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Summer Reading, Math, and Other Preparation

How do I find out what summer reading books I should be reading?

In late May, you will find the MS Summer Reading Lists here. Each grade level requires students to read books and complete assignments over the summer. Students should also keep a reading log of all their reading.

Are there other things that my student can do to prepare herself for her humanities classes at Bryn Mawr?

Don’t worry. We will meet her where she is. Students come from other schools with a range of mastery, and our teachers are prepared for that.

The best thing she can do is read and try to think critically as she reads: What message is the author trying to convey? What techniques is he/she using to convey it? What is motivating the characters' decisions/beliefs/actions?

If you daughter is interested in reading any of the books that her grade read at Bryn Mawr this school year, please see the books listed below:

5th graders (rising 6th graders) should be able to read Y and Z lexile level books (Scholastic.org). They read the following books this year:

I Can Make This Promise by Christine Day
Jennifer Chan is Not Alone by Tae Keller
The Inquisitor’s Tale by Adam Gidwitz
The Night Diary by Veera Hiranandani
Stella By Starlight by Sharon M. Draper
The Giver by Lois Lowry

6th graders (rising 7th graders) read the following books this year:

Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson
More to the Story by Hena Khan
World Without Fish by Mark Kurlansky
A dystopian book of students' choice (Divergent by Veronica Roth, The Maze Runner by James Dashner, The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, or Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury)

7th graders (rising 8th graders) read the following books this year:

A Midsummer Night's Dream by William Shakespeare
March (Book Three) by John Lewis
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
Ninth Ward by Jewell Parker Rhodes
One (or all) of the student choice books: Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand, Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys, The Book Thief by Markus Zusak,They Called us Enemy by George Takei

8th graders (rising 9th graders) read the following books this year:

The Sun is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon
Lord of the Flies by William Golding
The Odyssey translated by Emily Wilson
Romeo & Juliet by Shakespeare
Girl in Translation by Jean Kwok

How should students prepare for their math classes at Bryn Mawr?

Summer math work is not required, but it is encouraged in order to keep skills fresh and to be ready to enter 6th, 7th, or 8th grade math. Having a strong number sense is key as you move into math courses that become more abstract and incorporate more algebraic application. Sites like Khan Academy (free: www.khanacademy.org), IXL (some free practice: www.ixl.com), and Quizizz (free: https://quizizz.com/) are great to use at home. Virtual Nerd (www.virtualnerd.com) is a site containing how-to videos if you need a reminder on how to work through a particular concept. As another option, students can revisit math work done throughout the previous school year; retrying previous assessments or assignments is a great way to do this. Interested in challenge problems? Mathcounts offers access to challenging problems complete with solutions (free: https://www.mathcounts.org/resources/past-competitions).

Below are recommended summer workbooks which can be purchased through Amazon or other textbook sites. These workbooks may cover additional material, so pick and choose the topics that are right for your student to review. Use a workbook’s ISBN number to find it online. These are not the only options for summer work. Families should find materials that work best for their child.

Entering 6th Grade Math Connects