Your Name: ____________________________________

Medford Public Schools

Summer Reading Assignment

(For Students Entering Grade Seven)
Your Two Summer Reading Books:
We underline book titles!

Book 1: _______________________________________
Author: _______________________________________
Book 2: ______________________________________
Author: _______________________________________
Directions:
1. Before you read, please fill out the Before You Read
section for each book. (Assignments #1 and #4)
2. As you read, please fill out the While You Read
section for each book. (Assignments #2 and #5)
3. After you read, please complete the Character Letter
for each book. (Assignments #3 and #6)
4. Bring this completed packet to school with you to English
class on the first day of school.

All six assignments must be completed!

Assignment #1: Before You Read for Book 1

Book 1 Title: _____________________________________________(underlined)
Book 1 Author: _____________________________________________________
Directions: Before you read the book listed above, please list three assumptions
(expectations), predictions, or questions you have about the book.
1.) ________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________

2.) ________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________

3.) ________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________

Assignment #2: While You Read for Book 1

Directions: Please complete this form as you read your book. Your notes should be specific and
include details.
1. Book 1 Title: ___________________________________________(underlined)
2. Book 1 Author: ___________________________________________________
3. WHO?
Identify two (or more) main characters. Please list physical and personality characteristics for
each character.
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
4. WHAT?
Part A: List two (or more) main conflicts, problems, or struggles that take place during the book.
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Part B: List the theme of the book. What does the author want us to understand after we read
this book?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________
5. WHEN and WHERE?
List the setting of the story. Be sure to list time(s) and place(s).
Where:________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________When:__________________
______________________________________________________________________________

6. HOW?
Tell whether or not the conflicts are resolved in the end. What happens to the characters? How
does the story end?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
7. POINT-OFVIEW
From whose point-of-view is this story being told? Why is this important to the book?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
8. SUMMARY/PLOT
In paragraph form, describe the events/action that happened in the book. This will be a
minimum of ten sentences.
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________

Assignment #3: Character Letter for Book 1

Directions: After reading your book write a personal letter to one of the characters Pick a
character who has changed throughout the text and include examples of how the character
changed. Be sure to discuss the events in the book and also include your own opinions of the
characters changes. (Length Requirement: 200 or more words)

__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________

Assignment #4: Before You Read for Book 2

Book 1 Title: _____________________________________________(underlined)
Book 1 Author: _____________________________________________________
Directions: Before you read the book listed above, please list three assumptions
(expectations), predictions, or questions you have about the book.
1.) ________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________

2.) ________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________

3.) ________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________

Assignment #5: While You Read for Book 2

Directions: Please complete this form as you read your book. You may use bullet format. Your
notes should be specific and include details.
1. Book 1 Title: ___________________________________________(underlined)
2. Book 1 Author: ___________________________________________________
3. WHO?
List two (or more) main characters. Please list physical and personality characteristics for each
character.
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
4. WHAT?
Part A: List two (or more) main conflicts, problems, or struggles that take place during the book.
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Part B: List the message, lesson, or theme of the book. What does the author want us to
understand after we read this book?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________
5. WHEN and WHERE?
List the setting of the story. Be sure to list time(s) and place(s).
Where:________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________When:__________________
______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________

6. HOW?
Tell whether or not the conflicts are resolved in the end. What happens to the characters? How
does the story end?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
7. WHY?
List connections you were able to make about this book. Does it remind you of another book or
story you read? Does it remind you of something that happened to you or someone you know?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
8. SUMMARY/PLOT
In paragraph form, describe the events/action that happened in the book. This will be a
minimum of ten sentences.
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________

Assignment #6: Character Letter for Book 1

Directions: After reading your book write a personal letter to one of the characters Pick a
character who has changed throughout the text and include examples of how the character
changed. Be sure to discuss the events in the book and also include your own opinions of the
characters changes. (Length Requirement: 200 or more words)

__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________

GRADE 7 SUMMER READING RUBRIC

Name:_____________________________
Summer Reading Assignments

GRADE
91-100

81-90

61-70

50-60

Book Titles: ________________and ___________________

STANDARD
Work is impressive
Conventions full control of sentence structure, grammar and usage
Content Exemplary work/effort; all entries are present and are fully
answered with strong details
Presentation Much time and effort have been put into assignment.

71-80

Date:____________________________

Work is excellent
Conventions Control of sentence structure, grammar and usage
Content Excellent work/effort; all entries are present and are fully
answered with solid details
Presentation Time and effort have clearly been put into assignment.
Work is Good
Conventions Limited control of sentence structure, grammar and
usage
Content Good effort; all entries are present and contain basic
responses to the questions
Presentation Time and effort have been put into assignment.
Work is fair
Conventions Sentence structure, grammar and usage need work
Content more effort needed; most entries are present and contain
minimally answered questions
Presentation More Time and effort should have been put into
assignment.

Work is unacceptable

Work is incomplete

0-49

GRADE 7 SUMMER READING LIST

Amelia Earhart (DK Biography) by Tanya Lee Stone
This biography documents Amelia Earharts life including her struggles, her difficult life
with her parents, and her passion for flying. The book ends with an in depth look at her last flight
and possible scenarios for her tragic end. Amelia Earhart was a social worker, a nurse, a fashion
designer, and a feminist. Reading Level: Average

Chasing Redbird by Sharon Creech

Always the quiet (and often forgotten) middle child in a bustling family, Zinnia's life
begins to change when she stumbles upon a hidden, overgrown pathway that stretches from the
edge of her family's farm into the great unknown. Determined to find where the path leads,
Zinnia begins the daunting task of uncovering brambles and weeds along every inch of its length.
In powerful, honest, down-home prose, Newbery-winner Sharon Creech delivers a dazzling
portrait of a girl who's not afraid to journey into her family's mysterious past in order to find her
own way into adulthood. Watching Zinnia bloom will warm your heart. Reading Level:
Average
Heat by Mike Lupica
Michael Arroyo grows up in the shadows of hallowed Yankee Stadium, a boy forever on
the outside looking in. His only chance to see his field of dreams? Pitch his Bronx all-star team
to the district finals and a shot at the Little League World Series. However, there is a problem.
Michael is goodtoo good. Rival coaches and players cant believe a boy could be this good and
be only twelve years old. And Michael has no way to prove itno mother, no father, and a birth
certificate that is stuck home in his native Cuba. If the people from social services find out his
secret, he will have an even worse problem: being separated from the only family he knows, his
older brother Carlos. Baseball can be a game of heroes, of champions who refuse to lose. Or it
can be a field of crushed dreams. For one boy, the game is about to turn serious. Reading Level:
Average

Out of Darkness: The Story of Louis Braille by Russell Freedman

This book tells the story of Louis Braille who became blind at the age of three. As he
became more and more frustrated with communicating and learning, Louis strove to find a better
away to communicate. His hard work resulted in the development of a simple finger-felt code of
the alphabet, better known as Braille. Reading Level: Average
The Egypt Game by Zilpha Synder
In The Egypt Game, April Hall, an insecure and lonely 11-year-old, comes to live with
her grandmother and surprises herself when she forms an immediate friendship with her
neighbor Melanie Ross. April and Melanie, who share an unusual interest in ancient Egypt, use
their intellect and vivid imaginations to develop an elaborate game of "Egypt." Gradually, the
game becomes more and more real, and frightening things begin to happen in the neighborhood.

The children are faced with a soul-searching question: Has the game gone too far? Newbery
Honor Book. Reading Level: Average
The People of Sparks by Jeanne Duprau
The People of Sparks picks up where The City of Ember leaves off. Lina and Doon have
emerged from the underground city to the exciting new world above, and it isnt long before they
are followed by the other inhabitants of Ember. The Emberites soon come across a town where
they are welcomed, fed, and given places to sleep. But the towns resources are limited and it
isnt long before resentment begins to grow between the two groups. When anonymous acts of
vandalism push them toward violence, its up to Lina and Doon to discover whos behind the
vandalism and why, before its too late. Reading Level: Average

Things Not Seen by Andrew Clements

Bobby Phillips is an average fifteen-year-old boy. Until the morning he wakes up and
cant see himself in the mirror. Not blind, not dreamingBobby is just plain invisible. There
doesnt seem to be any rhyme or reason to Bobbys new condition; even his dad the physicist
cant figure it out. For Bobby that means no school, no friends, no life. Hes a missing person.
Then he meets Alicia. Shes blind, and Bobby cant resist talking to her, trusting her. But people
are starting to wonder where Bobby is. Bobby knows that his invisibility could have dangerous
consequences for his family and that time is running out. He has to find out how to be seen
againbefore its too late. Reading Level: Average
The Greatest: Muhammed Ali by Walter Dean Myers
This story describes the life of Cassius Clay, better known as Muhammed Ali. It takes us
from his childhood to adulthood and demonstrates the various influences in his life. Growing up
during a time of segregation and war, the life behind the boxer is more closely revealed.
Reading Level: Above Average
The Thief Lord by Cornelia Funke
Two orphaned brothers, Prosper and Bo, have run away to Venice, where crumbling
canals and misty alleyways shelter a secret community of street urchins. Leader of this motley
crew of lost children is a clever, charming boy with a dark history of his own: He calls himself
the Thief Lord. Prosper and Bo relish their new "family" and life of petty crime. But their cruel
aunt and a bumbling detective are on their trail. And posing an even greater threat to the boys'
freedom is something from a forgotten past: a beautiful magical treasure with the power to spin
time itself. Winner of the prestigious Batchelder Award, New York Times Bestseller and
Notable Book, USA Today Bestseller, and Child Magazine Best Book of the Year. Reading Level:
Above Average
Watson Go to Birmingham by Christopher Paul Curtis
A wonderful middle-grade novel narrated by Kenny, 9, about his middle-class black
family, the Weird Watsons of Flint, Michigan. When Kenny's 13-year-old brother, Byron, gets to
be too much trouble, they head South to Birmingham to visit Grandma, the one person who can
shape him up. Reading Level: Above Average

Gathering Blue by Lois Lowry

Kira, an orphan with a twisted leg, lives in a world where the weak are cast aside. She
fears for her future until she is spared by the all-powerful Council of Guardians. Kira is a gifted
weaver and is given a task that no other community member can do. While her talent keeps her
alive and brings certain privileges, Kira soon realizes she is surrounded by many mysteries and
secrets. No one must know of her plans to uncover the truth about her world and see what places
exist beyond. Reading Level: Challenging

Lawn Boy by Gary Paulsen (Students need permission to read this book from their previous
ELA teacher or Special Education Teacher)
One day I was twelve years old and broke. I set out to mow some lawns with Grandpas old
riding mower. One client was Arnold the stockbroker, who offered to teach me about: the
beauty of capitalism. Supply and demand. Diversifying labor. Distributing the wealth. Its
groovy, man, Arnold said. The grass grew, and so did business. Arnold invested my money
in many things. One of them was a prizefighter. All of a sudden I was the sponsor of my very
own fighter, Joey Pow. Thats when my twelfth summer got really interesting. Gary
Paulsens comic story about a summer job becomes a slapstick lesson in business as one boy
turns a mountain of grass into a mountain of cash.
Song of the Trees by Mildred Taylor (Students need permission to read this book from their
previous ELA teacher or Special Education Teacher)
With the depression bearing down on her family and food in short supply, Cassie Logan
isn't sure where her next meal will come from. But there is one thing that she knows will always
be there-the whispering trees outside her window. Cassie's trees are a steady source of comfort to
her, but they also happen to be worth a lot of money. When Mr. Andersen tries to force Big Ma
to sell their valuable trees, Cassie can't just sit by and let it happen. She knows that her family
needs the money, but something tells her that they need the trees just as much. The beloved
heroine of Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry enchants us again in this story of strength and pride.