Grady Middle School

Required Summer Reading

Wonder by R.J. Palacio

All students entering 8th grade at Grady Middle School are required to read one novel during the summer. The novel will be used as a reference text as well as used to teach new skills. Therefore, each student must purchase the book from any major book store or download it to an eReader. There will be a comprehensive assessment given over the novel during the first week of school.

The Publisher's Description
August (Auggie) Pullman was born with a facial deformity that prevented him from going to a mainstream school—until now. He's about to start 5th grade at Beecher Prep, and if you've ever been the new kid then you know how hard that can be. The thing is Auggie's just an ordinary kid, with an extraordinary face. But can he convince his new classmates that he's just like them, despite appearances?

Required Reading – Wonder by R.J. Palacio

ELA Assignment Packet Includes the Following:

§  Short Answer Discussion Questions

§  Short Answer Response Boxes (4)

§  Article Critique Assignment with Grading Rubric

§  Information about Independent Reading Units for the Upcoming School Year

§  Lists of Suggested Book Titles for Independent Reading for the Upcoming School Year

Organizing Your Summer Reading Assignment

Students should make the conscious effort to put their best work forward. Please adhere to the following:

·  Errors in writing conventions such as spelling, capitalization and punctuation should not be present.

·  All answers and responses should be in complete sentences with text support.

·  If you use another source, you must cite it both in your document (in-text citation) and on a works cited page. See the MLA manual or online at the Purdue Owl for help.

·  Responses and reflections may be typed or handwritten.

Short Answer Discussion Questions

Directions: As you read the novel, think about each of these questions. Select four questions to answer in the open ended response boxes attached to this document. In complete detailed sentences, share your thoughts. Support your thoughts with text evidence.

_1. Don’t Judge A Boy by His Face

·  What do you think of the line ‘don’t judge a boy by his face’ which appears on the back cover of the book?

·  Did this affect how much you wanted to read the story?

·  How much did this line give away about the story you were about to read?

2. Auggie’s Appearance

·  Throughout Wonder, Auggie describes the way that many people react to seeing his face for the first time: by immediately looking away. Have you ever been in a situation where you have responded like this to seeing someone different?

·  Having now read Wonder, how do you feel about this now?

·  Auggie’s face is not fully described until quite far on in the story, in Via’s chapter “August: Through the Peephole”. How close was this description to your own mental picture of Auggie? Did you have a picture of his face in your mind while reading the book? Did this description alter that picture?

3. Auggie’s Personality

·  How would you describe Auggie as a person in the first few chapters of the book? What about the final few chapters? Has he changed significantly?

·  Are there any experiences or episodes during the story that you think had a particular effect on him? If so, how?

4. The Astronaut Helmet

·  In the chapter ‘Costumes’ Auggie describes the astronaut helmet that he wore constantly as a younger child. We later learn that Miranda was the one to give Auggie the helmet, and is proud of the gift, but that it was Auggie’s father who threw it away. What do you think the helmet signifies to each of these characters and why do you think they all view it so differently?

5. Star Wars

·  Star Wars is one of Auggie’s passions. Why do you think this is?

·  Do you see any reasons for Auggie to identify with these characters or to aspire to be like them?

6. The use of humor in Wonder

·  Auggie’s parents bring Auggie around to the idea of attending school by joking with him about Mr. Tushman’s name, and telling him about their old college professor, Bobbie Butt. To what extent is humor used as a tool throughout Wonder to diffuse difficult or tense situations, or to convey a part of the story that would otherwise be depressing or sad? Look at the chapter, ‘How I Came to Life’.

7. Via

·  What did you think of Via as a character? Did you empathize with her?

·  Why do you think Via was so angry to learn that Auggie cut off his Padawan braid?

·  Do you think Via’s own attitude towards her brother changes throughout the story?

8. Mrs. Albans

·  Look at the emails between Mr. Tushman, Julian’s parents and Jack’s parents in the chapter ‘Letters, Emails, Facebook, Texts’. Up to this point in the story we have seen how the children at Auggie’s school have reacted to him. Is Mrs. Albans’ attitude towards Auggie different?

·  What do you make of her statement that Auggie is handicapped?

·  Do you think she is correct in saying that asking ‘ordinary’ children, such as Julian, to befriend Auggie places a burden on them?

9.  At The Ice Cream Parlor

·  The author has explained that she was inspired to write Wonder after an experience at a local ice cream parlor, very similar to the scene described in the chapter ‘Carvel’, where Jack sees Auggie for the first time. In this scene, Jack’s babysitter Veronica chooses to get up and quickly walk Jack and his little brother Jamie away from Auggie, rather than risk Jamie saying something rude or hurtful. What do you think you would have done, if put in that position?

Name: ______Date: ______

Wonder by R. J. Palacio 8th grade Summer Reading Short Answer Response Answer Boxes

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Wonder by R. J. Palacio 8th grade Summer Reading Short Answer Response Answer Boxes

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Nonfiction Article Critique Assignment

Please follow the directions below.

1.  Search for TWO (2) NON-FICTION pieces. The world-wide web is the optimal source for searching. However, not all locations are trustworthy.

2.  One (1) of the pieces must be a non-fiction article. You may use the “Nature of Modern Science and Scientific Knowledge” by Dr. Martin Nickels article or the “Learning Science” by Isaac Asimov for this assignment. The other piece may be your choice and may include a documentary, non-fiction book, or YouTube video, for example. Remember, both pieces must be NON-FICTION.

3.  Using the nonfiction reflection format below, write a multi-paragraph response for each piece.

Scoring the Article Critique

Students will be assessed in two of the four Language A criterion:

Criterion A – Analyzing Criterion D – Using Language

Scoring Rubric

7 – 8: Response clearly demonstrates understanding of the task, completes all requirements, and provides an insightful explanation/opinion that links to or extends aspects of the text.

5 – 6: Response demonstrates an understanding of the task, completes all requirements, and provides some explanation/opinion using situations or ideas from the text as support.

3 – 4: Response may address all of the requirements, but demonstrates a partial understanding of the task, and uses text incorrectly or with limited success resulting in an inconsistent or flawed explanation.

2 – 1: Response demonstrates minimal understanding of the task, does not complete the requirements, and provides only a vague reference to or no use of the text.

Response does not provide enough information for the teacher to evaluate.

0: Response is irrelevant or off-topic or has been plagiarized.

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8th Grade Summer Reading Turn-In Checklist

ü  Copy of Wonder by R.J. Palacio.

ü  Four short answer response questions - answered with text evidence, proofread, and corrected.

ü  Two nonfiction reflections:

o  Reflection of a nonfiction article

§  It may be an article from another teacher’s summer reading assignment

o  Reflection for another piece of nonfiction in whatever format I choose, whether it’s another article, a documentary, a book, a YouTube video, a podcast, an interview….

ü  Sources are cited in-text and as well as on a works cited page.

All of this is due the first week of school. You may email your work when you finish it over the summer to:

or to

Independent Reading for 2014-2015 8th Graders

Henry W. Grady Middle School

Eighth grade ELA classes will participate in independent reading throughout the school year. This handout is intended to provide students with a jump-start on the required reading for our first and subsequent independent reading assignments.

Each independent reading unit will involve reading a book from an assigned genre, completing written literature circle questions, sharing in small groups, and completing a written IR (independent reading) assessment. The requirements and expectations of IR questions and assessments will be covered with students in the Fall Semester when school starts.

The written IR assignments that students will do throughout the year will require them to use specific details from the text. Therefore, we strongly urge you to buy copies of the books so that your student will still have the books in his/her possession when it is time to do the assignments.

A tentative timeline for our independent reading assignments is included below for your reference and a list of suggested titles for each IR assignment is included at the end of this handout.

IR Genre Timeline for 2014-2015

IR #1 – September/October – Mystery/Science Fiction/Fantasy

IR #2 – November/December – Biography/Nonfiction

IR #3 –-January/February – WWII/Holocaust/War in the Pacific

IR #4 – March/April – Historical fiction with an emphasis on US history

IR #5 – April/May – Free Choice

Each IR Book must meet the following requirements:

-falls under one of the genres requested for that particular IR assignment

-is 200 pages or more (this is only a guideline; if the book is a bit shy of 200 pages, it is acceptable).

-appropriate level of reading and interest for your student

-parent approves of the book (we will collect signed parent approval forms throughout the year)

The first independent reading unit will begin approximately four weeks after school begins. Students will need to bring a copy of their mystery/science fiction/fantasy book with them at this time.

Suggested Titles for Independent Reading Assignments

NOTE: These are just suggestions. Students may select books not on this list provided that the books meet the previously described requirements and have parent approval.

IR #1 – Mystery/ Science Fiction/Fantasy/Horror

Mystery

And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie
Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie

I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You by Ally Carter

Last Shot by John Feinstein

Scorpia by Anthony Horowitz

SciFi

Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray BradburyFahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card
1984 by George Orwell

Maximum Ride: The Angel Experiment by James Patterson
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Fantasy

Heir Apparent by Vivian Vande Velde
A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray
The Red Pyramid by Rick Riordan

Horror

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

Shadowland by Meg Cabot
The Maze Runner by James Dashner
The Vampire Plagues I: London 1850 by Sebastian Rook

IR #2 – Biography/Nonfiction

Red Scarf Girl: A Memoir of the Cultural Revolution by Ji-li Jiang

Angela’s Ashes by Frank Mc Court

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angleou

Hawk: Occupation Skateboarder by Tony Hawk

Ryan White: My Own Story by Ryan White, Ann Marie Cunningham, and Jeanne White

The Greatest: Muhammad Ali by Walter Dean Myers

Rosa Parks: My Story by Rosa Parks and Jim Haskins

Chinese Cinderella: The True Story of an Unwanted Daughter by Adeline Yen Mah

Soul Surfer by Bethany Hamilton

A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier by Ishmael Beah

Small Steps: The Year I Got Polio by Peg Kehret

Escape from Slavery: The True Story of My Ten Years in Captivity and My Journey to Freedom in America by Francis Bok and Edward Tivnan

Zlata's Diary: A Child's Life in Wartime Sarajevo Revised Edition by Zlata Filipovic

Beckham: Both Feet on the Ground: An Autobiography by David Beckham & Tom Watt

My Life and the Beautiful Game: The Autobiography of Soccer's Greatest Star by Pele

Lakota Woman by Mary Crow Dog

The Middle Place by Kelly Corrigan

Enrique’s Journey by Sandra Nazario

Falling Leaves: A Memoir of an Unwanted Chinese Daughter by Adeline Yen Mah

Bad Boy: A Memoir by Walter Dean Myers

High Exposure: An Enduring Passion for Everest and Unforgiving Places by David F. Breashears

Warriors Don't Cry: A Searing Memoir of the Battle to Integrate Little Rock's Central High by Melba Pattillo Beals

Go for the Goal: A Champion's Guide to Winning in Soccer and Life by Mia Hamm

When I was Puerto Rican by Esmeralda Santiago

IR #3 – WWII/Holocaust/War in the Pacific

All but My Life by Gerda Weissman Klein

The Cage by Ruth Minsky Sender

Code Talker: A Novel About the Navajo Marines of World War Two by Joseph Bruchac

Daniel Half Human by David Chotjewitz

The Diary of Dawid Sierakowiak Edited by Alan Adelson

Eleanor’s Story – An American Girl in Hitler’s Germany by Eleanor Ramrath Garner

Farewell to Manzanar: A True Story of Japanese American Experience during and After the World War II Internment by Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston

The Hiding Place by Corrie ten Boom

Hidden Child of the Holocaust by Stacy Cretzmeyer

I Have Lived A Thousand Years: Growing Up In The Holocaust by Livia Bitton-Jackson

If I Should Die Before I Wake by Han Nolan

In My Hands: Memories of a Holocaust Rescuer by Irene Gut Updike