Advanced
Reading
Challenge
Jr.
Updated 8/2014
Advanced Reading Challenge Jr.
Welcome to the Advanced Reading Challenge Jr.! Here is a basic rundown.
Students:
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Between now and May 1st you are challenged to read 20 books that you have
never read before from the ARC Jr. list and complete 1 project or AR test for each
book.
Discuss the challenge with your family and see if it is a good fit for you.
Sign the attached ARC Jr. commitment form and give it to your teacher.
Prepare a reading portfolio to keep track of your books read and your projects.
Parents/Guardians:
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Discuss the ARC Jr. with your student and see if it is a good fit for your family.
Sign the attached ARC Jr. commitment form and send it in to your child’s teacher.
Help your student prepare a reading portfolio to keep track of their books read and
their projects.
Provide appropriate guidance to your child with books that include mature ideas
or advanced issues for their age/grade level.
Participate as a member of an audience for book summaries, discussions, project
presentations (as needed/suggested by teacher or ARC Jr. coordinator).
Serve as a volunteer to assist the ARC Jr. coordinator with special projects or
initiatives to help make the ARC Jr. run smoothly.
Frequently Asked Questions:
How many times can I do a project?
For ARC Jr. you may do 1 type of project for 2 different books.
Can I listen to a book on tape?
For ARC Jr. you may listen to 2 books on an audio device. Some of these can be
found at the public library.
Do I have to have a portfolio?
Yes, if your project does not fit in a portfolio please take pictures and write about
the project you did!
Can my mom or dad help me?
Yes! Please ask your parents for help, but all projects should be in your handwriting
and completed by you and should be exemplary sample of your grade level’s
work.
Are these the only books I can read?
You may choose any books off of our ARC Jr. list. You may get 1 book approved
by your teacher and ARC Jr. Coordinator that is not on our list(s). You may choose
books on the lists above your grade level in the ARC program. Please make note
on your projects if you do this.
Updated 8/2014
Commitment Form
Purpose: The purpose of the Advanced Reading Challenge Jr. is to encourage
students to read a variety of well written pieces of literature. Many of these pieces
include classic books that have been loved for generations. This challenge will
encourage students to stay engaged with literature at night, on the weekends and
over school breaks. This challenge will challenge students as readers as well as
prepare students to begin to read more advanced text.
Student Responsibility: I challenge myself to read 20 books from the ARC Jr. book
list and to create projects as proof of my reading before April 30th. I promise to
chart my own progress and to keep track of my reading and projects in my ARC Jr.
Portfolio.
Student Signature: ___________________________ Date: _________________
Parent/Guardian Responsibility: I will support my child by partnering with them to
continuously have access to new books. I will preview any books my child reads to
be sure it is appropriate for my child’s reading level, maturity and our home. I will
encourage my child by assisting my child and checking to make sure that my child
understands and completes a project for each book.
Parent Signature: ___________________________ Date: _________________
Student Name: ____________________________
Teacher’s Name: ___________________________
Grade Level: 2nd Grade
Updated 8/2014
Advanced Reading Challenge Jr.
Table of Contents
Name: _______________________ Teacher: _____________________Grade: 2nd Grade
#
Book Name/Author
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
Updated 8/2014
Date
Finished
Parent
Initials
Teacher's
Initials
Project Name
Completed
Advanced Reading Challenge Portfolio
Before beginning the challenge, you will need to purchase a 3 ring binder and dividers (20). Each
book should have a divider with the book’s name on it, a cover page and a project that goes
with the book. After you finish a book remember to write or type it on the Table of Contents page
and then complete your project. Remember, if your finished product is not written, be sure to get
a picture or include notes from an oral presentation so that there is record of what you have done
for each book. Keep all finished products organized neatly in your portfolio. Remember, the goal
of this challenge is to enjoy some great new books and help your friends to enjoy them too!
Creative Responses to Literature Descriptions
After reading each book from the ARC Jr. List, create a new entry in your ARC Jr. Portfolio Table of
Contents (*see attached). Then choose a way to present your understanding of the book you just
read. Use the table below and pages that follow for ideas. Include each finished product in your
portfolio to share with your class and school.
Oral
Kinesthetic
Written
Visual
Graphic
One-Person
Show
Puzzle Story
It’s All in the
Mail
Posting
Postcards
The “What”
Chart 3-W’s
Tell –Along
Boards
Trading Cards
Quotable
Quotations
Quilt
Mapping the
Way
The Press
Conference
Can a Character
Write a New
Ending
Artistic
Timelines
PowerPoint
Presentation
Book Club
Culture Kits
Fast Fact
Cards
Crayon
Conversations
Recipe for a
Good Book
Point of
Decision
Rolling the Dice
Catch the
News
Story Tree
SWBS
The Plot Chart
Now Hear This
Tangram Tales
Signed, Sealed
and Delivered
To Market, To
Market
Top Ten List
Updated 8/2014
Oral
1. One-Person Show: Perform a monologue, pretending you are the main character (or
another significant character) in your book.
2. Tell-Along Boards: Use puppets and art to create a Tell-Along Board to later use during
storytelling—to retell the most important parts of the story or book you read.
3. The Press Conference: Pretend you are the main character in your book and hold a press
conference to answer your classmates’ prepared questions.
4. Book Club: Participate in a book club discussion with other students and/or teachers in your
school who are reading the same book.
5. Point of Decision: List important decisions made by book characters and explain what
happens in the story as a result of those decisions.
6. Now Hear This: Write a 2 to 3-minute radio advertisement persuading the public why they
should buy and read this book.
Kinesthetic
1. Puzzle Story: Discuss the story and then create a puzzle board, including pictures and a
discussion of the story. Then pass on to others who read the story.
2. Trading Cards: Create trading cards of favorite figures in your story. You might use a pattern
from a popular sports team.
3. Character Can or Case: Take a gallon coffee can or small suitcase and decorate it to
represent a character in your book. Insert strips of events, problems, or challenges
characters faced and/or overcame throughout the story.
4. Culture Kits: Create a kit containing items representative of other culture described in the
book you read.
5. Rolling the Dice: Create scenes from the book on the sides of oversized dice. One dice
depicts the beginning of the book and the other focuses on the scenes at the end of the
book.
6. Tangram Tales: Tangrams are ancient Chinese puzzles. Storytellers use the puzzle pieces,
called tans, when they tell stories. You can create a Tan gram Tale in many ways: a) Use
your tans to create a puzzle that looks like or represents your character. b) use your tans to
make a puzzle that looks like the event or place where the majority of action takes place.
c) Use your tans to make a puzzle that looks like something from the ending of your book.
*Ask your teacher or an art teacher for an example of a tangram if you need help.
Updated 8/2014
Written
1.
It’s All in the Mail: Write and address two friendly letters to characters in your book.
2. Quotable Quotations: Identify important quotations made by different book characters,
and explain why each quotation is important in the story.
3. Write a New Ending: Think of a new turn of events for the plot in your story. Rewrite the
ending like the “choose your own adventure” books.
4. Fast Fact Cards: Share information from nonfiction books by creating sets of Fast Fact Cards.
Create a minimum of 10 cards.
5. Catch the News: Create a news report that highlights your story’s main characters and
events.
6. Signed, Sealed and Delivered: Write a letter to the author asking questions about the book
and/or what it is like to be an author.
Visual
1. Posting Postcards: Pretend you are a character from your book and create postcards to
send to their classmates.
2. Quilt: Create pictures of different scenes and stitch them together to make a quilt.
3. Artistic Timelines: Students visually sequence events and create time lines.
4. Crayon Conversations: Draw highlights from your book as you retell the story.
5. Story Tree: Create a story tree like a family tree highlighting main ideas in the branches and
supporting details in the leaves.
6. To Market, To Market: As a literary agent, write a letter to the publishing company designed
to persuade them to publish this book.
Graphic
1. The “What” Chart (3W’s): List information about a topic you’re interested in under three
headings. “What I know already.” “What I want to know” and “What I’ve learned from
reading.”
2. Mapping the Way: Create maps or plot routes in the form of a map. Create a key to clearly
show the symbolism.
3. PowerPoint Presentation: Create a PowerPoint presentation that enables you to show
important discoveries you made while reading your book. Share with class or small group.
4. Recipe for a Good book: Follow a recipe format to put the main idea (dish) and the
supporting ideas (ingredients) on an index card and decorate with the tasty delight.
5. The Plot Chart (SWBS): Identify plot elements and write them on a Plot Chart.
6. Top Ten List: Create a Top Ten List of the things you learned from this book.
Updated 8/2014
Advanced Reading Challenge Jr. Book List
**Parents/Guardians** Please preview the books your child chooses. Some books my contain
topics that would not be appropriate for every child/family.
Advanced Reading Challenge Jr.
Book List Grades 1 & 2
Title
Whittington
The Return of the Indian
The Secret of the Indian
Key to the Indian
Mystery of the Cupboard
Madeline
Freckle Juice
Fudge-a-mania
The Mitten
Masterpiece
Flat Stanley
Invisible Stanley
Stanley in Space
Stanley, Flat Again
Stone Soup
Eagle Song
George Washington's Teeth
The Great Kapok Tree
Vote!
Henry and Ribsy
Ramona Forever
The Mouse and the Motorcycle
Lost and Found
No Talking
Troublemaker
Racso and the Rats of Nimh
Love That Dog
Ruby Holler
The Magic Finger
Strega Nona
The Art Lesson
The Tiger Rising
Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge
Corduroy
Joey Pigza Loses Control
The Lotus Seed
The Man Who Walked Between the Towers
Rosa
The Doll's House
Betsy Ross and the Silver Thimble
Million Dollar Shot
Bread and Jam for Frances
Amazing Grace
Henry's Freedom Box
Alexander and the Wind-Up Mouse
Frederick
In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson
Updated 8/2014
Author
Armstrong, Alan W.
Banks, Lynne Reid
Banks, Lynne Reid
Banks, Lynne Reid
Banks, Lynne Reid
Bemelmans, Ludwig
Blume, Judy
Blume, Judy
Brett, Jan
Broach, Elise
Brown, Jeff
Brown, Jeff
Brown, Jeff
Brown, Jeff
Brown, Marcia
Bruchac, Joseph
Chandra, Deborah
Cherry, Lynne
Christelow, Eileen
Cleary, Beverly
Cleary, Beverly
Cleary, Beverly
Clements, Andrew
Clements, Andrew
Clements, Andrew
Conly, Jane Leslie
Creech, Sharon
Creech, Sharon
Dahl, Roald
De Paola, Tomie
De Paola, Tomie
DiCamillo, Kate
Fox, Mem
Freeman, Don
Gantos, Jack
Garland, Sherry
Gerstein, Mordicai
Giovanni, Nikki
Godden, Rumer
Greene, Stephanie
Gutman, Dan
Hoban, Russell
Hoffman, Mary
Levine, Ellen
Lionni, Leo
Lionni, Leo
Lord, Bette Bao
Readability
Level
4.9
4.6
5.2
4.8
4.9
3.1
3.1
3.3
3.9
4.8
4.0
3.3
3.9
3.3
3.3
4.3
3.6
3.8
3.8
4.6
4.0
5.1
5.0
5.0
4.7
5.0
4.5
4.3
3.1
3.9
3.6
4.0
3.5
3.5
4.9
4.0
3.7
4.9
4.5
2.3
4.2
3.4
3.5
3.0
3.0
3.1
4.6
AR
Interest
Level
MG
MG
MG
MG
MG
LG
MG
LG
LG
MG
LG
LG
LG
LG
LG
MG
LG
LG
MG
MG
MG
MG
MG
MG
MG
MG
MG
MG
LG
LG
LG
MG
LG
LG
MG
MG
LG
LG
MG
LG
MG
LG
LG
LG
LG
LG
MG
Gooney Bird Green
Bless This Mouse
Skylark
The Doll People
Mirandy and Brother Wind
Roxaboxen
The Drinking Gourd
Saving Shiloh #3
Shiloh Season #2
Treasure Island
Amelia Bedelia
Park's Quest
Pink and Say
Lowry, Lois
Lowry, Lois
MacLachlan, Patricia
Martin, Ann
McKissack, Patricia
McLerran, Alice
Monjo, F.N.
Naylor, Phyllis Reynolds
Naylor, Phyllis Reynolds
Norby, Lisa
Parish, Peggy
Paterson, Katherine
Polacco, Patricia
3.9
4.5
3.2
4.0
3.6
4.0
3.0
4.9
4.8
3.7
2.5
4.2
3.8
LG
LG
MG
MG
MG
LG
LG
MG
MG
LG
LG
MG
MG
Good Sports: Rhymes About Running, Jumping,
Throwing, and More
Martin's Big Words
How to Eat Fried Worms
When I was Young in the Mountains
Cendrillon: A Carribean Cinderella
Grandfather's Journey
Tea with Milk
How Much is a Million
Math Curse
Prelutsky, Jack
Rappaport, Doreen
Rockwell, Thomas
Rylant, Cynthia
San Souci, Robert
Say, Allen
Say, Allen
Schwartz, David
Scieszka, Jon
3.8
3.4
3.5
3.6
3.7
3.6
3.7
3.4
3.7
LG
LG
MG
LG
LG
LG
LG
LG
LG
The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid
Tales
Runny Babbit: A Billy Sook
Where the Sidewalk Ends
Days Like This
Caps for Sale
People
The Bathwater Gang
The Bathwater Gang Gets Down to Business
So You Want to be President?
The Bravest Dog Ever: The True Story of Balto
Doctor De Soto
Brave Irene
The Story of Jumping Mouse
The Gardener
A Child's Calendar
Jumanji
June 29, 1999
Titanic Crossing
Battle for the Castle
The Castle in the Attic
Lon Po Po
Scieszka, Jon
Silverstein, Shel
Silverstein, Shel
Simon, James
Slobodkina, Esphyr
Spier, Peter
Spinelli, Jerry
Spinelli, Jerry
St. George, Judith
Standiford, Natalie
Steig, William
Steig, William
Steptoe, John
Stewart, Sarah
Updike, John
Van Allsburg, Chris
Wiesner, David
Williams, Barbara
Winthrop, Elizabeth
Winthrop, Elizabeth
Young, Ed
3.4
4.2
?
3.5
3.1
3.9
3.0
?
4.8
2.5
3.6
3.9
3.8
3.9
3.6
3.9
3.6
4.3
4.4
4.9
3.5
LG
MG
?
LG
LG
LG
LG
?
MG
LG
LG
LG
LG
LG
LG
LG
LG
MG
MG
MG
LG
AR Readability (ATOS formula): Measures the textual difficulty as a whole book, not just a single passage.
Interest Level: LG=Lower Grades (K-3), MG=Middle Grades (4-8), MG+= (6 and up)
Maturity Level of a book's content, ideas, and themes based on publisher's recommendations about the content.
All classic books should be read in an unabridged form unless otherwise noted.
Updated 8/2014