4Th and 5Th Grade Suggested Summer Reading List 2013
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AOSR Suggested Summer Reading List 2014 4th and 5th Grades KEY = Title is available on myOn * = Series All book descriptions on this list were created by the ES Librarian or amazon.com or myOn.com. FICTION Africa Is My Home: A Child of the Amistad by Monica Edinger This story, inspired by a true account, is about a 9-year-old girl from Sierra Leone who is captured by slavers and taken aboard the ship called the Amistad. Mutiny arises on the ship and when they arrive in the United States, court proceedings begin and the case reaches the Supreme Court. A Girl Called Problem by Katie Quirk 13-year-old Shida, whose name means "problem" in Swahili, has lots of problems. Her father is dead, her mother is rumored to be a witch, her family is cursed, and everyone expects her to marry rather than pursue her dream. When the elders decide to move everyone to a nearby village, she welcomes the change. Unfortunately, mysterious calamities occur to her people after the move and she must prove to the entire village that life can be better in their new home. *The Apothecary by Maile Meloy It’s 1952 and Janie and her family must flee to London from America because they are suspected to be Communists. Janie isn’t thrilled with London until she befriends Benjamin, a wannabe spy. Together they stumble upon a sinister, mysterious meeting which leads them on a thrilling adventure chockfull of twists and turns. This book is a spectacular blend of history, magic, science! Attack of the Fluffy Bunnies by Andrea Beaty Hysterically funny summer camp adventures of twin brothers Joules and Kevin are anything but typical! Care for fluffy aliens and marshmallows, anyone? A Year Without Autumn by Liz Kessler Jenni’s world is turned upside down when she steps out an elevator and realizes she has skipped an entire year! And life has not changed for the better. Can Jenni use the elevator to help change the past? *Because of Mr. Terupt by Rob Buyea Told through alternating chapters from the perspective of seven very different 5th graders — the new kid, the bully, the prankster, the brainiac, the victim, the shy one, and the kid that hates school. This emotional story is guaranteed to have something for everyone. th th 4 and 5 Grade Suggested Summer Reading List 2014 Page 1 Belly Up by Stuart Gibbs Even though 12-year-old Teddy’s parents work at a theme park, Teddy’s summer has been more boring than fun. When Henry the Hippo dies under mysterious circumstances, however, Teddy finds himself in a whirlwind mystery because he is convinced that Henry was murdered! *The Beyonders: A World Without Heroes; Seeds of Rebellion; Chasing the Prophecy by Brandon Mull This New York Times bestselling epic fantasy trilogy features a boy named Jason who falls into a new world, called Lyrian. Unfortunately, Lyrian is ruled by a terrifying leader called Maldon. Jason goes on an extraordinary quest to bring him down. Will he achieve his goal? Breaking Stalin’s Nose by Eugene Yelchin The time has finally come for ten-year-old Sasha Zaichik to join the Soviet Young Pioneers. But on the very day that he is to become a member, everything goes very, very wrong. *The Case of the Peculiar Pink Fan: An Enola Holmes Mystery by Nancy Springer Being Sherlock Holmes sister isn’t easy. But when Enola receives a desperate message from her dear friend Lady Cicely, Enola will do anything to help her---even if it means working with her brother. Celia’s Robot by Margaret Chang 10-year-old Celia is messy and disorganized, so her father builds her a robot to help organize her life. High- tech Robot is part nanny, part housekeeper, and part friend, but Celia worries that Dad built Robot because her parents are too busy to take care of her. When Robot goes missing, Celia wonders if she's lost her father's love as well. Chomp by Carl Hiaasen Wahoo Cray’s dad is an animal wrangler who was hired to work on a reality television show called Expedition Survival! Wahoo knows it’s not the animals who might cause problems: it’s the inept, egotistical and unpredictable TV host. The Conch Bearer (Brotherhood of the Conch) by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni In a dusty shack in modern day Calcutta, a kind healer entrusts 12-year-old Anand with a conch shell that possesses mystical powers. The healer gives him a challenging task: to return the shell to its rightful home, which is hundreds of miles away in the Himalayas! Will he manage to find his way? Detectives in Togas by Henry Winterfeld In these two delightful history-mysteries, seven boys in Ancient Rome solve strange crimes . thanks to some help from their cranky teacher, a little bit of logic, and a lot of amusing misadventure. *Dying to Meet You (43 Old Cemetery Road) by Kate Klise Junior Library Guild selection th th 4 and 5 Grade Suggested Summer Reading List 2014 Page 2 When the cranky, child-despising Ignatius B. Grumply, a children’s book author, moves into an old Victorian house, he’s surprised to learn he isn’t alone! An abandoned boy, cat, and a ghost are residing upstairs! Escape From Mr. Limoncello’s Library by Chris Grabenstein When the eccentric inventor of video and board games returns to his hometown to build a fabulous library he brings with him the most, wild challenge anyone has ever heard of. 7th grader Kyle Keeley desperately wants to be the winner but it will take skill, cleverness, and ultimately teamwork to get first place. Far-Flung Adventures: Fergus Crane by Paul Stewart Life is pretty normal for Fergus Crane. Until a winged mechanical horse whisks him away, that is! Join Fergus’s adventure as he discovers that his “normal” life is anything but! The Five Lives of Our Cat Zook by Joanne Rocklin 10-year-old Oona and her brother Fred fiercely love their cat Zook (short for Zucchini). Unfortunately, Zook is sick. As they conspire to break him out of the vet’s office, Oona invents vivid, entertaining stories of his previous lives. Kids who love Junie B. Jones will love this book. Flora and Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventure by Kate DiCamillo Newbery Award A tragic accident with unexpected consequences. Ulysses, the squirrel, never saw the vacuum cleaner coming. Flora, the cynic, jumps in to save him. What happens next are physical and emotional revolutions and revelations that they never thought possible. *Goddess Girls Books #1-4: Athena the Brain; Persephone the Phony; Aphrodite the Beauty; Artemis the Brave by Joan Holub A modern twist on classical myths. See how the goddesses of Mount Olympus Academy face challenges such as dealing with bullies, crushes, friendship, and family. This series is very popular at AOSR! The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman Newbery Award Bod is an unusual boy who inhabits an unusual place—he's the only living resident of a graveyard. Raised from infancy by the ghosts, werewolves, and other cemetery denizens, Bod has learned the old customs of his guardians' time as well as their ghostly teachings—such as the ability to Fade so mere mortals cannot see him. Can a boy raised by ghosts face the wonders and terrors of the worlds of both the living and the dead? *The Grimm Conclusion (A Tale Dark & Grimm) by Adam Gidwitz 2 children venture through forests, flee kingdoms, face ogres and demons and monsters, and, ultimately, find their way home. Oh yes, and they may die. Just once or twice. Heartbeat by Sharon Creech Written in verse, this lovely story has a lot of heart. Free-spirited Annie loves to run bare-footed with her running partner Max and to contemplate life as they run. Things are changing: her Mom is pregnant and her beloved Grandfather is slipping into dementia. Annie is a resilient, thoughtful girl who approaches life with spirit and self-awareness. th th 4 and 5 Grade Suggested Summer Reading List 2014 Page 3 *I Funny: A Middle School Story by James Patterson This highly-illustrated, heartfelt middle school story tells the tale of Jamie Grimm, a boy who dreams of being a world- famous comedian. He tries to focus on his dream despite the fact that his life is falling apart. Iron Hearted Violet by Kelly Barnhill Princess Violet is plain, reckless, and quite possibly too clever for her own good. One day she and her best friend, Demetrius, stumble upon a hidden room and find a peculiar book. It tells a story of an evil being--called the Nybbas--imprisoned in their world. The story cannot be true--not really. But then the whispers start. Violet and Demetrius, along with an ancient, scarred dragon, may hold the key to the Nybbas's triumph...or its demise. It all depends on how they tell the story. Jinx by Sage Blackwood In this fantasy novel, an orphan named Jinx lives in the Urwald, a primeval forest filled with lurking trolls, wizards, witches. He’s well aware that if he steps off the path, he tangles with danger. Join Jinx on a suspenseful and magical adventure. Leepike Ridge by N. D. Wilson The night Tom’s schoolteacher comes to dinner and asks Tom’s mother to marry him, Tom slips out of the house and escapes down a nearby stream on a floating slab of packing foam. The night and stars lull Tom to sleep, and when he wakes, he has ridden his foam raft all the way to the ridge, where the stream dives underground.