Grades 3‐5 Summer Reading List 2016
Purpose: ● to increase general knowledge ● to promote family togetherness as you choose books and read as a family ● to encourage reading as fun! Expectation: ● 5 books = good ● 6­10 books = great ● 11­20 books = super ● 21+ books = fantastic! Accountability: ● parents keep a list of books, authors, and pages when they are completed Title Author # of pages Parent Initials Third ‐ Fifth Grade Summer Reading
Book List
Fiction Charlotte’s Web
White, E. B. Story of a pig and a spider who become friends. Stuart Little
White, E. B. Story of the adventures of a fun­loving mouse. Little House Series
Wilder, Laura Ingalls Little House in the Big Wood On the Banks of Plum Creek By the Shores of Silver Lake The Long Winter These Happy Golden Years A series of stories of the Ingall’s family. The Moffats
Estes, Eleanor A ​
story about the four children and friends. Henry Huggins
Cleary, Beverly The adventures of Henry, his dog, and their friends. The Mouse and the Motorcycle
Cleary, Beverly Runaway Ralph Cricket in Times Square
Seldon, George A cricket ends up in a New York subway station far from his Connecticut home. He meets three friends, a boy, a cat, and a mouse. Mr. Popper’s Penguins
Atwater, Richard and Florence Comic story of Mr. Popper and his pet penguin. Swiss Family Robinson
Wyss, Johann D. Shipwreck and survival. Black Beauty
Sewell, Anna Good, moving, classic horse story. Heidi
Spyri, Johanns H. A girl, her grandfather, and a boy named Peter. Pippi Longstocking
Lindgren, Astrid Pippi Goes on Board Pippi in the South Seas Pippi lives alone except for her monkey, her horse, and her fortune in gold. Call It Courage
Armstrong, Sperry A boy, Mafatu, must prove he is not a coward. North to Freedom
Holm, Anne A boy from a concentration camp makes his way across Europe alone. The Narnia Chronicles
Lewis, C. S. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe Prince Caspian Voyage of the Dawn Treader The Silver Chair The Horse and His Boy The Magician’s Nephew The Last Battle Seven books in this series. Hans Brinker and the Silver Skates
Dodge, Mary Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Dahl, Roald Charlie wins a trip to a chocolate factory. Caddie Woodlawn
Brink, Carol R. A red­haired tomboy and her brother have an adventure with Indians on the frontier of Wisconsin. The Secret Garden
Burnett, Frances Hodgson Three children find a secret garden and make it beautiful again. Freedom Train
Sterling, Dorothy A slave escapes to freedom. The Hundred Dresses
Byars, Betsy Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry
Taylor, Mildred D. A struggle of an African American family in Mississippi during the depression. Rascal
North, Sterling Eleven year old Sterling keeps a pet raccoon in the house. The Trumpeter of Krakow
Kelly, Eric P. The Trumpet of the Swan
White, E. B. Louis, a voiceless swan, has adventures, finds fame, and fortune. Miss Pickerell Goes to the Arctic
MacGregor, Ellen Biography Childhood of Famous Americans Series
Stevenson, Augusta Abraham Lincoln (the great emancipator) Ben Franklin (boy printer) Booker T. Washington (ambitious boy) Clara Barton (founder of Red Cross) Daniel Boone (young hunter and tracker) George Washington (boy leader) Molly Pitcher (girl patriot) Nancy Hanks (Kentucky girl) U. S. Grant (young horseman) Billy Sunday Home Run to Heaven
Allen, Robert A. Trailblazer Books Series
Jackson, Dave and Neta Abandoned on the Wild Frontier (Peter Cartwright) Attack in the Rye Grass (Marcus and Narcissa Whitman) The Queen’s Smuggler (William Tyndale) Spy for the Night Riders (Martin Luther) Trail by Poison (Mary Slessor) The Bandit of Ashley Downs (George Muller) The Chimney Sweep’s Ransom (John Wesley) This is a biographical fiction series. Creative Minds Set
Carolrhoda Fine Print (Johann Gutenberg) Mark T­W­A­I­N (Samuel Clemens) We’ll Race You (Henry Ford) Scientific The Magic School Bus Series
Scholastic ...Lost in the Solar System (note reference to billions of years) …at the Waterworks (note reference to millions of years) ...inside the Human Body ...on the Ocean Floor Animal Habitats Series
Oxford Scientific Films Ants on the Ground Butterfly in the Garden Deer in the Forest Honeybee in the Meadow Lizard in the Jungle Mouse in the Barn Polar Bear in the Ice Real Kids, Real Science
Thames & Hudson Entomology (butterflies, ants, crickets) Invertebrate Zoology (animals without backbones) Marine Biology (oceans, shores) Ornithology (birds) Woods, Ponds, and Fields Topics​
­ choose a book from the library or from a personal book collection ● insects ● human body ● planets ● plants ● fish ● reptiles ● ocean ● birds ● mammals ● forests ● pond ● weather Additional Books for Grades 3‐5
Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
Twain, Mark ​
A classic too good for any child to miss reading. Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland
Carroll, Lewis Ageless classic ­ a must for every child and adult as well. All­of­a­Kind Family
Taylor, Sydney Five girls have happy times in a family rich in kindness but poor in money. Dangerous Ground
Skurzynski, Gloria Story of survival in Yellowstone National Park. Dear Mr. Henshaw
Cleary, Beverly A young boy who aspires to be an author writes a series of letters to a writer. Double Life of Pocahontas
Fritz, Jean Historical fiction dealing with the Boston Massacre of 1770. Five Children and It
Nesbit, Edith A group of children discover a sand fairy who both enlivens and confuses their lives. From the Mixed­Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler
Konigsburg, E. L. Two children who run away and live for days in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The Hiding Place
Ten Boom, Corrie The true story of two sisters sent to a Nazi concentration camp for helping Jews. House of Dies Drear
Hamilton, Virginia Arilla, part Native American and part African American, learns new things about her own identity. The Hundred Dresses
Estes, Eleanor A moving story of a poor, little ragged girl. Indian in the Cupboard
Reid Banks, Lynne A young boy and his magic cupboard. Island of the Blue Dolphins
O’Dell, Scott Based on a true story of a Native American girl stranded alone for eighteen years. Johnny Tremain
Forbes, Esther A novel about the American Revolution. Julie of the Wolves
George, Jean Craighood Story of an Inuit girl who is cared for by Arctic wolves. Lassie Come Home
Knight, Eric Classic dog story every child should know. A Lantern in her Hand
Aldrich, Bess Streeter Timeless classic first published in 1928 ­ the life story of Abbie MacKenzie Deal who leaves Iowa for the frontier of Nebraska. My Side of the Mountain
George Jean A contemporary Robinson Crusoe ­ a favorite of many. Old Yeller
Gipson, Fred A story about a boy who learns to love an ugly stray dog. Red Cap
Wisler, G. Clifton A young Yankee drummer boy is sent to a Confederate prison. Remarkable Journey of Prince Jen
Alexander, Lloyd Young prince’s quest to deliver six objects to a mystical king. The Sign of the Beaver
Speare, Elizabeth George A young boy in Maine is rescued by an Indian chief and his grandson. Silver Chief: Dog of the North
O’Brien, John Classic story of a wonderful dog ­ part dog and part wolf. Sounder
Armstrong, William H. A young African American boy grows in courage and understanding with the help of his dog, Sounder. Starshine and Sunglow
Levin, Betty Three children try to save their neighbor’s cornfield from predators. Stitch In Time
Rinaldi, Ann Historical fiction about a family in Salem, Massachusetts. The Summer of the Swans
Byars, Betsy Fourteen­year­old girl searches for her younger brother. Trouble River
Byars, Betsy A story about escaping Native Americans on a raft. Tuck Everlasting
Babbitt, Natalie Mysterious story of drinking from a magical spring. Tombs of Anak
Peretti, Frank Two teenagers and their father brave many dangers on an archaeological dig. (Three other books in the series.) Up a Road Slowly
Hunt, Irene Growing years of Julie ­ talented and motherless. When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit
Kerr, Judith Jewish German refugee family who escapes to Switzerland to avoid Nazi persecution. Where the Red Fern Grows
Rawls, Wilson A simply written, moving story about the love of a young boy and his two dogs. The Witch of Blackbird Pond
Speare, Elizabeth George Historical romance set in Puritan Connecticut. Wrinkle in Time
L’Engle, Madeleine Meg Murray and her family receive a surprise visit from an unearthly stranger. The Yearling
Wyeth, N.C. Written for adults, but appropriate for children. Marguerite Henry’s books Considered by many to be the most successful writer of horse stories. James A. Kjelgaard’s books Great writer of dog stories. Especially for girls: ● Christy Miller Series ● Jennis McGrady Mystery Series