First Chapter Friday (ELA 7-8)
You’re going to pick a new novel today and just read the beginning. You may not continue or finish that novel, but you’ll read the beginnings of many novels and get a sense of what you like and don’t like in stories.
As you read, you can consider:
- The Who, What, When, Where, and Why of the story told
- What you find interesting or not interesting.
- Whether you would continue reading that book if you could and if you’d recommend it to others.
You’ll create a video review of your First Chapter Friday to share your thoughts.
Some novels you can pick from to start include:
Less mature novels first — > to more mature novels at the end
- Restart: Book Summary
- Google Books Link (almost 2 chapters)
- Apple books: 2 chapters (slightly more)
- Song for a Whale: Book Summary
- Google Books Link (4+ chapters no gaps)
- Apple books: 6 chapters (more)
- The Girl who Drank the Moon: Book Summary
- Google Books Link (9 chapters full – no gaps – much more)
- Apple books: 3 chapters (much less here)
- Wilder Boys: Book Summary
- Google Books Link (gap @ pg 6)
- Apple books: 2 chapters (more)
- Shouting at the Rain: Book Summary
- Google Books Link (4.5 chapters – same)
- Apple books: 5 chapters
- The One and Only Ivan: Book Summary
- Google Books Link (8 short chapters)
- Apple books: 8 short chapters (same)
- The Bridge Home: Book Summary
- Google Books Link (3 chapters)
- Apple books: 3 chapters (same)
- Fish in a Tree: Book Summary
- Google Books Link (4 chapters – same)
- Apple books: 4 chapters
- Beginning of Everything: Book Summary
- Google Books Link (1st 2.5 chapters)
- Apple books: 4 chapters (more)
- Challenger Deep: Book Summary
- Google Books Link (only ch 4 & 5)
- Apple books: 13 chapters (more)
- A Wrinkle in Time: Book Summary
- Google Books Link (1 long chapter – more)
- Apple Books: 1 chapter
- Wonder: Book Summary
- Google Books Link (11 pgs)
- Apple books: 8 chapters full (more)
- Nyxia (sci fi): Book Summary
- Google Books Link
- Apple books: 4 chapters full (more *)
- Five Little Indians: Book Summary (mature)
- Google Books Link
- Apple books: 1 chapter (long) *
- City of Ember: Book Summary
- Google Books Link – novel 1st 19 pgs full (more)
- Apple books: 2 chapters
- Google Books Link – Graphic Novel 1st 15 pgs full
- The Things We Cannot Say: Book Summary
- Google Books Link 1st 97 pgs full (more)
- Apple books: 4 chapters full
- Counting by Sevens: Book Summary
- Google Books Link 1st 25 pgs full
- Apple books: 3 chapters full (more)
- From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E Frankweiler: Book Summary
- Holes
- Google Books Link
- Apple books: 5 chapters full (more)
- The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe
- Google Books Link 32 pgs full
- Apple book: 2 chapters
- Tuck Everlasting
- Google Book Link 1st 20 pgs full
- Apple books: 3 chapters
- The Eye of Minds
- A Monster Calls
- Google Book Link 1st 25 pgs full
- Not in Apple books
- The Running Dream
- Scribd Sample Link 26 pgs full
- Same on Apple Books
- The Skeleton Tree
- Apple books: 3 chapters
Additional Books & Links: December 2022
- Wolfish:
- Moongarden: sci-fi book of a young girl in training on the Moon, after Earth’s plants turned toxic. She is training for the role her parents also play in their society, to be Number Whisperers, but she’s afraid she’s not skilled or capable. (58 pgs preview)
- Illuminations: a young girl’s family are talented painters of magical illuminations, but in trying to help she releases a magical creature that wants to destroy her family.
- A Wizard’s Guide to Defensive Baking: a young girl’s magic works only through bread dough, making gingerbread men come to life, but finds a body on her bakery floor (4 chapters preview)
- Spy School – Book 1: young boy tries to stay safe from cyber-enemies
- Amari and the Night Brothers (Book 1): young girl is a supernatural investigator
- Amari and the Great Game (Book 2) young girl is a supernatural investigator
- Refugee: follows the story of 3 characters fleeing persecution – a boy trying to flee Nazis, a cuban girl fleeing, etc.
- When Stars are Scattered: graphic novel of a young Somolia boy and his brother growing up in a refugee camp in Kenya
- Squire: graphic novel of a young girl who wants to become a Knight, so when war breaks out among her people, it’s her opportunity to earn citizenship by training in a competitive program. (35 pgs preview)
- Elatsoe: a young girl lives in a version of America where there is magic, monsters, and ghosts of animals she can revive. (43 pages preview)
- The Benefits of Being an Octopus: seventh grade girl helps look after her younger siblings while her mom works (26 pgs preview)
- Wishtree: an old tree is the main character here who listens to the stories of the townspeople nearby and has animal friends it speaks with
- Big Nate Series (Book 1): boy protagonist surviving 6th grade
- Alone: 12 yr old girl plans a secret sleepover w best friends but wakes up to an abandoned town and no internet, power, etc. (43 pgs preview)
- Ground Zero: fiction story of 9 yr old boy who went to work with his dad at the World Trade Center on the day 9-11 happened (29 pgs preview)
- The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street: 5 siblings have to figure out how to save their home after their landlord doesn’t renew their lease
Physical Book Copies you could try: on the table (Ms Waldner’s library)
- The Maze Runner (dystopian/sci-fi)
- Scythe (dystopian/sci-fi)
- The Hobbit
- The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (sci-fi)
- Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children
- The Giver (dystopian/sci-fi)
- The Hobbit