stepsisters—wicked or otherwise! The recital is just around the corner
and the stepsisters are on their way. Can Cinderella and Erin solve the
capital P problems in time?
Summer Reading
Students Entering Grade 5
2016
(Prepared by the ISU Literacy Committee)
“Today a reader, tomorrow a leader.” ~ Margaret Fuller
The following is a list of age, reading level and content appropriate
titles for students entering Grade 5. We encourage students to read
as many books during the summer break as possible but ask that they
read a minimum of 2 titles from this list. You may wish to add some of
these titles to your home collections but all are available either from
the ISU library or from TumbleBooks online.
Beans on the Roof by Betsy Byars (Gold)
George Bean always wants to play on the roof of his apartment
building. But only his older sister Anna can sit there, because she's
writing a roof poem. Anna may be the first Bean to be in a book if the
poem wins a contest at school. George decides to write a roof poem,
too. Soon all the Beans are on the roof writing the roof poems. All
except George. He needs some inspiration. How will he get it?
Big Nate: Out Loud by Lincoln Peirce (Purple)
Self-proclaimed genius Nate Wright blazes a haphazard trail through
the sixth grade at P.S. 38, where between endless misadventures,
marked by complaining observations, he earns straight A’s and
numerous detentions.
Brothers in Hope: The Story of the Lost Boys of Sudan by Mary
Williams (Dark Green)
A young boy unites with thousands of other orphaned boys to walk to
safety in a refugee camp in another country, after war destroys their
villages in southern Sudan. Based on true events.
Camel Rider by Prue Mason (Dark Green)
War has broken out in the Middle East and all foreigners are fleeing.
Instead of escaping with his neighbours, Adam sneaks off to save his
dog, which has been left behind. Lost in the desert, Adam meets
Walid, an abused camel boy who is on the run. Together they struggle
to survive the elements and elude the revengeful master from whom
Walid has fled. Cultural and language barriers are wide, but with
ingenuity and determination the two boys bridge their differences,
helping each other to survive and learn what true friendship is.
Cinderella Smith by Stephanie Barden (Dark Green)
Cinderella Smith has a problem with a capital P. She loses shoes almost
as quickly as she puts them on her feet. But now she’s lost the most
important shoe of all: her shiny, ruby red tap shoe. Without it she
won’t have a chance at being chosen Pumpkin Blossom Fairy for the
fall dance recital—and that means no special tutu, no crown, and no
solo! The school year is starting out with big problems, too. Her new
teacher laughs at her name, she’s sitting at the smart boys’ table, and
her old best friend is ignoring her. Now the new girl, Erin, has asked
for her advice on wicked stepsisters. And Cinderella doesn’t have
Clementine by Sarah Pennypacker (series) (Brown)
Clementine tries to help her friend Margaret by cutting her hair, but
ends up in a lot of trouble for it. Things get worse each day of the
week, until finally she’s worried that Margaret is right: Clementine’s
parents might consider her “the difficult one” in the family. Find out
what makes this naughty little girl character so charming and likeable.
Dear Mr. Henshaw by Beverly Cleary (Fluoro)
When fourth grader Leigh Botts asks Mr. Henshaw to write to him
personally, he gets more than he bargained for. Mr. Henshaw’s letters
are full of questions, and Leigh is getting tired of answering them.
However, as he continues his correspondence with his favourite
author, not only does he get plenty of tips on writing, but he also finds
a wise and thoughtful friend to whom he can tell his troubles.
The Enormous Egg by Oliver Butterworth (Fluoro)
Nate is surprised when one of the hens on the family farm lays a giant
egg. After a painstaking wait, Nate is even more surprised when it
hatches and out pops a baby Triceratops that he names Uncle Beazley.
When Nate decides to keep the dinosaur and raise it on his own he
has no idea what he’s getting himself into. As Uncle Beazley grows,
Nate and his family realize that they are not equipped to take care of
a full-sized dinosaur. With the help of their scientist friend they set out
to hunt for the perfect home for a modern-day dinosaur. That is when
the real troubles begin.
Flat Stanley by Jeff Brown (series) (Dark Green)
Stanley Lambchop is a nice, average boy. He leads a nice, ordinary life.
Then one day a bulletin board falls on him and suddenly Stanley is flat.
This changes life dramatically as Stanley gets rolled up, mailed, and
flown like a kite. He even gets to stop crime. He’s flat but he’s a hero.
This is the first of many Stanley adventures.
Ginger Pye by Eleanor Estes (Black)
This story is about a family and their beloved dog, Ginger. In addition
to the endearing antics of the dog and the close relationships in the
family, the story features a mystery at its core that will keep readers
turning the pages. When ten-year-old Jerry Pye and his younger sister,
Rachel, first take their puppy home, mysterious footsteps follow
them. Family members catch glimpses of a lurking stranger and when
Ginger disappears the children are convinced that he has been stolen.
Guardians of Ga’Hoole: The Capture by Kathryn Lasky (series)
(Brown)
Soren is born into an owl clan in the forest of Tyto, a tranquil kingdom
where the barn owls dwell. But evil lurks in the owl world that
threatens to shatter Tyto’s peace and change the course of Soren’s life
forever. After falling out of a tree, Soren is captured and taken to a
dark and forbidding canyon. It’s called an orphanage, but Soren
believes it is a lot worse. He and his friend Gylfie know that the only
way out is to escape, and that they will need to do something they
have never done before – fly. And so begins the magical journey.
Ingo by Helen Dunmore (trilogy)(Dark Green)
A family living on the coast of Cornwall gets caught up in the undersea
kingdom of the Mer people. After their father mysteriously
disappears, Sapphy and her brother, Conor, visit Ingo and find
themselves yearning to return to the ocean world. Conor resists, but
Sapphy has a stronger affinity with the watery kingdom. While she
struggles with its temptation, she also clashes with her mother. These
elements come together in an exciting climax in which the siblings risk
traveling to Ingo to save the life of the human diver their mother is
dating.
The Invisible Dog by Dick King-Smith (Dark Green) Rupert, the family
dog, has long been in his grave when Janie discovers his collar in the
garage. Knowing her parents would never acquire another Great
Dane, the determined eight-year-old decides to invent a pet of her
own. Enter Henry, the invisible dog who eats invisible food purchased
with invisible money. What follows is a captivating conglomeration of
crazy events, acts of fate and magical happening that lead to Henry’s
metamorphosis into a real, live dog.
Jack Strong Takes a Stand by Tom Greenwald (Fluoro) Jack Strong just
wants to be a regular kid. But his parents have overscheduled his week
with every extracurricular activity under the sun: tennis, baseball,
cello, karate, tutoring, and Chinese language lessons—all on top of
regular homework. His parents want him to be “well-rounded” and
prepared for those crucial college applications.
Jack’s just about had enough.
Midnight for Charlie Bone by Jenny Nimmo (series) (Brown) Ten-yearold Charlie discovers that he is able to look at photographs and hear
the conversations and thoughts that were taking place at the time the
photos were taken – a legacy of his ancestor the Red King, whose
descendants all have different magical abilities. Charlie hears one
conversation that sets him in search of a girl who has been missing for
years, and when he begins attending Bloor’s Academy, his life
becomes full of intrigue and danger.
The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate di Camillo (2.8)
(Gold)
Once there lived a china rabbit named Edward Tulane. The rabbit was
very pleased with himself because he was owned by a little girl who
adored him. Then one day he is lost. This book follows Edward’s
extraordinary journey as he is lost and found and lost again by a
diverse group of characters. Along the way, we are shown a true
miracle – that even a heart of the most breakable kind can learn to
love, to lose, and to love again.
The Mouse and the Motorcycle by Beverly Cleary (Black) When Keith
and his family take Room 215 at an old hotel, he never imagines what
is in store for him. Their room also happens to be the home of Ralph,
a young mouse. When Keith leaves his toy motorcycle out, Ralph can’t
resist sitting in it. Keith discovers the mouse and the two become
friends. But what adventures will await Ralph now that he can ride a
motorcycle? It’s the exhilaration of the story, the joy of speed and
adventure, the cliffhangers, and the unshakeable central friendship
between the boy and the mouse that make this book so enjoyable.
The Nine Lives of Travis Keating by Jill MacLean (Dark Green) Elevenyear-old Travis is not looking forward to a whole year in a small fishing
village, but his father has accepted the job of community doctor there.
When confronted with the local bully, Travis puts on his “funeral face”
which has allowed him to hide his feelings since his mother died.
Although grieving and initially lonely, he soon makes friends with what
he considers to be other outcasts. When tales of ghosts at the derelict
wharf tempt him, Travis rides his bike there and discovers a colony of
feral cats. In the process of trying to look after them he develops
deeper friendships and discovers the value of honesty, trust and
communication.
Pendragon: Before the War by Carla Jablonski (series) (Dark Green)
Before Bobby Pendragon. Before Saint Dane. Before the war . . . Every
territory of Halla has a Traveler. They lived for years, some even for
decades before learning of their true destiny. What was life like for
Bobby Pendragon's fellow Travelers before they joined him in the fight
to save every time and place that has ever existed? What led up to
their becoming the guardians of Halla? The answers are here!
Rapunzel’s Revenge by Shannon Hale (Silver)
Once upon a time, in a land you only think you know, lived a little girl
and her mother . . . or the woman she "thought" was her mother.
Every day, when the little girl played in her pretty garden, she grew
more curious about what lay on the other side of the garden wall . . .
a rather enormous garden wall. And every year, as she grew older,
things seemed weirder and weirder, until the day she finally climbed
to the top of the wall and looked over into the mines and desert
beyond. Watch as Rapunzel and her amazing hair team up with Jack
(of beanstalk fame) to gallop around the wild and western landscape,
changing lives, righting wrongs, and bringing joy to every soul they
encounter.
The Secret Kingdom by Jenny Nimmo (Fluoro)
When an army of sorcerer Viridees attack Timoken’s secret kingdom,
he sets out on a dangerous journey. To protect himself he brings along
a magical moon cloak and three enchanted leopards. He can conjure
rain from the air, talk to animals and fly. But the creeping, shapeshifting Viridees want the moon cloak. They pursue Timoken and his
camel across lands and across time, always just a breath behind him.
Star Jumper: Journal of a Cardboard Genius by Frank Asch (series)
(Dark Green)
Genius Alex has had it with his little brother. Jonathan is always
hanging around asking weird questions, messing with Alex’s stuff, and
generally being a pest. Mom says it’s all just normal sibling rivalry, but
Alex decides there is only one thing to do and that is to leave Earth –
and Jonathan – forever. Using his astounding scientific ability, plus
many grocery boxes, duct tape and assorted bits of junk, Alex designs
the Star Jumper. This advanced cardboard spacecraft will take him
across the galaxy to a brother-free planet, if only he can keep the first
grader out of the way until lift-off.
Still Just Grace by Charlise Mericle Harper (Fluoro)
Grace has a lot of things. She has a wide grandma who lives in Chicago,
a spurt of superpower called Empathy, a lot of imagination and a very
best friend named Mimi. What happens when Mimi starts making a
new best friend who is a boy? Change can be a tricky thing but
sometimes it works out for the best.
The Underneath by Kathi Appelt (Fluoro)
An old hound, a mean owner, an enormous alligator, ancient trees and
a cat with her kittens are the characters that make and tell this
sensitive and poetic story. The old hound, who has been chained up
at his hateful owner’s run-down shack and the two kittens born
underneath the house, endure separation, danger and many other
trials in their quest to be reunited and free.
White Star: A Dog on the Titanic by Marty Crisp (Black) Twelve-yearold Sam Harris, a passenger on the Titanic, is excited to discover dogs
aboard but a bit nervous about returning to America. Helping in the
kennel brings a welcome distraction – especially when it comes to
caring for Star, the Irish Setter that belongs to the ship’s captain. Star
and Sam quickly bond, and when disaster strikes, the boy can’t leave
the dog behind. A survival story that will appeal to dog lovers as well
as those interested in the Titanic tragedy.
You Will Call Me Drog by Sue Cowing (Dark Green)
Parker is a normal sixth grader--or he was normal before the puppet.
It's just an old hand puppet, sticking out of a garbage can, and even
though Parker's best friend says leave it, Parker brings the puppet
home and tries it on. Or maybe it tries him on. "You will call me Drog!"
the puppet commands once they're alone. And now, no matter how
hard Parker tries, he can't get Drog off his hand. Drog is sarcastic,
cruel, unpredictable, and loud -- everything Parker isn't. Worse yet, no
one believes that Drog--not Parker--is the one saying the outrageous
things that get Parker into trouble.
Zombie Baseball Beatdown by Paolo Bacigalupi (Fluoro)
The apocalypse begins on the day Rabi, Miguel and Joe are practicing
baseball near their town's local meatpacking plant and nearly get
knocked out by a really big stink. Little do they know the plant's toxic
cattle feed is turning cows into flesh-craving monsters...ZOMBIES!!!
The boys decide to launch a stealth investigation into the plant's
dangerous practices.
Under the Egg by Fitzgerald, Laura Marx..
Her grandfather’s dying words lead thirteen-year-old Theodora
Tenpenny to a valuable, hidden painting she fears may be stolen, but
it is her search for answers in her Greenwich Village neighborhood
that brings a real treasure.
Eye to Eye: How Animals See the World by Jenkins, Steve.
Profiles a series of animals with unusual eyes, and explains how such
animals use their uniquely evolved eyes to gain essential information
about the biological world.
Tricky Vic: The Impossibly True Story of the Man Who Sold the Eiffel
Tower by Pizzoli, Greg..
In the early 1900s, Robert Miller, a.k.a. “Count Victor Lustig,” moved
to Paris hoping to be an artist. A con artist, that is. He used his
ingenious scams on unsuspecting marks all over the world, from the
Czech Republic, to Atlantic ocean liners, and across America. Tricky Vic
pulled off his most daring con in 1925, when he managed to “sell” the
Eiffel Tower to one of the city’s most successful scrap metal dealers!
Kids will love to read about Vic’s thrilling life, and teachers will love
the informational sidebars and back matter.
www.tumblebooklibrary.com
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PW: books
Box of Shocks by Chris McMahen (Brown)
Real life: more terrifying than a tarantula and more dangerous than a
wild dog. Oliver has helicopter parents—they love him, but they
seriously cramp his style. He decides to fill an old wooden box with
souvenirs from some of his outrageous and daring exploits. That way,
he'll never forget the zombies, the killer dogs and the crazy cows, and
his parents will never know that he once jumped from a bridge with
the police in hot pursuit. But the biggest shock comes when Oliver
realizes that the most terrifying things of all can't be controlled or
contained.
Catla and the Vikings by Mary Elizabeth Nelson (Brown)
The long ship turned with a sweep of the oars and drifted toward
them. Out of the breeze, the sail flapped like an old shawl. The red
stripes were clear against the silt brown of the river. Sunlight glinted
off the knobs of metal pounded into each black shield, piled in the
bottom of the ship. Leather helmets and leather straps covered the
invaders' faces, shading their eyes.
The Mystery of Eatum Hall by Cathy Tincknell (Brown)
Glenda and Horace Pork-Fowler are a goose and a hog of large
proportions, with appetites to match. So naturally, when they receive
an invitation for a weekend of free gourmet food at Eatum Hall, Dr.
Hunter's new inn, they don't hesitate to pack their bags. It's a bit
curious that there's no one to greet them at the gloomy inn, and their
absent owner does have an odd fondness for artwork depicting
wolves. Still, unfailingly cheerful, the couple is more than content to
eat their way from feast to feast, disappointed only to learn that
they¹ll miss the pie-eating festival on the day they leave.
Or will they?
Shadows on the Train by Melanie Jackson (Fluoro)
Dinah is trapped on a cross-country train—in more danger than ever!
It's all aboard for mystery when Dinah Galloway takes the crosscountry train from Vancouver to Toronto to appear on a TV talent
show. But will she make it or be permanently derailed? Dinah is
shadowed by someone who wants to get hold of an $80,000 treasure
left by her late dad. But what is the treasure? The redheaded, singing
sleuth realizes that the secret dwells somewhere in her dad's murky
past and involves a funny, if less than respectable, ex-con named Ardle
McBean, and a mysterious man with a bowl cut.
The Undergardeners by Desmond Anthony Ellis (Brown) A boy named
Mouse discovers an incredible place where being small is a distinct
advantage. Mouse is small for his age and tired of being teased about
it. Then one night he discovers, much to his surprise and delight, that
he fits perfectly (well, almost perfectly) into the Undergarden, a
subterranean world beneath his backyard. Mouse befriends the
Undergardeners—and helps them keep their existence safe from the
dangerous world up top. All that, and he never has to change out of
his pajamas!
Zoe Sophia in New York by Claudia Mauner (Brown)
When Zoe Sophia's favourite person in the world, her Great Aunt
Dorothy Pomander, comes to New York, she and Zoe Sophia quickly
become embroiled in a mystery as they do research for Dorothy
Pomander's new book. Their hunt takes them to many of the sights of
New York and as clues are revealed one by one, the excitement really
begins!