SUGGESTED SUMMER READING LIST – KINDERGARTEN OR ENTERING 1ST GRADE Any reading level appropriate book from the easy reader series such as: Ready to Read, I Can Read Books, Step into Reading, Hello Reader, Scholastic Easy-­‐to-­‐Read, Puffin Easy-­‐to-­‐Read. Picture books, ABC and number books are also excellent selections for this age group. Most books will need to be read to the student. RL indicates reading level. The Mitten by Jan Brett RL 3.9, or other titles by this author. Several animals take refuge in a mitten, until the bear sneezes. Clifford the Big Red Dog by Norman Bridwell RL 1.2, or other titles in this series. Emily Elizabeth tells the delights and dilemmas of having a really, big dog. Arthur Lost and Found by Marc Brown RL 2.6, or other titles in this series. Arthur & Buster fall asleep on the bus and end up in a strange part of town. Biscuit Goes to School by Alyssa Capucilli RL 0.9, or other titles in this series. Join Biscuit, the sweet, yellow puppy in all his adventures. Sail Away by Donald Crews RL 1.3, or other titles in this series. A family watches the weather change as they enjoy a ride in their sail boat. Are You my Mother? by P.D. Eastman RL 1.6, or other titles by this author. While getting food for her baby bird, she misses his hatching and he goes looking for her. Corduroy by Don Freeman RL 2.5, or other titles in this series. A little girl wants a stuffed bear. Julius, the Baby of the World by Kevin Henkes, RL 3.0, or other titles by this author. A baby brother is trial to Lilly, until a cousin voices her opinion. Arthur by Lillian Hoban, RL 3.1, or other titles by this author. Arthur and Violet go into business together to solve their money problems. A Bargain for Frances by Russell Hoban RL 2.8, or other titles by this author. Thelma usually outsmarts Frances until Frances decides to teach her a lesson about friendship. Danny and the Dinosaur by Sid Hoff RL 2.3, or other titles by this author. Danny spends an unforgettable day with his friend, the dinosaur from the museum. The Day Jimmy’s Boa Ate the Wash by Trinka Hakes Noble RL 2.2, or other titles about Jimmy’s Boa. A class trip to a farm becomes a riotous afternoon. Frog and Toad are Friends by Arnold Lobel RL 2.9, or other titles by this author. Follow frog and toad in their adventures in the woods. Martha Speaks by Susan Meddaugh RL 3.1, or other titles in this series. When Martha the dog eats some alphabet soup, she can talk. George and Martha by James Marshall RL 2.4, or other titles about George and Martha. Two hippos help each other learn what it means to be friends. Just Me and My Mom by Mercer Mayer RL 2.2, other Little Critter titles. Little Critter and his mother take a trip to town and explore the museum and the department store. The Ear Book by Al Perkins RL 0.7, or other titles by this author. Beginning readers can learn about sound. I Will Surprise My Friend! By Mo Willems RL 0.8, or other titles by this author. Elephant and Piggie have wonderful adventures together. SUGGESTED SUMMER READING LIST – 1ST GRADE (GOING INTO 2ND ) RL indicates reading level. * Indicates Children’s Gallery List book. A Lion to Guard Us by Clyde Robert Bulla. RL 2.9. After their mother dies, a young girl and her siblings travel to America in search of their father who left to settle the new colony of Jamestown. Amelia Bedelia by Peggy Parish RL 2.5, or other Amelia Bedelia titles. From dressing the chicken to dusting the furniture, Amelia Bedelia does exactly what her employers tell her…but somehow things don’t turn out quite right. Cul-­‐De-­‐Sac Kids the Double Dabble Surprise by Beverly Lewis RL 2.9, or other titles in this series. Abby Hunter and her little sister, Carly can’t wait to meet their new Korean sisters. But the plane arrives without the Korean girls. What could have happened? Flat Stanley by Jeff Brown RL 4.0, or other titles in this series. When Stanley Lambchop wakes up one morning, he is only a half an inch thick! Franklin is Bossy by Paulette Bourgeois 2.2, or other Franklin titles. Franklin and his friends love playing games. But one day Franklin is too bossy. In this story, Franklin learns it’s more fun to be a good sport. Days With Frog and Toad by Arnold Lobel, RL 2.5, or other Frog and Toad titles. Five wonderful, funny stories about Frog and toad, best friends. Horrible Harry and The Purple People by Suzy Kline RL 2.9, or other Horrible Harry titles. Everyone knows Harry has a huge imagination, but this time he’s gone too far. Purple People? That only he can see? Jigsaw Jones Mysteries The Case of the Class Clown by James Preller RL 2.8, or other titles in the series. Someone in Ms. Gleason’s class is playing practical jokes and it’s up to Jigsaw and Mila to catch the clown. Madeline by Ludwig Bemelmans RL 3.1 or other Madeline titles. Madeline, smallest and naughtiest of the 12 little charges of
Miss Clavel, wakes up one night with an attack of appendicitis. Magic Tree House Dinosaurs Before Dark by Mary Pope Osborne RL 2.6, or other Magic Tree House titles. Where did the tree house come from? Before Jack and Annie can find out, the mysterious tree house whisks them back to the prehistoric past. Mercy Watson to the Rescue by Kate DiCamillo RL 2.7, or other Mercy Watson titles. Mr. and Mrs. Watson have a pig named Mercy. One night Mercy decides she does not want to sleep in her own bed. This is not good news for the Watsons. Mr. Putter & Tabby Pour the Tea by Cynthia Rylant RL 2.8 or other Mr. Putter & Tabby titles. Mr. Putter is lonely and wants
someone to share his stories Nate the Great by Marjorie Weinman Sharmat RL 2.0 or other Nate the Great titles. Super-detective Nate tracks down Annie's
missing picture and finds a lost cat in the bargain Ready Freddy Tooth Trouble by Abby Klein 3.3, or other Ready Freddy titles. Unhappy to be the only one in his class who still has
not lost a tooth, first-grader Freddy tries to find a way to expedite matters but then is faced with another problem. Sophie The Zillionaire by Lara Bergen RL 2.7, or other Sophie titles. Sophie decides to change her name to Sophie the Zillionaire
after she finds $50 on the sidewalk. If You Give A Dog a Donut by Laura Numeroff RL 2.1, or other “If You Give” titles. Simple text and illustrations describe the chaos
that might ensue if a dog was given a donut. *The 3 Little Dassies by Jan Brett RL 3.7. This version of The Three Little Pigs takes place in southern Africa, where three dassies—
small native mammals also called rock hyraxes—set out across the Namib Desert “to find their own place.” *About Hummingbirds: A Guide for Children by Cathryn Sill RL 2.5. Tells all about the habits of hummingbirds, accompanied by beautiful watercolor illustrations. *Mouse & Lion by Rand Burkert RL 2.9. Retelling of the Aesop fable The Lion and the Mouse. SUGGESTED SUMMER READING LIST – 2ND GRADE (GOING INTO 3RD) RL indicates reading level * Indicates Children’s Gallery List book A to Z Mysteries The Absent Author by Ron Roy RL 3.4, or other titles in this series. Dink and his two friends investigate the apparent kidnapping of famous mystery author Wallis Wallace. Arthur’s Mystery Envelope by Marc Brown RL 3.0 or other titles in this series. It looks like trouble when the principal asks Arthur to take home a large envelope marked "confidential". The Boxcar Children by Gertrude Warner RL 3.9, or other titles in this series. The resourceful Alden children survive without adult supervision and make a home for themselves in an abandoned boxcar Cam Jansen and the Chocolate Fudge Mystery by David A. Adler RL 3.7 or other titles in this series. When Cam Jansen and her friend Eric uncover a mystery while selling fudge door to door to raise money for the local library, Cam uses her photographic memory to foil the crime. Flat Stanley by Jeff Brown RL 4.0, or other titles in this series. When Stanley Lambchop wakes up one morning, he is only a half an inch thick! Surf’s Up Geronimo by Geronimo Stilton RL 3.4, or other titles in this series. Somehow, Geronimo's vacations never seem to go according to plan. Instead of a beautiful seaside resort, he finds himself in a fleabag hotel that is falling down around his ears. Horrible Harry and The Purple People by Suzy Kline RL 2.9, or other titles in this series. Everyone knows Harry has a huge imagination, but this time he’s gone too far. Purple People? That only he can see? Judy Moody by Megan McDonald RL 3.5, or other titles in this series. Judy Moody is in a first day of school bad mood until she gets an assignment to create a collage all about herself. Stink and the Great Guinew Pig Express by Megan McDonald RL 3.7 or other titles in this series. Stink Moody, friends Webster and Sophie, and Mrs. Birdwistle visit tourist attractions in Virginia as they try to give away 101 guinea pigs rescued from a laboratory, although Stink is very reluctant to give away his favorite, Astro. Magic Tree House Dinosaurs Before Dark by Mary Pope Osborne RL 2.6, or other in this series. Where did the tree house come from? Before Jack and Annie can find out, the mysterious tree house whisks them back to the prehistoric past. Sarah, Plain and Tall by Patricia MacLachlin RL 3.4, or other titles by MacLachlin. In this loving story of a motherless family, a tall, plain woman comes to stay with them. The Bears on Hemlock Mountain by Alice Dalgliesh RL 3.5. A young boy sent on an errand over Hemlock Mountain is not so sure he likes going alone, because there may be bears on the mountain, but with the help of the big iron pot he borrows, he completes his errand. The Courage of Sarah Noble by Alice Dalgliesh RL 3.9. A charming and brave eight-­‐year-­‐old girl accompanies her father into the wilderness of Connecticut in 1707 to cook for him while he builds a new home for his family. *A Friend for Einstein: The Smallest Stallion by Charlie Cantrell RL 3.7. Einstein, the smallest miniature stallion ever born, searches the farm for a friend. *Like Pickle Juice On a Cookie by Julie Sternberg RL 3.2. When Eleanor’s beloved babysitter, Bibi, has to move away to take care of her ailing father, Eleanor must try to bear summer without Bibi and prepare for the upcoming school year. *Nora and the Texas Terror by Judy Cox RL 3.2. Nora is trying to be a good sport about having cousin Ellie’s family as long term guests now that her uncle has lost his job. However, her brash cousin Ellie is taking over Nora’s life. SUGGESTED SUMMER READING LIST 3RD GRADE (GOING INTO 4TH) RL indicates reading level * Indicates Children’s Crown Award book. Because of Winn Dixie by Kate DiCamillo RL 3.9 or other titles by this author, except The Tale of Desperaux. Ten-­‐year-­‐old India Opal Buloni describes her first summer in the town of Naomi, Florida, and all the good things that happen to her because of her big, ugly dog Winn-­‐Dixie. Who Was Daniel Boone? By Sydelle Kramer RL 4.5 or other “Big Head” Biographies in this series. Called the "Great Pathfinder," Daniel Boone is most famous for opening up the West to settlers through Kentucky. A symbol of America's pioneering spirit, Boone was a skilled outdoorsman and an avid reader although he never attended school. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl RL 4.8, or other titles by this author. 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. Dear Mr. Henshaw by Beverly Cleary RL 4.9, or other titles by this authorIn his letters to his favorite author, ten-­‐year-­‐old Leigh reveals his problems in coping with his parents' divorce, being the new boy in school, and generally finding his own place in the world. Encyclopedia Brown Boy Detective by Donald J. Sobol RL 4.1 or other titles in this series. Presents ten baffling mysteries for the boy detective and the reader, with Encyclopedia's solutions included at the end of the book From the Mixed up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E. L. Konigsburg RL 4.3, or other titles by this author. Claudia and her brother Jamie run away from home and take up residence in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Harriet the Spy by Louise Fitzhugh RL 4.5. Harriet's notebook of her feelings about classmates and neighbors is found by her classmates Mandie and the Cherokee Legend by Lois Gladys Leppard RL 4.3, or other titles in this series. Mandie is bewildered by the unhappy reaction of some of her Cherokee friends to her discovery of gold inside a cave and her Christian values are tested by a troublesome cousin. The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan RL 4.7, or other titles in this series or by this author. Twelve-­‐year-­‐old Percy Jackson learns he is a demigod, the son of a mortal woman and Poseidon, god of the sea. His mother sends him to a summer camp for demigods, where he and his new friends set out on a quest to prevent a war between the gods. Shiloh by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor RL 4.4. When he finds a lost beagle in the hills behind his West Virginia home, Marty tries to hide it from his family and the dog's real owner. The owner is a mean-­‐spirited man known to shoot deer out of season and to mistreat his dogs. Tales of the Fourth Grade Nothing by Judy Blume RL 3.3, or other titles by this author. Peter Hatcher has a terrible problem-­‐-­‐his two-­‐year-­‐old little brother. The Boxcar Children by Gertrude Chandler Warner RL 3.9, or other titles in this series. The resourceful Alden children survive without adult supervision and make a home for themselves in an abandoned boxcar. The Cricket in Times Square by George Selden RL 4.9. Chester the cricket resides in a newsstand in Times Square. He has many adventures, climaxing with the rescue of the newsstand owner from financial disaster. The Spiderwick Chronicles The Field Guide by Tony DiTerlizzi RL 4.2, or other titles in this series. When the Grace children go to stay at their Great Aunt Lucinda's worn Victorian house, they discover a field guide to faeries and other creatures and begin to have some unusual experiences. *School Days According to Humphrey by Betty G. Birney RL 4, or other titles in this series. Humphrey is puzzled when students fill Mrs. Brisbane’s classroom at summer’s end, but he soon learns his friends from last year are fine and that the new class needs his special help. *Saving Zasha by Randi Barrow RL 4. In 1945 Russia, those who own German Shephers are considered traitors. Thirteen year old Mikhail and his family are determined to keep the dog that a dying man brought to them, while Mikhail’s classmate Katia strives to learn his secret. *Storyteller by Patricia Reilly Giff RL 4. Elizabeth is infatuated with a drawing of her American Revolution era ancestor, Zee, because of their resemblance. The story alternates between the two girls making the past become as vivid and real as the present. SUGGESTED SUMMER READ LIST 4TH GRADE (GOING INTO 5TH) RL indicates reading level * Indicates Children’s Crown Award book A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle RL 4.7 Meg Murry and her family receive a surprise visit from an unearthly stranger out of another dimension in time. My Name is America: The Journal of Finn Reardon by Susan Campbell Bartoletti RL 5.3 or other titles in this series. Finn Reardon, a thirteen-­‐year-­‐old Irish-­‐American newspaper carrier who hopes to be a journalist someday, keeps a journal of his experiences living in New York city in 1899. From the Mixed up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E. L. Konigsburg RL 4.3, or other titles by this author. Claudia and her
brother Jamie run away from home and take up residence in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Harriet the Spy by Louise Fitzhugh RL 4.5. Harriet's notebook of her feelings about classmates and neighbors is found by her
classmates. Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder RL 5.3, or other titles in this series. The Ingalls family is snug in their
Wisconsin house in spite of blizzards, wolves, and the lonely forest. Misty of Chincoteague by Marguerite Henry RL 5.3. A breed of wild horses inhabit an island, and one is befriended and tamed
by the love of two children Mr. Popper’s Penguins by Richard Atwater RL 5.6. Mr. Popper trains his band of penguins to star in a vaudeville tour. The
coauthor is Florence Atwater. Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nimh by Robert C. O’Brien RL 5.1. When Timothy, youngest of a family of field mice, becomes ill, his
mother, Mrs. Frisby, enlists the aid of the Rats of NIMH to move their home from the path of the farmer's plow. TJ and the Time Stumblers New Kid Catastrophes by Bill Myers RL 4.5, or other titles in this series. After accidentally making an
enemy of Hesper Breakahart on the first day at Malibu JHS, 13-year-old TJ's troubles multiply when two 23rd-century
students, who have traveled back in time to observe her for a history project, attempt to help her. Swindle by Gordon Korman RL 4.9, or other titles in this series or by this author. After unscrupulous collector S. Wendell
Palomino cons sixth-grader Griffin Bing out of a valuable baseball card, Griffin puts together a band of misfits to break into
Palomino's heavily guarded store and steal the card back. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis RL 5.7, or other titles in this series except The Magician’s Nephew. Four
English school children find their way through the back of a wardrobe into the magic land of Narnia and assist Aslan, the
golden lion, to triumph over the White Witch. The City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau RL 5.0, or other titles in this series. In the year 241, twelve-year-old Lina trades jobs on
Assignment Day to be a messenger, to run to new places in her decaying but beloved city, perhaps even to glimpse Unknown
Regions. Found by Margaret Peterson Haddix RL 5.0, or other titles in this series or by this author. Thirteen-year-old Jonah, his friend Chip,
and Jonah's sister, Katherine, are plunged into a mystery that involves the FBI, a vast smuggling operation, an airplane that
appeared out of nowhere, and people who seem to appear and disappear at will. The Swiss Family Robinson by Johann Wyss RL 5.5. In this adaptation of the Johann David Wyss classic, the Robinson family,
shipwrecked on an island, discover hidden strength in themselves to survive and ultimately grow to love the wild beauty of
their island home. Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls RL 4.9. This is a simply written, moving story of the love between a young boy and
his two dogs. The Secret of the Old Clock by Carolyn Keene RL 5.4, or other titles in this series. Nancy has decided that Mr. Crowley must have
left a second will, so she proceeds to find out the mystery of the old clock. The Tower Treasure by Franklin Dixon RL 5.4, or other titles in this series. Frank and Joe Hardy look for clues after their friend's
father is accused of stealing a treasure
*Pie by Sarah Weeks RL 5. Ten year old Alice is distraught that her beloved aunt Polly has passed away and they can no longer make pies together, and the recipes weren’t written down. Alice and those around her discover lessons about faith, love, and family along the way. *Annie Henry and the Birth of Liberty by Susan O’Lasky RL 5. In 1775 Patrick Henry’s ten year old daughter Annie tries to concentrate on her day to day activities but is increasingly caught up in her father’s role in the colonists’ growing unrest. *Lost Boy: The Story of the Man Who created Peter Pan, by Jan Yolen and Steve Adams RL 5. This is a picture book biography of JM Barrie and the events of his life that led him to write one of the world’s most beloved children’s books.