Help your child develop a passion for reading and boost his/her academic success by sharing at least
three books this summer with your child!
FICTION
Enjoy this list of suggested titles from the RSU21 Librarians and the librarians from both the
Graves Library and Kennebunk Free Library. Please check out http://www.rsu21.net/summerreading-guides for more information and tips on how to make summer reading a success!
CHAPTER BOOKS
CHAPTER BOOKS
Audacity by Melanie Crowder: A gorgeously told novel in verse written with intimacy and power, Audacity is inspired by the real-­‐life story of Clara Lemlich, a spirited young woman who emigrated from Russia to New York at the turn of the twentieth century and fought tenaciously for equal rights. Blackbird Fly by Erin Entrada Kelly: Bullied at school, eighth-­‐grader Apple, a Filipino American who loves the music of the Beatles, decides to change her life by learning how to play the guitar. The Blackthorn Key by Kevin Sands: In 1665 London, fourteen-­‐year-­‐old Christopher Rowe, apprentice to an apothecary, and his best friend Tom try to uncover the truth behind a mysterious cult, following a trail of puzzles, codes, pranks, and danger toward an unearthly secret with the power to tear the world apart. Booked by Kwame Alexander: In this follow-­‐up to the Newbery-­‐winning novel The Crossover, soccer, family, love, and friendship, take center stage as twelve-­‐year-­‐
old Nick learns the power of words as he wrestles with problems at home, stands up to a bully, and tries to impress the girl of his dreams. Chasing Secrets: A Deadly Surprise in a City of Lies by Gennifer Choldenko: Thirteen-­‐year-­‐old Lizzie and her secret friend Noah, who is hiding in her house, plan to rescue Noah's father from the quarantined Chinatown, and save everyone they love from contracting the plague that is spreading in 1900 San Francisco. Connect the Stars by Marisa de los Santos and David Teague: When thirteen-­‐year-­‐olds T.E. and Audrey meet at a wilderness camp in the desert, they think their quirks are enough to prevent them from ever having friends. But as they trek through the challenging and unforgiving landscape, they learn that they each have what it takes to make the other whole. Finding Audrey by Sophie Kinsella: Fourteen-­‐year-­‐old Audrey is making slow but steady progress dealing with her anxiety disorder when Linus comes into the picture and her recovery gains momentum. Full Cicada Moon by Marilyn Hilton: In 1969, twelve-­‐
year-­‐old Mimi and her family move to an all-­‐white town in Vermont, where Mimi's mixed-­‐race background and interest in "boyish" topics like astronomy make her feel like an outsider. Goodbye Stranger by Rebecca Stead: As Bridge makes her way through seventh grade on Manhattan's Upper West Side with her best friends, curvacious Em, crusader Tab, and a curious new friend-­‐-­‐or more than friend-­‐-­‐Sherm, she finds the answer she has been seeking since she barely survived an accident at age eight: "What is my purpose?”. I Am Princess X by Cherie Priest: Years after writing stories about a superheroine character she created with a best friend who died in a tragic car accident, 16-­‐year-­‐
old Libby is shocked to see stickers, patches and graffiti images of the superheroine appearing all over town. Kiki and Jacques by Susan Ross: Eleven-­‐year-­‐old Jacques, who must contend with difficult family dynamics and pressure from an older boy to help him commit a crime, is surprised to discover that he has much in common with Kiki, one of the many new Somali refugees who have immigrated to his Maine town. The Marvels by Brian Selznick: In 1766, a boy, Billy Marvel, is shipwrecked, rescued, and goes on to found a brilliant family of actors that flourishes in London until 1900-­‐-­‐and nearly a century later, Joseph Jervis, runs away from home, seeking refuge with his uncle in London, and is captivated by the Marvel house, with its portraits and ghostly presences. NON-FICTION
CHAPTER BOOKS
A Night Divided by Jennifer A. Nielsen: When the Berlin Wall went up, Gerta, her mother, and her brother Fritz were trapped on the eastern side where they were living, while her father, and her other brother Dominic were in the West-­‐-­‐four years later, now twelve, Gerta sees her father on a viewing platform on the western side and realizes he wants her to risk her life trying to tunnel to freedom. Saint Anything by Sarah Dessen: Sydney’s older brother, Peyton, has always been the center of attention in the family but when he is sent to jail, Sydney struggles to find her place at home and the world until she meets the Chathams, including gentle, protective Mac, who makes her feel seen for the first time. The Thing About Jellyfish by Ali Benjamin: Twelve-­‐
year-­‐old Suzy Swanson wades through her intense grief over the loss of her best friend by investigating the rare jellyfish she is convinced was responsible for her friend's death. Untwine by Edwidge Danticat: Identical twin teenagers Giselle and Isabelle Boyer have always been inseparable, and expected to stay that way even though their Haitian American parents are separating—but when the entire family is caught in a car crash, everyone's world is shattered forever. GRAPHIC NOVELS
Drowned City: Hurricane Katrina and New Orleans by Don Brown: A graphic account of the events of Hurricane Katrina and its effects on the city of New Orleans and its people, detailing the selflessness, heroism, and courage, while also noting the incompetence, racism, and criminality. Sunny Side Up by Jennifer L. Holm and Matthew Holm: Sunny is shipped off to Florida to live with her grandfather when her older brother's delinquent behavior has thrown her family into chaos. Sunny and her new friend, Buzz, create their own adventures, but her fun is overshadowed by her brother’s poor choices.
GRAPHIC NOVELS
Roller Girl by Victoria Jamieson: A heartwarming graphic novel about friendship and surviving junior high through the power of roller derby! INFORMATIONAL TEXT
The Boys Who Challenged Hitler: Knud Pedersen and the Churchill Club by Phillip Hoose: In Denmark during WWII, Knud Pedersen and a handful of friends decided to to take action against the Nazis if the adults would not. The boys committed countless acts of sabotage, infuriating the Germans. Enchanted Air: Two Cultures, Two Wings: A Memoir by Margarita Engle: Acclaimed author Margarita Engle tells of growing up as a child of two cultures (Cuba and the United States) during the Cold War. Fatal Fever: Tracking Down Typhoid Mary by Gail Jarrow: This gripping story tells the true story of the woman who unwittingly spread deadly bacteria, the epidemiologist who discovered her trail of infection, and the health department that decided her fate. First Flight Around the World: The Adventures of the American Fliers Who Won the Race by Tim Grove: In 1924 the U.S. Army sent eight young men on a bold attempt to be the first to circumnavigate the globe by flight. Men from five other countries—Great Britain, France, Portugal, Italy, and Argentina—had the same goal. The race was on! Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War by Steve Sheinkin: The story of Daniel Ellsberg and his decision to steal and publish secret documents about America's involvement in the Vietnam War. Add other books you have read here! Write down both the author and title.