Summer Reading Study Guide

During the first two weeks of school, you will participate in literary activities having to do with the two novels you chose from our summer reading list.  The activities will include a discussion group, a characterization project, and a written quiz.  The following study guide will help you prepare for these activities.  For each of the two novels you chose, consider the following:

Setting:

Where does this story take place?  How is the setting important to the story?  If story had a different setting, how might that change the story?

Characters:

Who are the main characters in the story?  Be able to list at least three characteristics describing the main character, and be sure you can tell about the parts of the story that support your description.  For instance, if you think the word “brave” describes one of the main characters, be able to tell some examples from the story that demonstrate why you think the character is brave.

Plot:

For each of the two novels, go through the chapters and spend time recalling the main events of the story.  It will be helpful if you make notes as you review the story.  Make note of what you think were particularly important scenes in the story, such as:   a scene that was funny, sad, scary, etc. a scene where a big decision was made or a big problem was encountered a scene that you really enjoyed   What was the main problem facing the main character?  How did the main character “solve” this problem?

Theme:

A story’s theme is like a moral or a message, something that you learn from reading about someone else’s problems and how they reacted.  What message do you think the author was trying to tell you, the reader?  Do you agree with this message?