Hamden Hall Entering Grade Five
Summer Reading List
2005

Students entering grade five are required to read Crash by Jerry Spinelli. In addition, students must read three other books.  

Spinelli, Jerry.  Crash 
”Crash” Coogan, cool jock football player, has been picking on Penn Ward, skinny Quaker vegetarian, since first grade.  Now in seventh grade, Penn has joined the cheerleading squad, making him an even bigger target.  So why is it that Penn has a happy family life and the admiration of the prettiest girl in the class? 

Mrs. Collins’ and Mrs. Dixon’s Spotlight Selections

Avi.  The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle
A mystery aboard a passenger ship on the long voyage across the Atlantic

Gutman, Dan.  The Kid Who Became President
What would you do if you were President? 

Konigsburg, E.L.  From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler
The adventures of two children as they run away to the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

O' Dell, Scott.  Sing Down the Moon
The tragedy of treatment of the Native American People. From the point of view of a Native American girl.

Speare, Elizabeth.  Sign of the Beaver
A boy's survival in the wilderness alone. Takes place during colonial days.

Adler, David.  Fraction Fun
A basic introduction to the concept of fractions.

Avi.  The Secret School
Ida and her schoolmates are stunned to learn that their teacher must close the school.  They all love to learn, so they agree to meet secretly and have Ida teach them.

Babbitt, Natalie.  Tuck Everlasting
Once you meet the Tucks, however briefly, you will never be quite the same.

Banks, Lynne Reid.  The Fairy Rebel
A fantasy about rebel fairies and the changes they bring to a sad woman’s life.

Blume, Judy.  Here's To You, Rachel Robinson
In later life, Rachel imagines herself discovering a vaccine for preventing fur balls in lions. (Realistic Fiction)

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 .

Bruchac, Joseph.  Skeleton Man 
The old Mohawk legend of the Skeleton Man seems to hold the only clues as to where Molly’s parents have gone and who the strange man calling himself Great-Uncle is. 2005 Nutmeg Nominee.

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.

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.  Ruby Holler
Dallas and Florida know that they are not loved or wanted by anyone, but one day an old, eccentric couple invite them on an adventure that starts in a magical place called Ruby Holler. 2005 Nutmeg Nominee.

Curtis, Christopher Paul.  Bud, Not Buddy                                       
Buddy Caldwell , ten years old, is an orphan on the run from abusive foster homes and Hoovervilles in 1930's Michigan . He has decided that Herman E. Callowey, stand-up bass player for the Dusty Devastators of the Depression, is his father, and Buddy plans to track him down.  2000 Newbery Medal.

Danziger, Paula.  There's a Bat in Bunk Five
Marcy is thrilled when she is asked to be a summer camp counselor. (Realistic Fiction)

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."

(Humorous)

Fitzgerald, John.  The Great Brain
Story of life in Utah , where even Skeleton Cave is no match for the awesome powers of Tom 's great brain. (Humorous)

Fitzhugh, Louise.  Harriet the Spy
Harriet's favorite activity is spying on other people - and it leads her into trouble! (Realistic Fiction)

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

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

Geisert, Arthur.   Roman Numerals l to MM
A search and count math concept game.

Giff, Patricia Reilly.   Pictures of Hollis Woods
12-year-old Hollis unfolds her story of foster care and a search for family in images from her sketchbook, which reveal both her memories and her artistic soul.

Gilson, Jamie.  Wagon Train 911
Dinah, the tallest girl in the 5th grade, is paired with Orin, the shortest boy, for a class reenactment of the pioneer's journey from Missouri to Oregon .

Greenberg, Jan, editor.  Heart to Heart: New Poems Inspired by Twentieth-Century Art
A compilation of poems by Americans writing about American art in the twentieth century, including such writers as Nancy Willard, Jane Yolen, and X.J. Kennedy .

Gutman, Dan.  Million Dollar Shot
Eleven-year-old Eddie Ball wins a poetry contest and a chance to hit a million dollar shot at the NBA finals.

Harlow, Joan Hiatt.  Joshua’s Song 
Joshua gets a job as a newspaper boy after his father dies in Boston in 1919.  He thought things could not get any harder until the day the molasses tank exploded.  This story is based on a true incident.  2005 Nutmeg Nominee.

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?  2004 Nutmeg Nominee.

Jimenez, Fancisco. The Circuit: Stories from the Life of a Migrant Child
A powerful, autobiographical account of a family's journey to the fields of California - moving from strawberry fields to cotton fields, from tent cities to one-room shacks - seen through the eyes of a boy who longs for an education and a home.

Johnson, Angela.  Heaven  
“You never know what’s going to come down in Heaven.”  1999 Coretta Scott King Award.

Kadohata, Cynthia.  Kira-Kira
"With compelling quietude that makes room for both pathos and humor, this luminous novel takes us on Katie Takeshima 's journey through a childhood punctuated by prejudice, poverty and family tragedy," said Award Committee Chair Susan Faust.  2005 Newbery Medal.

Kjelgaard, Jim.  Big Red
A boy and his faithful Irish setter battle wolverines in the wilderness. (Nature)

Korman, Gordon.  This Can't Be Happening at MacDonald Hall
Bruno and Boots are MacDonald Hall's biggest mischief makers. When their headmaster, "The Fish”, separates them, they try everything (even the truth) to become roommates again. This hilarious story takes place in Canada .

Krull, Kathleen.  Lives of the Writers: Comedies, Tragedies (and What the Neighbors Thought)
Includes 20 well known authors - cozy companion to any collection of the classics.

Kuskin, Karla.  Dogs and Dragons, Trees and Dreams
(Poetry)

L'Engle , Madeleine.  Many Waters
Sandy and Dennys are thrown back in time, where they meet Noah , who is starting to build a large boat. A companion to A Wrinkle in Time.  (Fantasy)

Lord, Bette Bao.  In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson
A young immigrant to the United States finds her niche through baseball.

Lowry, Lois.  Gathering Blue
Lamed and suddenly orphaned, Kira is mysteriously removed from her squalid village to live in the palatial Council Edifice, where she is expected to use her gifts as a weaver to do the bidding of the all-powerful Guardians.

Lowry, Lois.  Anastasia
A wonderful series of stories about an engaging ten-year -old!  (Realistic Fiction)

Martin, Anne M.  Belle Teale 
Gran’s memory is failing and her classmates are hiding terrible secrets that threaten the community.  Can Belle keep them all together?  2005 Nutmeg Nominee.

Meltzer, Milton.  Ten Queens : Portraits of Women of Power
Essays about Esther, Cleopatra, Elizabeth I, Catherine the Great, and others.

Murphy, Jim.  An American Plague: The True and Terrifying Story of the Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1793 
The true story of the plague that terrorized Philadelphia in1793. (Nonfiction)

Park, Linda Sue.  A Single Shard 
Set in mid-to late-12th century Korea, a 10-year-old orphan, named Tree Ear, is enchanted by the work of the potters of the village until he accidentally destroys a piece by the most talented potter and pays his debt in servitude for nine days.  2002 Newbery Medal.

Paulsen, Gary.  Hatchet
Brian spends fifty four days in the wilderness.

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, which, along with an encounter with Buffalo Bill and Lillian Russell, turns out to be a life-changing experience for everyone.

Peet, Bill.  Bill Peet : An Autobiography
Bill Peet 's accomplishments include working as a writer-illustrator for Disney Studios, and authoring more than thirty books for children. His autobiography is lavishly illustrated and fun to read.

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

Selden , The Cricket in Times Square
The charming story of Chester the cricket who inhabits a Time's Square subway station with a mouse, a cat, and a little boy named Mario. (Fantasy)

Smoothey, Marion.  Shape Patterns
From the Let's Investigate Series: an exploration of the world of shapes! (Math)

Stanley, Diane and Vennema, Peter.  Bard of Avon : The Story of William Shakespeare
A detective approach to historical research - readers understand the differences between verifiable and "probable" details about Shakespeare's life and times. (Biography)

Tang, Greg.  The Grapes of Math
Mind stretching riddles.

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.  2002 Coretta Scott King Award

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.

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.

Wallace, Bill.  Ferrets in the Bedroom, Lizards in the Fridge
Liz tells her Zoologist father he must get rid of all the homeless animals he keeps at the house or she'll never win the sixth grade class presidency. But when they are gone, she leaves Ferret in the bedroom. There are more important things than winning. (Realistic Fiction)

Whitehead, Ann.  Tiger Math
Learning to graph.

Wisler, Clifton .  Red Cap
War as seen through the eyes of a 13 year old boy who served in the Union Army as a drummer boy in 1862. (Historical Fiction)

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. (Historical Fiction)

Visit the Hamden hall Fifth Grade Resources web page for librarian selected subject area activities.