend has a serious illness, and there is a boarder living upstairs to complicate things. Despite all of this, a funny and hopeful book.

My Rotten Life: The first in a series about a boy who accidentally becomes a zombie. Even though he enjoys some aspects of being halfdead, he wants to become human again. Will he find the cure?

Sleeping Freshmen Never Lie: Starting high school is not going to be easy for Scott. He knows that upperclassmen will torment him and steal his lunch money. Written as advice to his unborn sibling about high school, this story is funny and touching, The situations that Scott finds himself in are hilarious.

There are other books by David Lubar that you might also like to look at. When a visiting author comes, it helps to know something about the author’s books.

Read at least three additional books of your choice: Here are some suggestions- you can read what you want to read. The point of summer reading is to enjoy it.

The Apothecary by Maile Mailoy So what heppens when you have to take off your clothes when you take an invisibility potion? What about when it wears off? Jane’s family has moved to London and she meets an apothecary and his son and becomes involved in a world of potions that leave her and Benjamin in some uncomfortable positions. This is a funny adventure/fantasy story.

The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart On the first page Frankie’s letter of confession will grab you. Frankie, a girl in a boarding school, infiltrates an exclusive club of boys. The club pulls pranks and Frankie becomes the leader without the boys suspecting. A very fun read.

Sorta Like a Rock Star by Matthew Quick Amber’s only home is the school bus her mother drives, Hello Yellow. Amber still manages to do lots of good in the world, befriending a loveable, but strange cast of characters along the way. She teaches English to a church group of Korean women, befriends a Vietnam Vet who writes poetry and works in a nursing home as well as dealing with the life of being a teenager who needs to find a place to take a shower. When tragedy strikes, Amber is sent into a downward spiral. The cast of characters that she has been helping turns around to help her.

All These Things I’ve Done by Gabrielle Zevin In New York in 2083, paper is hard to get. Caffeine and chocolate are illegal, but beer for minors is okay. (Why would you waste precious water making beer, anyway?) In the bathroom at school, you need to insert quarters to get water to wash your hands.

Anya Ballachine is the daughter of a criminal, he used to head a chocolate company before he was shot and killed, making Anya an orphan. Anya has got a lot on her hands. Her grandmother is dying, her older brother is simple-minded, her boyfriend is a jerk and she has to take care of her little sister. Good action. Good premise, but scary, because you could see how NYC could end up this way.

I am Number Four by Pittcus Lore Action-packed and difficult to put down. If you’ve ever wondered what it would be like to be an alien living in the United States, then this is the book for you. Then there is the mysterious author, Pitticus Lore, who is mentioned in the story, but we know nothing about.

This is the first in the series.

Marcelo in the Real World by Francisco S. Stork Marcelo has attended a special school for years, and he’d like to work with his beloved horses over the summer at his school. His father has other ideas. He wants him to get a job in the “real world”. Marcelo doesn’t think he can do it. Marcelo is charming, but his Asperger-like condition gets in the way of his new job in his father’s law firm mailroom.

He is faced with ethical dilemmas and the complications of making new friends.

Numbers by Rachel Ward Jem has the unique ability of seeing a number whenever she looks into another human’s eyes. It is the date of their death that she sees. When visiting the London Eye, she notices that everyone around here has today’s date in their eyes. She panics and runs away. Of course, there is a terrorist attack at the Eye, and now Jem is a suspect. She and her friend Spider are on the run.

Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card Ender has been bred to be a leader in the war against the buggers, an alien race that wants to take over the earth. He is sent to battle school at a much younger age than usual and is smaller than the other officers in training. You will enjoy reading about training at this off-planet battle school. This gets the Toni award for the best ending ever.

As Easy as Faling off the Face of the Earth by Lynne Rae Perkins Ry gets stuck in the middle of Montana with no cell phone, no ride, no luggage, and only one shoe. His parents are in the Caribbean and his grandfather seems to be missing. I laughed out loud numerous times while reading this one. Great characters, even if they only are around for a cameo. I read it in one sitting.

Unwind by Neil Shusterman This is also set in the future in the USA after a civil war over the issue of abortion. There has been a truce in which no fetuses or children may be killed until they turn 12 years old. Then they may be “unwound” and all of their body parts given to someone who needs them. There are all sorts of unintended consequences from this compromise like an underground of children who escape from being unwound and babies being left on doorsteps. You’ll never know what to expect in this adventure.

The Skin I’m in by Sharon Flake Maleeka is relentlessly teased at school, not only for her good grades and her hand-made clothes, but for the darkness of her skin. When a new teacher arrives at school who has a white birthmark across her dark skin, Maleeka is sure there will be trouble for her, too.

She is surprised by Miss Saunders’ attitude. Can Maleeka be proud of the skin she’s in, like Miss Saunders?

The Adventures of Blue Avenger by Norma Howe On his 16th birthday, David legally changes his name to Blue Avenger. In addition, he sets a very odd assortment of goals for himself, like abolishing handguns as well as creating the perfect lemon meringue pie and winning the heart of the new girl in school.

Along the way, he lives up to his superhero name. This is one of those books where all of the pieces fit together in the end.

Does My Head Look Big in This? by Randa Abdel-Fattah Australian eleventh grader Amal is a devout Muslim who decides to wear the hijab, or head covering, full time. Get an interesting peak into life in an Australian private school through Amal’s eyes. Her sense of humor keeps it light, but the things she discovers about herself are anything but.

Anahita’s Woven Riddle by Megan Nuttail Sayres Anahita lives in Persia in the early 20th century. She has been promised to the khan of her tribe, whose previous three wives have died mysteriously. Anahita convinces her father to let her weave a riddle into a rug. Whichever man can solve her riddle will be the one she will marry. Along the way, you’ll meet many of the men who will try to solve the riddle. Their stories are skillfully woven into Anahita’s. I was as confused as Anahita about which suitor to cheer for. (Anybody but the khan, anybody but the khan, anybody but the khan….) Childhood friend? Intriguing new suitor? Who will win? What will it mean for Anahita’s life?

Dairy Queen by Catherine Gilbert Murdock D.J. Schwenks’ family doesn’t talk much. They don’t talk about the fact that D.J. is doing most of the work on the family’s dairy farm since her dad got hurt and her older brothers went off to college. They don’t talk about the fact the D.J. is training (and crushing on) the rival team’s quarterback. When D.J. tries out for her high school’s football team, that gets everyone talking.

Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen Auden decides to escape her control-freak mom by spending the summer with her dad, his new wife, and their baby. Along the way she helps manage her step-mother’s store, learns to ride a bike, and has a complicated romance.

Bloody Jack by L.A. Meyer This is the first in a series that I compare to potato chips. You can’t read just one. I have to know what happens next to this orphan girl who escapes every possible scrape by crossdressing as a boy, fighting, or using her considerable wits and luck. Most of her escapades happen at sea on various kinds of sailing vessels. Lots of fun.

Someone Like Summer by M.E. Kerr Tall, blue-eyed Annabel is in love with Esteban, who turns out to be an undocumented worker from Columbia. Racial tensions and prejudices run wild in the town. Annabel’s father, who will employ undocumented workers because he can pay them less, won’t let his daughter date one. Esteban’s brother calls Annabel flour-face and thinks all white girls are loose. This is an intense romance with today’s issues.

Runaway by Wendelin Van Draanen Holly has run away from an abusive foster family. She writes in a journal as she struggles everyday to find food, shelter, and warmth. We follow her five month long journey to Los Angeles. After reading this book, you will never look at the issue of homelessness in the same way.

The Last Shot: a Final Four mystery by John Feinstein Two students win a journalism contest and win a trip to the Final Four in New Orleans.

When 8th graders Susan and Thomas are touring the Superdome, they overhear someone being blackmailed into deliberately losing a game. Basketball, journalism, and action are all packed into this awesome mystery.

Ironman by Chris Crutcher Bo Brewster has been placed in Anger Management class, and what a cast of characters he meets there. Bo attempts to compete in an ironman competition, trying to win in three sports. If you like this one, you will want to read all of Crutcher’s other books.

Nation by Terry Pratchett A tsunami has wiped out everyone on Mau’s island except him. The same tsunami maroons a ship leaving one girl, Daphne, as the only survivor of the ship. Refugees from other islands arrive and Daphne and Mau help them. When raiders arrive, Mau must use all of his ingenuity to outsmart their leader.

Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie Agatha Christie is the master of mystery telling. This mystery seems impossible to solve even though it is about a murder that has taken place on a train. There aren’t that many suspects and they are all stuck on the train. Luckily, the brilliant detective Hercules Perot is on board, too. You will be amazed at the solution to this one.

The Reformed Vampire Support Group by Katherine Jinks Nina Harrison has been 15 years old since 1973. That’s because she is a vampire.

She makes her living making up glamorous vampire books, but her life is anything but glamorous. She is trapped by her inability to go out during the day. She attends the reformed vampire support group meeting. These vampires survive on the blood of guinea pigs that they breed to eat. It is not a pretty sight. When one member of their group is found with a silver bullet in him and a stake through the heart, the group thinks there might be someone hunting them. It takes Nina a lot of courage to leave home to investigate. When she does, she goes on the biggest adventure of her life.

Beauty Shop for Rent by Laura Bowers Abbey and her great-grandmother have been running a beauty shop together, but Granny Po wants to retire, renting out her shop. When Gena arrives and turns it into a day spa, at first Abbey is reluctant, but then starts earning more money. Abbey’s mom, who has a history of substance abuse, shows up and Abbey gives her mom her hard-earned savings so they can get a house and live together. Of course, things don’t turn out the way you’d want them to.

Monster by Walter Dean Myers Was Steve Harmon really the lookout for a convenience store robbery, or was he just in the wrong place at the wrong time? Now he’s in prison, on trial for murder because the store owner was killed. Steve is an aspiring film-maker and he tells his story in a screenplay format.

Mismatch by Lensey Namioka When Sue, a Chinese American, and Andy, a Japanese American meet in orchestra and start dating, the rest of the orchestra members think it is a perfect match. Are all Asians the same? At home, it’s a different matter. Sue’s grandmother won’t forgive the Japanese for invading China and Andy’s father has prejudices about the “dirty back-water” Chinese.

This is a sample reading log. You can turn this in, or make your own.

Reading Log Title

Author

Name_________________

# pages

Reviewed?

Total pages

To sum up: 1)Read the book for your discussion group.

2)Read at least three other books of your choice.

3)Keep a reading log.