FortifyFL
THEME: Persisting Through Adversity
This year’s summer reading theme for Archimedean Middle Conservatory focuses on the power of persistence in overcoming adversity. In literature and real life, it is often a person’s refusal to give up and the sustained effort to try again after failing that leads to the most satisfying outcome.
For our students specifically, cultivating an attitude of resilience can be the most important element they need to turn past struggles into future success. That being said, persistence can look different depending on surrounding circumstances, personalities involved, and the type of adversity faced.
History and literature provide us with a wealth of both positive and negative examples of persistence in the face of adversity.
Toward that end, we as teachers have carefully selected novel readings from a variety of genres in each grade level to provide strong examples for students to learn from and reflect upon.
Through these summer readings and corresponding assignments, students will have the opportunity to start the new school year in the right frame of mind for future success and ready to develop persistence in the face of adversity.
Grade 6
For your summer assignment, you will read 2 required novels and a 3rd selected novel from the provided list.
Your required book is The Anxiety Workbook for Teens: Activities to Help You Deal with Anxiety and Worry by Lisa M. Schab LCSW.
ISBN: 1684038634, 978-1684038633
Your required book is The Anxiety Workbook for Teens: Activities to Help You Deal with Anxiety and Worry by Lisa M. Schab LCSW.
From managing social media stress to dealing with pandemics and other events beyond your control, this fully revised and updated edition of The Anxiety Workbook for Teens has the tools you need to put anxiety in its place.
In our increasingly uncertain world, there are plenty of reasons for anyone to feel anxious. And as a teen, you’re also dealing with academic stress, social and societal pressures, and massive changes taking place in your body, brain, and emotions.
The good news is that there are a lot of effective techniques you can use—both on your own and with the help of a therapist or counselor—to reduce your feelings of anxiety and keep them from taking over your life.
Now fully revised and updated, this second edition of The Anxiety Workbook for Teens provides the most up-to-date strategies for calming fear, anxiety, and worry, so you can reach your goals and be your best.
You’ll find new skills to help you handle school pressures and social media overload, develop a positive self-image, recognize your anxious thoughts, and stay calm in times of extreme uncertainty. The workbook also includes resources for seeking additional help and support if you need it.
While working through the activities in this book, you’ll find tons of ways to help you manage your anxiety. Some of the activities may seem unusual at first. You may be asked to try doing things that are very new to you.
Just remember—these are tools, intended for you to carry with you and use over and over throughout your life. The more you practice using them, the better you will become at managing anxiety.
If you’re ready to change your life for the better and get your anxiety under control, this workbook can help you start today.
The Call of the Wild by Jack London
ISBN: 9780812504323,0812504321
The Call of the Wild is the classic novel of wilderness adventure from one of the first American writers to achieve international fame, Jack London. Kidnapped from his safe California home. Thrown into a life-and-death struggle in the frozen Arctic wilderness.
Half St. Bernard, half shepard, Buck learns many hard lessons as a sled dog: the lesson of the leash, of the cold, of near-starvation and cruelty. And the greatest lesson he learns from his last owner, John Thornton: the power of love and loyalty. Yet always, even at the side of the human he loves, Buck feels the pull in his bones, an urge to answer his wolf ancestors as they howl to him.
Refugee by Alan Gratz (fiction)
ISBN: 9780545880879, 0545880874
A tour de force from acclaimed author Alan Gratz (Prisoner B-3087), this timely — and timeless — novel tells the powerful story of three different children seeking refuge. A New York Times bestseller!JOSEF is a Jewish boy living in 1930s Nazi Germany. With the threat of concentration camps looming, he and his family board a ship bound for the other side of the world . . .ISABEL is a Cuban girl in 1994. With riots and unrest plaguing her country, she and her family set out on a raft, hoping to find safety in America . . .MAHMOUD is a Syrian boy in 2015. With his homeland torn apart by violence and destruction, he and his family begin a long trek toward Europe . . .All three kids go on harrowing journeys in search of refuge. All will face unimaginable dangers — from drownings to..
Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls (fiction)
ISBN: 9780440412670, 0440412676
Read the beloved classic that captures the powerful bond between man and man’s best friend. This edition also includes a special note to readers from Newbery Medal winner and Printz Honor winner Clare Vanderpool. Billy has long dreamt of owning not one, but two, dogs. So when he’s finally able to save up enough money for two pups to call his own—Old Dan and Little Ann—he’s ecstatic. It doesn’t matter that times are tough; together they’ll roam the hills of the Ozarks. Soon Billy and his hounds become the finest hunting team in the valley. Stories of their great achievements spread throughout the region, and the combination of Old Dan’s brawn, Little Ann’s brains, and Billy’s sheer will seems unbeatable. But tragedy awaits these determined hunters—now friends—and Billy learns that hope can grow out of despair, and that the seeds of the future can come from the scars of the past.
The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind by William Kamkwamba and Bryan Mealer (non-fiction)
ISBN: 9781984816122, 1984816128
This is a gripping memoir of survival and perseverance about the heroic young inventor who brought electricity to his Malawian village. When a terrible drought struck William Kamkwamba’s tiny village in Malawi, his family lost all of the season’s crops, leaving them with nothing to eat and nothing to sell. William began to explore science books in his village library, looking for a solution. There, he came up with the idea that would change his family’s life forever: he could build a windmill. Made out of scrap metal and old bicycle parts, William’s windmill brought electricity to his home and helped his family pump the water they needed to farm the land.
I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Got Shot by the Taliban by Malala Yousafzai and Christina Lamb (non-fiction)
ISBN: 9780316322409, 031632240
When the Taliban took control of the Swat Valley in Pakistan, one girl spoke out. Malala Yousafzai refused to be silenced and fought for her right to an education. On Tuesday, October 9, 2012, when she was fifteen, she almost paid the ultimate price. She was shot in the head at point-blank range while riding the bus home from school, and few expected her to survive. Instead, Malala’s miraculous recovery has taken her on an extraordinary journey from a remote valley in northern Pakistan to the halls of the United Nations in New York.
Grade 7
For your summer assignment, you will have one required novel AND a second novel of your choice from the provided list.
Your required book is The Playbook 52 Rules to Aim Shoot and Score in This Game Called Life by Kwame Alexander (Self-Help; Inspirational Non-Fiction)
Kindle: 978-0063288775
Paperback: 978-0063288775
Hardcover: 978-0544570979
From the Cover: What can we imagine for our lives? What if we were the star players, moving and grooving through the game of life? What if we had our own rules of the game to help us get what we want, what we aspire to, and what will enrich our lives?
Illustrated with photographs by Thai Neave, The Playbook is intended to inspire the court of life.
Each rule contains wisdom from inspiring athletes and role models such as Nelson Mandela, Serena Williams, LeBron James, Carli Lloyd, Steph Curry, and Michelle Obama.
Kwame Alexander also shares his own stories of overcoming obstacles and winning games in this motivational and inspirational book for readers of any age and anyone needing a little bit of encouragement.
From your Teacher:
Students will be required to read The Playbook and their second choice book over the summer.
Students should bring their physical (or Kindle) copies of the novels with them to class daily for the first 3 weeks of school.
The Boys in the Boat (Young Readers Adaptation): The True Story of an American Team’s Epic Journey to Win Gold at the 1936 Olympics by Daniel James Brown (Biography)
Kindle: 978-0451475923
Paperback: 978-0147516855
Hardcover: 978-0451475923
From the Cover: “Out of the depths of the Great Depression comes the astonishing tale of nine working-class boys from the American West who at the 1936 Olympics showed the world what true grit really meant. With rowers who were the sons of loggers, shipyard workers, and farmers, the University of Washington’s eight-oar crew was never expected to defeat the elite East Coast teams, yet they did, going on to shock the world by challenging the German boat rowing for Adolf Hitler.”
Chinese Cinderella: The True Story of an Unwanted Daughter by Adeline Yen Mah
(Autobiography).
Kindle: 978-0440228653
2010 Paperback: 978-0385740074
2001 Paperback: 978-0440228653
From the Cover: “A Chinese proverb says, ‘Falling leaves return to their roots.’ In Chinese Cinderella, Adeline Yen Mah returns to her roots to paint an authentic portrait of twentieth-century China, as well as to tell the story of her painful childhood and her courage and ultimate triumph over despair.
After her mother dies giving birth to her, Adeline’s affluent, powerful family considers her bad luck. Life does not get any easier when her father remarries. She and her siblings are subjected to their stepmother’s disdain, while her half brother and half sister are thoroughly spoiled. Although Adeline wins prizes at school, they are not enough to compensate for what she really yearns for — the love and understanding of her family.“
Fever 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson (Historical Fiction)
Kindle: 978-0689848919
Paperback 2002: 978-0689848919
Paperback 2001: 978-0439355254
From the Cover: In 1793 Philadelphia, sixteen-year-old Matilda Cook, separated from her sick mother, learns about perseverance and self-reliance when she is forced to cope with the horrors of a yellow fever epidemic.
Fever 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson (Historical Fiction)
Kindle: 978-0062069726
Paperback: 978-0061962790
Hardcover: 978-0061962783
From the Cover:
Inspired by the author’s childhood experience as a refugee—fleeing Vietnam after the Fall of Saigon and immigrating to Alabama—this coming-of-age debut novel told in verse has been celebrated for its touching child’s-eye view of family and immigration.
Hà has only ever known Saigon: the thrills of its markets, the joy of its traditions, and the warmth of her friends close by.
But now the Vietnam War has reached her home. Hà and her family are forced to flee as Saigon falls, and they board a ship headed toward hope—toward America.
This moving story of one girl’s year of change, dreams, grief, and healing received four starred reviews, including one from Kirkus, which proclaimed it “enlightening, poignant, and unexpectedly funny.
Peak by Roland Smith (Adventure Fiction)
Kindle: 978-0152062682
Paperback: 978-0152062682
Hardcover: 978-0545038133
From the Cover: “When fourteen-year-old Peak Marcello’s long-lost father presents the opportunity for them to summit Everest together, Peak doesn’t even consider saying no- even though he suspects there are a few strings attached. And if he makes it to the top before his birthday, he’ll be the youngest person ever to stand above 29,000 feet. It’s not a bad turn of events for a guy who’s been stuck in New York City with only skyscrapers to (illegally) scale.
Here, in Peak’s own words, is the exhilarating, gut-wrenching story of what happened on that climb to the top of the world- a climb that changed everything. Welcome to Mount Everest.
Grade 8
Students should read and work on both the mandatory readings and pick one of three secondary readings from the choices listed.
Your required book is The Anxiety Workbook for Teens: Activities to Help You Deal with Anxiety and Worry by Lisa M. Schab LCSW.
ISBN: 1684038634, 978-1684038633
Your required book is The Anxiety Workbook for Teens: Activities to Help You Deal with Anxiety and Worry by Lisa M. Schab LCSW.
From managing social media stress to dealing with pandemics and other events beyond your control, this fully revised and updated edition of The Anxiety Workbook for Teens has the tools you need to put anxiety in its place.
In our increasingly uncertain world, there are plenty of reasons for anyone to feel anxious. And as a teen, you’re also dealing with academic stress, social and societal pressures, and massive changes taking place in your body, brain, and emotions.
The good news is that there are a lot of effective techniques you can use—both on your own and with the help of a therapist or counselor—to reduce your feelings of anxiety and keep them from taking over your life.
Now fully revised and updated, this second edition of The Anxiety Workbook for Teens provides the most up-to-date strategies for calming fear, anxiety, and worry, so you can reach your goals and be your best.
You’ll find new skills to help you handle school pressures and social media overload, develop a positive self-image, recognize your anxious thoughts, and stay calm in times of extreme uncertainty. The workbook also includes resources for seeking additional help and support if you need it.
While working through the activities in this book, you’ll find tons of ways to help you manage your anxiety. Some of the activities may seem unusual at first. You may be asked to try doing things that are very new to you.
Just remember—these are tools, intended for you to carry with you and use over and over throughout your life. The more you practice using them, the better you will become at managing anxiety.
If you’re ready to change your life for the better and get your anxiety under control, this workbook can help you start today.
Your required book is No-No Boy by John Okada.
ISBN: 9780143134015
“No-no boys” were Japanese American young men who, after being drafted to enter the US military during WWII, answered “no” to two questions about their willingness to serve. They were imprisoned until the end of the war and then resumed their rights as US citizens.
Okada’s fictional novel focuses on the story of one no-no boy, Ichiro Yamada, who returns home from his imprisonment two years after the war ends. Throughout the novel, Ichiro struggles emotionally as he tries to understand the familial aspects of his conflicted decision not to serve. From early in the story, he is shown as believing this decision destroyed any chance for a happy future. He struggles with the destructive belief that he does not deserve the rights of other Americans or even anyone’s respect. Especially since the Vietnam War, Ichiro’s decision, if not universally respected in the United States, would seem much more honorable to many.
The novel shows many situationally specific as well as universal aspects of the effects of war, racial prejudice, and the immigrant experience. One remarkable example in the novel is that of Ichiro’s mother who, two years after the end of the war, still maintains and defends the delusional belief that Japan has won.
Along with the workbook, students should read a significant portion, if not all, of this novel. Assignments based on this novel will focus on the historical lens in literature and the significance of the novel in recording historical events.
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
ISBN-10 : 9781451673319
Nearly seventy years after its original publication, Ray Bradbury’s internationally acclaimed novel Fahrenheit 451 stands as a classic of world literature set in a bleak, dystopian future. Today its message has grown more relevant than ever before.
Guy Montag is a fireman. His job is to destroy the most illegal of commodities, the printed book, along with the houses in which they are hidden. Montag never questions the destruction and ruin his actions produce, returning each day to his bland life and wife, Mildred, who spends all day with her television “family.” But when he meets an eccentric young neighbor, Clarisse, who introduces him to a past where people didn’t live in fear and to a present where one sees the world through the ideas in books instead of the mindless chatter of television, Montag begins to question everything he has ever known.
The Summer assignments are in Archie. We will have a Zoom Book Talk to review the “Hero’s Journey” and the assignment due Friday, August 11th in Archie.
The Outsiders. by S. E. Hinton
ISBN: 978-0142407332
Hinton is a coming-of-age novel set in Oklahoma, focusing on the struggles of teenage Greasers (working-class kids) and their rivalry with the Socs (rich, upper-class teenagers). The story centers on, a 14-year-old Greaser, and his experiences as he and his friends navigate gang violence, social prejudice, and the search for their own identities. The novel explores themes of class conflict, search for Identity and Belonging, and Love and Loyalty.
Interesting Facts For Curious Minds: 1572 Random But Mind-Blowing Facts About History, Science, Pop Culture And Everything In Between By Jordan Moore
ISBN: 979-8887680026
Interesting Facts For Curious Minds gives you the answer to all these and many, many more questions that I know have crossed your mind from time to time. This book is divided into 63 chapters by topic for your convenience, bringing you a nice mix of science, history, pop culture, and all sorts of stuff in between. Each chapter contains 25 concise yet engaging factoids that are sure to make you think and at times laugh. How you read this book is entirely up to you. I’m sure most of you will read it cover to cover at some point, but when you’re with friends and family you can pick the chapters out that most appeal to all of you.