Rising 8th Grade Summer Reading 2015

Rising 8th graders must read and complete the following:

What you must read:

●All students must read the anchor title, To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee.

●All students must also read one biography, memoir, OR autobiography of a person who demonstrates heroic traits and characteristics. Please choose an appropriate title based on your reading level (lexile) and class placement. If you are unsure of your lexile level, please visit to take a very short assessment to gauge your lexile range.

■Please note this text will be used for not only the summer reading assessment, but also your first embedded assessment of Unit 1.

■There is a suggested list of interdisciplinary titles listed on page two of this document. If there is a title not on this list that you wish to read, please feel free to choose a different nonfiction title focusing on an individual. Your self-selected title must be of sufficient length (at least 200 pages) and the appropriate level (lexile).

★PARENTAL WARNING: Some of these titles may have content that families/parents may find inappropriate due to the nature of the book and who it is about, as well as its level. Please be sure to research your chosen title before purchasing and reading.

Assignment:

  1. For both books, you must annotate as you see fit. You should apply strategies that your Language Arts teachers have taught you over the past two years.
  2. For both books you also need to mark the text for Signposts.

●Please see “Signposts” document for a reminder of what each signpost means and for its correlating symbol.

●Below is an electronic link to the Signposts (or you can copy/paste it into your browser): Signpost Link

C. Be prepared for an assessment on both books given within the first 30 days

of school.

Suggested Titles:

  1. Gifted Hands, The Ben Carson Story by Ben Carson
  2. Marley and Me by John Grogan
  3. The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind by William Kamkwamba
  4. Unbroken (The Young Adult Adaptation) by Laura Hillenbrand
  5. Steve Jobs: The Man Who Thought Different by Steve Jobs
  6. The Autobiography of Malcolm X by Malcolm X
  7. Soul Surfer: A True Story of Faith, Family, and Fighting to Get Back on the Board by Bethany Hamilton
  8. Grace, Gold, and Glory: My Leap of Faith by Michelle Burford and Gabrielle Douglas
  9. Women Heroes of World War II: 26 Stories of Espionage, Sabotage, Resistance, and Rescue (Women of Action) by Kathryn J. Atwood
  10. Coach Carter by Jasmine Jones
  11. Stealing Home: The Story Of Jackie Robinson by Barry Denenberg
  12. A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier by Ishmael Beah
  13. Red Scarf Girl: A Memoir of the Cultural Revolution by Ji-li Jiang
  14. Long Walk to Freedom, The Nelson Mandela Story by Nelson Mandela
  15. Every Day I Fight by Stuart Scott
  16. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
  17. American Sniper: The Incredible Biography of an American Hero, Chris Kyle by Rick Laird
  18. Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass by Frederick Douglass
  19. I Am Malala by MalalaYousafzai
  20. Autobiography of a Face by Lucy Grealy
  21. Helen Keller, the Story of My Life by Helen Keller
  22. My Life in France by Julia Child
  23. The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls
  24. Not Without Laughter by Langston Hughes
  25. My Losing Season by Pat Conroy
  26. Out of Africa by Isak Dinesen
  27. October Sky by Homer Hickam
  28. Coming of Age in Mississippi by Anne Moody
  29. Go for the Goal: A Champion's Guide to Winning in Soccer and Life by Mia Hamm & Aaron Heifetz
  30. Charles and Emma: The Darwins' Leap of Faith by Deborah Heiligman
  31. High Exposure: An Enduring Passion for Everest and Unforgiving Places by David Breashears
  32. Chinese Cinderella by Adeline Yen Mah