The Pingry School
Summer Reading 2016
Required Reading
Entering Grade 6
The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
Bilbo Baggins enjoys a comfortable, unambitious life, rarely traveling farther than the pantry of his hobbit-hole in Bag End.
But his contentment is disturbed when the wizard Gandalf and a company of thirteen dwarves arrive on his doorstep to whisk
him away on a journey to raid the treasure hoard of Smaug the Magnificent, a large and very dangerous dragon. . .
Summer Reading – Grade 6
The Pingry School
Summer Reading 2016
Recommended Book List
Entering Grade 6
*One Additional Book Required*
Alcott, Louisa May -- Little Women. Little Men. Jo’s Boys
The classic trilogy that traces a New England family’s fortunes during their father’s term of service in the Civil War and then
continuing on to explore Jo March’s married years.
Anderson, Laurie Halse -- Chains. Forge.
A piece of historic fiction surrounding a young slave in New York during the Revolutionary War. Isabel must make tough
decisions about her own freedom and which side to support in the war. Forge is a sequel that focuses on Curzon.
Avi -- The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle
A12-year old girl must disguise herself as a boy in order to gain passage aboard a mutinous ship. Once she’s on board,
however, her challenges have only just begun.
Blackwood, Gary -- The Shakespeare Stealer
When a young boy (Widge) is sent to steal a copy of Hamlet from Shakespeare’s theater company, he discovers stealing from
the bard is more challenging than he expects. He must grow up quickly to deal with the sudden intrigue that develops around
him.
Summer Reading – Grade 6
Bradley, James; adapted for young people by Michael French -- Flags of our Fathers: Heroes of Iwo Jima
James Bradley examines the lives of the six young men (one of them Bradley’s father) who raised the American flag over
Iwo Jima in February 1945 and were immortalized by a famous photograph.
Card, Orson Scott -- Ender’s Game
Andrew “Ender” Wiggins, who spends his childhood at military school in outer space, believes he is playing computersimulated war games; in fact, he is commanding the last great fleet of Earth. First in a science fiction series. Hugo Award;
Nebula Award.
Curtis, Christopher Paul --The Watsons Go to Birmingham
This artfully told tale traces the journey of an African-American family living in the North to their native Alabama during the
rough-and-tumble era of the 60s. They arrive in Birmingham just in time to get caught up in some of the key events of the
Civil Rights Movement.
Davies, David Clement -- The Sight
Set in the Transylvanian wilderness, this novel recognizes the interconnectedness of species by showing the power struggles
of the wolves' matriarchal societies. The wolves are forced to choose between two ruthless leaders. Morgra hopes to bring the
legend of the man-wolf to fruition by bonding with a marked infant human. Slavka organizes the free wolves into a huge
pack to challenge Morgra's hunters and intends to kill the baby and anyone who believes in the Sight. A family pack is caught
in the midst of this strife as their pups, Larka and Fell, each show promise of developing the supernatural abilities foretold in
the legend.
Summer Reading – Grade 6
Deuker, Carl -- High Heat
When sophomore Shane Hunter’s father is arrested for money laundering at his Lexus dealership, the star pitcher’s life of
affluence and attending private school begins to fall apart.
Dowd, Siobhan -- The London Eye Mystery
A brother and sister take their visiting cousin for a ride on London’s most famous ferris wheel. When their cousin disappears
during the ride, the duo must figure out what went wrong.
Hale, Shannon -- Princess Academy
The king’s priests divine that the prince must choose his bride from among the young girls who live in a small mountain
village, and the girls are then ordered to attend a special academy established to train them in the ways of royalty. When
bandits attempt to kidnap and hold the future princess as ransom, Miri, one of the mountain girls, realizes that she can
mindspeak and saves herself and the others from harm. Newbery Honor 2006
Hobbs, Will – Wild Man Island
After fourteen-year-old Andy slips away from his kayaking group to visit the wilderness site of his archaeologist father’s
death, a storm strands him on Admiralty Island, Alaska, where he manages to survive, encounters unexpected animal and
human inhabitants, and looks for traces of the earliest prehistoric immigrants to America.
Summer Reading – Grade 6
Haddix, Margaret -- Among the Hidden
In this futuristic story of a boy who is an illegal ‘third child’ (each family is permitted only two children), Luke discovers the
danger of defying an powerful and unfair government.
Horowitz, Anthony -- Stormbreaker
When his uncle dies, fourteen-year-old Alex Rider is asked to continue in his uncle’s footsteps—as a spy for the British
intelligence agency.
Klages, Ellen -- The Green Glass Sea
Two young girls move to a military base where their parents will work on a mysterious device that will “end World War II.”
As the girls gradually discover the true nature of the device, they are faced with tough questions.
Kolosov, Jacqueline -- The Red Queen’s Daughter
Sixteen-year-old Mary Seymour, a white magician in Queen Elizabeth's court, has vowed never to fall in love, but her
attraction to her darkly handsome cousin Edmund, a black magician who seems to understand her better than anyone, cannot
be denied, and she finds her beliefs tested when he becomes involved in a plot against the queen.
Summer Reading – Grade 6
Lowry, Lois -- The Giver
This tale is about a utopian society that seems ideal. The story is told through the eyes of Jonas, a young boy about to receive
his life's assignment along with others of his age group. To his astonishment, he is given the most respected job of all. He is
to be trained to become the "Receiver of Memory." In this ideal world, the people don't want to be burdened with memories.
However, they also don't want to make decisions or changes which, in the past, have led to disaster, so they have assigned
one person to keep all the memories of history, their own and that of all societies.
Lupica, Mike -- The Big Field
Hutch has always been the starting shortstop, until Daryl “D-Will” Williams, Florida’s top shortstop prospect shows up.
Soon, even Hutch’s Dad (a retired pro) is giving D-Will advice, while Hutch feels sidelined at 2nd base.
Maguire, Gregory -- Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister
A challenging and highly absorbing retelling of Cinderella set in 17th century Harleem (Holland).
Miklowitz, Gloria -- Secrets in the House of Delgado
In Spain in 1492, fourteen-year-old Maria, a Catholic orphan, becomes a servant to a wealthy family of Conversos, converted
Jews, at a time when the Jews are being expelled from the country and when the Inquisition is diligently searching for
religious heretics.
Summer Reading – Grade 6
Park, Linda Sue -- Keeping Score
In this gripping and realistic story, Nine-year-old Maggie befriends a local fireman and keeps up their friendship through
letters when Jim is shipped off to fight in Korea. When he returns traumatized and unable to function, Maggie takes it upon
herself to get the old Jim back.
Rees, Celia -- Sorceress
Eighteen-year-old Agnes, a Mohawk Indian descended from a line of shamanic healers, uses her own newly-discovered
powers to uncover the story of her ancestor, a seventeenth-century New England English healer who fled charges of
witchcraft. Sequel to Witch Child.
Riordan, Rick -- The Red Pyramid
When brother-sister team Carter (14) and Sadie (12), accompany their Egyptologist father to the museum, the trio is
kidnapped and eventually pitted against the evil Egyptian god, Set. They must discover their true identities and harness their
special powers to have any hope of saving humanity.
Schmidt, Gary -- Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy
Based on real historical events, young Turner, the minister’s son, moves to Maine in 1912. Once there, he finds the rigid and
intolerant community attempting to remove a community of former slaves who live on a nearby island. Can one boy do
anything to fight such an injustice?
Summer Reading – Grade 6
Scieszka, Jon, ed. -- Guys Write for Guys Read
Contains a collection of short stories, drawings, comics, poems, and memoirs from well known writers of "guy" fiction,
written by boys, for boys. Includes pieces by Daniel Pinkwater, Neil Gaiman, Will Hobbs, Stephen King, Gary Paulsen,
among others.
Stead, Rebecca -- When You Reach Me
When sixth-grader, Miranda, parts ways with her best friend, Sal, her whole world is turned upside down. As she reads A
Wrinkle in Time and struggles to understand time travel, she begins receiving cryptic predictions of the future...that turn out
to be true!
Yee, Lisa -- Stanford Wong Flunks Big Time
Named after his father’s alma mater, Stanford Wong has big expectations to fulfill academically and as the star of his
basketball team. When he flunks 6th grade and has to go to summer school and can’t go to basketball camp, he must hide his
secret from his friends and get tutored by his archenemy.
Yolen, Jane -- Girl in a Cage
Marjorie Bruce, daughter of Robert the Bruce of Scotland, has been captured in 1306 by Edward I (Longshanks) of England
and placed in a cage on public display for months.
Summer Reading – Grade 6