Summer Reading List

Grade 7

Mrs. Baker

Welcome to 7^th grade English! This summer you will be required to read at least two books from the following list. The two books must either be from the same author or from the same genre (category) listed below. Please choose your books wisely! It’s important that you choose books with subjects that will interest you. Attached is a short description of each book. Choose a book that you think you will enjoy! If you start to read a book and you find that the vocabulary is too hard, choose another book! Do not choose a book that you have already read!

Adventure:

My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George

Julie of the Wolves by Jean Craighead George

The Winter Room by Gary Paulson

Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain

The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle by Avi

White Fang by Jack London

The Call of the Wild by Jack London

Three Dog Winter by Elizabeth Van Steenwyk

Fantasy:

A Wrinkle in Time by Madeline L’Engle (or any other title in the series)

The Hobbit by J.R. Tolkien

The Lord of the Rings by J.R. Tolkien

Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis (or any other title in the series)

Science Fiction:

The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams

Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton

The White Mountains by John Christopher

Mystery:

Summer of Fear by Lois Duncan

I Know What You Did Last Summer by Lois Duncan

The Face on the Milk Carton by Caroline Cooney

The Dark and Deadly Pool by Joan Lowery Nixon

Sports:

S.O.R. Losers by Avi

Humor:

The Great Brain Does It Again by John D. Fitzgerald (or any other in this series)

Teenage problems/ Coming of Age:

Blue Heron by Avi

The Man Who was Poe by Avi

Nothing but the Truth by Avi

The Trouble with Lemons by Avi

Tiger Eyes by Judy Blume

The Divorce Express by Paula Danziger

The Cat Ate my Gymsuit by Paula Danziger

I am Fifteen- and Don’t Want To Die by Christine Arnothy

Historical Fiction

Across Five Aprils by Irene Hunt

Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by M.D. Taylor

Number the Stars by Lois Lowry

The Light In The Forest by Conrad Richter

v If you find that you really like an author and would like to explore other titles that they have written, you may substitute your second book for another title not on this list.

Upon your return in September, you will be given an assignment based on the readings you have completed over the summer. Be prepared to answer the following questions:

§ Who are the main characters?

§ What is the setting of the story? Vividly describe it.

§ What is the main conflict or problem in the story?

§ If you were a character in the book, how would you solve the conflict differently?

§ Compare yourself to a character in the story.

It is a good idea to have the answers to these questions on paper that you will be ready to bring with you to class when the time comes.

JHave a wonderful summer! I look forward to meeting you in the fall!J

Title/ Author:	Description:
Adventure:
My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George	Every kid thinks about running away at one point or another; few get farther than the end of the block. Young Sam Gribley gets to the end of the block and keeps going--all the way to the Catskill Mountains of upstate New York. There he sets up house in a huge hollowed-out tree, with a falcon and a weasel for companions and his wits as his tool for survival. In a spellbinding, touching, funny account, Sam learns to live off the land, and grows up a little in the process.
Julie of the Wolves by Jean Craighead George	Miyax, like many adolescents, is torn. But unlike most, her choices may determine whether she lives or dies. At 13, an orphan, and unhappily married, Miyax runs away from her husband's parents' home, hoping to reach San Francisco and her pen pal. But she becomes lost in the vast Alaskan tundra, with no food, no shelter, and no idea which is the way to safety. Now, more than ever, she must look hard at who she really is. Is she Miyax, Eskimo girl of the old ways? Or is she Julie (her "gussak"-white people-name), the modernized teenager who must mock the traditional customs?
The Winter Room by Gary Paulson	Have you ever thought that your life was great and it couldn't get any better? But then something horrible happened, and your life couldn't get any worse? Then something amazing happened, and your life was better than before? Well, if it hasn't, you should read the book. It's about a boy named Eldon, (the protagonist) and his brother Wayne who live on a farm. Their Uncle David, who was very old, always told stories every night, and one story changed everybody's life.
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain	This novel is the story of a boy who lives his life to the fullest. Tom is a boy who often finds himself in stick situations. In this book, he does everything from being engaged, to watching his own funeral, to witnessing a death and finding treasure. Twain's creative character finds fun everywhere in his little town in Missouri, as do his friends.
The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle by Avi	13 year old Charlotte Doyle is the lone passenger on the Sea Hawk, bound from London to New York. When the cruel Captain Jaggery has Charlotte's friend, the ship's cook, beaten to death on the deck of the ship, Charlotte realizes that the Captain is not her friend. However, she has no friends among the crew either since it was her tattling to the Captain of the grumblings of the crew that brought about the cook's death. Will Charlotte survive the rest of the trip without a single person to protect her?
White Fang by Jack London	White Fang is half-dog, half-wolf and the only animal in the litter to survive extreme cold and desperate hunger. This is a story about a fiercely independent creature of the wild, where each day becomes a fight to stay alive.
The Call of the Wild by Jack London	Kidnapped form his safe California home. Thrown into a life-and-death struggle on the frozen Artic wilderness. Half St. Bernard, half -shepard, Buck learns many hard lessons as a sled dog: the lesson of the leash, of the cold, of near-starvation and cruelty. And the greatest lesson he learns from his last owner, John Thornton: the power of love and loyalty. Yet always, even at the side of the human he loves, Buck feels the pull in his bones, an urge to answer his wolf ancestors as they howl to him.
Three Dog Winter by Elizabeth Van Steenwyk	The world of sled dog racing in northern Montana forms the background for a twelve-year-old boy's adjustment to his father's death, his mother's remarriage, and the integration of two families into one.
Fantasy:
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeline L’Engle	Everyone in town thinks Meg Murry is volatile and dull-witted, and that her younger brother, Charles Wallace, is dumb. People are also saying that their physicist father has run off and left their brilliant scientist mother. Spurred on by these rumors and an unearthly stranger, the tesseract-touting Mrs Whatsit, Meg and Charles Wallace and their new friend Calvin O'Keefe embark on a perilous quest through space to find their father. In doing so, they must travel behind the shadow of an evil power that is darkening the cosmos, one planet at a time.
The Hobbit by J.R. Tolkien	In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit. Not a nasty, dirty, wet hole, filled with the ends of worms and an oozy smell, nor yet a dry, bare, sandy hole with nothing in it to sit down on or to eat: it was a hobbit-hole, and that means comfort." The hobbit-hole in question belongs to one Bilbo Baggins, an upstanding member of a "little people, about half our height, and smaller than the bearded dwarves." He is, like most of his kind, well off, well fed, and best pleased when sitting by his own fire with a pipe, a glass of good beer, and a meal to look forward to. Certainly this particular hobbit is the last person one would expect to see set off on a hazardous journey; indeed, when Gandalf the Grey stops by one morning, "looking for someone to share in an adventure," Baggins fervently wishes the wizard elsewhere. No such luck, however; soon 13 fortune-seeking dwarves have arrived on the hobbit's doorstep in search of a burglar, and before he can even grab his hat or an umbrella, Bilbo Baggins is swept out his door and into a dangerous adventure.
The Lord of the Rings by J. R. Tolkien	"Lord of The Rings" exists in the realm of Middle Earth, a mythical land where elves, dwarves, hobbits, and humans live in nervous peace amidst a ring of power. A lost prize sought by the ring's evil creator, the faceless Sauron, who intends to use it for conquest. At the stories opening, Frodo Baggins, current bearer of the ring (found by his Uncle Bilbo) discovers that he must return it to Sauron's kingdom where the ring may be destroyed. Around Frodo, a party of nine is gathered, each member dedicated to the mission's success: Frodo's hobbit pals Samwise, Merry, and Pippin; Legolas, an Elven archer; Boromir a human warrior tempted by the ring's power; Gimli, a cagey Dwarf fighter; Aragorn, human heir to the kingdom, and finally; Gandolf The Grey, a wizard compelled to vanish and reappear, probably because it makes him seem mysterious.
The Chronicles of Narnia (any title in series) by C.S. Lewis	In brief, four children travel repeatedly to a world in which they are far more than mere children and everything is far more than it seems. Richly told, populated with fascinating characters, perfectly realized in detail of world and pacing of plot, and profoundly allegorical, the story is infused throughout with the timeless issues of good and evil, faith and hope. Titles: THE MAGICIAN'S NEPHEW; THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE; THE HORSE AND HIS BOY; PRINCE CASPIAN; THE VOYAGE OF THE DAWN TREADER; THE SILVER CHAIR; and THE LAST BATTLE.
Science Fiction:
The Hitchhicker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams	Join Douglas Adams's hapless hero Arthur Dent as he travels the galaxy with his intrepid pal Ford Prefect, getting into horrible messes and generally wreaking hilarious havoc. Dent is grabbed from Earth moments before a cosmic construction team obliterates the planet to build a freeway.
Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton	Bioengineers clone 15 species of dinosaurs and establish an island preserve where tourists can view the large reptiles; chaos ensues when a rival genetics firm attempts to steal frozen dinosaur embryos, and it's up to two kids, a safari guide and a paleontologist to set things right
The White Mountains by John Christopher	Long Ago, The Tripods -- huge, three-legged machines -- descended upon Earth and took control. People no longer understand automation nor machines, and unquestioningly accept the Tripods' power. But for a time in each person's life -- in childhood -- he is not a slave. Will still has time to escape. Young Will Parker and his companions make a perilous journey toward an outpost of freedom where they hope to escape from the ruling Tripods, who capture mature human beings and make them docile, obedient servants.
Mystery:
Summer of Fear by Lois Duncan	Why is Rachel the only one to sense the evil that surrounds Julia? From the moment Rachel's cousin Julia arrives that summer, she seems to seep into Rachel's life like a poison. Everyone else is enchanted by her -- including Rachel's boyfriend. But what does Julia really want?
I Know What You Did Last Summer by Lois Duncan	Last summer, Julie and her three friends ran over a young boy on his bike, and killed him. In a fit of panic, they decided to drive away, and make a pact never to tell another living person. It has been a year, and the group has fallen apart. But strange accidents are happening, first to Barry, then to Helen. And Julie can't explain the note, written in simple block letters and delivered personally to her house: “I know what you did last summer.”
The Face on the Milk Carton by Caroline Cooney	When Janie Johnson discovers her face on a milk carton, her world crashes down around her. If she is really Jennie Spring, the girl in the missing person photograph, and if she was kidnapped when she was three, whose child is she?
The Dark and Deadly Pool by Joan Lowery Nixon	Mary Elizabeth's summer job at the health club of a ritzy hotel would be just about perfect except for a series of eerie incidents that occur when she is alone by the pool at night. Convinced they are related to a series of robberies plaguing the hotel and its guests, she tries to figure out the link, a mission of increasing urgency once she discovers a corpse in the pool.
Sports:
S.O.R. Losers by Avi	When a team of misfit, non-jock seventh-grade soccer players is formed, the school's reputation for no losses is shattered, and hoping that their parents will agree to fold the team altogether, the players strive for an all-losing season
Humor:
The Great Brain Does It Again by John D. Fitzgerald	In turn-of-the-century Mormon Utah, Tom's great brain comes up with eight more schemes, most of them concerned with earning money
Teenage Problems/ Coming of Age
Blue Heron by Avi	Almost-13-year-old Maggie has a loving mother, a terrific young stepmother, and a father whose delight in seeing her each summer is apparent. This year, there's an infant half-sister for Maggie to meet. The status quo is perfect. But even before her arrival at the rented marsh-side cottage, the girl senses that something isn't right. Her father's anger is barely under control; the relationship between him and his wife is rapidly deteriorating; and Maggie is too young to understand fully the troubles that are destroying them. When she learns that her father's health is poor, and he confesses that he has lost his job and hasn't told his wife, she feels mired in a marsh of complex adult emotions.
The Man Who was Poe by Avi	MURDER! KIDNAPPING! ROBBERY! Read All About It! A mysterious disappearance - Edmund's sister vanishes from a locked room. Why? How? Edmund is alone in a strange city with only a moody stranger to help him. Is this character interested in solving the mystery-or prolonging it?
Nothing but the Truth by Avi	After Philip Malloy, a clownish, rather unmotivated freshman, is punished for causing a disturbance (humming "The Star Spangled Banner"), facts about the incident become exaggerated until a minor school infraction turns into a national scandal. Philip's parents, several reporters and a neighbor (who happens to be running for the school board) accuse the school of being unpatriotic. Philip gains fame as a martyr for freedom; his homeroom teacher, Miss Narwin, however, faces dismissal from her job.
The Trouble with Lemons by Avi	Things are tough enough for eighth-grader Tyler McAllister before he bumps into a dead body while swimming in the quarry. Tyler is trying to understand why he is allergic to almost everything in the world, how he could have saved his parents' marriage and why his father had to die in a plane crash. Trying to cope with a move from L.A. to upstate New York, the boy sorely misses his mother and brother who are away filming movies. Tyler is suddenly thrust into the midst of a murder case, the resolution of which seems to depend upon him.
Tiger Eyes by Judy Blume	After Davey's father is killed in a hold-up, she and her mother and younger brother visit relatives in New Mexico. Here Davey is befriended by a young man who helps her find the strength to carry on and conquer her fears
The Divorce Express By Paula Danziger	No one wants to ride the Divorce Express. Especially Phoebe. It means she has to leave her New York City apartment and boyfriend every Sunday night to spend the week in the country with her dad. It means she has to go to ninth grade in a new school, and see her father go on dates. It's a hectic life with hardly any time to feel she really belongs with the kids in either place. Then, just when Phoebe's got a handle on juggling the pieces of her life, her mother makes a decision that will change everything again. And it could be disastrous!
The Cat Ate My Gym suit By Paula Danziger	Marcy Lewis is bored by school, resents her tyrannical father, despairs of ever being thin, and is certain that she'll never have a date. Then along comes Ms. Finney, a remarkable teacher with unconventional ways, and things begin to change. When the unconventional English teacher who helped her conquer many of her feelings of insecurity is fired, a junior high student uses her new-found courage to campaign for the teacher's reinstatement.
I am Fifteen- and Don’t Want To Die by Christine Richter	Christine tells her true story about surviving in Budapest during World War II. She was fifteen at the time.
Historical Fiction
Across Five Aprils by Irene Hunt	This beautifully written novel offers valuable insights into the difficulties faced by families and communities caught up in the political, economic, and personal upheavals of war. The events of the Civil War unfold “Across Five Aprils” in this moving story. It is set in southern Illinois where Jethro Creighton, an intelligent, hardworking boy, is growing into manhood as his brothers and a beloved teacher leave to fight in the Union and Confederate armies.
Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by M.D. Taylor	The story of one African American family, fighting to stay together and strong in the face of brutal racist attacks, illness, poverty, and betrayal in the Deep South of the 1930s. Nine-year-old Cassie Logan, growing up protected by her loving family, has never had reason to suspect that any white person could consider her inferior or wish her harm. But during the course of one devastating year when her community begins to be ripped apart by angry night riders threatening African Americans, she and her three brothers come to understand why the land they own means so much to their Papa.
Number the Stars by Lois Lowry	Lowry focuses our attention on the Johansen family who have coped with the occupation by the Nazis fairly well. There are the shortages of course and the omnipresent soldiers, but home and school life are relatively undisturbed. Then, their friends, the Rosens, are endangered. Mr. and Mrs. Rosen leave their daughter, Ellen, with the Johansens hoping that she can pass as their daughter until safe voyage to Sweden can be arranged for all the Rosens. Ann Marie Johansen is the one who is most threatened by this ordeal and she shows outstanding but believable courage and enterprise in helping her friend.
The Light In The Forest by Conrad Richter	True Son, born John Butler in a little frontier town, was captured by the Lenni Lenape Indians when he was just four years old and adopted into the tribe by the great warrior Cuyloga who renamed him and reared his as his own. True Son grew up to think, feel, and fight like an Indian, to revere their god. Then the Indians made a treaty and agreed to return all white captives to their own people. By this time True Son had learned to dislike white men. The boy called True Son by his adopted Lenni Lenape Indian family and John by his natural mother and father, hates the white people who reclaim him. Who were his own people now?