2008 SUMMER READING LIST

Entering Grades 4 through 6
Fiction

“Catch the beat”

2008 Newbery Award Winner

Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! Voices from a Medieval Village by Laura Amy Schlitz

“Thirteenth-century England springs to life using 21 dramatic individual narratives that introduce young inhabitants of village and manor; from Hugo, the lord's nephew, to Nelly, the sniggler. Schlitz's elegant monologues and dialogues draw back the curtain on the period, revealing character and relationships, hinting at stories untold.”

Student Recommendation

Bone - Out From Boneville by Jeff Smith

This is adventurous, funny and unforgettable graphic novel! Discover the incredible comic book saga of the unlikely hero who must save an idyllic valley from the forces of evil. Look for the continuing adventures of the Bone cousins in The Great Cow Race.

Alexander, Lloyd.  The Book of Three
The fate of the peaceful kingdom of Prydain hangs in the balance as Taran and the warriors pit their wits and strength against the forces of evil.

Allen, Thomas. B.  George Washington, Spymaster
A suspenseful story of the spies and secret agents who kept George Washington informed during the Revolutionary War.

Applegate, K. A.  The Andalite's Gift
A darkly comic tale of friendship and sisterhood showing how beautiful, perfect, loving Angela can have an effect on hateful, frightening, dreadful, Diabola.  (Animorphs Megamorphs series #1).

Ayres, Katherine. Macaroni Boy
Living in Pittsburgh during the Great Depression, Mike investigates the cause of the sickness that is affecting so many in his community, including his own grandfather. To learn the truth he must enlist the help of the neighborhood bully who nicknames Mike “Macaroni Boy.”

Barry, Dave & Ridley Pearson.  Peter and the Star catchers
Even Peter Pan had to start somewhere….

Blackwood, Gary . Second Sight
Visit Washington D.C. as it was nearly 150 years ago when the Civil War is ending and John Wilkes Booth is on the loose.

Barker, Clive.  Abarat
Candy Quackenbush wanders into an empty field at the edge of town.  As she travels around the islands, she becomes involved in a power struggle between two ruthless and bitter rivals, Rojo Pixler of Commexo City and Christopher Carrion, the Lord of Midnight. Each man seeks to control the island chain, and Candy may be the deciding factor in its survival or destruction.

Brett, Simon.  The Three Detectives and the Knight in Armor
Emma, Stevie, and Marcus risk their lives to discover who is replacing a priceless collection of medieval armor with fiberglass imitations at Scalethorpe Center .
 
Brittain, Bill.  The Wish Giver
The wish giver grants wishes, but the people who have been granted their wishes find they don't want them.

Bruchac, Joseph.  The Warriors
One of the best lacrosse players on his Iroquois reservation team, Jake is conflicted when his mother relocates him to a boarding school. Jake is praised for his athletic abilities, but feels like an outcast until he resolves a school crisis with a special game of lacrosse.

Buckley, Michael.  The Sisters Grim: The Fairy-Tale Detectives (Sequel: The Unusual Suspects)
Foster children Sabrina and Daphne Grimm see their supposed grandmother Relda carried off by a giant in this adventurous tale with many folktale and literary references.

Burnett , Frances Hodgson.   Secret Garden
When Mary's parents die in India , she has to find a new life for herself in England with her uncle in his mysterious secret garden

Cameron, Eleanor.  Court of the Stone Children
A time-travel mystery set in the age of Napoleon.

Carroll, Lewis.   Alice 's Adventures in Wonderland & Through the Looking Glass
A little girl's adventure with mischievous, weird, and entertaining characters. Her world changes dramatically from one moment to the next as she struggles to leave Wonderland and return home.

Cassedy, Sylvia. Behind the Attic Wall  
At 12, Maggie has been thrown out of more boarding schools than she can remember. Every school described her as mean, nasty, disobedient, rebellious.  Now she is sent to live with her elderly great-aunts and her uncle Morris, her only living relatives.  What she finds in the prison-like home of her great-aunts may be the answer to her lost parents

Cepeda, Joe.   Juan Bobo Goes to Work
A retelling of traditional Puerto Rican folktales. Juan Bobo's determined but disastrous antics are told through bold brush strokes, expert use of varied perspectives and vibrant Caribbean colors.

Choldenko, Gennifer.  Notes From a Liar and Her Dog
This is a bittersweet novel about Antonia MacPherson’s fervent belief that she is adopted.  It’s a painful journey that ends with our heroine understanding that life is what you make it.

Colfer, Eoin.  Artemis Fowl
The first in a series of stories about Artemis Fowl – detective, adventurer and master of magic.

Coville, Bruce.  Jennifer Murdley’s Toad
Jennifer, the “kid in the plain brown wrapper,” buys a talking toad who can speak only the truth and sets out on an extraordinary adventure.

Creech, Sharon. Granny Torreli Makes Soup
Mix a little bit of wisdom, a ton of love, and a pinch of friendship. That’s how Granny Torrelli and twelve-year-old Rosie cook a delicious soup that proves life tastes good.

DeClements, Barthe.  Nothing's Fair in the Fifth Grade
Mrs. Hanson's fifth grade class is off to a good start until transfer student Elsie Edwards arrives. A humorous tale evolves as the fifth graders deal with issues related to "growing up.”

DiCamillo, Kate.  The Tale of Despereaux
A small mouse falls in love with music, stories and a princess named Pea. This tiny hero faints at loud noises but gathers the courage to fulfill his dreams.  

Farmer, Nancy.  The Sea of Trolls                                     
Kidnapped by bloodthirsty Viking berserkers, an apprentice bard and his little sister face one deadly challenge after another as they make their way home.

Fleischman, Sid.   Jim Ugly
Jake and his dog, Jim Ugly, set off to find Jake’s father and a fortune in missing diamonds.

Fox, Paula.  Western Wind
Elizabeth is so sure of the reason she's been sent to Gran's. At age twelve, she feels orphaned - by the birth of a baby brother (it's embarrassing; her parents are in their 40's).

Franklin, Kristine L.  Lone Wolf
Perry is a "loner" who must learn to share himself with his family and neighbors.

Frederick, Heather Bogel. The Black Paw
Spies of the two-and four-legged variety become allies in a fight against an evil kingpin rat.

Funke, Cornelia.  The Thief Lord
Two orphans escape from their cruel aunt and uncle and find themselves in the company of a gang of children led by the Thief Lord.

Gantos, Jack.  Joey Pigza Loses Control
Joey has to spend six weeks with his father and hopes to show that he has calmed down. Unfortunately, Dad is rule happy, and Joey has a hard time knowing how best to behave. A sequel to Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key.

Haddix, Margaret Peterson. Running Out of Time
Jessie lives with her family in the frontier village of Clifton , Indiana in 1840—or so she believes.  When the children of the village start dying of diphtheria, Jessie learns that her family lives in a reconstructed historical village that is actually a tourist site, and the year is 1996.  Jessie must leave her family and the village to bring back medicine from the outside world.  What she discovers beyond the walls of her village is sinister and puts her life in danger.

Hale, Shannon. Princess Academy
Forced to attend Princess school, a stone worker’s daughter discovers that becoming a true princess is much more challenging than just learning how to be polite.

Hatrick, Gloria.  Masks
Desperate to help his older brother Will who has become paralyzed by a rare disease, Pete uses tribal animal masks to communicate with Will, allowing him to escape his useless body and embark on a series of strange and powerful dream journeys.

Harlow, Joan Hiatt.  Thunder From the Sea
Harsh weather brings an orphan boy, Tom, and a stranded dog, Thunder, together on the island of Newfoundland . They struggle to find a family despite a blizzard, a tidal wave, and worst of all, Thunder’s former owner.

Hesse, Karen.  Out of the Dust
A story told in free verse about a family in the Oklahoma dust bowl.

Hiaasen, Carl.   Hoot   
The new kid, Roy, joins forces with tough Beatrice and the elusive Mullet Fingers to defeat a bully, thwart an avaricious corporation, and save a colony of burrowing owls.

Hill, Kirkpatrick.  The Year of Miss Agnes
Ten-year-old Frederika (Fred for short) doesn't have much faith that the new teacher in town will last very long. Most teachers who come to their one-room schoolhouse in remote Alaska leave at the first smell of fish, claiming that life there is just too hard. But Miss Agnes is different. For the first time, Fred and her classmates begin to enjoy their lessons and learn to read and write.  But will Miss Agnes be like all the rest and leave as quickly as she came?

Jacques, Brian.  The Outcast of Redwall
Popular series of fantasy fiction. The destinies of the badger lord and his mortal enemy, the ferret, are entwined with those of many creatures, particularly the inhabitants of Redwall.

Jansson, Tove.  Finn Family Moomintroll
The Moomintroll's world is one of enchantment and humor. Get to know them as you enjoy their stories.

Johnson, Angela.  Heaven
Fourteen-year-old Marley struggles with the idea of what makes a family when she discovers that the people she has always thought of as her parents are not her “real” parents after all.

Kadohata, Cynthia.  Kira-Kira
Kira-kira is the Japanese word for glittering, and Katie uses it to describe everything she likes.  Her loving family has a hard life in rural Georgia in the 1950’s as they encounter prejudice, poverty, and family tragedy.

Kerr, Judith.  When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit
An autobiographical novel about the refugee experiences of a Jewish girl and her family after they flee Nazi Germany in 1933.

Kinsey-Warnock, Natalie. Gifts From the Sea
Quila receives an unexpected surprise when the sea washes a baby up on the shore outside her family’s Maine lighthouse.

Klass, Sheila Solomon.  A Shooting Star: A Novel About Annie Oakley
How a servant to a cruel family becomes a sharpshooter known to us as Annie Oakley.

Knight, Joan MacPhail.     Charlotte in Giverny
While living in France in 1892, Charlotte, a young American girl, writes a journal of her experiences.

L’Engle, Madeleine. The Young Unicorns

A mystery surrounds the strange visitor from England who seems to know too much about Dave, Emily and the Austin family.  They all live in New York City and know not to trust strangers, but curiosity and the longing for a new identity draws Dave and his friends into the mystery and puts his life in grave danger.

Levine, Gail Carson.  The Two Princesses of Bamarre
One princess is adventurous and brave.  The other princess is meek and afraid.  In this tale, set in times of sorcerers, monsters, and plagues, a princess shows that courage can be found in the face of adversity.

Levitin, Sonia.  Journey to America
A Jewish family fleeing Nazi Germany in 1938 endures innumerable separations before they are once again united.

Lewis, C.S. The Magician's Nephew
How Aslan created Narnia and gave speech to the animals.

Lunge-Larsen, Lise. The Hidden Folk: Stories of Fairies, Dwarves, Selkies, and Other Secret Beings
From the hazards of mistreating the local gnome to the (gross) reason why parsley tastes bitter, these tales of magical folk will transport readers to the elusive edge of reality.

Martin, Anne M.  Belle Teale
Gran’s memory is failing and Belle’s classmates are hiding terrible secrets that threaten the community.  Can Belle keep them all together?

McKinley, Robin.  The Hero and the Crown.
Princess Aerin comes to find herself in battle with the huge Dragon Maur and the fate of the Country of Daman hanging on balance.

Montgomery , L. M.   Anne of Green Gables
When the Cuthberts of Green Gables decide to adopt a sturdy boy to help with the farm chores, they are astonished when Anne, a mischievous, talkative redhead, arrives instead.

Morpurgo, Michael. Kensuke’s Kingdom
While sailing in the Pacific Ocean , eleven–year-old Michael falls overboard and ends up stranded on a nearly deserted island. He is befriended by an old Japanese man, the island’s other inhabitant, in this exciting tale of friendship and survival.

Namioka, Lensey. April and the Dragon Lady
April feels like an outsider in her high school.  As a Chinese American, she looks different from most of her classmates, and she’s not interested in sports or shopping.  In the geology club, Rock Hounds, she meets Steve and falls for him, only to discover that she is competing with Judy for Steve’s attention.  April struggles to find her true identity and her place with her family and in her school.

Osborne, Mary Pope.  Standing in the Light: The Captive Diary of Catherine Carey Logan
This is a fictionalized account of an adolescent Quaker girl's capture in 1763 by Lenape Indians in the Delaware Valley of Pennsylvania, written in diary format.  (Part of the “Dear America” series)

Paulsen, Gary.  Hatchet
After a plane crash, Brian spends fifty four days alone in the wilderness.  This is a story of tragedy, survival and determination to live.

Park, Linda Sue.  The Kite Fighters
In Seoul , Korea , in 1473, two brothers anticipate the annual New Year's Kite competition, wondering how to balance family loyalty and their competitive spirits.  

Paver, Michelle. Wolf Brother and Spirit Walker (Chronicles of Ancient Darkness series)                                                                                        Young Turak loses his father but gains steadfast friends while battling a bear that is under an evil spell and then a powerful shaman. 

Pearce, Philippa.  Tom's Midnight Garden
A mysterious old lady seems to be part of Tom's past in this classic fantasy.

Peck, Richard.  Fair Weather
In 1893 thirteen-year-old Rosie and members of her family travel from their Illinois farm to Chicago to visit Aunt Euterpe and attend the World's Columbian Exhibition. This, complete with an encounter with Buffalo Bill and Lillian Russell, turns out to be a life-changing experience for everyone.

Pratchett, Terry. The Wee Free Men and A Hat Full of Sky 
Tiffany’s little brother has been stolen by the Queen of Fairyland, and it’s up to her—with some help from a band of very small, very blue cattle rustlers—to mount a rescue
 
Rowling, J.K.  Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince
Harry, orphaned after an evil wizard kills his parents, goes to live with his aunt, uncle, and spoiled cousin and is invited to attend the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Ryan, Pam Munoz.   Esperanza Rising
Pampered thirteen-year-old Esperanza and her mother are forced to flee Mexico following her father's sudden death and his brothers' takeover of their land. In a depression era California migrant-worker camp, they encounter poverty and racism that are mitigated by the support of family and friends.

Ryan, Pam Munoz. Becoming Naomi Leon

Naomi and her brother are being raised by their great-grandmother in a trailer park. When her mother reappears after a seven year absence, Naomi struggles to keep her family together and discover her Mexican heritage.

Ritter, John H. The Boy Who Saved Baseball
Can an average boy, an ornery old baseball star, and one last game save Tom’s small, California town from destruction by a developer?

Schwartz , Virginia Frances .  Send One Angel Down
This novel, set in the pre-Civil War South, depicts anguishing hardships and also celebrates the resilience and determination of the human spirit.

Sedgwick, Marcus.  Witch Hill
Jamie solves a supernatural mystery while recovering from a trauma.  Excitement and adventure abound.

Seidler, Tor. Brain Boy and the Deathmaster
Darryl, video game whiz, is drawn into a high-tech program where kids compete to be the best video gamers. However, Darryl discovers the ultimate prize may be winning his survival and that of his friends.

Sleater, William.  Singularity
Twin brothers discover a gateway to another universe.

Snicket, Lemony.  A Series of Unfortunate Events
Unhappy tales about three very unlucky children.
 
Speare, Elizabeth George.  Calico Captive
In 1754 a young New Hampshire girl is kidnapped and experiences first-hand the French and Indian War.

Springer, Nancy. The Case of the Missing Marquess  
Enola Holmes matches wits with her older brothers, Sherlock and Mycroft, as she searches for her vanished mother and a supposedly kidnapped child.

Steinbeck, John.  The Red Pony
This tale of a boy growing up on a Californian ranch is a moving story that shows Jody's love for his pony and his increasing understanding of the spirit of the American West.

Taylor, Mildred.  The Land
Prequel to Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry, this novel tells of the early life of Paul Edward Logan.  Son of a white landowner and a slave, he decides that owning his own piece of land is the only way to live with dignity.

Thompson, Kate.  Switchers
Taking on and discarding one animal form after another, the two Switchers battle the icy evil.

Thompson, Lauren.  One Riddle, One Answer
One riddle determines who will marry Aziza, a Persian princess.  The explanation at the end adds to the value of the book and its math connection.

Uchida, Yoshiko.  Journey Home
The plight of Japanese immigrants as experienced by 12 year old Yuki in a warm and authentic story which offers a glimpse into a tragic episode in our country's history.

Ure, Jean.  Skinny Melon and Me
Cherry keeps a diary about her parents' divorce, her new stepfather, Roland Butter, who draws rebuses for her, and the coming stepbrother or stepsister.

Vaugelade, Anais.  The War
The Reds and the Blues are at war.  Prince Julius and Prince Fabien decide a duel will determine the winner.  When tragedy strikes, Fabien has a plan that he hopes will bring peace to the land.

Voigt, Cynthia.  Homecoming
Abandoned by their mother, Dicey and her brothers and sisters are left destitute, wanting to find one adult whom they can trust to hold their family together.

Westall, Robert.  Ghost Stories
Suspense and surprise are key ingredients in this collection of 21 stories from some of the world's best known writers. Witches, ghosts, and specters fill these tales of the supernatural.  Illustrated by Sean Eckett.

Yep, Laurence.  The Star Fisher
A young Chinese girl faces many responsibilities moving from Ohio to West Virginia in 1927 to open a business with her family.