Rising 8th Grade Summer Learning
Scroll to the bottom of this page to find additional information regarding student summer work.
Required Math Program:
This summer we are again using DreamBox, a rigorous, adaptive, and engaging online math program to help students reinforce their math proficiency over the summer months and smoothly transition back to school in August. Practicing 4-5 lessons a week consistently every week of the summer (40-50 lessons total) will help ensure that skills are reinforced to prepare for a smooth transition back to school in August. If your child wants to do more (because the program is fun!), all the better.
Please note that for Grades 1-6, your DreamBox payment will be billed directly to your student's Smart Tuition account and for Grades 7-8, through their Follett textbooks orders. The fee is $15. Also note that students will have access to (and in some cases use) DreamBox throughout the school year.
To Login to DreamBox:
On a Computer: https://play.dreambox.com/login/4x6r/m3ez
On an iPad: Download both free DreamBox Apps (Green and Blue). Use this code when prompted: 4x6r/m3ez (iPad Directions linked on SpartanNet Class pages)
Under the Text Login section, type in username (first initial + last name + grad year) & password (spartan1). (You should not need a classroom code.)
While we hope all students will take advantage of this online option, we know that some students may have a summer without internet access or just need a break from online work. If you fall in this category, students should complete the Math Minutes workbook for the grade level they recently finished. For Rising 8th grade, this is Math Minutes for 7th, ISBN 978-1591984313. These workbooks are available for purchase online or through local bookstores.
If you have questions or need assistance, please contact MS Dean, Natalie Luke, at nluke@athensacademy.org.
Please note that for Grades 1-6, your DreamBox payment will be billed directly to your student's Smart Tuition account and for Grades 7-8, through their Follett textbooks orders. The fee is $15. Also note that students will have access to (and in some cases use) DreamBox throughout the school year.
To Login to DreamBox:
On a Computer: https://play.dreambox.com/login/4x6r/m3ez
On an iPad: Download both free DreamBox Apps (Green and Blue). Use this code when prompted: 4x6r/m3ez (iPad Directions linked on SpartanNet Class pages)
Under the Text Login section, type in username (first initial + last name + grad year) & password (spartan1). (You should not need a classroom code.)
While we hope all students will take advantage of this online option, we know that some students may have a summer without internet access or just need a break from online work. If you fall in this category, students should complete the Math Minutes workbook for the grade level they recently finished. For Rising 8th grade, this is Math Minutes for 7th, ISBN 978-1591984313. These workbooks are available for purchase online or through local bookstores.
If you have questions or need assistance, please contact MS Dean, Natalie Luke, at nluke@athensacademy.org.
Required Book
Read book and answer associated discussion questions.
Read book and answer associated discussion questions.
Ender's Game
by Orson Scott Card |
Choice Books
Choose at least THREE, preferably from different genres; as well, select titles you have NOT read previously. If you choose a graphic novel as one of your choice books, please choose a traditional book as your second
and third choice book. Printable lists available below.
Choose at least THREE, preferably from different genres; as well, select titles you have NOT read previously. If you choose a graphic novel as one of your choice books, please choose a traditional book as your second
and third choice book. Printable lists available below.
|
HISTORICAL/POLITICAL FICTION
Animal Farm by George Orwell Major, an old pig, gathers the animals of the Manor Farm together to tell them that if it were not for the presence of man they could achieve a utopia. Soon afterward, the animals revolt against the owner, and take over the farm themselves, changing its name to Animal Farm. For a time all goes well, but eventually the animals must yield much of the affairs of management to the pigs. With the pigs responsible for all intellectual efforts, they soon take on man's privileges, while most of the other animals' lives move back into the pattern of the time before the revolution. This novel can be seen simply as a betrayal of the ideals of socialism, but it is more than that. Orwell makes the animals' revolt a symbol for any modern revolution. Boxers and Saints by Gene Yang (the two graphic novels together equal one choice book read) Boxers: In 1898 China, Little Bao has had enough of foreign missionaries and soldiers robbing peasants, and he recruits an army of Boxers to fight to free China from its oppressors. Saints: A companion volume to Boxers graphically depicts China's 1898 Boxer Rebellion from the perspective of a young Christian convert and neglected fourth daughter who struggles with divided loyalties that compel her to make the ultimate sacrifice for her faith. Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson (or any in series and ONLY if you did not read it already) When her former owner breaks his promise to set her free and ends up sending her to live with a cruel loyalist family at the start of the Revolutionary War, Isabel is heartbroken and so becomes determined to do whatever is necessary to win her freedom, including spying on her family to help the rebels win the war. Fallen Angels by Walter Dean Myers Seventeen-year-old Richie Perry, just out of his Harlem high school, enlists in the Army in the summer of 1967 and spends a devastating year on active duty in Vietnam. Fallout by Todd Strasser In an alternate-history of the Cuban missile crisis thriller, eleven-year-old Scott's family becomes the laughingstock of their neighborhood when they build a bomb shelter. However, when the Civil Defense siren sounds, sending them to the shelter, they can't keep their neighbors out, even though they have enough food for only their own family. In chapters that alternate between their time in the shelter and the weeks leading up to the attack, the story reveals the true nature of each person in the shelter-Scott and his friend Ronnie continue their friendly rivalry while their parents reveal much about their own personalities. Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys World War II is drawing to a close and thousands of refugees are on a desperate trek toward freedom. Among them are Joana, Emilia, and Florian, whose paths converge en route to the ship that promises salvation, the Wilhelm Gustloff. Forced by circumstance to unite, the three find their strength, courage, and trust in each other tested with each step closer to safety. Just when it seems freedom is within their grasp, tragedy strikes. Not country, nor culture, nor status matter as all ten thousand people aboard must fight for the same thing: survival. REALISTIC FICTION All American Boys by Jason Reynolds Two teenage boys, one black (Rashad) and one white (Quinn), are inextricably linked when Quinn witnesses Rashad being savagely beaten by a policeman who has served as Quinn’s de facto big brother since his father was killed in Afghanistan—and whose younger brother is one of Quinn’s best friends. Can Quinn simply walk away from this apparent atrocity and pretend he hasn’t seen what he has seen? And what of Rashad? Hospitalized, all he wants is to be left alone so he can focus on his art. The challenge for both boys becomes more intense when the case first divides their school and then the entire community. As Easy As Falling Off the Face of the Earth by Lynne Rae Perkins When 16-year-old Ry discovers that his summer camp has been canceled, he steps off the train to call his grandfather only to see the train pull away. So begins Ry's implausible and existential journey. To compound the situation, Ry's grandfather has suffered a concussion and is missing, and his parents' Caribbean sailing trip has been fraught with problems. Ry stumbles into Del, a handy, sympathetic man who decides to drive Ry home to Wisconsin, becoming a quirky mentor. Del remains unflappable as he extends their road trip to find Ry's parents, setting off a series of riotous misadventures. Awkward, Brave, and Crush (Berrybrook Middle School graphic novels) by Svetlana Chmakova (reading 2 of the 3 graphic novels equals one choice book read) Awkward: After shunning Jaime, the school nerd, on her first day at a new middle school, Penelope Torres tries to blend in with her new friends in the art club, until the art club goes to war with the science club, of which Jaime is a member. Brave: In Jenson's daydreams he is the biggest hero there ever was, in real life he is targeted by bullies and struggles in math class, and the pressure of middle school only keeps growing. Crush: Jorge seems to have it all together. He's big enough that nobody really messes with him, but he's also a genuinely sweet guy with a solid, reliable group of friends. The only time he ever really feels off his game is when he crosses paths with a certain girl... But when the group dynamic among the boys starts to shift, will Jorge be able to balance what his friends expect of him versus what he actually wants? Blindsided by Priscilla Cummings Natalie, 14, knows that her future is becoming dimmer as the loss of her eyesight is a nightmare she can't avoid. Her vision has been diminishing from a congenital disease since she was eight, but now the prognosis is not if, but when. As she states, "You can't prepare for going blind." Part of going from denial to acceptance is attending a boarding school for the blind. Hostile, angry, and uncooperative at first, she slowly begins to concentrate on learning Braille, using her cane, taking self-defense classes, and making new friends. Call of the Wild by Jack London Buck, a sturdy crossbreed canine (half St. Bernard, half Shepard), is a dog born to luxury and raised in a sheltered Californian home. But then he is kidnapped and sold to be a sled dog in the harsh and frozen Yukon Territory. Passed from master to master, Buck embarks on an extraordinary journey, proving his unbreakable spirit. Dragon Hoops by Gene Luen Yang (graphic novel) Gene understands stories—comic book stories, in particular. Big action. Bigger thrills. And the hero always wins. But Gene doesn’t get sports. He lost interest in basketball long ago, but at the high school where he now teaches, it's all anyone can talk about. The men’s varsity team, the Dragons, is having a phenomenal season and each victory brings them closer to their ultimate goal: the California State Championships. Once Gene gets to know these young all-stars, he realizes that their story is just as thrilling as anything he’s seen on a comic book page. He knows he has to follow this epic to its end. What he doesn’t know yet is that this season is not only going to change the Dragons’s lives, but his own life as well. Goodbye Stranger by Rebecca Stead As Bridge makes her way through seventh grade on Manhattan's Upper West Side with her best friends, curvaceous Em, crusader Tab, and a curious new friend-or more than friend-Sherm, she finds the answer she has been seeking since she barely survived an accident at age eight: "What is my purpose?". Monster by Walter Dean Myers Young, black, 16-year-old Steve Harmon, an amateur filmmaker, is on trial for the murder of a Harlem drugstore owner. Steve copes by writing a movie script based on his trial. But despite his efforts, reality is blurred until he can no longer tell who he is or what the truth is. Nikki On the Line by Barbara Carroll Roberts Thirteen-year-old Nikki Doyle's dreams of becoming a basketball great feel within reach when she's selected to play on an elite-level club team. But in a league with taller, stronger, and faster girls, Nikki suddenly isn't the best point guard. The stress piles on as Nikki's best friend spends more and more time with another girl on the team, and when her science teacher assigns a family tree project that will be impossible to complete unless Nikki reveals her most embarrassing secret. As if that's not enough to deal with, to cover the costs of her new team, Nikki has agreed to take care of her annoying younger brother after school. As the stakes rise on the basketball court, at school, and at home, Nikki's confidence plummets. Can she learn to compete at this new, higher level? And how hard is she willing to work to find out? Our Town: A Play in Three Acts by Thorton Wilder (ISBN: 978-0060512637) Set in the mythical village of Grover’s Corners, New Hampshire, Our Town, is an American classic. It is the simple story of a love affair that asks timeless questions about the meaning of love, life, and death. It explores the relationship between two young neighbors, George Gibbs and Emily Webb, whose childhood friendship blossoms into romance, and then culminates in marriage. When Emily loses her life in childbirth, the circle of life portrayed in each of the three acts—childhood, adulthood, and death—is fully realized. |
Rebound by Kwame Alexander (or any in series)
Before Josh and Jordan Bell were streaking up and down the court, their father was learning his own moves. In this prequel to The Crossover, Chuck Bell takes center stage, as readers get a glimpse of his childhood and how he became the jazz music worshiping, basketball star his sons look up to. Go back in time to visit the childhood of Chuck "Da Man" Bell during one pivotal summer when young Charlie is sent to stay with his grandparents where he discovers basketball and learns more about his family's past. Stupid Fast by Geoff Herbach (or any in series) Suddenly tall, muscular and "stupid fast," Felton Reinstein has been invited to work out with the football team with the understanding that he may win a position come fall. His sudden popularity is marred by his mother's abrupt bout of depression and his little brother Andrew's intense anger about it. Soon the situation deteriorates to where Mom never leaves the house and Andrew burns all his clothes in the yard in order to get her attention. Now Felton is forced to face the long-buried secret of his father's death if he wants to heal his family. Threatened by Eliot Schrefer (or any in series) Luc is an orphan, living in debt slavery in Gabon, until he meets a Professor who claims to be studying chimpanzees, and they head off into the jungle. When the Professor disappears under mysterious circumstances, Luc has to fend for himself and join forces with the chimps to save their forest. MYSTERY The Great Train Robbery by Michael Crichton In 1855 London, a group of thieves plan a daring robbery of gold bullion cargo aboard a mighty steam locomotive as it speeds along the English countryside. Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie Famous Belgian detective Hercule Poirot must sift through clues--some real and some planted--to find a murderer aboard a crowded train speeding through the snowy European landscape. NONFICTION/NARRATIVE NONFICTION/MEMOIR The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind, Young Reader’s ed. by William Kamkwamba When a terrible drought struck William Kamkwamba's tiny village in Malawi, his family lost all of the season's crops, leaving them with nothing to eat and nothing to sell. William began to explore science books in his village library, looking for a solution. There, he came up with the idea that would change his family's life forever: he could build a windmill. Made out of scrap metal and old bicycle parts, William's windmill brought electricity to his home and helped his family pump the water they needed to farm the land. Chasing Lincoln’s Killer by James L. Swanson Recounts the escape of John Wilkes Booth, Abraham Lincoln's assassin, and follows the intensive twelve-day search for him and his accomplices. Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly Before John Glenn orbited Earth, or Neil Armstrong walked on the Moon, a group of dedicated female mathematicians known as 'human computers' used pencils, slide rules and adding machines to calculate the numbers that would launch rockets, and astronauts, into space. Among them were a group of exceptionally talented African American women, some of the brightest minds of their generation. Hiroshima by John Hersey On August 6, 1945, Hiroshima was destroyed by the first atomic bomb ever dropped on a city. This book tells what happened on that day, told through the memoirs of survivors. The Queen of Katwe: One Girl's Triumphant Path to Becoming a Chess Champion by Tim Crothers A full-length account of the National Magazine Award finalist article by ESPN Magazine traces the story of an Ugandan teen, Phiona Mutesi, who was introduced to chess by a missionary mentor and struggled to overcome formidable levels of poverty to become her country's national champion. Unbroken: An Olympian’s Journey from Airman to Castaway to Captive by Laura Hillenbrand Louis Zamperini grew up in California and was headed toward juvenile delinquency. He smoked at 5, drank at 8, and went on to stealing and pranking, until older brother Pete got Louis into something more productive: running. Louis eventually became a world-class runner, ultimately competing at the 1936 Olympics. With World War II looming, Louis joined the Army Air Corps, and it was with the downing of his B-24 bomber that his harrowing journey began. Adrift in the Pacific Ocean in a raft, attacked by sharks, brutalized as a POW in Japanese slave-labor camps, Louis' is a tale of survival against all odds. SCI-FI/DYSTOPIA/FANTASY/FOLK TALES The Giver by Lois Lowry (or any in series) In the "ideal" world into which Jonas was born, everybody has agreed that well-matched married couples will raise exactly two offspring, one boy and one girl. At age 12, they receive an appropriate career assignment, sensibly chosen by the community's Elders. There is no pain or controversy and there is no choice. This civilization is so pleasant that readers, like the community's citizens, will be easily seduced by the illusion of this ordered, pain-free society. Until the time that Jonah begins training for his job assignment--the Receiver of Memory. As his near-mystical training progresses, readers, and Jonah, learn the society's collective memories of a world and find that they are as stimulating as they are flawed. He also discovers the terrible truth about the society in which he lives. Legend by Marie Lu (or any in series) Born into an elite family in one of the Republic's wealthiest districts, fifteen-year-old June is a prodigy being groomed for success in the Republic's highest military circles. Born into the slums, fifteen-year-old Day is the country's most wanted criminal. But his motives may not be as malicious as they seem. From very different worlds, June and Day have no reason to cross paths - until the day June's brother, Metias, is murdered and Day becomes the prime suspect. Caught in the ultimate game of cat and mouse, Day is in a race for his family's survival, while June seeks to avenge Metias's death. But in a shocking turn of events, the two uncover the truth of what has really brought them together, and the sinister lengths their country will go to keep its secrets. The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman A middle-aged man returns to his childhood home to attend a funeral. Although the house he lived in is long gone, he is drawn to the farm at the end of the road, where, when he was seven, he encountered a most remarkable girl, Lettie, and her mother and grandmother. He hasn’t thought of Lettie in decades, and yet as he sits by the pond (a pond that she’d claimed was an ocean), the unremembered past comes flooding back as an otherworldly adventure, where a young boy discovers a neighboring family’s supernatural secret. Soon his innocence is tested by ancient, magical forces, and he learns the power of true friendship. The result is a captivating read, equal parts sweet, sad, and spooky. The Odyssey: based on Homer’s epic poem by Gareth Hinds Faithfully retells, in graphic novel format, Homer's epic tale of Odysseus, the ancient Greek hero who encounters witches and other obstacles on his journey home after fighting in the Trojan War. Students read Homer’s epic in ninth grade; this adaptation can be a fantastic introduction to this world-famous poem. The Princess Bride: S. Morgenstern's Classic Tale of True Love and High Adventure by William Goldman The story is framed by a man beginning to read the story to his sick grandson. The story itself is a fairy tale adventure about a beautiful young woman, Buttercup, and her one true love, Westley. Westley must find Buttercup after a long separation and save her from marrying Prince Humperdinck. They must battle the evils of the mythical kingdom of Florin to be reunited with each other. The Selection by Kiera Cass (or any in series) In a cross between The Hunger Games (minus the bloodsport) and The Bachelor (minus the bloodsport), 35 young women are randomly selected to be on a reality-TV competition to win the heart of Prince Maxon, heir to the throne. It’s a caste-driven society, where people are ranked from One (royalty) to Eight (untouchables), and poverty, famine, and ignorance are the fate of those ranked Six and below. America Singer, a Five with tremendous musical gifts, ends up as one of the contestants but has no desire to become queen, as she’s in love with Aspen, the Five next door. But as the chemistry builds between America and Maxon, she must grapple with her intense feelings for her two suitors and her growing awareness of the messy political happenings in her country. A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula Le Guin (or any in series) Ged was the greatest sorcerer in Earthsea, but in his youth he was the reckless Sparrowhawk. In his hunger for power and knowledge, he tampered with long-held secrets and loosed a terrible shadow upon the world. This is the tumultuous tale of his testing, how he mastered the mighty words of power, tamed an ancient dragon, and crossed death's threshold to restore the balance. A Wrinkle in Time by Madeline L’Engle Meg Murry and her friends become involved with unearthly strangers and a search for Meg's father, who has disappeared while engaged in secret work for the government. Young Elites by Marie Lu (or any in series) Adelina Amouteru survived the blood fever, a deadly illness that killed many, but left others with strange markings and supernatural powers. Cast out by her family, Adelina joins the secret society of the Young Elites and discovers her own dangerous abilities. |
Rising 8th Grade Summer Reading List (alpha by title)
Rising 8th Grade Summer Reading List (alpha by genre; includes summaries)
Discussion Questions for Required Reading
Answer the discussion questions in complete sentences. You may type or write your responses. We will discuss them as a class in August.
Summer Reading Record
Rising 8th Grade Summer Reading List (alpha by genre; includes summaries)
Discussion Questions for Required Reading
Answer the discussion questions in complete sentences. You may type or write your responses. We will discuss them as a class in August.
Summer Reading Record