The Miquon School Library
2014 Summer Reading List
Students Entering 4th Grade
The purpose of this list is to offer recommendations for pleasurable summer reading. However it is equally beneficial to wander and browse through the stacks at your local public library. What fun to spend a summer afternoon or evening cooling off in the public library and finding a treasure of a great story or nonfiction book (or music cd, film, video game, magazine, etc). Please take advantage of the resources available ­ summer reading programs, book clubs, storytimes, science and math activities, lego building clubs, etc. Here are links to the libraries in our area: Free Library of Philadelphia ­ www.freelibrary.org The Montgomery County Library System ­ http://www.mclinc.org/members.htm Picture Books and Graphic Novels Robot Dreams by Sara Varon (GN) The enduring friendship between a dog and a robot is portrayed in this wordless graphic novel. The Animal Book: A Collection of the Fastest, Fiercest, Toughest, Cleverest, Shyest­­and Most Surprising­­An​
imals on Earth by Steve Jenkins Shares facts on over three hundred animals and offers a brief overview of the history of life on Earth. Sophie Scott Goes South by Alison Lester Sophie Scott is only nine years old, but she's going to Antarctica on an icebreaker with her dad, the ship's captain. During the voyage to Mawson Station and back, Sophie Keeps a diary. She sees icebergs, penguins, seals and whales. She makes new friends, wonders at the southern lights and even becomes stranded in a blizzard! Hottest, Coldest, Highest, Deepest by Steve Jenkins Describes some of the remarkable places on earth, including the hottest, coldest, windiest, snowiest, highest, and deepest. 11 Experiments That Failed by Jenny Offil A hyper­curious young girl tries a series of wacky experiments, such as seeing if a piece of bologna will fly like a frisbee and determining whether seedlings will grow if watered with expensive perfume, and then must suffer the consequences of experiments gone awry. 1 Look Up! Birdwatching in Your Own Backyard by Annette Cate A conversational, humorous introduction to bird­watching featuring quirky full­color illustrations portray dozens of birds chatting about their distinctive characteristics, including color, shape, plumage, and beak and foot types. Chicken and Cat by Sara Varon (series)(GN) When Cat feels sad about living in the hustle and bustle of the city, Chicken finds colorful ways to make Cat feel better. What Color Is My World?: The Lost History of African­American Inventors by Kareem Abdul­Jabbar While twins Ella and Herbie help the handyman Mr. Midal work on their new home, he tells them about such inventors as Granville Woods, Dr. Henry T. Sampson, and James West, giving them a new view of their heritage as African‐Americans. Monster on the Hill by Rob Harrell (GN) In a fantastical 1860s England, every quiet little township is terrorized by a ferocious monster‐‐much to the townsfolk's delight! Each town's unique monster is a source of local pride, not to mention tourism. Hereville: How Mirka Got Her Sword by Barry Deutsch (GN) Spunky, strong‐willed Mirka Hirschberg wants to fight dragons, but she needs a sword first. Here is her story. Chapter and Series Books Harriet the Spy by Louise Fitzhugh Eleven­year­old Harriet keeps notes on her classmates and neighbors in a secret notebook, but when some of the students read the notebook, they seek revenge. From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsburg Having run away with her younger brother to live in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, twelve‐year‐old Claudia strives to keep things in order in their new home and to become a changed person and a heroine to herself. Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library by Chris Grabenstein Twelve‐year‐old Kyle gets to stay overnight in the new town library, designed by his hero (the famous game maker Luigi Lemoncello), with other students but finds that come morning he must work with friends to solve puzzles in order to escape. The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate When Ivan, a gorilla who has lived for years in a down‐and‐out circus‐themed mall, meets Ruby, a baby elephant that has been added to the mall, he decides that he must find her a better life. 2 Tales of a 4th Grade Nothing by Judy Blume Peter finds his demanding two‐year‐old brother an ever increasing problem. Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren Escapades of a lucky little girl who lives with a horse and a monkey‐‐ but without any parents‐‐ at the edge of a Swedish village. The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart After passing a series of mind‐bending tests, four children are selected for a secret mission that requires them to go undercover at the Learning Institute for the Very Enlightened, where the only rule is that there are no rules. Any Which Wall by Laurel Snyder In the middle of an Iowa cornfield, four children find a magic wall that enables them to travel through time and space. City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau (series) In the year 241, twelve‐year‐old Lina trades jobs on Assignment Day to be a Messenger to run to new places in her decaying but beloved city, perhaps even to glimpse Unknown Regions. The Candymakers by Wendy Mass When four twelve‐year‐olds, including Logan, who has grown up never leaving his parents' Life Is Sweet candy factory, compete in the Confectionary Association's annual contest, they unexpectedly become friends and uncover secrets about themselves during the process. Capture the Flag by Kate Messner When the original Star Spangled Banner is stolen, seventh‐graders Anne, José and Henry, all descendants of the Silver Jaguar Society, pursue suspects on airport carts and through baggage handling tunnels while stranded at a Washington, D.C., airport during a snowstorm. 11 Birthdays by Wendy Mass (series) After celebrating their first nine same‐day birthdays together, Amanda and Leo, having fallen out on their tenth and not speaking to each other for the last year, prepare to celebrate their eleventh birthday separately but peculiar things begin to happen as the day of their birthday begins to repeat itself over and over again. Half­Moon Investigations by Eoin Colfer Fletcher Moon, nicknamed "Half Moon" because of his shortness, must track down a conspiracy or be framed for a crime he did not commit. King of the Mound: My Summer with Satchel Paige by Wes Tooke Twelve‐year‐old Nick loves baseball so after a year in the hospital fighting polio and with a brace on one leg, Nick takes a job with the team for which his father is catcher and gets to see the great pitcher, Satchel Paige, play during the 1935 season. Includes historical notes. The Lemonade War by Jacqueline Davies (series) 3 Evan and his younger sister, Jesse, react very differently to the news that they will be in the same class for fourth grade and as the end of summer approaches, they battle it out through lemonade stands, each trying to be the first to earn 100 dollars. Includes mathematical calculations and tips for running a successful lemonade stand. The London Eye Mystery by Siobhan Dowd When Ted and Kat's cousin Salim disappears from the London Eye ferris wheel, the two siblings must work together‐‐Ted with his brain that is "wired differently" and impatient Kat‐‐to try to solve the mystery of what happened to Salim. Prairie Evers by Ellen Airgood Ten‐year‐old Prairie is happy being home‐schooled and raising her flock of chickens, so transferring to regular school is a big change, but fortunately she meets a wonderful friend. Wonder by R. J. Palacio Ten‐year‐old Auggie Pullman, who was born with extreme facial abnormalities and was not expected to survive, goes from being home‐schooled to entering fifth grade at a private middle school in Manhattan, which entails enduring the taunting and fear of his classmates as he struggles to be seen as just another student. Encyclopedia Brown, Boy Detective by Donald Sobol (series) Fifth­grader "Encyclopedia" Leroy Brown solves ten mysteries and, by putting the solutions at the back of the book, challenges the reader to do the same. Knights of the Kitchen Table (Time Warp Trio) Jon Scieszka (series) When Joe, Fred, and Sam are sent back in time by a magic book, they find themselves face­to­face with giants, dragons, wizards, and the Knights of the Round Table. Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin Minli, an adventurous girl from a poor village, buys a magical goldfish, and then joins a dragon who cannot fly on a quest to find the Old Man of the Moon in hopes of bringing life to Fruitless Mountain and freshness to Jade River. The Buried Bones Mystery (Clubhouse Mysteries) by Sharon M. Draper (series) After the neighborhood basketball court is vandalized, Ziggy and his friends decide to form a club called the Black Dinosaurs and build their clubhouse in Ziggy's backyard. Fortunately, The Milk by Neil Gaiman While picking up milk for his children's cereal, a father is abducted by aliens and finds himself on a wild adventure through time and space. Flora and Ulysses by Kate DiCamillo Rescuing a squirrel after an accident involving a vacuum cleaner, comic‐reading cynic Flora Belle Buckman is astonished when the squirrel, Ulysses, demonstrates astonishing powers of strength and flight after being revived. Half a Chance by Cynthia Lord 4 Lucy, with her mother and her photographer father, has just moved to a small rural community in New Hampshire, and with her new friend Nate she plans to spend the summer taking photos for a contest, but pictures sometimes reveal more than people are willing to see. Under the Egg by Laura Marx Fitzgerald Her grandfather's dying words lead thirteen‐year‐old Theodora Tenpenny to a valuable, hidden painting she fears may be stolen, but it is her search for answers in her Greenwich Village neighborhood that brings a real treasure. The Ruins of Gorlan (The Ranger's Apprentice, Book 1) by John A. Flanagan (series) When fifteen‐year‐old Will is rejected by battleschool, he becomes the reluctant apprentice to the mysterious Ranger Halt, and winds up protecting the kingdom from danger. The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo Edward Tulane, a cold‐hearted and proud toy rabbit, loves only himself until he is separated from the little girl who adores him and travels across the country, acquiring new owners and listening to their hopes, dreams, and histories. The Chameleon Wore Chartreuse: A Chet Gecko Mystery by Bruce Hale (series) When hired by a fellow fourth‐grader to find her missing brother, Chet Gecko uncovers a plot involving a Gila monster's revenge upon the school football team. How to Train Your Dragon by Cressida Cowell (series) Chronicles the adventures and misadventures of Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third as he tries to pass the important initiation test of his Viking clan, the Tribe of the Hairy Hooligans, by catching and training a dragon. Spiderwick Chronicles: The Field Guide by Toni DiTerlizzi (series) When the Grace children go to stay at their Great Aunt Lucinda's worn Victorian house, they discover a field guide to fairies and other creatures and begin to have some unusual experiences. Liar & Spy by Rebecca Stead Seventh‐grader Georges adjusts to moving from a house to an apartment, his father's efforts to start a new business, his mother's extra shifts as a nurse, being picked on at school,and Safer, a boy who wants his help spying on another resident of their building. Prepared by Amy Vaccarella Title summaries provided by Library of Congress Cataloging Data 5