Information on the Summer Reading Project is listed below.
8th Grade Summer Reading Project
Summer of 2009
Choose ONE of the following books and read it over the summer. A brief description follows each book so that you have an idea of what you are getting into. All of these books are available in paperback, but they may not all be in stock at the local bookstore. Therefore, you may need to order the books you want. Many of these books are available at local libraries! We have a few copies of some of these books at school, and if you let me know in time, you may borrow one to read it over the summer.
Here are the books:
I, Juan de Pareja, by Elizabeth Borton de Trevino. In this historical novel the author shows us the relationship between famous 17th-century Spanish painter Diego Velazquez and his black slave, Juan de Pareja. The story is narrated by Juan, and we follow him as he has a number of experiences with his famous mentor, Diego Velazquez. (180 pages, fiction.) THIS BOOK IS AVAILABLE AT SCHOOL
The Bronze Bow, by Elizabeth George Speare. This is the story a Daniel, a young Jew who lives at the time of Christ. He hates the Romans and lives as an outlaw. In his adventures, he encounters a young man who is performing miracles and preaching a message of love, but he doesn’t know what to make of him. (250 pages, fiction.) THIS BOOK IS AVAILABLE AT SCHOOL.
Amos Fortune: Free Man, by Elizabeth Yates. This is a fictionalized account of a man who is stolen from his home in Africa and made a slave in America. The story tells how he made his way in his new land and overcame all the obstacles before him to become a free man. This is based on a true story. (181 pages, fiction. )
The Shakespeare Stealer, by Gary Blackwood. This is the tale of a 14-year-old Yorkshire, England orphan sent by a rival theater manager to steal the as-yet-unpublished play Hamlet in 1601 London. This will give you some insight into Shakespeare’s world before we study him in 8th grade. (224 pages, fiction.) THIS BOOK IS AVAILABLE AT SCHOOL
The Wednesday Wars, by Gary D. Schmidt. Holling Hoodhood is a 7th grade boy, the only Presbyterian in his class. Every Wednesday afternoon all the Jewish children and all the Catholic children leave to receive religious intstruction. Holling must stay back with his teacher, Miss. Holling’s story—told in first person by Holling himself—is a wonderful coming of age story. This is a very funny book. (272 pages; this is a more difficult book to read than the others.)
The Project (Worth 20 points)
You must:
1. Give a short summary of the plot
2. Take the most important character in the book and describe that character’s moral life. What did he do that was good, and what did he do that was not so good. Overall, was the main character a good person or not?
3. Describe one conflict in the story in detail. Explain or show how the conflict is resolved.
4. Would you recommend this book to others? Give specific reasons when you answer this.
You may do this in one of three ways:
1. Write a paper in which you include all of the elements above.
2. Use poster board and present the information in a visual way. You may use bulleted lists, etc., but you may be somewhat creative in your presentation.
3. You may put together a PowerPoint presentation. Again, you may be creative, but you must include all of the items listed above. You may bring the Powerpoint in on a flashdrive, or you may attach it as a document and send it to me at mlonigro@stclementschool.com. (There should be a minimum of r 4 slides and a maximum of 12 slides in your presentation. You should be ready to turn in a paper copy of your presentation with multiple slides per page.)
The project may be turned in the first day of school, but you will have until the end of the first week to turn it in.
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