June 2008
Dear New Sixth Grader,
We are already preparing to greet
you in September, and we want to
ensure that you are preparing over the
summer for a great start. We know that
you have heard so many wonderful
things about being a sixth grader, and
we have heard some excellent things about you!
The summer is a time for relaxation and fun, along with
some enjoyable reading to pass the days. We hope that you
will enjoy the book that we have chosen for you, and that you
will choose thrilling and adventuresome books for yourselves.
We are looking forward to seeing your energy and excitement
for sixth grade in September. Have a terrific summer and
enjoy the warm and happy days, playing
SIXTH GRADE GENRE BINGO!
Sincerely,
The Sixth Grade General Studies Teachers
Here’s what to do to play BINGO:
Start (or end) your reading adventure with the center square. Buy and
read the book Maniac Magee, by Jerry Spinelli. Bring it with you and be
prepared to discuss it and write about it when you return to school on
September 4th.
After reading Maniac Magee, write a friendly letter to your teacher, indicating that
you have read the book. This letter (typed or neatly handwritten) will be handed in
to your General Studies teacher during the first week of school in September.
Your one-page letter should include the following:
1st paragraph: A short introduction, including your name, the elementary
school you attended, a few facts about yourself, and the date you completed the
book.
2nd paragraph: The title and author of the book, a description of one or two
of the main characters, the setting, and a summary of the story.
3rd paragraph: Your personal rating of the book, from 1-5, with 5 being the
highest, plus your reasons for the rating.
● Choose at least two additional books that fit the literature categories
listed on the GENRE BINGO board. They should be chapter books that
are at your reading level. Record the title and author of the book in the
appropriate square on the board.
For your other two books, just take some brief notes on an index card. These
cards will be your own personal notes to help you remember the story. Your
teachers will assign book projects in September.
A card for each book should include:
Title and author
Genre – type of book (for example: mystery, historical fiction, fantasy, realistic
fiction, adventure, etc.)
Who – main characters
What – short summary of the story
When – time period of the story
Where – setting of the story
Your personal rating of the book, from 1-5, with 5 being the highest, plus your
reasons for the rating. For fun, you can submit your own personal reviews of the
other books that you have read.
● After completing a book, have a parent or guardian sign the
board.
● Record additional books that you have read this summer on
the attached reading list.
The following are suggested titles for students who are having
difficulty locating a book to read:
The View From Saturday by E.L. Konigsburg
Four 6th graders with their own individual stories develop a special bond and attract the
attention of their teacher, a paraplegic, who chooses them to represent their sixth-grade
class in the Academic Bowl competition.
Bud, Not Buddy, by Christopher Paul Curtis
Ten-year-old Bud, a motherless boy living in Flint, Michigan, during the Great Depression,
escapes a bad foster home and sets out in search of the man he believes to be his father
– the renowned bandleader, H.E. Calloway of Grand Rapids.
The Twenty-One Balloons by William Pene DuBois
William Waterman Sherman is a dedicated traveler, daring to fly across the Pacific Ocean
in a giant air balloon. Marooned, in a sense, on the island of Krakatoa, our intrepid
traveler plots new ways to get where he is going in this inventive, funny story.
Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo
Ten-year-old India Opal Buloni describes her first summer in the town of Naomi, Florida,
and all the good things that happen to her because of her big ugly dog, Winn-Dixie.
Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls
A young boy living in the Ozarks achieves his heart’s desire when he becomes the owner
of two redbone hounds and teaches them to be champion hunters. But when tragedy
occurs, only the legend of the red fern can comfort him.
Woodsong by Gary Paulsen
For a rugged outdoor man and his family, life in Northern Minnesota is a wild experience
involving wolves, deer, and the sled dogs that make their way of life possible. This
autobiography includes an account of the beloved author’s first Iditarod, a dogsled race
across Alaska.
The Castle in the Attic by Elizabeth Winthrop
Ten-year-old William is given a model of a castle by his nanny, Mrs. Phillips, because she is
leaving him to return to her home in England. A Silver Knight comes with the castle which
William brings to life one day—only to discover that the knight is under a spell, and needs
to return to his kingdom to save it from the evil wizard Alastor. With the help of a magic
medal, which shrinks living objects, William travels with Sir Simon to help save the
kingdom. William finds himself alone in a strange new land and learns a great lesson in
courage.