45 Summer Reading List and Requirements Summer 2016 Purpose of Summer Reading ● Foster the love of reading. Reading Requirements There is a recommended book list below which provides book recommendations for students. Students can select books from this list or select their own book to read. Students are encouraged to read books that are within his/her Lexile range. You can determine your Lexile from you spring MAP scores. Parents should be involved with the book selection process. ● Grade Level (
Required to read 2 books of your choice
) ● Advanced Content (
Required to read 2 books 1 from recommended list, 1 choice
) Resources The following websites may aid with the text choices for students: The following resources can be of use to help make that choice: ● https://www.lexile.com/fab/ga/
generates a personalized reading list tailored to a student’s interests and reading level ● http://thefutureinreading.myon.com/GetGAREADING
provides free access to a library of more than 8,000 enhanced digital books with multimedia supports; enter school name: Get Georgia Reading and username and password: read ● http://gapines.org/eg/kpac/home
offers a searchable catalog of books for kids by specific subject 5th Grade Recommendations Title Author Purchase Lexile 1. The Indian in the Cupboard Lynne Reid Purchase 780 2. A Night Divided Jennifer A. Nielsen Purchase 810 3. Paperboy Vince Vawter Purchase 940 4. One for the Murphys Lynda Mullaly Hunt Purchase 520 5. Love From Your Friend Hannah Mindy Warshaw Skolsky Purchase 780 6. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone J. K. Rowling Purchase 880 7. The Girl Who Could Fly Victoria Forester Purchase 920 8. Pictures of Hollis Woods Patricia Reilly Giff Purchase 650 9. Brown Girl Dreaming Jacqueline Woodson Purchase 990 10 Theodore Boone Kid Lawyer John Grisham Purchase 790 11. Touching Spirit Bear Ben Mikaelsen Purchase 670 12. Inkheart Cornelia Funke Purchase 780 13. The Mysterious Benedict Society Trenton Lee Stewart Purchase 900 14. Frindle Andrew Clements Purchase 830 15. Esperanza Rising Pam Muñoz Ryan Purchase 750 16. Maniac Magee Jerry Spinelli Purchase 820 17. Bud, Not Buddy Christopher Paul Curtis Purchase 950 Descriptions (courtesy of amazon.com) 1. The Indian and the Cupboard
It's Omri's birthday, but all he gets from his best friend, Patrick, is a little plastic Indian brave. Trying to hide his disappointment, Omri puts the Indian in a metal cupboard and locks the door with a mysterious skeleton key that once belonged to his greatgrandmother. Little does Omri know that by turning the key, he will transform his ordinary plastic Indian into a real live man from an altogether different time and place! 2. A Night Divided
With the rise of the Berlin Wall, twelveyearold Gerta finds her family suddenly divided. She, her mother, and her brother Fritz live on the eastern side, controlled by the Soviets. Her father and middle brother, who had gone west in search of work, cannot return home. Gerta knows it is dangerous to watch the wall, to think forbidden thoughts of freedom, yet she can't help herself. She sees the East German soldiers with their guns trained on their own citizens; she, her family, her neighbors and friends are prisoners in their own city. 3. Paperboy
Little Man throws the meanest fastball in town. But talking is a whole different ball game. He can barely say a word without stuttering—not even his own name. So when he takes over his best friend’s paper route for the month of July, he’s not exactly looking forward to interacting with the customers. But it’s the neighborhood junkman, a bully and thief, who stirs up real trouble in Little Man’s life. 4. One for the Murphys
Carley uses humor and street smarts to keep her emotional walls high and thick. But the day she becomes a foster child, and moves in with the Murphys, she's blindsided. This loving, bustling family shows Carley the stable family life she never thought existed, and she feels like an alien in their cookiecutterperfect household. Despite her resistance, the Murphys eventually show her what it feels like to belonguntil her mother wants her back and Carley has to decide where and how to live. She's not really a Murphy, but the gifts they've given her have opened up a new future. 5. Love From Your Friend Hannah
Hannah's best friend, Aggie, moves away and doesn't answer a single one of her letters. Determined to find a new pen pal, Hannah picks an address from a box on her teacher's desk. It's a boy, but his first letter is so dopey, Hannah isn't even going to answer it. Instead, she writes to President Roosevelt. Before long, Hannah has a whole lot of pen palsand finally discovers the perfect friend, in the most unlikely place. 6. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone
Harry Potter has no idea how famous he is. That's because he's being raised by his miserable aunt and uncle who are terrified Harry will learn that he's really a wizard, just as his parents were. But everything changes when Harry is summoned to attend an infamous school for wizards, and he begins to discover some clues about his illustrious birthright. From the surprising way he is greeted by a lovable giant, to the unique curriculum and colorful faculty at his unusual school, Harry finds himself drawn deep inside a mystical world he never knew existed and closer to his own noble destiny. 7. The Girl Who Could Fly
Piper McCloud can fly. Just like that. Easy as pie.Sure, she hasn't mastered reverse propulsion and her turns are kind of sloppy, but she's real good at looptheloops.Problem is, the good folk of Lowland County are afraid of Piper. And her ma's at her wit's end. So it seems only fitting that she leave her parents' farm to attend a topsecret, maximumsecurity school for kids with exceptional abilities.School is great at first with a bunch of new friends whose skills range from superstrength to supergenius. (Plus all the homemade apple pie she can eat!) But Piper is special, even among the special. And there are consequences. 8. Pictures of Hollis Woods
Hollis Woods has been in so many foster homes she can hardly remember them all. When Hollis is sent to Josie, she’ll do everything in her power to make sure they stay together. 9. Brown Girl Dreaming
Raised in South Carolina and New York, Woodson always felt halfway home in each place. In vivid poems, she shares what it was like to grow up as an African American in the 1960s and 1970s, living with the remnants of Jim Crow and her growing awareness of the Civil Rights movement. Touching and powerful, each poem is both accessible and emotionally charged, each line a glimpse into a child’s soul as she searches for her place in the world. 10. Theodore Boone: Kid Lawyer
In the small city of Strattenburg, there are many lawyers, and though he’s only thirteen years old, Theo Boone thinks he’s one of them. Theo knows every judge, policeman, court clerk—and a lot about the law. He dreams of being a great trial lawyer, of a life in the courtroom. But Theo finds himself in court much sooner than expected. Because he knows so much—maybe too much—he is suddenly dragged into the middle of a sensational murder trial. A coldblooded killer is about to go free, and only Theo knows the truth. 11. Touching Spirit Bear
After severely injuring Peter Driscal in an empty parking lot, troublemaker Cole Matthews is in major trouble. But instead of jail time, Cole is given an alternative: a oneyear banishment to a remote Alaskan island. This program—called Circle Justice—is based on Native American traditions that provide healing for the criminal mind. To avoid serious jail time, Cole resolves to go. While there, Cole is mauled by a mysterious white bear and left for dead. Thoughts of his abusive parents, helpless Peter, and his violent anger cause him to examine the root of his troubled ways. 12. Inkheart
One cruel night, Meggie's father reads aloud from a book called INKHEART and an evil ruler escapes the boundaries of fiction and lands in their living room. Suddenly, Meggie is smack in the middle of the kind of adventure she has only read about in books. Meggie must learn to harness the magic that has conjured this nightmare. For only she can change the course of the story that has changed her life forever. 13. The Mysterious Benedict Society
"Are you a gifted child looking for special opportunities?" When this peculiar ad appears in the newspaper, dozens of children enroll to take a series of mysterious, mindbending tests. (And you, dear reader, can test your wits right alongside them.) But in the end just four very special children will succeed. Their challenge: to go on a secret mission that only the most intelligent and resourceful children could complete. 14. Frindle
Is Nick Allen a troublemaker? He really just likes to liven things up at school and he's always had plenty of great ideas. When Nick learns some interesting information about how words are created, suddenly he's got the inspiration for his best plan ever...the frindle. Who says a pen has to be called a pen? Why not call it a frindle? Things begin innocently enough as Nick gets his friends to use the new word. Then other people in town start saying frindle. Soon the school is in an uproar, and Nick has become a local hero. His teacher wants Nick to put an end to all this nonsense, but the funny thing is frindle doesn't belong to Nick anymore. The new word is spreading across the country, and there's nothing Nick can do to stop it. 15. Esperanza Rising
Esperanza thought she'd always live with her family on their ranch in Mexicoshe'd always have fancy dresses, a beautiful home, and servants. But a sudden tragedy forces Esperanza and Mama to flee to California during the Great Depression, and to settle in a camp for Mexican farm workers. Esperanza isn't ready for the hard labor, financial struggles, or lack of acceptance she now faces. When their new life is threatened, Esperanza must find a way to rise above her difficult circumstancesMama's life, and her own, depend on it. 16. Maniac Magee
Jeffrey Lionel "Maniac" Magee might have lived a normal life if a freak accident hadn't made him an orphan. After living with his unhappy and uptight aunt and uncle for eight years, he decides to runand not just run away, but run. This is where the myth of Maniac Magee begins, as he changes the lives of a racially divided small town with his amazing and legendary feats. 17. Bud, Not Buddy
It’s 1936, in Flint Michigan. Times may be hard, and tenyearold Bud may be a motherless boy on the run, but Bud’s got a few things going for him: 1. He has his own suitcase full of special things. 2. He’s the author of
Bud Caldwell’s Rules and Things for Having a Funner Life and Making a Better Liar Out of Yourself
. 3. His momma never told him who his father was, but she left a clue: flyers advertising Herman E. Calloway and his famous band, the Dusky Devastators of the Depression!!!!!! Bud’s got an idea that those flyers will lead him to his father. Once he decides to hit the road to find this mystery man, nothing can stop him—not hunger, not fear, not vampires, not even Herman E. Calloway himself.
4th Grade Recommendations Title Author Purchase Lexile 1. The Willoughbys Lois Lowry Purchase 790 2. A Mouse Called Wolf Dick KingSmith Purchase 950 3. The Million Dollar Putt Dan Gutman Purchase 620 4. The Desperado Who Stole Baseball John Ritter Purchase 750 5. You Wouldn’t Want to Sail with Christopher Columbus Fiona McDonald Purchase 810 6. The Fantastic Secret of Owen Jester Barbara O’Connor Purchase 770 7. Out of My Mind Sharon Draper Purchase 700 8. The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate Jacqueline Kelly Purchase 830 9. Lawn Boy Gary Paulsen Purchase 780 10 Phantom Tollbooth Norton Juster Purchase 1000 11. Hoot Carl Hiaasen Purchase 760 12. The Underneath Kathi Appelt Purchase 830 Descriptions (courtsey of Amazon.com ) 1. The Willoughbys
Timothy; his twin brothers, Barnaby A and Barnaby B; and their little sister, Jane—are oldfashioned children who adore oldfashioned adventures. Unfortunately, the Willoughby parents are not very fond of their children, and the truth is that the siblings are not too keen on their parents either. Little do the Willoughby kids know that their neglectful mother and father are hatching an evil plan to get rid of them! Not to worry—these resourceful adventurers have a few plans of their own. But they have no idea what lies ahead in their quest to rid themselves of their ghastly parents and live happily ever after. 2. A Mouse Called Wolf
Wolfgang Amadeus Mouse ("Wolf," for short) has a big name for such a little mouse. But the name fits. His favorite pastime is listening to Mrs. Honeybee, the lady of the house, play the piano. If only he could sing along to the music! One day, Wolf decides to try and to his surprise, out of his mouth comes a perfect melody. 3. The Million Dollar Putt
Blind golfing, anyone? Edward Bogard – Bogie for short – may be blind, but he can learn just about anything he sets his mind to: riding a bike, parasailing, playing guitar. Even though many things come easily to him, he stunned when he hits at a driving range and finds he has the swing of a pro. But blind golfing is a team sport, and Bogie needs a coach. 4. The Desperado Who Stole Baseball
The fate of a Wild West goldmining town rests in the hands of two individuals. One is a twelveyear old boy with a love and instinct for baseball unmatched by any grownup. The other is the country's most infamous outlaw, on the run and looking for peace of mind. Together, they pair up to prove that heroes can emerge from anywhere. John H. Ritter brings the Old West to life in this prequel to his breakout success,
The Boy Who Saved Baseball.
5. You Wouldn’t Want to Sail with Christopher Columbus
Readers can become a young boy living in a coastal village in Spain during the late 15th century, who dreams of becoming an explorer, and jumps at the chance to join Christopher Columbus on his voyage to find a new route to Asia 6. The Fantastic Secret of Owen Jester
Owen Jester wishes his family hadn't moved to his grandfather's house after his dad lost his job. For one thing, his grandfather's livein nurse sure knows how to ruin anyone's idea of a good time. And then there's Viola, the girl next door, who can't ever mind her own business. She even thinks Owen should put his freshly captured bullfrog back into the pond. Then late one night, Owen hears a curious noise when the train passes by his grandfather's house. Something mysterious and wonderful has fallen off the train. When Owen finally discovers what it is, he realizes he just might need a knowitall after all. But can he trust Viola keep the most fantastic secret to ever tumble into Carter, Georgia? 7. Out of My Mind
Melody is not like most people. She cannot walk or talk, but she has a photographic memory; she can remember every detail of everything she has ever experienced. She is smarter than most of the adults who try to diagnose her and smarter than her classmates in her integrated classroom—the very same classmates who dismiss her as mentally challenged, because she cannot tell them otherwise. But Melody refuses to be defined by cerebral palsy. And she’s determined to let everyone know it…somehow. 8. The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate
Calpurnia Virginia Tate is eleven years old in 1899 when she wonders why the yellow grasshoppers in her Texas backyard are so much bigger than the green ones.With a little help from her notoriously cantankerous grandfather, an avid naturalist, she figures out that the green grasshoppers are easier to see against the yellow grass, so they are eaten before they can get any larger. As Callie explores the natural world around her, she develops a close relationship with her grandfather, navigates the dangers of living with six brothers, and comes up against just what it means to be a girl at the turn of the century. 9. Lawn Boy
One day I was 12 years old and broke. Then Grandma gave me Grandpa's old riding lawnmower. I set out to mow some lawns. More people wanted me to mow their lawns. And more and more. . . . One client was Arnold the stockbroker, who offered to teach me about "the beauty of capitalism. Supply and Demand. Diversify labor. Distribute the wealth." "Wealth?" I said. "It's groovy, man," said Arnold.If I'd known what was coming, I might have climbed on my mower and putted all the way home to hide in my room. But the lawn business grew and grew. So did my profits, which Arnold invested in many things. And one of them was Joey Pow the prizefighter. That's when my 12th summer got really interesting. 10. Phantom Tollbooth
For Milo, everything’s a bore. When a tollbooth mysteriously appears in his room, he drives through only because he’s got nothing better to do. But on the other side, things seem different. Milo visits the Island of Conclusions (you get there by jumping), learns about time from a ticking watchdog named Tock, and even embarks on a quest to rescue Rhyme and Reason! Somewhere along the way, Milo realizes something astonishing. Life is far from dull. In fact, it’s exciting beyond his wildest dreams. 11. Hoot
Roy, who is new to his small Florida community, befriends a mysterious boy who introduces him to pottytrained alligators, burrowing owls, and sparklytailed poisonous snakes. 12. The Underneath
A calico cat, about to have kittens, hears the lonely howl of a chainedup hound deep in the backwaters of the bayou. She dares to find him in the forest, and the hound dares to befriend this cat, this feline, this creature he is supposed to hate. They are an unlikely pair, about to become an unlikely family. Ranger urges the cat to hide underneath the porch, to raise her kittens there because GarFace, the man living inside the house, will surely use them as alligator bait should he find them. But they are safe in the Underneath...as long as they stay in the Underneath
.
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