Walpole Public Schools
Elementary Summer Reading Program
Grades 4 & 5
Dear Parents and Students:
Research tells us that when students don’t read for two months their skills regress. Reading is a
skill which requires practice, just like baseball or math facts. Summer reading helps students of
all ages keep their skills sharp so they are ready when school begins again in the fall. Reading
throughout the summer not only enhances basic reading skills of young students, it creates
unique opportunities for learning, exploring, and growing. The Walpole Public Schools
Elementary Summer Reading Program is designed to promote reading and learning as enjoyable
activities. The following is a suggested guide to authors, resources and activities for children to
share their reading experiences. Please choose any title that may interest you from any other
sources. Magazines, graphic novels, audio books and eBooks also provide valuable educational
experiences.
We strongly encourage parents to read aloud, including to those children who are already
independent readers. In addition to being a wonderful family activity, children increase their
listening vocabulary which improves their comprehension. It also allows them to develop
interests beyond their reading levels.
This summer there are two requirements:
1) Children or parents should complete the Reading Log for all books completed.
2) They are also required to complete at least one sharing activity which will contribute to
the first term grade in literacy. Suggested sharing activities are included for each grade
level, but children may choose any other method they like, such as designing a diorama,
creating a poem, inventing a different ending to the story, etc.
During the first two weeks of school in September, the children should return the book log to
their new teacher; their projects will be displayed in their classrooms. A special school
recognition will be awarded to any student who participates in the program by reading at
least two books.
Happy Reading!
Walpole Public Schools
Elementary Summer Reading 2013
Resources for Summer Reading
Walpole Public Schools District Home Page (http://www.walpole.k12.ma.us). Contains online copies of the
author list, activity sheets and reading log. Links to all are provided on the district home page.
Walpole Public Library: Search for books, access programming information, and learn about their summer
reading program, Dig Into Reading.
Registration for Dream Big--Read!, the 2013 Summer Reading Program, begins Wednesday June 26th and is open
until Wednesday August 14th. Participants can log and review their summer reading progress until August 31st,
when the program officially ends. Every on-line participant who reads at least an hour a week will be registered
to win one of our cool weekly raffle prizes and an amazing selection of raffle prizes from program sponsor the
Boston Bruins! One of last year's readers won a signed puck by Brad Marchand. This year--that could be YOU!
If readers are participating in the Barnes and Noble Passport to Summer Reading, or the Texas Roadhouse Read
'em Up, Eat 'em Up programs, those books count towards our program, too! Feel free to double dip :)
Websites to explore:
http://www.ala.org American Library Association: Includes Newbery and Caldecott award winner lists.
http://www.monroe.lib.in.us/childrens/booklists/children_booklists.html Monroe County Public Library
Booklists of Children’s Literature: This Indiana Public Library has a well organized list of titles suited for
many age levels.
http://nancykeane.com/ Nancy Keane’s Children’s Literature Webpage: This website contains booklists and
book reviews written by children.
http://www.guysread.com/ Jon Scieszka’s Guys Read website: The popular author of The Time Warp Trio
series and Stinky Cheese Man created this website especially for boys who are reluctant readers.
http://www.kidsreads.com/ KidsReads: Kid-friendly site with book reviews, books made into movies, and
upcoming titles to be published.
http://pbskids.org/lions
This is the website for the show Between the Lions. It has easy to read stories you can read on line (or
printable), and games that go with each story plus more suggestions for stories to check out at the library. Also
Word Games to play on-line, or to print out and play, and songs and video clips from the show.
http://pbskids.org/zoom/
Based on the TV show Zoom, this website has directions for activities you can do at home that were featured on
the show. Science, “magic” phenomena, arts and crafts, songs, puppet plays, recipes and games are explained
with easy to follow directions to try at home.
http://www.funbrain.com/brain/ReadingBrain/ReadingBrain.html
Mad-Libs to fill in, and web-books and comic books to read on-line
http://www.rif.org/readingplanet/
Reading Is Fundamental is a website where you can write stories with other kids around the country, listen to
and read along with stories and songs, draw like your favorite illustrator, and browse book lists to find a good
book.
Walpole Public Schools
Elementary Summer Reading 2013
http://www.tumblebooks.com/library/asp/home_tumblebooks.asp
Tumblebooks are animated storybooks for younger readers. This website also has audio books, puzzles, and
games for children to play as well.
Other great websites for children:
www.scholastic.com
www.eduplace.com
www.discoverykids.com
www.janbrett.com
www.randomhouse.com
www.starfall.com
Websites for Parents:
http://www.commonsensemedia.org/mobile-app-lists/best-book-apps-kids
Common Sense Media is a trusted source for media recommendations for kids. This link will take you to their
“Best Book Apps for Kids” recommendations. The apps are rated for learning and organized by age group.
http://www.readingrockets.org/article/15218/
This link will take you to a great article entitled, “Summer Reading Loss”, written by Maryann Mraz and
Timothy Rasinski which discusses the affects of summer loss on student achievement and what can be done to
help curb summer reading loss.
http://www.readingrockets.org
Reading Rockets: Tips for parents of kindergarteners, first graders, second graders, and third graders (written in
English and in ten other languages.) Help your child learn to read and read to learn.
http://www.trelease-on-reading.com/
Home page for Jim Trelease, author of the best-selling Read Aloud Handbook, is a great resource for
information on reading.
Look for these books: They provide excellent ideas for children’s books.
Great Books for Girls: More Than 600 Books to Inspire Girls and tomorrow’s Women by Kathleen Odean
Great Books for Boys: More Than 600 Books for Boys 2 to 14 by Kathleen Odean
Walpole Public Schools
Elementary Summer Reading 2013
Suggested Authors (and major themes) for Summer Reading
Elementary Grades 4 & 5
Auxier
Beha
Beil
Bowen
Christopher
Clements
Cohagan
Cronin
Curtis
Dionne
Draper
Flores-Galbis
Frazier
Hiassen
Jacobson
Lai
Lupica
McMann
Pennypacker
Pinkwater
Riordan
Simon
Spinelli
Tarshis
Vernon
Levine
Scattergood
Potter
Bell
Davies
Potter
Leeds
Blackwood
Note: Titles marked with an asterisk * are the first in a series.
Authors marked with an asterisk * are generally children’s favorites.
Massachusetts Children's Book Award Nominees
Author
Title
Peter Nimble and His Fantastic Eyes
Tango, the Tale of an Island Dog
The Red Blazer Girls: The Vanishing Violin
The Perfect Game
World Cup
We The Children (Benjamin Pratt and the Keepers of the
School)
The Lost Children
The Trouble with Chickens: A J.J.Tully Mystery
The Mighty Miss Malone
The Total Tragedy of a Girl Named Hamlet
Out of my Mind
90 Miles to Havana
The Other Half of my Heart
Chomp
Small as an Elephant
Inside Out and Back Again
Hero
The Unwanteds
Summer of the Gypsy Moths
The Yggyssey: How Iggy Wondered What Happened to all the
Ghosts, Found Out Where They Went, and Went There
The Lost Hero (Heroes of Olympus, Book 1)
Emma on Thin Icing
Jake And Lily
I Survived: Hurricane Katrina 2005
Dragon Breath #1
New And Noteworthy
Lions of Little Rock
Glory B
Wonder
Kepler's Dream
The Bell Bandit
The Humming Room
The Unfortunate Son
Jinx
Walpole Public Schools
Elementary Summer Reading 2013
Palacio
Fitzmaurice
Applegate
Appelt
Avi
Avi
Choldenko
Creech
Curtis
DiCamillo
DiCamillo
Giff
Hale
Henkes
Hiaasen
Holm
Kelly
Law
Levine
Lin
Lisle
McKissack
Naylor
Park
Philbrick
Preus
Sachar
Schmidt
Spinelli
Staples
Stead
Tolan
Vanderpool
William-Garcia
Woodson
Alvarez, Julia
Anderson, M.T.
Balliett, Blue
Birdsell, Jeanne
Bryant, Annie
Clements, Andrew*
Corbett, S.
Creech, Sharon*
Davies, J
Navigating Early
A Diamond in the Desert
Selected Newbery Award titles
The One and Only Ivan
The Underneath
The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle
Crispin: The Cross of Lead
Al Capone Does my Shirts
The Wanderer
Bud, Not Buddy
The Tale of Despereaux
Because of Winn-Dixie
The Pictures of Hollis Woods
Princess Academy
Olive's Ocean
Hoot
Turtle in Paradise
The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate
Savvy
Ella Enchanted
Where the Mountain Meets the Moon
Afternoon of the Elves
The Dark-thirty: Southern Tales of the Supernatural
Shiloh
A Single Shard
The Mostly True Adventure of Homer Figg
Heart of a Samurai
Holes
Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy
Maniac Magee
Shabanu, Daughter of the Wind
When You Reach Me
Surviving the Applewhites
Moon Over Manifes
One Crazy Summer
Show Way
Adventure, Realistic Fiction, Sports, Mystery
How Tia Lola Came to Stay
Whales on Stilts
Chasing Vermeer; The Wright Three; The Calder Effect
The Penderwicks*
Beacon Street Girls *
A Week in the Woods; No Talking
Free Baseball
Heartbeat; Hate That Cat
The Lemonade War; The Lemonade Crime
Walpole Public Schools
Elementary Summer Reading 2013
DiCamillo
Dowd, S
Feldman
Feinstein, John
Fitzmaurice
French
Gidwditz
Haddix
Haddix
Henkes, Kevin
Hiaasen, Carl
Hobbs, Will *
Kadohata
Klages
Konigsburg, E. L.*
Korman, G
Lupica
Naylor
O'Connor
Oppel, Kenneth
Paterson
Paulsen, Gary*
Philbrick, W.
Riordan
Ritter, Jon
Ryan
Schmidt
Slote, Alfred
Smith, Roland
Smith, Roland
Spinelli, Jerry*
Stein
Tolan
Van Draanen, W.
Weston
Birdsell
Clements, Andrew
Davies, Jacqueline
Hannigan, Katherine
Hiaasen, Carl
Lai
Pennypacker
Selznick, Brian
Smith
Stein, Garth
Stevens, John
The Magician's Elephant
The London Eye Mystery
The Gollywhopper Games
Last Shot: A Final Four Mystery*
The Year the Swallows Came Early
Operation Redwood
A Tale Dark and Grimm
Found (The Missing, Book 1)
Double Identity
Olive's Ocean
Hoot; Flush; Scat; Chomp
Jason's Gold
Weedflower
The Green Glass Sea
The Outcasts of 19 Schuyler Place
Swindle
The Big Field
Emily's Fortune
How To Steal a Dog
Starclimber (Part of a series)
Bread and Roses Too
Voyage of the Frog
The Young Man and the Sea
The Red Pyramid*; The Throne of Fire; The Lost Hero
The Boy Who Saved Baseball
Paint the Wind
Okay for Now
The Trading Game
iQ: Independence Hall (Book #1)
Thunder Cave
Stargirl
Racing in the Rain: My life as a dog
Listen!
Shredderman: Secret Identity
Zorgamazoo
Penderwicks at Pointe Mouette
Troublemaker
The Lemonade Crime
True (Sort of…)
Chomp
Inside out and Back Again (Newbery Honor)
Clementine and the Family Meeting
Wonderstruck
Aliens on Vacation
Racing in the Rain: My Life as a Dog- student version
The Emerald Atlas
Walpole Public Schools
Elementary Summer Reading 2013
Birney, Betty
Burnford, Shelia
Fan, Amy
George, Jean Craighead*
Ghent, N
Harlow, Jean
Henry, Marguerite
Martin, Ann
O'Hara, Mary
Oppel, Ken
Ryan, Pam
Sewell, Anna
Animal Stories
The World According to Humphrey *
Incredible Journey
Swordbird
There's an Owl in the Shower
No Small Thing
Thunder From the Sea
Misty
A Dog's Life: Autobiography of a Stray
My Friend Flicka *
Silverwing*
Paint the Wind
Black Beauty
Avi
Brink, Carol
Curtis, Paul
Duble, K. B.
Hesse, Karen*
Holm, Jennifer
Kadohata
Karowski
Kinsey-Warnock, Natalie
Krensky, Stephen
Osborne, Mary Pope
Rinaldi, Ann *
Ryan, Pam Munoz
Whelan, Gloria*
Historical Fiction
Iron Thunder: The Battle between the Monitor and the
Merrimack
Caddie Woodlawn
The Watsons Go to Birmingham
The Sacrifice
Stowaway
Boston Jane
Cracker: The Best Dog in Vietnam
Quake: Disaster in San Francisco, 1906
Gift from the Sea
The Printer's Apprentice
Adeline Falling Star
The Fifth of March
Esperanza Rising
Angel on the Square
Anholt, Laurence
Babbit, Natalie
Bauer, Joan
Colfer, Eoin
Fitzgerald, John
Gutman, Dan *
Lowry, Lois*
Lubar, David
Maguire,
Naylor, Phyllis*
Robinson, Barbara
Sachar, Louis*
Just for Fun- Humor
Shampoozel: Seriously Funny Stories
Jack Plank Tells Tales
Squashed
The Legend of Spud Murphy
The Great Brain
Mrs. Roopy is Loopy; The Homework Machine
Gooney Bird Greene
Punished!
Leaping Beauty, and other Animal Fairy Tales
The Grand Escape*
The Best School Year Ever
Sideways Stories from Wayside School
Walpole Public Schools
Elementary Summer Reading 2013
Markie, Sandra
Bishop, Nic
Murphy, Jim
Brindell Fraden, Dennis
Cole, Joanna
Bang and Chisholm
Singer, Marilyn
Arnold
Sy Montgomery and Temple Grandin
Freedman
Winter
Chin
Yeserski
Rumford
Kerley
Aguilar
Sly
Goldsmith
Carson
Libbrecht
Popular Non-fiction Titles
The Case of the Vanishing Golden Frogs: A Scientific Mystery
Nic Bishop: Marsupials
The Crossing: How George Washington Saved the American
Revolution; The Giant and How He Humbugged America;
Blizzard!
The Signers: The 56 Stories Behind the Declaration of
Independence
The Magic School Bus and the Climate Challenge
Ocean Sunlight
A Strange Place to Call Home
A Warmer World: From Polar Bears to Butterflies, How
Climate Change Affects Wildlife
Temple Grandin: How the Girl Who Loved Cows Embraced
Autism and Changed the World
The Voice That Challenged the Nation: Marian Anderson and
the Struggle for Equal Rights
You Never Heard of Sandy Koufax?
Coral Reefs
Meadowlands: A Wetlands Survival Story
Sequoyah: The Cherokee Man Who Gave His People Writing
What to Do About Alice? How Alice Roosevelt Broke the
Rules, Charmed the World, and Drove Her Father Teddy
Crazy!
13 Planets: The Latest View of the Solar System
Cars on Mars: Roving the Red Planet
Earth: The Life of Our Planet
Inside Tornadoes
The Secret Life of a Snowflake
Walpole Public Schools
Elementary Summer Reading 2013
Summer Reading Log
Title of Book
Author
Category
(Fiction, nonfiction, Science fiction,
Biography, etc.)
Parent Signature _____________________________________________________
Walpole Public Schools
Elementary Summer Reading 2013
______________________’s Book Review
Draw a picture below to represent the main
idea of book.
(Your name)
Book Title:
Author:
Illustrator:
This book was about:
My favorite character in this book was ________________________ because
I liked / didn't like this book because:
You should / should not read this book because:
Walpole Public Schools
Elementary Summer Reading 2013
Book Review: Nonfiction
A nonfiction book tells about real people, places and events. Write about a nonfiction book or
article that you have read.
The title of the book is ____________________________________________________
The author is ____________________________________________________________
The book is about _________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
The most interesting part of the book is ________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
By reading this book, you will learn___________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
My rating of this book is:
Very good because ________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Good because ____________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Not very good because _____________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
I would recommend reading: ______________________________________________________
Walpole Public Schools
Elementary Summer Reading 2013
Student’s Name: ______________________________________________
Book Title: __________________________________________________
Author: ____________________________________________________
Directions: Use the following character frame to study the characters from your reading selection.
CHARACTER
PERSONALITY
TRAITS
ACTIONS WHICH
SUPPORT TRAIT
Walpole Public Schools
Elementary Summer Reading 2013
CONVERSATION BY OR
ABOUT THE CHARACTER
WHICH ILLUSTRATES TRAIT
Student’s Name: ______________________________________ Date: __________________
Title: _______________________________________ Author: ________________________
Character: __________________________________________________________________
1.
Does the character seem real to you? Yes
Explain your answer.
No
2. Do the character’s actions fit what you know about him/her? Yes
Explain your answer.
3. This character is:
No
Flat (stays the same)
Round (changes)
4. Use the “Common Character Traits” chart below to list the traits that describe the character.
adventurous
awesome
artistic
athletic
active
beautiful
brave
bold
bossy
caring
charming
cheerful
curious
creative
courageous
considerate
cunning
daring
a dreamer
dangerous
exciting
entertaining
energetic
ferocious
funny
a fighter
Common Character Traits
friendly
a leader
fun-loving
lazy
gentle
messy
generous
mischievous
grumpy
mean
happy
neat
hideous
nervous
humble
nasty
hostile
nice
honest
nosy
intelligent
open
independent
persistent
inventive
poor
Mariely Sanchez © www.sanchezclass.com
Walpole Public Schools
Elementary Summer Reading 2013
proud
pretty
protective
quiet
rich
respectful
sad
sloppy
serious
successful
shy
short
smart
studious
selfish
simple
tall
timid
trustworthy
thoughtful
unselfish
warm
witty
wild
wise
wonderful
Reading Response Journal
Student’s Name: ______________________________________ Date: __________________
Title: ______________________________________________________________________
Author: ______________________________ Illustrator: ____________________________
1.
What did you read about today?
2. How did you feel about what you read today? Why?
3. Think about your favorite character. What happened to your favorite character today?
4. How would you feel if the same thing that happened to your character, happened to you?
5. Do you have any questions about what you read? If so, write them down on the box below.
6. If you haven’t finished reading the book, what do you think will happen next? If you finished
reading the book, what do you think will happen if the author decided to write another part to
this story? If you need more space, use the back of this paper.
Mariely Sanchez © www.sanchezclass.com
Walpole Public Schools
Elementary Summer Reading 2013
Walpole Public Schools
Elementary Summer Reading 2013
Definition:
Synonym:
Antonym:
Word
Example
Sentence
Chapter: ______ Page: _____
Picture
Student’s Name: ______________________________________________
Walpole Public Schools
Elementary Summer Reading 2013