Incoming Fifth Grade 2017 Summer Reading

Our reading theme, in fifth grade, is perseverance. It is mandatory to read one of the three books listed below this summer. Each book features a courageous boy, who must persevere while facing great challenges far from home. The genre is historical fiction. Our initial discussions about literature will focus on these three books.

● Call it Courage - Armstrong Sperry ​ ● Heart of A Samurai - Margi Preus ​ ● Woods Runner -Gary Paulsen ​

Summer Reading To-Do List ● Read at least four (4) books during the summer. ● Read across the genres to become a more effective reader. ● Select what you want to read, that includes comics and graphic novels, newspapers and magazines. ● Read as much non-fiction as fiction. ● Choose topics that might interest you. ● The following authors are popular with fifth graders: Rick Riordan, Erin Hunter, Tim Green, David Lubar, Suzanne Collins, Matthew Cody, D. J. McHale, Dan Gutman, and Chris Grabenstein. ● Read a series. ● Read books on the list and books not on the list. ● Send Mrs. Benditt the names of books that you would recommend. ● READ!

Parent Tip: If you are in need of easier books or more challenging books, check the lists ​ provided for either rising fourth or sixth graders.

Suggestions FANTASY zz ​ The Black Cauldron Lloyd Alexander The High King Lloyd Alexander Good Dog Avi Poppy Avi The Secret History of Tom Trueheart Ian Beck The Name of This Book is Secret Pseudonymous Bosch Redwall (series) Jacque Brian Medusa Jones Ross Collins Gregor the Overlander series Suzanne Collins ​ Artemis Fowl (series) Eoin Colfer ​ The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane Kate DiCamillo Powerless Matthew Cody (series) ​ Young Wizards series Diane Duane ​ Half Magic Edward Eager The Sea of Trolls (trilogy) Nancy Farmer Shadow Children series Margaret Peterson Haddix ​ George's Secret Key to the Universe Lucy and Stephen Hawking Warriors series Erin Hunter ​ The Lion, Witch and the Wardrobe C.S. Lewis The Giant-Slayer Iain Lawrence My Rotten Life David Lubar Tomorrow (series) John Marsden ​ Fablehaven (series) Brandon Mull ​ Beyonders (series) Brandon Mull Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH Robert C. O’Brien Eragon (series) Christopher Paolini Kingdom Keepers (series) Ridley Pearson ​ Jacob Two-Two Meets the Hooded Fang Mordecai Richler Percy Jackson and the Olympians (series) Rick Riordan ​ The Red Pyramid (series) Rick Riordan ​ Harry Potter series J. K. Rowling ​ A Cricket in Times Square George Selden ​ ​ The Alchemyst (series) Michael Scott The Mysterious Benedict Society (series) Trenton Lee Stewart ​ Trumpet of the Swan E.B. White The Castle in the Attic Elizabeth Winthrop

REALISTIC FICTION The Secret School, The Man Who Was Poe Avi The Postcard Tony Abbott Framed Frank Boyce NERDS Michael Buckley Frindle Andrew Clements Lost and Found Andrew Clements Al Capone Does My Shirts Gennifer Choldenko Hate that Cat Sharon Creech The Black Stallion Walter Farley Lost on a Mountain in Maine Donn Fendler Dog Days David Lubar Million-Dollar Throw Mike Lupica Football Genius, Baseball Great Tim Green Who Killed Cock Robin? Jean Craighead George Hoot, Flush Carl Hiaasen Bridge to Terabithia Katherine Patterson Middle School, the Worst Years of My Life James Patterson Liar,Liar Gary Paulsen On the Wings of Heroes Richard Peck The Boy Who Saved Baseball John Ritter Holes Louis Sachar Summer of the Monkeys Wilson Rawls Night of the Twisters Ivy Ruckman Owls in the Family Farley Mowat Rascal Sterling North The Trouble with Tuck Theodore Taylor Dog Called Kitty Bill Wallace

HISTORICAL FICTION Moses in Egypt Lynn Reid Banks Boys of Wartime (series) Laurie Calkhoven Secret of the Andes Anne Nolan Clark A Way of His Own T. A. Dyer Boy at War - trilogy Harry Mazer ​ Journey to America Sonia Levitin The Golden Goblet Eloise Jarvis McGraw ​ ​ The Egypt Game Zilpha Keatley Snyder Sign of the Beaver Elizabeth George Speare Maroo of the Winter Caves Ann Turnbull

NON-FICTION At your local library, you will find nonfiction books that match your particular interests. A Gathering of Days Joan W. Blos Cheaper by the Dozen Frank & Ernestine Gilbreth Boy Roald Dahl The Horrible History of the World Terry Deary Harriet Tubman Ann Petry Duel of the Ironclads: The Monitor Vs. the Virginia Patrick O’Brien Woodsong Gary Paulsen Honda: the Boy who Dreamed of Cars Mark Weston Don’t Know Much About American History Kenneth C. Davis How to be the Best at Everything Dominique Enright Life in the Boreal Forest Brenda Guiberson The Dangerous Book for Boys Hal and Conn Iggulden ​ The Boy Who Invented TV: The Story of Philo Farnsworth Kathleen Krull The Egyptian News Langley & De Souza Pyramid, The New Way Things Work David Macaulay When the Wolves Returned: Restoring Nature’s Balance in Yellowstone Dorothy Patent Noah Webster: Weaver of Words Pegi Dietz Shea

Some Other Interesting Suggestions

Here are some new and some not so new books. This is by no means a comprehensive list. The blurbs are mostly from Amazon.

Graphic Novels recommended by Mrs. Dowling ​ Wrinkle in - the graphic novel version- Madeleine L’Engle ​ Ghostopolis by Doug TenNapel ​ Copper Kazu Kibuishi ​

Fantasy and

Winner of the 2014 Newbery Medal! Flora & Ulysses by Kate DiCamillo Holy unanticipated occurrences! A cynic meets an unlikely superhero in a genre-breaking new novel by master storyteller Kate DiCamillo. It begins, as the best superhero stories do, with a tragic accident that has unexpected consequences. The squirrel never saw the vacuum cleaner coming, but self-described cynic Flora Belle Buckman, who has read every issue of the comic book Terrible Things Can Happen to You!, is the just the right person to step in and save him. What neither can predict is that Ulysses (the squirrel) has been born anew, with powers of strength and flight.

Alexander, William. Goblin Secrets. National Book Award Winner 2012 In the town of ​ ​ ​ ​ Zombay, there is a witch named Graba who takes in stray children, and Rownie is the youngest boy in her household. Rownie’s only real relative is his older brother Rowan, who is an actor. But acting is outlawed in Zombay, and Rowan has disappeared.

Barry, Dave. Pearson, Ridley. Peter and the Starcatchers. ​ ​ ​ Peter, an orphan boy, and his friend Molly fight off thieves and pirates in order to keep a secret trunk full of star stuff from falling into the hands of the diabolical Black Stache and his evil associate Mister Grin. (series)

Brennan, Herbie. The Shadow Project (series) and The Doomsday Box. ​ ​ ​ ​ If you liked the Alex Rider series, you should enjoy these books. Brennan has also written Faerie Wars. ​

Boniface, William. The Extraordinary Adventures of Ordinary Boy, The Hero Revealed. ​ In the town of Superopolis, everyone has a superpower. Everyone, that is, except Ordinary ​ Boy. Forget the regular superheroes. In a city where everyone is extraordinary, this just might be a job for . . . Ordinary Boy. (series)

Buckley, Michael. The Fairy Tale Detectives (The Sisters Grimm series) ​ ​ In book one of this bestselling series, sisters Sabrina and Daphne are sent to live with their mysterious grandmother, Relda Grimm. The girls are the latest in a long line of fairy-tale detectives. When a mysterious Everafter sets a giant loose on the town, it’s up to the Sisters Grimm to save the day.

Cody, Matthew. Powerless. "A mystery and adventure treat for middle-school boys..." ​ ​ –Booklist Twelve-year-old Daniel, the new kid in town, soon learns the truth about his ​ ​ nice—but odd—new friends: one can fly, another can turn invisible, yet another controls electricity.

Collins, Suzanne. Gregor the Overlander. ​ This is a fantasy series written by the author before publication of the Hunger Games. ​ ​

Dashner, James. The Maze Runner Trilogy. ​ These books are for fans of dystopian literature - a very popular series this year! ​ ​

Flanagan, John. The of Nihon-Ja. ​ This is the last book in the Ranger’s Apprentice series. The author has a new series The ​ ​ ​ Brotherband Chronicles. ​

Hawking, Stephen and Lucy. George's Secret Key to the Universe. ​ In their bestselling book for young readers, noted physicist Stephen Hawking and his daughter, Lucy, provide a grand and funny adventure that explains fascinating information about our universe.

Kloepfer, John. The Zombie Chasers. When brain-gobbling zombies invade, a sleepover at ​ ​ Zack Clarke's house quickly turns into a Level-3 creep-over. The undead have infested the streets, filling the air with deathly moans and the stench of rotting flesh. This is a series.

Lee, Tony. Excalibur: The Legend of King Arthur. ​ This graphic novel is a dramatic retelling of King Arthur’s life, death, and beyond.

Lupica, Mike. Hero. Fourteen-year-old Billy Harriman can feel the changes: the sharpening ​ ​ ​ of his senses. the incredible strength, the speed, as though he can text message himself across miles.

McHale, D.J. Pendragon. Bobby Pendragon was a seemingly normal boy. Then one day his ​ ​ Uncle Press showed up telling Bobby that some people needed his help, and nothing has been the same since. Now Bobby knows that he is a Traveler, and it's up to him to save the world. Pendragon is a five book series. There is also a prequel series Pendragon Before the War. ​ ​ ​

Nielsen, Jennifer. The False Prince. (The Ascendance Trilogy) ​ ​ In a discontent kingdom, civil war is brewing. To unify the divided people, Conner, a ​ nobleman of the court, devises a cunning plan to find an impersonator of the king's long-lost son and install him as a puppet prince.

Paolini, Christopher. Eragon. (series) ​ ​ Not only is this an exciting read, but, amazingly, it was written by a teenager.

Pearson, Ridley. Kingdom Keepers (series) ​ ​ ​ ​ In this thriller, five young teens tapped as models for theme park "guides" find themselves pitted against Disney villains and witches that threaten both the future of Walt Disney World and the stability of the world outside its walls.

Pratchett, Terry. The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents. ​ Rats steal food and created problems. When the town advertises for a piper, Keith appears to lead the rats away, and they all meet up later to divide the loot.

Road, J. Finnikin of the Rock. ​ In the kingdom of Lumatere, assassins murder the royal family. Finnikin, the son of a former royal guard, aids the refugees.

Stephens, John. The Emerald Atlas. ​ It is the story of three children, who set out to save their family, and end up having to save the world.

Stroud, J. Bartimeous Trilogy. ​ The hero is again a djinni who has little respect for humans and even less interest in their petty wars and government squabbles.

Uehashi, Nahoko. Moribito II: Guardian of the Darkness. ​ ​ Bodyguard-for-hire Balsa returns in this tale of redemption and political intrigue set in a fantasy world reminiscent of medieval Japan. 2010 Batchelder Honor Book

Winkler, Henry. Ghost Buddy; Zero to Hero. Billy Broccoli is new to the neighborhood, ​ ​ and wants cool friends and a spot on the baseball team more than anything. So imagine his surprise when he ends up sharing a room a funny ghost with a whole lot of attitude.

Yancey, Rick. The Monstrumologist. ​ Will Henry save his town from a pod of monstrous creatures who prey on humans?

Mysteries Gilman, David. The Devil’s Breath. ​ ​ Max is determined to find his missing explorer father. A secret clue his father left behind leads Max to the inhospitable wilderness of Namibia, where he soon discovers a potentially massive ecological disaster.

Higson, Charlie. The Young Bond Series. What does it take to become the greatest secret ​ ​ ​ agent the world has ever known? In this thrilling prequel to the adventure of James Bond, 007, readers meet a young boy whose inquisitive mind and determination set him on a path that will someday take him across the globe, in pursuit of the most dangerous criminals of all time.

Horowitz, Anthony. The Alex Rider Adventures series. ​ ​ This series features fast-paced storylines and surprising plot twists. ​ ​

Realistic Fiction

Angleberger, Tom. The Strange Case of Origami Yoda ​ In this funny, uncannily wise portrait of the dynamics of a sixth-grade class and of the greatness that sometimes comes in unlikely packages, Dwight, a loser, talks to his classmates via an origami finger puppet of Yoda. If that weren’t strange enough, the puppet is uncannily wise. Also in the series is The Secret of the Fortune Wookie. ​

Baskin, Nora Raleigh. Anything But Typical. ​ ​ Jason, a 12-year-old with autism spectrum disorder, finds life daunting but achieves success through his creative writing online.

Boyce, Frank. Framed ​ Dylan Hughes is the only boy living in Manod, His best buddies are two agoraphobic chickens named Michelangelo and Donatello after the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. His family runs the Snowdonia Oasis Auto Marvel garage.

Gantos, Jack. Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key. ​ ​ To the disappointment of his mother and his teachers, Joey has trouble paying attention when his prescription medication wears off and he starts getting worked up and acting wired.

Gantos, Jack. Dead End in Norvelt. Newbery Award Winner 2012 ​ ​ ​ Dead End in Norvelt is a novel about an incredible two months for a kid whose plans for ​ summer vacation are shot down when he is “grounded for life” by his feuding parents. This is a dead-funny depiction of growing up in a slightly off-kilter place.

Green, Tim. Football Champ. When Troy White proved his remarkable "football genius" to ​ ​ the Atlanta Falcons, they brought him on board as a team consultant. Now the Falcons are winning

Ibbotson, Eva. One Boy and His Dog. ​ ​ All Hal had ever wanted was a dog. He's allowed to choose a dog at Easy Pets, a rent-a-pet agency (a fact his parents keep from him). The moment he sees the odd-looking terrier, he knows he's found a friend for life. But no one tells Hal that Fleck must be returned. When Hal wakes up on Monday morning, Fleck is gone.

Levine, Kristin. The Best Bad Luck I Ever Had. ​ While most of the residents in the tiny, –era Moundville, Alabama, are shocked that their new postmaster is African American, Dit is simply surprised that said postmaster’s child turns out to be a girl, not the boy his own age he was expecting.

Lupica, Mike. The Big Field. ​ Playing shortstop is a way of life for Hutch, which is why having to play second base feels like demotion.

Magoon, Kekla. The Rock and the River. ​ Seeing the injustice in his 1968 Chicago neighborhood, young Sam Childs knows he must struggle to be his own man. 2010 Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe New Talent Author Award Winner

Meyer, L.A. Bloody Jack. ​ Adventure -The tale of Mary, an 18th-century street urchin who dresses as a boy, renames herself Jacky, and goes to sea as a ship's boy.

Mulligan, Andy. Trash. ​ In third world city, kids live in a garbage dump, where they dig for anything that could be profitable.

Patterson, James. Middle School, the Worst Years of My Life. ​ Blockbuster author James Patterson delivers a genuinely hilarious-and surprisingly poignant-story of a wildly imaginative, one-of-kind kid that you won't soon forget.

Pratchett, Terry. Nation. ​ Worlds are destroyed and cultures collide when a tsunami hits islands in an ocean much like the Pacific.

Renier, Aaron. The Unsinkable Walker Bean. A seafaring graphic novel. ​ ​ ​

Rollins, James. Jake Ransom and the Skull King’s Shadow. ​ Jake Ransom, he and his older sister, Kady, are plunged into a gripping chain of events. An artifact found by their parents—on the expedition from which they never returned—leads Jake and Kady to a strange world.

Stein, Garth. Racing in the Rain: My Life as a Dog Have you ever wondered what your ​ ​ dog is thinking? Meet one funny dog—Enzo, the lovable mutt who tells this story. Enzo knows he is different from other dogs: most dogs love to chase cars, but Enzo longs to race them. (This is actually a fantasy because the dog narrates the book.)

Turner, Pamela S. The Frog Scientist. ​ Tyrone Hayes and his students’ work to understand frogs so they can save these amphibians from the pesticides that are slowly killing them off.

Historical Fiction

Anderson, Laurie Halse. Chains, Forge. ​ ​ ​ Revolutionary War- historical fiction Forge is the sequel to Chains. Mrs. Weise recommends ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ both books.

Bartoletti, Susan Campbell. The Boy Who Dared. One boy’s heroic resistance in Nazi ​ ​ ​ Germany.

Calkhoven, Laurie. Boys of Wartime: Will at the Battle of Gettysburg ​ Twelve-year-old Will wants to be a drummer in the Union army, but he's stuck far from the fighting in his sleepy hometown of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. Then the Union and Confederate armies converge on Gettysburg, and suddenly Will and his family are caught up in the battle. Boys of Wartime (series) ​

Pearsall, Shelley. Jump into the Sky. ​ After young Levi travels to North Carolina to meet his father, an elite paratrooper in WWII, he experiences Jim Crow racism for the first time, as well as poignant emotions as he gets to know his dad.

Schmidt, Gary. Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy. ​ ​ In 1911, Turner Buckminster hates his new home of Phippsburg, Maine, but things improve when he meets Lizzie Bright Griffin, a girl from a poor, nearby island community founded by former slaves. Newbery Honor Book.

Sutcliff, Rosemary. Eagle of the Ninth. ​ Set in Roman Britain, this historically accurate book recounts a quest by Centurion Marcus Drusillus Aquila.

NONFICTION Read magazines, newspapers, and books about things that are of interest you. ​

Deary, Terry. The Horrible History of the World (Horrible Histories Handbooks) ​ ​ This series presents the foul but fascinating story of humans. It's all you ever need to know about the wicked world - all the gore and more!

Sheinkin, Steve. The Notorious Benedict Arnold. Most people know that Benedict Arnold ​ ​ ​ was America's first, most notorious traitor. Few know that he was also one of its greatest war heroes. Boston Globe-Horn Book Award for Nonfiction.

Janeczko, Paul B. The Dark Game: True Spy Stories. ​ This book features true stories of danger and intrigue.

Editors of Yes Magazine Robots: From Everyday to Out of This World. ​ ​ ​ featuring fascinating information, entertaining cartoon graphics, and numerous full-color photographs of robots in action.

Stewart, Mark. The Fire and Fury of Soccer's Greatest Moments. ​ includes history of the game, bizarre incidents, record-setting achievements, and portraits of some of the game's greatest players.

Bardhan-Quallen, Sudipta. Mysteries Unwrapped: The Real Monsters. ​ ​ This is just one of a series, by different authors, about various mysteries and marvels. So if you like this one, try some of the others.

Halls, Kelly Milner. Tales of the Cryptids: Mysterious Creatures That May Not Exist. ​ ​ Everyone loves the stories of legendary creatures that just might really exist: Bigfoot, the Loch Ness monster, mermaids, and more.

Murphy, Jim. A Young Patriot: The American Revolution As Experienced By One Boy. ​ Joseph Plumb Martin, who enlisted in the summer of 1776 at the age of fifteen, details key battles and the life of a soldier during the American Revolution in this memoir retold by Jim Murphy.

Olson, Arielle North. Ask the Bones: Scary Stories From Around the World. ​ What is real and what is imaginary? Do evil creatures lurk in the shadows? Do demons attack the helpless? Are there such things as invisible men?

Sandler, Martin W. America's Great Disasters. ​ Examines the causes and effects of such American disasters as the sinking of the steamboat Sultana in 1871, the Johnstown , the Dust Bowl, the influenza epidemic of 1918-1919, and the Exxon Valdez oil spill.

Walker, Sally M. Written in Bone: Buried Lives of Jamestown and Colonial Maryland. ​ Crime scene investigation meets early American History—exposing ancient crimes and describing patterns of everyday life as told and written on the bones of the early Jamestown settlers.

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