R i s i n g 6 t h G r a d e S u m m e r R e a d i n g P a g e | 1

The Lakeway Christian Academy English Department is excited to share information about the Summer Reading Program, an effort to encourage ongoing learning and student growth beyond the confines of the school year. By participating in the Summer Reading Program, students actively combat the educational regression that naturally occurs over the summer months. Reading over the summer months is an important opportunity for students to stay engaged and to develop a lifelong commitment to reading and learning. The Lakeway English Department recommends all students to read one book over the summer. The titles were selected with the purposes of student engagement and preparation for the coming year. Families will find the specific information for 6th grade attached to this letter. The books cover a variety of genres, topics, difficulty, and length. For this reason, we recommend that you review the GoodReads info provided and research the book prior to locating a copy to read. These books are available for purchase in stores such as Books-A-Million and McKay’s. Students may also purchase the book through an online warehouse or marketplace such as Amazon (and may even purchase the book as an electronic download if available). The public library has many of these titles available as well. We recommend you set aside time to read your book: 20 minutes each day at the same time each day. Find a quiet and convenient location that is free from distractions so that you can fully enjoy the story in front of you. If you do this, you will finish before the start of the next school year. Students must complete their summer reading by the first week of school. After this time, teachers will incorporate activities into their lessons that address the required summer reading. Thank you for continuing to invest in reading and education. Remember, the most important part of Summer Reading is that you enjoy it! The attached books contain fantastic stories and interesting characters. Have a great summer and happy reading!

Step-by-Step to Summer Reading 1. Choose a book from the list attached. It must be a book that you have not yet read.

2. Read the book over the summer. Complete the reading by the first week of school.

3. Be prepared to complete an assignment over the book in the first two weeks of the upcoming school year.

R i s i n g 6 t h G r a d e S u m m e r R e a d i n g P a g e | 2 Sounder ISBN: 978-0064400206

Winner of the Newbery Medal and an acknowledged landmark in children’s literature, Sounder traces the keen sorrow and abiding faith of a poor African-American boy in the 19th-century South. The boy’s father is a sharecropper. Night after night, he and his great coon dog, Sounder, return to the cabin empty-handed. Then, one day, he succeeds in bringing something home. Unfortunately, the joy is short-lived: Sounder is shot by police and he disappears.

Angry and humiliated, the boy has no choice but to begin a difficult transition to adulthood. Sounder eventually returns and so does the boy’s hope. Though nothing can change the hard realities of the past, he gradually finds the courage he needs to rely on his own resources and walk bravely toward the future. As resonant now as when it was first written, Armstrong’s powerful, beautifully told story will strike a chord with readers and stay with them for years to come.

The Penderwicks ISBN: 978-0440420477

This summer the Penderwick sisters have a wonderful surprise: a holiday on the grounds of a beautiful estate called Arundel. Soon they are busy discovering the summertime magic of Arundel’s sprawling gardens, treasure-filled attic, tame rabbits, and the cook who makes the best gingerbread in Massachusetts. But the best discovery of all is Jeffrey Tifton, son of Arundel’s owner, who quickly proves to be the perfect companion for their adventures.

The icy-hearted Mrs. Tifton is not pleased with the Penderwicks, though, and warns the new friends to stay out of trouble. Which, of course, they will—won’t they? One thing’s for sure: it will be a summer the Penderwicks will never forget.

Deliciously nostalgic and quaintly witty, this is a story as breezy and carefree as a summer day.

The Secret Garden ISBN: 978-0064401883

This gorgeous paperback includes Tasha Tudor’s iconic illustrations, an extended author biography, activities, and more, making it the perfect collector’s edition or a wonderful gift for young readers.

When orphaned Mary Lennox comes to live at her uncle’s great house on the Yorkshire Moors, she finds it full of secrets. The mansion has nearly one hundred rooms, and her uncle keeps himself locked up. And at night, she hears the sound of crying down one of the long corridors.

The gardens surrounding the large property are Mary’s only escape. Then, Mary discovers a secret garden, surrounded by walls and locked with a missing key. With the help of two unexpected companions, Mary discovers a way in—and becomes determined to bring the garden back to life. R i s i n g 6 t h G r a d e S u m m e r R e a d i n g P a g e | 3 The Tale of Despereaux ISBN: 978-0763680893

Welcome to the story of Despereaux Tilling, a mouse who is in love with music, stories, and a princess named Pea. It is also the story of a rat called Roscuro, who lives in the darkness and covets a world filled with light. And it is the story of Miggery Sow, a slow- witted serving girl who harbors a simple, impossible wish.

These three characters are about to embark on a journey that will lead them down into a horrible dungeon, up into a glittering castle, and, ultimately, into each other’s lives. And what happens then? As Kate DiCamillo would say: Reader, it is your destiny to find out.

My Side of the Mountain ISBN: 978-0142401118

Fifteen-year-old Sam Gribley has decided to run away. Unlike most kids who rarely get beyond their block, Sam goes from New York City to a ruined farm in the Catskill Mountains. There are no buildings or people on the old Gribley farm, so Sam sets up residence by hollowing out the trunk of an ancient Hemlock tree. He has only a few survival tools with him: a penknife, a ball of cord, an ax, 40 dollars, and some flint and steel to help him make fire. Sam learns to live off the land, and in the course of a year, discovers just how much he values freedom, independence, and adventure when faced with the challenges of blizzards, loneliness and fear.

This Newberry Honor Book combines recipes, drawings, diary entries and narration to create an enthralling portrait of a boy’s self-sufficiency. Outdoor lovers will find lots of information about survival skills, and all readers will identify with Sam’s ups and downs as he lives out every child’s secret dream.

Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH ISBN: 978-0689710681

Mrs. Frisby, a widowed mouse with four small children, is faced with a terrible problem. She must move her family to their summer quarters immediately, or face almost certain death. But her youngest son, Timothy, lies ill with pneumonia and must not be moved. Fortunately, she encounters the rats of NIMH, an extraordinary breed of highly intelligent creatures, who come up with a brilliant solution to her dilemma. And Mrs. Frisby in turn renders them a great service. R i s i n g 6 t h G r a d e S u m m e r R e a d i n g P a g e | 4 Island of Blue Dolphins ISBN: 978-0547328614

Karana, an Indian girl, lives happily with her people on the Island of the Blue Dolphins. It is an island in the Pacific that gets its name from its beautiful shape from above it looks like a dolphin lying on its side, “with its tail pointing toward sunrise,” sunning itself in the sea. Around it blue dolphins swim, otters play, and sea elephants and sea birds thrive. Karana’s people live in harmony among the other animals on and around the island as they have for generations. One day, strangers arrive in a boat. Their disregard for the ways of the Indians leads to bloody consequences, and Karana’s family is destroyed, and eventually with the arrival of more hunters, the entire community disappears from the island, save Karana.

Author O’Dell has based Karana’s spare, poetic narrative on the events that took place on a real island off the coast of California first settled by Indians in about 2000 B.C. And there actually was a Karana, an girl who lived Robinson Crusoe style on the island for 18 years.

The Mysterious Benedict Society ISBN: 978-0316003957

“Are you a gifted child looking for special opportunities?” Dozens of children respond to this peculiar ad in the newspaper and are then put through a series of mind-bending tests, which readers take along with them. Only four children--two boys and two girls-- succeed. Their challenge: to go on a secret mission that only the most intelligent and inventive children could complete. To accomplish it they will have to go undercover at the Learning Institute for the Very Enlightened, where the only rule is that there are no rules. But what they’ll find in the hidden underground tunnels of the school is more than your average school supplies. So, if you’re gifted, creative, or happen to know Morse Code, they could probably use your help.

World Series ISBN: 978-0152056544

The Brooklyn Dodgers have finally made it to the World Series, after years of losing seasons and disappointments. Roy Tucker, the kid from Tomkinsville, is excited about the series, and also about the prospect of a little extra money to send home to his grandmother in Connecticut. The Cleveland Indians are now all that stands between the Dodgers and their first-ever championship. But this seven-game series could be the longest they’ve ever played, plagued by injuries, setbacks, and early losses. Will Tucker and his Brooklyn teammates finally have their moment of glory?