Summer Reading List 2015-16
6th Grade Language Arts
Satterfield Middle School
Mr. Jason Goolesby
Requirements:
1. Students must choose two books from the reading list. Summaries, number of pages,
and reading levels have been provided to help students find a book that suits them.
2. Students must read BOTH books over summer break!
3. Students will choose the book they liked best and complete an approved summer
reading project over it. Students will be asked to share their project with the class.
Summer Reading Project Choices:
To receive full credit, students must complete all requirements of the project.
Choose one of the following:
1. Shrunken Book- Create a shrunken book. For each chapter, you will write 1-2
paragraphs to summarize the main idea and the importance of that chapter. Include
an illustration for each chapter. You can use plain white copy paper, construction
paper, etc.
2. Television Reporter - Create a video on DVD acting as a television reporter. You
will be reporting the main story elements/plot/conflict as if the story is appearing
on the local news as a real event. I advise creating a script to read from just like a
reporter would read off a teleprompter.
** Use a professional setting and dress nicely.
**You may also email the project to me if you’re unable to put the video on DVD.
3. Cereal Box/Shoe Box Diorama- Recreate an important scene/your favorite scene
using a cereal box or shoe box. Include props to represent the setting, characters,
symbols, etc. Make it believable and be creative! (Small toys, legos, origami, etc.) You
must summarize the scene and its importance or the reason its your favorite scene
on a sheet of paper. (2 paragraphs or more)
4. Collage/Poster – Poster must be a standard- sized poster. Use newspapers,
magazine clippings, original illustrations, pictures, 3D items, etc. that are related to
the book. On the back of the poster, write an explanation for all of the items on your
collage and why they’re important to the book. You may create the collage from a
character’s point of view or from your own. You can print images from your
computer, but your whole poster must not be covered in printed photos. Use a
variety of clippings.
**Please try to fill up the poster as much as possible.
Summer Reading List
(Choose 2 Total from Either List)
Fiction List
Lawn Boy- by Gary Paulsen
For his twelfth birthday, “Lawn Boy” gets an old riding mower from his grandmother.
While he is tinkering around trying to figure out how to use the machine, a neighbor
sees him and hires him on the spot to mow his lawn. Before he knows it, Lawn Boy has
more lawns to mow than he has time in a day. Then he meets Arnold, another neighbor
who also happens to be a stockbroker. Arnold helps Lawn Boy out by finding employees
for him and also investing his money in the stock market. Before Lawn Boy knows it, he
has earned thousands of dollars and is now the sole sponsor of a heavyweight
prizefighter, Joey Pow!
My Side of The Mountain- by Jean Craighead George
Fifteen-year-old Sam Gribley has decided to run away from his crowded apartment
home, but unlike most kids who rarely get beyond their block, Sam goes from New York
City all the way to the ruined farm of Great-grandfather Gribley in the Catskill
Mountains of upstate New York. There are no buildings or people on the old Gribley
farm, so Sam sets up residence by hollowing out the trunk of an ancient Hemlock tree.
He has brought only a few tools of survival with him: a penknife, a ball of cord, an ax, 40
dollars, and some flint and steel to help him make fire. Using these simple tools and his
wits, Sam learns to live off the land, and in the course of a year, discovers just how much
he values freedom, independence, and adventure when faced with the challenges of
blizzards, loneliness and fear.
War Horse – Michael Morpurgo
A young man called Albert embarks on a dangerous quest to locate his beloved horse in
the First World War and bring him safely home.
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Set in The Hunger Games universe this series follows young characters Katniss Everdeen
and Peeta Mellark as they battle through a deadly battle royal and face the results of their
every action.The novels in the trilogy are titled The Hunger Games , Catching Fire , and
Mockingjay). Each book counts as one selection.
Al Capone Does My Shirts- by Gennifer Choldenko
In this novel, Moose Flanagan and his family move to Alcatraz Island, where Moose's father
has gotten a job as both electrician and prison guard for the federal prison situated on the
island. Moose misses his friends back home and resents his mother for uprooting the family
for another of her schemes to help his sister Natalie be normal. Almost immediately, Moose
finds himself in trouble when the daughter of the warden, Piper, draws him into a scheme
to make money off of the name of the most famous prisoner at Alcatraz, Al Capone.
Non-Fiction List
Marley: A Dog Like No Other by John Grogan (760L)
When the Grogan family is ready for a dog, they choose Marley, a yellow furball of a puppy
who quickly grows into a large, rowdy Labrador retriever. Marley has a zest for life, and as
he grows, so does his enthusiasm. He has an appetite for whatever he can get his paws on—
from fine jewelry to underwear—and the one thing he always finds is trouble. Marley even
gets kicked out of obedience school! Can this rambunctious pup ever learn how to be a
good boy?
America Is Under Attack: September 11, 2001: The Day the Towers Fell by Dan Brown
(840L)
The events of September 11, 2001 changed the world forever. Don Brown narrates the
events of the day in a way that is both accessible and understandable for middle school
students. Straightforward and honest, this account moves chronologically through the
morning, from the plane hijackings to the crashes at the World Trade Center, the Pentagon,
and Pennsylvania; from the rescue operations at the WTC site to the collapse of the
buildings.
His Name Was Raoul Wallenberg by Louise Borden (1080L)
An amazing and inspirational World War II story about how one man saved the lives of
many. Raoul Wallenberg’s name may not be a universally familiar one, but the impact he
had is immeasurable. Wallenberg was a Swedish humanitarian who worked in Budapest
during World War II to rescue Jews from the Holocaust. He did this by issuing protective
passports and housing Jews in buildings established as Swedish territory, saving tens of
thousands of lives.
Trapped by Marc Aronson (1070L)
In early August 2010, the unthinkable happened when a mine collapsed in Copiapó, Chile,
and 33 miners were trapped 2,000 feet below the surface. For sixty-nine days they lived on
meager resources and increasingly poor air quality. When they were finally rescued, the
world watched with rapt attention and rejoiced in the amazing spirit and determination of
the miners. What could have been a terrible tragedy became an amazing story of survival.
Amelia Lost- by Candace Fleming
(Biography) This book tells the story of Amelia Earhart's life - as a child, a woman, and a
pilot - and describes the search for her missing plane.
Lincoln’s Grave Robbers- by Steve Sheinkin
A group of counterfeiters scheme to steal Abraham Lincoln’s body from his tomb and
ransom his remains for money to free a master counterfeiter from jail. Secret Service
agents learn of the plot, recruit an undercover agent to infiltrate the gang, and try to catch
the criminals before they can rob Lincoln’s grave.
The Boston Tea Party. by Russell Freedman
More than any other event, the Boston Tea Party of 1773 has come to stand for the
determination of American colonists to control their own destinies. From the arrival of the
ships full of tea in Boston Harbor, through the protest meetings at the Old South Church, to
the act of dumping 226 chests of tea into the harbor, Freedman captures this exciting story.
Summer Reading Tips:
1. You have been provided with a long list of books varying in genres and reading levels. Choose a
book that is not only interesting to you but is also suitable your reading needs.
2. Start reading early! Taking notes as you read can make the project much easier. You also want to
make sure you can find the book before summer is over. Some students like to choose the same
book so they can share. You’re welcome to do that.