Assessment does not always have to be traditional tests. End-of-unit/novel projects are one great way to assess student learning and have students make personal connections with what they are reading. Here is a sample project I created for the novel Esperanza Rising, during which a young girl named Esperanza experiences many mountains and valleys as part of a tumultuous year of her life. 
Developing one's identity is a major part of middle school. Here is an identity project I created for my fifth and sixth graders to help them assess their identities prior to some personal narrative writing.