Hasbrouck Heights Middle School
Grade 8 Summer Reading FAQ’s

What is the summer reading requirement for students entering 8th grade?
All students entering 8th grade will be required to read two books over the summer. One book will be a grade-level appropriate selection of the student’s choice. The second book all students must read is Parallel Journeys by Eleanor Ayres.

Does my child have to buy the books?
While there will be a limited number of Parallel Journeys books available for loan through the school, students are strongly encouraged to purchase a personal copy of the novel. By owning their copy of the novel, students will be able to  highlight important points and make notes in the book as they read.

How will my child be held accountable for the summer reading?
Since the primary goal of the 8th grade is to prepare students for high school, the assessment for Parallel Journeys will model the high school’s procedures. Within the first week of classes, all students will take a test on the content of Parallel Journeys.

Students will also be informed early on of a schedule of oral presentations relating to the second novel that they will give in class. Specific assignment details will be given at the beginning of the school year, and students will  have ample opportunity to prepare their presentations.

Will there be anhy review prior to the Parallel Journeys test?
Prior to leaving for the summer, students will receive guide questions for specific chapters as well as a test review sheet of concepts and terms to study. As students read the novel, these sheets should assist them in determining what to highlight in their personal copy of Parallel Journeys All test questions will come directly from the information provided on the guide sheets.

Class time will be devoted prior to the test to discuss the novel and to clarify any questions the students may have.

Do students in the honors program have to read Parallel Journeys?
Yes.

Parallel Journeys Summer Reading Directions

All students must read the novel Parallel Journeys this summer. Attached in this packet are questions designed to guide students to important facts that they will need to know for their test. Please note that not all chapters have questions. This does not mean, however, that students are not responsible for the material in those chapters. Students should be prepared to use the information in those chapters to support their opinions in discussions and essay questions.

It is strongly advised that students purchase their copy of the novel. If students own their own copy of the book, they will be able to highlight the answers to the study questions and make notes right in their books instead of writing them in a notebook. A limited number of books will be available in the Main Office for students to borrow, but they are not permitted to write in a borrowed book. Students will replace any loaner copies of the book that have been written in or have undue wear and tear.

Upon returning to school, students will participate in several days of discussion and review prior to taking the Parallel Journeys test.

Parallel Journeys Questions

Chapter 1

1. Where was Alfons Heck’s family originally from?
2. Where did they settle when they moved to Germany?
3. Why did the Rhineland Germans hate the French?
4. Know the terms of the Treaty of Versailles.
5. What did the German military have to train with after WWI?
6. Why was the German economy ruined after WWI?
7. Who did Hitler blame for Germany’s defeat in WWI?
8. What was the name of the book that Hitler wrote that outlined his plans for the Nazi party?
9. Who did Hitler blame for Germany’s troubles (this is different than #7)?
10. When was Hitler named Germany’s leader?

Chapter 2

1. Define anti-Semites.
2. Why were Jews hated/
3. What is ironic about Martin Luther’s views on Jews?
4. What was the ethnic background of Helen’s mother and father?
5. Where was Helen’s homeland?
6. What were the criteria Helen’s mother established for Helen’s future husband?
7. What were the ramifications of the Nuremberg Racial Laws?
8. Why didn’t the U.S. take in as many Jewish refugees as promised?
9. Where did Helen and her husband move when they left Germany?
10. What did Hitler declare on 1/30/37?

Chapter 4

1. What happened on November 9, 1938?
2. Define Kristallnacht.
3. What does SS stand for?
4. Who headed the SS?
5. Who was Reinhard Heydrich?
6. How did Hitler react to the world’s opposition of Kristallnacht?
7. Explain some of the difficulties encountered by displaced Jews searching for a new home.

Chapter 5

1. Explain the law passed in March of 1939.
2. Explain the Reich Youth Service Law.
3. What happened on September 1, 1939?
4. What was Hitler’s excuse for sending troops to the Polish border?
5. What is the German word for “lightning war”?
6. What two European countries came to the immediate aid of Poland?
7. Who was Britain’s leader at the outbreak of the war?
8. What were the two options given to the defeated Poles?
9. What was the mood in Germany once the war started?

Chapter 6

1. When were the Netherlands invaded by Germany?
2. What was Hitler’s reasoning for invading the Low Countries?
3. Who replaced Chamberlain as Britain’s Prime Minister? Why did Chamberlain resign?
4. When did Holland surrender?
5. What was Helen and Sidgfried’s plan to keep their daughter, Doris alive?
6. Approximately how may lives did Auschwitz claim by the end of the war?

Chapter 7

1. What did most Germans think Hitler meant when he referred to the “Final Solution” to the “Jewish problem”? Why was this acceptable to most Germans?
2. When did Germany’s invasion of Russia begin?
3. What duties did Hitler Youth members undertake as the war escalated?

Chapter 9

1. What were the boundaries of the German empire?
2. What were the eastern and western boundaries of the German empire?
3. What happened to the Hitler Youth members when they turned 14?
4. When did the ceremony take place?
5. What were the different branches of the Hitler Youth? What was the most elite?
6. Why didn’t Alfons want to accept his assignment?
7. What type of craft did Alfons take his 1st flight?
8. What was the Luftwaffe?
9. Who was its leader?
10. What was his role in Hitler’s command structure?
11. Who defeated Rommel at the battle of El Alamein?