Summer Reading Letter for Rising 8th Graders

Dear Rising Eighth Grader,

Reading is crucial to your continuing academic success and we believe that recreational reading enriches your personal life. Summer is a time to relax and experience books that you did not have time for during the busy school year. Although we hope that you will read with gusto many many books this summer, we request that each of you read a minimum of four books from the Summer Reading List for Rising 7th and 8th Graders, the Recommended Book Series list prepared by Mrs. Feldman, or other worthy titles of your own choice. You should keep track of the books you read, and we will ask that you share your reading log with us in the fall.

You should read one more mandatory title, and it must be read by the time you return to school in September: The Color of Water by James McBride, which is a memoir. The Color of Water has passages of mature content, and you may want to read along with your parents so you can discuss what you are reading from time to time. We will, of course, talk about the books in school too. You should be prepared to respond to questions about each book’s plot, characters, setting, conflicts, and themes at the start of the year.

We wish you a wonderful summer and look forward to seeing you this fall!

Sincerely,

Joshua Bachrach and Andrea DeJesus
8th Grade English Teachers