2014 Summer Reading Book List
Choose and read one book from this list.
Dorko the Magnificent, Andrea Beaty
Robbie Darko is an old-school, pull-a-rabbit-out-of-your-hat-style magician, but despite
his best efforts, something always goes wrong with his tricks until crotchety Grandma
Melvyn moves in and teaches him something about the true meaning of magic. 213
pages.
Magic Marks the Spot, Caroline Carlson
Hilary Westfield has always dreamed of being a pirate. There's only one problem: the
Very Nearly Honorable League of Pirates refuses to let any girl join their ranks of
scourges and scallywags. But Hilary won't let this stop her; instead, she sets out to find
her own piratical adventure and gets swept up in a madcap quest involving a map
without an X, a magical treasure that likely doesn't exist, a talking gargoyle, a crew of
misfit scallywags, and the most treacherous—and unexpected—villain on the High Seas.
344 pages.
Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library, Chris Grabenstein
Kyle Keeley is the class clown, popular with most kids, (if not the teachers), and an
ardent fan of all games: board games, word games, and particularly video games. His
hero, Luigi Lemoncello, the most notorious and creative game maker in the world, just
so happens to be the genius behind the building of the new town library. Lucky Kyle
wins a coveted spot to be one of the first 12 kids in the library for an overnight of fun,
food, and lots and lots of games. But when morning comes, the doors remain locked.
Kyle and the other winners must solve every clue and every secret puzzle to find the
hidden escape route. And the stakes are very high. 291 pages.
The Adventures of Beanboy, Lisa Harkrader
Never underestimate the power of the bean. Tucker MacBean has been drawing comic
books almost as long as he's been reading them. When his favorite comic has a contest
for kids, he hopes he has finally found a way to fix his family—all he has to do is create
the winning superhero sidekick . . . Introducing "Beanboy"—the first comic book
character to truly harness the power of the bean for good. He is strong, he is relentless,
he can double in size overnight (if given enough water). 234 pages.
The Adventures of a South Pole Pig, Chris Kurtz
Flora the pig was born for adventure: "If it's unexplored and needs to get dug up, call
me. I'm your pig," she says. The day Flora spots a team of sled dogs is the day she sets
her heart on becoming a sled pig. Before she knows it, she's on board a ship to
Antarctica for the most exhilarating—and dangerous—adventure of her life. This
poignant novel of a purposeful pig is sure to become a favorite with any young readers
who have ever dreamed of exploring the great beyond. 278 pages.
Elvis and the Underdogs, Jenny Lee
Benji Wendell Barnsworth is a small ten-year-old boy with a big personality. Born
premature, Benji is sickly, accident-prone, and at the hospital so often he even has his
own punch card. So when Benji wakes up one day from a particularly bad spell, his
doctors take the radical step of suggesting he get a therapy dog. But when a massive
crate arrives at Benji's house, out walks a two-hundred-pound Newfoundland who can
talk! And boy, is he bossy. 300 pages.
Capture the Flag, Kate Messner
When the original Star Spangled Banner is stolen, seventh-graders Anne, Jose, and
Henry, all descendants of the Silver Jaguar Society, pursue suspects on airport carts and
through baggage handling tunnels while stranded at a Washington, D.C., airport during a
snowstorm. 231 pages.
Hooper Finds a Family, Jane Paley
Jimmy, a yellow Labrador puppy, is separated from his Lake Charles, Louisiana, family
and survives the horrors of Hurricane Katrina on his own before being rescued and
taken to New York City, where he tries to fit in with a new family and the many
neighborhood dogs, and accept his new name. 137 pages.
When Life Gives You O.J., Erica Perl
Zelly desperately wants a dog; her parents need convincing. Zelly's grandfather hatches
a plan that involves taking care of an orange juice container like it's a pet to prove
responsibility. In the process, Zelly makes a friend, grieves the loss of her grandmother,
and learns self-confidence. 198 pages.
Abby Carnelia’s One and Only Magical Power, David Pogue
One day, Abby Carnelia, ordinary sixth grader, realizes she has a magical power. Okay,
it's not a fancy one (she can make a hard-boiled egg spin by tugging on her ears). But it's
the only one she has, and it's enough to launch her into an adventure where she meets
a host of kids with similarly silly powers, becomes a potential guinea pig for a drug
company, and hatches a daring plan for escape. 277 pages.
Stranded, Jeff Probst
Jane, Buzz, Carter, and Vanessa, aged nine to thirteen, are on a sailing trip in the South
Pacific intended to help them bond in their newly-blended family when a massive storm
strands them on a deserted island. During their adventure, they learn to cross deadly
cliffs, go spelunking, and try to keep from being swept out to sea in raging water. 176
pages.
The Sasquatch Escape, Suzanne Selfors
After Ben Silverstein's parents send him from Los Angles to stay with his grandfather in
the small town of Buttonville, he is positive this will be the worst summer ever. Ben is
certain nothing exciting ever happens here, until his grandfather's cat brings home a
baby dragon. Ben and local mischief-maker Pearl Petal take the dragon to the only
veterinarian in town, the mysterious Dr. Woo. Dr. Woo is a vet for imaginary creatures,
and soon Ben and Petal find themselves chasing the largest and hairiest creature either
has ever seen. 214 pages.
Rump, The True Story of Rumpelstiltskin, Liesl Shurtliff
In a magic kingdom where your name is your destiny, 12-year-old Rump is the butt of
everyone's joke. But when he finds an old spinning wheel, his luck seems to change.
Rump discovers he has a gift for spinning straw into gold. His best friend, Red Riding
Hood, warns him that magic is dangerous, and she's right. With each thread he spins, he
weaves himself deeper into a curse. To break the spell, Rump must go on a perilous
quest, fighting off pixies, trolls, poison apples, and a wickedly foolish queen. The odds
are against him, but with courage and friendship--and a cheeky sense of humor--he just
might triumph in the end. 264 pages.
King of the Mound: My Summer with Satchel Page, Wes Tooke
Twelve-year-old Nick loves baseball so after a year in the hospital fighting polio and with
a brace on one leg, Nick takes a job with the team for which his father is catcher and
gets to see the great pitcher, Satchel Paige, play during the 1935 season. 155 pages.
8 Class Pets + 1 Squirrel Divided by 1 Dog = Chaos, Vivian Vande Velde
Desperately trying to escape a crazed dog, a squirrel dashes into an elementary school,
followed by the pup, where he encounters the class pets. Beginning with the first-grade
hamster, they all describe themselves, including the neon tetras, who are "tickled" to be
a "school in a school." Some of the creatures are willing to help Twitch, but some are
just intrigued by his situation. 68 pages.
Name_________________________________
Title of Book: ___________________________________________________________
Author: _______________________________________________________________
I AM THE BOOK
Tom Robert Shields
I’ll be your friend,
stay by your side,
contradict you,
make you laugh or teary-eyed,
On a sun-summer morning.
I’ll spark you,
help you sleep,
bring dreams
you’ll forever keep
On a dappled-autumn afternoon.
I’ll warm you,
keep you kindled,
dazzle you
till storms have dwindled
On a snow-flaked winter evening.
I’ll plant in you
a spring-seedling
with bursting life
while you are reading.
I am the book
You are needing.
DIRECTIONS: Please read the activities below and complete one of the assignments. If you wish you
may use a graphic organizer as a tool to help you plan your assignment. If you use a graphic
organizer please attach it to your assignment. Your assignment should be a minimum of TWO
paragraphs. All assignments must be typed. Use complete sentences and details from the novel
when answering the questions.
Your assignment is due on the first day of school.
Main Character
*Characters are the people or animals in a story. The reader learns about the characters in the novel
by what the characters think, do, say, and how they feel. The author describes the character to the
reader so the reader has a clear portrayal of the character.
Assignment 1
Who is the main character of your novel? Imagine you are the main character of your book and, as
this character, you are keeping a diary. In this diary, write in paragraph form, narrating the
important moments and changes in your character’s life. These entries should reflect the character’s
feelings or reactions to those important events.
Theme
*A theme expresses the author’s message about life, society, or human nature. Themes often
explore timeless and universal ideas and may be implied rather than stated.
Assignment 2
What are the themes of your novel? In paragraph form, discuss two themes, giving at least three
examples of how the author reveals these messages to the reader.
Sequence
*Sequence is the order in which events happen in a story. The author may use clue words such as
first, second, then, next, and finally to help the reader see the events in the story.
Assignment 3
Create a timeline displaying the events that had an impact on the story, such as the problem, climax,
and solution. Write at least five events in the order in which they occurred. Then choose one event
and write a paragraph explaining its significance to the plot.
Problem/Solution (Conflict)
*A problem in the story occurs when a character has a conflict. The conflict can be one of several
types: character vs. self, character vs. character, character vs. nature, character vs. society.
*A solution to the story is how the character solved the problem.
Assignment 4
Identify the problem(s) of the novel, including the type of conflict. Then write about the important
events that led to the solution of the problem (conflict).