T
PS Trumbull
Public
Schools
Curriculum Department
6254 Main Street
Trumbull, CT 06611
Dear Parents,
Reading research has shown that reading just a few minutes a day significantly increases a child's
reading ability. The books selected for Trumbull's Summer Reading Program are chosen to
make reading an enjoyable part of your child's life. Your support is essential. You can make
this program successful by the positive attitude you take toward reading and by the
encouragement you show your child as he/she participates.
To develop these reading lists, we have sought the support of Trumbull teachers, parents,
librarians, and our students. A complete list and additional suggested titles with a short
description is available on the TPS website. The Curriculum Department recommends that you
review these lists and make your own decision based on the suitability of the books for your
individual child. While the books on these lists are recommended, you may supplement the
selections with books you and your child enjoy. The Trumbull Public Library is a great resource
for books. Please ask the Children’s Service Staff in the library for assistance. They are eager to
help. It is in every child’s best interest to read regularly. Also, there are links on the TPS
website to the state and other summer reading lists.
We want to support children in our Governor's Summer Reading Challenge and record the
number of books read on your school’s reading calendar or form as well. Return the calendar or
form to your child's reading teacher during the first week of school. As a follow-up to summer
reading, teachers will conduct a book share day in the beginning of the year at which time
students will present an interesting character and/or memorable scene from one of the books they
read during the summer.
Mr. Herbst, our First Selectman, is supporting our summer reading by offering to meet with
students entering Grades 4, 5, and 6 in the 2015-2016 school year. Students must read at least
four books to be eligible to join the discussion. They will meet to discuss one book they enjoyed
with Selectman Herbst. We thank First Selectman Herbst for joining us in encouraging our
students to read over the summer.
NOTE: The list for students entering Grade 6 will only be available on the TPS website.
Something NEW! This year we have an online reporting system for summer reading. Your
child can either use the paper copy or go online to the TPS website and look for Summer
Reading Log. There are student volunteers who can help with the process at the Trumbull Public
Library. Check with the staff in the Children’s Room for availability.
Let’s make this our most successful summer by reading daily and recording those titles. Every
book counts for the Governor’s Challenge and First Selectman Herbst’s Summer Reading
Challenge. Schools with the highest participation and number of books read will be recognized
by the state.
Enjoy a wonderful summer of reading!
Terry Buckingham
Program Leader for Language Arts
Phone: (203) 452-4336
FAX: (203) 452-4342
Award Winners
The One and Only Ivan
Applegate, Katherine
Ivan is an easygoing gorilla who has lived at the Exit 8 Big Top Mall and Video Arcade.
Ivan’s protective Silverback instincts empower him to try to make changes. A stirring
story about the power of unexpected friendship told from the point of view of Ivan
himself. (Reading Level S)
Potato Chip Puzzles
Berlin, Eric
Winston and his friends enter a puzzle contest to win $50,000 for their school, but
they must also figure out who is trying to keep them from winning. A book that
includes puzzles for the reader to solve.
Because of Mr. Terupt
Buyea, Rob
Seven students weigh in on Mr. Terupt’s first year as a fifth grade teacher. Read about
their different perspectives on what makes their teacher so special.
Sequel: Mr. Terupt Falls Again
No Talking
Clements, Andrew
The noisy fifth grade boys at Laketon Elementary School challenge the equally loud
fifth grade girls to “no talking” contest. (Reading Level R)
Extra Credit
Clements, Andrew
A forced pen pal exchange turns into an opportunity for real communication between
Illinois 6th grader, Abby Carson and Sadeed Bayat, the best English-language student in
his Afghan village. What was to Abby just an unwanted, required extra credit assignment
quickly begins to grab her interest as she reads what life in Afghanistan is like. Through
the letters and a developing friendship, Sadeed and Abby learn not only about each
other’s countries and lives but come to better understand and appreciate their own lives.
(Reading Level U)
Gregor the Overlander
Collins, Suzanne
When eleven-year-old Gregor and his two-year-old sister are pulled into a strange
underground world, they trigger an epic battle involving men, bats, rats, cockroaches,
and spiders while on a quest foretold by ancient prophecy. (Reading Level T. Series
ranges S–U)
Free Baseball
Corbett, Sue
Desperate to connect with his absent father, eleven year-old Felix becomes the batboy
for a minor league baseball team in the hope of learning more about his famous
father’s game. (Reading Level T)
Summer Reading List
Entering Grade 4 / Grade 5
Award Winners (continued)
The Monsters of Morley Manor
Coville, Bruce
Anthony finds miniature brass monsters at Morley Manor; and when he spills water on
one, it comes to life! Adventures abound as Anthony and his sister Sarah race to help
the monsters save the world from alien invaders. (Reading Level S)
White Star: A Dog on the Titanic
Crisp, Mary
Imagine you are lucky enough to be on the cruise of a lifetime. While on the trip, you
explore the ship, meet a wonderful, heroic dog, and end up fighting for your life.
Reading Level U)
The Lemonade War
Jacqueline Davies
He is good with people; she is good at math. Who will win the lemonade war? A
clever blend of humor and math fun. (Reading Level S)
Flora and Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures DiCamillo, Kate & Campbell, K. G.
After being sucked up by a vacuum cleaner, Ulysses the squirrel is rescued by 10 yr.
old Flora. He emerges from the mishap possessing super-hero powers which include
flying and writing poetry. (Reading Level U)
City of Ember (Series)
DuPrau, Jeanne
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. (Reading Level U. Series ranges R – U)
The other titles in City of Ember Series: The People of Sparks, The Prophet of Yonwood
MVP* Magellan Voyage Project
Evans, Douglas
Adam Story is chosen as a player in the MVP challenge. To win the four million dollar
prize, Adam must circle the world in forty days – no flying allowed. Competing against
other players through time zones and across continents, he faces danger and unknown
risks. Get ready for the trip of a lifetime! (Reading Level S)
Babe and Me (Baseball Card Series)
Gutman, Dan
Joe Stoshack and his father travel back in time to meet Babe Ruth and find out if he
really predicted his home run in the 1932 World Series.
(Reading Level S. Series ranges R – T)
Summer Reading List
Entering Grade 4 / Grade 5
Award Winners (continued)
The Homework Machine
Gutman, Dan
Who wouldn’t love a machine that does homework for you? Can four unlikely friends
keep the biggest secret of their lives? (Reading Level Q)
Joshua’s Song
Harlow, Joan Hiatt
Needing to earn money after his father's death during the influenza epidemic of 1918,
thirteen-year-old Joshua works as a newspaper boy in Boston. One day he finds himself
in the vicinity of an explosion that sends tons of molasses coursing through the streets.
(Reading Level R)
Thunder from the Sea
Harlow, Joan Hiatt
Just when his dreams of being part of a family and having a dog seem to be coming true,
Tom wonders if trouble with neighbors on his new island home and the impending birth
of a new baby will change everything. (Reading Level S)
Mike Stellar: Nerves of Steel
Holt, K. A.
What's going on? Mike is whisked away on a trip to Mars on only eight hours' notice,
and while that sounds kind of cool- things aren't quite right. His parents might be
involved in a sabotage plot, and his sister back on Earth is missing.
Saving Armpit
Hyde, Natalie
When vandals deface the Harmony Point sign, the town does seem to become the “arm
Pit” of the region. The baseball team hasn’t won a game in two seasons and the town
itself is falling into disrepair. When the new postmaster becomes the coach, Clay and
the rest of the Terriers finally seem to stand a chance of winning a game.
One Dog and His Boy
Ibbotson, Eva
All Hal ever wanted was a dog. When he realizes that Fleck, the dog his parents give
him for his birthday, is only a rental, Hal and his canine companion go on the lam.
(Reading Level T)
Escaping the Giant Wave
Kehret, Peg
On a trip to the Oregon coastline, a dream vacation quickly turns into a nightmare for
Kyle and his family. Kyle will have to use his wits if he and his sister are to survive an
earthquake, a tsunami, and a hotel fire. (Reading Level S)
Summer Reading List
Entering Grade 4 / Grade 5
Award Winners (continued)
Saving Lilly
Kehret, Peg
Erin finds out that the elephant in the visiting circus is being abused. But what can
one girl do to save an elephant? (Reading Level T)
Dying to Meet You
Klise, Kate
In this story told mostly through letters, children’s book author, I.B. Grumply, gets
more than he bargained for when he rents a quiet place to write for the summer.
(Reading Level U)
Where the Mountain Meets the Moon
Lin, Grace
A young girl named Minli leaves her impoverished parents to talk to the Old Man of the
Moon about improving their fortune. Her journey requires the help of many fantastical
creatures, including a dragon and a talking fish. Stories from her father weave through
the journey and help her reach the Old Man’s Never-Ending Mountain.
The Candymakers
Mass, Wendy
In the town of Spring Haven, four children have been selected to compete in the
national candymaking contest of a lifetime. Who will make a candy more delicious
than the Oozing Crunchorama or the Neon Yellow Lightning Chew?
Herbert’s Wormhole
Nelson, Peter
Herbert Slewg and his hapless, video game-addicted neighbor Alex Filbe have
stumbled upon what Einstein could only theorize about: a wormhole through the
space/time continuum. They travel 100 years into the future of their no-longer-boring
town and are mistaken for alien slayers…in a world run by a benevolent alien race
with cheerful Australian accents and uncomfortable fake facial hair.
The Lightning Thief
Riodan, Rick
21st century kid, Percy Jackson, discovers he is the secret son of one of the mythical
Greek gods of Mount Olympus. After this discovery, Percy is sent to a summer
camp for children of the gods where he learns to fight monsters and survive against
unnatural odds, handy skills for his first quest. (Reading Level S)
Sequel: The Sea of Monsters
Paint the Wind
Ryan, Pam Munoz
After her overprotective grandmother has a stroke, Maya, an orphan, leaves her
extremely restricted life in California to stay with her mother’s family on a remote
Wyoming ranch. While on the ranch, she discovers a love of horses and encounters a
wild mare that her mother once rode. (Reading Level Q-R)
Summer Reading List
Entering Grade 4 / Grade 5
Award Winners (continued)
The Mysterious Matter of I. M. Fine
Stanley, Diane
Noticing that a popular series of horror novels is having a bizarre effect on the
behavior of its readers, Franny and Beamer set out to find the mysterious author.
(Reading Level O)
Close Encounters of a Third-World Kind
Stewart, Jennifer J.
12 year-old Annie’s world is turned upside down when her father agrees to move the
entire family to Nepal on a medical mission. She makes new friends, learns some
important lessons, and has adventures that change her life. (Reading Level T)
Pie
Weeks, Sarah
Alice’s Aunt Polly, the Pie Queen of Ipswitch, dies, and her will directs that the worldfamous pie crust recipe be given to her extraordinarily fat, remarkably disagreeable
cat, Lardo…and that Lardo be cared for by her niece. Soon everyone in town is trying
to be the next pie-contest winner. (Reading Level Q)
Fabulous Fiction
S.O.R. Losers
Avi
Each member of the South Orange River seventh grade soccer team has qualities of
excellence, but not on the soccer field. (Reading Level N)
Tumtum & Nutmeg: Adventures Beyond Nutmouse Hall (Series) Bearn, Emily
This is the latest book in this series of Tumtum and Nutmeg. Adventure upon
adventure follows, including trouble at the local school and an encounter with pirate
rats. There are many twists and turns that keep the excitement high.
Fudge Books (Series)
Blume, Judy
Whether Fudge is swallowing a turtle, digging up worms, or vowing to marry his
neighbor Sheila, he'll definitely be driving his older brother Peter crazy. One thing's
for sure, anything is possible when Fudge is around! (Reading Level Q)
Week in the Woods
Clements, Andrew
Mark did not ask to move to New Hampshire, and he certainly did not request Mr.
Maxwell as his new teacher. Mr. Maxwell doesn't like Mark, and now the whole fifth
grade is headed out for a week of camping, Hardy's famous Week in the Woods.
(Reading Level T)
Summer Reading List
Entering Grade 4 / Grade 5
Fabulous Fiction (continued)
Mr. Wolf Bounces Back (After Happily Ever After Series)
Bradman, Tony
A series that tells what happed to fairy tale characters after “The End.” Easy to
read and humorous. (Reading Level P)
The Report Card
Clements, Andrew
Nora Rowley is very smart. When she comes home with a shocking report card, her
parents and the entire school set out to determine what went wrong.
(Reading Level R)
Miss Bridie Chose a Shovel
Connor, Leslie
Miss Bridie is a young immigrant who has journeyed to a new land. An enchanting
look at how one woman makes a new life with the help of a common shovel.
(Reading Level U)
Danny the Champion of the World
Dahl, Roald
A young English boy describes his relationship with his father and the special adventure
they share together. (Reading Level T)
Charlie’s Raven
George, Jean Craighead
Charlie Carlisle's grandfather is ill. Charlie's friend, Singing Bird, a Teton Sioux, tells
him that ravens have curing powers, so Charlie steals a baby bird from its nest.
Granddad, a retired naturalist, encourages Charlie to record his observations of the bird
and study the effect it has on humans. Charlie just hopes that the raven will make
Granddad well. (Reading Level U)
Moxy Maxwell Does Not Love Stuart Little
Gifford, Peggy
It wasn’t as if Moxy Maxwell hadn’t tried to do her summer reading. She and “Stuart
Little” had been inseparable. If “Stuart Little” wasn’t in her backpack, it was holding up
the coffee table, or getting splashed when Moxy went swimming. But now it’s the end of
August, the day before 4th grade. And if Moxy doesn’t read all of “Stuart Little”
immediately there are going to be consequences.
Get Rich Quick Club
Gutman, Dan
Summer vacation in their small Maine town does not look too promising until twelve-yearold Gina and four of her friends make a pact to become millionaires before school starts in
September. (Reading Level U)
Other titles by Dan Gutman:
Abner and Me (Reading Level T)
Shoeless Joe and Me (Reading Level T)
Summer Reading List
The Million Dollar Putt (Reading Level S)
Virtually Perfect (Reading Level O)
Entering Grade 4 / Grade 5
Fabulous Fiction (continued)
Boston Jane: An Adventure
Holm, Jennifer L.
Schooled in the lessons of etiquette for young ladies of 1854, Miss Jane Peck of
Philadelphia, while living among the American traders and Chinook Indians of
Washington Territory, finds little use for manners during her long sea voyage to the
Pacific Northwest. (Reading Level U)
The Trolls
Horvath, Polly
Eccentric Aunt Sally comes from Canada to baby-sit the Anderson children while their
parents are on a trip to Paris. Every night the bedtime story adds another piece to a
very suspect family history. (Reading Level U – V)
F From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler
Konigsburg, E. L.
Bored with her life, twelve-year-old Claudia Kincaid and her brother, Jamie, run away to
the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. She and Jamie sleep in royal beds
in the museum's collection, despite the "Please do not step on the platform" sign. Their
“vacation” turns into an adventure when Angel, a sculpture rumored to have been carved
by Michelangelo, arrives. Will they solve a mystery that even the experts can't solve?
(Reading Level S)
Island (Series)
Korman, Gordon
Four children are involved in a shipwreck and are stranded on an island.
(Reading Level Q)
Dive (Series)
Korman, Gordon
Four children are on a marine expedition for the summer, diving to explore an
underwater habitat that's just been altered by a seismic event. What they find is much
more than fish. It's sunken treasure! (Reading Level R)
Everest (Series)
Korman, Gordon
Four children are prepared to go into thin air in order to become the youngest ever to
climb Everest; however, they are not prepared for the challenges that await them as
they get closer to the summit. (Reading Level R)
No More Nasty
MacDonald, Amy
When Simon's Great Aunt Matilda becomes the substitute teacher for his unruly fifthgrade class, her unique way of looking at things gives the students a new perspective on
learning. (Reading Level Q)
Boys Start the War (Series)
Naylor, Phyllis Reynolds
Disgusted that a family with three girls moves into the house across the river, nineyear-old Wally and his three brothers declare a practical joke war on the girls.
(Reading Level S)
Summer Reading List
Entering Grade 4 / Grade 5
Fabulous Fiction (continued)
Hugo Cabret
Selznick, Brian
Hugo lives in the walls of a busy Paris train station where his survival depends on
secrets and anonymity. A spell-binding mystery.
Other Titles by Brian Selznick:
Wonderstruck
Houdini Box
I Survived (Series)
Tarshis, Lauren
This series is historical fiction. The author takes events in history, such as the sinking
of the Titanic, and brings them vividly to life. (Reading Level O)
Justin Case: Shells, Smells and Horrible Flip Flops of Doom
Vail, Rachel
Justin decides to sign up for the "runny-around" type of summer camp with his friend,
Noah, instead of going to usual science camp. He is overwhelmed by deep-ended
swimming pools, rowdy kids and sports, and a mean camp counselor. Justin learns to
shine and even save the day.
Other Title by Rachel Vail: Justin Case: School Drool and Other Daily Disasters
No Dogs Allowed!
Wallace, Bill
Twelve-year-old Kristina, still struggling to come to terms with the death of her
beloved horse, finds it difficult to accept the new dog she receives for her birthday.
(Reading Level O)
Other titles by Bill Wallace:
The Backward Bird Dog (Reading Level P)
A Dog Called Kitty (Reading Level R)
Ferret in the Bedroom, Lizards in the Fridge (Reading Level T)
Beauty (Reading Level V)
101 Ways to Bug Your Parents
Wardlaw, Lee
When his parents call off the family vacation and enroll their son in a creative
writing class instead, twelve-year-old Steve comes up with a wacky
moneymaking project. (Reading Level S)
Fantasy and Beyond
Tales from Dimwood Forest (The Poppy Series)
Avi
Poppy, the deer mouse, urges her family to move next to a field of corn big enough to
feed them all forever. However, Mr. Ocax, a terrifying owl, has other ideas.
(Reading Level ranges P – S)
Fairy Tale Detectives (Sisters Grimm Series)
Buckley, Michael
Sabrina and Daphne find out they are descendants of the Brother Grimm, who were
actually detectives of the magical phenomenon perpetrated by the Everafters, a parallel
race of magical beings. They soon learn it’s the Grimm family’s legacy to keep the
Everafters in line and the two sisters are the sole heirs to this challenge. (Reading
Level R)
Summer Reading List
Entering Grade 4 / Grade 5
Fantasy and Beyond (continued)
Gregor and the Prophecy of Bane
Collins, Suzanne
In his second adventure, eleven-year-old Gregor returns to the world beneath New York
City to rescue his kidnapped sister, Boots, and fulfill a prophecy that will restore peace
to the people, bats, rats, cockroaches, and spiders who populate the underworld.
(Reading Level ranges S – U)
Half Magic (Series)
Eager, Edward
Instead of a dull summer, a family of four children suddenly finds themselves involved
in a series of extraordinary adventures after discovering a coin that seems to grant
wishes.
(Reading Level T)
Other Titles by Edward Eager:
Magic By the Lake
Knight’s Castle
Well Wishers
Time Garden
Magic Or Not
Seven Day Magic
Last of the Really Great Whangdoodles
Edwards, Julie
With help from an eccentric professor in giving their imaginations special intensive
training, three children succeed in locating the last of the great Whangdoodles and
granting his heart's desire. (Reading Level X)
The Chronicles of Narnia (Series)
Lewis, C.S.
Narnia is the land of enchantment, glory, and nobility. It is the home of the
magnificent Aslan, the cruel White Queen, Jadis, heroic Reepicheep, and kind
Mr. Tumnus. (Reading Level T)
The Doll People
Martin, Ann
This book is about adventures of a one-hundred-year-old dollhouse family who hunt for
a doll family member who has been missing for many years. (Reading Level O/P)
Sequels: The Meanest Doll in the World (Reading Range Q); Runaway Dolls
Pi in the Sky
Mass, Wendy
Joss comes from a family of overachievers, and is happy to let his older brothers
shine. Joss takes on the task (with the help of Annika, a girl from Earth) of bringing
Earth back after it disappears. What an adventure!
Favorite Greek Myths
Osborne, Mary Pope
This is a retelling of twelve tales from Greek mythology, including the stories of King
Midas, the Golden Apples, and Cupid and Psyche. (Reading Level T)
Summer Reading List
Entering Grade 4 / Grade 5
Fantasy and Beyond (continued)
Dragon of Lonely Island
Rupp, Rebecca
Three children spend the summer with their mother on a secluded island where they
discover a three-headed dragon living in a cave and learn what it means to be a dragon
friend. (Reading Level S)
Gooseberry Park
Rylant, Cynthia
You will not want to put down this book about a gentle and funny story of
friendship among a group of animals. (Reading Level P)
Time Warp Trio (Series)
Scieszka, Jon
Whether the gang's fighting off the Black Knight in the middle of Camelot, practicing
magic tricks on Blackbeard and his pirates, stampeding cattle in the Old West, or running
from a woolly mammoth, one thing is for sure, no one is ever bored when the Time Warp
Trio is around! (Reading Level ranges L – P. Most titles P)
Enchanted Forest Chronicles (Series)
Wrede, Patricia
These hilarious adventure stories are about Cimorene, the princess who refuses to be
proper. (Reading Level ranges Q – R)
Summer Reading List
Entering Grade 4 / Grade 5
Chillers and Thrillers
The Ghost of Fossil Glen
DeFelice, Cynthia
Allie knows it is not her imagination when she hears a voice and sees in her mind’s
eye the face of a girl who seems to be seeking Allie’s help. (Reading Level T)
Spiderwick Chronicles (Series)
DiTerlizzi, Tony & Black, Holly
This is the story of thirteen-year-old Mallory Grace and nine year old twins, Jared and
Simon Grace. They move into the dilapidated Spiderwick Estate with their mother only
to quickly find themselves sucked into a dark and fascinating world of faeries.
(Reading Level ranges Q – R)
The 13th Floor
Fleischman, Sid
After his older sister disappears, twelve-year-old Buddy follows her back in time and
finds himself aboard a seventeenth century pirate ship captained by a distant relative.
(Reading Level U)
Chet Gecko Mystery (Series)
Hale, Bruce
Chet Gecko, the best lizard detective at Emerson Hicky Elementary, saves his own
skin by solving the schools’ wacky mysteries.
(Reading Level O)
Charlie Bone (Series)
Nimmo, Jenny
Charlie Bone's life with his widowed mother and two grandmothers undergoes a
dramatic change when he discovers that he can hear people in photographs talking.
(Reading Level ranges Q – T)
Sammy Keyes (Series)
Van Draanen, Wendelin
Thirteen-year-old Sammy's penchant for speaking her mind gets her in trouble when she
involves herself in investigations and mysteries. (Reading Level ranges T – X)
The Coastwatcher
Weston, Elise
It is 1943, and Hugh and his family escape a polio epidemic by leaving Charleston for
the South Carolina seashore for the summer. While there, the eleven-year-old considers it
is his duty to watch for any signs of enemy activity. He becomes suspicious after seeing
what he believes to be a periscope off the coast, finding German cigarettes, and
stumbling across an unreadable map. (Reading Level O)
Summer Reading List
Entering Grade 4 / Grade 5
Chillers and Thrillers (continued)
The Dollhouse Murders
Wright, Betty Ren
A dollhouse filled with a ghostly light in the middle of the night and dolls that have
moved from where she last left them lead Amy and her sister to unravel the mystery
surrounding grisly murders that took place years ago. (Reading Level S)
Ghost in Room 11
Wright, Betty Ren
When his family moves to a small town near Milwaukee, Matt's efforts to fit into his
new fourth-grade class are complicated by his poor spelling and his encounter with
the ghost of one of the school's former teachers. (Reading Level P)
Informational and Poetry
Baseball the Math of the Game
Adamson, Thomas K.
What is the difference between batting average and slugging percentage? How do
you predict a players season stats after only a few weeks? Read and found out.
The Pot that Juan Built
Andrews-Goebel, Nancy
A cumulative rhyme summarizes the life’s work of renowned Mexican potter
Juan Quezada. Additional information describes the process he uses to create
his pots after the style of the Casas Crandes people. (Reading Level Z)
Backyard Detective
Bishop, Nic
What’s in your back yard? Explore the life-size photographs of backyard scenes
inside this book and you’ll be a backyard detective. You can spot and describe
more than one-hundred twenty-five tiny animals that are there. (Reading Level R)
Citizen Scientists: Be a Part of Scientific Discovery from Your Own
Backyard
Burns, Loree Griffin
You can put your nose to a monarch pupa or listen for raucous frog calls. You
can tally woodpeckers or sweep the grass for ladybugs. This book, full of
engaging photos and useful tips, will show you how.
Leonardo, Beautiful Dreamer
Byrd, Robert
Illustrations and text portray the life of Leonardo da Vinci. He gained fame as an
artist through such works as the Mona Lisa. As a scientist, he became famous by
studying various subjects including human anatomy and flight. (Reading Level T)
Summer Reading List
Entering Grade 4 / Grade 5
Informational and Poetry (continued)
Magic School Bus Series
Cole, Joanna
Ms. Frizzle takes her class on great adventures to learn about many
informational topics such as electricity, the solar system, the rain forest, and
the human body. (Reading Level P)
Liberty
Curlee, Lynn
All the planning and efforts that went into the construction of one of the most famous
symbols of the United States, the Statue of Liberty, is discussed in this book.
Interesting but challenging.
Ballpark: The Story of America’s Baseball Fields
Curlee, Lynn
The histories and cultural significances of America’s most famous ballparks,
including Fenway Park, Yankee Stadium, and Wrigley Field, are explored in this
book. Interesting but challenging.
Locomotive
Floca, Brian
In 1869 trains, crews, and family are traveling together, riding America’s brandnew transcontinental railroad. These pages come alive with the details of the trip
and the sounds, speed, and strength of the mighty locomotives; the work that keeps
them moving; and the thrill of travel from plains to mountain to ocean.
Insectlopedia
Florian, Douglas
This presents twenty-one short poems about such insects as the inchworm,
termite, cricket, and ladybug. (Reading Level Q)
Accidents May Happen
Jones, Charlotte Foltz
This book describes how a wide variety of things such as nursery rhymes, the
national anthem, anesthesia, cellophane, raisins, and dynamite came into
being. (Reading Level V)
Seaman: The Dog Who Explored the West with Lewis & Clark Karwoski, Gail
Seaman, a Newfoundland, proves his value as a hunter, navigator, and protector
while serving with the Corps of Discovery when it explores the West under the
leadership of Lewis and Clark. (Reading Level U-V)
Summer Reading List
Entering Grade 4 / Grade 5
Informational and Poetry (continued)
Surviving Jamestown
Karwoski, Gail
Sam Collier, a twelve-year-old, serves as page to John Smith during the relentless
hardship experienced by the founders at the first permanent English settlement in the
New World. (Reading Level V, W)
Quake
Karwoski, Gail
It is 1906, and thirteen year old Jacob Kaufman, who lives in San Francisco with
his father and little sister, is outside when a major earthquake shakes the city
cracking streets and toppling buildings. (Reading Level R)
Those Rebels John and Tom
Kerley, Barbara
Even though John Adams and Thomas Jefferson were very different, they were
very concerned about the American colonies. They cooperated and joined
forces in the fight for our country’s freedom. Good historical information and
an easy read.
Cheetah Math
Nagda, Ann Whitehead
Use your math skills to learn all about division from these baby cheetahs at the San
Diego Zoo and their canine friends.
Polar Bear Math
Nagda, Ann Whitehead and Bickell, Cindy
Learning About Fractions from Klondike and Snow-At the Denver Zoo, a polar bear
gives birth to two tiny babies, then abandons them. The zoo staff must raise the babies,
but there are many things they don't know. What foods are best? How much should the
cubs eat? Once they figure out the answers, the cubs quickly become healthy.
The Beauty of the Beast
Prelutsky, Jack
This is an illustrated collection of poems about animals, insects, and birds by poets
from different parts of the world. (Reading Level P)
Science Verse
Scieszka, Jon
If you love science, you will love these poems. (Reading Level P)
Summer Reading List
Entering Grade 4 / Grade 5
Informational and Poetry (continued)
Biographies of:
Abigail Adams
Barack Obama
Amelia Earhart
Milton Hershey
Chief Joseph
(Reading Level Grade 4)
Sutcliffe, Jane
Sacagawea
Walt Disney
Helen Keller
Jesse Owens
The Journey of the One and Only Declaration of Independence
St. George, Judith
The Declaration of Independence has had many homes. Why has it moved
so much? Who has taken care of it? (Reading Level S)
So You Want to Be an Inventor
St. George, Judith
Take a look through history at inventors and inventions that have kept our world
moving. This book just might inspire you to invent something! (Reading Level S)
Hannah of Fairfield
Van Leeuwen, Jean
For almost nine-year-old Hannah Perley of Fairfield, Connecticut, growing up means
facing new challenges. The challenges are both great and small, from saving the life
of a baby lamb to helping the family prepare to send her brother Ben to join the
colonial soldiers in the American Revolutionary War. (Reading Level P)
Camping With The President
Wadsworth, Ginger
In 1903, for 4 days and 3 nights, President Theodore Roosevelt dismissed his
Secret Service and sent all reporters away to go camping with the world famous
naturalist, Frank Muir, in Yosemite National Park.
Summer Reading List
Entering Grade 4 / Grade 5