Easton Public Schools
English Department
Summer Reading for students entering Grade 8

Grade 8 College and Grade 8 Honors:
The Boy in the Striped Pajamas
by John Boyne: A 9-year-old German boy, moved by his family from Berlin to a place he calls “Out-With,”
slowly discovers the reality of the Holocaust when he meets a boy his age dressed in striped clothing living
on the other side of a fence.
Note: Contains some mature themes

Grade 8 College level students, though not required, are strongly encouraged to read one
additional book from the following titles.
Grade 8 Honors: must also read one additional book from the following
approved titles:

Approved Summer Reading Titles:
Parents should review their child’s book selection to ensure it is appropriate for his/her reading level. Some
books may contain language and/or themes not appropriate for all readers.

Death on the Nile by Agatha Christie: The murder of a wealthy woman on a Nile River steamship cruise
leaves everyone a suspect; only the famous detective Hercule Poirot can solve the case.

And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie: A group of strangers, each with something to hide, is
summoned to an island by an eccentric millionaire. The mystery unfolds as one by one they begin to die
mysteriously.

The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier: A student refuses to sell chocolates in an annual fundraiser at a
private boys’ school, challenging the authority of both school faculty and a secret student society known as
The Vigils.

After the First Death by Robert Cormier: A terrorist attack targets a bus full of school children and a
general’s son.

Outcasts United by Warren St. John: A female coach starts a soccer team for refugees in a small southern
town. [Nonfiction]
Note: This book is only available in hardcover as of June 2009

Students will be tested on Summer Reading at the beginning of the school year.