TASIS Lower School

TASIS Lower School

Summer Reading Suggestions

and Required Books by Grade Level

“Please read me a story,” or “Oh, you’re stopping at a good place! Couldn’t you read just a bit more?” Are these familiar pleas in your family? Sharing stories aloud with both young and older children is an experience that fosters warm family ties. We hope you have a glorious summer holiday but, whatever you do this summer, make time for READING and let a book spark your imagination and open new doors!

Required Books

New and returning students are required to read the book(s) cited below prior to returning to school in September. After reading the book(s), please complete the comprehension responses included in your summer packet.

Students entering

Grade 1:Bill and Pete Go Down the Nile by Tomie DePaola

Grade 2: Long Way to a New Land by Joan Sandin AND

Blind Men and the Elephant by Karen Backstein AND

Wagon Wheels by Barbara Brenner

Grade 3:Freckle Juice by Judy Blume

Grade 4:Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing by Judy Blume

Grade 5:Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech

NOTES to parents using the reading suggestions:

The following suggestions list is meant to be only a guide to your child’s summer reading and is not intended to be inclusive of all the wonderful books available. It is difficult to assign “grade levels” or reading levels to books because so much depends on the individual student and family. Above all, please help your children learn to consider reading a relaxing and pleasant free time activity.

There are thousands of good books that you will find, on your own in bookshops or public libraries. As you discover great books that are not listed here, please share those titles with us so that we can keep improving this list. Remember, each person is attracted to slightly different books and writers. Don’t expect each book to be right for everybody!

2005 AWARD WINNING TITLES

NEWBERY AWARD

This award honors outstanding writing for young adults.

First Prize

Criss Cross by Lynne Rae Perkins

This story follows the lives of four 14-year-olds in a small town, each at their own crossroads. They explore new thoughts and feelings in the quest to find the meaning of life and love.

Honor Books

Whittington by Alan Armstrong

Hitler Youth: Growing Up in Hitler’s Shadow by Susan Bartoletti

Princess Academy by Shannon Hale

Show Way by Jacqueline Woodsong

CALDECOTT AWARD

Awards go to outstanding picture book illustrators.

First Prize

The Hello, Goodbye Window illustrated by Chris Raschka and written by Norton Jester

In this sunny portrait, a little girl tells us about her everyday experiences visiting her grandparents’ house which is illustrated with affection and humor.

Honor Books

Rosa illustrated by Bryan Collier and written by Nikki Giovanni

Zen Shorts written and illustrated by Jon Muth

Hot Air: The (Mostly) True Story of the First Hot-Air Balloon Ride

written and illustrated by Marjorie Priceman

Song of the Water Boatman illustrated by Beckie Prange and written by Joyce Sidman

CORETTA SCOTT KING AWARD

Honors African American authors and illustrators of books for children and young adults.

Author Award: Day of Tears: A Novel in Dialogue by Julius Lester

Illustrator Award: Rosa by Bryan Collier

PURA BELPRE AWARD

Recognizes Latino authors whose books best portray, affirm and celebrate Latino cultural experiences.

Dona Flor: A Tall Tale About a Giant Woman with a Great Big Heart by Raul Colon

THEODOR SEUSS GEISEL AWARD

Presented to the most distinguished beginning reader book.

Henry and Mudge and the Great Grandpas by Cynthia Rylant

SUGGESTED SUMMER READING

Reading and comprehension responses REQUIRED for students entering Grade 2: Long Way to a New Land, by Joan Sandin and Blaze Shows the Way by C. W. Anderson

Picture Books to share with your children

Bang, MollyThe Paper Crane, Wiley and the Hairy Man

Bernhard, Emery and Bernhard, DurgaSalamander

Coerr, EleanorThe Josephina Story Quilt

Cole, JoannaThe Magic School Bus Books

Cooney, BarbaraMiss Rumphius

Eastman P.D.Are You My Mother?

Howitt, Mary BothamThe Spider and the Fly

Gerstein, M.Wild Boy

Latimer, JimGoing The Moose Way Home

Lester, JuliusSam and the Tigers and others

Lyon, George EllaCome a Tide

Marshall, EdwardFox books

Martin Jr., Bill and Archambault, JohnKnots on a Counting Rope

McCully, Emily ArnoldMirette on the High Wire

Minarik, Else HolmelundLittle Bear books

Mora, PatDona Flor: A Tall Tale…

Morpurgo, MichaelSam’s Duck and other

Parish, PeggyAmelia Bedelia books

Pilkey, DavDragon books

Pinkney, Jerry (illustrator)Ugly Duckling

Rappaport, DoreenMartin’s Big Words: The life of Dr. Martin Luther King

Richardson, JustinAnd Tango Makes Three

Rylant, CynthiaWhen I Was Young in the Mountains

San Souci, RobertSootface and other folktales

Say, AllenGrandfather’s Journey and others

Schwartz, Alvin (retold by)In a Dark, Dark Room

Scieszka, JonThe True Story of the Three Little Pigs

Sharmat, MarjorieNate the Great books

Smucker, AnnaNo Stars Nights

Steptoe, JohnMufaro’s Beautiful Daughters

Wiesner, DavidTuesday

Williams, Sherley AnneWorking Cotton

Williams, Vera B.A Chair for My Mother

Woodson, JacquelingComing Home Soon

Yolen, JaneOwl Moon

Young, EdLon Po Po and others

Zelinsky, PaulRapunzel

Chapter Books to share with your children

Adler, DavidCam Jansen series

Blume, JudyFreckle Juice

Byars, BetsyMy Brother Ant

Cleary, BeverlyThe Ramona Books

Dahl, RoaldThe Twits, Fantastic Mr. Fox

Giff, Patricia ReillyThe Kids of Polk Street School series and others

Howe, JamesPinky and Rex books

Kline, SuzyHorrible Harry

Moore, LilianI’ll Meet You at the Cucumbers

Osborne, Mary PopeMagic Treehouse series

Park, BarbaraJunie B. Jones books

Peet, BillBig Bad Bruce

Rylant, CynthiaHenry and Mudge series

Sharmat, Marjorie Weinman Nate the Great series

Steig, WilliamDominic and others

Various authorsAmerican Girl series

ENTERING GRADE 3

SUGGESTED SUMMER READING

Reading and comprehension responses REQUIRED for students entering Grade 3: Freckle Juice, by Judy Blume

AviPoppy / Poppy and Rye

Banks, Lynne ReidFairy Rebel / Harry the Poisonous Centipede

Blume, JudyBlubber / Freckle Juice and others

Blyton, EnidThe Magic Faraway Tree Series

Bunting, EveDandelions

Calmenson, StephanieGator Girls series

Cleary, BeverlyHenry Huggins and the Ramona books

Creech , Sharon Pleasing the Ghost

Dahl, RoaldJames and the Giant Peach

DeFelice, C.Ghost of Fossil Glen

Erickson, J.Hank the Cowdog series

Estes, EleanorThe Hundred Dresses

Fritz, JeanWho’s That Stepping on Plymouth Rock?

Gannett, RuthMy Father's Dragon Series

Gardiner, JohnStone Fox

Gobel, PaulHer Seven Brothers and other Native American tales

Gutman, DanMy Weird School series

Hale, BruceChet Gecko series

Hodges, MargaretSt. George… Dragon, Merlin… Making of a King

Hunter, Edith F.Child of the Silent Night

Hurwitz, JohannaThe Seven Treasure Hunts

Kellogg, StevenPaul Bunyan and other folktales

Kerley, BarbaraDinosaurs of Waterhouse Hawkins

King-Smith, DickThe Hodgeheg

Kline, SuzyHerbie Jones

Lawrence, CarolineRoman Mysteries series

Lester, JuliusJohn Henry

Levine, GailPrincess Test, Fairy’s Mistake and others

MacLachlan, PatriciaSarah Plain and Tall and Skylark

Marshall, JamesRats on the Roof

Martin, J.Snowflake Bentley

Milne A.A.Winnie the Pooh

Morpurgo, MichaelButterfly Lion

Murphy, JillWorst Witch series

Naylor, Phyllis ReynoldsThe Boys Start the War series

Parish, PeggyAmelia Bedelia books

Pollaco, PatriciaMeteor and many others

Robertson, KeithHenry Reed Books

Robinson, BarbaraBest Christmas Pageant Ever

Rockwell, ThomasHow to Eat Fried Worms

Sachar, LouisWayside School stories

San Souci, Rober D.The Talking Eggs

Schlein, MiriamThe Year of the Panda

Scholastic PressMy America (Series written by various authors)

Scieszka,, JonThe Time Warp Trio series

Selden, GeorgeThe Cricket in Times Square

Sobol, DonaldEncyclopedia Brown Books

White, E.B.Charlotte's Web, Stuart Little and others

Willard, NancyBeauty and the Beast

Wilson, JacquelineThe Lottie Project, Double Act, and others

Williams, Vera B.Scooter

Zelinsky, Paul O. (Retold by)Rumplestiltskin

ENTERING GRADE 4

SUGGESTED SUMMER READING

Reading and comprehension responses REQUIRED for students entering Grade 4: Bunnicula by Deborah and James Howe

Armstrong, William H.Sounder

AviPoppy series

Banks, Lynne ReidIndian in the Cupboard series

Birdsall, JeanneThe Penderwicks: A Summer Tale…

Blackwood, G.Shakespeare Stealer

Blume, JudySuperfudge, Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing

Borden, LouiseThe Journey that Saved Curious George

Burnett, Frances HodgsonThe Secret Garden

Burnford, SheilaThe Incredible Journey

Byars, BetsySummer of the Swans, Midnight Fox

Cleary, BeverlyDear Mr. Henshaw and others

Cohen, BarbaraThank you Jacki Robinson

Dahl, RoaldDanny the Champion of the World and others

DePaola, Tomie26 Fairmount Avenue

DeFelice, CynthiaGhost of Fossil Glen, Haunting of Stratton Falls

DiTerlizzi, TonySpiderwick Chronicles

Fleishman, SidThe Whipping Boy

Fitzgerald, JohnThe Great Brain books

Fitzhugh, LouiseHarriet the Spy

George, Jean CraigheadThere’s an Owl in the Shower

Gilson, JamieThirteen Ways to Sink a Sub

Henry, MargueriteMisty of Chincoteague

Henkes, KevinOlive’s Ocean

Hickok, Lorena AHelen Keller

Hoffman, AliceAquamarine

Ibbotson, E.Secret of Platform 13

Key, AlexanderThe Forgotten Door

Lasky KathrynGuardians of Ga’hoole series

Lowry, LoisAnastasia Krupnik books

MacGory, YvonneThe Secret of the Ruby Ring

Mathis, Sharon B.The Hundred Penny Box

McCloskey, RobertHomer Price

Naylor, Phyllis ReynoldsShiloh

Polacco, PatriciaPink and Say

Pullman, PhilipClockwork

Rockwell, ThomasHow to Eat Fried Worms

Rowling, J.Harry Potter series

Rylant, CynthiaThe Islander

Sachar, LouisWayside School series

St. George, JudithSo You Want to be President?

Seldon, GeorgeThe Cricket In Times Square

Sewell, AnnaBlack Beauty

Sis, PeterTrain of States

Smith, Robert KimmelThe War with Grandpa

Snyder, Zilpha KeatlyThe Egypt Game

Spinelli, JerryWringer and others

Steig, WilliamAbel’s Island

Stewart, PaulThe Edge Chronicles

Thayler, ErnestCasey at the Bat

VanAllsburg, ChrisThe Garden of Abdul Gasazi

Wilder, Laura IngallsLaura Ingalls Wilder series

Williams, LauraBehind the Bedroom Wall

Winthrop, ElizbethThe Castle in the Attic

Series (book in these series are written by a variety of authors)

Dear America (Scholastic)

My Name is America (Scholastic)

History Mysteries and Girls of Many Lands (American Girl)

ENTERING GRADE 5

SUGGESTED SUMMER READING

Reading and comprehension responses REQUIRED for students entering Grade 5: A Single Shard, by Linda Sue Parks

Armstrong, JenniferDear Mr. President series

Barron, T.A.Lost Years ofMerlin series

Bauer, JoanHope was Here

Brink, CarolCaddie Woodlawn

Brittain, BillThe Wish Giver: Three Tales of Coven Tree

Byars, BetsySummer of the Swans

Choldenko, GenniferAl Capone Does my Shirts

Cohen, BarbaraThank You Jackie Robinson

Cooper, SusanThe Boggart

Creech, SharonWalk Two Moons, The Wanderer and others

Curtis, ChristopherBud, Not Buddy

Cushman, KarenCatherine Called Birdy

Danzinger, PaulaThe United Tates of America

De Angeli, MargueriteThe Door in the Wall

DiCamillo, KateBecause of Winn Dixie, The Tale of Despereaux

Doty, JeanValley of the Ponies

DuBois, William PeneThe Twenty-One Balloons

Fox, PaulaThe Village by the Sea

Freedman, R.The Voice that Challenged a Nation

Funke, CorneliaThief Lord, Dragon Rider, Inkheart, Inkspell

Furlong, MonicaWise Child series

Gantos, JackJoe Pigza Loses Control / Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key

George, JeanWater Sky

Giff, Patricia ReillyLily's Crossing

Grahame, KennethThe Wind in the Willows

Hamilton, VirginiaThe People Could Fly: American Black Folktales

Hesse, KarenOut of the Dust

Horvath, PeggyEverything on a Waffle

Holm, JenniferOur Only May Amelia

Jacques, BrainRedwall series

Ibbotson, EvaSecret of Platform 13

Kadohata, CynthiaKira-Kira

Konigsburg, E.L.View from Saturday and others

L’Engle, MadeleineThe Time Trilogy

Lenski, LoisJudy’s Journey

Lester, A.Quicksand Pony

Levine, GailElla Enchanted and others

Levy, ElizabethMy Life as a Fifth Grade Comedian

Lowry, LoisNumber the Stars

Lunge-Larsen, LiseHidden Folk

MacLachlan, PatriciaThe Facts and Fictions of Minna Pratt

McGraw, EloiseMoorchild

McKissak, Patricia C.The Dark Thirty: Southern Tales of the Supernatural

Murphy, JimAn American Plague

Nixon, Joan LowryThe Orphan Train series

O’Dell, ScottIsland of the Blue Dolphins

Park, Linda SueA Single Shard

Peck, RichardA Long Way from Chicago, Year Down Yonder

Polacco, PatriciaPink and Say

Pullman, PhilipClockwork, Firework-Maker’s Daughter and others

Sachar, LouisHoles and others

Schmidt, GaryLizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy

Snicket, LemonySeries of Unfortunate Events (11in the series now)

Spinelli, JerryStargirl and others

Taylor, TheodoreThe Cay

Series (book in these series are written by a variety of authors)

Royal Diaries. Dear America,

POETRY FOR EVERYONE

Dakos, KalliIf You're Not Here, Please Raise Your Hand

Fleischman, PaulJoyful Noise: Poems for Two Voices

Hopkins, Lee BennettSide by Side: Poems to Read Together

Koch, Kenneth and Farrell, KateTalking to the Sun: An Illustrated Anthology of Poems for Young People

Lansky, BruceKids Pick the Funniest Poems

Longfellow/BingThe Midnight Ride of Paul Revere

Milne, A.ANow We Are Six

Oxford University PressIllustrated Book of American Children’s Poems

Prelutsky, JackRandom Book of Poetry For Children, The Frog Who Wore Red Suspenders and others

Schwartz, AlvinAnd the Green Grass Grew All Around: Folk Poetry from Everyone

Silverstein, ShelFalling Up, Runny Babbit and others

Stevenson, JamesCandy Corn and others

Stevenson, Robert LouisA Child’s Garden of Verses

NONFICTION

It is difficult to suggest specific titles in this category because of individual interests. When you are browsing, please consider books published in the U.S. and also by U.K. publishers such as Dorling Kindersley, Usborne, and the British Broadcasting Company (BBC). Don’t overlook the “Horrible” series: Horrible History, Horrible Science and Horrible Geography. Authors who have written outstanding non-fiction for young people include Joanna Cole, Jean Fritz, Russell Freedman, Patricia Lauber, Seymour Simon, and Franklin Branley.

Some selection guides you might want to investigate on your own:

Odean, KathleenGreat Books for Girls: More Than 600 Books to

Inspire Today’s Girls/ Tomorrow’s Women

Great Books for Boys: More Than 600 Books for

Boys 2 to 14

Trelease, JimThe Read-Aloud Handbook

Hirsch, E.D. (Editor)Books to Build on: A Grade-By-Grade Resource

Guide for Parents and Teachers (Core Knowledge Series)

Tucker, NicholasThe Rough Guide to Children’s Books

Brooks, Ellen (Editor)Just-Right books for Beginning Readers (Leveled

Booklists and Strategies)

Klee, Mary BethCore Virtues, A Literature Based Program in Character Education (Link Institute)

Hahn and FlynnThe Ultimate Book Guide

Young, TerrellHappily Ever After (sharing folk literature with LS and

MS students)

Codell, Esme RajiHow to Get Your Child to Love Reading

Post, Scott and ThebergeCelebrating Children’s Choices

Children’s Literature Web Sites

Find some new titles by looking at reviews and book lists on one of these websites.

association for Library Service to Children: (this site has many great links to other web sites for kids)

The Children’s Book Council

Scholastic Kids Read

Chinaberry Books for families