LZMSN Summer Reading Assignment
(for students entering Grade 7 in August 2014)
April 14, 2014
Dear Students and Parents,
For the upcoming 2014-2015 school year, it is a 7th grade expectation that all 6th grade students read at least
one book from the attached list during the summer prior to entering 7th grade. We have chosen to use the
Rebecca Caudill Young Readers’ Book Award 2015 Nominees as the basis for our list.
We will evaluate the summer reading during the first two weeks of school. All students must have read their
book prior to the first day of school so teachers can assign an early project/assessment. This beginning of the
year assessment provides a model of expectations for the student, creates a method for the teachers to
share expectations for the year, and allows teachers to see an early example of each child’s work. Similarly,
these novels provide a common literary experience when discussing classroom novels, enrich background
knowledge, and generate points of comparison and analysis throughout the year.
Some students may wish to check a book out of the library (Ela or other public library) while others may wish
to purchase the book. If you would like to purchase one of these books, Mrs. Taylor, our MSN Librarian, has
the novels available to students at a great price. (see MSN Library Order Form) Purchased books will be
distributed to students before the last day of 6th grade. All listed books can be found at bookstores, online,
and the public library. (Purchase of these novels is NOT expected. This is simply an option for your child.) If
you do wish to purchase one from our MSN Library, please have your form turned in to Mrs. Taylor or Mrs.
Sieckowski no later than Tuesday, May 6.
In addition, on your child’s fall, winter, and spring MAP results, you will find a Lexile Score which may assist
you in finding books from the summer reading list that are appropriate to his/her reading level. For more
information about Lexile Scores and how to use them to select appropriate reading material, please refer to
www.lexile.com . (Keep in mind that the Lexile Scores given on the summer reading list pertain more to the
level of the words used than to the content.)
We hope to make this an enjoyable experience for all. Thank you in supporting us in this integral program to
help keep our kids reading and learning all year long.
Sincerely,
The 7th Grade Literature Teachers
*Please contact Shirli Kubiak (Shirli.kubiak@lz95.org), Jennifer Lippert (Jennifer.Lippert@lz95.org), or Kristyn Lakiotis
(Kristyn.Lakiotis@LZ95.org ) if you have any further questions about summer reading or have questions about access to
these books. Questions will be answered immediately if asked prior to June.
Rebecca Caudill Young Reader’s Book Award 2015 Nominee List
The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate
(Harper Collins Publishers, 2012)
Winner of the 2013 Newbery Medal and a #1 New York Times bestseller, this novel is inspired by the true story of a captive
gorilla known as Ivan, this illustrated novel is told from the point-of-view of Ivan himself and is a classic in the making telling
Ivan's unforgettable first-person narration in a story of friendship, art, and hope.
Having spent 27 years behind the glass walls of his enclosure in a shopping mall, Ivan has grown accustomed to humans
watching him. He hardly ever thinks about his life in the jungle. Instead, Ivan occupies himself with television, his friends
Stella and Bob, and painting. But when he meets Ruby, a baby elephant taken from the wild, he is forced to see their
home, and his art, through new eyes.
Saving Zasha by Randi Barrow
(Scholastic Publishers, 2011)
In post-WWII Russia, one boy dares to save an entire race of outlawed dogs -- the German shepherd! World War II has
just ended when thirteen-year-old Mikhail finds a dying man and his German shepherd, Zasha, in the woods. It's dangerous
(some say traitorous) to own a German dog after Germany attacked Russia, so Mikhail must keep Zasha a secret to keep
her alive. Mikhail's rival, Katia, is determined to find the dog she is sure he's hiding. At the same time, a soldier named
Dimitri is breeding a new Russian dog at a nearby farm. So many dogs were lost in combat, to starvation, and in the
slaughter of German dogs that the country is in dire need of every kind of dog. Dimitri, too, has suspicions of Zasha's
existence, and would like nothing more than to add her to his breeding program. He'll have to compete with the dog thieves
who are also on her trail.
Mikhail's inspiring journey to save his best friend, the last German shepherd in Russia, forces him to face some of life's
hardest lessons about war, hate, forgiveness, hope, love, and man's best friend.
Almost Home by Joan Bauer
(Viking Publishers, 2012)
When twelve-year-old Sugar's grandfather dies and her gambling father takes off yet again, Sugar and her mother lose
their home in Missouri. They head to Chicago for a fresh start, only to discover that fresh starts aren't so easy to come by
for the homeless. Nevertheless, Sugar's mother has taught her to be grateful no matter what, so Sugar does her best. With
the help of a rescue dog, Shush; a foster family; a supportive teacher; a love of poetry; and her own grace and good
humor, Sugar comes to understand that while she can't control the hand life deals her, she can control how she responds.
Chuck Close: Face Book by Chuck Close
(Abrams Publishers, 2012)
This fascinating, interactive autobiography presents Chuck Close’s story, his art, and a discussion of the many processes
he uses in the studio. The question-and-answer format is based on real kids’ inquiries about Close’s life and work, and his
answers to them. Close, who is wheelchair-bound and paints with a brush strapped to his arm, discusses the severe
dyslexia and face blindness he has struggled with since childhood, as well as a collapsed spinal artery that left him nearly
paralyzed at the age of 48.
An engaging feature of the book is a mix-and-match
Chuck Close self-portrait section. This hands-on component encourages the reader to create new and interesting
combinations of Close’s techniques and images. The book also includes an illustrated chronology of Close’s life, a list of
museums where his work can be seen, and an index.
A Diamond in the Desert by Kathryn Fitzmaurice
(Viking Publishers, 2012)
Twelve-year-old Tetsu eats, sleeps and breathes baseball. It’s all he ever thinks about. But after the bombing of Pearl
Harbor, Tetsu and his family are forced from their home into an internment camp in the Arizona desert with other Japanese
Americans, and baseball becomes the last thing on his mind. The camp isn’t technically a prison, but it sure feels like one
when there’s nothing to do and no place to go. So when a man starts up a boys’ baseball team, Tetsu is only too eager to
play again. But with his sister suddenly falling ill, and his father taken away for questioning, Tetsu is forced to choose
between his family and his love of the game.
Tuesdays at the Castle by Jessica Day George
(Bloomsbury Publishers, 2011)
Tuesdays at Castle Glower are Princess Celie's favorite days. That's because on Tuesdays the castle adds a new room, a
turret, or sometimes even an entire wing. No one ever knows what the castle will do next, and no one-other than Celie, that
is-takes the time to map out the new additions. But when King and Queen Glower are ambushed and their fate is unknown,
it's up to Celie, with her secret knowledge of the castle's never-ending twists and turns, to protect their home and save their
kingdom.
Unstoppable by Tim Green
(Harper Collins Publishers, 2012)
Inspired by interviews with real-life cancer survivors and insider sports experience, Unstoppable shows a brave boy who
learns what it truly means to be unstoppable.
If anyone understands the phrase "tough luck," it's Harrison. As a foster kid in a cruel home, he knows his dream of one
day playing in the NFL is a longshot. Then Harrison is brought into a new home with kind, loving parents—his new dad is
even a football coach. Harrison's big build and his incredible determination quickly make him a star running back on the
junior high school team. On the field, he's practically unstoppable. But Harrison's good luck can't last forever. When a
routine sports injury leads to a devastating diagnosis, it will take every ounce of Harrison's determination not to give up for
good.
Never Say Die by Will Hobbs
(Harper Collins Publishers, 2013)
In this fast-paced adventure story set in the Canadian arctic, fifteen-year-old Inuit hunter Nick Thrasher comes face-to-face
with a fearsome creature on a routine caribou hunt gone wrong. Part grizzly, part polar bear, this environmental mutant has
been pegged the “grolar bear” by wildlife experts. Nick may have escaped this time, but it won’t be his last encounter.
Then Nick’s estranged half-brother, Ryan, offers to take him on a rafting trip down a remote part of the Firth River. But
when disaster strikes, the two narrowly evade death. They’re left stranded without supplies—and then the grolar bear
appears. Will Hobbs brings his singular style to this suspenseful story about two brothers fighting for survival against the
unpredictable—and sometimes deadly—whims of nature.
Charlie Joe Jackson’s Guide to Not Reading by Tommy Greenwald
(Roaring Brook Publishers, 2011)
Charlie Joe Jackson may be the most reluctant reader ever born. And so far, he's managed to get through life without ever
reading an entire book from cover to cover. But now that he's in middle school, avoiding reading isn't as easy as it used to
be. And when his friend Timmy McGibney decides that he's tired of covering for him, Charlie Joe finds himself resorting to
desperate measures to keep his perfect record intact.
One for the Murphys by Lynda Hullaly Hunt
(Penguin Publishers, 2012)
Carley uses humor and street smarts to keep her emotional walls high and thick. But the day she becomes a foster child,
and moves in with the Murphys, she's blindsided. This loving, bustling family shows Carley the stable family life she never
thought existed, and she feels like an alien in their cookie-cutter-perfect household. Despite her resistance, the Murphys
eventually show her what it feels like to belong--until her mother wants her back and Carley has to decide where and how
to live. She's not really a Murphy, but the gifts they've given her have opened up a new future.
The Clockwork Three by Matthew J. Kirby
(Scholastic Publishers, 2010)
An enchanted green violin, an automaton that comes to life, and a hidden treasure . . . Giuseppe is an orphaned street
musician from Italy, who was sold by his uncle to work as a slave for an evil padrone in the U.S. But when a mysterious
green violin enters his life he begins to imagine a life of freedom. Hannah is a soft-hearted, strong-willed girl from the
tenements, who supports her family as a hotel maid when tragedy strikes and her father can no longer work. She learns
about a hidden treasure, which she knows will save her family -- if she can find it. Frederick, the talented and intense
clockmaker's apprentice, seeks to learn the truth about his mother while trying to forget the nightmares of the orphanage
where she left him. He is determined to build an automaton and enter the clockmakers' guild -- if only he can create a
working head.
Together, the three discover they have phenomenal power when they team up as friends, and that they can overcome
even the darkest of fears.
Ungifted by Gordon Korman
(Harper Collins Publishers, 2012)
From #1 New York Times bestselling author Gordon Korman comes a hilarious novel in which a middle-school
troublemaker accidentally changes everything. When Donovan Curtis pulls a major prank at his middle school, he thinks
he’s finally gone too far. But thanks to a mix-up by one of the administrators, instead of getting in trouble, Donovan is sent
to the Academy of Scholastic Distinction, a special program for gifted and talented students. Although it wasn’t exactly what
Donovan had intended, the ASD couldn’t be a more perfectly unexpected hideout for someone like him. But as the
students and teachers of ASD grow to realize that Donovan may not be good at math or science (or just about anything),
he shows that his gifts may be exactly what the ASD students never knew they needed.
Legend by Marie Lu
(Putnam Publishers, 2011)
What was once the western United States is now home to the Republic, a nation perpetually at war with its neighbors. Born
into an elite family in one of the Republic's wealthiest districts, fifteen-year-old June is a prodigy being groomed for success
in the Republic's highest military circles. Born into the slums, fifteen-year-old Day is the country's most wanted criminal. But
his motives may not be as malicious as they seem.
From very different worlds, June and Day have no reason to cross paths - until the day June's brother, Metias, is murdered
and Day becomes the prime suspect. Caught in the ultimate game of cat and mouse, Day is in a race for his family's
survival, while June seeks to avenge Metias's death. But in a shocking turn of events, the two uncover the truth of what has
really brought them together, and the sinister lengths their country will go to keep its secrets.
The False Prince by Jennifer A. Nielsen
(Scholastic Publishers, 2012)
In this first book in a remarkable trilogy, an orphan is forced into a twisted game with deadly stakes.
Choose to lie...or choose to die.
In a discontent kingdom, civil war is brewing. To unify the divided people, Conner, a nobleman of the court, devises a
cunning plan to find an impersonator of the king's long-lost son and install him as a puppet prince. Four orphans are
recruited to compete for the role, including a defiant boy named Sage. Sage knows that Conner's motives are more than
questionable, yet his life balances on a sword's point -- he must be chosen to play the prince or he will certainly be killed.
But Sage's rivals have their own agendas as well. As Sage moves from a rundown orphanage to Conner's sumptuous
palace, layer upon layer of treachery and deceit unfold, until finally, a truth is revealed that, in the end, may very well prove
more dangerous than all of the lies taken together.
A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park
(Clarion Publishers, 2012)
A Long Walk to Water begins as two stories, told in alternating sections, about two eleven-year-olds in Sudan, a girl in
2008 and a boy in 1985. The girl, Nya, is fetching water from a pond that is two hours’ walk from her home: she makes two
trips to the pond every day. The boy, Salva, becomes one of the "lost boys" of Sudan, refugees who cover the African
continent on foot as they search for their families and for a safe place to stay. Enduring every hardship from loneliness to
attack by armed rebels to contact with killer lions and crocodiles, Salva is a survivor, and his story goes on to intersect with
Nya’s in an astonishing and moving way.
Dogs on Duty: Soldier’s Best Friends on the Battlefield and Beyond by Dorothy Hinshaw Patent
(Walker Publishers, 2012)
When the news of the raid on Osama Bin Laden's compound broke, the SEAL team member that stole the show was a
highly trained canine companion. Throughout history, dogs have been key contributors to military units. This novel follows
man's best friend onto the battlefield, showing readers why dogs are uniquely qualified for the job at hand, how they are
trained, how they contribute to missions, and what happens when they retire. With full-color photographs throughout and
sidebars featuring heroic canines throughout history, Dogs on Duty provides a fascinating look at these exceptional
soldiers and companions.
Slob by Ellen Potter
(Philomel Publishers, 2009)
Twelve-year-old Owen Birnbaum is the fattest kid in school. But he?s also a genius who invents cool contraptions? like a
TV that shows the past. Something happened two years ago that he needs to see. But genius or not, there is much Owen
can?t outthink. Like his gym coach, who?s on a mission to humiliate him. Or the way his Oreos keep disappearing from his
lunch. He?s sure that if he can only get the TV to work, things will start to make sense. But it will take a revelation for
Owen, not science, to see the answer?s not in the past, but the present. That no matter how large he is on the outside, he
doesn?t have to feel small on the inside.
The Five Lives of our Cat Zook by Joanne Rocklin
(Abrams Publishers, 2012)
Oona and her brother, Fred, love their cat, Zook (short for Zucchini), but Zook is sick. As they conspire to break him out of
the vet’s office, Oona tells the stories of his previous lives, ranging in style from fairy tale to grand epic to slice of life. Each
of Zook’s lives have echoes in Oona’s own family life, which is going through a transition she’s not yet ready to face. Her
father died two years ago, and her mother has started a relationship with a man named Dylan—whom Oona secretly calls
“the villain.” The truth about Dylan, and about Zook’s medical condition, drives the drama in this loving family story.
Bomb: The Race to Build and Steal the World’s Most Dangerous Weapon by Steve Sheinkin
(Macmillan Publishers, 2012)
In December of 1938, a chemist in a German laboratory made a shocking discovery: When placed next to radioactive
material, a Uranium atom split in two. That simple discovery launched a scientific race that spanned 3 continents. In Great
Britain and the United States, Soviet spies worked their way into the scientific community; in Norway, a commando force
slipped behind enemy lines to attack German heavy-water manufacturing; and deep in the desert, one brilliant group of
scientists was hidden away at a remote site at Los Alamos. This is the story of the plotting, the risk-taking, the deceit, and
genius that created the world's most formidable weapon. This is the story of the atomic bomb.
Navigating Early by Clare Vanderpool
(Delacorte Publishers, 2013)
At the end of World War II, Jack Baker, a landlocked Kansas boy, is suddenly uprooted after his mother’s death and placed
in a boy’s boarding school in Maine. There, Jack encounters Early Auden, the strangest of boys, who reads the number pi
as a story and collects clippings about the sightings of a great black bear in the nearby mountains.
Newcomer Jack feels lost yet can’t help being drawn to Early, who won’t believe what everyone accepts to be the truth
about the Great Appalachian Bear, Timber Rattlesnakes, and the legendary school hero known as The Fish, who never
returned from the war. When the boys find themselves unexpectedly alone at school, they embark on a quest on the
Appalachian Trail in search of the great black bear.
But what they are searching for is sometimes different from what they find. They will meet truly strange characters, each of
whom figures into the pi story Early weaves as they travel, while discovering things they never realized about themselves
and others in their lives
7th grade LZMSN Summer Reading Assignment Book Order Form
(Please clearly mark one book you would like to purchase)
Please sign and return this sheet to the MSN Library by Tuesday, May 6, 2014.
_____
The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate (Hard cover only $11.89)
_____
Saving Zasha by Randi Barrow ($4.89 list)
_____
Almost Home by Joan Bauer ($5.59 list)
_____
Chuck Close: Face Book by Chuck Close (Hard cover only $13.27)
_____
A Diamond in the Desert by Kathryn Fitzmaurice
_____
Tuesdays at the Castle by Jessica Day George
_____
Unstoppable by Tim Green
($4.89 list)
_____
Never Say Die by Will Hobbs
(Hard cover only $11.89)
_____
Charlie Joe Jackson’s Guide to Not Reading by Tommy Greenwald
_____
One for the Murphys by Lynda Hullaly Hunt
_____
The Clockwork Three by Matthew J. Kirby
_____
Ungifted by Gordon Korman
_____
Legend by Marie Lu
_____
The False Prince by Jennifer A. Nielsen
_____
A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park
_____
Dogs on Duty: Soldier’s Best Friends on the Battlefield and Beyond by Dorothy Hinshaw Patent
($4.89 list)
($5.59 list)
($4.89 list)
($4.89 list)
($4.89 list)
($5.59 list)
($6.99 list)
($4.89 list)
($4.89 list)
(Hard cover only $11.89)
_____
Slob by Ellen Potter (Hard cover only $11.89)
_____
The Five Lives of our Cat Zook by Joanne Rocklin
_____
Bomb: The Race to Build and Steal the World’s Most Dangerous Weapon by Steve Sheink
($5.57 list)
(Hard cover only $13.99)
_____
Navigating Early by Clare Vanderpool
(Hard cover only $11.89)
Student Name _____________________________________________________________________
Grade level _______ Literature/Reading Teacher’s Name ___________________________________
AMOUNT ENCLOSED_________________ cash/check payable to MSN Check #_________________
Parent signature ____________________________________________________________________
*To make payment in either cash or check simpler, we are asking you to round up your payment to the nearest dollar.
The extra money from the novels will be placed into an account to help disadvantaged students buy the novel. If you
would prefer to pay just the list price, you certainly may do so.