List…
Please note that all students entering the 6th grade must read the required book,
Number the Stars, and one additional book from the list provided.
** Required Reading by ALL Students Entering the 6th Grade:
Number the Stars , by Lois Lowry
Genre: Historical Fiction
Ten-year-old Annemarie and her best friend Ellen often think of life before the
war. It's now 1943, and their life is filled with school, food shortages, and the Nazi
soldiers marching through town. When the Jews are "relocated," Ellen moves in with
Annemarie's family and pretends to be one of them, yet her life is still in danger.
Select ONE of the following novels as your second Summer Reading book:
(I have included the book cover and a short summary to help you with your decision.)
1.
Ro a d T ri p , by G a ry P a ul sen a n d J im P a ul sen
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Dad and Ben haven't been getting along recently and Dad hopes a road trip to
rescue a border collie will help them reconnect. But Ben is on to Dad's plan and
invites Ben's thuggish buddy, Theo. The family dog, Atticus, comes along too and n
the story is told by Ben and Atticus. When their truck breaks down, they
commandeer an old school bus, along with its mechanic, Gus. Next, they pick up
Mia, a waitress escaping a tense situation. Only sharp-eyed Atticus realizes that
Theo is on the run—and someone is following them.
2.
Liar, Liar , by Gary Paulsen
Genre: Comedy/Humor- Realistic Fiction
Kevin doesn't mean to make trouble when he lies. He's just really good at it,
and it makes life so much easier. But as his lies pile up, he finds himself in big—and
funny—trouble with his friends, family, and teachers. He's got to find a way to end
his lying streak—forever.
3. Feathers, by Jacqueline Woodson
Genre: Realistic Fiction
“Hope is the thing with feathers” starts the poem Frannie is reading in school. Frannie
hasn’t thought much about hope. There are so many other things to think about. Each day,
her friend Samantha seems a bit more “holy.” There is a new boy in class everyone is calling
the Jesus Boy. And although the new boy looks like a white kid, he says he’s not white. Who
is he?
During a winter full of surprises, good and bad, Frannie starts seeing a lot of things in a
new light—her brother Sean’s deafness, her mother’s fear, the class bully’s anger, her
best friend’s faith and her own desire for “the thing with feathers.”
4.
Liar and Spy, by Rebecca Stead
Genre: Realistic Fiction
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. Seventh grader
Georges (Georges is the French spelling of George.) moves into a Brooklyn apartment
building and meets Safer, a twelve-year-old self-appointed spy. Georges becomes
Safer's first spy recruit. His assignment? Tracking the mysterious Mr. X, who lives in the
apartment upstairs. 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, Liar & Spy will keep readers guessing until the end.
For each novel that you read this summer, you will complete the
attached story maps. Be certain to use the correct story map for each novel.
Each story map is labeled! Please use bullets (  ) to list the information for each
block. Your responses should be written neatly using a pencil. These will be due
on the first day of school. We will have a more in-depth study of Number the
Stars when we return to school. Students will participate in an oral discussion of
the other summer reading novels.