We are hoping to encourage, as well as guide, students’ reading over the summer. To that end, we hope that the students will refer to this list as they choose many books to read throughout the glorious days of summer vacation.
Avi. Man From the Sky.
In an almost fail proof scheme, a man parachutes from an
airplane with a large amount of money, only to be seen by a boy who has
a reputation for seeing things in the clouds.
Armstrong, Jennifer. Black-Eyed Susan.
Ten-year-old Susie and her father love
living on the South Dakota prairie with its vast, uninterrupted views of land
and sky, but Susie's mother greatly misses their old life in Ohio.
Armstrong, Nancy M. Navajo Long Walk
The story of the Long Walk of the Navajo in 1864 and their confinement in an internment camp are vividly told.
Banks, Lynn Reid. I, Houdini.
A boastful hamster with exceptional
talent as an escape artist recounts his experiences chewing, wriggling, or
squeezing his
way out of various closed areas in his quest for the great Outside.
Baylor, Byrd. The Table Where Rich People Sit.
A girl discovers that her
impoverished family is rich in things that matter in life, especially
being outdoors and experiencing nature.
Bennett, William. The Book of Virtues : a Treasury of Great Moral Stories.
Self-discipline -- Compassion -- Responsibility -- Friendship -- Work --
Courage -- Perseverance -- Honesty -- Loyalty -- Faith. Well-known works
including fables, folklore, fiction, drama; by such authors as Aesop, Dickens,
Tolstoy, Shakespeare, and Baldwin are presented to teach virtues including
compassion, courage, honesty, friendship, and faith.
Blume, Judy. Iggie's House.
When a black family with three children moves into the white neighborhood, eleven-year-old Winnie learns the difference between being a good neighbor and being a good friend.
Brock, Betty. No Flying in the House.
A tiny talking dog arrives at the home of the
rich Mrs. Vancourt and asks shelter for herself and her companion, a little girl.
Bunting, Eve. Nasty, Stinky Sneakers.
Will ten-year-old Colin find his
missing stinky sneakers in time to enter The Stinkiest Sneakers in the World
contest?
See any other books by the same author.
Burch, Robert. Ida Early Comes Over the Mountain.
Tough times in rural Georgia
during the Depression take a lively turn when spirited Ida Early arrives to keep
house for the Suttons.
Byars, Betsy. The Midnight Fox.
Tom dislikes spending the summer on
his aunt's farm until he discovers a black fox in the forest and tracks her
to her den.
See any other books by the same author.
Christopher, Matt. All-Star Fever.
Bus Mercer, shortstop for the Peach Street
Mudders, wants desperately to be picked for the county all-star team, but he breaks his parents' rules for riding his new bike, and feelings of guilt affect his game.
Cleary, Beverly. Muggie Maggie.
Maggie resists learning cursive writing in the third
grade, until she discovers that knowing how to read and write cursive promises
to open up an entirely new world of knowledge for her.
Clements, Andrew. The Jacket.
McDavid Henderson (Illustrator), Dan Gonzalez Illustrator)
An incident at school forces sixth grader Phil Morelli, a white boy, to become
aware of racial discrimination and segregation, and to seriously consider if
he himself is prejudiced.
Clifford, Eth. Help! I'm a Prisoner in the Library.
Two girls spend an adventurous
night trapped inside the public library during a terrible blizzard.
Cole, Joanna. Riding Silver Star.
Abby introduces her horse Silver Star, or Star for
short, and tells how she learns to ride him, how she cares for him, and how she
competes in horse shows with him.
Corbett, Scott. The Lemonade Trick.
A brew from his magic chemistry set changes
Kerby into a perfect gentleman; unfortunately, it has the opposite effect on
good boys.
Creech, Sharon. Love That Dog
. A young student, who comes
to love poetry through a personal understanding of what different famous poems
mean to him, surprises himself by writing his own inspired poem.
Dahl,
Roald. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
Each of five children
lucky enough to discover an entry ticket into Mr. Willy Wonka's mysterious chocolate
factory
takes advantage of the situation in his own way.
See other books by the same
author.
Danziger, Paula. Amber Brown Goes Fourth.
Entering fourth grade, Amber faces
some changes in her life as her best friend moves away and her parents
divorce.
De Angeli, Marguerite. The Door in the Wall.
A crippled boy in fourteenth-century
England proves his courage and earns recognition from the King.
Duffey, Betsy. The Gadget War.
Kelly is an ingenious eight-year-old inventor with
forty-three inventions to her credit when she meets Albert who is determined
to prove that he is the real gadget wiz.
Durrant, Lynda. Echohawk.
A twelve-year-old white boy, adopted and raised by
Mochicans in the Hudson River Valley during the 1730's, is sent with his
younger brother to an English settlement for schooling.
Farley, Walter. The Black Stallion.
The story of the understanding and love between
a boy and a magnificent wild horse and the adventures and dangers they shared.
Fitzhugh, Louise. Harriet the Spy.
When Harriet's classmates find her diary and read
what she has written about them, they decide to make life miserable for her.
Fritz, Jean. Brady.
A young Pennsylvania boy takes part in the pre-Civil War
anti-slavery activities.
George, Jean Craighead. There's an Owl in the Shower.
Laws protecting the spotted
owls in the old growth forest of northern California cost Borden's father his
logging job. Angry, Borden vows to kill any spotted owl he sees, but has a
change of heart when he and his father find themselves taking care of a
young owlet.
See other books by the same author.
Giff, Patricia Reilly. Shark in School.
When Matthew finds out from J.P., the weird girl
next door, that their teacher loves to read, he worries that everyone at his new
school will know he's a terrible reader.
Goble, Paul. The Girl Who Loved Wild Horses.
Though she is fond of her
people, a girl prefers to live among the wild horses where she is truly happy
and free.
See other books by the same author.
Greer, Gery. Max and Me and the Time Machine.
Steve buys a time machine at a
garage sale and takes his friend Max to the year 1250, where they land in
the middle of a jousting match, with the fierce Sir Bevis as an enemy.
Gregory, Kristiana. The Legend of Jimmy Spoon
The adventures of a young
white boy living among the Shoshoni Indians during the early frontier days.
Henry,
Marguerite. Misty's Twilight.
Captivated by the story of "Misty
of Chincoteague," a woman with a horse farm in Florida raises one of
Misty's descendants to become a champion show horse.
Hesse, Karen. Sable.
Tate Marshall is delighted when a stray dog turns up in the
yard one day, but Sable, named for her dark, silky fur, causes trouble with
the neighbors and has to go.
Hest, Amy. The Private Notebook of Katie Roberts, age 11.
In a series of journal
entries and letters to a pen pal, Katie relates her feelings about her father's
death in World War II, her mother's remarriage, and the family's move from
New York City to Texas.
Hiaasen, Carl. Hoot.
Roy, who is new to his small Florida community,
becomes involved in another boy's attempt to save a colony of burrowing owls
from a proposed construction site.
Hill, Anthony. The Burnt Stick
Growing up in a missionary home run
by white men, John Jagamarra, who is part aborgine and part white, misses the
mother from
whom he's been separated and the culture of his own people.
Hurwitz, Johanna. The Down & Up Fall.
Bolivia looks forward to the new
experiences as she starts middle school while spending six months with her
great-aunt and uncle, but her friends Rory and Derek want to keep
Bolivia
all to themselves.
Isaacs, Anne. Swamp Angel.
Along with other amazing feats, Angelica Longrider,
also known as Swamp Angel, wrestles a huge bear, known as Thundering
Tarnation, to save the winter supplies of the settlers in Tennessee.
Juster, Norton. Phantom Tollbooth.
Milo finds a cure for his boredom and discovers
the importance of words and numbers on a journey through a fantastical land.
Kline, Suzy. Herbie Jones.
Herbie's experiences in the third grade include finding
bones in the boy's bathroom, wandering away from his class on their field trip, and being promoted to a higher reading group.
Lenski, Lois. Strawberry Girl.
Birdie Boyer and her hard working family raise
strawberries in Florida, but have to face the dislike of their neighbors.
Levine, Gail Carson. Dave at Night.
When orphaned Dave is sent to the Hebrew Home for Boys where he is treated cruelly, he sneaks out at night and is welcomed into the music- and culture-filled world of the Harlem Renaissance.
Lewis, C. S. The Magician's Nephew
The adventures of Digory and
Polly back at the dawn of Narnian times. (Read also the continued series.)
Livingston,
Myra. Celebrations.
A collection of poems on the holidays
of the year, from New Year's Day through Martin Luther King Day, Passover,
Labor Day,
Halloween, and others, to Christmas Eve.
See other books by the same author.
McKay, Hilary. Dog Friday.
Ten-year-old Robin Brogan is determined to keep the
dog he finds abandoned on the beach from being impounded by the police.
Mead, Alice. Junebug.
An inquisitive young boy who lives with his mother and younger sister in a rough housing project in New Haven, Connecticut, approaches his tenth birthday with a mixture of anticipation and worry.
Patterson, Katherine. Jip: His Story.
While living on a Vermont poor farm during 1855
and 1856, Jip learns his identity and that of his mother and comes to
understand how he arrived at this place.
Polacco, Patricia. Pink and Say.
Say Curtis describes his meeting with Pinkus Aylee,
an African-American soldier, during the Civil War and their capture by
Southern troops.
Robinson, Barbara. The Best School Year Ever.
Sequel to: The Best Christmas
Pageant Ever.
The six horrible Herdmans, the worst kids in the history of the
world, cause mayhem throughout the school year.
Rounds, Glen. The Blind Colt.
Relates the adventures of a blind colt as he roams with
a band of mustangs and is eventually adopted and trained as a saddle horse by
ten-year-old Whitey.
San Souci, Robert D. The Faithful Friend.
A retelling of the traditional tale from the
French West Indies in which two friends, Clement and Hippolyte, encounter
love, zombies, and danger on the island of Martinique.
Scieszka, Jon. Knights of the Kitchen Table.
When Joe, Fred, and Sam
are sent back in time by a magic book, they find themselves face-to-face with
giants,
dragons, wizards, and the Knights of the Round Table.
See other books by the
same author.
Silverstein, Shel. Falling Up.
A collection of poems by American poet and humorist,
Shel Silverstein including the poems My nose garden, Little Hoarse, Strange
Restaurant, Sharing, Noise Day, and many more.
Spinelli, Jerry. Loser.
Even though his classmates from first grade on have considered him strange and a loser, Daniel Zinkoff's optimism and exuberance and the support of his loving family do not allow him to feel that way about himself.
Wallace, Bill. Trapped in Death Cave.
A posthumous letter referring to buried
treasure convinces Gary that his grandfather did not die a natural death and,
with his friend Brian, he sets out to find both the treasure and his grandfather's
killer.
Williams, Laura E. Behind the Bedroom Wall.
Ten-year-old Korinna must decide
whether to report her parents to her Hitler youth group when she discovers
that they are hiding Jews in a secret space behind Korinna's bedroom wall.
Wright, Betty Ren. Christina's Ghost.
Christina's summer in a spooky, isolated
Victorian house with her grumpy uncle turns into a ghostly adventure.
Yolen, Jane. Good Griselle.
Angels and gargoyles test a woman's goodness
by providing her with an ugly baby to love.
Byrd, Donald and Kuklin, Susan. The Harlem Nutcracker.
Illustrated with
photographs by Susan Kuklin.This beautifully illustrated book is an African-American
take on a holiday classic. Donald Byrd's interpretation of this ballet celebrates
African-American culture, history, and family
Evans, Freddi Williams. A Bus of Our Own
Illustrated by Shawn Costello.
Albert Whitman & Company. The book introduces young readers to segregation
and school busing during the early years of the Civil Rights era. The book is
filled with colorful illustrations depicting African-American life in the rural
south.
Hall, Donald. When Willard Met Babe Ruth.
A boy meets the young Babe Ruth and
along with his family follows the Babe's long and illustrious career.
Littlesugar, Amy. Freedom School, Yes!
Illustrated by Floyd Cooper Despite threats by local whites against Freedom School, Jolie, her family, and her friends overcome their fears to aid a young woman from up North who has come to teach. Based on the 1964 Mississippi Freedom School Summer Project.
McCully, Emily. The Bobbin Girl.
A ten-year-old bobbin girl working in a textile mill
in Lowell, Massachusetts, in the 1830s, must make a difficult decision--whether
or not she will participate in the first workers' strike in Lowell.
Murphy, Claire Rudolph and Haigh, Jane G. Gold Rush Dogs.
Illustrated with photographs. Well-written and carefully documented. Excellent use of photographs and informational inserts entice even a reluctant reader to read these inspiring stories of the fearless dogs and the daunting Alaskan environment
Poncet, Sally. Antartica Encounter: Destination South Georgia.
A photoessay on the
bird population of the islands of the Antarctic plus details of the everyday life
of the author and her family in this difficult environment.
Siebert, Diane. Mississippi
Illustrated by Greg Harlin. HarperCollins
Children's Books. The flow of the Mississippi River's history is
traced in poem and painting. The reader follows the Mississippi from north to
south, from source to delta, and from glacial melting to present.
Biography
Anderson, M.T. Handel, Who Knew What He Liked.
Illustrated by Kevin Hawkes.
A rollicking picture biography of the composer Handel, who did what he wanted
despite the consequences, and eventually succeeded. The illustrations by Hawkes
are a delight, depicting the first performances of Handel's Water Music,
Messiah, and Music for the Royal Fireworks, when the barge with fireworks exploded,
burned part of the palace, and sent patrons running for their lives.
Calvert, Patricia. Robert. E. Peary: To the Top of the World
Illustrated
with photographs. After trying for 23 years to fulfill his dream of reaching
the North Pole, Robert E. Peary proclaims his success to the world. However,
skeptics question his evidence, and the mystery surrounding his final trip to
the Arctic persists to this day. Photographs and excerpts from Peary's diary
provide a personal perspective
Cooney, Barbara. Eleanor.
Presents the life of Eleanor Roosevelt, who married a
president of the United States and became a great humanitarian.
Cummings, Julie. Tomboy of the Air: Daredevil Pilot Blanche Stuart Scott
Illustrated with photographs. Blanche Scott, considered by many to be the first woman to fly, opened the door of opportunity for other women pilots. The biography captures the public disapproval and the forbidding attitude of men that Blanche had to endure.
Fisher, Leonard Everett. Marie Curie
Tells the life story of Marie Curie, discoverer
of radium and winner of the Nobel Prize in both physics and chemistry.
Fradin, Dennis Brindell. My Family Shall Be Free: The Life of Peter Still.
Illustrated with prints and photographs. After forty years in slavery in the early nineteenth century, Peter Stills bought his freedom and then searched for his mother and younger brothers and sisters. It is an inspirational story of patience, perseverance, and hope.
Goodall, Jane. The Chimpanzees I Love: Saving Their world and Ours.
Illustrated
with photographs Dr. Goodall's renowned work with chimpanzees is presented
here with all the joy and enthusiasm that she withheld when reporting to the
scientific community. The writing is straightforward and informative, and the
outstanding photography reveals exuberance and compassion.
Gündisch,
Karin. How I became an American.
Translated by James Skofield This story follows a German family that moves from Romania, to Germany, and on to America in the first decade of the 1900s. The hardships of language, finding work, and keeping a family united are balanced by the opportunities in the United States.
Hausman, Gerald and Hinds, Uton. The Jacob Ladder
When his father leaves home, twelve-year-old Tall T struggles to hold his
family together. A Jamaican coming-of- age story, rich in island culture.
Hill, Anthony. The Burnt Stick
Growing up in a missionary home run
by white men, John Jagamarra, who is part aborigine and part white, misses the
mother from
whom he's been separated and the culture of his own people.
Hurwitz, Johanna. Anne Frank: Life in Hiding.
A biography of a young Jewish girl
made famous after her death in the Holocaust by the publishing of her diary
detailing the two years her family hid from the Nazis during World
War II.
Klausner, Janet. Sequoyah's Gift: A Portrait of the Cherokee Leader
A biography
of the Cherokee Indian who created a method for his people to write and read
their own language.
Landau, Elaine. Columbus Day: Celebrating a Famous Explorer.
This often-told
story is well-written yet accessible to the early reader. It offers an honest
assessment of Columbus's treatment of the Taino, yet explains the motivations
behind and importance of his explorations.
Lawlor, Laurie. Helen Keller: Rebellious Spirit.
Illustrated with prints and photographs. The rebellious spirit in Helen Keller is dramatically portrayed in this interesting biography. In this well-researched book, Helen comes alive; the reader gets to know her intimately, with all her prickles, sorrows, glory, and happiness. Photo illustrations complete the piece.
Pastan, Amy. First Ladies.
Illustrated with prints and photographs. In
lucid and informative prose, this collective biography details the important
aspects of each First Lady's life and contributions to U.S. history. Spectacular
photographs and captions provide a thorough image of each lady and the times
in which she lived.
Provensen, Alice. The Glorius Flight Across the Channel with
Louis Bleriot.
A biography of the man whose fascination with flying machines produced the
Bleriot XI, which in 1909 became the first heavier-than-air machine to fly
the English Channel.
Ray, Deborah Kogan. Hokusai: The Man Who Painted a Mountain.
Illustrated
by the author. This outstanding picture-book biography of Hokusai, one of Japan's
most prolific and famous artists, also provides an intimate look at the life
of peasants in late eighteenth-century Japan.
Savage, Candace. Born to be a Cowgirl: A Spirited Ride Through the Old West.
Illustrated
with photographs. From Fannie Sperry to Annie Oakley, this action- packed book
tells the story of America's cowgirls. They bucked tradition-as well as untamed horses-and ranched, herded cattle, and appeared in rodeos, until "girls" were
barred from rodeos in the 1940s. Period photographs and diary excerpts add to
the lively text.
Stanley, Diane. Leonardo da Vinci.
A biography of the Italian Renaissance artist and inventor who, at about age thirty, began writing his famous notebooks which contain the outpourings of his amazing mind.
Towle, Wendy. The Real McCoy: The Life of an American Inventor.
A biography of the
Canadian-born African-American who studied engineering in Scotland and
patented over fifty inventions despite the obstacles he faced because of his
race.
Warren, Andrea. Orphan Train Rider: One Boy's True Story.
Discusses
the placement of over 200,000 orphaned or abandoned children in homes
throughout the Midwest from 1854 to 1929 by recounting the story of one
boy and his brothers.
Sewell, Anna. Black Beauty
A horse in nineteenth-century England recounts his
experiences with both good and bad masters. Illustrated notes throughout the
text explain the historical background of the story.
Dickens, Charles. Great Expectations
The complete text of the 1860 novel about Pip,
an orphan in Victorian England who is plucked from a life of poverty and
informed he is to be educated and reared as a gentleman; and includes a
critical introduction and a chronology.
London, Jack. Call of the Wild.
The adventures of an unusual dog, part St. Bernard,
part Scotch shepherd, that is forcibly taken to the Klondike gold fields where
he eventually becomes the leader of a wolf pack.
McCaughrean, Geraldine. Stories From Shakespeare
Romeo and Juliet--The
Life of Henry the Fifth--A Midsummer Night's Dream--Julius Caesar--Hamlet,
Prince of Denmark--Twelfth Night, or, What You Will--Othello, the Moor of Venice--King
Lear--Macbeth--The Tempest. Introduces Shakespeare through stories drawn
from ten of his plays.
Art
Bjork, Christina. Linnea in Monet's Garden.
A little girl visits the home and garden of
Claude Monet at Giverny, France, and learns about the artist's paintings and
his life. The illustrations include photographs of the painter and his family as
well as examples of his work.
Plain, Nancy. Frederic Remington: Artist of the American West.
Includes
bibliographical references and index.
Venezia, Mike. Rembrandt.
Briefly examines the life and work of the seventeenth-
century Dutchman who was one of the greatest artists of all time.
What the Painter Sees: Scholastic Voyages of Discovery.
Series