2012 Summer Reading Episcopal School of Dallas for students entering Fourth Grade Required summer reading: Students should choose ONE of the following books by the Newbery Award winning author, Phyllis Reynolds Naylor. 1) Shiloh [winner of the 1991 Newbery Medal] Marty finds a lost beagle in the hills behind his West Virginia home, and tries to hide it from his family and the dog’s real owner, a mean-spirited man known to shoot deer out of season and to mistreat his dogs. 2) Roxie and the Hooligans Roxie Warbler, the niece of a famous explorer, follows Uncle Dangerfoot’s advice on how to survive any crisis when she becomes stranded on an island with a gang of school bullies and a pair of murderous bank robbers. 3) The Grand Escape After years of being strictly house cats, Marco and Polo escape into the wonderful, but dangerous outside world and are sent on three challenging adventures by a group of cats known as the Club of Mysteries. The fourth grade teachers will begin the school year with a book discussion of the common themes found in Ms. Naylor’s books. We want reading to be a positive experience. Please let your child choose which book appeals to his interest. Students may read the book independently, listen to it read aloud by a parent, or listen to the audio version. Students should come to school prepared to discuss the book, and complete a writing exercise. The ESD Lower School Library has multiple copies of these books for your convenience. ESD Lower School Library Summer Hours Mondays in June (4th, 11th, 18th, and 25th) 9:00a.m.-12:00 noon Our school library is open during the first four Mondays of the month of June as a service to the ESD community. We encourage parents to begin a tradition of visiting a library with their young children, whether it is our school library, your neighborhood public library, or even a library in the community you visit during the summer months . In addition to the required summer reading, students entering third and fourth grades are eligible to participate in two OPTIONAL incentive reading programs. Information on these programs, (“Flying Angels” and “Bluebonnets”) is included in this packet. 1 Episcopal School of Dallas 2012-2013 Fourth Grade Flying Angels An Optional Incentive Reading Program The goal of the “Flying Angel” program is to recognize 3rd & 4th grade students who choose to spend their free time reading books, and take the time to respond in writing to the books they have read. Parents may encourage their children to participate, but we hope it is the child’s decision to fulfill the requirements. Students may begin working on this project during the summer, but have a full 11 months to finish (deadline: May 6, 2013). Requirements are: 1.) Read 10 fiction chapter books. In order to qualify as a “Flying Angel”, books MUST be chapter books owned by the ESD Lower School Library. During the summer, when the ESD library is not open, we prefer that you choose books from the following list. We trust that you are reading books that you did not read during previous years. 2.) We encourage you to try a variety of literature. Therefore, you may read no more than two books by one author or in one series. 3.) Using the form attached to this packet, write a short report (at least one paragraph) on the book. Be sure to include a brief summary (main characters and events) as well as a few sentences stating your opinion of the book (your favorite part, whether you recommend this book to others, or any criticism.) Reports may be hand-written or typed, but the reports must be in your own words! We prefer you use the official form, but as long as all the information asked for on the form is included, you may use your own format. 4.) Turn in each report to your classroom teacher. Reports finished during the summer may be held and turned in when school begins in the fall. Be sure to include your first and last name and your teacher’s name in the spaces provided. It is a good idea to keep a copy of your reports. Deadline: May 6, 2013 5.) Successful completion leads to recognition during the May 2013 Honors Assembly Questions? Contact Mrs. Tollefson [email protected] Adventure Hatchet by Gary Paulsen (1987) [Newbery Honor Award] After a plane crash, thirteen-year-old Brian spends fifty-four days in the wilderness, learning to physically survive with only the aid of a hatchet given him by his mother; but he also learns to emotionally survive his parents' divorce. Sequels: The River, Brian’s Return, Brian’s Winter, Brian’s Hunt. 2 Hoot by Carl Hiaasen (2002) Roy, who is new to his small Florida community, becomes involved in another boy's attempt to save a colony of burrowing owls from a proposed construction site. Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O’Dell (1960) [winner of the Newbery Medal] Left alone on a beautiful but isolated island off the coast of California, a young Native American girl spends eighteen years, not only merely surviving through her enormous courage and self-reliance, but also finding a measure of happiness in her solitary life. Inspired by the true story of Juana Maria who lived alone on San Nicholas Island from 1835-1853. My Side of the Mountain by Jean George (1959) [Newbery Honor Award] Young Sam Gribley leaves New York City and spends a year living by himself in a remote area of the Catskill Mountains. The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart (2007) After passing a series of mind-bending tests, four children are selected for a secret mission that requires them to go undercover at the Learning Institute for the Very Enlightened, where the only rule is that there are no rules. Sequels: The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Perilous Journey, The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Prisoner’s Dilemma and a prequel entitled The Extraordinary Education of Nicholas Benedict. Trapped in Death Cave by Bill Wallace (1984) A posthumous letter referring to buried treasure convinces Gary that his grandfather did not die a natural death and, with his friend Brian, he sets out to find both the treasure and his grandfather's killer. Weasel by Cynthia De Felice (1990) Alone in the frontier wilderness in the winter of 1839 while his father is recovering from an injury, eleven-year- old Nathan runs afoul of the renegade killer known as Weasel and makes a surprising discovery about the concept of revenge. Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin (2009) [Newbery Honor Award] Minli, an adventurous girl from a poor village, buys a magical goldfish, and then joins a dragon who cannot fly on a quest to find the Old Man of the Moon in hopes of bringing life to Fruitless Mountain and freshness to Jade River. Animals Animal Rescue Team (series) by Sue Stauffacher (2012) Chronicles the adventures of the Carter family who run Carter’s Urban Resue, the place you call when you find an animal where it shouldn’t be. Though the cast of animal characters is different in each book, certain themes persist. Readers will learn that it is important to treat wildlife appropriately and that each animal is different in terms of how one should interact with it. Subplots talk about friendship, siblings the environment, etc., in an engaging, humorous style. A Dog Called Kitty by Bill Wallace (1980) Afraid of dogs since he was attacked by a mad one, Ricky resists taking in a homeless pup that shows up at the farm. His animal stories can be both humorous and poignant. Others include: The Backward Bird Dog, Beauty, No Dogs Allowed, etc. How to Steal a Dog by Barbara O’Connor (2007) Georgianna and her younger brother devise a plan to help improve their family’s desperate financial situation which involves a scheme to steal a dog in order to collect the reward money. 3 Into the Wild by Erin Hunter (2004) Rusty, a bored house kitten, is apprenticed by the ThunderClan and must struggle to fit in when the group of feral cats is threatened by the enemy ShadowClan. This is the first book in the Warrior series. Sequels: Fire and Ice, Forest of Secrets. Kaspar, the Titanic Cat by Michael Morpurgo (2012) After meeting Lizziebeth, Kasper and owner, Johnny find themselves traveling with her family on England’s newest and most magnificent ship, the Titanic. Old Yeller by Fred Gipson (1956) In the late 1860s in the Texas hill country, a big yellow dog and a fourteen-year-old boy form a close, loving relationship. This is Father Harmuth’s favorite book! The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate Ivan is an easygoing gorilla. Living at the Exit 8 Big Top Mall and Video Arcade, he has grown accustomed to humans watching him through the glass walls of his domain. He rarely misses his life in the jungle. In fact, he hardly ever thinks about it at all. Then he meets Ruby, a baby elephant taken from her family, and she makes Ivan see their home—and his own art—through new eyes. When Ruby arrives, change comes with her, and it’s up to Ivan to make it a change for the better. Tango by Eileen Beha (2009) Lost at sea while sailing with his wealthy owners, a Yorkshire terrier washes up, nearly dead, in a village on Prince Edward Island where he is nursed back to health by a lonely widow and is befriended by a fox and an abandoned waif who is also struggling to find a home for herself somewhere.