Dear Carrollton Parents,
Summer Reading is a tradition at Carrollton. Each year, reading lists are
prepared for students to have an opportunity to choose from a variety of
recommended books as well as the required books by grade level. The required
books are the focus of discussion in the first few weeks of school with activities
outlined in the handout.
Following is a guide: Active Reading: How to Read Thoughtfully. Please
encourage your daughter to be an “active reader.” Also, an annotation guide is
included as a point of reference.
Enjoy your summer and if you have any questions please email:
Mrs. Melinee Fernandez, Librarian ([email protected])
Thank you,
The Carrollton School Faculty
Active Reading – How to Read Thoughtfully
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You should always read with a pen or pencil in hand. A highlighter is not as
helpful because it is hard to make notes in the margins with a thick marker.
Mark the lines or words or passages in the text that interest you. When you
have questions, or when a thought seems important to understand a character’s
thoughts or motivation underline that line.
It is not enough to just underline. You should also make some notes in the
margins in the places you have marked. For example, if you have underlined a
line where you have a question, write down your specific question in the margin.
Show your thoughts on the page; jot down your ideas or the reasons you
underline them.
Intermediate School Students
Each student will read at least three (3) books this summer; students are to read the two (2)
required books and choose one (1) book from the list that follows:
Please follow the guidelines for active reading that is found on the cover letter. There will be an
additional assessment for the books when the students return to school. Additionally, please
encourage your daughter to read any book that interests her. We encourage you to visit the
book store and/or public library often this summer to browse and choose books. Many students
will read more than three books this summer, and that is fantastic!
6th Grade – Required Reading
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A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle
Everyone in town thinks Meg Murray is dull-witted and that her younger brother,
Charles is dumb. People are also saying that their physicist father has run off and left
their brilliant scientist mother, so they embark on a perilous quest through space to find
th
their father. This year marks the 51 anniversary of this classic book.
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When you Reach Me by Rebecca Stead
As her mother prepares to be a contestant on the 1980s television game show, "The
$20,000 Pyramid," a twelve-year-old New York City girl tries to make sense of a series of
mysterious notes received from an anonymous source that seems to defy the laws of time
and space. Winner of the 2010 Newbery Award Medal.
Choose one for the third book
(Book of interest – Does not have to be on this list):
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Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli
After his parents die, Jeffrey Lionel Magee’s life becomes legendary; as he accomplishes
athletic and other feats which awe his contemporaries.
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Belle Teal by Ann M. Martin
Belle Teal Harper’s entrance into fifth-grade in the early 1960’s brings many changes and
challenges as her Gran’s memory begins to slip, her mom spends long hours away at
work, and her class gets two new students, including an African-American boy.
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Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor
An African-American family living in Mississippi during the Depression of the 1930’s is
faced with prejudice and discrimination which its children do not understand. Winner
of the 1977 Newbery Winner.
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A Girl from Yamhill by Beverly Cleary
This is an intimate autobiography of children’s book author, Beverly Cleary. Surprisingly,
Cleary, creator of Henry Huggins, Ramona and other irrepressible characters, was an
unhappy child, always longing for affection and approval from her mother.
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A Corner of the Universe by Ann Martin
Watching home movies, Hattie looks back over the summer of 1960 and the events that
changed her perceptions of life. The 12-year-old has difficulty making friends her own
age, but enjoys the company of an elderly boarder, the friendly cook, and her artist
father. Winner of the 2003 Newbery Award.
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A Long Way from Chicago: A Novel in Stories by Richard Peck
When Joey and his sister Mary Alice travel from their home in Chicago to their
Grandmother’s small town, they don’t expect the crazy adventures they encounter.
Winner of the 1999 Newbery Award.
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Bloomability by Sharon Creech
When 13-year-old Dinnie Doone is plucked out of her troubled life by her aunt and
uncle and whisked away to an international school in Switzerland, her world is turned
upside down. She discovers herself while being surrounded by different cultures,
languages, and beliefs.
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Absolutely Normal Chaos by Sharon Creech
Mary Lou Finney is an absolutely normal 13-year old living in a large family during an
absurdly normal summer of growing up. The assignment to keep a journal during this
summer vacation allows Mary Lou the privilege of documenting the typical roller coaster
process of adolescence.
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Holes by Louis Sachar
Stanley Yelnats IV has been wrongly accused of stealing a famous baseball player’s valued
sneakers and is sent to Camp Green Lake, a juvenile detention home where the boys dig
holes, five feet deep by five feet across, in the miserable Texas heat. Winner of the 1999
Newbery Award.
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The Two Princesses of Bamarre by Gail Carson Levine
This story takes place in a magical time and mystical place and is teaming with dragons,
specters, gryphons, elves, and fairies. Princesses Addie and Meryl live with their father,
the king, in the castle of Bamarre, where magic and sorcery are a part of everyday life.
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The Music of Dolphins by Karen Hesse
Mila has been raised by dolphins. When the Coast Guard discovers her, she is taken to
a research facility and has to adjust to living with humans. She slowly acquires language
and develops a love for music. Her love for music gives her insight into the human
world yet allows her to remain connected to her dolphin world.
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Something Upstairs by Avi
When 12-year-old Kenny Huldorf moves with his family to Providence, Rhode Island, he
finds himself embroiled in the century-old murder of a teenage slave named Caleb. Not
only is Kenny haunted by the injustice of the murder, but also by the ghost of Caleb
th
himself, who summons Kenny back in time to early 19 Century, where the boy must
solve Caleb’s murder to return to his own century.
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Kidnapped by Robert Luis Stevenson
After he is kidnapped by his villainous uncle, a sixteen-year-old orphan escapes and
becomes involved in the struggles of the Scottish Highlanders against English rule.
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Baby by Patricia MacLachlan
Taking care of a baby left with them at the end of the tourist season helps a family come
to terms with the death of their own infant son.
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Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery
Anne, an eleven-year-old orphan, is sent by mistake to live with a lonely, middle-aged
brother and sister on a Prince Edward Island farm and proceeds to make an indelible
impression on everyone around her.
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My Brother Sam is Dead by James Collier
Recounts the tragedy that strikes the Meeker family during the Revolution when one
son joins the rebel forces while the rest of the family tries to stay neutral in a Tory town.
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Loser by Jerry Spinelli
Even though his classmates from first grade on have considered him strange and a loser,
Daniel Zinkoff’s optimism and exuberance and the support of his loving family do not
allow him to feel that way about himself.
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The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle by Avi
Thirteen-year-old Charlotte Doyle, the only passenger abroad a seedy ship on a
transatlantic voyage from England to America in 1832, becomes caught up in a feud
between murderous captain and his mutinous crew.
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S.O.R. Losers by Avi
Each member of the South Orange River seventh-grade soccer team has qualities of
excellence, but not on the soccer field.
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Jacob Have I Loved by Katherine Paterson
Filled with resentment over the attention showered upon her twin sister, and awaiting
the day she can leave her town behind, young Louise meets a wise old sea captain and
begins learning how to let go of her anger. Winner of 1981 Newbery Medal.
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Don’t You Dare Read This, Mrs. Dunphrey by Margaret Peterson Haddix
When her English teacher, Mrs. Dunphrey, announces that she will require everyone to
keep a journal, much to Tish’s surprise, journal writing becomes welcome-yet frighteningoutlet for the increasing stress she feels about life at home.
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Catherine Called Birdy by Karen Cushman
The daughter of an English country knight keeps a journal in which she records the
events of her life, particularly her longing for adventures beyond the usual role of
women and her efforts to avoid being married off.
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The Midwife’s Apprentice by Karen Cushman
In medieval England, a nameless, homeless girl is taken in by a sharp-tempered midwife,
and in spite of obstacles and hardship, eventually gains the three things she most wants:
a full belly, a contented heart, and a place in this world. Winner of 1996 Newbery
Award.
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Maizon at Blue Hill by Jacqueline Woodson (3 titles in series)
After winning a scholarship to an academically challenging boarding school, Maizon
finds herself one of only five African American there and wonders if she will ever fit in.
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Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J. K. Rowling (7 titles in series)
After 10 miserable years with his aunt and uncle, Harry Potter is invited to attend
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Each book follows another year in Harry’s
education while more of his frightening destiny is revealed.