SUMMER READING ASSIGNMENT **for incoming grade 8 students**

SUMMER READING ASSIGNMENT
**for incoming grade 8 students**
Welcome to eighth grade! To be prepared for this school year, every
upcoming eighth grader will be required to read two books this summer
from the eighth grade summer reading list that is attached to this
assignment. All of the books listed have a common theme –Courage.
Assignment:
• Select TWO books from the attached list. Use the levels as a guide.
• Log your reading minutes on the enclosed Red Raider Reading Log.
• Select ONE book to complete the writing assignment. The topic of your writing piece is
to prove the theme “Courage.”
o You will write how the book‘s theme is proven by writing about why Courage is its
theme. As you practiced in school, you should introduce your book, provide a
brief summary about it, and then name the given theme. Then, you should use
examples from the text to prove the given theme. Remember to use your writing
stems (As proof, In the text it states, In the story, etc)
• Your responses can be handwritten or typed.
• Your response will be collected during the first week of school and graded using the
rubric attached.
Your participation in summer reading has its rewards! You will come to eighth grade prepared
and ready to learn. AND, you will be included in the Summer Reading Celebration this fall!!
But, if you want EVEN more……..
• The Keyport Public Library and our school have partnered with local businesses to
offer any student who finishes FIVE books a prize!! Just bring in your summer
reading logs that show your completion to the Keyport Public Library on Wednesday
or Thursday mornings between 10 and 12 or during any Keyport Summer Reading
Nights ( July 10th and August 7th from 6-8) and receive your certificate.
• AND if you’re REALLY motivated (and we hope you are!), sign – up for the Summer
Reading Club by June 30th at the Keyport Public Library. Then, get your packet on
July 1st and read ten books by the end of the challenge to attend the Sundae Party in
August. Top three readers in each age group (4-6, 7-10, and 11-13) will also receive a
Barnes and Noble gift card!

Grade 8 Summer Reading
“Courage”
Author Title Guided Reading
Level
Jeanne DuPrau The City of Ember U 50
DRA Level
Sampson Davis,
Rameck Hunt, and
George Jenkins
Todd Strausser
and Morton Rhue
We Beat the Street W NA
The Wave NA NA
Laurie Halse
Anderson
Chains NA NA
Anne Frank
Anne Frank – The
Diary of a Young
Girl
Y 60
Gary Paulsen Hatchet R 40
Gary Paulsen Brian’s Winter R 40
Caroline Cooney
The Face on the
Milk Carton
Y 60
Ben Mikaelson
Touching Spirit
Bear
Y 60

Common Core Standards:
Rubric for Summer Reading Assignment
(Students Entering Grade 8)
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.7.1 Cite several pieces of textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as
well as inferences drawn from the text.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.7.2 Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of
the text; provide an objective summary of the text.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.7.1 Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.7.1c Use words, phrases, and clauses to create cohesion and clarify the relationships among
claim(s), reasons, and evidence.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.7.1d Establish and maintain a formal style.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.7.1e Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from and supports the argument
presented.
Approaching Standards (C) Meeting Standards(B) Exceeding Standards(A)
• Response may lack an
opening and/or closing.
• Response contains an
opening and closing
• Response contains an
opening and closing
• Response makes little to statement.
statement.
no attempt to cite
textual evidence to
support theme.
• Response cites textual
evidence to support
theme.
• Response cites multiple
pieces of textual
evidence and
• Response shows only a • Response shows an
explanation of evidence.
minimal understanding
of the task.
understanding of the
task.
• Response is organized in
multiple paragraphs with
• Response contains
incomplete or incorrect
• Response is organized,
developed, and uses
use of transitional words
and/or phrases.
sentence structure.
transitions between • Response extends
• Response is minimal or
ideas.
understanding of the
disorganized.
• Sentence structure
task with the use of an
• Patterns of mechanical
errors are few, and don’t extension.
errors evident.
interfere with meaning. • Sentence structure
• No consistent pattern of
mechanical errors.
contains few, if any
errors.
• Very few, if any, errors in
mechanics.
Name: ________________________________________