Please keep a journal of the books you read, with the title, author and a short paragraph or illustration about each book (This book was about ___; my favorite character was ___ because ___; I would recommend this book because ___ etc.). Be prepared to give your journal to Linda or Emily when you return in September. Don’t leave your reading until August, you will read better and faster if you keep practicing throughout the summer. And parents, please encourage your children to practice their skills and discuss their books with them.
Vermont State Standard for grades 3-8: Demonstrates the habit of reading extensively* by..."Reading the equivalent of at least two books a month, including in-school, out-of-school, and summer reading."
“+” denotes good choices for readers who are still practicing their skills, “*” denotes books for advanced readers. DCF denote books nominated for Vermont’s Dorothy Canfield Fisher Award.
FICTION
If you like animals…
The One and Only Ivan – Katherine Applegate (2013 Newbury winner) *
Little Dog, Lost – Joan Bauer (DCF 2013)
The Mouse and the Motorcycle - Beverly Cleary
Frightful’s Mountain - Jean Craighead George *
Jigsaw Pony - Jesse Haas +
Star in a Storm - Joan Hiatt Harlow
Justin Morgan Had a Horse - Marguerite Henry *
Music of Dolphins – Karen Hesse
We Can’t All Be Rattlesnakes – Patrick Jennings
Lady Lollipop – Dick King-Smith
The Five Lives of Our Cat Zook – Joanne Rocklin (DCF 2013)
Riding Freedom - Pam Munoz Ryan +
The Cricket of Times Square – George Selden
If you like fantasy or adventure…
Will Sparrow’s Road – Karen Cushman * (DCF 2013)
Tale of Despereaux - Kate DiCamillo
Knight’s Castle – Edgar Eager *
Bandit’s Moon - Sid Fleischman
Inkheart - Cornelia Funke *
The Secret of Platform 13 – Eva Ibbotson
Fairy Dust and the Quest for the Egg - Gail Carson Levine
Where the Mountains Meet the Moon – Grace Lin
The Flint Heart – Katherine and John Paterson
Storm Runners – Roland Smith
I Survived series – Lauren Tarshis
Dealing with Dragons series - Patricia C. Wrede *
If you like graphic…
Rapunzel's Revenge – Shannon Hale
TinTin series – Herge
Olympians series – Suzanne O’Connor
Wonderstruck - Brian Selznick
Bone series - Jeff Smith
Robot Dreams - Sara Varon
If you like history…
The Weaver’s Daughter - Kimberly Brubaker Bradley
Caddie Woodlawn - Carol Ryrie Brink *
Bud, Not Buddy - Christopher Paul Curtis *
The Birchbark House and sequel - Louise Erdich *
The Year of Miss Agnes – Kirkpatrick Hill +
True Colors – Natalie Kinsey-Warnock
Single Shard - Linda Sue Park *
May B. - Caroline Starr Rose
Little House series - Laura Ingalls Wilder
If you like humor…
Strange Case of Origami Yoda - Tom Angleberger
Superfudge series – Judy Blume
Ramona, the Brave – Beverly Cleary
Amber Brown series - Paula Danziger
The Moffats - Eleanor Estes *
Bunnicula series - James Howe *
Russell series – Johanna Hurwitz +
Diary of a Wimpy Kid series – Jeff Kinney
Judy Moody series - Megan McDonald
Stink series – Megan McDonald
Big Nate series - Lincoln Peirce
Summer Reading is Killing Me (Time Warp Trio series) - Jon Scieszka
If you like mystery and suspense…
Freddie the Detective series - Walter R. Brooks
The Lemonade Crime – Jacqueline Davies
Hardy Boys series - Franklin W. Dixon
Emmy and the Incredible Shrinking Rat – Lynne Jonell
Nancy Drew series - Carolyn Keene
Secret of the Ruby Ring - Yvonne MacGrory *
Key to the Treasure and others in this series – Peggy Parrish
Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark – Alvin Schwartz
“Who Could That Be at This Hour?” - Lemony Snicket
The Case of the Missing Marquess: An Enola Holmes Mystery series – Nancy Springer
Sammy Keyes series - Wendelin Van Draanen *
If you like realistic fiction…
Ivy + Bean series – Annie Barrows +
The Penderwicks (and sequel) - Jeanne Birdsall * (Newbury winner)
The Seven Wonders of Sassafrass Springs - Betsy Birney
Troublemaker - Andrew Clements
Jake - Audrey Couloumbis
Because of Winn Dixie - Kate DiCamillo (DCF winner)
Hoot –Carl Hiassen (DCF winner) *
Waiting for the Magic – Patricia MacLachlan
Fantastic Secret of Owen Jester - Barbara O’Connor
When Life Gives You O. J. – Erica S. Perl
Star in the Forest - Laura Reseau
NON-FICTION
If you like biography…
Bully for you Theodore Roosevelt - Jean Fritz
Double Life of Pocohantas - Jean Fritz *
You Want Women to Vote, Lizzie Stanton? - Jean Fritz *
Dave the Potter: Artist, Poet, Slave - Laban Carrick Hill
The Extraordinary Mark Twain (according to Susy) – Barbara Kerley
Knucklehead - Jon Scieszka *
Behind Rebel Lines – Seymour Reit
Revolutionary Poet: Phyllis Wheatley - Maryann Weidt +
Kate Shelley and the Midnight Express - Margaret K. Wetterer +
If you like poetry…
Poetry for Young People series
Revolting Rhymes – Roald Dahl
Amazing Faces: Poems - Lee Bennett Hopkins
My People – Langston Hughes
Oxford Book of Children’s Verse
Scranimals – Jack Prelutsky
Math Curse or Science Verse – Jon Scieszka
Everything On It - Shel Silverstein
Mirror mirror by Marilyn Singer
A Child’s Calendar – John Updike
If you like non-ficiton…
Horrible Histories series – Terry Deary *
A Black Hole is not a Hole - Carolyn Cinami Decristofano
Great Estimations - Bruce Goldstone
Owen & Mzee - Isabella Hatkoff
The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind - William Kamkwamba and
Bryan Mealer
Salad People and More Real Recipes - Mollie Katzen
The Story of Salt - Mark Kurlansky
Peterson first guides – various subjects and authors
Drawing from Memory – Allen Say (DCF 2013) Graphic
Adventures In Cartooning: How To Turn Your Doodles Into Comics
- James Sturm
The Woods Scientist - Stephen R. Swinburne
Friends – Catherine Thinmesh
Have a great summer!
