Fourth Grade Summer Reading Program

Grades 6 – 8 PWCS Summer Reading Program Potomac Middle School The purpose of the PWCS Summer Reading Program is to encourage students to enjoy quality literature and to continue developing their independent reading skills. Student participation in the program is voluntary. Students who choose to participate in the program are required to complete a minimum number of readings over the summer. Students in Grades 6 - 8 who participate will complete a list of books read. The documentation should include the name of the author, the title of the book, an explanation of the topic or plot of the book, and a parent or guardian statement indicating that the student has completed the reading. For Grades 6th – 8th grade students who participate in Prince William County Public Library's Summer Reading Program, the Public Library documentation will apply. Students will receive an extra A (100) for each book completed, with a maximum total of two. Completion of the summer reading will be recorded for students by the end of the second week of school.

Lexile Levels To help in choosing books that can promote reading growth, this year each child’s 2014 English SOL score will include a Lexile Level. The Lexile Level is based on a student’s SOL score on the English portion of the SOL and approximates his/her reading level. This means a child should be able to read and understand books in a Lexile range of approximately 100 points below to 50 points above the designated score. Knowing a child’s Lexile range can help to locate books that he/she might enjoy reading. Student interest and motivation for reading books that are age appropriate are critical factors to consider as book choices are made. Remember that nothing replaces conversation with the student, his teachers, and librarians in making great choices. It is important to note that the Lexile measure does not address the content or quality of the book. Many other factors affect the relationship between a reader and a book, including its content, the age and interests of the reader, and the design of the actual book. The Lexile measure is a good starting point in the book-selection process, but parents should always consider these other factors when making a decision about which book to choose.

Revised 05/2014

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PWCS Sixth Grade Summer Reading Program Suggested Reading The following titles are suggestions for summer reading. Other books selected by the student with guidance from a parent/guardian and/or librarian are also acceptable. Participation in the PWC Public Library Summer Reading Program and its documentation is also acceptable. Author

Title

Lexile Level 830

Annotation

The Underneath

Pub. Date 2008

Appelt, Kathi

Codell, Esme Raji

Sahara Special

2004

680

Duprau, Jeanne

City of Ember

2003

680

Graves, Will

Robert Griffin III: NFL Sensation

2014

780

Struggling with school and her feelings since her father left, Sahara gets a fresh start with a new and unique teacher who supports her writing talents and the individuality of each of her classmates 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. The book summarizes Griffin's life and career to date and

Revised 05/2014

An old hound that has been chained up at his hateful owner's run-down shack, and two kittens born underneath the house, endure separation, danger, and many other tribulations in their quest to be reunited and free.

draws attention to accomplishments beyond his athletic skill as well as career highlights thus far. Short, informative sidebars add to the engaging, easy-to-read text.

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Grimes, Nikki

Words with Wings

2013

850

Haddix, Margaret Peterson

Among the Hidden (Shadow Children Series)

1998

800

Jackson, Melanie

Fast Slide

2010

510

Palacio, R.J.

Wonder

2012

790

Paulsen, Gary

Harris and Me

1993

1060

Paulsen, Gary

Lawn Boy

2009

780

Perkins, Mitali

Rickshaw Girl

2007

730

Revised 05/2014

Gabby daydreams to tune out her parents' arguments, but when her parents' divorce, and she begins a new school, daydreaming gets her into trouble. Her mother scolds her for it, her teacher keeps telling her to pay attention, and the other kids tease her. Until she finds a friend who also daydreams and her teacher decides to work a daydreaming-writing session into every school day. With a notebook "thick with daydreams," Gabby grows more confident about herself and her future. In a future where the Population Police enforce the law limiting a family to only two children, Luke has lived all his twelve years in isolation and fear on his family's farm, until another third convinces him that the government is wrong. Lifeguard Clay Gibson tries to clear his friend's name when he is suspected of stealing forty thousand dollars from the water park for which they work. August Pullman was born with a facial difference that, up until now, has prevented him from going to 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 Sent to live with relatives on their farm because of his unhappy home life, an eleven-year-old city boy meets his distant cousin Harris and is given an introduction to a whole new world. Things get out of hand for a twelve-year-old boy when a neighbor convinces him to expand his summer lawn mowing business Naima is a talented painter of traditional alpana patterns, which Bangladeshi women and girls paint on their houses for special celebrations. But Naima is not satisfied just painting alpana. She wants to help earn money for her family, like her best friend, Saleem, does for his family. When Naima's rash effort to help puts her family deeper in debt, she draws on her resourceful nature and her talents to bravely save the day. Includes a glossary of Bangla words and an author's note about a changing Bangladesh and microfinance

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Spinelli, Jerry

Maniac Magee

1990

820

Scieszka, Jon

Knucklehead : Tall Tales & Mostly True Stories About Growing Up Scieszka One Crazy Summer

2008

750

2010

750

Williams-Garcia, Rita

P.S. Be Eleven

2014

770

Jobling, Curtis

Rise of the Wolf (or any other in the Werewolf Series)

2013

970

Williams-Garcia, Rita

Revised 05/2014

Jeffrey Lionel "Maniac" Magee might have lived a normal life if a freak accident hadn't made him an orphan. After living with his unhappy and uptight aunt and uncle for eight years, he decides to run--and not just run away, but run. This is where the myth of Maniac Magee begins, as he changes the lives of a racially divided small town with his amazing and legendary feats Part memoir, part scrapbook, this hilarious trip down memory lane provides a unique glimpse into the formation of a creative mind and a free spirit. In the summer of 1968, after traveling from Brooklyn to Oakland, California, to spend a month with the mother they barely know, eleven-year-old Delphine and her two younger sisters arrive to a cold welcome as they discover that their mother, a dedicated poet and printer, is resentful of the intrusion of their visit and wants them to attend a nearby Black Panther summer camp. Sequel to: One crazy Summer. After spending the summer of 1968 with their mother and the Black Panthers, Delphine, Vonetta, and Fern return home to Brooklyn with a new feeling of independence, but they discover their father has a new girlfriend, Uncle Darnell has come home from Vietnam a changed man, and Big Ma still expects Delphine to take care of everything. Feeling overwhelmed, Delphine writes to her mother, who reminds her to enjoy being eleven and not grow up too fast.

When a beast invades his father's farm and sixteen-year-old Drew suddenly transforms into a werewolf. He runs away from his family, seeking refuge in an obscure part of Lyssia. He is captured by Lord Bergan's men and forced to battle numerous werecreatures while trying to prove that he is not the enemy.

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Ventura, Marne

Astrophysicist and Space Advocate Neil deGrasse Tyson

2014

760

Have you ever stared into the night sky, full of stars and planets? As a kid, Neil deGrasse Tyson was star struck when he first visited a planetarium. The universe was calling him. Tyson pursued his interest in astronomy and studied to be an astrophysicist. In 1996, he became the director of New York's Hayden Planetarium. He is passionate about teaching people about the universe and is known for making science fun and easy to understand. Follow his path from fascinated kid to popular space expert, Director of New York's Hayden Planetarium and narrator of Cosmos television program.

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PWCS Seventh Grade Summer Reading Program Suggested Reading The following titles are suggestions for summer reading. Other books selected by the student with guidance from a parent/guardian and/or librarian are also acceptable. Participation in the PWC Public Library Summer Reading Program and its documentation is also acceptable. Author

Title

Lexile Level 580

Annotation

Fever 1793

Pub. Date 2000

Anderson, Laurie Halse

Burpo, Todd

Heaven is for Real

2010

650

When Colton Burpo made it through an emergency appendectomy, his family was overjoyed at his miraculous survival. What they weren't expecting, though, was the story that emerged in the months that followed—a story as beautiful as it was extraordinary, detailing their little boy's trip to heaven and back.

Choldenko, Gennifer

No Passengers Beyond This Point

2010

Cooney, Caroline

Code Orange

2005

Revised 05/2014

620

850

Sixteen-year-old Matilda Cook, separated from her sick mother, learns about perseverance and self-reliance when she is forced to cope with the horrors of the yellow fever epidemic in Philadelphia in 1793.

Three siblings - India, Finn, and Mouse - have less than fortyeight hours to pack up all their belongings and fly, without Mom, to their uncle Red's in Colorado, after they lose their house to foreclosure. But when they land, a mysterious driver meets them at the airport, and he's never heard of Uncle Red. Like Dorothy in Oz, they find themselves in a place they've never heard of, with no idea of how to get home, and time is running out While conducting research for a school paper on smallpox, Mitty finds an envelope containing 100-year-old smallpox scabs and fears that he has infected himself and all of New York City.

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DiCamillo, Kate

2013

520

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, is 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, flight, and misspelled poetry -- and that Flora will be changed too, as she discovers the possibility of hope and the promise of a big heart. This laugh-out-loud story is filled with eccentric, endearing characters and an exciting new format -- a novel interspersed with comicstyle graphic sequences and full-page illustrations. Melody has cerebral palsy, a condition that affects her body but not her mind. Although she is unable to walk, talk, or feed or care for herself, she can read, think, and feel. A brilliant person is trapped inside her body, determined to make her mark in the world in spite of her physical limitations Matteo Alacrán was not born; he was harvested. His DNA came from El Patrón, lord of a country called Opium—a strip of poppy fields lying between the United States and what was once called Mexico. Matt's first cell split and divided inside a petri dish. He is a boy now, but most consider him a monster—except for El Patrón. El Patrón loves Matt as he loves himself, because Matt is himself

Flora and Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures

Draper, Sharon

Out Of My Mind

2010

700

Farmer, Nancy

House of the Scorpion

2002

660

Fern, Tracey

Pippo the Fool

2009

770

In fifteenth-century Florence, Italy, a contest is held to design a magnificent dome for the town's cathedral, but when Pippo the Fool claims he will win the contest, everyone laughs at him. Based on a true story.

Haddix, Margaret Peterson

Double Identity

2005

810

Holm, Jennifer

Middle School is Worst Than Meatloaf: A Year Told in Stuff.

720

2007

Thirteen-year-old Bethany's parents have always been overprotective, but when they suddenly drop out of sight with no explanation, leaving her with an aunt she never knew existed, Bethany uncovers shocking secrets that make her question everything she thought she knew about herself and her family Ginny makes a to do list for her seventh grade year, which includes landing a role in the school play, trying to make friends, ignoring her horoscope, and going to see her grandpa Joe in Florida; but she always seems to come up short in accomplishing any of it.

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Horowitz, Anthony

Stormbreaker

2000

670

They told him his uncle died in an accident. But when fourteen-year-old Alex finds his uncle's windshield riddled with bullet holes, he knows it was no accident. What he doesn't know yet is that his uncle was killed while on a top-secret mission. Fourteen-year-old Alex Rider is coerced to continue his uncle's dangerous work for Britain's intelligence agency, MI6.

Levine, Kristin

The Best Bad Luck Ever

2009

680

In Moundville, Alabama, in 1917, twelve-year-old Dit hopes the new postmaster will have a son his age, but instead he meets Emma, who is black, and their friendship challenges accepted ways of thinking and leads them to save the life of a condemned man.

Murphy, Jim

An American Plague : the True and Terrifying Story of the Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1793

2003

1130

Solheim, James

It’s disgusting and We Ate It

1998

1010

Woodson, Jacqueline

After Tupac and D. Foster

2010

750

Provides an account of the yellow fever epidemic that swept through Philadelphia in 1793, discussing the chaos that erupted when people began evacuating in droves, leaving the city without government, goods, or services, and examining efforts by physicians, the Free African Society, and others to cure and care for the sick A collection of poems, facts, statistics, and stories about unusual foods and eating habits from around the world and throughout history. In Queens, NY in the year 1996, three girls bond over their shared love of Tupac Shakur's music, as together they try to make sense of the unpredictable world in which they live.

McKissack, Pat

A Friendship for Today

2007

670

Revised 05/2014

Twelve-year-old Rosemary Patterson learns that she will be attending an all-white school in the fall; but when her best friend is diagnosed with polio, she must face the first day of school alone.

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PWCS Eighth Grade Summer Reading Program Suggested Reading The following titles are suggestions for summer reading. Other books selected by the student with guidance from a parent/guardian and/or librarian are also acceptable. Participation in the PWC Public Library Summer Reading Program and its documentation is also acceptable. Author

Title

Pub. Date 2007

Lexile Level 850

Abdel-Fattah, Randa

Does My Head Look Big in This?

Blumenthal, Karen

Steve Jobs: The Man Who Thought Different

2012

1110

Card, Orson Scott

Ender’s Game

1992

780

Clements, Andrew

Things Not Seen

2004

690

Draper, Sharon

We Beat the Street

2006

860

Revised 05/2014

Annotation Sixteen-year-old Amal makes the decision to start wearing the hijab full- time and everyone has a reaction. Her parents, her teachers, her friends, people on the street. But she stands by her decision to embrace her faith and all that it is, even if it does make her a little different from everyone else. Chronicles the life and accomplishments of Apple mogul Steve Jobs, discussing his ideas, and describing how he has influenced life in the twenty-first century. Young Ender Wiggin may prove to be the military genius Earth needs to fight a desperate battle against a deadly alien race that will determine the future of the human race When fifteen-year-old Bobby wakes up and finds himself invisible, he and his parents and his new blind friend Alicia try to find out what caused his condition and how to reverse it. Sampson, George, and Rameck could easily have followed their childhood friends into drug dealing, gangs, and prison. Like their peers, they came from poor, single-parent homes in urban neighborhoods where survival, not scholastic success, was the priority. When the three boys met in a magnet high school in Newark, they recognized each other as kindred spirits who wanted to overcome the incredible odds against them and reach for opportunity. They made a friendship pact, deciding together to take on the biggest challenge of their lives: attending college and then medical school. Along the way they made mistakes and faced disappointments, but by working hard, finding the right mentors, separating themselves from negative influences, and supporting each other, they achieved their goals--and more.

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Draper, Sharon

Copper Sun

2006

820

Two 15 year old girls—one slave and the other an indentured servant—escape their Carolina plantation and try to make their way to Fort Mose, Florida, a Spanish colony that gives sanctuary to slaves. After winning a basketball reporting contest, eighth graders Stevie and Susan Carol are sent to cover the Final Four tournament, where they discover that a talented player is being blackmailed into throwing the final game. Today's top authors for teens and young people come together to share their stories about bullying—as bystanders, as victims, and as the bullies themselves—in this moving and deeply personal collection. Lauren Oliver, R. L. Stine, Ellen Hopkins, Carolyn Mackler, Kiersten White, Mo Willems, Jon Scieszka, Lauren Kate, and many more contributed 70 heartfelt and empathetic stories from each corner of the schoolyard. In addition, Dear Bully includes resources for teens, educators, and parents, and suggestions for further reading. Scheduled to coincide with the 100th anniversary of the tragic sinking of the Titanic, a topic that continues to haunt and thrill readers to this day, this book by critically acclaimed author Deborah Hopkinson weaves together the voices and stories of real Titanic survivors and witnesses to the disaster Due to an administrative mix-up,8th grade troublemaker Donovan Curtis is sent to the Academy of Scholastic Distinction, a special program for gifted and talented students, after pulling a major prank at middle school.

Feinstein, John

Last Shot: A Final Four Mystery

2005

760

Hall, Kelly

Dear Bully

2011

850

Hopkinson, Deborah

Titanic: Voices from the Disaster

2012

1040

Korman ,Gordon

Ungifted

2012

730

Lupica, Mike

QB1

2013

Mikaelson, Ben.

Touching Spirit Bear

2001

Revised 05/2014

Jake Cullen, fourteen, lives in the shadows of his father and older brother until he becomes the starting quarterback for the high school football team and finally has his chance to shine. 670

After his anger erupts into violence, fifteen year-old Cole, in order to avoid going to prison, agrees to participate in a sentencing alternative based on the Native American Circle Justice, and he is sent to a remote Alaskan Island where an encounter with a huge Spirit Bear changes his life

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Myers, Walter Dean

Bad Boy: A Memoir

2002

970

In a memoir that is gripping, funny, and ultimately unforgettable, New York Times bestselling author Walter Dean Myers travels back to his roots in the magical world of Harlem during the 1940s and 1950s. Here is the story of one of the most distinguished writers of young people's literature today. As a boy, Myers was quick-tempered and physically strong, always ready for a fight. He also read voraciously—he would check out books from the library and carry them home, hidden in brown paper bags in order to avoid other boys' teasing. He aspired to be a writer.

Myers, Walter Dean

Invasion

2013

760

It's May 1944. World War II is ramping up, and so are these young recruits, ready and eager. In small towns and big cities all over the globe, people are filled with fear. When Josiah and Marcus come together in what will be the greatest test of their lives, they learn hard lessons about race, friendship, and what it really means to fight. Set on the front lines of the Normandy invasion, this novel, rendered with heart-in-the-throat precision, is a cinematic masterpiece. Here we see the bold terror of war, and also the nuanced havoc that affects a young person's psyche while living in a barrack, not knowing if today he will end up dead or alive.

Pfeffer, Susan Beth.

Life As We Knew It

2006

770

Stone, Tanya Lee

The Good, the Bad, and the Barbie: a Doll's History and Her Impact on Us The Tinker King

2010

1120

Through journal entries sixteen-year-old Miranda describes her family's struggle to survive after a meteor hits the moon, causing worldwide tsunamis, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions. Explores how Barbie has influenced generations of girls, discussing criticisms of the doll, her role in fashion, and her surprising popularity during her first fifty years.

Trent, Tiffany

Revised 05/2014

2014

760

After Vespa, Syrus, and Bayne defeated the Grue and restored order to their world in The Unnaturalists, they thought their future was secure. Empress Olivia, committed to peace and equality for humans and Elementals alike, was a fair and just ruler. The Creeping Waste had vanished, giving them hope for the first time, but rebellion is brewing in the far-off city of Scientia, and dark Elementals are plotting war in the ruins of New London. Before they know what's happening, Vespa, Syrus, and their friends are plunged into a new swamp of intrigue, deception and magic—and the cost of survival may be more than any of them are willing to pay. Page 11 of 12

Updale, Eleanor

Montmorency: Thief, Liar, Gentleman?

2203

1100

Van Tol, Alex

Sonia Sotomayor: U.S. Supreme Court Justice

2011

1070

Selznick, Brian

Wonderstruck

2011

830

Revised 05/2014

After his life is saved by a young physician, a thief utilizes the knowledge he gains in prison and from the scientific lectures he attends as the physician's case study exhibit to create a new, highly successful, double life for himself. Sonia Sotomayor, born of Puerto Rican parents in the Bronx, New York, became a household name when President Barack Obama nominated her to the United States Supreme Court in 2009. Her confirmation made her the country's first Hispanic Associate Justice of the Supreme Court. But even before that, Sonia was an inspiration to others for her hard work and her accomplishments as a student, an attorney, and a judge. Raised by her widowed mother in the housing projects of New York, Sonia Sotomayor has built a life as a jurist, activist, and mother, committed to the rights and advancement of people of all backgrounds and ethnicities. Having lost his mother and his hearing in a short time, twelveyear-old Ben leaves his Minnesota home in 1977 to seek the father he never knew in New York City, and meets there Rose, who is also longing for something missing from her life. Ben's story is told in words; Rose's in pictures.

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