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Summer Reading Instructions

  1. Read The Mona Lisa Vanishes by Nicholas Day
    1. Look at the Project Choice Board on the following slide, and read about each of the project options
    2. Choose two (2) projects to complete for the book The Mona Lisa Vanishes. Each project must come from a different column. For example, you cannot do two projects listed under "Random," but you could do one from “Random” and one from “Evaluate.”
    3. Complete each project in a separate Google Document and submit through the Assignment in the Classroom. �
  2. Choose three free-choice books to read and complete a form for each of them:

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The Mona Lisa Vanishes Choice Board

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R

(RANDOM)

E

(EVALUATE)

A

(APPLY/ANALYZE))

D

(DESIGN)

1

Create a crossword puzzle with at least 20 clues based on The Mona Lisa Vanishes. Answers could include key figures (Leonardo, Vincenzo Peruggia, Picasso), locations (the Louvre, Florence, Paris), vocabulary, or events. Complete the puzzle with your answers.

Invent a product that Leonardo da Vinci, the investigators at the Louvre, or the thief could have benefited from using. Explain how your product works and why the person needs it. Include a drawing of your invention. Use at least one detail from the text to justify why this product would have been useful.

Pretend you are a real historical figure from The Mona Lisa Vanishes: Leonardo da Vinci, the thief, a detective, Picasso, or Lisa Gherardini. Write a diary entry about what’s going on in your life and how you feel. Include at least three quotes or details from the book that explain or support your diary entry.

Design a map showing the key settings of The Mona Lisa Vanishes, including Renaissance Florence and 1911 Paris. Mark at least four important locations (e.g., the Louvre, Leonardo’s workshop, the thief’s hiding spot). Include at least three details or quotes from the text that prove your drawing is accurate.

2

Make a “Top Ten Reasons for Reading The Mona Lisa Vanishes” list. For each reason, include a justification using a detail or quote from the book. (If you dislike the book, create a “Top Ten Reasons for NOT Reading this Book” list with equally strong evidence!)

What is the single most important fact or moment in The Mona Lisa Vanishes? Why? Include a quote or summarize the information from the book. Justify why this is crucial for understanding the story and why it is more important than other events or details in the book.

Pretend you are a real person from The Mona Lisa Vanishes writing to an advice column about a problem you are facing. Explain the problem in detail using at least one quote or fact from the book. Then write a response to the person offering advice.

Create a poem with the text from the book. Choose a few pages from The Mona Lisa Vanishes that you found important or interesting. Write down words and phrases that felt powerful, had strong imagery, or captured a key moment. Arrange them into your own poem. Underneath, explain why your poem is relevant to the book’s themes of fame, genius, crime, or deception.

3

Create an Instagram feed for a real person from The Mona Lisa Vanishes. Draw or describe six images that directly relate to their story. Underneath each image, include a quote or detail from the book that supports your choice. Include the person’s name and a brief bio.

The investigators in 1911 Paris made many assumptions that led them astray in solving the theft of the Mona Lisa. Was there a better approach they could have taken? If so, describe it in detail using evidence from the book. If not, explain why their approach was unavoidable given the circumstances.

Choose a real figure from The Mona Lisa Vanishes and draw a large shape that represents them (ex: a painter’s palette for Leonardo, a key for the thief). Fill the shape with words, phrases, and details from the book that describe that person. Underneath your drawing, choose three words or phrases and explain why they represent your chosen figure.

Design a new cover for The Mona Lisa Vanishes. Make it visually appealing using color and interesting fonts that reflect the book’s blend of Renaissance art and early 20th-century mystery. On the back, include a summary of the book as well as invented “reviews” praising it. Study other book covers and backs to see what should be included.

4

Create a school or academy application from the perspective of a real figure in The Mona Lisa Vanishes. For example, Leonardo da Vinci applying to an art guild, or the thief applying to a trade school. Use details from the book but infer/create the rest. Include the person’s name, age, background, and the school they are applying to.

Since The Mona Lisa Vanishes is narrative nonfiction, the events really did happen. However, evaluate which parts of the story seem the most unbelievable or surprising. Include at least two quotes or details from the text and explain why these moments are so astonishing and what they reveal about history, human nature, or how fame is created.

Transfer one of the real figures from The Mona Lisa Vanishes to a completely new time or setting. For example: what if Leonardo da Vinci lived today? What if the theft happened in the age of social media? Explain why or why not your chosen person would thrive in this new setting. Use at least one quote or detail from the book to justify your reasoning.

Create a room for a real figure from The Mona Lisa Vanishes. Choose Leonardo’s workshop, the thief’s apartment, or a detective’s office and design it to reflect that person’s personality and story. Underneath your drawing, include a quote or detail from the book and explain why you included each item to represent that person.