Ages 3-9 years
Ages 3-10+
Stop the Summer Slide!
Mrs. Martin Recommends:
The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo. This book is wonderful for readers of all ages. Parents read to children K-3. Students in grades 4+ can read it to themselves and enjoy!
Candlewick Press, 2006
Ages 7 and up, ISBN 0-7636-2589-2
Once, in a house on Egypt Street, there lived a china rabbit named Edward Tulane. The rabbit was very pleased with himself, and for good reason: he was owned by a girl named Abilene, who treated him with the utmost care and adored him completely. And then, one day, he was lost.
Kate DiCamillo takes us on an extraordinary journey, from the depths of the ocean to the net of a fisherman, from the top of a garbage heap to the fireside of a hobo’s camp, from the bedside of an ailing child to the bustling streets of Memphis. And along the way, we are shown a true miracle: even a heart of the most breakable kind can learn to love, to lose, and to love again.
Mr. Erickson Suggests:
Diary of a Wimpy Kid – series by Jeff Kinney.
This is a fun series of books, great for summer reading.
Did you know you can read a complete Diary of a Wimpy Kid book on-line?
Visit:
Or visit the author, Jeff Kinney’s website and play games, and make a wimpy self at this website.
Dork Diaries Tales from a Not so Fabulous Life by Rachel Renee Russell
Dork Diaries follows eighth grader Nikki Maxwell, who chronicles through text and sketches her move to a snooty new school; her epic battle with her mom for an iPhone; her enthusiasm for drawing & art; and a love/hate fascination with the new school's queen bee, a girl named Mackenzie who becomes Nikki's rival in a school-wide art competition.
Mrs. Watson and Mrs. Mlinarich recommend:
Lightning Thief and The Percy Jackson Series by Rick Riordan
(Ages 10 and up) What if the gods of Olympus were alive in the 21st Century? What if they still fell in love with mortals and had children who might become great heroes — like Theseus, Jason and Hercules?
What if you were one of those children?
Such is the discovery that launches twelve-year-old Percy Jackson on the most dangerous quest of his life. With the help of a satyr and a daughter of Athena, Percy must journey across the United States to catch a thief who has stolen the original weapon of mass destruction – Zeus’ master bolt. Along the way, he must face a host of mythological enemies determined to stop him. Most of all, he must come to terms with a father he has never known, and an Oracle that has warned him of betrayal by a friend.
Mrs. Rae and Mrs. Chesnut Recommend:
Our 6th grade teachers love historical fiction, and have recommended some great titles for you to try this summer.
Number the Stars – by Lois Lowry
Number The Stars is a work of historical fiction about the Holocaust of the Second World War by award-winning author Lois Lowry. Ten-year-old Annemarie Johansen is the central character, who lived in Copenhagen, Denmark, in 1943 and was caught up in the events surrounding the rescue of the Danish Jews. She and her family risked their lives to help Annemarie's best friend, Ellen Rosen, by pretending that Ellen is Annemarie's older sister; the sister had died later in the war during her work for the Resistance group
The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare
The Witch of Blackbird Pond is a children's historical novel by American author Elizabeth George Speare, published in 1958. The story takes place in mid-17th century to early-18th century New England. It won the Newbery Medal in 1959.
In 1687, 16-year-old Katherine Tyler, (known throughout the story as Kit) leaves herhome in Barbados after her grandfather's death and goes to Wethersfield, Connecticut to live with her aunt and uncle in their small Puritan community.
Someone Named Eva by Joan M. Wolf
From her home in Lidice, Czechoslovakia, in 1942, eleven-year-old Milada is taken with other blond, blue-eyed children to a school in Poland to be trained as "proper Germans" for adoption by German families, but all the while she remembers her true name and history.
Elijah of Buxton by Christopher Paul Curtis
Master storyteller Christopher Paul Curtis lends his trademark humor and vibrant narrative style to the gripping tale of eleven-year-old Elijah Freeman.
The first child born into freedom in Buxton, Canada, a settlement of runaway slaves just over the border from Detroit, Elijah is best known in his hometown as the boy who threw up on Frederick Douglass. (Not on purpose, of course — he was just a baby then!)
But things change when a former slave calling himself the Right Reverend Zephariah W. Connerly the Third steals money from Elijah's friend Mr. Leroy, who has been saving to buy his family out of captivity in the south. Elijah joins Mr. Leroy on a dangerous journey to America in pursuit of the disreputable preacher, and he discovers firsthand the unimaginable horrors of the life his parents fled — a life from which he'll always be free, if he can find the courage to go back home.
Exciting, yet evocative, heart-wrenching, yet hilarious, Elijah of Buxton is Christopher Paul Curtis at his very best — and it's an unforgettable testament to the power of hope.
Elijah of Buxton is the winner of the Coretta Scott King Award and a Newbery Honor Book for 2008.
Mrs. DeBano Suggests:
Both of these books have been made into great movies. Why not read the books first and then enjoy the movies!
Matilda by Roald Dahl
Matilda's parents just can't see that their daughter is a genius. Matilda has very special powers, and eventually uses those powers to get their attention, as well as save her beloved teacher from the horrible headmistress!
This funny book is a fantasy romp for kids of all ages. Younger kids will love having it read aloud to them, and students in 5th grade and up will enjoy reading it themselves.
Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine
In this novel based on the story of Cinderella, young Ella of Frell embarks on a quest to overcome the gift of obedience, a curse bestowed on her at birth by a fairy. Along the way, she encounters princes, ogres, fairy godmothers, and other fairy-tale creatures.
A fun fantasy to be enjoyed by kids 4th and up.
Book Recommendations
Teacher Recommendations
