Clayton Middle School Summer Reading Selections

“ONE GRADE, ONE BOOK”

2014

The Clayton Middle School Language Arts Department considers summer reading an important extension of the curriculum. This summer, students in grades 6, 7, and 8 will be reading the same book for their grade level. Each student is required to obtain the book on the recommended list for his or her grade. A limited number of the titles are available to be checked out through the school library over the summer. Summer reading books may be purchased online, at any local book store, and even at Target or Walmart. All of the books are available at the public libraries in Glassboro, Franklinville, Williamstown, and Washington Township.

Summer Reading Expectations:

· All students who will be in grades 6-8 for the 2014-2015 school year at Clayton Middle School are expected to obtain a book and complete their grade level summer reading before the new school year begins. The summer reading is selected to address a wide range of interests and reading competencies.

· Summer reading assessments will be given during the first two weeks of school. Objective tests, essay tests, and/or alternative assessments, such as book reports, will be used to evaluate students’ understanding of the texts.

6th Grade Required Book: Wonder by R.J. Palacio

August Pullman is not an ordinary ten-year-old kid. Sure, he's a huge Star Wars fan, he loves his dog, and he's got a pretty good sense of humor. But August was born with a craniofacial abnormality — a genetic defect that caused his facial features to be severely deformed. His life has never been "normal."

Despite his differences, August and his parents decide to transition him from home school to private school now that he's entering fifth grade. It's the start of middle school, they reason, so everyone will be new. But August has to deal with so much more than just being new. Will he make friends? Will he decide to stay at the school? And can the people around him learn to see past his appearance?

7th Grade Required Book: Double Identity by Margaret Haddix

About this book:

As Bethany approaches her thirteenth birthday, her parents begin acting more oddly than usual: Her mother cries constantly, and her father barely lets Bethany out of his sight. Then one morning he hustles the entire family into the car, drives across several state lines, and leaves Bethany with an aunt she never knew existed. Bethany has no idea what's going on. She's worried that her mom and dad are running from some kind of trouble, but she can't find out because they won't tell her where they are going.

Bethany's only clue is a few words she overheard her father tell her aunt Myrlie: "She doesn't know anything about Elizabeth." But Aunt Myrlie won't tell Bethany who Elizabeth is, and she won't explain why people in her small town react to Bethany as if they've seen a ghost. The mystery intensifies when Bethany gets a package from her father containing four different birth certificates from four states, with four different last names, and thousands of dollars in cash. And when a strange man shows up asking questions, Bethany realizes she's not the only one who's desperate to unravel the secrets of her past.

8th Grade Required Book: The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne

About this book:

Berlin, 1942: When Bruno returns home from school one day, he discovers that his belongings are being packed in crates. His father has received a promotion and the family must move from their home to a new house far, far away, where there is no one to play with and nothing to do. A tall fence running alongside stretches as far as the eye can see and cuts him off from the strange people he can see in the distance.

But Bruno longs to be an explorer and decides that there must be more to this desolate new place than meets the eye. While exploring his new environment, he meets another boy whose life and circumstances are very different to his own, and their meeting results in a friendship that has devastating consequences.

*Source for all book summaries: Scholastic Website