Dear Royster Families,
April 2015
Summer approaches! In this season of registering for camps, booking hotels, and purchasing swim suits, we must include selecting summer reading books among our key rituals of preparing for the summer season. Just as students will need their knee pads for volleyball camp and their sunscreen for beachy afternoons, we know they will need some good books to be equipped for the long car rides and lazy Saturdays that they will encounter this summer. Our middle school faculty has been working hard to cook up a great list of books for our students. Whether our middle schoolers want to learn to take over the world as they read Leadership Secrets of Atila the Hun , or whether they prefer to solve mysteries alongside Sherlock Holmes in House of Silk , there’s something for everyone on this year’s list.
Students will choose three titles from the faculty-sponsored list provided and read them at their leisure over the summer. When students return to school in August, they will participate in an activity related to each book they’ve selected for summer reading. First, they will engage in a discussion and group project with the students and faculty member who read one of their books. For their second book, they will do a writing activity for English class, and for the third, they will work on a project with their advisee group. Through these exercises, students will have the opportunity to reflect on the reading they’ve done and to enjoy conversations about good books as a school community. Whether they are reading about alien invaders in The 5th Wave or a race around the globe in Around the World in 80 Days , we know that our summer reading books will be essential supplies on our students’ summer adventures. Happy Reading, Royster Summer Reading Advisory
Royster Summer Reading Program Royster Middle School students are required to read three titles from the selections provided. The 2015 selections are titles faculty members have chosen to sponsor; students and parents should review the selections together to evaluate age appropriateness, subject matter and readability. Students should choose books i) within their grade level, ii) that they have not read before and iii) that appeal to their personal reading interests. Follow the instructions on the sign-up sheet carefully. Each of the students’ three Summer Reading titles will be used within the first month of school. Book 1 – Group Discussion Selection: In August, students who read the same book will meet with the sponsoring faculty member for a discussion and an activity based around the book. The number of students in each discussion group is limited; assignments to groups will be made on a first-come, first-served basis. Book 2 – English Class Selection: In English class when they return to school, students will complete a writing exercise based on their second summer reading book. The specifics of the assignment will vary depending on the student’s class. Any of the books on the list will work for this activity. Book 3 – Advisee Group Selection: During their first advisee meeting in September, students will participate in a group activity based on their third summer reading book. (It will not be necessary for all members of the advisee group to read the same book for this meeting.) One small favor that we ask of families is to take a picture of your student reading one of these books over the summer. Whether students are reading in a backyard hammock or an exotic destination, we love to have these pictures of them for slideshows and posterity. Please email your summer reading photo to summerreading@norfolkacademy.org.
Frequently Asked Questions How many books do I have to read? Three. You’re welcome to read as many of them as you’d like, but we’ll use only three in an academic setting. Does it matter whether I consult the digital or paper Summer Reading packet? No—they are both the same. In an effort to conserve paper, we are encouraging everyone to use the online packet available at http://tiny.cc/roystersummerreading. Copies of the paper packet are available in the middle school office. If you use the digital packet, be sure to bring your sign-up sheet with parent signature on the day you sign up. The book list states the book is for certain grade levels. What does this mean? Many of the books are open to multiple grade levels. If you are a rising 7th grader you may only choose titles with Grade Level 7-8 or 7-9; a rising 8th grader may select titles with Grade Level 7-8, 7-9, or 8-9. Rising 9th grade students may read books designated for Grade Level 7-9, 8-9, or 9. Can I choose a book that I have already read? If you read A Boy and His Horse when you were younger, you are welcome to read it again this summer; we will be reading and discussing it from more of a literary perspective with hopes of opening your eyes to things that you didn’t notice when you were younger. With the exception of this title, please choose books that are new to you. Does it matter what kind of books I choose in anticipation of the English assignment and the Advisee project? No. All of the books on the list will work well for both. I really want to be in the discussion group for a certain book; what should I do to have the best chance at getting in? Sign-ups for rising 7th graders will be done by random lottery. Be sure to return your signed sign-up sheet to your homeroom teacher by Friday, April 24 to have the best chance of getting the book you want when you sign up on April 27. For rising 8th and 9th graders, discussion group signups are first-come, first-served during tutor bell on May 13th and 14th.
Discussion groups may fill up fast! Carefully read and follow the instructions on the sign-up sheet. If the discussion group is full when I go to sign up, can I still read that book? Of course! If a particular discussion group is full, just use the book for either the English assignment or the Advisee group project. Will the Summer Reading list books be sold at the NA bookstore? Yes! You are also welcome to purchase them elsewhere or borrow them from a library. Am I allowed to read my book on a Kindle, Nook, iPad, or other ereader? Absolutely. Keep in mind, however, that some English projects might require you to know the page numbers of your book, which aren’t always available on e-readers. You could read the book on your e-reader and then check out the hard copy from the library when it comes time to do your English assignment. If I’m not doing anything cool this summer, should I still email a photo of me reading? Definitely. We want to have as many pictures of reading middle schoolers as possible. Even if you’re just reading on your living room couch, send us a picture. If you’re going surfing in Costa Rica, though, be sure to bring your book along for a photo. I saw several different versions of my book at the bookstore. How do I know which one to get? Consult the ISBN number listed in the packet. I have a question about Summer Reading that is not answered here. What should I do? Contact the Middle School Office at 461-2223 and we will help you find an answer!
Royster Summer Reading 2015
Title
Author
Grades
The 5th Wave
Rick Yancey
7,8,9
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes Around the World in 80 Days Between Shades of Gray Class Favorite Cradle to Cradle Dairy Queen The Design of Everyday Things The Eyre Affair Faith at War Fences Fire in the Ashes Fly to Honor Go Set a Watchman The Great Wide Sea The Horse and His Boy House of Silk
Arthur Conan Doyle Jules Verne Ruta Sepetys Taylor Morris Michael Braungart Catherine Gilbert Murdoch Don Norman Jasper Fforde Yaroslav Trofimov August Wilson Jonathan Kozol Neil Duffy Harper Lee M.H. Herlong C.S. Lewis Anthony Horowitz
7,8,9 7,8,9 7,8,9 7,8,9 7,8,9 7,8,9 9* 7,8,9 9* 9* 9* 7,8,9 9* 7,8,9 7,8,9 7,8,9
How I Got Skinny, Famous, and Fell Madly in Love I Capture the Castle Into Thin Air
Ken Baker Dodie Smith Jon Krakauer
8,9* 7,8,9 9*
Wess Roberts
7,8,9
Bill Bryson
7,8,9
Leadership Secrets of Atilla the Hun Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid
*Contains mature language or content suitable for more mature readers
Royster Summer Reading 2015
The London Eye Mystery A Long Walk to Water A Mango-Shaped Space The Midwife's Apprentice Neverwhere The Ocean at the End of the Lane Peak Pictures of Hollis Woods Red Kayak Red Queen The Road Not Taken and Other Poems A Room with a View Simple Courage The Sledding Hill The Thursday Speeches Whirligig Winning Ugly
Siobhan Dowd Linda Sue Park Wendy Mass Karen Cushman Neil Gaiman Neil Gaiman Roland Smith Patricia Reilly Giff Priscilla Cummings Victoria Aveyard
7,8,9 7,8,9 7,8,9 7,8 9* 8,9* 7,8,9 7,8,9 7,8,9 7,8,9
Robert Frost E.M. Forester Frank Delaney Chris Crutcher Peter Tormey Paul Fleischman Brad Gilbert
7,8,9 8,9* 7,8,9 8,9* 8,9* 7,8,9 7,8,9
*Contains mature language or content suitable for more mature readers
Royster Summer Reading 2015 The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey Dystopian ISBN 978-0142425831
Gr. 7-9
Four waves of aliens have obliterated almost all humans on Earth. Now Cassie faces the 5th wave, a generation of aliens that can so convincingly mimic humans that she can trust no one. Her parents are dead. Her brother might be, too. But she is bent on survival. The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle Mystery Gr. 7-9 ISBN 978-0140437713 The original master of mystery and suspense delivers a series of stories full of murders, showdowns, twists, and turns. This edition of the book contains The Adventures AND Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes. You only need to read the Adventures.
Around the World in 80 Days by Jules Verne Action/Adventure ISBN 978-0760793626
Gr. 7-9
Phineas Fogg makes a bet that he can travel around the world in 80 days or less. The year is 1872, so flying will not be an option. Racing by train, ship, sledge, and even elephant, he must navigate duels, human sacrifices, and attacks as he tries to cover the globe. Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys Historical Fiction ISBN 978-0142420591
Gr. 7-9
Soviet officers invade Lina’s home and tear her family apart. Separated from her father and forced onto a crowded train, Lina, her mother, and her young brother make their way to a Siberian work camp, where they are forced to fight for their lives.
Class Favorite by Taylor Morris Fiction ISBN 978-1416935988
Gr. 7-9
Sara is determined to be voted “Class Favorite” in the yearbook, but a string of (to us) hilarious (to her) humiliating events stand in her way.
Cradle to Cradle by Michael Braungart Non-Fiction ISBN 978-0865475878
Gr. 7-9
Trash. Garbage. Waste. You create a ton of it. It’s destroying our planet. We’ve all heard “reduce, reuse, recycle,” but what if there’s a better way? Can we design products so they’ll save our planet instead of hurting it? Dairy Queen by Catherine Gilbert Murdoch Fiction ISBN 978-0618863358
Gr. 7-9
There’s a lot that D.J.’s trying to figure out. Her mom has a secret. Her older brother won’t call home. Her younger brother never talks. Her best friend just came out. And Brian Nelson, football star, person she’s always hated, might not be so terrible after all. The Design of Everyday Things by Don Norman Non-Fiction ISBN 978-0465050659
Gr. 9*
Have you ever fumbled for a light switch or had trouble opening a container? The fault may not be with you. It may be in the design of the product itself. This book explores how things can be designed to work intuitively, to minimize frustration, and to please people with their simplicity. The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde Fantasy ISBN 978-0142001806
Gr. 7-9
How to describe this book? James Bond meets Harry Potter in the Twilight Zone. Time travel is routine. Cloning is reality. Characters in books come to life. And people get lost (literally) in poems. When beloved book characters start getting kidnapped, Special Ops agent Thursday Next must find them. Faith at War by Yaroslav Trofimov Non-Fiction ISBN 978-0312425111
Gr. 9*
You should read this book to understand Islam. You should read this book to see why stuff happening halfway around the world matters to you. You should read this book to be a better citizen of the world.
*Contains mature language or content suitable for more mature readers
Fences by August Wilson Drama ISBN 978-0452264014
Gr. 9*
Troy Maxson, is a strong man, a hard man. He has had to be to survive. Troy Maxson has gone through life in an America where to be proud and black is to face pressures that could crush a man. But there’s a new spirit of liberation in the 1960s... a spirit that is changing the world.
Fire in the Ashes by Jonathan Kozol Non-Fiction ISBN 978-1400052479
Gr. 9*
This book tells the true stories of young men and women who have come of age in one of the most destitute communities of the United States. Some of them never do recover from the battering they undergo in their early years, but many more battle back with fierce and often jubilant determination to overcome the formidable obstacles they face. Fly to Honor by Neil Duffy Fiction Purchase in NA Bookstore
Gr. 7-9
This is the story of Jack Turnbull—Olympian, Lacrosse legend, devoted son and brother, and war hero, written by our very own coach and teacher, Neil Duffy.
Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee Historical Fiction ISBN 978-0062409850
Gr. 9*
Never before. Never again. There’s a book on summer reading that’s not yet published. Harper Lee is finally releasing the novel she wrote 60 years ago – featuring the same characters as To Kill a Mockingbird, but 20 years in the future. It will come out July 14.
The Great Wide Sea by M.H. Herlong Action/Adventure ISBN 978-0142416709
Gr. 7-9
Three boys set sail with their father, bound for the Bahamas. When they wake one morning and their father has disappeared, they’re not sure if they’ll make it to their destination alive.
*Contains mature language or content suitable for more mature readers
The Horse and His Boy by C.S. Lewis Fantasy ISBN 978-0064471060
Gr. 7-9
In the sequel to The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe, two runaways on a desperate journey meet and join forces. Though they are only looking to escape their harsh and narrow lives, they soon find themselves at the center of a terrible battle. It is a battle that will decide their fate and the fate of Narnia itself. House of Silk by Anthony Horowitz Mystery ISBN 978-0316197014
Gr. 7-9
London, 1890. 221B Baker St. A fine art dealer named Edmund Carstairs visits Sherlock Holmes and Dr John Watson to beg for their help. He’s been followed. He’s been threatened. Then the first murder takes place...
How I Got Skinny, Famous, and Fell Madly in Love by Ken Baker Fiction ISBN 978-0762450145
Gr. 8-9*
Emery Jackson, Age 16, size 16, gets a chance to go on a reality TV show to lose 50 pounds in 50 days. The whole world will watch as she fights to drop the three letter word she hates – fat.
I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith Historical Fiction ISBN 978-0312316167
Gr. 7-9
Cassandra lives in a castle. How romantic! Not really. The castle is crumbling and surrounded by mud. And her crazy family doesn’t seem to have a plan. Cassandra must rise to the occasion.
Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer Non-Fiction ISBN 978-0385494786
Gr. 9*
John Krakauer’s true story of climbing Everest with a group of men who didn’t all make it down the mountain alive.
*Contains mature language or content suitable for more mature readers
Leadership Secrets of Atilla the Hun by Wess Roberts Gr. 7-9 Non-Fiction ISBN 978-0446391061 This is the book that reveals the leadership secrets of Attila the Hun-the man who centuries ago shaped an aimless band of mercenary tribal nomads into the undisputed rulers of the ancient world.
The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid by Bill Bryson Gr. 7-9 Non-Fiction ISBN 978-0767919371 The Thunderbolt Kid was born in the 1950s when six-yearold Bryson found a mysterious, scratchy green sweater with a satiny thunderbolt across the chest. The jersey bestowed magic powers on the wearer–X-ray vision and the power to zap teachers and babysitters and deflect unwanted kisses from old people. These are the memoirs of that Kid. London Eye Mystery by Siobhan Dowd Mystery ISBN 978-0385751841
Gr. 7-9
How can someone who goes up on a ferris wheel never come down? It’s not a riddle. It’s a mystery. Ted and Kat’s cousin rides the famous London Eye. And then he disappears. Poof.
A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park Fiction ISBN 978-0547577319
Gr. 7-9
An explosion in Sudan. Salva is forced to flee from gunfire through crocodile-infested rivers. He becomes a Lost Boy. He may never see his home again. 30 years later Nya lives in his old village. Salva will change her life. But how?
A Mango-Shaped Space by Wendy Mass Fiction ISBN 978-0316058254
Gr. 7-9
Mia Winchell has synesthesia, the mingling of perceptions whereby a person can see sounds, smell colors, or taste shapes. Forced to reveal her condition, she must look to herself to develop an understanding and appreciation of her gift
The Midwife’s Apprentice by Karen Cushman Historical Fiction ISBN 978-0547722177
Gr. 7-8
It’s Medieval England. Life is rough, dangerous, primitive, and raucous. Brat is living on the streets. Her fortune seems to change when a midwife takes her in, but learning to be a midwife’s apprentice turns out to be almost as tough as her life without a home. Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman Fantasy ISBN 978-0060557812
Gr. *9
Hired assassins murdered a family Richard Mayhew never knew. But when he saves an orphaned young woman, he becomes trapped in a parallel world, and his life cannot move forward until he unravels the past.
The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman Fantasy ISBN 978-0062255662
Gr. 8-9*
What if everything we imagined as children - the monsters, the magic, the wonderful and evil and impossible creatures - are real? When we get older, we simply forget that it’s all true. What if, just for a day, you could remember? Pictures of Hollis Woods by Patricia Reilly Giff Fiction 978-0440415787
Gr. 7-9
Hollis Woods has been in so many foster homes she can hardly remember them all. When Hollis is sent to Josie, she’ll do everything in her power to make sure they stay together.
Peak by Roland Smith Action/Adventure 978-0152062682
Gr. 7-9
What happens when a fourteen year old scales a NYC skyscraper? He gets arrested. And he has a choice. Juvie or moving halfway around the world to live with his dad. He picks his dad. But when his dad takes him to climb Mount Everest, his decision could cost him his life.
*Contains mature language or content suitable for more mature readers
Red Kayak by Priscilla Cummings Fiction 978-0142405734
Gr. 7-9
Tragedy strikes when the DiAngelos’ kayak overturns in the Chesapeake Bay, and Brady wonders if it was more than an accident. Soon, Brady discovers the truth, and it will change his life forever.
Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard Dystopian/Fantasy 978-0062310637
Gr. 7-9
If you’re silver, you have abilities, powers. You’re the elite. If you’re red, you’re common, treated like dirt. Mare Barrow is as red as they come, but when a stranger takes pity on her when she’s out after dark pickpocketing, and she ends up in the palace, her life won’t ever be common again. A Room with a View by E.M. Forester Fiction 978-0486284675
Gr. 8-9*
Lucy Honeychurch lives in England in the early 1900’s - a world of arrogance, snobbery, and expectations. When she falls in love with someone “socially unsuitable,” she must decide whether to follow society’s wishes or her own. The Road Not Taken and Other Poems by Robert Frost Gr. 7-9 Poetry 978-0486275505
Read some of the very best poems by one of the greatest American poets of all time.
Simple Courage by Frank Delaney Non-Fiction ISBN 978-0812975956
Gr. 7-9
In December 1951, the S.S. Flying Enterprise steamed westward from Europe toward America. Then a storm hit. Force 12 winds tossed men about like playthings and turned drops of freezing Atlantic foam into icy missiles. Two rogue waves cracked the decks and hull almost down to the waterline, threw the vessel over on her side, and thrust all on board into terror.
*Contains mature language or content suitable for more mature readers
The Sledding Hill by Chris Crutcher Fiction ISBN 978-0060502454
Gr. 8-9*
What do you do when the school is wrong and the kids are right? You need Eddie. A guy who’s had such a bad year (His father died. So did his best friend.) that he’s got nothing to lose. Oh, and his dead friend still visits to give him advice. That helps, too. The Thursday Speeches by Peter Tormey Non-Fiction ISBN 978-0692328354
Gr. 8,9*
The Thursday Speeches pulls back the curtain to put readers in the room with exclusive access to the compelling pregame speeches from one of the best college football coaches in history.
Whirligig by Paul Fleischman Fiction ISBN 978-0312629113
Gr. 7-9
Brent Bishop goes to a party. He has too much to drink. He drives home anyway, and he causes a car crash that kills a girl. He’s so filled with guilt that he can’t imagine going on with his life, but the girl’s parents tell him he must honor their daughter’s memory; they challenge him to travel to the four corners of the U.S. to build whirligigs in her honor.
Winning Ugly by Brad Gilbert Sports Non-Fiction ISBN 978-0671884000
Gr. 7-9
“He hits like a caveman! How does this guy win?!” Olympic medalist Brad Gilbert unloads all his tips and tricks for how to beat better players without playing better tennis.
*Contains mature language or content suitable for more mature readers