Summer Reading Packet

Summer Reading Packet

Holes: By Louis Sachar

Your project includes five parts. Some sections you may choose what categories to complete. You will hand in a project packet including all of the sections. Part 4 will be done on a separate poster board and handed in at the same time.

Part 1:

1.  Illustration:

Pick your favorite scene from Holes and draw it with color on white construction paper. Be sure to include the Title of the book somewhere on your picture.

Take your time! This will be the cover of your project.

Part 2 (select 2):

1.  Your own “Rules of Survival”

Decide what you think is the ten most important rules that one must follow in order to survive at Camp Green Lake. Type them out With the title, “(Your Name)’s Rules of Survival”

2.  Vocabulary

As you read, pick out 25 words that are new to you. Look up their definition and type (or write) and number them on a sheet of paper.

3.  Diary entries

Choose your favorite inmate at Camp Green Lake and write 10 Diary entries in which your character shares his thoughts about his daily activities. Include information from the story as well as your own imagination! Each diary entry will be at least one full paragraph.

Part 3 (select 2): Sheets for this section are included in this packet. Use them for the two categories that you select

1.  Letter to a Friend:

Pretend that you met a character from Holes! Write a letter to a friend and tell about why you found this character so interesting. Your descriptive words should make your friend want to read the book, too! Fill out the sheet provided in this packet.

2.  Report Card:

You get to be the teacher and complete a report card for the book you’ve just read! The grades are A = Awesome, P = Pretty Good, S = So-so, and D = Disappointing. You also get to make your own category. Be fair and include a sentence explaining why you gave each grade under “Comments.” Fill out the sheet of paper in this packet.

3.  Final Chapter:
Every good book finds us wishing there was more to read! Write a last chapter title (the number, too) and summary. Use your imagination and make it so interesting that Louis Sachar would be sorry that he didn’t think of it!

Part 4 (select 1): This section can be done on poster board, however, you can do a Power Point Presentation or create a visual representation of your choice.

1.  Advertisement:

Create an advertisement poster telling about Holes. In you poster include a description of the novel, the main characters, your favorite part, and a recommendation to others.

2.  Song/Poem:
Camp Green Lake. There is no lake, it has been dry for over a hundred years, and it's hardly a camp at all. The camp is located in a barren region of Texas, one hundred miles from the nearest water source. Describe the desert of Camp Green Lake in a five senses poem: Color, tastes sights, sounds, smells, feelings. Decorate the poster board around your song or poem with images of the desert.

Part 5:

1.  Short Answer Questions:
Using the questions below select at least 3 that interest you and answer them on a separate piece of paper.

a.  Why don't the other boys like Stanley and Zero's agreement that Zero will help Stanley dig and Stanley will help Zero read? Do you think it is fair to both Stanley and Zero? Do you think it is fair to the other campers?

b.  Holes is really three stories tied together. One is about Camp Green Lake. The second is the tale of Stanley 's great-great grandfather and the "curse" put on him by Madame Zeroni. The third story is of Kissin' Kate Barlow, the outlaw who robbed his great grandfather. How do these three stories fit together within the larger story of Holes?

c.  Stanley always seems to find humor even in the worst situations. He laughs on the bus to Camp Green Lake thinking about his "no-good-dirty-rotten-pig-stealing-great-great-grandfather." While walking across the hot, dry lake, he laughs at the sight of the boat, Mary Lou. Climbing Big Thumb, he even makes Zero laugh. What does this say about Stanley? How does his attitude help him?

e.  What is the significance of Stanley's name being a palindrome, a word that is spelled the same way forward and backward?

f.   Where does Stanley find the strength to carry Zero up the mountain? Why did he do it even though he didn't know what he'd find at the top? Describe something you've done that at first seemed impossible. What did you learn from the experience?

g.   Even though his fate is uncertain, Stanley is suddenly very happy as he lies awake on the top of the mountain, staring at the stars. Why does he feel this way? How has his life changed from the start of the story?

h.   Why do you think Stanley starts to call Zero by his real name, Hector?

i.   When Hattie Parker sees Katherine and Sam kiss, she says, "God will punish you!" Based on the events later in the book, whom do you think God punished?

Your finished projects will be collected when you return to school.
Have a safe and wonderful summer! I look forward to seeing how hard you’ve worked when we meet again in September. Good luck!

Sincerely,

Mrs. Clark

Story Questions for Dealing with Dragons

1.  In what ways is this book similar to a traditional fairy tale? In what ways is it different?

·  slide 3 of 7

2.  What one thing do people tell Cimorene over and over? Why is this phrase so important?

·  slide 4 of 7

3.  How does Cimorene change throughout the book?

·  slide 5 of 7

4.  In what ways is Alianora like the other ‘normal’ princesses? In what ways is she like Cimorene?

·  slide 6 of 7

5.  What role does gender play in this novel?

·  slide 7 of 7

6.  What do you think is the most important lesson Cimorene learns?

7.  Why do you think the author chose to write the book this way, instead of writing a traditional fairy tale?

8.  How can we relate the themes in this book to our real, everyday lives?

◄●●●●●●●►

Book Review for So You Want to Be a Wizard

The Book Review:

o  Although a book review, like a book report, spends some time discussing the content of the book, its main purpose is not informational, but analytical and persuasive. The writer, in analysing the content, format, argument, and context within which the book was written, argues that the book is worth reading or not.

Preparing to Write the Book Review: Before you write the book review, but after you have read the book, you should make notes on the following areas:

►The Author:

o  Background and qualifications

o  Writing style

o  Use of sources (see Bibliography & Table of Charts & Figures)

o  His/her purpose in writing the book

►The Book Format:

o  Table of Contents

o  Section & Chapter Titles

o  Index

o  Introduction (often tells the format, purpose, and intended audience)

►The Content:

o  Introduction/Conclusion

o  Preface

o  Chapter summaries

o  Tables, Graphs, Figures, etc.

Structure of the Book Review: The following format can be used for the Book Review. (Note: you do not have to answer every question; these are only suggestions to guide your writing).

►Introduction:

o  A general description of the book: title, author, subject, and format. Here you can include details about who the author is and where he/she stands in this field of inquiry. You can also link the title to the subject to show how the title explains the subject matter.

o  A brief summary of the purpose of the book and its general argument or theme. Include a statement about for whom the book is intended.

o  Your thesis about the book: What is your opinion on the ideas of the book? Is it a suitable/appropriate piece of writing about the problem for the audience it has identified?

►Main Body

Summary of the Content:

o  Write at least 3 – 4 sentences about the plot: (What was the story about? Who were the main characters? What did the main characters do in the story? Did the main characters run into problems or have any adventures? Who was your favourite character? Why?)

o  What is the writer’s style: simple/technical; persuasive/logical?

Evaluation of the Text:
This is the heart of your book review. You should discuss a variety of issues here:

o  How clearly is the book written?

o  Did the author achieve his/her goal? How did he/she do this or fall short?

o  What are the author's most important points? List at least two examples of how the author proved or did not prove points he was trying to make.

o  What possibilities does the book suggest for the reader?

o  What did the book leave out?

o  How the book compares to others on the subject?

o  What personal experiences do you have relating to the subject?

o  Could you relate to any of the characters in the story?

o  Have you ever done some of the things or felt some of the same things that the character did?

o  What did you like best about the book? What did you like least about the book?

o  If you could change something in the book, what would it be?

►Conclusion (Your recommendation)

o  Tie together any issues raised in the review

o  Would you recommend this book to another person?

o  What type of person would like this book?

There is, of course, no set formula, but a general rule of thumb is that the first one-half to two-thirds of the review should summarize the author's main ideas while the remainder of the report should evaluate the book.

EDITING: Questions to ask yourself

Does my introduction clearly set out who the author is, what the book is about, and what I think about the value of the book? / Yes or No
Have I clearly presented all the facts about the book: title, author, publication details, and content summary? / Yes or No
Is my review well organized with an easily identifiable structure? / Yes or No
Have I represented the book’s organizational structure and argument fairly and accurately? / Yes or No
Have I presented evidence from the book to back up statements I have made about the author, his/her purpose, and the structure, research and argument of the book? / Yes or No
Have I presented a balanced argument about the value of the book for its audience? (Harsh judgements are difficult to prove and show academic intolerance) / Yes or No