Summer Reading Requirements

Summer Reading Requirements
St. John’s Lutheran School
Grades 6-8
To My Favorite Reading Students,
I pray that your summer is going well, and that you are taking time to relax, have fun, and spend time with your friends. During the summer, you need to meet the following reading requirements. You need to read three books over the summer and journal about each one. Below, you will find the journal requirements for your reading. Enjoy yourselves, and I look forward to seeing you in August!

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Reading Journal Requirements

+You will need a spiral notebook for your reading journal. You will be using this notebook to continue reading assignments, so choose a notebook that has a lot of pages.
+Each journal entry needs to be 1 paragraph (10 sentences) in length.
+Each journal entry needs to be dated, and include the title and the author.
+For each book, you need to complete the following journal entries:
~Write from the main character’s perspective telling how you would solve the conflict in the story differently. (1 paragraph)
~”The character I most admire is ___________________.” (1 paragraph)
~Write about two themes and what the story has taught you about these two. Use specific examples from the book. (1 paragraph)

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Some Tips to Help You

+You are not limited to the books on the list I have enclosed.
+Your journal is due on the second Friday of the school year.
+You should set aside about half an hour of time to read each day.
+Try to read books that cover a variety of topics/genres. Exp: Don’t read all historical fiction books or all fantasy, etc.
+Anything you have read in reading class is off limits. Please choose books that you haven’t read before to get the most out of your experience.
+Check the reading blog weekly for updates or to post questions that I will answer on the blog. The site is www.jagsread.blogspot.com
+You may type some of your journal entries and paste them in the notebook if you would like.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++


Recommended Authors
There are so many good books out there for you to read. Because of this, I am not going to give you a book list. Instead, I am going to recommend great authors that you may want to look into. You are NOT limited to this list. This is just a recommendation, a starting point if you need some help.

Avi
Andrew Clements
James Lincoln Collier and Christopher Collier
Caroline B. Cooney
Sharon Creech
Jeanne DuPrau
Lois Duncan
Patricia Riley Giff
Margaret Peterson Haddix
Anthony Horowitz
Lois Lowry
Mike Lupica
Brian Jacques
Jack London
Robert Peck
Jerry Spinelli
Eleanor Updale
Scott Westerfield


Opportunity for Extra Credit

+For any book you read above the required three, fill out a copy of the enclosed “Book Report Form”. For each book, you may receive extra credit points in reading, as well as AR points.

Themes Found in Reading

Common Themes Found in Reading

The theme of a story is the lesson you should learn from it. You should be able to identify what the story is teaching you based on the relationships of the characters, the choices they make, etc.

• Anger
• Beauty
• Bravery
• Compassion
• Courage
• Cruelty
• Daring
• Deception
• Devotion
• Discovery
• Evil
• Failure
• Fairness
• Fear
• Flattery
• Forgiveness
• Greed
• Heroism
• Honor
• Humility
• Inspiration
• Kindness
• Loneliness
• Loss
• Love
• Loyalty
• Perseverance
• Pride
• Rejection
• Resourcefulness
• Revenge
• Selfishness
• Sin
• Stinginess
• Survival
• Temptation
• Truth
• Vanity
• Violence

Get Ready to READ!

I hope you are excited about your summer and a break from school. However, a break from school doesn't mean a break from learning :). I will be posting your reading requirements for summer reading on this site. Check this site for updates. Also, post any questions or comments you have for me. I hope by using this site, you will see what others are reading. Please feel free to recommend or not recommend a book. Please keep all your comments/questions related to reading. All students in grades 6-8 will be accessing this site. Have a great summer!