7th Summer Reading 2025

           This summer, students will read Fever 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson as part of their preparation for the upcoming school year. Summary: “It's late summer 1793, and the streets of Philadelphia are abuzz with mosquitoes and rumors of fever. Down near the docks, many have taken ill, and the fatalities are mounting. Now they include Polly, the serving girl at the Cook Coffeehouse.”

This novel provides a compelling and accessible introduction to life in late 18th-century America, a historical period we will explore in-depth during our social studies curriculum. The story, set in Philadelphia during the yellow fever epidemic of 1793, offers students a vivid look at the challenges people faced in early American society, including issues related to medicine, class, race, and civic responsibility.

Reading Fever 1793 over the summer allows students to engage with historical themes through the eyes of a young protagonist, making the past feel personal and relatable. The novel not only helps students build empathy and critical thinking skills, but it also provides a strong foundation for discussions, projects, and lessons in the fall.

In September, students will discuss this book and take a test to ensure they have read and understood key plot points, characters, and historical context. The test will have short answer questions and be worth 50 points. To prepare, students are encouraged to take notes, such as plot, character, conflict, setting, predictions, suspense, historical references, and unfamiliar vocabulary words. Students will be given a note sheet. This assessment will help reinforce reading comprehension and accountability, while also serving as a springboard for integrating literature with our study of the 1790s in social studies.

Overall, this assignment is designed to encourage thoughtful reading, connect language arts and history, and set the tone for a year of engaged, interdisciplinary learning.

Students may acquire their book from a public library (print or electronic). Or books may be purchased from Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or another retailer. Acquiring an audiobook would be a good idea.

If students are looking for a challenge…

Option 1: Write a three-paragraph compare and contrast essay using Fever 1793 and Jim Murhpy’s book An American Plague: The True and Terrifying Story of the Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1793. This will count as extra credit (50 points). 

Option 2: Create a project on Fever 1793. This will count as extra credit (50 points).

Suggested Project Choices:

1. A Day with a Character (Imagine that you could spend a day with a character from your book. What would you do with them? What adventures would you have?)

2. Alternatives (Ask and answer 10 “What if…?” questions)

3. Comic strip

4. Diary/Journal

5. Diorama

6. Game (board, card, or physical)

7. Newspaper article about the epidemic and characters

8. Podcast/Video

9. Research #1 (Calculate how many people died in the yellow fever epidemic. Compare the mortality rate with three other epidemics.)

10. Research #2 (Research the work of Dr. Benjamin Rush. Is his portrayal in the book accurate?)

11. Research #3 (Research and summarize the work of Dr. Walter Reed and Dr. Carlos Finlay. How do mosquitoes spread yellow fever? What other diseases do mosquitoes spread? Why aren't all diseases spread this way?)

12. Research #4 (What was Philadelphia like in the 1790s? Is the city and its people portrayed accurately in the book?)

13. Script (Write a play focusing on an important scene)

14. Timeline (Create a timeline of 15 important events)

Content Accuracy: Information is accurate and relevant to Fever 1793 and/or historical context. (15 points)

Creativity & Originality: Project shows original thought and creative effort. (10 points)

Effort & Completion: Project is complete, detailed, and shows care and time invested. Meets all project requirements. (10 points)

Presentation & Clarity: Project is neat, organized, and easy to follow or view. (10 points)

Mechanics: Grammar, spelling, punctuation, and formatting are correct (5 points)