SummerReads

Middle School Summer 2015

Karla Paulino Class of 2019

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Dear Middle School Families, Recommending a good book is like sharing a treasure with a friend. The titles Fran Mellin and Linda Spence have compiled make this expanded edition of SummerReads a treasure chest. The variety of genres, reading levels, and multicultural perspectives ensure that everyone will find some gems.

All children entering grades 3, 4, and 5 should read at least four books this summer. SummerReads is provided as a guide to help children choose books. The titles don’t have to come from this list—SummerReads is simply a resource for those wanting suggestions.

Our goal for summer reading is much more than assigning homework or keeping skills honed. Our intent is to help children to love reading. Choosing engaging books sets them on their way. You can help your children deepen their passion for reading by:

• carving out daily reading time • reading with your children • talking about books everyone is reading.

I can’t wait to get started on my list. Have a wonderful, book-filled summer. Bo Baird Librarians’ Footnotes

The American Library Association annually recognizes outstanding books and those titles are noted for your reference. For more information about the Youth Media Awards, visit www.ala.org. Visit the library’s website (pikeschool.org>Academics>Library) for online versions of SummerReads and links to our new e-collections, available through the Massachusetts Library System. Summer book borrowing is back! Mark your calendar and come by the library with your child(ren) during our summer check-out mornings to keep up the positive reading energy! Families new to Pike are welcome.

June 17 July 8 July 29 8:30 – 11:30

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Recommended by Book Squad Students!

The Middle School Book Squad participated in the 2015 Massachusetts Children’s Book Award program, reading nominated titles and voting for their favorites along with students across the state. Here are some short snippets from their book reviews!

Crunch by Leslie Connor ~ review by Lyla When oil runs dry in America, Dewey has to fix all the bikes at his parents’ repair shop. His parents are away and can’t get home. Will he get through the crunch?

The Secret Chicken Society by Judy Cox This book is about chickens and keeping them safe. The chickens are crazy! We liked this book a lot! ~ review by Aiden, Germán

The Lions of Little Rock by Kristin Levine The 2015 Massachusetts Children’s Book Award Winner. Marlee is white and fighting against segregation. She’s brave and funny. I couldn’t put the book down! ~ review by Kayla

Dumpling Days by Grace Lin Pacy’s family is going to Taiwan. WHY Taiwan? Read this book to find out. There are a lot of surprising things! ~ review by Alice

Dewey the Library Cat by Vicki Myron A 2015 MCBA Honor Book. This is a true story about a cat named Dewey that lives in a library. I liked this book because it’s funny! ~ review by Ansleigh

When Life Gives You O.J. by Erica Perl ~ review by Jahaziel, Patrick Zelly really wants a dog and her grandfather WHO TALKS IN CAPITAL LETTERS tries to help her. Read this if you like Diary of a Wimpy Kid!

One Day and One Amazing Morning on Orange Street by Joanne Rocklin Four kids, an orange tree, a mysterious man, and a heart-shaped stone: each one contains a mystery. Find out the connection! ~ review by Kristina

Sprinkles and Secrets by Lisa Schroeder ~ review by Amy, Grace, Olivia This story is about a special friendship between two girls and a tough decision that one of them has to make. Read if you like cliffhangers!

The Shadows by Jacqueline West ~ review by Preston Olive moves into a new house and must find the secret of Mr. McMartin. It’s a spooky mystery that you should read if you’re interested in art!

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New and Recommended Tiger Boy Perkins Adventure

When a tiger cub escapes from a nature reserve near Neel's island village, he resolves to locate the cub and bring her back to the reserve where she belongs. Will he find her before an evil animal poacher does? Description from the publisher.

Nick & Tesla’s Secret Agent Gadget Battle Pflugfelder Adventure These brainy twins are sure that there’s a spy in the neighborhood. They are determined to catch the culprit! Directions for building their inventions are included. A perfect way to pass the time on a rainy-day.

Autumn’s Secret Gift (Enchanted Sisters series) Allen Fantasy For Rainbow Magic fans! Mother Nature has asked Autumn to guard a special gift in the Sparkle Kingdom. Is she up to the task?

The Night Gardener: A Scary Story Auxier Fantasy Molly and Kip, servants at a creepy English manor house, encounter a mysterious stranger -- and an ancient curse that threatens their very lives. Description from the publisher.

A Snicker of Magic Lloyd Fantasy Midnight Gulch used to be a magical place, but a curse drove the magic away. Felicity must figure out how to bring back the magic, breaking the spell that has been cast over the town and her mother's broken heart. Description from the publisher.

West of the Moon Preus Fantasy After being separated from her sister and sold to a cruel goat farmer, Astri makes a daring escape. She quickly retrieves her little sister, and armed with a troll treasure, a book of spells and curses, and a possibly magic hairbrush, they set off for America. Inspired by Norse folklore. Description from the publisher.

Curiosity Blackwood Historical For chess players! Rufus is miserable in the workhouse until his immense chess-playing skill is discovered. Will his fortunes improve working for “The Turk” in a vaudeville show?

Rory’s Promise (Hidden Histories series) MacColl Historical Rory and Violet stick together at the orphanage, no matter what. When Rory discovers that they might be separated, she puts up a fight.

Lowriders in Space Camper Humor This graphic novel is also a science fiction adventure! Lupe, Elirio, and their friend Flapjack enter a car-building contest that is literally out of this world! The Key That Swallowed Joey Pigza Gantos Humor The final book in this popular series finds Joey taking care of his new baby brother and trying to stay “pawzzz-i-tive.”

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The School Is Alive! (Eerie Elementary series) Chabert Mystery Mr. Nakobi has asked Sam to be a hall monitor, a job that turns out to be very dangerous. Who (or what) is attacking students? Sam needs answers!

Platypus Police Squad: Last Panda Standing Krosoczka Mystery Corey O’Malley and Rick Zengo are back! This time, they need to crack a case involving a boomerang, a mysterious factory, and a gang of squirrels.

Portraits of Hispanic American Heroes Herrera Non-fiction Be inspired by the stories of baseball player Roberto Clemente, singer Joan Baez, astronaut Ellen Ochoa, and Supreme Court justice Sonia Sotomayor, just to name a few. A 2015 Pura Belpré Honor Book.

The Death of the Hat: A Brief History of Poetry in 50 Objects

Janeczko Non-fiction

Explore our 2015 visiting author’s newest collection featuring poems about all kinds of things, from wheelbarrows to shadows and moonlight.

Neighborhood Sharks: Hunting With the Great Whites of California’s Farallon Islands

Roy Non-fiction

Get up close and personal (well…not that close!) with these amazing predators. A 2015 Robert F. Sibert Informational Honor book.

If…: A Mind-Bending New Way of Looking at Big Ideas and Numbers

Smith Non-fiction

How much water is on Earth? How big is the Milky Way? This gorgeously illustrated book shows how to think about all kinds of big questions.

Mikis and the Donkey Dumon Tak Realistic Tsaki is the name that Mikis gives to his grandfather’s new working donkey. How will the animal manage carrying all the heavy loads up and down the hills of their Greek island? The 2014 Batchelder Award Winner.

The Misadventures of the Family Fletcher Levy Realistic Follow the adventures of four brothers and two dads as they navigate grouchy neighbors and troubles at school and home. A wonderful book for the whole family. Start a Read-Aloud Night!

Rain Reign Martin Realistic If you liked Out of My Mind, you will love this book! Rose loves homonyms, rules, and her dog, Rain. When he goes missing in a storm, her world spins out of control. Winner of the Schneider Family Book Award (Middle School).

Space Case: A Moon Base Alpha Novel Gibbs Science Fiction There’s trouble up on the lunar colony – Dr. Holtz, the chief scientist, is dead. Can Dashiell solve the mystery while dealing with zero gravity?

Heavy Hitters (Game Changers) Lupica Sports The Rockwell Rams all-star baseball team gets off to a rocky start when Ben gets hit by a pitch. Are his injuries affecting his game? And Justin, the team’s star hitter, is in a major slump. Can the team pull out a winning season?

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Fiction

Fantasy The One and Only Ivan (2013 Newbery Medal winner) Applegate Peter Nimble and His Fantastic Eyes Auxier The Magic Half Barrows Land of Stories series Colfer The Graveyard Book (2009 Newbery Medal winner) Gaiman Handbook for Dragon Slayers (2014 Schneider Family Book

Award winner) Haskell

Redwall series Jacques The Magickeepers series Kirov Savvy Law Starry River of the Sky Lin The Doll People series Martin Wildwood Meloy Harry Potter series Rowling The Septimus Heap series Sage The Rithmatist Sanderson The Night Fairy Schlitz Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel series Scott The Emerald Atlas Stephens Five Ancestors series Stone Breadcrumbs Ursu The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her

Own Making Valente

Historical Fiction Sylvia and Aki Conkling Bud, Not Buddy (2000 Coretta Scott King Award winner) Curtis The Birchbark House Erdrich 90 Miles to Havana (2011 Pura Belpré Honor book) Flores-Galbis Cracker: The Best Dog in Vietnam Kadohata The Year of the Bomb Kidd Inside Out & Back Again (2012 Newbery Honor book) Lai Mister Orange (2014 Mildred Batchelder Award winner) Matti A Soldier’s Secret: The Incredible True Story of Sarah

Edmonds, a Civil War Hero Moss

Heart of a Samurai: Based on the True Story of Nakahama Manjiro

Preus

P.S. Be Eleven (2014 Coretta Scott King Award winner) Williams-Garcia

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Humor The Riot Brothers series Amato Origami Yoda series Angleberger Ramona the Pest Cleary The Legend of Diamond Lil Cronin Dead End in Norvelt (2012 Newbery Medal winner) Gantos Charlie Joe Jackson’s Guide to Not Reading Greenwalt 43 Old Cemetery Road series Klise The Grand Plan to Fix Everything Krishnaswami Platypus Police Squad series Krosocska Gum Girl: Chews Your Destiny Montijo The Hoboken Chicken Emergency Pinkwater Alcatraz versus the Evil Librarians series Sanderson My Life as a … series Tashjian Hooey Higgins and the Shark Voake Little Wolf's Book of Badness Whybrow

Mystery and Adventure The Boy Who Swam With Piranhas Almond Chasing Vermeer Balliett The Lost Files of Sherlock Holmes series Barrett Doll Bones (2014 Newbery Honor book) Black The Terces Society series Bosch The Bell Bandit Davies Recipe for Adventure: Naples DeLaurentii The Invaders Flanagan Escape From Mr. Lemoncello’s Library Grabenstein Chet Gecko mysteries Hale Chomp Hiaasen Small as an Elephant Jacobsen Emma and the Rats in the Belfry Jonell The Willoughbys Lowry The Candymakers Mass Deadweather and Sunrise Rodkey Riding Freedom Ryan

One Came Home (2014 Newbery Honor book) Timberlake

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Realistic

Dancing Home Ada Return to Sender (2010 Pura Belpré Award winner) Alvarez Because of Mr. Terupt (2013 Massachusetts Children’s Book Award winner)

Buyea

The Candy Smash Davies Salsa Stories Delacre Out of My Mind (2014 Massachusetts Children’s Book Award winner) Draper Operation Redwood French Dyamonde Daniel series Grimes Junonia Henkes Marty McGuire Digs Worms! Messner The Turtle of Oman Nye Wonder Palacio Rickshaw Girl Perkins Calvin Coconut: Trouble Magnet Salisbury Mamba Point Scaletta Wonderstruck Selznick The Great Wall of Lucy Wu Shang Jake & Lily Spinelli When You Reach Me (2010 Newbery Medal winner) (2012 Massachusetts Children’s Book Award winner)

Stead

I Survived… series Tarshi Last Summer With Maizon Woodson Bobby Vs. Girls (Accidentally) Yee

Hit the Jackpot at Your Public Library! Make sure you visit your local library this summer, either in person or online. Here is just a sampling of what you can do:

• Sign up for summer reading programs, sponsored by the Boston Bruins • Enjoy special concerts and activities • Borrow book club kits • Download e-books, audio books, and music • Borrow movies

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Science Fiction

Attack of the Fluffy Bunnies Beaty Green Boy Cooper Space Station Rat Daley City of Ember Duprau Sky Jumpers Eddleman Eager Fox The Other Side of the Island Goodman Found (2010 Massachusetts Children's Book Award winner) Haddix Seven Wonders series Lerangis Space Taxi Mass Galaxy Zack series O’Ryan My Cousin, The Alien Service First Light Stead Zorgamazoo Weston

Classics The Wizard of Oz Baum James and the Giant Peach Dahl Knight’s Castle Eager The Saturdays Enright Harriet the Spy Fitzhugh The Wind in the Willows Grahame Finn Family Moomintroll Jansson The Phantom Tollbooth Juster A Wrinkle in Time (1963 Newbery Medal winner) L’Engle The Tales of Uncle Remus: The Adventures of Brer Rabbit Lester The Chronicles of Narnia Lewis Pippi Longstocking stories Lindgren Five Children and It Nesbit The Borrowers Norton Tales of King Arthur Riordan The Cricket in Times Square (1961 Newbery Honor book) Selden The Rescuers Sharp Abel’s Island (1977 Newbery Honor book) Steig Treasure Island Stevenson Charlotte’s Web (1953 Newbery Honor book) White

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Graphic Novels, Graphic Non-fiction

El Deafo (2015 Newbery Honor book) Bell Knights of the Lunch Table Cammuso Snowboard Standoff Ciencin Stone Rabbit series Craddock Fashion Kitty Harper Zita the Spacegirl Hatke Lunch Lady series Krosoczka Around the World: Three Remarkable Journeys Phelan Big Fat Little Lit Puffin Books Sidekicks Santat Smile Talgemeier Amazing Greek Myths of Wonder and Blunders Townsend Robot Dreams Varon

Sports

The Prince of Fenway Park Baggott The Soccer Machine Bedford Hoop Girlz Bledsoe The Warriors Bruchac World Cup Christopher The Girl Who Threw Butterflies Cochrane Football Genius Green Roberto and Me (Baseball Card Adventures series) Gutman Slam Dunk Hirschfeld True Legend Lupica The Ghost of the Stanley Cup (Screech Owl Series) MacGregor The Home-run King McKissack Win or Lose Morgan Karate Kick Peters My Secret Life as a Ping-Pong Wizard Winkler Good Luck, Ivy Yee

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Non-Fiction

Inside Dinosaurs Abramson Ivan: The Remarkable True Story of the Shopping Mall

Gorilla Applegate

Buried Sunlight: How Fossil Fuels Have Changed the Earth Bang Farmer Will Allen and the Growing Table Briggs The Right Word: Roget and His Thesaurus (2015 Robert F.

Sibert Informational Book Medal winner) Bryant

The Ultimate Guide to Football Buckley Mummies (National Geographic Science Reader) Carney A Black Hole is Not a Hole DeChristofano The Story of Buildings: From the Pyramids to the Sydney

Opera House and Beyond Dillon

Top Secret: A Handbook of Codes, Ciphers, and Secret Writing Janeczko The Animal Book: A Collection of the Fastest, Fiercest,

Toughest, Cleverest, Shyest – and Most Surprising – Animals on Earth

Jenkins

Eat Your Math Homework: Recipes for Hungry Minds McCallum Treasury of Egyptian Mythology Napoli Heart and Soul: The Story of America and African Americans (2012 Coretta Scott King Award winner)

Nelson

Dog Heroes (Magic Tree House Fact Tracker) Osborne Inkblot: Drip, Splat, and Squish Your Way to Creativity Peot Pizza, Pigs, and Poetry Prelutsky A Boy and a Jaguar (2015 Schneider Family Award winner) Rabinowitz Comic Strips: Create Your Own Comic Strips From Start to

Finish Roche

Parrots Over Puerto Rico (2014 Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Medal winner)

Roth

Knucklehead: Tall Tales and Mostly True Stories about Growing Up Scieszka

Scieszka

Math-terpieces: The Art of Problem-Solving Tang Separate is Never Equal: Sylvia Mendez and Her Family’s

Fight for Desegregation (2015 Pura Belpré Honor book) Tonatiuh

The Everything Kids’ Astronomy Book Wagner No Rouz: Our Persian New Year Zameen