Summer Reading – entering 7th Grade 2015
Required: A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park
Select TWO additional:
Revolution by Deborah Wiles
It's 1964, and Sunny's town is being invaded. Or at least that's what the adults of Greenwood, Mississippi, are saying. All
Sunny knows is that people from up north are coming to help people register to vote. They're calling it Freedom Summer.
Meanwhile, Sunny can't help but feel like her house is being invaded, too. She has a new stepmother, a new brother, and a new
sister crowding her life, giving her little room to breathe. And things get even trickier when Sunny and her brother are caught
sneaking into the local swimming pool -- where they bump into a mystery boy whose life is going to become tangled up in
theirs. Available in hardcover and ebook formats.
Dead End in Norvelt by Jack Gantos
Melding the entirely true and the wildly fictional, Dead End in Norvelt is a novel about an incredible two months for a kid
named Jack Gantos, whose plans for vacation excitement are shot down when he is "grounded for life" by his feuding parents,
and whose nose spews bad blood at every little shock he gets. But plenty of excitement (and shocks) are coming Jack's way
once his mom loans him out to help a feisty old neighbor with a most unusual chore--typewriting obituaries filled with stories
about the people who founded his utopian town. As one obituary leads to another, Jack is launched on a strange adventure
involving molten wax, Eleanor Roosevelt, twisted promises, a homemade airplane, Girl Scout cookies, a man on a trike, a
dancing plague, voices from the past, Hells Angels . . . and possibly murder… Available in hardcover, paperback, and ebook
formats.
The Breadwinner by Deborah Ellis
Eleven-year-old Parvana lives with her family in one room of a bombed-out apartment building in Kabul, Afghanistan's capital
city. Parvana's father — a history teacher until his school was bombed and his health destroyed — works from a blanket on
the ground in the marketplace, reading letters for people who cannot read or write. One day, he is arrested for the crime of
having a foreign education, and the family is left without someone who can earn money or even shop for food. As conditions
for the family grow desperate, only one solution emerges. Forbidden to earn money as a girl, Parvana must transform herself
into a boy, and become the breadwinner. Available in hardcover, paperback, and ebook formats.
The Misfits by James Howe
What do a 12-year-old student who moonlights as a tie salesman, a tall, outspoken girl, a gay middle schooler and a kid
branded as a hooligan have in common? Best friends for years, they've all been the target of cruel name-calling and now that
they're in seventh grade, they're not about to take it anymore… Available in hardcover, paperback, and ebook formats.
The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale
She can whisper to horses and communicate with birds, but the crown princess Ani has a difficult time finding her place in the
royal family and measuring up to her imperial mother. When she is shipped off to a neighboring kingdom as a bride, her
scheming entourage mounts a bloody mutiny to replace her with a jealous lady-in-waiting, Selia, and to allow an inner circle of
guards more power in the new land. Barely escaping with her life, Ani disguises herself as a goose girl and wanders on the
royal estate. Does she have the pluck to reclaim her rightful place? Available in hardcover, paperback, and ebook formats.
American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang (Graphic Novel)
Jin Wang starts at a new school where he's the only Chinese-American student. When a boy from Taiwan joins his class, Jin
doesn't want to be associated with an FOB like him. Jin just wants to be an all-American boy, because he's in love with an allAmerican girl. Danny is an all-American boy: great at basketball, popular with the girls. But his obnoxious Chinese cousin ChinKee's annual visit is such a disaster that it ruins Danny's reputation at school, leaving him with no choice but to transfer
somewhere he can start all over again. Available in hardcover, paperback, and ebook formats.
Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli
Jeffrey Lionel "Maniac" Magee might have lived a normal life if a freak accident hadn't made him an orphan. After living with
his unhappy and uptight aunt and uncle for eight years, he decides to run--and not just run away, but run. This is where the
myth of Maniac Magee begins, as he changes the lives of a racially divided small town with his amazing and legendary feats.
Available in hardcover, paperback, and ebook formats.
Summer Reading – entering 7th Grade 2015
Just As Long As We’re Together by Judy Blume
Can you have more than one best friend?
Stephanie’s best friend is Rachel. Since second grade they’ve shared everything, good and bad. But now it’s the start of seventh
grade and Alison has just moved to their neighborhood. Stephanie immediately clicks with her—she’s cool and fun and totally
humble even though she’s the daughter of a famous actress. Stephanie hopes all three of them can be best friends, but the
more she pushes Alison on Rachel, the more Rachel seems to drift away. Is it possible to have two best friends? Or is it true
that two’s company, three’s a crowd? Available in hardcover, paperback, and ebook formats.
Trash by Andy Mulligan
In an unnamed Third World country, in the not-so-distant future, three “dumpsite boys” make a living picking through the
mountains of garbage on the outskirts of a large city. One unlucky-lucky day, Raphael finds something very special and very
mysterious. So mysterious that he decides to keep it, even when the city police offer a handsome reward for its return. That
decision brings with it terrifying consequences, and soon the dumpsite boys must use all of their cunning and courage to stay
ahead of their pursuers. It’s up to Raphael, Gardo, and Rat—boys who have no education, no parents, no homes, and no
money—to solve the mystery and right a terrible wrong. Available in hardcover, paperback, and ebook formats.
Heat - or anything else by Mike Lupica
Michael Arroyo has a pitching arm that throws serious heat along with aspirations of leading his team all the way to the Little
League World Series. But his firepower is nothing compared to the heat Michael faces in his day-to-day life. Newly orphaned
after his father led the family’s escape from Cuba, Michael’s only family is his seventeen-year old brother, Carlos. If Social
Services hears of their situation, they will be separated in the foster-care system—or worse, sent back to Cuba. Together, the
boys carry on alone, dodging bills and anyone who asks too many questions. But then someone wonders how a twelve-yearold boy could possibly throw with as much power as Michael Arroyo throws. With no way to prove his age, no birth certificate,
and no parent to fight for his cause, Michael’s secret world is blown wide open, and he discovers that family can come from the
most unexpected sources. Available in hardcover, paperback, and ebook formats.
Throw Like a Girl: How to Dream Big and Believe in Yourself by Jennie Finch (Non-Fiction)
The evidence is overwhelming: sports help girls grow into strong women. Both scientific studies and anecdotal evidence
confirm that athletic girls not only grow up to be healthier; they learn teamwork, gain inner confidence, and grow into
society's leaders. Sports help preteen and teenage girls make the right choices in a society that is sending them incredibly
mixed messages about who they are supposed to be. Yet no one is speaking directly to these girls. Jennie fills the role of
girlfriend, big sister, team captain, and mentor. A smart, credible, and accomplished voice from an athlete who is strong and
feminine, fiercely competitive, and fashionably cool, Jennie is someone young women will listen to and take to heart. Jennie's
message: Believe in yourself. Go for it, girls. Available in paperback and ebook formats.
Tracking Trash by Loree Griffin Burns (Non-Fiction)
Aided by an army of beachcombers, oceanographer Dr. Curtis Ebbesmeyer tracks trash in the name of science. From sneakers
to hockey gloves, Curt monitors the watery fate of human-made cargo that has spilled into the ocean. The information he
collects is much more than casual news; it is important scientific data. And with careful analysis, Curt, along with a community
of scientists, friends, and beachcombers alike, is using his data to understand and protect our ocean. Available in hardcover and
paperback formats.
A Really Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson (Non-Fiction)
Enter the world of science as Bill Bryson unmasks the mysteries of the universe.
Did you know that:
• Every atom in your body has almost certainly passed through several stars and been part of millions of organisms on its way
to being you?
• If you are an average-sized kid, you have enough potential energy inside you to explode with the force of several hydrogen
bombs?
And—What happened to dinosaurs? How big is the universe? Why are oceans salty? Is a meteor going to hit us?
Tackling everything from the Big Bang to the rise of civilization, Bill Bryson’s inimitable storytelling skill makes the why, how,
and, just as importantly, the who of scientific discovery entertaining and accessible for young readers. Available in hardcover
and paperback formats