AIM Lower School Suggested Summer Reading
*Books and authors listed can be found on Learning Ally or Audible
Entering 1st Grade Bingham, Kelly Cannon, Janell DaCosta, Barbara Eastman, P.D. Ehlert, Lois Fox, Mem Frazee, Marla Going, K.L. Henkes, Kevin Himmelman, John McMullan, Kate Pulver, Robin Watt, Melanie Willems, Mo Arnold, Tedd Capucilli, Alyssa Hoff, Syd Hood, Susan Litwin, Eric Minarik, Else Holmelund Numeroff, Laura O’Connor, Jane Scotton, Rob Weeks, Sarah Wells, Rosemary Willems, Mo Fiction: Z is for Moose Stellaluna Nighttime Ninja Are you my Mother? Planting a Rainbow Hello Baby A Couple of Boys Have the Best Week Ever Dog in Charge Old Bear Chickens to the Rescue I’m Dirty Thank You, Miss Dover Chester Goldilocks and the Three Dinosaurs Series: Fly Guy Katy Duck Makes a Friend; Biscuit Danny the Dinosaur Pup and Hound Pete the Cat Little Bear If you give a Mouse a Cookie Fancy Nancy Splat the Cat Mac and Cheese Max and Ruby Cat the Cat, Who is That? (Elephant and Piggie) Davies, Nicola Florian, Douglas Hale, Christy Hartland, Jessie Hoberman, Mary Ann Jenkins, Steve and Robin Page Low, William Mayo, Margaret Pinkney, Jerry Scanlon, Elizabeth Garton Schuh, Mari Non Fiction: Dolphin Baby! Zoo's Who Dreaming Up: A Celebration of Building How the Sphinx got to the Museum You Read to Me and I'll Read to You: Very Short Fables to Read Together My First Day Machines Go To Work in the City by Dig, Dig Digging The Lion and the Mouse All the World Volcanoes AIM Lower School Suggested Summer Reading
*Books and authors listed can be found on Learning Ally or Audible
Entering 2nd Grade
Look for fiction books by these authors: Tedd Arnold Marc Brown Jan Brett Tomie de Paola Paulette Bourgeosis David Alder Brian Biggs Eric Carle Steven Kellogg Cynthia Rylant Mercer Mayer Leo Lionni Judith Viorst Steve Jenkins Mo Willems
Look for non-­‐fiction books by these authors: Melvin and Gilda Berger Jim Arnosky Gail Gibbons Browse for your favorite series: Frog and Toad All Aboard Science Miss Nelson Poetry books Rhyming books Fancy Nancy The Magic School Bus Curious George Foggy Pinky and Rex Cam Jansen Gus and Grandpa Reader Clifford The Berenstain Bears Flat Stanley Rainbow Magic Mr. Putter and Tabby Henry and Mudge Encyclopedia Brown I Can Read books The Cul-­‐de-­‐sac Kids Nate the Great AIM Lower School Suggested Summer Reading
*Books and authors listed can be found on Learning Ally or Audible
Entering 3rd Grade
Abbot: Secrets of Droon (series, fantasy) -­‐Tag along with a trio of best friends who stumble upon the magical world of Droon. Barrows: Ivy and Bean (fiction series, friendship) -­‐ Meet Ivy and Bean, two friends who never meant to like each other. Birney: The World According to Humphrey (fiction, humor) -­‐Humphrey, a classroom hamster, surveys his surroundings and finds ways to help the children in the class. Clements: Lunch Money (school, humor) -­‐Hart is a popular boy who sometimes "goofs off". When he hits the music teacher with a rubber band, he is put in charge of the holiday concert. Both Hart and his teacher learn lessons. Ferris: Walking the Road to Freedom (biography) -­‐This is the important and inspiring story of a woman who called herself Sojourner Truth. Using only the power of her voice, she spoke out against slavery throughout New England and the Midwest. Funke: Dragon Rider (fiction, fantasy) -­‐ An orphaned boy joins a dragon on a quest to find a homeland for an ancient race of dragons threatened by an evil foe. Grimes: Talkin' About Bessie (biography) -­‐ How Bessie Coleman became the first African-­‐American woman to become a licensed pilot as told by her family and friends. Gutman: My Weird School (school, humor) -­‐A fun series of books about school life that appeal to reluctant readers. MacLachlan: Sarah, Plain and Tall (historical fiction) -­‐ This sweet prairie tale of a family's experiences with Sarah, a mail-­‐order bride from Maine, begins with children Anna and Caleb worried that their new mother might not like being away from the sea. Mazer: Amazing Days of Abby Hayes (fiction series, humor) -­‐ Abby Hayes is a fun and quirky fifth grader looking to find her own "super-­‐special" talent. Squeezed between two outstanding older siblings and her protégé brother, Abby is determined to make her mark. Noble: The Last Brother -­‐ Tales of Young America Series (historical fiction) -­‐ Gabe becomes a bugler in the Civil War to protect his only surviving brother Pennypacker: Clementine (fiction series, humor) -­‐ Clementine is a funny, energetic, third grader with a talent for getting in trouble and a heart of gold. Who Was Series...? (non-­‐fiction, biography) -­‐ Penguin's Who Was…? Series of nonfiction books offers kid-­‐friendly accounts of important and famous figures. AIM Lower School Suggested Summer Reading
*Books and authors listed can be found on Learning Ally or Audible
Entering 4th Grade
Benton: Franny K. Stein (fiction series, fantasy) -­‐ Follow Franny K. Stein, mad scientist, on all her adventures (and misadventures) as she plots to take over the world! Blume: Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing (fiction, humor) -­‐ Meet Peter Hatcher, the oldest of the Hatcher clan. He is tired of dealing with his little brother Fudgie, whose disgusting cuteness is almost too much to bear. Peter is sick of Fudge constantly meddling with Peter's stuff, and other grave offenses revealed in this humorous and heart warming story. Danzinger: Amber Brown Goes Fourth (fiction series, friendship) -­‐ Amber Brown isn’t entirely ready for fourth grade. She has her pens, pencils, new clothes, and new shoes. However, the one thing she doesn’t have is her best friend, Justin Daniels. Justin has moved away, leaving Amber utterly best friend-­‐less. Amber knows Justin can’t be replaced, but she is on the lookout for a new friend. Brandi seems a likely choice, but does Brandi want to choose Amber in return? Ferris: What Are You Figuring Now? A Story About Benjamin Banneker (biography) -­‐ A biography of the African-­‐American farmer and self-­‐taught mathematician, astronomer, and surveyor for the new capital city of the United States in 1791, who also calculated a successful almanac notable for its preciseness. Nelson: We Are the Ship: The Story of the Negro League Baseball (history) – Kadir Nelson’s history of the Negro Leagues, told from the vantage point of an unnamed narrator, reads like an old-­‐timer regaling his grandchildren with tales of baseball greats Satchel Paige, Josh Gibson, and others who forged the path toward breaking the race barrier before Jackie Robinson made his historic debut. Roy: A to Z Mysteries (mystery series) -­‐ This series features three smart kids who solve crimes and mysteries. They have hobbies, pets, and parents, but what they love most is a good mystery. Sacher: Wayside School (fiction series, humor) -­‐ There was a terrible mistake-­‐Wayside School was built with one classroom on top of another, thirty stories high! (The builder said he was sorry.) Maybe that's why all kinds of funny things happened at Wayside-­‐especially on the thirteenth floor. Silverstein: A Light in the Attic (poetry) -­‐ It's hard to imagine a world without A Light in the Attic. This now-­‐
classic collection of poetry and drawings from Shel Silverstein can amuse readers old and young. St. George: So You Want to be President? (non-­‐fiction) -­‐ Tired of books about the presidency that present themselves as history books? Author Judith St. George-­‐-­‐along with Caldecott Honor-­‐winning illustrator David Small-­‐-­‐has created a book about the presidency that's serious fun. Presidential hobbies, sports, virtues, and vices all get a tongue-­‐in-­‐cheek airing, perfectly matched by Small's political-­‐cartoon style of caricature painting. Van Draanen: Shredderman (fiction series, humor) -­‐ Discover how Nolan Byrd goes from being the number one nerd to a world famous superhero. AIM Lower School Suggested Summer Reading
*Books and authors listed can be found on Learning Ally or Audible
Entering 5th Grade Angleberger: Origami Yoda Series (fantasy series)-­‐ For Tommy, the only question is whether or not Origami Yoda is real. Of course, he's real as a small puppet on Dwight's finger. But does the oracle possess magic power? In order to find out, he decides to compile scientific evidence from the experiences of those who asked Origami Yoda for help. Applegate: The One and Only Ivan (fiction)-­‐ Ivan, a gorilla, has lived for years in a down-­‐and-­‐out circus themed mall. But when a baby elephant is added to the mall, he decides that he must find a way to give her a better life Curtis: The Mighty Miss Malone (historical fiction) -­‐ The Mighty Miss Malone is one Deza Malone-­‐-­‐dedicated student and member of a close-­‐knit family. Unfortunately, the Great Depression is taking a toll on her family, and when Deza’s father leaves in search of work, the rest of the family soon has no choice but to follow. Despite the hardships, loss, and racism that defined the times, Deza never loses faith in her dreams or flags in her devotion to bringing her family together again. Grogan: Marley – A Dog Like No Other (memoir) -­‐ When the Grogan family is ready for a dog, they choose Marley, a yellow fur ball of a puppy who quickly grows into a large, rowdy Labrador retriever. Marley has a zest for life, and as he grows, so does his enthusiasm. He has an appetite for whatever he can get his paws on—from fine jewelry to underwear—and the one thing he always finds is trouble. Marley even gets kicked out of obedience school! Can this rambunctious pup ever learn how to be a good boy? Hale: Chet Gecko Mysteries (fiction, mystery)– Hale launches a new mystery series starring fourth-­‐grade gumshoe Chet Gecko, who searches for a missing chameleon named Billy.
Huey: Voices of the American Revolution: Stories from the Battlefields (non-­‐fiction) -­‐ Can you imagine boarding a navy ship at the age of 13? Or how about escaping from a rebel jail? These were everyday events for people during the American Revolution. Experience their triumphs and defeats first-­‐hand as you read about an American sailor, a wealthy Loyalist, a German doctor, and more. Raczka: Lemonade and Other Poems Squeezed from a Single Word (poetry) -­‐ Part anagram, part rebus, part riddle—the poems in Lemonade: and Other Poems Squeezed from a Single Word capture a scene from a child’s daily life and present a puzzle to solve. Sacher: There’s a Boy in the Girl’s Bathroom (fiction) -­‐ Bradley Chalkers, a fifth grader at the Red Hill School, has trouble getting along with his classmates until he meets Carla, a new school counselor. She not only listens to his wacky stories, but also encourages him to use his powerful imagination. But just when Bradley's social world begins to broaden, the school board decides to let Carla go. What will happen to Bradley now? Williams-­‐Garcia: One Crazy Summer (historical fiction) -­‐ One Crazy Summer is the heartbreaking, funny tale of three girls who travel to Oakland, California, in 1968 in search of the mother who abandoned them. It's an unforgettable story told by a distinguished author of books for children and teens, Rita Williams-­‐Garcia.