Dear Parents and Guardians:

The summer is a great time to relax and enjoy reading at your own pace about topics that interest you. The more we read, the better readers and writers we become. Students who read actively, often, and widely:

• Increase their fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension.
• Experience greater success in school by developing literacy skills that support critical reading of all texts.
• Broaden their experience, knowledge, and understanding of the larger world.
• Develop lifelong reading habits.

In order to promote reading proficiency, continued reading must occur throughout the summer. By doing so, our students will become more capable and enthusiastic readers and will find greater success in school. Therefore, Charles Boehm, Pennwood, and William Penn Middle Schools have developed a summer reading program in which students are required to read two of the following books and/or magazines articles of their choice. After reading the books or articles, students will create a summer reading project about one of them using the directions provided. Directions regarding the choice projects are listed below. The project is due the second week of school to the Language Arts teachers in grades 6 and 7 and the English teachers in grade 8. The project will count as a homework assignment for the first marking period.

If you are looking for additional reading activities, public libraries are an invaluable resource. In particular, the Levittown and Yardley free libraries offer fun activities designed to support summer reading. Check out our summer reading newsletter for more information.

Let’s make reading a habit of heart and mind. Have a happy and healthy summer!

Sincerely,

Summer Project Options

Please choose one of the following projects to complete for one of the books/magazine articles you read this summer.

• Book Cover/Magazine Cover: Using an 8.5 x 11 piece of paper, design an original cover for the text that you've read. On the front cover, please include the title of the text that you've read, the name of the author, and a picture (can be hand-drawn or computer-generated) that illustrates an important event from the text. On the back cover, please include a one-paragraph summary of the text. Beneath the summary, write one original review which gives your opinion of the text. (1-2 sentences in length).
  
• Newspaper Article: Write a newspaper article (2-4 paragraphs in length) about a particular event in your book or magazine article. Remember to include the who, what, when, where, why, and how. Include a "photograph" (can be hand-drawn or computer-generated) with a caption to accompany your article.
  
• Collage: Using a paper/poster board no larger than 9 x 12, create a collage using pictures and words based on the following criteria depending on the type of text read. Be sure to include the title of the book/article, the author's name, and your name.
  
  
  • For a novel, include:
    • Major events
    • Setting
    • Your reaction to the book
      
      
  • For magazine articles, include:
    • Interesting facts
    • New vocabulary words
    • Your reaction to the article
      
      
• Bookmark: (Click here for a bookmark template) Create a two-sided bookmark including the following components of the story:
  • Your name
  • Title
  • Author
  • Overall rating the of the book (1-4 stars) with an explanation of your opinion
  • Two personal connections made while reading
  • Three questions that came to mind while reading
  • If you read a fictional piece, include the theme (message) of the selection.
  • If you read a nonfiction selection, list five interesting facts.
    
    
• Screencastify: Create a Screencastify advertising your favorite summer read. Be sure to include the title, author's name, your name, and three reasons why this is your favorite summer read.

Where to find digital texts:

• MackinVia 

  • MackinVIA access:

    Did you know that you have access to MackinVIA throughout the summer? If a book from the list below is available to use as an eBook or audiobook, it will be in the MackinVIA group called Suggested Books for Summer Reading. You can read or listen on your Chromebook, or you can download the MackinVIA app to your personal laptop, tablet, or phone and use your Pennsbury login to access everything on MackinVIA all summer long.

• Bucks County Free Library (e-library)
• Click here to apply for a Bucks County Free Library Card.  

Suggested books for Summer Reading 2024