Middle School Summer Reading (2025): Rising 7th Grade

Book 1: City Spies by James Ponti

Part 1: Annotate (mark up) the text. (5 points)

As you read, engage with the story by annotating it. Stop & jot your thoughts, predictions, reactions, and questions. Put a square around new characters, underline new settings, and circle strong or new vocabulary words. Put a star next to quotes and plot events that stand out to you. 
Note: no writing is required for Part 1; just active reading & annotating.

Part 2: Complete the one-page Book Review. (15 points)

Print a copy of the Book Review. In the upper right corner, draw an image of your favorite scene from the book. On the back of the paper, write a paragraph describing the scene (including the characters’ names & setting) and tell why it was your favorite. 

Scan or take a photo of your one-pager (front & back) and include it in the email. 

At Worcester Academy, independent reading is strongly encouraged.  Throughout this academic year, you will independently read several books and give “Book Talks” in class. The first independent reading assignment is due the first full week of October. You can get a head start on this reading over the summer! Choose a book of any genre, including graphic novels, non-fiction narratives, and novels in verse. More information will be given in English class during the first week of school. 

What Happened to Rachel Riley? by Claire Swinarski

As you read, consider how you will answer the following  prompts. Copy and paste the prompts into your document and complete in one to three sentences.

Good readers make connections.

1. A connection between the book and myself is ...
2. A connection between this book and something else I’ve read is ...
3. A connection between this book and the world (a historical or current event) is ...

Good readers ask questions.

1. What questions did you have before, during, and/or after reading?
2. I wonder… (What do you wonder now that you have read What Happened to Rachel Riley?)

Good readers visualize the text.

1. Pick a scene from the book and illustrate it. Write the page number(s) and describe the scene and characters in a paragraph. Scan or take a photo of your work and include it in your email.