Summer 2009 Reading List S.C.A.P.A. Rising 4th Graders
Students should be reading books of their choice over the summer. If you select several books from this list you will be able to discuss them with your new classmates and teachers. Students should be doing some reading every day. To help you we have put together the following list of book suggestions. The books listed below can be found at the Lexington Public Library and at local or on-line book stores. S.C.A.P.A. Library will also be open Tuesday afternoons from 2:30-4:30 starting June 23rd until August 11th the day before school starts!
1. Given to all: Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing by Judy Blume
If you have not read this delightful book be sure to before you start S.C.A.P.A. 4th Grade!
** Also choose two, three, or more from the following list:
2. A Long Way from Chicago by Richard Peck. In a novel that skillfully captures the nuances of small-town life; an elderly man reminisces about his annual trips from Chicago to his grandmother's house in rural Illinois during the Depression. (5.6 B.L.) 3. The Adventures of Captain Underpants Series by Dav Pilkey. Kids read them over and over, giggle and giggle, and flip o rama!! The books are funny, silly and always get a good laugh. (Easy read) 4. Alice in Wonderland/Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll. Tweedledum and Tweedledee, the Mad Hatter, the Cheshire Cat, the Red Queen and the White Rabbit all make their appearances, and are now familiar figures in writing, conversation and idiom. (8.3 B.L.) 5. Amber Brown Series by Paula Danzinger. Paula Danziger has a magical way of meshing the fun (best friends, school projects) with the serious (moving away), to create a splendid work of fiction that really appeals to young readers. Her ability to bring real-life situations to the forefront, and shine a spotlight on them is inspiring, and will obviously win a place in the heart of readers who are experiencing similar situation. (Grades 2-5) 6. Bud Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis. Grade 4-7-Motherless Bud shares his amusingly astute rules of life as he hits the road to find the jazz musician he believes is his father. A medley of characters brings Depression-era Michigan to life. (5.0 B.L.) 7. Bunnicula by Deborah Howe. BEWARE THE HARE! Is he or isn't he a vampire? Before it's too late, Harold the dog and Chester the cat must find out the truth about the newest pet in the Monroe household -- a suspicious-looking bunny with unusual habits...and fangs! (4.5 B.L.)
8. Call It Courage by Armstrong Sperry. New York Herald Tribune "A boy's character at ten years old is more often influenced by emotion than by reasoning. Something in the conduct of a hero leaps like a spark to light his own spirit. A book with a hero can sometimes bring this about. This is such a book....(5.0 B.L.) 9. Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White. In this story of friendship, hardship, and the passing on into time, E.B. White reminds us to open our eyes to the wonder and miracle often found in the simplest of things. (6.0 B.L.) 10. The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis In brief, four children travel repeatedly to a world in which they are far more than mere children and everything is far more than it seems. Richly told, populated with fascinating characters, perfectly realized in detail of world and pacing of plot, and profoundly allegorical, the story is infused throughout with the timeless issues of good and evil, faith and hope. (Series: 5.7-6.5 B.L.) 11. Class President by Johanna Hurwitz. "Hurwitz masterfully demonstrates why she is one of the premier practitioners of the humorous school story genre. (4.9 B.L.) 12. Cricket in Times Square by George Selden. "The story of a musical cricket and his friends, a mouse and a cat of real character, who took up their abode in a Times Square newsstand...(4.3 B.L.) 13. Dollhouse Murders by Betty Ren Wright. Middle-grade mystery about a murder kept secret in a dollhouse. Amy is terrified. She hears scratching and scurrying noises coming from the dollhouse, and the dolls she was playing with are not where she left them. Dolls can't move by themselves, she tells herself. Are their movements connected to grisly murders of her own great-grandparents? (4.3 B. L.) 14. Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine. It is a classic fairytale very similar to Cinderella but with a more mature theme and morals to the story. Ella is a fifteen year old girl with a rare gift for obedience. (4.4 B.L.) 15. Everywhere by Brooks Bruce. Brooks' 1990 novel is a rich, enduring work of fiction in the literary tradition of Truman Capote and Carson McCullers. A 10-year-old boy whose beloved grandfather is gravely ill discovers the miraculous and healing power of love. "Brilliantly written."--School Library Journal—(6.0 B.L.) 16. A Family Apart by Joan Lowry Nixon. From Publishers Weekly This first book of the Orphan Train Quartet tells the story of Frances Mary, 13, eldest of the six Kelly children. Life in New York's grim 19th century slums consists of hardship for the poor but honest Kelly clan. When widowed Mrs. Kelly feels that she is no longer capable of providing for her children, she sends them west on the Orphan Train, to be adopted by farm families.(5.6 B.L.) 17. The Great Brain by John Fitzgerald. The best con man in the Midwest is only ten years old. Tom, a.k.a., the Great Brain, is a silver-tongued genius with a knack for turning a profit. Whether it’s saving the kids at school, or helping out Peg-leg Andy, or Basil, the new kid at school, the Great Brain always manages to come out on top— and line his pockets in the process.( 4.8 B.L.)
18. The Hundred Dresses by Eleanor Estes. Never out of print since its 1944 publication, this tender story offers readers of all ages a timeless message of compassion and understanding. At its heart is Wanda Petronski, an immigrant girl in an American school, who is ridiculed for wearing the same faded blue dress every day. When she tells her classmates that she has one hundred dresses at home, she unwittingly triggers a game of teasing that eventually ends in a lesson for all. (Newberry Honor Book-4.9 B.L.) 19. Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle by Betty MacDonald. Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle lives in an upsidedown house ans smells like cookies. She was even married to a pirate once. Most of all, she knows everything about children. She can cure them of any ailment. Patsy hates baths. Hubert never puts anything away. Allen eats v-e-r-y slowly. Mrs PiggleWiggle has a treatment for all of them. (6.6 B.L.) 20. Weasel by Cynthia DeFelice. From School Library Journal Grade 4-7. A ruthless villain known as Weasel commits unspeakable atrocities in the frontier wilderness. When 12-year-old Nathan's family is victimized, the boy is determined to avenge the wrongs on his own. A masterfully told, riveting tale sure to inspire strong discussion about moral choices. (7.0 B.L.)