Books by Grade Level

Approved Reading Selections Grades K-8 Curriculum & Instruction Department Revised September 2007 Rationale During the 2006-07 school year, a committee consisting of regular education teachers, ESL, EC, schoolbased administrators, AIG facilitators, media specialists, curriculum specialists, and Central Office representatives engaged in a year-long examination of the Catawba County Schools‟ Recommended Reading List that was last updated in 2005. Appendix I lists committee members and their responsibilities within the school district. The following questions served as the springboard for discussion and ultimate decisions relative to this document: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. Are selections at each grade level congruent with the North Carolina Standard Course of Study? Do selections in this document adequately address the myriad genres addressed in the English/Language Arts Course of Study? How do we address the K-3 span that is presently compiled into one generic book list? How do we address the system-wide concern of poaching (i.e. utilizing selections prior to the designated grade level)? How do we address the ancillary novels that consistently become a component of a textbook adoption? Does the present “Request for Addition to the Recommended Reading List” form provide adequate information for a committee to make an informed decision about a particular novel? Do the selections contained in the document reflect the recommendations from the International Reading Association? Do selections in this document reflect the significant demographic population shifts at some of our schools? Do we need separate recommended reading lists for AIG and EC students? What structures can the LEA provide to minimize the possibility of objections to questionable selections? How do we address Literature Circle titles, Formula 3 Phonics titles and North Carolina Children‟s/Junior‟s Book Award titles? What role should this committee play in the appropriateness and congruency of proposed field trips of a literary or dramatic nature? How do we effectively disseminate the final decisions to all constituents at the school level? What Board of Education policies need to be changed as a result of this committee‟s decisions? How do we ensure that all constituents have on-going input throughout this review process? How do we provide parents with access to the final document? Each of the six committee meetings began with a review of previous decisions. Much time and energy was spent on fine-tuning the language of the document and discussing various scenarios which could or have impacted previous Catawba County Schools‟ recommended reading lists One of the first – and ultimately overriding – decisions of this committee was to change the name of the document to the Catawba County Schools‟ Approved Reading List. Articulated concerns included: 1. 2. 3. providing substantive support to educators and administrators who might be at the center of a book challenge; ensuring that students have access to robust, quality literary exposure without vertical gradespan repetition; and assuring grade-level continuity for the significant number of students who move within the school district. Page 2 of 64 Revised 2007-2008 Rationale (continued) Equally important to this committee was initiating the task of separating grade level selections into those that were congruent with North Carolina Standard Course of Study and those that had value at a variety of grade spans, henceforth termed Vertical Titles. These Vertical Titles represent picture books, classic literature not specifically related to a certain grade level and multiple titles by award winning authors. The committee‟s third key decision focused on the single K-3 reading list generated in the 2005 edition of this document. All elementary principals were asked to survey their K-3 teachers relative to this concern. Consensus indicated that K-2 teachers desired the flexibility to utilize myriad titles. Moreover, the rapid turnover of titles as students become more proficient, independent readers made the use of an approved list both restrictive and prohibitive. By contrast, third grade teachers requested a specific list of titles, citing the importance of aligning practices with other grade levels subjected to End-of-Grade testing. After determining these three overriding concerns, the committee began examining each of the essential questions introduced at the beginning of their work. The decisions became the crux of additions and revisions to Board of Education Policy 3.6120, Appendix II of this document. Appendix III is the form to be accessed for “Additions to the Approved Reading List.” It should be noted that a significant difference between this document and the one produced in 2005 is that the initial review of a proposed addition to the list rests with the school-based Media/Technology committee. Representatives of this committee are required to read the proposed book and approve it at the school level before a request is made to the Central Office committee. On-line access to the document has been scaffolded. Teachers have access to the titles, descriptions, Lexile Levels, genres, and ATOS (Accelerated Reader) levels. Students and parents have access to titles, descriptions, and genres. Committee members also cited the need for a yearly review of the Catawba County Schools‟ Approved Reading List for the following purposes: 1. Identifying and addressing curricular changes 2. Discussing school-level concerns relative to the document 3. Reviewing litigation trends surrounding books throughout the United States Hard copies of this document have been disseminated to each school-based administrator and each media center. Teachers have access to the on-line version that will be updated twice yearly. Beth G. Isenhour Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction Page 3 of 64 Revised 2007-2008 Books by Grade Level The following are books that can be used at grade levels K-2 for student reading. The books represent varied levels of difficulty and of complexity of theme and content. The Lexiles, AR levels, and genres are included for differentiation and thematic units in the classroom. Grades Kindergarten, One, and Two Approved Reading List Approved Reading Amelia Bedelia A literal-minded housekeeper causes a ruckus in the household when she attempts to make sense of some instructions. Author Parish, Peggy Lexile 140 Type Fiction ATOS AR 2.5 Among the Odds and Evens When X and Y crash in the land of Wontoo, they cannot understand how the Numbers live the way they do, until they not only get used to it, but decide they want to stay in Wontoo. Turner, Priscilla AD560 Fiction And I Mean It Stanley! A little girl plays alone until her dog arrives. Born in the Gravy A young Mexican American girl tells her father all the things she did on her first day in kindergarten. Bonsall, Crosby Newell Gaxet, Denys 50 150 Fiction 4.8 RL K-3 IL Math & Cultural Differences .9 Boxcar Children books, The Bringing the Rain to Kapiti Plain A cumulative rhyme relating how Ki-Pat brought rain to the drought-stricken Kapiti Plain. Warner, Gertrude C. Aardema, Verna 890 NP Mystery Fiction 3.9 - Bubble Trouble Making bubbles is fun. Packard, Mary Rowe, John Slobodkina, Esphyr 80 20 AD480 Fiction Fiction Fiction 3.7 3.1 Can You Spot The Spotted Dog? Caps for Sale A band of mischievous monkeys steals every one of a peddler‟s caps while he takes a nap under a tree. Cat Who Lost His Purr, The Bootle, the cat, searches inside and outside for his lost purr and only finds it when his owners return. Conon, Michele 510 Fiction - Page 4 of 64 Revised 2007-2008 Approved Reading Chair For My Mother, A A child, her waitress mother, and her grandmother save dimes to buy a comfortable armchair after all their furniture is lost in a fire. Author Williams, Vera B. Lexile 640 Type Fiction ATOS AR 3.4 Chickens Aren’t the Only Ones A pictorial introduction to the animals that lay eggs, including chickens as well as other birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish, insects, and even a few mammals. Heller, Ruth AD620 Science 3.6 Clifford Gets A Job Clifford‟s attempts at finding a job never work out until he helps the police catch some robbers. Bridwell, Norman 280 Fiction 1.8 Curious George books Dance at Grandpa’s A young pioneer girl and her family attend a wintertime party at her grandparents‟ house in the Big Woods of Wisconsin. Rey, H. A. Adapted from the little house books by Laura Ingalls Wilder Hoff, Syd 160-570 AD790 Fiction Historical Fiction Fiction 2.6-4.1 3.7 RL K-3 IL 2.3 Danny and the Dinosaur A little boy is surprised and pleased when one of the dinosaurs from the museum agrees to play with him. 200 Desert Is Theirs, The Simple text and illustrations describe the characteristics of the desert and its plant, animal, and human life. Baylor, Byrd AD520 Science 3.6 Diary of a Worm A baseball-capped crawler gives readers an episodic glimpse into his life in these hilarious diary entries. Difficulties such as having no arms, having a head that looks a lot like your rear end, and facing the dangers imposed by people digging for bait are balanced by a loving family and good friends. The young protagonist describes playing with his friend Spider, engaging in a variety of activities at school, and interacting with his parents and sister. Cronin, Doreen Bliss, Harry 360 Fiction - Dinosaur Who Lived In My Backyard, The A young boy imagines what it was like long ago when a dinosaur lived in his backyard. Hennessy, B. G. AD520 Fiction 2.7 Doctor DeSoto Dr. DeSoto, a mouse dentist, copes with the toothaches of various animals except those with a taste for mice, until the day a fox comes to him in great pain. Steig, William AD560 Fiction 3.6 Page 5 of 64 Revised 2007-2008 Approved Reading Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! A brilliantly simple book that is absolutely true to life, as anyone who interacts with an obdurate three-year-old can attest. The bus driver has to leave for a while, and he makes one request of readers: “Don‟t let the pigeon drive the bus.” Author Willems, Mo Lexile 120 Type Fiction ATOS AR - Duck for President Here is a duck who began in a humble pond, who worked his way to farmer, to governor, and now, perhaps, to the highest office in the land. Cronin, Doreen Lewin, Betsy 680 Fiction - Each Peach Pear Plum Rhymed text and illustrations invite the reader to play “I Spy” with a variety of Mother Goose and other folklore characters. Ahlberg, Janet and Alan Fife, Dale H. NP Rhyme - Empty Lot, The Inspecting an empty, partially wooded lot before selling it, Harry finds it occupied by birds, insects, and other animals. 460 Fiction - Even If I Spill My Milk? Because Jamie doesn‟t want his parents to go to a party and leave him with a babysitter, he tries to delay their departure with a series of questions. Hines, Ann Grossnickle - Fiction - Every Time I Climb A Tree Twenty-five poems for young children on such varied subjects as a lost turtle, a fence, the wind, jam, a witch, and bananas and cream. McCord, David NP Poetry - Fables Twenty original fables about an array of animal characters from crocodile to ostrich. Lobel, Arnold Martin, Bill 540 BR Fables Nursery Rhyme Fiction 0.8 Fire! Fire! Said Mrs. McGee In this version of the old rhyme the fire turns out to be the smoke from the candles of a birthday cake. Franklin Is Messy Franklin‟s room is so messy he can‟t even find his favorite toys until his parents propose a solution. Bourgeois, Paulette 350 2.8 Freight Train Brief text and illustrations trace the journey of a colorful train as it goes through tunnels, by cities, and over trestles. Crews, Donald NP Fiction - Frog and Toad All Year Two friends share experiences in each season of the year. Lobel, Arnold Marshall, James 300 210-500 Fiction Fiction 2.6 Varies George and Martha books Page 6 of 64 Revised 2007-2008 Approved Reading Good-night Owl Because all the other animals‟ noises keep him from sleeping, Owl watches for a chance to take his revenge. Author Hutchins, Pat Lexile AD410 Type Fiction (Friendship) ATOS AR 3.1 RL K-3 IL 1.8 Goodnight, Moon As a little bunny says goodnight to many familiar objects, the illustrations are progressively darker. Brown, Margaret Wise Baylor, Byrd NP Fiction Hawk, I’m Your Brother Determined to learn to fly, Rudy adopts a hawk hoping that their kinship will bring him closer to his goal. 600 Fiction 3.6 Henry and Mudge books Here Comes The Snow After waiting anxiously for the arrival of snow, children enjoy it by making snow angels, throwing snowballs, and riding their sleds. A collection of sixteen poems that speak of love and the joys of everyday life, as experienced by a child. Rylant, Cynthia Medearis, Angela Shelf 180-560 BR Fiction Rhyming Story Poetry 2.7 0.7 Honey I Love and Other Poems Greenfield, Eloise NP - How Much Is A Million? Text and pictures try to make possible the conceptualization of a million, a billion, and a trillion. Schwartz, David M. AD760 Non-Fiction Math Fiction 3.4 I’ll Always Love You A child‟s sadness at the death of a beloved dog is tempered by the remembrance of saying to it every night, “I‟ll always love you.” Wilhelm, Hans 330 2.6 Ira Sleeps Over A little boy is excited at the prospect of spending the night at his friend‟s house but worries how he‟ll get along without his teddy bear. Waber, Bernard 310 Fiction 2.2 Jack’s Garden Cumulative text and illustrations depict what happened in Jack‟s garden after he plants his seeds. Cole, Henry 20 Fiction 4.5 Julian books Kitten’s First Full Moon In this beautiful picture book, winner of the 2005 Caldecott Medal, Kevin Henkes, captures the sweet, sometimes slapstick struggle of Kitten, who sees her first full moon and thinks it‟s a bowl of milk in the sky. Cameron, Eleanor Henkes, Kevin 460-560 360 Fiction Fiction Varies - Page 7 of 64 Revised 2007-2008 Approved Reading Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Tale Trixie steps lively as she goes on an errand with her daddy, down the block, through the park, past the school, to the Laundromat but Trixie has lost her bunny and cannot get her father to understand. Author Willems, Mo Lexile 120 Type Fiction ATOS AR - Leo, the Late Bloomer Leo, a young tiger, finally blooms under the anxious eyes of his parents. Kraus, Robert Keats, Ezra Jack Minarik, Else O‟Neill, Alexis th 120 170 103-370 AD460 Fiction Fiction Fiction Fiction 1.2 2.4 2.4 - Letter to Amy, A Peter wants to invite Amy to his birthday party but he wants it to be a surprise. Little Bear books Loud Emily Little girl with a big voice who lives in a 19 century whaling town finds a way to be useful and happy aboard a sailing ship. Magic School Bus Inside the Earth, The On a special field trip in the magic school bus, Ms. Frizzle‟s class learns first hand about different kinds of rocks and the formation of the earth. Cole, Joanna 500 Fiction 3.6 Martha Speaks Martha, the dog, eats some alphabet soup and starts to speak, to everyone‟s amazement and eventual annoyance. Meddaugh, Susan 420 - - Mirandy and Brother Wind To win first prize in the junior cakewalk, Mirandy tries to capture the wind for her partner. McKissack, Patricia 690 Fiction 3.6 Miss Nelson books Molly’s Pilgrim Told to make a Pilgrim doll for the Thanksgiving display at school, Molly is embarrassed when her mother tries to help her out by creating a doll dressed as she herself was dressed before leaving Russia to seek religious freedom. Allard, Harry Cohen, Barbara 320-390 450 Fiction Realistic Fiction 2.7-3.0 3.0 “More, More, More,” Said the Baby: Three Love Stories Three babies are caught up in the air and given loving attention by a father, grandmother, mother. Williams, Vera B. AF480 Fiction 2.5 Mouse and the Motorcycle, The Cleary, Beverly A reckless young mouse named Ralph makes friends with a boy in room 215 of the Mountain View Inn and discovers the joys of motorcycling. 860 Fiction 5.1 Page 8 of 64 Revised 2007-2008 Approved Reading Mr. Popper’s Penguins Mr. Popper starts out with one penguin in his house, but before he knows it there are twelve. Author Atwater, Richard and Florence Steptoe, John Lexile 910 AD720 Type Fiction Folktale ATOS AR 5.6 4.3 Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters Mufaro‟s two beautiful daughters, one badtempered, one kind and sweet, go before the king, who is choosing a wife. My Many Colored Days This rhyming story describes each day in terms of a particular color which in turn is associated with specific emotions. Seuss, Dr. AD190 Rhyming Story Fiction Realistic Fiction Fiction Fiction 1.5 Nate the Great books New Baby Calf, The A baby calf is born, and under his mother‟s guidance, grows happy and fat. Sharmat, M. W. Chase, Edith Newlin Henkes, Kevin Yolen, Jane 130-480 AD370 370 630 2.6-3.1 2.4 3.2 Owen Owen the mouse has grown too big for his blanket. Owl Moon On a winter‟s night under a full moon, a father and daughter trek into the woods to see the Great Horned Owl. Patchwork Quilt, The Using scraps cut from the family‟s old clothing, Tanya helps her grandmother and mother make a beautiful quilt that tells the story of her family‟s life. Flournoy, Valerie AD520 Realistic Fiction 3.7 Perfect the Pig A tiny pig is granted his wish which leads to an almost perfect life. Jeschke, Susan Ets, Marie Hall 490 NP Fiction Fiction 3.3 - Play With Me A little girl learns that the animals of the meadow will come to her if she is gentle and quiet. Ramona books Red Book, The This book tells the story of a reader who gets lost, literally, in a little book that has the magic to move her to another place. Cleary, Beverly Lehman, Barbara 780-870 - Fiction - 4.8-5.8 - Rex and Lilly Playtime Dinosaur siblings Rex and Lilly play at various activities. Brown, Laurie Hoff, Syd BR 120 Fiction Fiction 2.3 2.0 Sammy The Seal Anxious to see what life is like outside the zoo, Sammy, the seal, explores the city, goes to school, and plays with the children but decides that there really is no place like home. Sid and Sam Sid sings a long song that drives Sam crazy. Buck, Nola BR Fiction - Page 9 of 64 Revised 2007-2008 Approved Reading Snowy Day, The The adventures of a little boy in the city on a very snowy day. Author Keats, Ezra Jack Galdone, Paul Galdone, Paul Lexile AD500 610 550 Type Fiction Folklore Folklore ATOS AR 2.5 3.2 3.2 Three Bears, The Three Little Pigs, The Retells the fatal episodes in the lives of two foolish pigs and how the third pig managed to avoid the same. Tomas and the Library Lady While helping his family in their work as migrant laborers far from their home, Tomas finds an entire world to explore in the books at the local public library. Mora, Pat 440 Fiction - Train to Lulu’s, The The experiences of two African-American girls traveling on the train to their great-aunt‟s house. Up, Up, and Away Illustrations and rhyming text introduce how adverbs are used from simple forms to more difficult. Fitzgerald Howard, Elizabeth Illus. By Robert Casilla Heller, Ruth 210 Fiction - BR Non-Fiction Adverbs Fiction - Very Busy Spider, The The farm animals try to divert a busy little spider from spinning her web, but she persists and produces a thing of both beauty and usefulness. The pictures may be felt as well as seen. Carle, Eric 130 1.3 Very Hungry Caterpillar, The Follows the progress of a hungry little caterpillar as he eats his way through a varied and large quantity of food until, full at last, he forms a cocoon around himself and goes to sleep. Die-cast pages illustrate what the caterpillar ate on successive days. Carle, Eric AD460 Science Fiction 2.9 What Mary Jo Shared Six-year-old Mary Jo has trouble deciding what to share with her class at show and tell. Udry, Janice May Fritz, Jean AD530 830 Fiction Biography 3.7 5.5 What’s The Big Idea, Ben Franklin? A brief biography of the eighteenth century printer, inventor, and statesman who played an influential role in the early history of the United States. Where the Wild Things Are After he is sent to bed without supper for behaving like a wild thing, Max dreams of a voyage to the island where the wild things are. Sendak, Maurice AD740 Fiction 3.4 Who Took The Farmer’s Hat? The wind blows away the farmer‟s hat, and he finds it being used in a most surprising way. Nodset, Joan 210 Fiction 1.7 Page 10 of 64 Revised 2007-2008 Approved Reading Yonder Year after year, the plum tree which the farmer planted is witness to the continuing generations of his family. Author Johnston, Tony Lexile NP Type Fiction ATOS AR 2.5 Page 11 of 64 Revised 2007-2008 Grade Three Approved Reading List The following are books that can be used at grade level 3 for student reading. The books represent varied levels of difficulty and of complexity of theme and content. The Lexiles, AR levels, and genres are included for differentiation and thematic units in the classroom. Approved Reading Class Clown Lucas Cott, the most obstreperous boy in the third grade, finds it very hard to turn over a new leaf when he decides to become the perfect student. Author Hurwitz, Joan Lexile 670 Type Fiction ATOS AR 4.6 Ellen Tebbits Third-grader Ellen takes dancing lessons, wears braces on her teeth, and has a best friend. Cleary, Beverly 740 Fiction 3.8 Encyclopedia Brown books Fantastic Mr. Fox, The Three farmers, each one meaner than the other, try all-out warfare to get rid of the fox and his family. Sobol, Donald Dahl, Roald 600 600 Mystery Stories Fiction 3.9-4.1 4.1 Hundred Penny Box, The Michael‟s love for his great-great-aunt who lives with them leads him to intercede with his mother, who wants to toss out all her old things. Mathis, Sharon Bell 720 Realistic Fiction 3.9 Max Malone Makes a Million When Max reads about a boy making money selling cookies, he gets an idea. Max and Gordy want to make money, too. Herman, Charlotte 500 Fiction - Sarah, Plain and Tall When their father invites a mail-order bride to come live with them in their prairie home, Caleb and Annie are captivated by their new mother and hope that she will stay. MacLachlan, Patricia 560 Realistic Fiction 3.4 Tiger Math: Learning to Graph from a Baby Tiger Describes the growth of an orphan Siberian tiger cub, by means of words and graphs. Nagda, Ann Whitehead 810 NonFiction Math & Science 4.6 RL 3-6 IL Math Goal 1 Obj. 1.1 & 1.2 Page 12 of 64 Revised 2007-2008 Grade Four Approved Reading List The following are books that can be used at grade level 4 for student reading. The books represent varied levels of difficulty and of complexity of theme and content. The Lexiles, AR levels, and genres are included for differentiation and thematic units in the classroom. Approved Reading Selection Author Manes, Stephen Lexile Level 720 Genre Fiction ATOS AR Level 4.2 Be A Perfect Person In Just Three Days Milo, tired of problems with his sister, parents, and classmates, finds a book in the library which promises to make him perfect in just three days. Behind the Couch A fantasy chapter book in which a boy explores the strange world behind his couch. Gerstein, Mordicai Howe, Deborah and James 610 700 Fiction Mystery 3.8 4.2 Bunnicula A classic story featuring a vampire rabbit. Though scoffed at by Harold, the dog, Chester, the cat, tries to warn his human family that their baby bunny must be a vampire. By the Shores of Silver Lake Ma and the girls follow Pa west by train where they make their home at a rough railroad camp and plan for their own homestead. Wilder, Laura Ingalls 720 Historical Fiction NonFiction 5.3 Children of the Trail West Explores the experiences of American children who traveled west to Oregon or California on wagon trains between 1841 and 1869, focusing on transportation, chores, recreation, and dangers. Littlefield, Holly - Christmas with Ida Early Ida Early, who keeps house for the Sutton family in rural Georgia during the Depression, becomes the unwitting target of the children's matchmaking schemes during the holiday. Burch, Robert - Fiction 4.2 RL 3-6 IL Social Studies Goal 3 Obj. 3.4 5.1 Crow Boy The story of a strange, shy little boy in a Japanese village school who was ignored by his classmates until suddenly, and almost too late, a new teacher showed them that Crow Boy had much to offer. Yashima, Taro 830 Fiction 3.9 Grandfather Tales: The American-English folk tales A collection of folk tales from North Carolina, Virginia, and Kentucky. Chase, Richard 900 Folklore 7.2 RL Page 13 of 64 Revised 2007-2008 Approved Reading Hailstones & Halibut Bones The author introduces color through a series of poems and illustrations. Author O‟Neil, Mary Cleary, Beverly Rockwell, Thomas Banks, Lynne Reid Ward, R. M. Henry, Marquerite Lexile NP Type Poetry ATOS AR 4.4 Henry Higgins How to Eat Fried Worms Two boys set out to prove that worms can make a delicious meal. 690 780 900 830 Fiction Fiction Folklore Fiction 3.5 4.6 5.1 RL 5.4 Indian In The Cupboard A young boy discovers that his magic cupboard and key can turn into live people and animals. Jack Tales, The Eighteen Jack Tales from the folklore of the North Carolina mountain country. King of the Wind Follows the adventures of the Arabian stallion brought to England to become one of the founding sires of the Thoroughbred breed and the mute Arab stable boy who tended him with loyalty and devotion all his life. Knights of the Kitchen Table When Joe, Fred, and Sam are sent back in time by a magic book, they find themselves face-toface with giants, dragons, wizards, and the Knights of the Round Table. Scieszka, Jon 630 Fantastic Fiction 3.8 Lost Colony of Roanoke, The Chronicles the history of the colony of Roanoke and speculates as to why the colony was deserted when its founder returned three years after it was first settled. Dolan, Edward - NonFiction (Social Studies) Fiction 5.9 RL 3-6 IL Love That Dog A young student, who comes to love poetry through a personal understanding of what different famous poems mean to him, surprises himself by writing his own inspired poem. Creech, Sharon 610 5.0 RL 3-6 IL On the Banks of Plum Creek Laura and her family move to Minnesota where they live in a dugout until a new house is built and face misfortunes caused by flood, blizzard, and grasshoppers. Wilder, Laura Ingalls 720 Historical Fiction 4.6 Pinballs Three children from broken homes feel like “pinballs” until they spend a summer together with a foster family who cares. Byars, Betsy 600 Fiction 3.8 Sequoyah and the Cherokee Alphabet Biography of the Cherokee Indian who invented a method for his people to read and write their own language. Civiklik, Robert 860 Biography 4.8 RL 3-6 IL 4.4 AR Page 14 of 64 Revised 2007-2008 Approved Reading Sink or Swim: AfricanAmerican Lifesavers of the Outer Banks Tells the story of the U.S. Lifesaving Service, which was the precursor of the Coast Guard, and its only all black crew, operating off Pea Island on the North Carolina coast, led by Richard Etheridge. Author Weatherford, Carole Boston Lexile - Type Unites StatesLife-Saving Service History ATOS AR 6.6 RL 5-8 IL Soft Rain Soft Rain, a nine-year-old Cherokee girl, is forced to relocate, along with her family, from North Carolina to the West. Cornelissen, Cornelia 650 Fiction Stuart Little Stuart, an inventive and debonair mouse, has a great adventure. White, E. B. Tolan, Stephanie S. 920 820 Fiction Fiction 4.3 RL 3-6 IL Social Studies Goal 2 Obj. 2.1 6.0 5.7 Surviving the Applewhites Jake, a budding juvenile delinquent, is sent for home schooling to the arty and eccentric Applewhite family‟s Creative Academy, where he discovers talents and interests he never knew he had. Taking Flight Describes how the Wright brothers come to build and fly the first powered aircraft in NC Krensky, Stephen 840 NonFiction 3.8 RL K-3 IL SS 1.01 1.03 1.05 3.01 3.02 3.04 4.05 7.01 7.02 7.03 7.04 7.05 Taste Of Blackberries A little boy confronts grief and wrestles with the pain of loss when his best friend dies. Smith, Doris Buchanan Sachar, Louis 640 490 Fiction Fiction 4.0 3.4 RL 4-7 IL There’s A Boy In The Girl’s Bathroom An 11-year old misfit learns to believe in himself when he gets to know the new school counselor, who is a sort of misfit too. There’s An Owl in the Shower An owl family falls in love with an endangered spotted owl who moves in their home George, Jean Craighead 670 Fiction 5.5 RL 5.6 IL Science 1.01 1.02 1.03 Page 15 of 64 Revised 2007-2008 Approved Reading Whipping Boy, The A bratty prince and his whipping boy have many adventures when they inadvertently trade places after becoming involved with dangerous outlaws. Author Fleischman, Sid Lexile 580 Type Fiction ATOS AR 3.9 Who Comes With Cannons? A Quaker girl helps a slave escape on the Underground Railroad. Beatty, Patricia Sobol, Donald J 760 570 Fiction Biography 4.8 4.5 RL 3-6 IL Social Studies Goal 3 Obj. 3.2 - Wright Brothers at Kitty Hawk, The A biography of Orville and Wilbur Wright, highlighting the early years up to the first flight at Kitty Hawk. Zora Hurston and the Chinaberry Tree Zora Neale Hurston, African American author and folklorist, wrote….about her strong bond with her mother and the trauma of her mother‟s death when Zora was nine years old. Miller, William 640 Fiction After teachers have read the selection carefully, the following should be considered before using material in the classroom: maturity level of students, student reading/ achievement level, content and language, and school culture. If you have any concerns, discuss your selection with the school principal. If parents object to a selection, another book should be offered as a substitution. Page 16 of 64 Revised 2007-2008 Grade Five Approved Reading List The following are books that can be used at grade level 5 for student reading. The books represent varied levels of difficulty and of complexity of theme and content. The Lexiles, AR levels, and genres are included for differentiation and thematic units in the classroom. Approved Reading Selection Author Stoutenburg, Adrien Lexile Level 910 Genre Folktales ATOS AR Level 5.4 RL 3-6 IL American Tall Tales Features eight American folk heroes: Paul Bunyan, Pecos Bill, Stormalong, Mike Fink, Davy Crockett, Johnny Appleseed, John Henry, and Joe Magarac. Beetles Lightly Toasted Andy's entering the fifth-grade essay contest stirs his imagination to creative heights as he competes with his know-it-all cousin by making recipes with some unusual food sources and testing them on unaware friends and family. Naylor, Phyllis Reynolds 950 Fiction 5.7 RL 4.7 IL Ben and Me Amos, a poor church mouse, goes out into the world to make his living, and establishes himself in Ben Franklin's old fur hat. Amos makes himself very important to Ben with his advice and information. Lawson, Robert 1010 Historical Fiction 6.9 RL 3-6 IL Bobbin Girl Historical story about a mill girl in 1830s Massachusetts who supports the battle for workers‟ rights. McCully, Emily Arnold Henry, Marguerite 600 Fiction - Brighty of the Grand Canyon Relates the adventures of a little burro who blazed trails through the Grand Canyon and met many famous people in the process. 880 Realistic Fiction Bud, Not Buddy Ten-year-old Bud, a motherless boy living in Flint, Michigan, during the Great Depression, escapes a bad foster home and sets out in search of the man he believes to be his fatherthe renowned bandleader, H.E. Calloway of Great Rapids. Curtis, Christopher Paul 950 Fiction 5.8 RL 5-8 IL Science Goal 3 Obj. 3.2, 3.3 5.0 Caddie Woodlawn The adventures of an eleven-year-old tomboy growing up on the Wisconsin frontier in the midnineteenth century. Brink, Carol Ryrie 890 Historical Fiction 6.0 Social Studies Goal 4 Obj. 4.2 Page 17 of 64 Revised 2007-2008 Approved Reading Selection Author Sperry, Armstrong Call It Courage Based on a Polynesian legend, this is the story of a youth who overcomes his fear of the sea and proves his courage to himself and his tribe. Lexile Level 830 Genre Folklore ATOS AR Level 6.2 Can’t You Make Them Behave, King George A biography of George the Third, King of Great Britain at the time of the American Revolution. Fritz, Jean 800 Biography Canada Geese Quilt, The Worried that the coming of a new baby and her grandmother‟s serious illness will change the warm familiar life on her family‟s Vermont farm, ten-year-old Ariel combines her artistic talent with her grandmother‟s knowledge to make a very special quilt. Kinsey-Warnock, Natalie 680 Historical Fiction 5.6 RL 3-6 IL Social Studies Goal 4 Obj. 4.4 4.1 Dear Mr. Henshaw In his letters to his favorite author, ten-year-old Leigh reveals his problems in coping with his parents‟ divorce, being the new boy in school, and generally finding his own place in the world. Cleary, Beverly 910 Realistic Fiction 4.9 Erie Canal (Building America) Series, The This book presents a well-researched overview of how and why the Erie Canal was built. Doherty, Craig A. Doherty, Katherine M. Ryan, Jan 1080 NonFiction - Esperanza Rising Esperanza and her mother are forced to leave their life of wealth and privilege in Mexico to go work in the labor camps of Southern California, where they must adapt to the harsh circumstances facing Mexican farm workers on the eve of the Great Depression. 750 Historical Fiction Far North After the destruction of their floatplane, sixteenyear-old Gabe and his friend, Raymond, struggle to survive a winter in the wilderness of the Northwest Territories of Canada. Hobbs, Will 820 Fiction 6.2 RL 5-8 IL Social Studies Goal 3 Obj. 3.2 5.3 RL 4-7 IL Farmer Boy Nine-year-old Almanzo lives with his family on a big farm in New York State at the end of the nineteenth century. He raises his own two calves, helps cut ice and shear sheep, and longs for the day he can have his own colt. Wilder, Laura Ingalls 820 Historical Fiction 5.2 Social Studies Goal 4 Obj. 4.2 Page 18 of 64 Revised 2007-2008 Approved Reading Selection Author Anderson, Laurie Halse Fever 1793 In 1793 Philadelphia, sixteen-year-old Matilda Cook, separated from her sick mother, learns about perseverance and self-reliance when she is forced to cope with the horrors of a yellow fever epidemic. Lexile Level 580 Genre Historical Fiction Follow the Drinking Gourd, A Story of the Underground Railroad A young slave girl sets off north with her brother and mother, following the star in the Drinking Gourd or Big Dipper that points to freedom. Includes compact disc recording by Morgan Freeman in pocket inside cover. Connelly, Bernadine ATOS AR Level 5.4 RL 5-8 IL Social Studies Goal Obj. 4.8 Freedom Crossing After spending four years with relatives in the South, a fifteen-year-old girl accepts the idea that slaves are property and is horrified to learn when she returns North that her home is a station on the underground railroad. Clark, Margaret 720 Fiction 4.6 Frindle When he decides to turn his fifth-grade teacher's love of the dictionary around on her, clever Nick Allen invents a new word and begins a chain of events that quickly moves beyond his control. Clements, Andrew 830 Fiction 5.4 RL 3-6 IL Frontier Living: An Illustrated Guide to Pioneer Life in America Frontier Living illuminates all aspects of daily life on the American frontier, from the log cabin to the ranchero. Black and white illustration by the author provide embellishments to text which describe frontier daily life; from tools and clothing to food. Tunis, Edwin - - - George Washington's Socks In the midst of a backyard campout, five children find themselves transported back into the time of George Washington, where they begin to live out American history firsthand and learn the sober realities of war. Woodruff, Elvira 840 Historical Fiction Time Travel Fiction Fiction Fiction (Humor) Great Brain, The The scheming adventures of a boy genius. Fitzgerald, John D. Karr, Kathleen 840 700 5.0-5.9 RL 3-6 IL Social Studies Goal 4 Obj. 4.5 5.2 4.5 RL 4-7 IL Great Turkey Walk, The In 1860, a somewhat simple-minded fifteenyear-old boy attempts to herd one thousand turkeys from Missouri to Denver, Colorado, in hopes of selling them at a profit. Page 19 of 64 Revised 2007-2008 Approved Reading Selection Author Levine, Ellen If Your Name Was Changed at Ellis Island Describes, in question and answer format, the great migration of immigrants to New York‟s Ellis Island, from the 1880s to 1914. Lexile Level 880 Genre Immigrant NonFiction Fiction ATOS AR Level 6.4 Social Studies Goal 3 5.2 RL 5-8 IL In Plain Sight "Walter Lorraine books." When her father leaves their Massachusetts farm to prospect for gold in California, Sarah must find a way to cope with her mother's cold demeanor and strict discipline and deal with the difficulties of life. Hurst, Carol 630 In The Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson In 1947, a Chinese child comes to Brooklyn where she becomes Americanized at school, in her apartment building, and by her love for baseball. Lord, Bette 730 Historical Fiction 4.6 Island Far From Home, An The twelve-year-old son of a Union army doctor killed during the fighting in Fredericksburg comes to understand the meaning of war and the fine line between friends and enemies. Donahue, John 690 Fiction - Island of the Blue Dolphins Left alone on a beautiful but isolated island off the coast of California, a young Indian girl spends eighteen years, not only merely surviving through her enormous courage and self-reliance, but also finding a measure of happiness in her solitary life. O‟Dell, Scott 1000 Historical Fiction 5.4 Lewis and Clark and Me: A Dog's Tale Seaman, Meriwether Lewis's Newfoundland dog, describes Lewis and Clark's expedition, which he accompanied from St. Louis to the Pacific Ocean. Myers, Laurie 470 Historical Fiction Light in the Forest After being raised as an Indian for eleven years following his capture at the age of four, John Butler is forcibly returned to his white parents but continues to long for the freedom of Indian life. Richter, Conrad 870 Fiction 4.8 RL 3-6 IL Social Studies Goal 4 Obj. 4.2 7.6 RL 5-8 IL Maniac Magee After his parents die, Jeffrey Lionel Magee‟s life becomes legendary, as he accomplishes athletic and other feats which awe his contemporaries. Spinelli, Jerry 820 Realistic Fiction 4.7 Page 20 of 64 Revised 2007-2008 Approved Reading Selection Author Taylor, Mildred D. Mississippi Bridge During a heavy rainstorm in 1930s rural Mississippi, a ten-year-old white boy sees a bus driver order all the black passengers off a crowded bus to make room for late-arriving white passengers and then set off across the raging Rosa Lee River. Lexile Level 810 Genre Fiction ATOS AR Level 4.2 Social Studies Goal 4 Obj. 4.6 5.2 My Side of the Mountain A young boy relates his adventures during the year he spends living alone in the Catskill Mountains including his struggle for survival, his dependence on nature, his animal friends, and his ultimate realization that he needs human companionship. George, Jean Craighead 810 Realistic Fiction Run Away Home In 1886 in Alabama, a young girl and her family befriend a refuge Apache boy. McKissack, Patricia C. Haddix, Margaret Peterson 810 730 Fiction Fiction 6.4 Running Out of Time When a diphtheria epidemic hits her 1840 village, thirteen-year-old Jessie discovers it is actually a 1995 tourist site under unseen observation by heartless scientists, and it‟s up to Jessie to escape the village and save the lives of the dying children. Shades of Gray At the end of the Civil War, twelve-year-old Will, having lost all his immediate family, reluctantly leaves his city home to live in the Virginia countryside with his aunt and the uncle he considers a “traitor” because he refused to take part in the war. Reeder, Carolyn 800 Historical Fiction Shiloh When he finds a lost beagle in the hills behind his West Virginia home, Marty tries to hide it from his family and the dog‟s real owner, a mean-spirited man known to shoot deer out of season and to mistreat his dogs. Naylor, Phyllis Reynolds 890 Historical Fiction 5.3 RL 3-6 IL Social Studies Goal 4 Obj. 4.5 4.4 Speare, Elizabeth Left alone to guard the family‟s wilderness home George Sign of the Beaver, The 770 Historical Fiction 4.9 in eighteenth-century Maine, a boy is hardpressed to survive until local Indians teach him their skills. Sounder Angry and humiliated when his sharecropper father is jailed for stealing food for his family, a young black boy grows in courage and understanding with the help of the devoted dog Sounder. Armstrong, William Howard 900 Realistic Fiction 5.3 Page 21 of 64 Revised 2007-2008 Approved Reading Selection Author Sterling, Dorothy Story of Harriet Tubman: Freedom Train, The Harriet Tubman, known as the Moses of her people, escapes slavery, then risks her life to bring other slaves to freedom up the Underground Railroad. Lexile Level 910 Genre Biography ATOS AR Level 6.2 Social Studies Goal 4 Obj. 4.5 6.8 RL 5-8 IL Social Studies Goal 4 Obj. 4.7 5.0 Sweetgrass Living on the western Canadian prairie in the nineteenth century, Sweetgrass, a fifteen-yearold Blackfoot Indian girl, saves her family from a smallpox epidemic and proves her maturity to her father. Hudson, Jan 640 Historical Fiction Tuck Everlasting Mysterious story of the Tuck family: how they drink from a magical spring and suffer the pangs of eternal youth. Babbitt, Natalie 770 Fantasy Fiction Historical Fiction Where the Red Fern Grows A young boy living in the Ozarks achieves his heart‟s desire when he becomes the owner of two redbone hounds and teaches them to be champion hunters. Rawls, Wilson 700 4.9 Witch of Blackbird Pond, The Puritan neighbors regard Kit Tyler with suspicion, fear, and anger, when she befriends an old woman accused of witchcraft. Spare, Elizabeth 850 Fiction 5.7 After teachers have read the selection carefully, the following should be considered before using material in the classroom: maturity level of students, student reading/ achievement level, content and language, and school culture. If you have any concerns, discuss your selection with the school principal. If parents object to a selection, another book should be offered as a substitution. Page 22 of 64 Revised 2007-2008 Grade Six Approved Reading List The following are books that can be used at grade level 6 for student reading. The books represent varied levels of difficulty and of complexity of theme and content. The Lexiles, AR levels, and genres are included for differentiation and thematic units in the classroom. Approved Reading Selection Author Vining, Elizabeth Gray Goodrich, Frances and Hackett, Albert Lexile Level 1030 Genre Historical Fiction NonFiction ATOS AR Level 6.5 Adam of the Road The adventures of an eleven-year-old boy in th 13 century England as he searches for his father and his dog. Anne Frank, Diary of a Young Girl A young girl is obliged by encroaching Nazi regime to live in enforced seclusion with family and friends. 1080 Big Wave, The When his family and village are swept away by a tidal wave, Jiya learns to live with the everpresent dangers from the sea and volcano. Buck, Pearl 790 Fiction 6.5 Social Studies Goal 7 Obj. 7.1, 7.2 5.2 Boy: Tales Of Childhood Presents humorous anecdotes from the author‟s childhood which includes summer vacations in Norway and an English boarding school. Dahl, Roald 1090 Autobiography 6.0 Catherine Called Birdy The daughter of an English country knight keeps a journal in which she records the events of her life, particularly her longing for adventures beyond the usual role of women and her efforts to avoid being married off. Cushman, Karen 1170 Fiction 6.4-7.4 RL 6-9 IL Middle Ages 5.3 Cay, The When the freighter they are traveling on is torpedoed by a German submarine during World War II, an adolescent boy, blinded by a blow on the head, and an old man are stranded on a tiny Caribbean island where the boy acquires a new kind of vision, courage, and love from his old companion. Taylor, Theodore 860 Historical Fiction Chasing the Wind Just after the surrender of Germany in World War II, three Danish children are trapped aboard a renegade German submarine attempting to escape to South America with Nazi treasure. Elmer, Robert - Historical Fiction 6.0 RL 5-8 IL Social Studies Goal 7 Obj. 7.1 Page 23 of 64 Revised 2007-2008 Approved Reading Selection Author Avi Crispin: The Cross of Lead Falsely accused of theft and murder, an orphaned peasant boy in fourteenth-century England flees his village and meets a largerthan-life juggler who holds a dangerous secret. Lexile Level 780 Genre Fiction ATOS AR Level 5.3 RL 5-8 IL Devil’s Arithmetic Hannah resents the traditions of her Jewish heritage until time travel places her in the middle of a small Jewish village in Nazi-occupied Poland. Yolen, Jean 730 Fiction 4.6 Flipped In alternating chapters, two teenagers describe how their feelings about themselves, each other, and their families have changed over the years. Van Draanen, Wendelin Lowry, Lois - Fiction 4.8 Giver, The Given his lifetime assignment at the Ceremony of Twelve, Jonas becomes the receiver of memories shared by only one other in his community and discovers the terrible truth about the society in which he lives. 760 Science Fiction 5.7 Greek Gods, The A collection of classic legends of the Greek gods. Evslin, Bernard Paulsen, Gary 840 1020 Mythology Adventure 5.7 Hatchet After a plane crash, thirteen-year-old Brian spends fifty-four days in the wilderness, learning to survive initially with only the aid of a hatchet given him by his mother, and learning also to survive his parents‟ divorce. Journey to the River Sea Sent with her governess to live with the dreadful Carter family in exotic Brazil in 1910, Maia endures many hardships before fulfilling her dream of exploring the Amazon River. Ibbotson, Eva 860 South America Historical Fiction Realistic Fiction 5.6-6.3 RL 5-8 IL Social Studies 5.8 Julie Of The Wolves While running away from home and an unwanted marriage, a thirteen-year-old Eskimo girl becomes lost on the North Slope of Alaska and is befriended by a wolf pack. George, Jean Craighead 860 Milkweed A young Polish orphan, called names for being Jewish, dreams of the day when he too could become a Nazi in shining boots, until the day he witnesses something that changes his mind forever. Spinelli, Jerry - Fiction 3.6 Night Journey A young girl ignores her parents‟ wishes and persuades her great-grandmother to relate the story of her escape from czarist Russia. Lasky, Kathryn 860 Fiction 5.3 Page 24 of 64 Revised 2007-2008 Approved Reading Selection Author Lowry, Lois Number the Stars In 1943, during the German occupation of Denmark, ten-year-old Annemarie learns how to be brave and courageous when she helps shelter her Jewish friend from the Nazis. Lexile Level 670 Genre Historical Fiction Pearl Harbor Is Burning When his family moves to Hawaii in 1941, Frank feels out of place until he makes friends with a Japanese American boy – the day before the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Kudlinski, Kathleen 490 Fiction ATOS AR Level 4.5 Social Studies Goal 1, 7 Obj. 7.1, 7.2 3.5 Pictures of Hollis Woods A troublesome twelve-year-old orphan, staying with an elderly artist who needs her, remembers the only other time she was happy in a foster home, with a family that truly seemed to care about her. Giff, Patricia Reilly 650 Fiction 6.4 RL 5-8 IL Play to the Angel In Vienna in 1938, in the shadow of an increasingly dangerous Nazi Germany, twelveyear-old Greta pursues her dream of becoming a concert pianist like her dead brother Kurt, despite a lack of support from her widowed mother. Dahlberg, Maurine 670 Historical Fiction Music Fiction Secret of the Andes An Indian boy who tends llamas in a hidden valley in Peru learns the traditions and secrets of his Inca ancestors. Clark, Ann Nolan 710 Fiction 6.3 RL 5-8 IL Social Studies Goal 13 Obj. 13.1, 13.2 4.7-5.5 RL 3-6 IL 5.3 Snow Treasure A fictionalized account of how a group of Norwegian children carried bullion to the sea on their sleds, thus helping their country move its gold reserves to the United States during the German occupation. McSwigan, Marie 690 Historical Fiction Song of the Trees During the Depression, a rural black family deeply attached to the forest on their land tries to save it from being cut down by an unscrupulous man. Taylor, Mildred D. 710 Historical Fiction 3.8 Stargirl In this story about the perils of popularity, the courage of nonconformity, and the thrill of first love, an eccentric student named Stargirl changes Mica High School forever. Spinelli, Jerry 590 Fiction 4.2 Page 25 of 64 Revised 2007-2008 Approved Reading Selection Author Keller, Helen Story of My Life: Helen Keller, The An autobiography of Helen Keller, written while she was a young woman, in which she tells of her early life, her relationship with her teacher Anne Sullivan, and her struggles to triumph over blindness and deafness. Lexile Level 1090 Genre Autobiography ATOS AR Level 6.8 Strider In a series of diary entries, Leigh tells how he comes to terms with his parents‟ divorce, acquires joint custody of an abandoned dog, and joins the track team at school. Cleary, Beverly 840 Fiction 4.8 Surviving Hitler: A Boy in the Nazi Death Camps A biography of Jack Mandelbaum, who survived Nazi concentration camps when he was a teenager. Warren, Andrea 820 Biography 6.3 View from Saturday, A Four students, with their own individual stories, develop a special bond and attract the attention of their teacher, a paraplegic, who chooses them to represent their sixth-grade class in the Academic Bowl competition. Koningsberg, EL 870 Fiction RL 5.9 IL 5.8 Zlata’s Diary: A Child’s Life in Sarajevo The diary of a thirteen-year-old girl living in Sarajevo, begun just before her eleventh birthday when there was still peace in her homeland. Filipovic, Zlata 640 History 5.1 RL 5-8 IL After teachers have read the selection carefully, the following should be considered before using material in the classroom: maturity level of students, student reading/ achievement level, content and language, and school culture. If you have any concerns, discuss your selection with the school principal. If parents object to a selection, another book should be offered as a substitution. Page 26 of 64 Revised 2007-2008 Grade Seven Approved Reading List The following are books that can be used at grade level 7 for student reading. The books represent varied levels of difficulty and of complexity of theme and content. The Lexiles, AR levels, and genres are included for differentiation and thematic units in the classroom. Approved Reading Selection Author Myers, Dean Lexile Level Genre NonFiction ATOS AR Level - At Her Majesty’s Request: An African Princess in Victorian England Once there was a little girl-an orphaned African princess-who narrowly escaped death by human sacrifice in a West African village in 1850. A British sea captain named Frederick E. Forbes saved her life by talking King Gezo of Dahomey into giving the girl to Queen Victoria of England as a gift. A true story with inclusion of passages from Sarah‟s correspondence. Boat to Nowhere, A Fleeing from agents of the new communist government in Vietnam, an old man and three children begin an endless and seemingly hopeless struggle for survival as boat people. Wartski, Maureen Crane 670 Fiction: World Affairs and Contemporary Problems 4.5 Cheaper by the Dozen Depicts the lives and adventures of the Gilbreths and their twelve children. Child of the Owl A twelve-year-old girl who knows little about her Chinese heritage is sent to live with her grandmother in San Francisco's Chinatown. Gilbreth, Frank and Carey, Ernestine Gilbreth Yep, Lawrence 890 Biography: Contemporary and Historical Americans 6.0 920 Fiction 5.5 Children of the River Having fled Cambodia four years earlier to escape the Khmer Rouge army, seventeenyear-old Sundara is torn between remaining faithful to her own people and adjusting to life in her Oregon high school as a "regular" American. Crew, Linda 700 AsianAmerican Fiction 5.6RL 5-9 IL Chinese Cinderella: The True Story of an Unwanted Daughter The author tells the story of her painful childhood in China where she lived until the age of fourteen with her father, stepmother, and siblings, all of whom considered her bad luck because her mother died shortly after giving birth to her. Mah, Adeline Yen 960 Autobiography Nonfiction YA Page 27 of 64 Revised 2007-2008 Approved Reading Selection Author Dickens, Charles Christmas Carol, A A miser learns the true meaning of Christmas when three ghostly visitors review his past and foretell his future. Lexile Level 1080 Genre Fiction ATOS AR Level 6.7 Day No Pigs Would Die, A To a thirteen-year-old Vermont farm boy whose father slaughters pigs for a living, maturity comes early as he learns “doing what‟s got to be done,” especially regarding his pet pig who cannot produce a litter. Peck, Robert Newton 690 Fiction: Contemporary Life and Problems 4.4 Dragonwings In the early twentieth century a young Chinese boy joins his father in San Francisco and helps him realize his dream of making a flying machine. Yep, Laurence 870 Fiction 6.0 RL 5-8 IL Gathering Blue Lamed and orphaned, Kira is mysteriously moved to the palatial Council Edifice, where she is expected to use her gifts as a weaver to do the bidding of the Guardians. Lowery, Lois 680 Fiction 5.0 RL 5-9 IL Glorious Age in Africa: The Story of Three Great African Empires Chu, Daniel Skinner, Elliott P. Barnett, Moneta - - - A fascinating account of Africa from the 8 to th the 16 century, highlighted by the successive rise of three Sudanese empires that at their height were the equal to any contemporary civilization in Europe or Asia. th Homeless Bird Thirteen-year-old Koly enters into an ill-fated arranged marriage and must either suffer a destiny dictated by India‟s customs or find the courage to oppose tradition. Whelan, Gloria 800 Fiction 4.1 Journey to Jo-burg: A South African Story Separated from their mother by the harsh social and economic conditions prevalent among blacks in South Africa, thirteen-yearold Naledi and her younger brother make a journey of over 300 kilometers to find her in Johannesburg. Naidoo, Beverly Fiction 5.5 RL 3-6 IL Kira-Kira The Japanese-American Takeshima family moves from Iowa to Georgia in the 1950s when Katie, the narrator, is just in kindergarten. Though her parents endure grueling conditions and impossible hours in the non-unionized poultry plant and hatchery where they work, they somehow manage to create a loving, stable home for their children. Kadohata, Cynthia Kuskin, Julia 740 Fiction - Page 28 of 64 Revised 2007-2008 Approved Reading Selection Author Park, Linda Sue Kite Fighters In Korea in 1473, eleven-year-old Young-sup overcomes his rivalry with his older brother Kee-sup, who as the first-born son receives special treatment from their father, and combines his kite-flying skill with Kee-sup‟s kite-making skill in an attempt to win the New Year kite-fighting competition. Lexile Level 880 Genre Fiction ATOS AR Level RL 5.5 IL 4-7 Kite Rider, The In thirteenth-century China, after trying to save his widowed mother from a horrendous second marriage, twelve-year-old Haoyou has life-changing adventures when he takes to the sky as a circus kite rider and ends up meeting the great Mongol ruler Kublai Khan. McCaughrean, Geraldine 900 Fiction RL-6.5 IL-7-12 Let the Circle Be Unbroken This inspiring story of a loving, close-knit black family confronted with racial injustice contributes to a deeper understanding of what it means to be black today. Sequel to Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry. Taylor, Mildred 850 Fiction 5.7 Life in the Rainforests Describes the importance of rain forests, their plant and animal populations, and how they are threatened by deforestation. Focuses particularly on the damage humans have caused to rain forests and what can be done to save them. An African tale at the end encourages readers to apply their knowledge of rain forests. Baker, Lucy 980 NonFiction Eulogy 6.1 Lottery Rose, The A young victim of child abuse gradually overcomes his fears and suspicions when placed in a home with other boys. Hunt, Irene 1070 Fiction RL-5.6 IL 6-8 4.9 Messenger, The For the past six years, Matty has lived in Village and flourished under the guidance of Seer, a blind man, known for his special sight. Village was a place that welcomed newcomers, but something sinister has seeped into Village and the people have voted to close it to outsiders. Matty has been invaluable as a messenger. Now he must make one last journey through the treacherous forest with his only weapon, a power he unexpectedly discovers within himself. Lowry, Lois Science Fiction Nectar in a Sieve Tells of a simple peasant woman in a primitive village in India whose life was a gallant and persistent battle to care for those she loved. Markandaya, Kamala 900 Historical Fiction 6.2 AR Page 29 of 64 Revised 2007-2008 Approved Reading Selection Author Hinton, S. E. Outsiders, The Three brothers struggle to stay together after their parents‟ death, as they search for an identity among the conflicting values of their adolescent society in which they find themselves “outsiders.” Lexile Level 750 Genre Fiction ATOS AR Level 4.7 Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry An African-American family living in Mississippi during the Depression of the 1930s is faced with prejudice and discrimination which its children do not understand. Taylor, Mildred D. 920 Fiction 5.7 Blumberg, Rhonda Shipwrecked!: The True Adventures of a Japanese Boy The true tale of a fourteen-year-old Japanese boy who, after being shipwrecked while fishing in 1841, was marooned for six months, rescued by an American whaling ship, educated in New England, and returned home to become an honored samurai. 1020 NonFiction - Storyteller’s Beads, The During the political strife and famine of the 1980‟s, two Ethiopian girls, one Christian and the other Jewish and blind, struggle to overcome many difficulties, including their prejudices about each other, as they make the dangerous journey out of Ethiopia. Kurtz, Jane 750 Fiction 5.9 Sweet and Sour Tales from China A collection of tales from various periods of Chinese history. Kendall, Carol 1020 Folktales 7.5 RL 5-8 IL Transail Saga, The While backpacking in the desert, thirteenyear-old Mark falls into a tube of blue light and is transported into a more primitive world, where he must use his knowledge and skills to survive. Paulsen, Gary 630 Fiction - Waiting for the Rain: A Novel of South Africa Chronicles nine years in the lives of two South African youths – one black, one white – as their friendship ends in a violent confrontation between student and soldier. Gordon, Sheila 940 Fiction: Contemporary Life and Problems 5.8 Marshall, James Mary and Peter are stranded in the wilderness Vance Walkabout 800 Fiction 5.9 of the Australian outback. They meet an Aboriginal youth on a walking journey and he helps them to undergo a journey of their own in order to survive. Page 30 of 64 Revised 2007-2008 Approved Reading Selection Author Park, Linda Sue When My Name Was Keoko With national pride and occasional fear, a brother and sister face the increasingly oppressive occupation of Korea by Japan during World War II, which threatens to suppress Korean culture entirely. Lexile Level 610 Genre Historical Fiction ATOS AR Level 5.7 RL 5-8 IL Wilma Rudolph A biography of the woman who overcame crippling polio as a child to become the first woman to win three gold medals in track in a single Olympics. Ruth, Amy 1010 NonFiction 7.8 Words by Heart A young African-American girl struggles to fulfill her papa‟s dream of a better future for their family in the southwestern town where, in 1910, they are the only African-Americans. Sebestyen, Ouida 750 Realistic Fiction 4.6 Yang the Youngest and His Terrible Ear Recently arrived in Seattle from China, musically untalented Yingtao is faced with giving a violin performance to attract new students for his father when he would rather be working on friendships and playing baseball. Namio, Linsey 700 Fiction RL-4.6 IL 5-7 After teachers have read the selection carefully, the following should be considered before using material in the classroom: maturity level of students, student reading/ achievement level, content and language, and school culture. If you have any concerns, discuss your selection with the school principal. If parents object to a selection, another book should be offered as a substitution. Page 31 of 64 Revised 2007-2008 Grade Eight Approved Reading List The following are books that can be used at grade level 8 for student reading. The books represent varied levels of difficulty and of complexity of theme and content. The Lexiles, AR levels, and genres are included for differentiation and thematic units in the classroom. Approved Reading Selections Author Hunt, Irene Lexile Level 1100 Genre Historical Fiction Fiction ATOS AR Level 6.6 Across Five Aprils During Civil War, nine-year-old Jethro must run the family farm in southern Illinois almost alone. Across the Lines Edward leaves with his family to fee the Yankee army invading Richmond. His friend Simon also flees but with the Union army. Worlds apart, the boys must discover the true meaning of freedom. Reeder, Carolyn 1000 - Adventures of Tom Sawyer The story of a young boy's adventures in a nineteenth-century Mississippi River town. Twain, Mark Stolz, Mary 680 Historical Fiction Fiction 8.1 - Ballad of the Civil War, A Weary of the war, a Union lieutenant recalls his life with his twin brother on their family‟s Virginia plantation and the events that led them to fight on different sides of the Civil War. Because of Romek A true story of a thirteen-year-old boy‟s miraculous survival in the Dachau death camp. Faher, David - NonFiction Biography - Belles on Their Toes Two of the Gilbreth children tell of their family life after their father died in 1924, leaving their mother with eleven children, the oldest of whom was eighteen. Gilbreth, Frank and Gilbreth, Christine 890 6-8 RL Boy’s War: Confederate and Union Soldiers Talk about the Civil War, The First-hand accounts that include diary entries and personal letters describe the experiences of boys, sixteen years old or younger, who fought in the Civil War. Murphy, JIm 1060 History 7.8 RL 5-8 IL 7.6 AR Goal 4 Obj. 4.4 - Bronx Masquerade While studying the Harlem Renaissance, students at a Bronx high school read aloud poems they‟ve written, revealing their innermost thoughts and fears to their formerly clueless classmates. Grimes, Nikki 670 Fiction Page 32 of 64 Revised 2007-2008 Approved Reading Selection Author Stein, Conrad California Gold Rush, The Describes adventures and disasters in the lives of people who rushed to the gold mines of California in 1848 and explains how this event sparked the state's development. Lexile Level 950 Genre Non-fiction ATOS AR Level RL 5.8 IL 5-8 SS Goal 3 Objective 3.8 RL 8.5 IL 5-9 SS Goal 1 Objective 1.2 - Cherokee, The Discusses the traditional life of the Cherokee peoples in the southern Appalachian Mountains, their beliefs and sense of community, culture, their forced migration along the Trail of Tears to Oklahoma, and life in the twentieth century and beyond. Long, Cathryn - Non-fiction Children of the Gold Rush Contains profiles and photographs of children who went to the Yukon and Alaska during the gold rush age of the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. Murphy, Claire Rudolf 1070 NonFiction Crossing the Panther’s Path Sixteen-year-old Billy Calder, son of a British soldier and a Mohawk woman, leaves school to join Tecumseh in his efforts to prevent the Americans from taking any more land from the Indians in the Northwest Territory. Alder, Elizabeth 810 United States History War of 1812 Historical Fiction Holocaust, Jewish (19391945) NC History 8.1 RL 5-8 IL Daniel’s Story Daniel, whose family suffers as the Nazis rise to power in Germany, describes his imprisonment in a concentration camp and his eventual liberation. Matas, Carol 720 6.3 RL 5-8 IL Wright, David Fire on the Beach: Recovering the Lost Story of Richard Etheridge and the Pea Island Lifesavers Myers, Walter Dean Glory Field, The Follows a family‟s two-hundred year history, from the capture of an African boy in the 1750s through the lives of his descendants, as their dreams and circumstances lead them away from and back to the small plot of land in South Carolina that they call the Glory Field. AD IL 800 Historical Fiction 5.0 RL Social Studies Goal 3 Obj. 3.4 Page 33 of 64 Revised 2007-2008 Approved Reading Selection Author Bruchac, Joseph Heart of a Chief, The An eleven-year-old Penacook Indian boy living on a reservation faces his father's alcoholism, a controversy surrounding plans for a casino on a tribal island, and insensitivity toward Native Americans in his school and nearby town. Lexile Level - Genre Fiction ATOS AR Level 4.7 Hot Zone A highly infectious, deadly virus from the central African rain forest suddenly appears in the suburbs of Washington, D.C. There is no cure. In a few days 90 percent of its victims are dead. A secret military SWAT team of soldiers and scientists is mobilized to stop the outbreak of this exotic "hot" virus. "The Hot Zone tells this dramatic story, giving a hairraising account of the appearance of rare and lethal viruses and their "crashes" into the human race. Shocking, frightening, and impossible to ignore, "The Hot Zone proves that truth really is scarier than fiction Preston, Richard 1030 7.3 Hurray Freedom: African Americans in Gold Rush California Recounts the history of African Americans during the Gold Rush while focusing on the work of Mifflin Gibbs. Stanley, Jerry 1090 NonFiction - I Have Lived a Thousand Years A memoir of Elli Friedmann in which she tells about her experiences at Auschwitz concentration camp where she was taken at the age of thirteen in 1944 when the Nazis invaded her native Hungary. Bitton, Livia-Jackson 720 Historical Fiction RL 4.8 IL 8+ Jar of Dreams, A Growing up in depression era California, Rinko feels left out because she is Japanese. Uchida, Yoshiko Paterson, Katherine 970 860 NonFiction Historical Fiction 5.5 RL 5-8 IL Social Studies Goal 3 Obj. 3.4 5.2 Jip: His Story While living on a Vermont poor farm during 1855 and 1856, Jip learns his identity and that of his mother and comes to understand how he arrived at this place. Johnny Tremain After injuring his hand, a silversmith‟s apprentice in Boston becomes a messenger for the Sons of Liberty in the days before the American Revolution. Forbes, Esther 840 Historical Fiction Journals of Lewis & Clark, The Lewis, Clark, Bakeless Page 34 of 64 Revised 2007-2008 Approved Reading Selection Author Nelson, Peter Left for Dead: A Young Man’s Search for Justice for the USS Indianapolis Recalls the sinking of the USS Indianapolis at the end of World War II, the Navy cover-up and unfair court martial of the ship‟s captain, and how a young boy helped the survivors set the record straight fifty-five years later. Lexile Level 1260 Genre World War, 1939-1945 Naval Operations American ATOS AR Level 8.9 RL 5-8 IL Letters from a Slave Girl A fictionalized version of the life of Harriet Jacobs, told in the form of letters that she might have written during her slavery in North Carolina and as she prepared for escape to the north in 1842. Lyons, Mary 880 Historical Fiction RL 5.1 IL 7+ SS Goal 3 Objective 3.4 5.0 Littlejim Twelve-year-old Littlejim, a bookish boy living in a rural North Carolina community in the early years of the twentieth century, hopes to win a newspaper essay contest and thus gain the respect of his stern father. Houston, Gloria 810 Fiction – NC Lyddie Impoverished Vermont farm girl Lyddie Worthen is determined to gain her independence by becoming a factory worker in Lowell, Massachusetts, in the 1840s. Patterson, Katherine 860 Historical Fiction Out of the Dust In a series of poems, fifteen-year-old Billie Jo relates the hardships of living on her family‟s wheat farm in Oklahoma during the dust bowl years of the Depression. Hesse, Karen 820 Historical Poetry Rifles for Watie Sixteen-year-old Jefferson Davis Bussey cannot wait to join the Army and defend the Union against the dreaded Colonel Watie, but when he is assigned to infiltrate the enemy camp as a spy, he discovers the rebels are boys and men just like him, and he must then decide whether to betray his enemies or join them. Keith, Harold 910 Historical Fiction 5.6 RL 5-9 IL Social Studies Goal 4 Obj. 4.6 5.3 RL Social Studies Goal 6 Obj. 6.1 6.1 RL 5-8 IL Social Studies Goal 4 Rosa Parks: My Story Rosa Parks‟ life story reveals the deliberate choices she made that earned her the title “Mother to a Movement.” Parks, Rosa 940 Autobiography 6.2 Page 35 of 64 Revised 2007-2008 Approved Reading Selection Author Gregory, Kristiana Seeds of Hope: The Gold Rush Diary of Susanna Fairchild A diary account of fourteen-year-old Susanna Fairchild's life in 1849, when her father succumbs to gold fever on the way to establish his medical practice in Oregon after losing his wife and money on their steamship journey from New York. Lexile Level 790 Genre Historical Fiction ATOS AR Level 6.9 RL 5-8 IL Social Studies Goal 3 Obj. 3.8 So Far from the Bamboo Grove A fictionalized autobiography in which elevenyear-old Yoko escapes from Korea to Japan with her mother and sister at the end of World War II. Watkins, Yoko 730 Fictionalized Autobiography RL- 6.0 IL 5-8 Sojourner Truth: Ain’t I a Woman? A biography of the former slave who became well-known as an abolitionist and advocate of women‟s rights. McKissack, Patricia 960 Biography Soldier’s Heart: A Novel of the Civil War Eager to enlist, fifteen-year-old Charley has a change of heart after experiencing both the physical horrors and mental anguish of Civil War combat. Paulsen, Gary 1000 Historical Fiction Sound the Jubilee A slave and her family escape from their North Carolina plantation during the Civil War, finding refuge on Roanoke Island. Forrester, Sandra 790 Storm Warriors In 1895, after his mother's death, twelve-yearold Nathan moves with his father and grandfather to Pea Island off the coast of North Carolina, where he hopes to join the allblack crew at the nearby lifesaving station, despite his father's objections. Carbone, Elisa 890 Roanoke Island (NC) Historical Fiction Fiction 7.0 Social Studies Goal 4 Obj. 4.4, 4.5 5.7 RL 6-8 IL Social Studies Goal 4 Obj. 4.2, 4.4 6.0 RL 5-8 IL RL-6.5 IL- 5-9 Strong Right Arm, A Mamie Johnson is fueled by her passion for the game and buoyed by inspiration from Jackie Robinson to become a professional baseball pitcher. Green, Michelle - Biography 5.1 Page 36 of 64 Revised 2007-2008 Approved Reading Selection Twelve-year-old Jewish girl Patty Bergen is a social outcast in her Arkansas town and is neglected by her parents, but her blossoming friendship with an escaped German prisoner of war helps her grow strong in her independence, and drastically changes her future. Author Summer of My German Soldier Greene, Bette Lexile Level 800 Genre Fiction ATOS AR Level 7.4 RL 5-8 IL Taking Sides Fourteen-year-old Lincoln Mendoza, an aspiring basketball player, must come to terms with his divided loyalties when he moves from the Hispanic inner city to a white suburban neighborhood. Soto, Gary 750 Fiction 5.7 RL 5-8 IL Tangerine Paul Fisher, a stellar soccer player despite being legally blind, finally comes into his own when his family moves to the strange town of Tangerine, Florida. Bloor, Edward 680 Fiction Thanks to My Mother After struggling to survive in Nazi-occupied Lithuania, a young Jewish girl and her mother endure much suffering in Kaiserwald, Stutthof, and Tauentzien concentration camps and on an eleven-day death march before liberation by the Russian army. Schoschana, Rabinovici 790 NonFiction 4.3 Reading Level Content requires mature audience - Tom Sawyer Touching Spirit Bear After his anger erupts into violence, fifteen year-old Cole, in order to avoid going to prison, agrees to participate in a sentencing alternative based on the Native American Circle Justice, and he is sent to a remote Alaskan Island where an encounter with a huge Spirit Bear changes his life. Twain, Mark Mikaelson, Ben 670 RL- 6.7 IL 5-8 Walk Two Moons After her mother leaves home suddenly, thirteen-year-old Sal and her grandparents take a car trip retracing her mother‟s route. Along the way, Sal recounts the story of her friend Phoebe, whose mother also left. Creech, Sharon 770 Fiction 4.9 After teachers have read the selection carefully, the following should be considered before using material in the classroom: maturity level of students, student reading/ achievement level, content and language, and school culture. If you have any concerns, discuss your selection with the school principal. If parents object to a selection, another book should be offered as a substitution. Page 37 of 64 Revised 2007-2008 Vertical Reading Approved List Page 38 of 64 Revised 2007-2008 Vertical Reading Approved List Approved Vertical Reading Selections Author Barracca, Debra and Sal Adventures of Taxi Dog, The A stray dog in New York City is adopted by a taxi driver, with whom he thereafter rides and shares adventures each day. th Previously recommended for 5 Grade Lexile Level NP Genre - ATOS AR Level - Alejandro’s Gift Alejandro lives in the desert and his garden attracts all sorts of local wild animals. th Previously recommended for 5 Grade Albert, Robert E. 840 Fiction - “All that Remains” Playing the creeps -- Teeing up. Contains three stories about young people who are doing their best to handle the loss of a loved one. th Previously recommended for 7 Grade Books, Bruce 850 Short Stories RL 5.5 IL 7 + Amazing Grace Although a classmate says that she cannot play Peter pan in the school play because she is African-American, Grace discovers that she can anything she sets her mind to do. th Previously recommended for 4 Grade Hoffman, Mary 680 Fiction 4.1 RL K-3 IL Amos and Boris Amos the mouse and Boris the whale have little in common except that they are both mammals and save each other‟s lives. th Previously recommended for 4 Grade Steig, William AD690 Fiction 3.8 Animal Farm A political satire in which the animals take over running the farm, but find their utopian state turning into a dictatorship. th Previously recommended for 8 Grade Orwell, George 1170 Fiction AD IL Anne of Green Gables Anne, an eleven-year-old orphan, is sent by mistake to live with a lonely middle-aged brother and sister on a Prince Edward Island farm and proceeds to make an indelible impression on everyone around her. Montgomery, L. M. 990 Fiction Classic 7.3 Previously recommended for 5 Grade th Archibald Frisby A science-mad boy plans his greatest experiment at summer camp. th Previously recommended for 4 Grade Chesworth, Michael 800 Fiction - Because of Winn Dixie Ten-year-old Opal Buloni describes her first summer in the town of Naomi, Florida, and all the good things that happen to her because of her big ugly dog Winn-Dixie. th Previously recommended for 4 Grade DiCamillo, Kate 610 Fiction 5.8 RL 3-6 IL Page 39 of 64 Revised 2007-2008 Approved Vertical Reading Selections Author Wilson, Nancy Hope Becoming Felix Worried about the difficulties on his family‟s Massachusetts dairy farm, twelve-year-old JJ is willing to give up on his dreams of becoming a great clarinet player and on his friendship with a new Jewish classmate who shares his love of music. th Previously recommended for 5 Grade Lexile Level 710 Genre Fiction ATOS AR Level - Beethoven Lives Upstairs The letters that ten-year-old Christoph and his uncle exchange show how Christoph's feelings for Mr. Beethoven, the eccentric boarder that shares his house, change from anger and embarrassment to compassion and admiration. th Previously recommended for 4 Grade Nichol, Barbara 750 Information Fiction 4.6-5.4 RL 3-6 IL Before We Were Free In the early 1960s in the Dominican Republic, twelve-year-old Anita learns that her family is involved in the underground movement to end the bloody rule of the dictator, General Trujillo. th Previously recommended for 7 Grade Alvarez, Julia 890 Dominican Republic History 1930-1961 Fiction Fiction 7.3 RL 5-8 IL Bicycle Man, The The amazing tricks two American soldiers do on a borrowed bicycle are a fitting finale for the school sports day festivities in a small village in occupied Japan. th Previously recommended for 7 Grade Say, Allen 500 - Bridge to Terabithia The life of a ten-year-old boy in rural Virginia expands when he becomes friends with a newcomer who subsequently meets an untimely death trying to reach their hideaway, Terabithia, during a storm. th Previously recommended for 6 Grade Paterson, Katherine 810 Realistic Fiction 4.6 Call of the Wild, The The adventures of an unusual dog, part St. Bernard, part Scotch shepherd, that is forcibly taken to the Klondike goldfields where he eventually becomes the leader of a wolf pack. th Previously recommended for 8 Grade London, Jack 1170 Fiction 8.0 Catch Me If You Can Highlights insects and their tactics for survival. th Previously recommended for 4 Grade Densey, Clyne 890 Non-Fiction (Science) Charlotte’s Web Wilbur, the pig, is desolate when he discovers that he is destined to be the farmer‟s Christmas dinner until his spider friend, Charlotte, decides to help him. th Previously recommended for 4 Grade White, E. B. 800 Animal Fiction 5.4 RL 2-5 IL Science Goal 2; Obj. 1.1 4.4 Page 40 of 64 Revised 2007-2008 Approved Vertical Reading Selections Author Boyd, Candy Dawson Circle of Gold Ten-year-old Mattie copes with the loss of her father and her mixed feelings towards her mother who is under pressure to support the family. th Previously recommended for 4 Grade Lexile Level 610 Genre Fiction ATOS AR Level 4.0 Cool Melons-Turn to Frogs! A biography and introduction to the work of the Japanese haiku poet whose love for nature finds expression in the more than thirty poems included in this book. th Previously recommended for 4 Grade Gollub, Matthew - - - Counting on Frank A boy and his dog present amusing counting, size comparison, and mathematical facts. th Previously recommended for 6 Grade Clement, Rod - Non-Fiction (Area, Volume, Perimeter) Destination Antarctica Follows the British adventurer Robert Swan and two other explorers on an exciting and dangerous 900-mile trek to the South Pole, following in the footsteps of Swan‟s childhood hero, Robert Falcon Scott, who made the journey exactly seventy-four years earlier. th Previously recommended for 5 Grade Swan, Robert 900 Non-Fiction Travel 5.3 RL K-6 IL Math Goal 2 Obj. 2.9, 2.10, & 2.12 6.1 Dia’s Story Cloth The story cloth made for the author by her aunt and uncle chronicles the life of the Hmong people in their native Laos and their eventual emigration to the U.S. th Previously recommended for 7 Grade Cha, Dia 1050 Fiction Dream Jar, The After immigrating to America, each member of a Russian family works hard to contribute to the family‟s dream of someday owning and running a store. th Previously recommended for 6 Grade Pryor, Bonnie AD530 Fiction - Egypt Game, The Melanie and April turn a deserted lot into an imaginary Egypt where they spend many hours enacting rituals and consulting oracles, but there are real dangers and problems lurking outside their make-believe world that almost bring their game to a disastrous end. th Previously recommended for 7 Grade Snyder, Zilpha Keatley 1010 Fiction 6.6 RL 3-6 IL Ella Enchanted In this novel based on the story of Cinderella, Ella struggles against the childhood curse that forces her to obey any order given to her. th Previously recommended for 6 Grade Levin, Gail Carson 670 Fantasy Fiction 4.2 RL 3-6 IL Page 41 of 64 Revised 2007-2008 Approved Vertical Reading Selections Author Kroll, Steven Ellis Island: Doorway to Freedom Describes how the immigration station on Ellis Island served as a gateway into the United States for more that sixteen million immigrants between 1892 and 1954. th Previously recommended for 6 Grade Lexile Level 850 Genre Non-Fiction ATOS AR Level 4.9 RL 3-6 IL 5.9 AR Every Living Thing Twelve stories in which animals change people's lives for the better. th Previously recommended for 4 Grade Rylant, Cynthia 870 Short Stories Fiction 6.0 RL 5-8 IL 7.4 RL 5-8 IL Eyes of the Amaryllis, The A sea captain's widow waits for her husband to send her a message from the bottom of the sea. Waiting with her are her granddaughter and a man named Seward. th Previously recommended for 6 Grade Babbitt, Natalie 840 Family Under the Bridge, The An old tramp, adopted by three fatherless children when their mother hides them under a bridge on the Seine, finds a home for mother and children and a job for himself. th Previously recommended for 5 Grade Carlson, Natalie 680 Realistic Fiction 4.7 Fellowship of the Ring Frodo the hobbit and a band of warriors from the different kingdoms set out to destroy the Ring of Power before the evil Sauron grasps control. th Previously recommended for 8 Grade Tolkien, JRR 860 Fantasy RL-6.2 IL – Upper Grades + Finding Buck McHenry Eleven-year-old Jason, believing the school custodian Mack Henry to be Buck McHenry, tries to enlist him as a coach for his Little League team by revealing his identity to the world. th Previously recommended for 5 Grade Slote, Alfred 500 Fiction 5.1 RL 3-6 IL Follow the Drinking Gourd By following the directions in a song taught them by an old sailor, runaway slaves journey north along the underground railway to freedom in Canada. th Previously recommended for 5 Grade Winter, Jeanette 630 Fiction - For Laughing Out Louder Previously recommended for 5 Grade th Prelutsky, Jack Key, Alexander NP 720 Poetry Fiction 5.0 RL 3-6 IL Forgotten Door, The John has fallen through a forgotten door to the strange planet Earth and is in great danger. Soon the family who befriends him is in great danger, too. Time is running out. He must find the secret passage quickly or he may never get home. th Previously recommended for 4 Grade Page 42 of 64 Revised 2007-2008 Approved Vertical Reading Selections Author Philbrick, Rodman Freak the Mighty At the beginning of eighth grade, Max, who has a learning disability, and his new friend Freak, whose birth defect has affected his body but not his brilliant mind, find that when they combine forces they make a powerful team. th Previously recommended for 8 Grade Lexile Level 1000 Genre Fiction ATOS AR Level RL 6.3 IL 5-9 From The Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler Two suburban children run away from their Connecticut home and go to New York‟s Metropolitan Museum of Art, where their ingenuity enables them to live in luxury. th Previously recommended for 6 Grade Konigsburg, E. L. 700 Realistic Fiction 4.7 Gift of the Magi, The A husband and wife sacrifice treasured possessions in order to buy each other Christmas presents. th Previously recommended for 5 Grade Henry, O 960 Historical Fiction 6.2 Girl Who Loved Wild Horses, The Though she is fond of her people, a girl prefers to live among the wild horses where she is truly happy and free. th Previously recommended for 4 Grade Goble, Paul 670 Fiction (Fairy Tales, Indians, Horses) Fiction 4.1 RL 3-6 IL Granny Torrelli Makes Soup A wise old Italian granny skillfully imparts life advice (and cooking lessons) to her winning but sometimes obstinate twelve-year-old granddaughter. th Previously recommended for 6 Grade Creech, Sharon 810 - Great Gilly Hopkins, The An eleven-year-old foster child tries to cope with her longings and fears as she schemes against everyone who tries to be friendly. th Previously recommended for 6 Grade Paterson, Katherine 800 Realistic Fiction 4.6 Harry Potter And The Sorcerer’s Stone Rescued from the outrageous neglect of his aunt and uncle, a young boy with a great destiny proves his worth while attending Hogwarts School for Wizards and Witches. th Previously recommended for 6 Grade Rowling, J. K. 880 Fantasy Fiction 5.5 Heidi A Swiss orphan is heartbroken when she must leave her beloved grandfather and their happy home in the mountains to go to school and to care for an invalid girl in the city. th Previously recommended for 6 Grade Spyri, Johanna 960 Realistic Fiction 8.2 Page 43 of 64 Revised 2007-2008 Approved Vertical Reading Selections Author Tolkien, J. R. R. Hobbit, The The adventure of Bilbo Baggins, a hobbit, in a land inhabited by dwarfs, elves, goblins, dragons, and humans. He sets off to recover a stolen treasure from a dragon hidden in the Lonely Mountain. th Previously recommended for 8 Grade Lexile Level 1000 Genre Fantasy ATOS AR Level 6.6 Holes As further evidence of his family‟s bad fortune which they attribute to a curse on a distant relative, Stanley Yelnats is sent to a correctional camp in the Texas desert where he finds his first real friend, a treasure, and a new sense of himself. th Previously recommended for 6 Grade Sachar, Louis 660 Fiction 4.6 House of Dies Drear, The An African-American family of five moves into an enormous house once used as a hiding place for runaway slaves. Mysterious sounds and events as well as the discovery of secret passageways make the family believe they are in grave danger. th Previously recommended for 7 Grade Hamilton, Virginia 670 Fiction/ Adventure 6.0 RL 5-8 IL 4.8 AR How I Became a Pirate Young Jeremy Jacob is plucked from obscurity while innocently constructing a sand castle and is thrust into a brand-new life as a pirate. Jeremy thinks a pirate life sounds like fun, as long as he‟s back the next day in time for soccer practice, and so he goes along with the ragtag group of seafaring thugs. th Previously recommended for 4 Grade Long, Melinda Shannon, David 470 Fiction - Hundred Dresses, The In winning a medal she is no longer there to receive, a little Polish girl teaches her classmates a lesson. th Previously recommended for 4 Grade Estes, Eleanor 870 Fiction 5.4 I Have Heard of a Land Describes the joys and hardships experienced by an African-American pioneer woman who staked a claim for free land in the Oklahoma territory. th Previously recommended for 5 Grade Thomas, Joyce NP Fiction - Iceberg Hermit, The Shipwrecked in 1757 on an iceberg in the Arctic seas with only an orphaned polar cub for companionship, seventeen-year-old Allan begins a seemingly hopeless struggle for survival. th Previously recommended for 7 Grade Roth, Arthur J 1060 Survival Fiction 5.9-6.4 RL 5-8 IL Page 44 of 64 Revised 2007-2008 Approved Vertical Reading Selections Author Baylor, Byrd I’m In Charge Of Celebrations A dweller in the desert celebrates a triple rainbow, a chance encounter with a coyote, and other wonders of the wilderness. th Previously recommended for 4 Grade Lexile Level 700 Genre Fiction ATOS AR Level 4.0 RL K-3 IL 3.9 AR 4.3 In-Between Days, The Reluctant to see any changes in his life on Dove Island, eleven-year-old George tries to get rid of his father‟s new girlfriend. th Previously recommended for 5 Grade Bunting, Eve 700 Fiction Incident at Hawk’s Hill Set in 1870 on the Canadian prairie, this story about a boy and a badger is based on an actual incident. th Previously recommended for 7 Grade Eckert, Allen 1200 Historical Fiction 6.6-7.2 RL 5-8 IL Invitation to the Game Unemployed after high school in the highly robotic society of 2154, Lisse and seven friends resign themselves to a boring existence in their "Designated Area" until the government invites them to play The Game. th Previously recommended for 8 Grade Hughes, Monica 740 Science Fiction RL-4.7 IL-Upper Grades Island Scrapbook, An An artist and her daughter explore a North Carolina barrier island and tell of all they observe during the course of a September day. th Previously recommended for 4 Grade Wright-Frierson, Virginia 1000 Non-Fiction (Social Studies & Ecology) Fiction 6.0 RL 3-6 IL Izzy, Willy-Nilly A car accident causes fifteen-year-old Izzy to lose one leg and face the need to start building a new life as an amputee. th Previously recommended for 7 Grade Voigt, Cynthia 790 6.0 RL 5-8 IL Joan of Arc A biography of the fifteenth-century peasant girl who led a French army to victory against the English and was burned at the stake for witchcraft. th Previously recommended for 6 Grade Stanley, Diane 980 Fiction - John Henry, an American Legend Describes the life of the legendary steel-driving man who was born and who died with a hammer in his hand. th Previously recommended for 4 Grade Keats, Ezra Jack 520 Folklore 3.4 Jonathan Livingston Seagull An unusual seagull becomes an outcast from the flock because of his search for a higher purpose in life and his quest for more freedom. th Previously recommended for 7 Grade Bach, Richard - Fantasy 5.6 Page 45 of 64 Revised 2007-2008 Approved Vertical Reading Selections Author Rinaldi, Ann Journal of Jonathan Jasper Pierce, The A fourteen-year-old indentured servant keeps a journal of his experiences on the Mayflower and during the building of Plymouth Plantation in 1620 and 1621. th Previously recommended for 8 Grade Lexile Level 680 Genre Historical Fiction ATOS AR Level RL 6.1 IL 5-8 SS Goal 1 Objective 1.5 4.4 Knee-Knock Rise Everyone else in the village is afraid of the creature who supposedly dwells at the top of Kneeknock Rise until young Egan investigates for himself. th Previously recommended for 6 Grade Babbitt, Natalie 760 Mystery Lion, The Witch, And The Wardrobe, The How Aslan, the noble lion, freed Narnia from the spell of the White Witch. th Previously recommended for 5 Grade Lewis, C. S. 940 Fairy Tale 5.7 Little Town on the Prairie Pa‟s homestead thrives, Laura gets her first job in town, blackbirds eat the corn and oats crop, Mary goes to college, and Laura gets into trouble at school, but becomes a certified school teacher. th Previously recommended for 5 Grade Wilder, Laura Ingalls 850 Historical Fiction 5.4 Social Studies Goal 4 Obj. 4.2 7.9 RL 7+ IL Little Women Chronicles the joys and sorrows of the four March sisters as they grow into young women in nineteenth-century New England. th Previously recommended for 8 Grade Alcott, Louis May 1300 Historical Fiction Long Claws: An Arctic Adventure Followed by a huge grizzly bear, an Eskimo brother and sister make a perilous trek across the storm-swept tundra to bring back a frozen caribou to their hungry family. th Previously recommended for 6 Grade Houston, James 900 Fiction - Long Way To A New Land, The Carl Erik journeys with his family from Sweden to America during the famine of 1868. th Previously recommended for 4 Grade Sandin, Joan 340 Historical Fiction Fiction 2.7 Mermaid Summer With the help of her brother, Jon, twelve-yearold Anna daringly seeks to discover the secret means to undo a mermaid's curse upon their grandfather. th Previously recommended for 6 Grade Hunter, Mollie 1030 6.1 RL 5-8 IL Page 46 of 64 Revised 2007-2008 Approved Vertical Reading Selections Author Rylant, Cynthia Missing May After the death of the beloved aunt who has raised her, twelve-year-old Summer and her Uncle Ob leave their West Virginia trailer in search of the strength to go on living. th Previously recommended for 6 Grade Lexile Level 980 Genre Realistic Fiction ATOS AR Level 5.3 Mr. Mysterious and Company Join the Hackett family and their traveling magic show as they venture across the old west in a covered wagon in this laugh-out-loud, funny story. th Previously recommended for 5 Grade Fleischman, Sid 730 Fiction - Misty of Chincoteague Two youngsters‟ determination to own a Chincoteague pony is greatly increased when the Phantom and her colt are among those rounded up for the yearly auction. th Previously recommended for 5 Grade Henry, Marguerite 750 Realistic Fiction 5.3 Mouse Called Wolf, A A mouse with an unusual name shares his musical gift with a widowed concert pianist. th Previously recommended for 5 Grade King-Smith, Dick 950 Fiction - Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nimh Having no one to help her with her problems, a widowed mouse visits the rats whose former imprisonment in a laboratory made them wise and long lived. th Previously recommended for 6 Grade O‟Brien, Robert C. 790 Fantasy 5.1 Mud Pony: A Traditional Skidi Pawnee Tale, The A poor boy becomes a powerful leader when mother earth turns his mud pony into a real one, but after the pony turns back to mud, he must find his own strength. th Previously recommended for 5 Grade Cohen, Caron Lee 610 Non-Fiction - New Kid on the Block, The Presents humorous poems about such strange creatures and people as Baloney Belly Billy and the Gloopy Gloopers. th Previously recommended for 5 Grade Prelutsky, Jack NP Poetry 4.4 RL 3-6 IL Nim and the War Effort Nim, a girl from San Francisco‟s Chinatown, in the spring of 1943, wants to win the school paper drive, which conflicts with her grandfather‟s wishes. th Previously recommended for 5 Grade Lee, Milly AD510 Fiction - Page 47 of 64 Revised 2007-2008 Approved Vertical Reading Selections Author Lobel, Anita No Pretty Pictures: A Child of War The author, known as an illustrator of children‟s books, describes her experiences as a Polish Jew during World War II and for years in Sweden afterwards. th Previously recommended for 6 Grade Lexile Level 750 Genre Non-Fiction ATOS AR Level - Out of Darkness A biography of the 19 century Frenchman who, having been blinded himself at the age of three, went on to develop a system of raised dots on paper that enabled blind people to read and write. th Previously recommended for 6 Grade th Freedman, Russell 1000 Non-Fiction - Paddington At Large The further adventures of the little bear from Peru who lives with the Brown family in London. th Previously recommended for 6 Grade Bond, Michael 1160 Fiction 6.0-7.6 RL 3-6 IL 7.0 RL 5-8 IL Peter and the Wolf The story of the brave boy and the fierce wolf. th Previously recommended for 6 Grade Prokofiev, Sergei Mikaelsen, Ben 780 740 Fiction Fiction Petey In 1922 Petey, who has cerebral palsy, is misdiagnosed as an idiot and institutionalized; sixty years later, still in the institution, he befriends a boy and shares with him the joy of life. th Previously recommended for 6 Grade Phantom Tollbooth, The A journey through a land where Milo learns the importance of words, and numbers provide a cure for his boredom. th Previously recommended for 6 Grade Juster, Norton 1000 Fantasy 6.7 Pilgrims’ First Thanksgiving, The Describes the trials of the Pilgrims‟ voyage on the Mayflower, their first year at Plymouth, and their first Thanksgiving day. th Previously recommended for 5 Grade McGovern, Ann 460 Holiday 4.0 RL 3-6 IL Pink and Say A Civil War friendship between a black Union soldier and a wounded, white, 15 year old boy. th Previously recommended for 4 Grade Palacco, Patricia 590 Historical Fiction 4.9 RL K-3 IL SS 2.04 2.04 3.01 3.02 3.05 Page 48 of 64 Revised 2007-2008 Approved Vertical Reading Selections Author Lindgren, Astrid Pippi Longstocking Escapades of a lucky little girl who lives with a horse and a monkey--but without any parents-at the edge of a Swedish village. th Previously recommended for 4 Grade Lexile Level 870 Genre Fiction ATOS AR Level 5.2-6.7 RL 4-6 IL Prince William This book is about a young girl who lives in Alaska. There is a major oil spill next to her town and she is told to stay away from the water. She goes to the water to see the damage and rescues a seal that is barely alive. Throughout the book they care for the seal and other hurt animals at the shelter and as the town‟s people are cleaning up the oil spill. th Previously recommended for 5 Grade Rand, G. 540 Fiction - Purple Coat, The Despite her mother‟s reminder that “navy blue is what you always have,” Gabby begs her tailor grandfather to make her a beautiful purple fall coat. th Previously recommended for 4 Grade Hest, Amy 670 Fiction - Rainbow Crow Crow was the one creature who was willing to fly to the Great Sky Spirit to ask him to stop the snow that was burying all the animals. Carrying the gift of fire that would keep everyone warm costs the bird his glory but wins him a special protection from the Two-Legged who hunt. th Previously recommended for 5 Grade Van Laan, Nancy 760 Fiction - Real McCoy, The A biography of the Canadian-born AfricanAmerican who studied engineering in Scotland and patented over fifty inventions despite the obstacles he faced because of his race. th Previously recommended for 5 Grade Towle, Wendy 920 Biography Remembering the Good Times Trav, Kate, and Buck make up a trio during their freshman year in high school, but their special friendship may not be enough to save Trav as he pressures himself relentlessly to succeed. th Previously recommended for 8 Grade Peck, Richard 690 Fiction Ruth Law Thrills a Nation Describes the record-breaking flight of a daring woman pilot, Ruth Law, from Chicago to New York in 1916. th Previously recommended for 6 Grade Brown, Don 700 Fiction 5.9 RL 3-6 IL Social Studies Goal 1 Obj. 1.7 5.7 Reading Level Content requires mature audience - Page 49 of 64 Revised 2007-2008 Approved Vertical Reading Selections Author Coerr, Eleanor Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes Hospitalized with the dreaded atom bomb disease, leukemia, a child in Hiroshima races against time to fold one thousand paper cranes to verify the legend that by doing so a sick person will become healthy. th Previously recommended for 5 Grade Lexile Level 630 Genre Biography ATOS AR Level 4.1 Saffy’s Angel After learning that she was adopted, thirteenyear-old Saffron‟s relationship with her eccentric, artistic family changes, until they help her go back to Italy where she was born to find a special memento of her past. th Previously recommended for 6 Grade McKay, Hilary O‟Rourke, Ericka 630 Fiction - Sam the Minuteman An easy-to-read account of Sam and his father fighting as minutemen against the British in the Battle of Lexington. th Previously recommended for 5 Grade Benchley, Nathaniel 410 Historical Fiction 2.9 Same Stuff as Stars, The When Angel‟s self-absorbed mother leaves her and her younger brother with their poor greatgrandmother, the eleven-year-old girl worries not only about her mother and brother, her imprisoned father, the frail old woman, but also about a mysterious man who begins sharing with her the wonder of the stars. th Previously recommended for 6 Grade Paterson, Katherine 670 Fiction 5.4 RL 5-8 IL Saturday Sancocho Maria Lili and her grandfather barter a dozen eggs at the market square to get the ingredients to cook their traditional Saturday chicken sancocho. th Previously recommended for 4 Grade Torres, Leyla 660 Fiction - School Mouse, The Flora, the world‟s most educated mouse, saves her family during a crisis. th Previously recommended for 5 Grade King-Smith, Dick 860 Fiction 5.0 RL 2-5 IL 5.4 RL 5-8 IL Search for Delicious The Prime Minister is compiling a dictionary and when no one at court can agree on the meaning of delicious, the King sends his twelve-year-old messenger to poll the country. th Previously recommended for 6 Grade Babbit, Natalie 910 Fantasy Secret Garden, The Ten-year-old Mary comes to live in a lonely house on the Yorkshire moors and discovers an invalid cousin and the mysteries of a locked garden. th Previously recommended for 6 Grade Burnett, Francis Hodgson 970 Realistic Fiction 6.3 Page 50 of 64 Revised 2007-2008 Approved Vertical Reading Selections Author Sir Cumference and the Dragon Neuschwander, Cindy of Pi Radius, son of Sir Cumference, embarks on a quest to find the magic number known as pi in order to restore his father--who has been turned into a dragon--to his original shape. th Previously recommended for 6 Grade Lexile Level 390 Genre Non-Fiction ATOS AR Level 5.1 RL 3-6 IL Math Sir Cumference and the Great Knight of Angleland To earn his knighthood, Radius must find and rescue a missing king. His father, Sir Cumference, and his mother, Lady Di of Ameter, give him a circular medallion, (a protractor), that he uses to find his way through a maze of many angles. th Previously recommended for 5 Grade Neuschwander, Cindy 450 Non-Fiction 6.3 RL 3-6 IL Math Goal 2; Obj. 2.5 Skeleton Man After her parents disappear and she is turned over to the care of a strange "great-uncle," Molly must rely on her dreams about an old Mohawk story for her safety. th Previously recommended for 5 Grade Bruchac, Joseph 730 Fiction 5.3 RL 5-8 IL Snowflake Bentley A biography of a self-taught scientist who photographed thousands of individual snowflakes in order to study their unique formations. Martin, Jacqueline AD830 Fiction 4.4 Something Big Has Been Here An illustrated collection of humorous poems on a variety of topics. th Previously recommended for 5 Grade Prelutsky, Jack NP Poetry 4.5 RL 3-5 IL 4.4 RL 4-7 IL 4.0 RL 3-6 IL Soup The adventures and misadventures of two boys growing up in a small Vermont town. th Previously recommended for 5 Grade Peck, Robert Newton 740 Fiction Squanto, Friend of the Pilgrims Bulla, Clyde Robert A biography of the Indian who was a friend to the Pilgrims and was later taken to England and Spain, traveling to places where no other Indians had been. th Previously recommended for 5 Grade 360 Biography Stone Fox Little Willie hopes to pay the back taxes on his grandfather‟s farm with the purse from a dog sled race he enters. th Previously recommended for 5 Grade Gardiner, John Reynolds 550 Historical Fiction 4.0 Page 51 of 64 Revised 2007-2008 Approved Vertical Reading Selections Author Whitt, Anne Hall Suitcases Lexile Level 830 Genre Fiction ATOS AR Level 4.9 Previously recommended for 8 Grade th Summer Of The Swans A teen-age girl gains new insight into herself and her family when her mentally retarded brother gets lost. th Previously recommended for 6 Grade Byars, Betsy Summer Soldiers After his father goes off to war during the summer of 1918, eleven-year-old Joe, along with his friends, contends with the town bullies and tries to figure out the meaning of courage. th Previously recommended for 6 Grade Lindquist, Susan Hart 860 Fiction - Sunken Treasure Describes the many-years-long search for the treasure that went down with the Atocha, a Spanish Galleon sunk off Florida in a hurricane in 1622. th Previously recommended for 4 Grade Gibbons, Gail 680 Fiction - Susanna of the Alamo Relates the experiences of the Texas woman who, along with her baby, survived the 1836 massacre at the Alamo. th Previously recommended for 5 Grade Jakes, John 630 Biography Sweet Clara and the Freedom Quilt Drawn from a true incident in African American history, this is the story of a young slave who uses a quilt as a map to the underground railroad. th Previously recommended for 5 Grade Hopkinson, Deborah 680 AD Slavery Fiction 3.0-3.9 RL 3-5 IL Social Studies Goal 4 Obj. 4.5 4.5 RL K-3 IL Thank You, Sarah: the Woman Who Saved Thanksgiving Relates how Sarah Hale, a magazine editor and author, persuaded President Lincoln to transform Thanksgiving Day into a national holiday. th Previously recommended for 4 Grade Anderson, Laurie Halse 350 AD Thanksgivin g Day History 4.4 RL K-3 IL They Called Her Molly Pitcher Tells the story of Molly Pitcher, a woman who accompanied her husband when he set off to join the Continental Army at Valley Forge in 1777, and who was given the rank of sergeant by General George Washington for her extraordinary act of courage during the Battle of Monmouth. th Previously recommended for 5 Grade Rockwell, Anne 830 Non-Fiction 5.4 RL K-3 IL Page 52 of 64 Revised 2007-2008 Approved Vertical Reading Selections Author Shook Hazen, Barbara Blake, Robert J Tight Times Tight times are intensified when a small boy‟s father loses his job. th Previously recommended for 4 Grade Lexile Level 420 Genre Fiction ATOS AR Level - Togo In 1925, Togo, a Siberian husky who loves being a sled dog, leads a team that rushes to bring diphtheria antitoxin from Anchorage to Nome, Alaska. th Previously recommended for 4 Grade 420 Fiction 4.0 RL K-3 IL Tracker A thirteen-year-old boy must come to terms with the approaching death of his beloved grandfather, with whom he shared a very special relationship. th Previously recommended for 6 Grade Paulsen, Gary 1010 Fiction 5.3 True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle, The Thirteen-year-old Charlotte Doyle, the only passenger on a voyage from England to America in 1832, must take serious matters into her own hands when she learns that the captain is murderous. th Previously recommended for 5 Grade Avi 740 Fiction 5.3 AR 7.0 RL Trumpet of the Swan, The A voiceless trumpeter swan named Louis, attempting to win the love of a beautiful swan named Serena, learns to play a trumpet stolen for him by his father, and then finds himself far from his wilderness home when he sets out to become a trumpeter and pay his father back. th Previously recommended for 5 Grade White, E. B. 750 Fiction 4.9 Velveteen Rabbit, The By the time the velveteen rabbit is dirty, worn out, and about to be burned, he has almost given up hope of ever finding the magic called Real. th Previously recommended for 6 Grade Williams, Margery AD820 Fiction 4.9 Watership Down Chronicles the adventures of a group of rabbits searching for a safe place to establish a new warren where they can live in peace. th Previously recommended for 7 Grade Adams, Richard 880 Fiction 7.4 Appropriate for a mature audience Watsons Go to Birmingham, 1963, The The ordinary interactions and everyday routines of the Watsons, an African-American family living in Flint, Michigan, are drastically changed after they go to visit Grandma in Alabama in the summer of 1963. th Previously recommended for 8 Grade Curtis, Christopher Paul 1000 Fiction 5.0 Page 53 of 64 Revised 2007-2008 Approved Vertical Reading Selections Author Raskin, Ellen Westing Game, The The mysterious death of an eccentric millionaire brings together an unlikely assortment of heirs who must uncover the circumstances of his death before they can claim their inheritance. th Previously recommended for 7 Grade Lexile Level 750 Genre Fiction/ Adventure ATOS AR Level 5.3 Wheel on the School, The Set in a small Dutch fishing village, this book tells the story of a young girl and her simple composition about the storks that build their nests in neighboring villages. The children wonder why the storks don‟t nest in their village. th Previously recommended for 6 Grade DeJong, Meindert Sendak, Maurice 710 Fiction - Where the Lilies Bloom In the Great Smoky Mountains region, a fourteen-year-old girl struggles to keep her family together after their father dies. th Previously recommended for 8 Grade Cleaver, Vera and Bill 920 Fiction 5.2 Where the Sidewalk Ends Shel Silverstein‟s acclaimed collection of whimsical poems and illustrations. th Previously recommended for 5 Grade Silverstein, Shel NP Poetry - White Fang White Fang, half dog and half wolf, changes from youthful innocence to cruelty. th Previously recommended for 8 Grade London, Jack 970 Fiction 8.4 Who’s That Stepping on Plymouth Rock? Relates the history of Plymouth Rock since the Pilgrims first landed on it to the present day. th Previously recommended for 5 Grade Fritz, Jean 780 History 5.0 Wilifrid Gordon McDonald Partridge Wilifred learns about memories from the people next door in the nursing home. th Previously recommended for 4 Grade Fox, Mem 760 Fiction - Wish Giver, The When a strange little man comes to the Coven Tree Church Social promising he can give people exactly what they ask for, three young believers-in-magic each make a wish that comes true in the most unexpected way. th Previously recommended for 5 Grade Brittain, Bill 720 Science Fiction 4.4 Page 54 of 64 Revised 2007-2008 Approved Vertical Reading Selections Author Speare, Elizabeth George Witch of Blackbird Pond, The In 1687 in Connecticut, Kit Tyler, feeling out of place in the Puritan household of her aunt, befriends an old woman considered a witch by the community and suddenly finds herself standing trial for witchcraft. th Previously recommended for 8 Grade Lexile Level 850 Genre Historical Fiction ATOS AR Level 7.2 With a Whoop and a Holler A collection of tales, rhymes, superstitions, and sayings organized around the three distinct regions of the South. th Previously recommended for 5 Grade Van Laan, Nancy 630 Fiction - Wizard of Oz, The After being transported by a cyclone to the land of Oz, Dorothy and her dog are befriended by a scarecrow, a tin man, and a cowardly lion, who accompany her to the Emerald City to look for a wizard who can help Dorothy return home to Kansas. th Previously recommended for 7 Grade Baum, L. Frank 1000 Fiction 7.0 Wolf Stalker Twelve-year-old Jack, his younger sister, and the family‟s teenage foster child Troy go to Yellowstone National Park, where Jack‟s mother, a wildlife veterinarian, is investigating the report of wolves reintroduced to the Park have killed a dog there. th Previously recommended for 6 Grade Skurzynski, Gloria Ferguson, Alane 700 Fiction - Wringer As Palmer comes of age, he must either accept the violence of being a wringer at his town‟s annual Pigeon Day or find the courage to oppose it. th Previously recommended for 5 Grade Spinelli, Jerry 690 Fiction 5.5 RL 5-8 IL Wrinkle in Time, A Three extraterrestrial beings take Meg and her friends to another world. th Previously recommended for 7 Grade L‟Engle, Madeleine 740 Science Fiction/ Fantasy Fiction 4.7 Year Of The Perfect , The Christmas Tree Ruthie and her mother wonder how they will fulfill their obligation of getting the perfect Christmas tree to the town for the holiday celebration, since Papa has left the Appalachian area to go to war. th Previously recommended for 4 Grade Houston, Gloria AD600 4.2 Page 55 of 64 Revised 2007-2008 A variety of resources and multiple criteria were used to compile and validate the suggested book titles found in this document including, but not limited to:                        North Carolina Standard Course of Study Recommendations from Educators and Parents Gifted Books, Gifted Readers by Nancy Polette You Gotta Be the Book: Teaching Engaged and Reflective Reading with Adolescents by Jeffrey D. Wilhelm Leveled Books for Readers by Gay Su Pinnell and Irene C. Fountas “Gifted Child Today” North Carolina Battle of the Books Lists Battle of the Books Lists from Other States Book Lists from other School Systems in North Carolina Best Books for Children by John T. Gillespie The National Paideia Center Seminar Reading Lists Follett‟s Curriculum Titlewave Website Metametrics Website Newbery Medal/Honor Award List Caldecott Medal/Honor Award List American Library Association Notable Best Books List Coretta Scott King Award List Scott O‟Dell Award List PermaBound Grade Level Book Lists Reading Rainbow Reading List Accelerated Reader Book List Scholastic Reading List YALSA Best Books List Page 56 of 64 Revised 2007-2008 LEXILE FRAMEWORK The Lexile Framework makes it possible to place readers and text on the same scale. The difference between a reader‟s Lexile measure and a text‟s Lexile measure is used to forecast the comprehension that a particular reader will have with a text. The Framework systematizes two common intuitions: (1) that text can be ordered as to comprehensibility and (2) that readers can be ordered as to reading ability. The Lexile Framework provides a common language which students, teachers, parents, and media specialists can use in promoting student growth in reading. The Framework is not an instructional program any more than a thermometer is a medical treatment but just as a thermometer can be useful in managing medical interventions, the Lexile Framework can be useful in managing instructional interventions. When a reader has the same measure as a title, that means that the reader can read that title with 75% comprehension. When a reader and text measures match the reader is “targeted”. Targeted readers report competence, confidence, and control over the text. When a text measure is 250L greater than a reader‟s measure then comprehension drops to 50% and the subjective experience is one of frustration, inadequacy, and lack of control. Conversely, when a reader measure exceeds a text measure by 250L then comprehension goes up to 90% and the subjective experience is total control, flow, and automaticity. The Lexile Framework is one useful tool in designing and managing successful reading experiences for developing readers. The Framework is not a panacea and is not the only important consideration. Student interests, parental views on what constitutes age appropriate materials, and teacher‟s instructional aims are also vital issues in managing a readers growth. The Lexile Framework offers a number of benefits for teachers and students. It provides teachers with a highly effective tool for evaluating and monitoring students‟ achievement in reading. It gives them a “map” of reading materials that are well-suited to readers at specific skill levels. It also provides an excellent means of encouraging parental involvement, by giving parents both a clear idea of their child‟s progress and a selection of books that parent and child can read together. Time spent reading outside of school is a powerful predictor of future academic and workplace success. There is a close relationship between the core instructional reading program and the Lexile Framework. By giving a precise measurement of students‟ reading performance, the Lexile Framework can help teachers assess and monitor students more accurately. Teachers can supplement core texts with Lexile-rated material such as Scholastic titles, newspapers, and magazines, with full confidence that these additions are suitable for students‟ current skill levels. While students should be encouraged to move on to more demanding material as their skills develop, it is not necessary for them to advance to a higher Lexile level with each new book. By reading half a dozen or so titles at one Lexile level, young readers can build confidence and comfort in their degree of reading comprehension before moving to the next level on the map. Both the Lexile Reading Inventory and the Lexile Framework are geared toward the needs of readers at all levels. By giving teachers a precise measurement of student performance that is based on an absolute, invariant standard, this assessment system permits more effective evaluation and monitoring of student progress. The Framework is equally important for readers who are advancing more slowly as it is for readers who are advancing rapidly. Page 57 of 64 Revised 2007-2008 Grade 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 and 12 Reader Measures (interquartile Range, Mid-Year) Up to 300L 140L to 500L 330L to 700L 445L to 810L 565L to 910L 665L to 1000L 735L to 1065L 805L to 1100 L 855L to 1195L 905L to 1195L 940L to 1210L Text Measures (from the Lexile Map) 200L to 400L 300L to 500L 500L to 700L 650L to 850L 750L to 950L 850L to 1050L 950L to 1075L 1000L to 1100L 1050L to 1150L 1100L to 1200L 1100L to 1300L You will notice there is considerable overlap between the grades. This is typical of the reading levels of students in the grades and materials published. In addition, the level of support you provide during reading instruction and the motivation of the reader impact the reading experience. Students who are interested in reading about a specific topic (and therefore motivated) are able to read text that is at a higher level than his or her reading level (about 100L). Non-Conforming Text (NC) – A text designated as “NC” consists of semantic difficulty (vocabulary) and syntactic complexity (sentence length) that is inconsistent with the developmental appropriateness of the text. Typically these texts are written at a higher level than would be suggested by the content and the format of the text. Texts designated as “NC” are useful when matching advanced readers with text at an appropriate developmental level. Beginning Reading (BR) – A text designated as “BR” is any text that has a Lexile measure of zero or below. The measure is shown only as “BR” without the zero or negative number appearing. Non-Prose (NP) – A text designated as “NP” is any book whose content is at least 50% nonstandard prose. Some examples are “poems, plays, songs, and books with incorrect or no punctuation”. Adult-Directed (AD) – A text designated as “AD” is one designed to be read to or with readers. The following guidelines should be used when examining an “AD” text:  Text Placement  Sentence Length  Font Size and Placement  Basic Word Usage  Illustration Context  Book Size Texts designated as “AD” are useful when reading to a group and can be used to improve listening comprehension skills (e.g., making predictions, engaging in discussion, identifying meaning, and acquiring vocabulary). Used with permission www.Lexile Level/search/codes.asp Lexile Levels are available from the Testing and Accountability Department for students who have taken the End-of-Grade Tests. Page 58 of 64 Revised 2007-2008 ATOS The ATOS for Books formula is the first and only readability method based on analysis of actual student reading of entire books. Other formulas were developed from statistics derived from students reading short passages. ATOS is based on extensive research on:  the characteristics of text that most heavily influence readability.  the world‟s largest database of words used in actual books (over 30,000 books comprising nearly 500 million words).  comprehension statistics from 30,000 students reading almost a million books. ATOS also calculates readability from full-text computer scans of all the words in a book, rather than just sample passages employed by most other formulas. For all these reasons, ATOS accurately measures book difficulty, especially for hard-to-measure books such as these:  „high-low” books, which are read by struggling readers and often are overestimated by FleschKincaid and other widely accepted readability formulas.  emergent reader books, which often are underestimated by other formulas.  nonfiction books, which are often are more difficult than fiction books but are underestimated by other formulas  long books, which can also be underestimated by other formulas. Accelerated Reader and Reading Renaissance are registered trademarks of Renaissance Learning Inc. AR, Reading Practice, ATOS, and Renaissance Learning are trademarks of Renaissance Learning, Inc. © 2001, Renaissance Learning, Inc. All rights reserved. Page 59 of 64 Revised 2007-2008 Appendix Page 60 of 64 Revised 2007-2008 Appendix I Approved Reading List Committee Members Committee Member Liz Alfaro Leslie Black Diane Clark Regina (Cook) Propst Robin Deal Tanya Frye Paula Gettys Wendy Hildebran Yvonne Hilderbran Gina Humphries Beth Isenhour Kathy Keane Cheryl Knight Martha Lamb Marilyn McRee Dyanne Sherrill Marlena Taylor Jo-Nell Ward Stephanie Yoder Position ESL Teacher Director of Media Teacher Language Arts Teacher Teacher Teacher Teacher Media Specialist Media Specialist AIG Facilitator Assistant Superintendent Curriculum Specialist Teacher Curriculum Specialist Principal Curriculum Coach Language Arts Teacher AIG Facilitator Teacher School Lyle Creek Catawba County Schools Clyde Campbell Arndt Middle Tuttle Elementary Sherrills Ford Elementary Mountain View Elementary Startown Elementary Mill Creek Middle Catawba County Schools Catawba County Schools Catawba County Schools Murray Elementary Catawba County Schools Maiden Elementary Sweetwater Elementary Jacobs Fork Middle Catawba County Schools Startown Elementary Page 61 of 64 Revised 2007-2008 Appendix II Board of Education Policy 3.6120 Administrative Procedure Procedures for Additions to Approved Reading List Supplementary books are an integral part of instruction at each grade level. Inclusion of these books should be a thoughtful process with the following criteria at the center of the selection:       Congruence with North Carolina Standard Course of Study Age appropriateness of the text Cross-curricular value Reviews by organizations recognized in the fields of children and adolescent literature Recommendations from the International Reading Association Lexile Levels It is imperative that safeguards be established to protect students, teachers, and the LEA from controversy and challenges over questionable books. To that end, Catawba County Schools has adopted an Approved Reading List. The books currently on the Recommended Reading List” have been divided into two groups – “Approved Grade Level Books” and “Vertical Alignment Books,” those whose themes and worth transcend a particular grade level. Individuals wishing to add a title to either of the books lists will adhere to the following procedures: 1. Individual will complete the “Request for Inclusion” form for the Approved Catawba County Reading List. 2. The form will be submitted to the school‟s media specialist. 3. The media specialist will convene the Media/Technology Advisory Committee. 4. A minimum of three members of the school‟s Media/Technology Advisory Committee should read the book under consideration. One of these members must be the principal or his/her designee. 5. The Media/Technology Advisory Committee will render a decision on whether the book should be added to the district‟s list, responding in writing within 30 calendar days to the submitting party. 6. If the school‟s Media/Technology Advisory Committee approves the request, the media specialist will forward the request to the Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction. 7. If the content of the selection could be deemed offensive, the Central Office Reading Committee will solicit appropriate representation to review the selection. 8. Book requests submitted to the Central Office by October 1st will be acted upon by December 15th. The Central office will notify the media specialist on or before that date. Books to be considered for the following school year must be submitted to the Central Office by March 1st. The Central Office will notify the media specialist of its decision on or before June 15th. 9. If two schools submit the same title for consideration at two different grades, the Central office committee will make the grade-level determination. 10. If the Central Office committee denies addition of a specific book title, the individual submitting the request will have the right to lodge an appeal within 30 calendar days of notification. 11. Teachers in grades 3-12 are directed to teach books only on their approved list. 12. K-2 teachers should ensure that any selection used in the classroom is not on the 3-12 list. 13. Teachers may “trade down” as appropriate to congruency with the North Carolina Standard Course of Study. However, no “trading up” will be allowed in any fashion. 14. These procedures are not intended to discourage the use of picture books at any grade level. Dialog books for Formula 3 Phonics and North Carolina Children‟s/Junior‟s Book Awards selections may be used at the discretion of the teacher and his/her principal. 15. When considering theatrical field trips, principals and teachers should consider the value of the experience when the selection crosses grade-level designation. Vertical articulation within the feeder districts should minimize duplication of field trip experiences. 16. No separate distinctions for AIG, ELL or EC books will be denoted in the K-8 booklist. Superintendent 10/22/2007 Date Page 62 of 64 Revised 2007-2008 Appendix III All fields must be completed for a book/selection to be considered. Thirty calendar days will begin when Media Specialist receives the completed form. Date received by Media Specialist: Request for Inclusion on Approved Reading List Catawba County Schools If you wish to have a novel considered for inclusion on the Approved Reading List, please complete this two-page form, and submit to your Media Specialist. The Media/Technology Committee at your school will then respond to your request within 30 calendar days during the school year. If a book/selection is approved at the school level, it will be sent to the county level to determine final approval. Name of Submitting Teacher(s): Book/Selection Title: Author: Publisher: School: Date Submitted: Requested for Grade Note: Submitting teacher(s) must have read this book/selection within the last school year. **One copy of the book must be submitted with this request** How is this book/selection congruent with your Standard Course of Study? Subject: Goal: Objective: Why are you recommending this selection? (Attach additional pages as needed.) What is the theme/content of the book/selection? Page 63 of 64 Revised 2007-2008 Page 1 of 2 Does this book/selection contain profanity or other issues/concerns? Does the book/selection target a sensitive population? Please explain. Does the book/selection appear on the *100 Most Frequently Challenged Books” list? (This question is for information only. Being listed would not result in the rejection of a book/selection. www.ala.org/bbook/selections/top 1--bannedbook/selections.html) **Attach a list of awards and/or review comments.** **************FOR MEDIA/TECHNOLOGY USE ONLY************** CHECKLIST All fields of form completed Copy of book/selection submitted Principal/designee plus two others have read book/selection  TIMELINE Books submitted by October 1 to Central Office will be notified of decision by December 15. Books to be considered for the following school year must be submitted to Central Office by March 1 and will be notified of decision by June 15.  Signature of Book/Selection Readers 1. 2. 3. 4. Approved by Media/Technology Committee Position Not approved by Media Technology Committee Reason: Signature of Media/Technology Chairperson: Date: **********FOR CENTRAL OFFICE READING COMMITTEE USE ONLY********** Approved by Central Office Reading Committee Not approved by Central Office Reading Committee Reason: Signature of Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction Page 2 of 2 Date: Page 64 of 64 Revised 2007-2008