CHARLOTTE COUNTRY DAY SCHOOL LOWER SCHOOL 2017 SUMMER READING SUGGESTIONS
The goal of Lower School summer reading is to encourage all students to read every day from a variety of literary genres and to have fun while reading. The emphasis is on time spent reading and not on the number of books read. Student reading experiences naturally lead to greater fluency as well as increased appreciation for and interest in reading and help students maintain their reading skills while they are not in school.
The following lists of suggested titles from which students may choose include award winning books; new books for the 2016-17 year; books about diversity, equity, and inclusion; recommended series organized by Fountas and Pinnell level; and books that capture this year’s theme of “Build a Better World.” Since the lists are intended for children ranging in age from four to ten, some titles may be more suitable for older children. Titles with more difficult content or higher reading levels are indicated by an asterisk (*).
Parents can help their children by: Reading aloud to them even if they are able to read independently; Making reading an important part of every day for the entire family; Focusing more on the enjoyment of reading and less on literacy strategies; Helping them choose books that are appropriate in terms of both reading level and content; Visiting the public library and participating in its summer reading program and story hours.
The LS Library Online Resources Table on the LS Library page in Haiku offers a wealth of non-print reading opportunities: Book Recommendations o ALA Notable Children’s Books Nonfiction Reading Selections o World Book Online and Encyclopedia Britannica Online (general information) o CultureGrams (countries of the world and US states) o Kids InfoBits (general information) o SIRS Discoverer (general information) o World Almanac for Kids Online (general information) o Scholastic TrueFlix! (science, geography, and history) o PebbleGo (general information) o National Geographic Kids (exploration, science, and geography) o WebPath Express (web directory for locating age-appropriate web sites) NEW! Online Magazines o Eco Kids Planet o Ingredient Magazine o Kids, Code & Computer Science o Sports Illustrated for Kids o Zoobooks Ebooks o Destiny (fiction and nonfiction books in the Lower School Library collection) – summer/summer login o Scholastic TrueFlix! (nonfiction books on science, history, and geography) o TumbleBook Library (picture books) and TumbleBookCloud Junior (chapter books) o International Children’s Digital Library (children’s literature from around the world)
2017 LS Summer Reading 1 of 12
2017 AWARD WINNERS Caldecott (for the most distinguished American picture book for children) Steptoe Radiant Child: The Story of Young Artist Jean-Michel Basquiat [winner] Brosgol Leave Me Alone! [honor] Ellis Du Iz Tak? [honor] Weatherford Freedom in Congo Square [honor] Wenzel They All Saw a Cat [honor]
Newbery (for the most outstanding contribution to children's literature) Bryan * Freedom Over Me [honor] Gidwitz * The Inquisitor’s Tale [honor] Wolk * Wolf Hollow [honor]
Coretta Scott King (for an African American author or illustrator of outstanding books for children) Steptoe Radiant Child: The Story of Young Artist Jean-Michel Basquiat [illustrator winner] Bryan * Freedom Over Me [new talent author and illustrator honor] Jackson In Plain Sight [new talent illustrator honor] Weatherford Freedom in Congo Square [new talent illustrator honor]
NC Children’s Book Award (voted the best contemporary picture/chapter book by children of NC) Bell I Yam a Donkey [picture book winner] Jamieson * Roller Girl [junior book winner]
Pura Belpre Award (for the Latino/Latina writer and illustrator whose work best portrays, affirms, and celebrates the Latino cultural experience in an outstanding work of literature for children) Medina Juana & Lucas [author winner] Camper Lowriders to the Center of the Earth [illustrator winner] Wood Esquivel! Space-Age Sound Artist [illustrator honor] Tonatiuh The Princess and the Warrior: a Tale of Two Volcanoes [illustrator honor]
Theodore Geisel (for the most distinguished beginning reader book) Keller We Are Growing: A Mo Willems’ Elephant & Piggie Like Reading! Book [winner] Pizzoli Good Night Owl [honor] Twohy Oops, Pounce, Quick, Run! [honor] Milgrim Go, Otto, Go! [honor] LaReau The Infamous Ratsos [honor]
Orbis Pictus (for outstanding nonfiction for children) Sweet Some Writer! The Story of E. B. White [winner] Jenkins Animals by the Numbers: a Book of Animal Infographics [honor] Goodman The First Step: How One Girl Put Segregation on Trial [honor] Fleming Giant Squid [honor] Levy I Dissent: Ruth Bader Ginsberg Made Her Mark [honor]
Schneider Family (for the author or illustrator of a book that embodies an artistic expression of the disability experience for child and adolescent audiences) Bryant Six Dots: a Story of Young Louis Braille
2017 LS Summer Reading 2 of 12
BUILD A BETTER WORLD Build a better world through architecture, engineering, creative arts, technology, community service, volunteerism, environmental stewardship, and mindfulness. Challenge yourself to read at least one book from the list below or another book of your choice on this theme. Open your mind and heart to the possibilities - you CAN make the world a better place!
Community Service Allen Winning by Giving Ancona Can We Help? Kids Volunteering to Help Their Communities Brisson Wanda’s Roses Brisson The Summer My Father Was Ten de la Peña Last Stop on Market Street Deedy 14 Cows for America Edwards A Hat for Mrs. Goldman Frank Lend a Hand: Poems about Giving Kortemeier * Unsung Heroes of Social Justice Marsico Doctors Without Borders and others in the Community Connections: How Do They Help? series McCarney Dear Malala, We Stand with You Meiners Reach Out and Give Paratore 26 Things Small Hands Do Shoveller Ryan and Jimmy and the Well in Africa that Brought Them Together Suen The Red Cross and others in the Helping Organizations series
Creativity Aston Dream Something Big: the Story of the Watts Towers Barretta Now and Ben: the Modern Inventions of Benjamin Franklin Colson Get Inventing! Grubb Happy Dog Sizzles! Hanson The Wonder Johnson Magritte’s Marvelous Hat Johnston Levi Strauss Gets a Bright Idea MacLachlan Painting the Wind Martell Standing Small: a Celebration of 30 Years of the Lego Minifigure Mc Carthy Pop! the Accidental Invention of Bubble Gum McCully Marvelous Mattie: How Margaret E. Knight Became an Inventor Portis Not a Box / Not a Stick Reynolds Ish / The Dot / Sky Color Russell Lost for Words Scanlon Think Big Spires The Most Magnificent Thing Tusa Stay Away from the Junkyard! Winkler A Brand New Me! Winter Henri’s Scissors Worth Oh, the Things They Invented!
Caring for the Planet Bunting Someday a Tree
2017 LS Summer Reading 3 of 12
Cherry The Great Kapok Tree Child Charlie and Lola: We are Extremely Very Good Recyclers Dávila * Luz Makes a Splash Galko Earth Friends at Home / at School / at Play / at the Grocery Store Ganeri Something Old, Something New Inskipp Reducing and Recycling Waste and others in the Improving Our Environment series Kooser Bag in the Wind Leedy The Great Trash Bash Nelson Let’s Reuse! Nivola Planting the Trees of Kenya Paul One Plastic Bag: Isatou Ceesay and the Recycling Women of the Gambia Pennypacker Sparrow Girl Poitier Once I Was a Cardboard Box Rodger Building a Green Community Seuss The Lorax Siddals Compost Stew: an A to Z Recipe for the Earth Strauss One Well: the Story of Water on Earth Toft One Less Fish Weber Waste Not: Time to Recycle Winter Wangari’s Trees of Peace Wong The Dumpster Diver
Technology and Engineering Abell All about 3D Printing and others in the Cutting-Edge Technology series Allman The Nexi Robot Beaty Rosie Revere, Engineer Beaty Ada Twist, Scientist Berne On a Beam of Light: a Story of Albert Einstein Kortemeier * Unsung Heroes of Science / Technology Mara * Robotics: From Concept to Consumer Offill 11 Experiments that Failed Robinson Ada’s Ideas: the Story of Ada Lovelace, the World’s First Computer Programmer Rusch * Electrical Wizard: How Nikola Tesla Lit Up the World Stanley Ada Lovelace, Poet of Science: the First Computer Programmer
Architecture and Construction Bean Building Our House Beaty Iggy Peck, Architect Beck The Future Architect’s Handbook / Tool Kit Briere-Haquet Madame Eiffel: the Love Story of the Eiffel Tower Eggars This Bridge Will Not Be Gray Ellis Home Finger 13 Bridges Children Should Know Hale Dreaming Up: a Celebration of Building Hayden Amazing Buildings Henzel Taj Mahal Mannis Julia Morgan Built a Castle
2017 LS Summer Reading 4 of 12
Michelson Twice as Good: the Story of William Powell and Clearview (Golf Course) Paxmann From Mud Huts to Skyscrapers Slavin Transformed: How Everyday Things are Made
Balance and Mindfulness Aliki Quiet in the Garden Bang When Sophie Gets Angry / When Sophie’s Feelings Are Really, Really Hurt Baptiste My Daddy is a Pretzel: Yoga for Parents and Kids Blake The Perfect Spot Bunting Anna’s Table Carole Junk Food, Yes or No and others from the Seeing Both Sides series Collins When Charlie McButton Lost Power Côté Starring Me and You Daly Emily’s Blue Period DiOrio What Does It Mean to Be Present? Dunbar Flyaway Katie Elliott Melena’s Jubilee Frame Yesterday I Had the Blues Krishnaswami The Happiest Tree: a Yoga Story Lester Hurty Feelings Luyken The Book of Mistakes MacLean Peaceful Piggy Yoga McDonald Judy Moody Miles Move Your Mood! Moss * Say Something Moss Regina’s Big Mistake Neal Everyone… Roegiers Take the Time: Mindfulness for Kids Ryder Each Living Thing Rylant The Wonderful Happens Seuss My Many Colored Days Showers The Listening Walk Underwood The Quiet Book Vail Sometimes I’m Bombaloo Wood A Quiet Place Yolen How Do Dinosaurs Say I’m Mad?
NEW BOOKS FOR 2016-2017 Adamson Douglas, You Need Glasses! Applegate * Crenshaw Barton I’m Trying to Love Spiders (It Isn’t Easy) Birney Spring According to Humphrey Boothroyd How Do Parachutes Work? Bradley * The War that Saved My Life Bruel Bad Kitty Goes to the Vet Cantor Cuba
2017 LS Summer Reading 5 of 12
Dean Pete the Cat’s Groovy Guide to Life DiPucchio Antoinette Furstinger Everglades: the Largest Marsh in the United States and others in the Wonders of the World series Higgins Hotel Bruce Holm Squish: Pod vs. Pod Hooks Tiny Stitches: the Life of Medical Pioneer Vivien Thomas Jackson In Plain Sight John Penguin Problems Jones Unusual Chickens for the Exceptional Poultry Farmer Jurmain The Worst of Friends: Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, and the True Story of an American Feud Lang Swimming with Sharks: the Daring Discoveries of Eugenie Clark Mattick Finding Winnie: the True Story of the World’s Most Famous Bear Meisel An Awesome Summer, by P. Mantis Miller The Whole Story of the Doughnut Morgand What Do Grown-ups Do All Day? Osborne Balto of the Blue Dawn Page A Chicken Followed Me Home Pizzoli Tricky Vic: The Impossibly True Story of the Man Who Sold the Eiffel Tower Reagan How to Babysit a Grandma / How to Babysit a Grandpa Reynolds Nerdy Birdy Rockliff Gingerbread for Liberty! How a German Baker Helped Win the American Revolution Ruddell The Popcorn Astronauts and Other Biteable Rhymes Rylant Mr. Putter and Tabby Hit the Slope Schaefer Because of an Acorn Stilton The Wizard’s Wand Watson Stick Cat: a Tail of Two Kitties Wheeler Dino-racing Yaccarino Doug Unplugged Yolen What to Do in a Box
DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION Children need to see themselves reflected in the books they read in order to develop a positive identity and see that their experiences matter. They also need to read books that allow them to look into the lives of people with alternative worldviews so that they can understand and appreciate the stories of others. Alvarez * How Tia Lola Ended Up Starting Over Andrews Trombone Shorty Archer Daniel Finds a Poem Baldacchino Morris Micklewhite and the Tangerine Dress Bertrand My Pal Victor Boelts Those Shoes Brown Waiting for the Biblioburro Bunting One Green Apple Chen On My Way to Buy Eggs Chŏng Look Up! Conkling * Sylvia and Aki de la Peña Last Stop on Market Street
2017 LS Summer Reading 6 of 12
DiPucchio One Little, Two Little, Three Little Children / The Sandwich Swap / Gaston Dorros Papá and Me Draper * Out of My Mind Engle Drum Dream Girl: How One Girl’s Courage Changed Music Falwell Butterflies for Kiri Fine Armando and the Blue Tarp School Finke Hanni and Beth: Safe & Sound Gainer I’m Like You, You’re Like Me Goodman The First Step: How One Girl Put Segregation on Trial Grimes * Words with Wings Hall Red: a Crayon’s Story Heiligman The Boy Who Loved Math: the Improbable Life of Paul Erdos Hunt * Fish in a Tree Ieronimo A Thirst for Home Isabel Maybe Something Beautiful Isabella The Red Bicycle: the Extraordinary Story of One Ordinary Bicycle Jamieson * Roller Girl Kehoe * The Unusual Mind of Vincent Shadow Khan King for a Day Laínez * My Shoes and I Langston-George * For the Right to Learn: Malala Yousafzai's Story Lazo-Gilmore Cora Cooks Pancit Lin The Ugly Vegetables Macy Miss Mary Reporting: the True Story of Sportswriter Mary Garber Manushkin Happy in Our Skin Martin * Rain Reign Mason These Hands Medina Mango, Abuela, and Me Millman Moses Sees a Play Mohammed My Name is Sangoel Nelson The Book Itch: Freedom, Truth & Harlem’s Greatest Bookstore Nolen Thunder Rose Palacio * Wonder Paul Water is Water: a Book about the Water Cycle Pennypacker * Waylon! One Awesome Thing Pinkney I Am Latino: the Beauty in Me Pinkney * The Red Pencil Palacio We’re All Wonders Polacco The Art of Miss Chew Rabinowitz A Boy and a Jaguar Ringgold We Came to America Rivera-Ashford My Tata’s Remedies Ruurs * Stepping Stones: a Refugee Family's Journey Say The Favorite Daughter Skrypuch Adrift at Sea: a Vietnamese Boy's Story of Survival Stockdale Max the Champion Stryer Kami and the Yaks
2017 LS Summer Reading 7 of 12
Tafolla What Can You Do with a Rebozo? / What Can You Do with a Paleta? Tavares * Growing Up Pedro Thompson Emmanuel's Dream: the True Story of Emmanuel Ofosu Yeboah Thong Green is a Chile Pepper Torres Finding the Music Weatherford The Legendary Miss Lena Horne Willis Susan Laughs
RECOMMENDED SERIES BY FOUNTAS AND PINNELL (F & P) LEVEL Just as a child’s shoe size is not based on his/her age or grade, reading level reflects the reading skills of an individual child at a particular moment in his/her reading journey. Reading levels should be used as guides rather than limitations. In general, children in grades 1-4 would read in the F & P level ranges shown. Grade 1 (Levels B-J) Grade 2 (Levels K-N) Grade 3 (Levels N-P) Grade 4 (Levels Q-S)
Level D - E Berenstain Bears Biscuit Tiny (Meister) Level F Biscuit [F-G] Dear Dragon Level G Biscuit [F-G] Elephant & Piggie Level H Danny and the Dinosaur Fly Guy [H-I] Level I Fly Guy [H-I] Max Spaniel Penny (Henkes) Pinkalicious I Can Read [I-K] Splat the Cat I Can Read [I-K] Level J Annie and Snowball Benjamin Bear Bones (Adler) [J-K] Cork and Fuzz Dragon Tales Fancy Nancy Henry and Mudge Invisible Inc. Iris and Walter Lego City [J-L] Little Bear Minnie and Moo Mr. Putter and Tabby Pinkalicious I Can Read [I-K] Poppleton Silly Lilly Snail (Stadler) Splat the Cat I Can Read [I-K] Young Cam Jansen
2017 LS Summer Reading 8 of 12
Level K Andy Shane Amanda Pig Arthur (Hoban) Blaze Bones (Adler) [J-K] Benny and Penny Bramble and Maggie Breyer Stablemates [K-M] Cowgirl Kate and Cocoa Flat Stanley I Can Read [K-L] Fluffy Frog and Toad Golly Sisters Gus and Grandpa Harold (Johnson) High Rise Private Eyes Houndsley and Catina Invisible Inc. Lego City [J-L] Ling & Ting Mercy Watson Nate the Great Pinkalicious I Can Read [I-K] Silly Tilly Level L Amanda Pig Amelia Bedelia Boris [L-M] Breyer Stablemates [K-M] Cam Jansen The Dog that Stole Home / Pitched a No-Hitter / Stole Football Plays Dodsworth Flat Stanley I Can Read [K-L] Hopscotch Hill School Horrible Harry [L-N] Invisible Inc. Kayla and King Lego City [J-L] Maybelle Milo & Jazz Mysteries Moose and Hildy Mouse and Mole Olivia Sharp Pinky and Rex Piper Green Polk Street School Princess Posey Rabbit & Robot
2017 LS Summer Reading 9 of 12
Rainbow Magic Ricky Ricotta Werewolf Club Level M Adventures of the Bailey School Kids Beany Bink & Gollie Boris [L-M] Breyer Stablemates [K-M] Calendar Mysteries Cobble Street Cousins Flat Stanley [M-Q] Heidi Heckelbeck Horrible Harry [L-N] Ivy + Bean Jenny Archer Judy Moody Judy Moody and Friends Junie B. Jones The Littles Lola Levine Lucy (Cooper) Magic Tree House Marc Brown’s Arthur (Krensky) Marvin Redpost Monty (Hurwitz) Owl Diaries Sprout Street Neighbors Stink Tales from Deckawoo Drive Zig and Wikki Level N A to Z Mysteries Amber Brown [N-O] Andy Russell Ballet Slippers Ballpark Mysteries Black Lagoon Adventures Capital Mysteries Catwings Dinosaur Cove Flat Stanley [M-Q] The Flying Beaver Brothers Gym Shorts Horrible Harry [L-N] Magic Tree House Martin Bridge Mo and Jo Nancy Drew Notebooks
2017 LS Summer Reading 10 of 12
Nikki and Deja On My Own History Rainbow Street Shelter Rookie Biographies Level O Amber Brown [N-O] Charlie Bumpers Clementine Flat Stanley [M-Q] Geronimo Stilton Julian (Cameron) Lighthouse Family Lotus Lane Magic School Bus Science Chapter Books Mallory My Weird School My Weird School Daze Nancy Clancy [O-P] Polk Street Princess Tales [O-P] Squish Three-Ring Rascals Whitewater Scrubs Level P Akimbo Amazing Athletes Bad Kitty Encyclopedia Brown Flat Stanley [M-Q] Goosebumps [P-T+] Nancy Clancy [O-P] Princess Tales [O-P] Stick Dog Squish Time Warp Trio Level Q Amazing Days of Abby Hayes American Girls Collection Animal Ark Flat Stanley [M-Q] Goosebumps [P-T+] I Survived Little Women Journals Magic Shop Museum Mysteries Paddington Who Was-- ? [Q-S] Level R Baseball Card Adventures [R-T] Fred Bowen Sports Story Series Goosebumps [P-T+]
2017 LS Summer Reading 11 of 12
Hank Zipzer Knights’ Tales Shredderman Spiderwick Chronicles Who Was-- ? [Q-S] Level S Baseball Card Adventures [R-T] Biggest Names in Sports Emily Windsnap Goosebumps [P-T+] Island Lunch Lady Origami Yoda The Sherlock Files Saxby Smart, Private Detective Stella Batts (S-T+) Swindle [S-T] Thea Stilton Warriors [S-T] Who Was-- ? [Q-S] Level T 39 Clues (T+) Baseball Card Adventures [R-T] Black Stallion The Books of Elsewhere Charlie Bone (T+) Chicagoland Detective Agency Dear America Everest Goosebumps [P-T+] Heroic Misadventures of Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III Horse Diaries How to Train Your Dragon Origami Yoda Penderwicks Stella Batts (S-T+) Swindle [S-T] Warriors [S-T]
2017 LS Summer Reading 12 of 12