West Windsor-Plainsboro Regional School District

West Windsor-Plainsboro Regional School District

Denise Wilder, Library Media Specialist

Village School

Dawn Gillen, Library Media Specialist

Millstone River School

Summer Reading List 2013

Includes Annotations by Judy FreemanTitlewave

The most important thing to remember is that reading should be an enjoyable experience. The following activities can help you stimulate your child's interest in reading.

Model good reading habits. Help your child understand that reading is important by letting him see you reading maps, books, recipes,and directions. Suggest reading as a free-time activity. Keep books that are of interest to your child in an easy place for them to get to.

Encourage activities that require reading.Cooking (reading a recipe), constructing a kite (reading directions), or identifying a bird's nest or a shell at the beach (reading a reference book)are some examples.

Establish a reading time,even if it's only 20 minutes each day. Make sure there is a good reading light in your child's room and stock their bookshelves with books and magazines that are easy to read and interesting.

Nic Bishop’s Snakesby Nic Bishop

An amazing example of how great pictures and informative text can work together to make a subject fascinating and understandable.

Poppy by Avi

Poppy, a deer mouse, urges her family to move next to a field of corn big enough to feed them all forever, but Mr. Ocax, a terrifying owl, has other ideas.

The Candy Smashby Jacqueline Davies

In their fourth book, Jessie and Evan Treski have waged a lemonade war, sought justice in a class trial, and even unmasked a bell thief. Now they are at opposite ends over the right to keep secrets. Evan believes some things (such as his poetry) are private. Jessie believes scandal makes good news. When anonymously sent candy hearts appear in Class 4-0, self-appointed ace reporter Jessie determines to get the scoop on class crushes.

Because of Mr. Terupt by Rob Buyea

Mr. Terupt follows in the footsteps of those inspiring teachers who encourage their students to think for themselves, question the conventions they understand about school, and become better people. From the students' distinct voices readers come to understand the different personalities and backgrounds that define them. By the end of 5th grade, with Mr. Terupt's guidance, the students understand not only themselves and others better, but they realize the importance of forgiveness.

Jake and Lily by Jerry Spinelli

Twins Jake and Lily share an extrasensory connection they call "goombla." Now it’s the summer before sixth grade, and things are changing for the twins. Their parents decide they should have separate rooms. Jake begins to spend time with a group of neighborhood boys. Lily is devastated as she struggles to make friends and Jake is faced with a bully. The characters and situations mesh together perfectly, and in the end Jake and Lily both realize that they can live separate lives and still be connected.

Electric Ben: The Amazing Life and Times of Benjamin Franklin by Robert Byrd

A dazzling picture-book biography of one of the Founding Fathers.In pictures and text, master artist Robert Byrd documents Franklin's numerous and diverse accomplishments, from framing the Constitution to creating bifocals. The witty, wise, and endlessly curious Franklin is the perfect subject for Byrd's lively style and vibrant art. The pages pulse with facts, quotes, and captions, while the inventive design and intricately detailed illustrations make a striking tribute to the brilliant American.

Liar and Spy by Rebecca Stead

The instant New York Times bestseller from the author of the Newbery Medal book, When You Reach Me: a story about spies, games, and friendship. When Georges moves into a Brooklyn apartment building he meets Safer, a twelve-year-old self-appointed spy. Georges becomes Safer's first spy recruit. But as Safer becomes more demanding, Georges starts to wonder: what is a lie, and what is a game? How far is too far to go for your only friend? Like the dazzling When You Reach Me this story will keep readers guessing until the end.

Wonder by R.J. Palacio

August Pullman was born with a facial deformity that, up until now, has prevented him from going to a mainstream school. Starting 5th grade at Beecher Prep, he wants nothing more than to be treated as an ordinary kid—but his new classmates can’t get past Auggie’s extraordinary face. The story begins from Auggie’s point of view, but soon switches to include his classmates, his sister, her boyfriend, and others. These perspectives converge in a portrait of one community’s struggle with empathy, compassion, and acceptance.

A Black Hole is not a Hole byCarolyn Cinami DeCristofano

What can be more exhilarating than learning about the universe and how it works?These complicated abstract ideas are logically ordered and clarified in an inviting conversational style and with inspired uses of reasoning and analogies perfectly attuned to the target audience.

Brothers at Bat:The True Story of an Amazing All-Brother Baseball Team by Audrey Vernick

The Acerra family had sixteen children, including twelve ball-playing boys? It was the 1930s, and many families had lots of kids, but only one had enough to field a baseball team . . . with three on the bench! Their Long Branch, New Jersey high school team sported at least one of them for 22 years in a row.The illustrations in this picture book bring the story to vivid life, while the beautifully designed pages capture the feel of this slice of American history.

A Rock is Lively by Dianna Hutts Aston

A gorgeous and informative introduction to the fascinating world of rocks. From dazzling blue lapis lazuli to volcanic snowflake obsidian, an incredible variety of rocks are showcased.

What was the Boston Tea Party? by Kathleen Krull

“No Taxation without Representation!" The Boston Tea Party stands as an iconic event of the American Revolution. Outraged by the tax on tea, American colonists chose to destroy the tea by dumping it into the water! Learn all about the famed colonialists who fought against the British Monarchy, and read about this act of rebellion from our history!

Aliens On Vacation by Clete Barrett Smith

Scrub arrives at his grandmother's Washington bed-and-breakfast only to discover she has opened the doors to aliens that arrive through off-Earth portals, and he must decide what to do when the local sheriff, already suspicious of Granny, notices some of the kids Scrub is chaperoning at a campout glow in the dark.

Chained by Lynne Kelly

After ten-year-old Hastin's family borrows money to pay for his sister's hospital bill, he leaves his village in northern India to take a job as an elephant keeper and work off the debt. He thinks it will be an adventure, but he isn't prepared for the cruel circus owner. The crowds that come to the circus see a lively animal that plays soccer and balances on milk bottles, but Hastin sees Nandita chained when she's not performing and hurt with a hook until she learns tricks perfectly. Hastin protects Nandita as best as he can, knowing that the only way they will both survive is if he can find a way for them to escape.

From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konisburg
When Claudia decided to run away, she thought she would be gone just long enough to teach her parents a lesson in Claudia appreciation. She decided to hide out at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, and invited her brother Jamie to go too, mostly because he was a miser and would have money.

Splendors and Glooms by Laura Amy SchlitzNewbery Honor Book

When Clara vanishes after the puppeteer Grisini and two orphaned assistants were at her twelfth birthday party, suspicion of kidnapping chases the trio away from London and soon the two orphans are caught in a trap set by Grisini's ancient rival, a witch with a deadly inheritance to shed before it is too late.

Three Times Lucky by Sheila TurnageNewbery Honor Book

Washed ashore as a baby in tiny Tupelo Landing, North Carolina, Mo LoBeau, now eleven, and her best friend Dale turn detective when the amnesiac Colonel, owner of a cafe and co-parent of Mo with his cook, Miss Lana, seems implicated in a murder.

The Thing about Georgie by Lisa Graff2014 Visiting Author

The novel introduces its main character by having readers touch their left ears with their right hands, something Georgie cannot do because he is a dwarf. What could have been heavy-handed becomes a way for readers to empathize with Georgie as he faces sibling rivalry and a falling-out with a friend. Graff has created a likable, realistic fourth grader.

City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau

The city of Ember was built as a last refuge for the human race. Two hundred years later, the great lamps that light the city are beginning to flicker. When Lina finds part of an ancient message, she's sure it holds a secret that will save the city. She and her friend Doon must decipher the message before the lights go out on Ember forever! This stunning debut novel offers refreshingly clear writing and fascinating, original characters.

Esperanza Rising by Pam Munoz Ryan

Esperanza thought she'd always live with her family on their ranch in Mexico--she'd always have fancy dresses, a beautiful home, and servants. But a sudden tragedy forces Esperanza and Mama to flee to California during the Great Depression, and to settle in a camp for Mexican farm workers. Esperanza isn't ready for the hard labor, financial struggles, or lack of acceptance she now faces. When their new life is threatened, Esperanza must find a way to rise above her difficult circumstances--Mama's life, and her own, depend on it.

Masterpiece by Elise Broach

James and Marvin live in the same New York City apartment, but they couldn't be more different. James is a ten-year-old boy and Marvin is a young beetle who lives under the kitchen sink with his family. When James is given a pen and ink set for his birthday, Marvin is inspired to create a gift for the boy. Marvin's sketch is so good that he and James become involved in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's plan to recover stolen artwork, using Marvin's drawing as bait. Will these two friends be able to pull it off without revealing Marvin's secret?