6-8 Summer Reading List

Mandatory: 6^th grade - Holes by Louis Sachar
Please note: The 6th grade choice book project should not be done for the mandatory book.

In addition to the mandatory book, read at least ONE of the following options. Then, DO A PROJECT ON YOUR OPTIONAL BOOK.
Click here to access a list of all summer reading project options.
*Upper school students may not create a word search or crossword puzzle for their optional project.

• Whales on Stilts M.T. Anderson (or any book in the series)
• The One and Only Ivan OR The One and Only Bob by Katherine Applegate
• The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill
• The Name of this Book is Secret by Pseudonymous Bosch(or any book in series)
• Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine
• Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer (any book in the series)
• The Watsons Go to Birmingham-- 1963 by Christopher Paul Curtis
• Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech
• The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo
• The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo
• The London Eye Mystery by Siobhan Dowd
• Out of My Mind by Sharon Draper
• War Dogs by Rachel Frankel
• The Doldrums by Nicholas Gannon
• Space Case: A Moon Base Alpha Novel by Stuart Gibbs
• Spy School by Stuart Gibbs (any book in the series)
• Belly Up by Start Gibbs (or any book in the Funjungle series)
• One Dead Spy: Nathan Hale’s Hazardous Tales by Nathan Hale
• Handbook for Dragon Slayers by Merrie Haskell
• Inside Out and Back Again by Thanhha Lai
• The Green Glass Sea by Ellen Klages
• The Magician’s Nephew by C.S. Lewis (or any book in the series other than The Lion, the Witch, and the  Wardrobe)
• Chomp by Carl Hiassen (or any book in the series)
• The Boys Who Challenged Hitler by Philip Hoose
• The Great Trouble: A Mystery of London, the Blue Death, and a Boy Called Eel by Deborah Hopkinson
• Fantasy League by Mike Lupica
• Mark of the Thief by Jennifer Nielson
• The Seventh Most Important Thing by Shelley Pearsall
• The House that Lou Built by Mae Respicio
• Sugar by Jewell Parker Rhodes
• The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan
• The Red Pyramid by Rick Riordan
• The Whizzpop Chocolate Shop by Kate Saunders
• Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli
• Rising Above: How 11 Athletes Overcame Challenges in Their Youth to Become Stars by Gregory Zuckerman and Elijah Zuckerman

Mandatory: Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson
Please note: The 7th grade choice book project should not be done for the mandatory book.

In addition to the mandatory book, read at least ONE of the following options. Then, DO A PROJECT ON YOUR OPTIONAL BOOK.
Click here to access a list of all summer reading project options.
*Upper school students may not create a word search or crossword puzzle for their optional project.

• Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
• Peter and the Starcatchers by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson
• The Boys in the Boat: The True Story of an American Team’s Epic Journey to Win the Gold at the 1936 Olympics (Young Readers adaptation) by Daniel James Brown
• Two Roads by Joseph Bruchac
• Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie (or another Christie mystery of your choosing)
• Elijah of Buxton by Christopher Paul Curtis
• Boy by Ro CopyKeyboard shortcut Ctrl+Cald Dahl
• Maze Runner by James Daschner
• Across a War-Torn Sky by L.M. Elliott
• A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle
• Fever 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson
• Seraphina by Rachel Hartman
• I Got This: To Gold and Beyond by Laurie Hernandez
• Alex Rider: Storm Breaker by Anthony Horowitz
• Life of Pi by Yan Martel
• A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park
• With the Might of Angels by Andrea Davis Pinkney
• No Summit out of Sight: The True Story of the Youngest Person to Climb the Seven Summits by Jordan Romero and Linda LeBlanc
• Esperanza Rising by Pam Munoz Ryan
• Amal Unbound by Aisha Saeed
• Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy by Gary Schmidt
• The Alchemyst: The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel by Michael Scott
• Nocturne: Creatures of the Night by Traer Scott
• Hidden Figures (Young Readers Edition) by Margot Lee Shetterly
• The Emerald Atlas by John Stephens
• Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson
• The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart
• Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry by Mildred Taylor
• The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien (or any book in the Lord of the Rings Trilogy)
• Game Seven by Paul Volponi
• One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams Garcia
• Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson
• Crow by Barbara Wright
• I am Malala (Either the original or the Young Readers Edition) by Malala Yousafzai
• The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

Mandatory: 8^th grade - The Giver by Lois Lowery
Please note: All 8th grade summer reading assignments should be posted in 8th Grade Hmrm Google Classroom.

1. Every student will complete the SPS Summer Prep Workbook.
2. Every student will read The Giver by Lois Lowery. It is our topic for our first unit in the fall. You must have a copy of this book in school. It is a good idea to mark interesting quotes and events while you read.
3. Each student will choose ONE to read:

• Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
• Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
• Peter Pan by J. M. Barrie
• The Wizard of Oz by Frank Baum
• Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card
• Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carol
• Matilda by Roald Dahl
• White Fang or Call of the Wild by Jack London
• Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery
• Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson
• The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien

Though they are from different genres, each of these books is considered a “classic” piece of literature. After reading the book, submit a typed response in 8th Grade Hmrm Google Classroom to the following questions in MLA format (double-spaced Times New Roman, 12 pt font). Each question should be answered in a paragraph. A strong completed assignment will:

• Be at least two pages long
• Answer each question in a paragraph using complete sentences.
• Support your ideas with specific QUOTED EXAMPLES from the text
• Will not use any outside resources other than the novel.
• Please be sure to CITE which version of the book you read.

1. Do you think this book deserves to be considered a classic? Why or why not?
2. Although this is an older book, does it connect to your life experience and/or events in the world today? Explain.
3. Do you think the characters in this book are realistic and relatable? Why or why not?
4. What is a big decision that a main character had to make? What influenced their decision? Would you have made the same decision? Why or why not?