7^th Grade Summer Reading Project

2008/2009 School Year

Cannon – 7^th Language Arts

Summer Reading Book:

The Mighty by Rodman Philbrick (formerly called Freak the Mighty)

Directions:

Read the book and then do the following:

1. Complete the fill-in-the-gap book summary.

2. Discuss your thoughts about the book in writing. In a few paragraphs, answer the following questions. Be sure to use complete sentences and either type or write neatly. Staple your writing assignment to this worksheet. Answer the following in your writing:

a. Did you like the book? Explain why or why not.

b. Who was your favorite character? Why did you choose this person?

c. Could the events in this book happen in real life?

d. What part of the book did you like the best? Explain why.

e. If you could change any part of the book, what would it be?

f. Would you recommend the book to others? Explain why or why not.

Fill-in-the-blank Book Summary:

This story is about a young man who lives with his _______________________, named _______________________. Max lives in the _____________________ of the house, and attends ________________________________ classes at school. A new family _______________________________ next door. Max recognizes the young man as _________________, who attended day care with him. Kevin is very _____________ and ____________ for his age. He uses ________________ to help him walk.

Kevin is outside _________________ at the movers to be careful with his _______________________. His mother, _____________________, tries to calm him down. Later, Kevin is playing with his __________________________ and Max helps him rescue the bird from a tree. They become fast friends. Max pulls Kevin to his house in Kevin’s _________________________. Kevin tells him all about ___________________ and the Knights of the Round Table.

At first, Gwen is ______________________ of Max because of his _________________________. When she learns who he is, she is __________________ that Max and Kevin will be friends. Gwen invites Max over for ___________________. Kevin tells him all about _____________________. Max laughs so hard he chokes.

On the ______________________________, Kevin and Max attend the fireworks celebration at the lake. Max picks up Kevin and puts him on his __________________ so that he can see better. They have a “close encounter of the ______________________ kind” when they run into __________________ and his gang. Max is named a __________________ by “saving” Kevin from the gang of bullies.

Every morning, Kevin wakes Max up by banging on the ____________________ door. Kevin rides on Max’s shoulders so that he doesn’t have to deal with his crutches. Kevin likes walking ___________________ the world. They go on all sorts of ___________________________________.

Late one night, they find a _____________________ in the _________________. The next day, they visit the ________________________ to return the purse to ______________________. She and her husband, ________________________, knew Max and Kevin’s parents. Loretta says that Kevin’s father was a ___________________ because he disappeared as soon as he heard that Kevin had birth defects.

When school starts, max and Kevin are both in the ________ grade. Max is allowed to take regular classes if ____________ promises to help him. On __________________, Max finds out his dad is getting out on parole. On the same day, Kevin chokes on ______________________.

The families have Christmas Eve ___________ at Max’s house. Max gives Kevin a tool __________ for Christmas. Kevin gives Max a ______________________ of his favorite words and definitions. On ____________________, Max’s father, ___________, comes into Max’s room and kidnaps him. He takes him to the ______________’s house.

The next morning, _____________ tries to untie Max while Iggy keeps Kenny busy. Kenny comes in and ____________________ Loretta. Max jumps up to save Loretta and remembers seeing __________________ do the same thing to Max’s mom, _________________. Kevin saves the day with a water gun full of ______________. Kenny accepts a ____________________, and returns to jail without Max testifying.

Kevin has to go to see __________________ more often. He says that she is getting him a new ____________________. For his birthday, Kevin gets a new _____________ so that he can do his school work when he has to stay home. He chokes, and they rush him to the hospital. The doctor performs a ______________ to help Kevin breathe.

Kevin gives Max an _____________ and tells him to write all of their adventures down. The next morning, when Max goes to visit Kevin, everyone is crying. Kevin __________ in the night. His __________ had stopped growing and his __________ got too big for his body.

Max did not attend the funeral because he felt so bad. The next year, he ran into ____________. She said that Gwen had moved to California. When he said that he was doing “nothing,” she said, “Nothing’s a drag.” That is when Max finally decided. He went home and started ________________. He wrote down their ___________ in Kevin’s empty book.