FIFTH GRADE 2016-2017
READING ACTIVITIES and WRITING ASSIGNMENTS
Very soon you will begin your journey in Laurel’s Middle School! The Fifth Grade teachers are very excited
to meet you! Below is a list of Carl Hiaasen books. This author writes young adult fiction about animal
protection and environmental issues in the Florida Everglades. In Fifth Grade, you will spend some of the
school year studying ecology and the environment. These books will provide background information for
these units.
1. Please read Hoot by Carl Hiaasen and complete the assignment below.
(required)
1. Fill out a story map. (attached)
2. Write new vocabulary words and define them in the chart as you read. (attached)
2. Please read ONE OTHER book from the attached list. (required)
Email me ([email protected]) if you want to read a book that is off the list.
Of course, you may always choose to read more than one book!
* WRITING ASSIGNMENT (OPTIONAL): Take the Summer Reading Bingo Challenge! Choose
your own prompts on each month’s bingo game (attached)! Collect your writing in a spiral journal. Try to
write at least one paragraph for each prompt. 
* BOOK CLUB BLOG (OPTIONAL): Log into Haiku to find and join the Book Club Blog! Follow
along with the assignment chapters given for the book Upside Down In the Middle of Nowhere – by Julie
T. Lamana. This is a story about a resilient girl who lives through a natural disaster. As you read each
chapter share your thoughts with your Fifth Grade classmates! I will read and join in the blog too. I can’t
wait to share thoughts with you!!
Enjoy your reading! During the summer, if you have questions or concerns, please contact me by email
([email protected]).
Mrs. Juergens 
Choice Books
One is required, but read more if you wish!
Parents: You will notice that after most book titles there is a number in parenthesis. Please use the number
as a reference for each book’s reading complexity and grade level. Studies show that students who choose
books to read at their individual reading level have higher comprehension. For more information regarding
leveling books go to: www.lexile.com.
Grade 2-3……450-790
Grade 4-5……770-980
Grade 6-8……955-1155
Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer (620)
Artemis Fowl, 12-year-old criminal mastermind, has decided to pull off the ultimate crime—to steal the
fabled fairy gold. Rather than searching under rainbows, he chooses to kidnap one of the fairies and hold
her for ransom. But Holly Short is no helpless, delicate creature, and Artemis Fowl has his hands full when
the “little people” create a plan of their own to get her back.
Girl in Blue by Ann Rinaldi (680)
When a spirited teenager, Sarah Louisa, learns she is to be married off to a neighbor, she runs away from
home. Disguising herself as a boy, she joins the army and becomes a soldier in the Civil War.
Cousins by Virginia Hamilton (550)
Cammy is happily growing up in a small, southern Ohio town, but her too-perfect cousin, Patty Ann,
causes her real distress. When their scorned, poor cousin Elodie falls into a flooded river, Patty Ann,
weakened by anorexia, sacrifices her own life to save Elodie. Cammy is crushed with guilt because of the
way she hated Patty Ann.
The Ear, The Eye And The Arm by Nancy Farmer (660)
General Matsika’s children steal out of the house on a forbidden adventure and disappear. Their parents
call Africa’s most unusual detectives: The Ear, The Eye, and The Arm. “A marvelous odyssey featuring a
witty projection of the future.”
Esperanza Rising by Pam Munoz Ryan (750)
Esperanza is born into a beautiful family life of privilege on her family’s ranch in Mexico. Life was magical,
and full of beautiful dresses and servants. A sudden tragedy throws her into a life of hard work as a farm
worker, money woes, and discrimination. Will the Great Depression change her life forever, or will she
face the challenges head on to survive?
Honeysuckle House by Andrea Chang (600)
Ten year-old Sarah misses her friend and neighbor, Victoria, terribly. The last thing she needs is to be
paired with the new girl in school, Tina, who has just arrived from China.
How Tia Lola Came to Stay by Julia Alvarez (740)
Miguel’s parents are getting divorced, and he has moved from his beloved New York City to a remote
countryside in Vermont. As if that’s not enough, now his crazy aunt Lola from the Dominican Republic
has come to make him look funny in front of his friends. But Tia Lola has a magic all her own, and Miguel
may find that she can help him more than he thinks.
Moon Over Manifest by Clare Vanderpool (800)
After a life of riding the rails with her father, 12-year-old Abilene can’t understand why he has sent her
away to stay with Pastor Shady.
Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznik (820)
When twelve-year-old Hugo, an orphan living and repairing clocks within the walls of a Paris train station
in 1931, meets a mysterious toy seller and his goddaughter, his undercover life and his biggest secret are
jeopardized. This story in pictures and words will capture your imagination. Be sure to visit the web site at
http://www.theinventionofhugocabret.com
Mandy by Julie Edwards (730)
Mandy lives in an orphanage with a tall wall behind it. One day she sneaks over the wall to find an
abandoned cottage and garden that become her secret: a secret that leads her into danger.
Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli (820)
Maniac Magee’s life has not been easy. He was orphaned at age three and ran away from an unhappy foster
home at age eleven. His life on the road brings him to Two Mills, a town desperately in need of racial
harmony. With a quiet, confident manner, that hides his own longing for a place to call home, Maniac
befriends and briefly lives with families on both sides of the segregated town. His small gestures of
friendship and winning ways earn him admiration of all the townspeople and a place in the hearts of
neighbors split along racial lines.
Millicent Min: Girl Genius by Lisa Yee (800)
Millicent Min is a genius. She did not ask to be, and she can’t help it. She just is. At 11 years old, she is a
SENIOR in high school! Though she is brilliant, she has no idea how to make friends. Her mother agrees
to let her take a college course only if she joins a volleyball camp and tutors the “least intelligent” boy in her
school. Will she survive? Can she hide her genius in order to keep her first friend? What happens when the
boy she tutors develops a crush on her new friend? Will she survive the summer?
A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett (930)
A rich girl, Sara, goes to boarding school in London. One day her father dies and leaves her penniless. She
is made a scullery maid at school, but finds happiness in her rich imagination. One day her dreams begin to
come true. Is it magic—or something more real?
Three Times Lucky by Sheila Turnage (560)
Sixth grader Miss Moses LoBean lives in a small town of Tupelo Landing, NC, where everyone’s business is
fair game and no secret is sacred.
Evolution of Calpurnia Tate by Jacqueline Kelly
Growing up with six brothers in rural Texas in 1899, 12-year-old Callie realizes that her aversion to
needlework and cooking disappoints her mother.
The Mysterious Disappearance Of Leon (I Mean Noel) by Ellen Raskin (760)
This is a funny book about Mrs. Carrilon trying to find her long lost husband. Full of word puzzles,
mystery, and kooky clues, this story will keep you guessing.
Notes from a Liar and Her Dog by Gennifer Choldenko (580)
Antonia “Ant” MacPherson thinks she must be adopted because she’s nothing like her family—her sisters
are too perfect and her parents just don’t get her. Ant hardly ever tells the truth because she’s sure her
mother never believes her anyway, so why bother? She comforts herself by writing letters to her “real
parents” and hanging out with her best friend Harrison, his pet chicken, and her own dog, Pistachio. When
her lies get out of hand, Ant must figure out how to be a real part of her family.
Number The Stars by Lois Lowry (670)
Ten-year-old Annemarie Johansen and her best friend Ellen Rosen often think about life before the war.
But now it is 1943, and the Nazi soldiers in Denmark who are “relocating” Jews have changed life in
Copenhagen. Ellen moves in with the Johansens and pretends to be part of their family. Annemarie
becomes part of a dangerous mission to save her friend’s life.
Rules by Cynthia Lord (780)
Frustrated at life with an autistic brother who embarrasses her, twelve-year-old Catherine longs for a
normal existence and comfortable friendships. She then meets Jason, a paraplegic and develops a friendship
with him as they struggle to communicate through pictures.
One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia (750)
In 1968, three black sisters from Brooklyn have been put on a plane to California to spend a month with
their mother.
Someone Named Eve by Joan Wolf (820)
From her home in Czechoslovakia, in 1942, eleven-year-old Milada is taken with other blond, blue-eyed
children to a school in Poland to be trained as ‘proper Germans’ for adoption by German families. While
she is going through schooling and training, she remembers her true name and history and continues to
hope she will be reunited with her family.
Sammy Keyes and the Hotel Thief by Wendelin Van Draanen (840)
The first in a series of mysteries, this book introduces amateur detective Sammy Keyes.
A rough-and-tumble tomboy who acts before she thinks, Sammy gets in real trouble when she sees a thief
in the hotel across the street—and he realizes she’s watching him! Now she must solve the mystery while
staying out of the way of the police, before they realize she’s got secrets of her own to hide.
The Name of this Book is Secret by Pseudonymous Bosch (810)
Two eleven-year-old misfits try to solve the mystery of a dead magician and stop the evil Dr. L and Ms.
Mauvais, who are searching for the secret of immortality.
Theodosia and the Serpents of Chaos by R.L. La Fevers (780)
Twelve-year-old Theo’s mother has just returned from an archaeological dig in Egypt. One of the statues
she’s brought to the museum Theo’s father works at is an ancient Egyptian amulet, which carries a curse
that threatens to crumble the British Empire. Theo uses her special talents to control the curse and bring to
light the two secret societies, one sworn to protect the world from ancient Egyptian magic and one
planning to harness it to bring chaos to the world.
Tom’s Midnight Garden by Phillipa Pearce (860)
This is a classic British time fantasy. Tom is bored and lonely staying with his aunt and uncle while his
brother recuperates from the measles. One night, the old grandfather clock strikes thirteen, beckoning Tom
to enter a garden that no longer exists.
True Friends by Stephanie Perry Moore
When her African-American family moves to a new town after her father takes a football-coaching job at a
historically black university, ten-year-old Carmen learns important lessons about friendship and prejudice.
Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech (770)
After her mother leaves home, thirteen-year-old Sal and her grandparents take a car trip retracing her
mother’s route, and Sal recounts the story of her friend, Phoebe, whose mother also left.
When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead (750)
As her mother prepares to be a contestant on the 1970’s 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.
Wild Girl by Patricia Reilley Giff (640)
When 12-year-old Lidie leaves Brazil to join her father and brother on a horse ranch in New York, she has
a hard time adjusting to her changed circumstances, as does a new horse that has come to the ranch.
Ninth Ward by Jewell Parker Rhodes (470)
Set in New Orleans’ Ninth Ward, 12-year-old Lanesha doesn’t have a fancy house like her uptown family or
lots of friends like other kids on her street. But what she does have is Mama Ya-Ya, her fiercely loving
caretaker, wise in the ways of the world and able to predict the future. Does she have the strength and skill
to help them both survive Hurricane Katrina?
Out of My Mind by Sharon M. Draper (700)
Considered by many to be mentally retarded, a brilliant, impatient fifth-grader with cerebral palsy discovers
a technological device that will allow her to speak for the first time. (Author of Double Dutch, and many
other titles)
Seattle Blue by Michael Wenberg (790)
Maya is upset when her mother sends her to spend the summer of 1970 in Seattle with the grandmother
she has never met, but during her time with Grandma Ruby, she comes to learn more about her family and
her own musical gifts.
Other Half of My Heart by Sundee T. Frazier (750)
The close relationship of a pair of biracial twins is tested when their grandmother enters them in a beauty
pageant.
Planet Middle School by Nikki Grimes (680)
A series of poems describes all the baffling changes at home and at school in twelve-year-old Joylin's
transition from tomboy basketball player to not-quite-girly girl.
Small as an Elephant by Jennifer Richard Jacobson (790)
Abandoned by his mother in an Acadia National Park campground, Jack tries to make his way back to
Boston before anyone figures out what is going on and with only a small toy elephant for company.
Theodosia and the Eyes of Horus by R. L. LaFevers (760)
Book 3 of the Theodosia series. Theodosia's ability to detect black magic raises her suspicions about a
magician known as the Great Awi Bubu, while Henry discovers an artifact at the Museum of Legends and
Antiquities that is coveted by every occultist in London.
Sparrow Road by Sheila O'Connor (530)
Twelve-year-old Raine spends the summer at a mysterious artists’ colony and discovers a secret about her
past.
Akata Witch by Nnedi Okorafor (590)
Twelve-year-old Sunny Nwazue, an American-born albino child of Nigerian parents, moves with her family
back to Nigeria, where she learns that she has latent magical powers, which she and three similarly gifted
friends use to catch a serial killer.
Words in the Dust by Trent Reedy (670)
Zulaikha, a thirteen-year-old girl in Afghanistan, faces a series of frightening but exhilarating changes in her
life as she defies her father, secretly learns Afghan poetry, anticipates her sister’s wedding and contemplates
surgery to fix her cleft lip.
Graphic Novels
Amulet: The Stonekeeper by Kiba Kibuichi (310)
After a tragic accident, Emily moves with her family to an ancestral home rumored to be haunted. The first
night there, Emily's mother goes down to the basement to investigate a noise and doesn't return. The kids
search for her and discover a doorway into another world, where their mother has been swallowed by a
monster and is being taken away. An amulet that Emily found in the house tells her that together they can
save her, but her brother isn't so sure that this voice can be trusted. Still, what other choice do they have in
this strange place? Brightly colored illustrations bring light to this gloomy tale. Sequels: The Stonekeeper’s
Curse; The Cloud Searchers
Smile by Raina Telgemeier (non-fiction) (410)
When she was in sixth grade, Telgemeier tripped while running and lost her two front teeth. In the years
that followed, she went through a torturous series of dental surgeries and repairs, the trauma of which was
mirrored by the social struggles she experienced during her Middle School years.
Wonderstruck: a novel in words and pictures by Brian Selznick (830)
Having lost his mother and his hearing in a short time, twelve-year-old Ben leaves his Minnesota home in
1977 to seek the father he never knew in New York City. There he meets Rose, who is also longing for
something missing from her life. Ben's story is told in words while Rose's is in pictures.
Athena: Grey-Eyed Goddess by George O'Connor (720)
Retells in graphic novel format stories from Greek mythology about Athena, the goddess of wisdom,
including the stories of her strange birth, accidental killing of a friend, and how she helped Perseus defeat
Medusa. Other titles in this series include Zeus, and Hera.
Bad Island, written and drawn by Doug TenNapel (340)
After Reese and his family are stranded on an island during a boating trip, they discover the island is not
what it seems when the island's lethal inhabitants come after them.
Bake Sale by Sara Varon (650)
Cupcake runs a successful bakery with his best friend, Eggplant, but dreams of going abroad to meet his
idol, Turkish Delight, who is the most famous pastry chef in the world.
Non-Fiction
Go Figure: A Totally Cool Book about Numbers by Johnny Ball (970)
Ball aims straight at kids' natural enthusiasm for puzzles and nifty phenomena in this wide-angle view of
math. Readers will find the usual number history, finger-counting tricks, and magic squares here, but there
is much that will challenge even grown-up brainiacs ("It's possible to make a hole in a postcard-sized piece
of paper that a person can step through. Can you work out the pattern?"). Many other activities (making an
icosahedron; performing probability-based card tricks) are spot-on for inquisitive kids who like to fiddle
and ponder.
Amelia Lost: The Life and Disappearance of Amelia Earhart by Candace Fleming (930)
Tells the story of Amelia Earhart's life - as a child, a woman, and a pilot - and describes the search for her
missing plane.
The Leaping Sliding Sprinting Riding Science Book: 50 Super Science Activities by Bobby Mercer
(920)
What's the secret to longer baseball hits and football kicks? Do you need more than strong legs to run
quickly? Does making a racket while using a tennis racket make you a better player? To play your best, or to
find out how the top athletes do what they do, investigate the science behind your favorite sports with
these activities. Get your body in motion and your brain in high gear!
Mission: Save the Planet by Sally Ride and Tam O’Shaughnessy
The first chapter in this slim volume discusses our energy use, dependence on fossil fuels, and the
environmental impact of these practices. The remaining chapters are packed with facts and suggestions on
reducing our carbon footprint, divided into tips for home and for school.
Almost Astronauts: 13 Women Who Dared to Dream by Tanya Lee Stone (980)
When NASA was launched in 1958, 13 women proved they had as much of the right stuff as men to be
astronauts, but prejudice, insecurity, and a scrawled note written by one of Washington’s most powerful
men blocked their way to space. This is the true story of the Mercury 13 women’s efforts to win admission
into NASA's initial astronaut training program in the early 1960s.
Candy Bomber: The Story of the Berlin Airlift’s “Chocolate Pilot” by Michael O. Tunnell (1130)
After World War II, the United States and Britain airlifted food and supplies into Russian-blockaded West
Berlin. US Air Force Lieutenant Gail Halvorsen knew the children of the city were suffering, but what
could one man do? Lt. Halvorsen began dropping candy that floated down to the kids by parachute.
Michael O. Tunnell tells an inspiring tale of candy and courage, illustrated with Lt. Halvorsen’s personal
photographs, as well as letters and drawings from the children of Berlin to their beloved Uncle Wiggly
Wings.
Alone Across the Arctic: One Woman’s Epic Journey By Dog Team by Pam Flowers (840)
When she was thirty-five years old, Pam Flowers quit her job, sold her belongings, and used her savings to
move from Texas to Alaska to become a dog musher.
Food Rules: The Stuff You Munch, Its Crunch, Its Punch, and Why You Sometimes Lose your
Lunch by Bill Haduch
This is a comprehensive book on food and nutrition filled with fascinating facts and information. (Did you
know the most popular snack on Earth is popcorn? That 80% of people alive today eat insects? That what
you eat every year could fill about 170 grocery bags?)
The Search for Poison-Dart Frogs by Ron Fridell (710)
Four wildlife biologists from the United States travel to Suriname, a country in South America, to search
for blue poison-dart frogs. This book is an exciting look at the work and passions of real-life scientists.
Story Map Title
HOOT
Name:__________________________
SETTING:
Where:
When:
MAJOR CHARACTERS:
MINOR CHARACTERS:
PLOT/ PROBLEM:
EVENT 1:
OUTCOME:
EVENT 2:
EVENT 3:
VOCABULARY CHART
WORD
PART of
SPEECH
DEFINITION
PICTURE
VOCABULARY CHART
WORD
PART of
SPEECH
DEFINITION
PICTURE
JUNE Writing Bingo! (optional)
Instructions: Create any “five-in-a-row” Bingos, a “Four Corners,” or a complete “Blackout” of the whole card
during the month of JUNE!
Investigate Flag Day.
Write a paragraph
explaining the history
of Flag Day.
Write a speech about
what freedom means
to you.
Write a paragraph
about what happened
when a space ship
landed on your school
playground.
If you could perform
in a circus, what would
you do? Describe your
job in a paragraph.
Make a list of 10 cool
things you could do
with a paper bag!
June 15th is World
Smile Power Day.
Write a list of 10 things
that make you smile.
Describe in detail four
rules of safety.
Make a plan for
camping with your
family. Write your plans
down in a paragraph.
Design a postcard of a
place where you have
traveled.
Design a card for
someone feeling lonely.
Make it really bright!
Make a card for your
dad or someone
special in your life.
Draw a picture on the
front.
Write a paragraph
about your favorite
thing to do in the
summer.
FREE
SPACE
Make a shopping list
to prepare a menu for
your family.
Explain your favorite
fast food meal.
Write a letter
convincing your friend
to eat her vegetables.
Write a story about
something unusual
falling from the sky.
Write down 3 of your
favorite jokes.
Describe in detail your
favorite sugar cookie!
Write a paragraph
about what it would be
like if you lived on the
moon.
What would you like to
invent? Write a
paragraph describing
your invention.
Use a Venn diagram
(two intersecting
circles) to compare a
typewriter to a
computer. Then write a
paragraph to compare
the two.
Would you like to travel
in a blimp? Explain
why or why not.
Describe a book you
read that was also a
movie. Explain if you
liked the book or
movie more.
Describe your favorite
amusement park ride.
JULY Writing Bingo! (optional)
Instructions: Create any “five-in-a-row” Bingos, a “Four Corners,” or a complete “Blackout” of the whole card
during the month of JULY!
Create and describe
your own ice cream
flavor.
Look up the word
“recreation.” What is
your favorite
recreational activity?
Using ink on your
fingertips, make prints
to create characters.
Write a story about the
characters.
Write a paragraph
about life without
refrigerators.
Explain a time when
you helped a friend
with a problem.
Write a poem. Draw a
picture representing
the poem.
Write a paragraph
about what you would
do without TV,
Internet, phones, ipads,
or video games.
Write about your best
day ever!
Design your own
poster for the woods
to remind people not
to start a forest fire.
Explain three ways you
relax.
What do you think an
astronaut must know?
Explain the traits of an
astronaut.
Write a poem honoring
American history.
FREE
SPACE
Describe what you
would do if you were
president.
What do you think is
the most important
sense? Why?
What would you do if
you were invisible?
Describe a day in your
life as an invisible
person.
Write about what you
have trouble
remembering.
What makes a great
friend? Write a
paragraph about what
a good friend is willing
to do.
Describe your ideal
sandcastle.
If you were going to
be a professional
athlete, what sport
would you play. Why?
Write a paragraph
about the books you
like to read.
Write a letter to your
favorite relative.
Describe your favorite
ocean trip. If you have
not been to the ocean,
explain why you would
or wouldn’t like to go.
Write a paragraph
explaining how
computers have
possibly harmed our
lives.
Explain a time when
someone helped you.
AUGUST Writing Bingo! (optional)
Instructions: Create any “five-in-a-row” Bingos, a “Four Corners,” or a complete “Blackout” of the whole card in
the month of AUGUST!
Martin Luther King, Jr.
had a dream that all
people would be treated
equally. What is your
dream?
What do you do if a
friend borrows
something and never
returns the item?
Write your family’s plan
in case of a tornado or
fire.
Write a short story
about a time machine.
What would an animal
say if it could talk?
Describe the best
teacher you have ever
had.
Explain a time you
were surprised.
What would you do if
you saw bugs in your
food?
What three people
would you take on a
trip around the world?
Describe the most
beautiful scene in
nature you have ever
seen.
Write a letter to your
teacher introducing
yourself.
Do you care what
other people think?
Why or why not?
FREE
SPACE
If you were a mouse in
your house, what
would you see?
What if you could fly?
If you received money
as a gift, what would
you do with the
money?
What if you were taller
than the trees?
How do you cheer up a
sad friend?
What kind of shoes do
you love to wear?
Why?
What are you afraid
of? Why?
Explain what a teacher
should do if a student
forgets her homework.
What is something you
really like about
yourself?
Did you ever break
something important?
What happened?
What if everyone lived
under water?
What if everyone put
their trash on the
ground?
SUPPLY LIST
Paper Products
4 packs of loose-leaf lined, wide-ruled notebook paper (replenish when needed)
5 packs of dividers (5 dividers in each set used for science, social studies, English, math and Spanish)
1 spiral notebook for English
1 pack of graph paper (cm grid or smaller) for math
Binders and Folders
3 plastic pocket folders with holes; black (English), blue (social studies), and green (science)
4 1” binders with front view cover (if possible), one each: black, blue, green, red, (black= English, green =
science, red = math, blue = social studies)
1 sturdy homework folder in your choice of color/design
Other
1 refillable water bottle
1 pencil case to hold writing utensils plus other items
1 flash drive
2 white-out correcting tapes (not liquid)
1 tote bag or backpack
1 set of ear buds/headphones
Pencils (replenish when needed)
Blue/Black pens
French, Spanish and Chinese students
1 3-subject, ruled spiral notebook with pockets, 8 ½ x 11 inches (French and Chinese students only)
1” white binder (Spanish students only)
2 packs of 3x5 index cards
flashcard organizer box
Optional Items
The following supplies will be available in the classroom, when needed. Students are, however, welcome to
purchase/use their own if they have a preferred brand.
colored pencils
markers
ruler
glue stick
scissors
Required text book lists can be viewed at www.mbsdirect.net after July 6. All required text books will be
listed on this website although families are not required to purchase from MBS Direct. Feel free to shop
around or use a local source.
We cannot return lost items to you unless you label everything with your name, even pens and pencils. Unlabeled belongings, clothing in
particular, are a problem for everyone. Use permanent marker to label everything you own before you bring it to school.