Summer Reading & Algebra 1 Packet

6th Grade Summer Reading

Mrs. Calloway jcallo2@lsu.edu

PDF OF 6TH GRADE SUMMER READING

All 6th graders should read the novel Hatchet by Gary Paulson. This novel is the primary text for our first unit. Each student will need a copy of Hatchet. Although there is no written assignment for the summer, think about the following as you read:

Characterization

• How does Brian change during the book?
• How does Gary Paulson develop Brian's character?
• What words would you use to describe Brian?

Plot

• What problems (conflicts) does Brian face?
• How are the problems resolved?
• How does Gary Paulson make the story interesting?

All 6th grade students should choose one other book to read from the list below. Students may listen to an audio version or read an electronic version if they choose. The books on the list below can be checked out from a library. A copy of the book is not required. We will discuss these books in literature circles the first week of school. Each of the books below are on the Louisiana Young Readers’ Choice List.

The Ruby Code	Jessiza Khoury
The Last Year: A Survival Story of the Ukrainian Famine	Katherine Marsh
Call Me Adnan	Reem Faruqi
It Found Us	Lindsay Currie
The Labors of Hercules Beal	Gary D. Schmidt
The Demon Sword Asperides	Sarah Jean Horwitz
The Firefly Summer	Morgan Matson

 

(Mrs. Bailey — abail79@lsu.edu)

7th Grade Summer Reading

Mrs. Bailey abail79@lsu.edu

 PDF OF 7TH GRADE READING ASSIGNMENT

Incoming 7th graders are required to read TWO novels for summer reading.

All students should read the novel Refugee by Alan Gratz and complete the assignment below. The assignment is due on the first day of school. If you have any questions throughout the summer regarding the assignment, please Mrs. Bailey (abail79@lsu.edu). Students must come to class with a copy of the novel Refugee.

In addition to Refugee, all 7th grade students should choose one book to read from the list below. Students may listen to an audio version of this book or read an electronic version if they choose. Each book below is nominated for the 2025-2026 Louisiana Young Readers’ Choice Award. Come prepared to discuss the book of your choice in the first weeks of school.

The Ruby Code	Jessiza Khoury
The Last Year: A Survival Story of the Ukrainian Famine	Katherine Marsh
Call Me Adnan	Reem Faruqi
It Found Us	Lindsay Currie
The Labors of Hercules Beal	Gary D. Schmidt
The Demon Sword Asperides	Sarah Jean Horwitz
The Firefly Summer	Morgan Matson

 

7th Grade Summer Reading Assignment

About Refugee: Three young people are looking for refuge, a place for themselves and their families to live in peace. Separated by decades in time and by oceans in geography, their stories share similar emotional traumas and desperate situations, and, in the end, connect in astounding ways. Josef in 1930s Nazi Germany, Isabel in 1990s Cuba, and Mahmoud in present-day Syria—all three hang on to their hope for a new tomorrow in the face of harrowing dangers.

DIRECTIONS: Answer the following questions from Part I and Part II below on a separate sheet of loose-leaf paper. Your response should be handwritten in complete sentences. I will not accept typed responses. Please email me if you have any questions (abail79@lsu.edu). The assignment is due on the first day of school.

***PART I: In this book, you will encounter cultures that may or may not be familiar to you. Research and become familiar with these terms before you read. Jot down two or three facts about each term on loose-leaf paper:

***PART II: Answer FIVE of the following questions on loose-leaf paper. You do not need to 
answer all of the questions. Choose FIVE of the questions to respond to. Make sure to write the 
number of the question you are responding to on your paper. Answer all parts of the question. 
Use complete sentences.

1. Discuss the reasons that Josef, Isabel, and Mahmoud’s families leave their homes. What are the situations in each of their lives that force them to flee? How are their situations similar and how are they different?
2. What is the theme of this book as expressed through the main characters? What do 
   you feel is the most important idea in each of these stories? Provide examples in the plot of 
   each story to support your ideas.
3. Discuss the personalities of each of these young people: Josef, Isabel, and Mahmoud. 
   In what ways do each of them have to take charge of their families’ plights at different points in 
   their story? Describe the points at which each young person must act as an adult.
4. How do the parents in each of these families change in the course of their journeys? 
   Compare the fathers and mothers of Josef, Isabel, and Mahmoud, and discuss the ways that 
   events in each story shape their responses to their situation.
5. Compare the method of travel for each of these refugee families. How does Josef’s 
   sea voyage compare to those of Isabel and Mahmoud? What is the most threatening part of 
   each of these voyages and how do those threats create obstacles for the families as they 
   travel?
6. Josef says, “It was like they were invisible . . . people chose not to see them.” (p. 18) 
   How does this simple statement reflect his experience on the train in Nazi Germany? Why do 
   people ignore them? Compare his experience to Mahmoud’s when he says, “They only see us 
   when we do something they don’t want us to do.” (p. 214)
7. Why do you think the author chose to tell these three stories in alternating chapters? 
   What is the effect on the reader of moving back and forth between the stories from different 
   periods of history?
8. Who are the helpful people in each of these three journeys? Why do others treat the 
   refugees with meanness and disrespect? How do these experiences affect each of the families 
   and lead to the survival of certain family members?
9. How does the author develop the point of view of each of the characters? What is the 
   impact of seeing how many days each character has been away from home at the start of each 
   section? How do the stories of these three children intersect in the end, even though they are 
   separated by many years?
10. Research the history of the three dictators in these stories—Adolf Hitler, Fidel 
    Castro, and Bashir al-Assad. Discuss how the policies and beliefs of these leaders have affected 
    the lives of the characters in each story. Are the lives of the people in each of these places still 
    the same today or have their lives improved?

(Mrs. Bailey — abail79@lsu.edu)

8th Grade Summer Reading — R.W.W. 

Mrs. Adjej Fadjei@lsu.edu 

PDF OF 8th GRADE R.W.W. SUMMER READING

You must read two books this summer: Marie Lu’s Legend, a primary text in our first unit, and one book from the Louisiana Young Readers’ Choice List provided below. While there is no written assignment for the summer, please reflect on the questions below as you read. Record your answers on loose-leaf paper. Please annotate your Legend for literary devices and text evidence that support your ideas. Your thoughtful answers to these questions will help enrich our discussions and deepen our understanding of the text.

**Students must purchase a copy of Marie Lu’s Legend; however, students may listen to an audio version or read an electronic version of the book they select from the Louisiana Young Readers’ Choice List above. The books on the list may also be checked out from a library. A copy of the book is not required. We will discuss these books in literature circles during the first week of school.**

Reflection Questions for annotation in Marie Lu’s Legend:

1. Which personal qualities help characters become agents of change?
2. How do characters' choices affect their own lives and the lives of others?
3. How do characters evolve throughout the story? How do their experiences and conflicts lead to their personal growth?
4. What traits help characters address internal and external conflicts?
5. How do characters' relationships with others influence their decisions and actions?
6. How do characters' backgrounds and personal histories shape their perspectives and actions?
7. What motivates characters to pursue their goals, and how do they overcome obstacles?

Louisiana Young Readers' Choice List:

1. Call Me Adnan by Reem Faruqi
2. It’s Boba Time for Pearl Li! by Nicole Chen
3. The Labors of Hercules Beal by Gary D. Schmidt
4. The Ruby Code by Jessica Khoury

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8th Grade Summer Reading — Social Studies

Ms. Carr kimcarr@lsu.edu

Your required summer reading is Through My Eyes by Ruby Bridges — a short, elementary reading-level, emotional story about the desegregation of the New Orleans school system. As you read, be sure to read the primary sources (quotes, newspaper article excerpts, etc.) surrounding the main print as well as taking a good look at the pictures. We will be doing a lot of work this year with primary and secondary sources, just as historians do, as well as argumentative writing/thinking.

Bridges, Ruby. Through My Eyes. New York: Scholastic Press, 1999

At Home (Summer) Assignment:
Read the book and print/fill in the following table. Please print out and then handwrite your evidence. Typed answers are too easy to share, etc. Do NOT work with a friend because your text support will be too much alike for me to give you credit. I will take the table up for a 10 point grade. Be sure you have a minimum of 6 facts for both sides of the debate and that your facts come from all parts of the book (evidence that you read the entire book-- minimum of 2 facts from the beginning and middle and end). You do not have to fill in every blank, but more than six facts on each side is encouraged. If youneed more blanks (but most don’t), feel free to add them or print two tables. The evidence on each side does not have to be even in number.

In Class Assignment:
Together, we will use this table to develop pieces of an argumentative paragraph. We will also study
integration during Unit 5: Civil Rights Movement in the Spring.

PDF OF SOCIAL STUDIES SUMMER READING ASSIGNMENT

Email Ms. Carr if you have questions at kimcarr@lsu.edu.

Happy reading! I hope this book is an easy read but evokes an emotional response and makes you
excited to learn about history!

Email Mrs. Vicari (dvicari@lsu.edu) if you have any questions.

PDF OF ALGEBRA 1 PACKET