Summer Reading Suggestions for Camillus Middle School
by Mrs. Bush, Librarian
What is one of the most important things you can do to continue to learn and grow this
summer? Read! This list was developed by a committee of teachers, students and parents
to help you find the right book for you. Remember, English assignments will be given at
the start of school based upon your summer reading selection. You can easily find any of
these titles online, in bookstores or at your public library. ENJOY!
Recommendations for Students entering 6th grade:
Students are encouraged to read a book of choice at their individual Lexile level. Lexile
levels will be distributed to students from their 5th grade teacher. These levels serve as a
guide to students to help them find an age-appropriate book at their current level of
ability. A good resource for finding books that meet criteria can be found at
http://www.lexile.com/
Here’s a list of possible titles – the following are only suggestions….
Chomp by Carl Hiaasen – Lexile 800
Caught in the Crossfire: Growing up in a War Zone by Maria Ousseimi – Lexile 880
Three Cups of Tea by Sarah L. Thomson – Lexile 910
Whale Talk by Chris Crutcher – Lexile 1000
Troubling a Star by Madeleine L’Engle – Lexile 850
Gilda Joyce: Psychic Investigator by Jennifer Allison – Lexile 1000
A Week in the Woods by Andrew Clements – Lexile 820
Jackie’s Nine: Jackie Robinson’s Values to Live By by Sharon Robinson – Lexile 1040
The Boggart by Susan Cooper – Lexile 1030
Football Genius by Tim Green – Lexile 800
Uglies by Scott Westerfeld – Lexile 770
Double Identity by Margaret Peterson Haddix – Lexile 810
Canyons by Gary Paulsen – Lexile 930
SIXTH GRADE SUMMER READING
In September, you will complete a reading project based on a book
you will read this summer. Select a novel, read it, and bring it with
you to reading class when school begins.
SELECTING A BOOK…
Is this the right novel
for me?
Choosing a book is an important skill that you need to become good readers.
People who find a book that’s just right for them are able to engage with the text
without being held back by difficult words or concepts. Finding a book that is just
right can be difficult, and you should not feel discouraged if you think a book is too
hard. Not every book is appropriate for everyone.
Book recommendations can come from teachers, family members, librarians,
and friends. Visit websites that offer book suggestions for different reading levels.
Think of sources where you can learn about good books.
There are several ways you can figure out if a book is just right for you. The
first thing you can do is look at the title and cover. Does the title seem interesting?
Most of the time, there is a summary on the back of the book or inside the book
jacket. This summary provides information about the book’s subject and voice. Does
the summary pique your interest? You may enjoy books in a specific genre, such as
suspense, mystery, or fantasy.
The Five Finger Test is a quick way to determine the difficulty of a book. If you
find five words that are too difficult on the first few pages, then chances are the book
is above your level. If you find no difficult words, then there is a good chance that the
book is below your level. However, this does not mean the book is not appropriate.
You can also read a page aloud to test the reading level. If you can read it smoothly
then the book is most likely appropriate. You can also test the reading level by
reading a page and trying to retell what happened in your own words. If you cannot
summarize the page, the book may be above your reading level.
Not sure where to begin? Here are some suggested titles
that past incoming sixth graders have enjoyed:
Football Genius by Tom Green
Uglies by Scott Westerfeld
A Week in the Woods by Andrew Clements
Double Identity by Margaret Peterson Haddix
Title Selections for Students entering 7th grade:
Students are encouraged to select a book near their Lexile level. Lexile numbers serve as a guide
to students to find an age-appropriate book at their current level of ability.
Chasing Lincoln's Killer by James L. Swanson (Lexile 980)
Sometimes truth is stranger than fiction. After John Wilkes Booth assassinated President
Abraham Lincoln, he escaped Washington, D.C. and hid in houses, woods and barns. In a bloodspattered account of the search for John Wilkes Booth, based on his adult book Manhunt, James
L. Swanson creates a gripping story about a tumultuous twelve days. Reads like a historical
action movie packed with original primary documents and illustrations.
Outcasts United by Warren St. John (Lexile 980)
Meet the Fugees. A youth soccer team made up of diverse refugees from around the world, and
their formidable female coach, Luma Mufleh. Clarkston, Georgia, was a typical southern town
until it became a refugee resettlement center. Read about the influx of refugees and how the
dedication of Mufleh and the Fugees soccer team inspired an entire community.
Titanic: Voices from the Disaster by Deborah Hopkinson (Lexile 1040)
Scheduled to coincide with the 100th anniversary of the tragic sinking of the Titanic, a topic that
continues to haunt and thrill to this day, this book weaves together the voices and stories of real
Titanic survivors and witnesses to the disaster. This true story follows the Titanic and its
passengers from the ship's celebrated launch at Belfast to her cataclysmic icy end.
Eleanor's Story by Eleanor Ramrath Garner (Lexile 940)
This is the dramatic autobiography of Eleanor Ramrath Garner's youth, growing up as an
American caught in World War II Berlin. Her family faces separations, bombings, hunger, the
final fierce battle for Berlin, the Russian invasion, and the terrors of Soviet occupancy. This
compelling story immerses us in the daily struggles of surviving World War II as a civilian. It
puts a very human face on the horrors of war and helps us understand that each casualty of war is
a person, not a number.
The Notorious Benedict Arnold: A True Story of Adventure, Heroism and Treachery by Steve
Sheinkin (Lexile 990)
Most people know that Benedict Arnold was America’s first, most notorious traitor. Few know
that he was also one of its greatest war heroes. This riveting biography introduces young readers
to the real Arnold: reckless, heroic and driven. Packed with first-person accounts, astonishing
battle scenes, and surprising twists, this is an exciting and true adventure tale.
Title Selections for Students entering 8th grade:
Students are encouraged to select a book near their Lexile level. Lexile numbers serve as a guide
to students to find an age-appropriate book at their current level of ability.
I Beat the Odds by Michael Oher (Lexile 1130)
The football star made famous in the hit film The Blind Side reflects on how far he has come from
the circumstances of his youth. Michael Oher shares his personal account of his story, in this
inspirational New York Times bestseller. Sharing untold stories of heartache, determination,
courage, and love, I Beat the Odds is an incredibly rousing tale of one young man's quest to
achieve the American dream.
Sugar Changed the World by Marc Aronson and Marina Budhos (Lexile 1130)
Sugar has left a bloody trail through human history. Cane--not cotton or tobacco--drove the
bloody Atlantic slave trade and took the lives of countless Africans who toiled on vast sugar
plantations under cruel overseers. And yet the very popularity of sugar gave abolitionists in
England the one tool that could finally end the slave trade. This book traces the history of sugar
from its origins in New Guinea to its use in the 21st century to produce ethanol.
Chew On This by Eric Schlosser & Charles Wilson (Lexile 1110)
Chew on This covers the history of the fast-food industry from the 37-day life of the preMcNugget chicken to the appallingly inhumane conditions of slaughterhouses and meatpacking
plants. The author lays out the gruesome details behind the tasty burgers and sandwiches.
Occasional photographs add bits of visual interest, but the emphasis here is on the truth about
soda pop and obesity, fries and lies.
Bloody Times by James L. Swanson (Lexile 1010)
This suspense-filled Civil War epic sheds light on two fallen leaders of the North and South. The
first man, President Lincoln, has been assassinated and is on his way to the grave. Another man,
the president of the Confederacy, Jefferson Davis, is on the run soon to be sent to prison. James
L. Swanson captures the riveting stories of these two influential men as they made their last
journeys through the bloody landscape of a wounded nation.
Dewey: The Small Town Library Cat Who Touched the World by Vicki Myron (Lexile 820)
How many lives can one cat touch? How is it possible for an abandoned kitten to transform a
small library, save a classic American town, and eventually become famous around the world?
You can't even begin to answer those questions until you hear the charming story of Dewey
Readmore Books, the beloved library cat of Spencer, Iowa.
The Giver* by Lois Lowry (Lexile 760) (*only for new CMS students who’ve never read it)
In a world with no poverty, no crime, no sickness and no unemployment, and where every family
is happy, 12-year-old Jonas is chosen to be the community's Receiver of Memories. Under the
tutelage of the Elders and an old man known as the Giver, he discovers the disturbing truth about
his utopian world. Gradually Jonas learns just how costly this ordered and pain-free society can
be, and boldly decides he cannot pay the price.