8th Summer Reading 2025

     Students will choose ONE nonfiction book from the Archdiocese of Philadelphia the approved list. Then students will create a Google slideshow presentation project demonstrating their understanding of the book and nonfiction text elements. The list of books features topics that relate to the social studies curriculum.

Students may acquire their books 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, they should read 2-3 books from the list then compare and contrast them. Students may receive extra credit.

***Students will present their project in early September; a date is to be determined.***

Google Slideshow: Things to Include:

• Slide 1: Title of book, a picture of the book’s cover, book’s author, your name.
• Slide 2: Genre (biography or autobiography; if it is neither, explain what you think the genre is), author’s purpose (persuade, inform, instruct, or entertain).
• Slide 3: Main idea (summarize this book in your own words; who or what is this nonfiction book about?) Avoid paragraphs.
• Slide 4: Evidence: (What information, facts, or examples does the author include to support the main idea or purpose?) Provide 3-5 examples.
• Slide 5: Nonfiction Elements: Provide 6-10 examples of nonfiction text features (table of contents, index, glossary, headings, boldface text, colored text, visual aids, captions, sidebar, footnotes, sources/bibliography page). Provide page numbers.
• Slide 6: Quotes: Provide examples of 3-5 important quotes and explain their importance. Provide page numbers.
• Slide 7: Lessons: What were some interesting facts or lessons you learned? Provide 5-10 examples.
• Slide 8: Connections: What prior knowledge did you have about this person or subject matter? Could you connect this book to something else you have read, seen, or experienced?
• Slide 9: Relevancy: Explain whether this book, this person, or the message is (still) important or relevant to today’s audience. 
• Slide 10: Evaluation: Did you enjoy reading this book, why or why not? How would you rate this book? Explain your rating. Would you recommend others to read this book, why or why not?

Include relevant visuals throughout the slide show 

Students may complete this assignment with one other student. If so, each of you must submit a written response explaining your teamwork. What contributions did you make to this project? What contributions did your partner make to this project?

Rubric – 52 Points

Each slide will be worth 5 points

• Information on the slide show is complete with all components (2 points)
• Information on the slide show is organized (labeling, bullet points) (1 point)
• Information on the slide show contains no spelling/grammar errors (1 point)
• Slide show is visually appealing (font, layout, and background) (1 point)

Presentation (2 points)

Nonfiction Books

1. 1919: The Year That Changed America by Martin W. Sandler 

1919 was a world-shaking year. America was recovering from World War I and black soldiers returned to racism so violent that that summer would become known as the Red Summer. The suffrage movement had a long-fought win when women gained the right to vote. Laborers took to the streets to protest working conditions; nationalistic fervor led to a communism scare; and temperance gained such traction that prohibition went into effect. Each of these movements reached a tipping point that year. National Book Award Winner ©2019 Grade Level 7-8 (192 pages)

2. Code Girls: The True Story of the American Girls Who Broke Code in World War II by Lizz Mundy

More than ten thousand women served as codebreakers during World War II, recruited by the U.S. Army and Navy. While their brothers and boyfriends took up arms, these women moved to the nation's capital to learn the top secret art of code breaking. ©2018 Grade Level 8–Up (336 pages)

3. Deadly Aim: The Civil War Story of Michigan's Anishinaabe Sharpshooters by Sally M. Walker

More than 20,000 American Indians served in the Civil War, but their stories have seldom appeared in history books. This book explores the remarkable service of Michigan’s Anishinaabe sharpshooters and is filled with photographs, diagrams, and maps. ©2021 Grade Level 7-9 (304 pages)

4. Fallout: Spies, Superbombs, and the Ultimate Cold War Showdown by Steve Sheinkin

The Cold War game grows more precarious as weapons are pointed towards each other, with fingers literally on the trigger. The decades-long showdown culminates in the Cuban Missile Crisis, the world's close call with the third―and final―world war. Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Honor ©2019 Grade Level 7-8 (352 pages)

5. Good Brother, Bad Brother: The Story of Edwin Booth and John Wilkes Booth by James Giblin

Most people know the name John Wilkes Booth, but few likely have heard of his elder brother Edwin. Find out about the brothers through first-hand accounts. Learn how alike and how different they were, and how each made a lasting impression on American history. ©2017 Grade Level 5–8 (256 pages)

6. Imprisoned: The Betrayal of Japanese Americans During World War II by Marin W. Sandler

While Americans fought for freedom and democracy abroad, fear and suspicion towards Japanese Americans swept the country after Japan's sneak attack on Pearl Harbor. ©2013 Grade Level 7–Up (176 pages)

7. Reaching for the Moon: The Autobiography of NASA Mathematician Katherine Johnson by Katherine Johnson

As a young girl, Katherine Johnson showed an exceptional aptitude for math. In school she quickly skipped ahead several grades and was soon studying complex equations with the support of a professor who saw great promise in her. ©2020 Grade Level 6 (272 pages)

8. The Boy on the Wooden Box: How the Impossible Became Possible…on Schindler’s List by Leon Leyson

The only memoir published by a former Schindler’s list child, perfectly captures the innocence of a small boy who goes through the unthinkable. Leon Leyson (born Leib Lezjon) was only ten years old when the Nazis invaded Poland and his family was forced to relocate to the Krakow ghetto. ©2015 Grade Level 6-9 (256 pages) 

9. The Boys’ War: Confederate and Union Soldiers Talk About the Civil War by Jim Murphy

Includes diary entries, personal letters, and archival photographs to describe the experiences of boys, sixteen years old or younger, who fought in the Civil War. Golden Kite Award Book ©1993 Grade Level 6-7 (128 pages) 

10. The Boys Who Challenged Hitler: Knud Pedersen and the Churchill Club by Phillip Hoose

At the outset of World War II, Denmark did not resist German occupation. Deeply ashamed of his nation's leaders, fifteen-year-old Knud Pedersen resolved with his brother and a handful of schoolmates to take action against the Nazis if the adults would not. Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Honor ©2016 Grade Level 8-10 (208 pages)

11. The Notorious Benedict Arnold by Steve Sheinkin

Most people know that Benedict Arnold was America's first, most notorious traitor. Few know that he was also one of its greatest war heroes. This accessible biography introduces young readers to the real Arnold: reckless, heroic, and driven. ©2010 Grade Level 6-9, 2014 Newbery Honor Book Beacon of Freedom Award, YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction, Margaret A. Edwards Award (368 pages)

12. The Red Bandanna: Young Readers Edition by Tom Rinaldi

Welles Crowther always kept a red bandanna with him, a gift from his father. Little did he know how that bandanna would help him in a time of crisis, during the fall of the South Tower of the World Trade Center. Readers will be fascinated by the story of an ordinary man who did extraordinary work to save lives of others while sacrificing his own. ©2017 Grade Level 6–8, Winner of the Christopher Award, Notable Social Studies Book (176 pages)