Sixth Grade Language Arts Literacy—Summer Reading
Mountain View Middle School
June 2013
Dear Incoming Sixth Grade Families,
As students head off into their long-awaited summer ventures, it is important to keep
their reading lives in mind. For this year’s summer reading program, all incoming sixth graders
are asked to read Wonder by R.J. Palacio as well as one “Just Right” book from the
provided list.
In September, we will launch our workshop by discussing and
evaluating Wonder, which will be our workshop’s touchstone text for the
year. Wonder is a phenomenal narrative that can be read independently
or shared as a family read aloud. To foster reading comprehension and
deep connections, readers are strongly encouraged to jot notes and
doodles in a small notebook or capture their reading ideas on post-its.
These notes will help readers recall information about text moments for
September book discussions. A suggested reading calendar and
schedule have been provided for readers; these may be revised to fit the
needs of each independent reader.
The second component of the summer reading assignment focuses on having students
continue to read within their “Just Right” colors. At the end of the fifth grade year, students will
be provided with a “Just Right” color, which designates the book level in which readers can
confidently comprehend and build an understanding of developing text structures. The list of
“Just Right” novels has been carefully assembled to introduce readers to popular authors and
series that they can continue to read independently during the summer and into the school year.
Thank you for your support, and I look forward to working with your reader(s) in the fall!
Miss Ellmann
ellmann@mendhamboroschools.org
Suggested Summer Reading Schedule: Wonder by R.J. Palacio*
Day
Start Chapter  Stop Chapter
Page to
Page
1
“Ordinary”  “Paging Mr. Tushman”
p. 3-15
2
“Paging Mr. Tushman”  “The Grand Tour”
p. 15-24
3
“The Grand Tour”  “First-Day Jitters”
p. 24-35
4
“First-Day Jitters”  “Choose Kind”
p. 35-45
5
“Choose Kind”  “One to Ten”
p. 45-54
6
“One to Ten”  “Mr. Browne’s October Precept”
p. 54-65
7
“Mr. Browne’s October Precept”  “The Bleeding Scream”
p. 65-76
8
“The Bleeding Scream”  “August Through the Peephole”
p. 76-88
9
“August Through the Peephole”  “Breakfast”
p. 88-100
10
“Breakfast”  “Trick or Treat”
p. 100-111
11
“Trick or Treat”  “November”
p. 111-124
12
“November”  “Carvel”
p. 124-136
13
“Carvel”  “Fortune Favors the Bold”
p. 136-148
14
“Fortune Favors the Bold”  “Letter, Emails, Facebook, Texts”
p. 148-160
15
“Letters, Emails, Facebook, Texts”  “The War”
p. 160-170
16
“The War”  “August’s House”
p. 170-180
17
“August’s House”  “Valentine’s Day”
p. 180-190
18
“Valentine’s Day”  Part 6: August
p. 190-204
19
Part 6: August  “Via’s Secret”
p. 205-216
Done
This reading schedule has readers reading at least 10 pages per reading day.
Of course, readers are encouraged to read more if they would like. 
Day
Page to
Page
Start Chapter to Stop Chapter
20
“Via’s Secret”  “Understudy”
p. 216-228
21
“Understudy”  “School”
p. 228-239
22
“School”  “Known For”
p. 239-252
23
“Known For”  “The Woods Alive”
p. 252-263
24
“The Woods Alive”  “Sleep”
p. 263-273
25
“Sleep”  “Ducks”
p. 273-284
26
“Ducks”  “Take Your Seats, Everyone”
p. 284-294
27
“Take Your Seats, Everyone”  “Floating”
p. 294-305
28
“Floating”  End of book
p. 305-313
Done
--CUT OUT THE CALENDAR BELOW to use as a bookmark or tape to the back cover--
Sunday
Monday
5
p. 3-15
11
p.65-76
p. 15-24
12
p. 76-88
18
p. 149-160
p. 24-35
13
p. 88-100
19
p. 160-170
25
p. 170-180
p. 216-228
p. 228-239
p. 239-252
Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
p. 294-305
2
p. 305-313
(END)
9
FIRST DAY
OF SIXTH
GRADE!
14
21
p. 180-190
27
Thursday
Friday
8
p. 35-45
p. 100-111
20
26
1
8
AUGUST 2013
Tuesday
Wednesday
6
7
28
p. 252-263
9
p. 45-54
15
p. 111-124
p. 190-204
p. 124-136
SEPTEMBER 2013
Wednesday
Thursday
3
4
5
17
p. 136-148
23
p. 204-205
29
p. 263-273
p. 54-65
16
22
Saturday
10
24
p. 205-216
30
31
p. 273-284
p. 284-294
Friday
Saturday
EXTRA READING DAYS!
(Just in Case)
6
7
“Just Right” Book List
Sixth Grade Summer Reading –Mountain View Middle School
Summer 2013
Directions: In addition to reading Wonder by R.J. Palacio, incoming sixth grade readers are
asked to select and read one novel from their “Just Right” color choices below. Students are
strongly encouraged to post-it or journal while reading to help complete activities at the start of
the 2013-2014 school year.
Pink
Sideways Stories from Wayside School by Louis Sachar
There'd been a terrible mistake. Wayside School was supposed to be built with thirty classrooms
one on top of the other...thirty stories tall! (The builder said he was very sorry.)
That may be why all kinds of funny things happen at Wayside School...especially on the
thirteenth floor. You'll meet Mrs. Gorf, the meanest teacher of all, terrible Todd, who always gets
sent home early, and John who can read only upside down--along with all the other kids in the
crazy mix-up school that came out sideways. But you'll never guess the truth about Sammy, the
new kid...or what's in store for Wayside School on Halloween!
Knights of the Kitchen Table: Time Warp Trio (Book #1) by Jon Scieszka
Narrator Joe is given a magic book (''The Book'') that transports him and two friends to King
Arthur's Britain, where they find themselves confronted by a fearsome Black Knight--who's easy
to defeat with some quick dodging when he's in mid-charge. Then Lancelot, Gawain, et al.
happen by and take the boys for heroes--a reputation they sustain by tricking the loathsome
giant who's menacing the castle into fighting the terrible dragon (Smaug) that has also just
turned up.
Purple
James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl
A little magic can take you a long way…
When James accidently drops some magic crystals by the old peach tree, strange things start
happening. The peach at the very tip of the tree starts growing, and growing, and growing…until
it’s as big as a house! When James crawls inside, he meets a houseful of oversized friends—
Grasshopper, Centipede, Earthworm, and more. With a snip of the stem, the peach starts rolling
away, and the adventure begins!
Superfudge by Judy Blume
Nothing is easy for 12-year-old Peter Hatcher. His younger brother, Fudge, is bad enough. But
now there's a new baby coming and the family is moving to Princeton.
Red
The Lemonade War by Jacqueline Davies
At the tail end of summer, Evan discovers that his younger sister, Jessie, who has just skipped
third grade, will be not just in his grade, but in his fourth-grade classroom. Normally buddies,
they find themselves at odds over trifles and increasingly determined to earn more money than
the other before school starts. Lemonade stands, entrepreneurial schemes, and dirty tricks find
their way into the competition before Evan and Jessie fess up to the concerns that are really
worrying them.
Hatchet by Gary Paulsen
Thirteen-year-old Brian Robeson is on his way to visit his father when the single-engine plane in
which he is flying crashes. Suddenly, Brian finds himself alone in the Canadian wilderness with
nothing but a tattered Windbreaker and the hatchet his mother gave him as a present—and the
dreadful secret that has been tearing him apart since his parents’ divorce. But now Brian has no
time for anger, self-pity, or despair—it will take all his know-how and determination, and more
courage than he knew he possessed, to survive.
Spring Green
The Pinballs by Betsy Cromer Byars
You can't always decide where life will take you--especially when you're a kid. Carlie knows she's
got no say in what happens to her. Stuck in a foster home with two other kids, Harvey and
Thomas J, she's just a pinball being bounced from bumper to bumper. As soon as you get settled,
somebody puts another coin in the machine and off you go again. But against her will and her
better judgment, Carlie and the boys become friends. And all three of them start to see that they
can take control of their own lives.
The Sixth Grade Nickname Game by Gordon Korman
Best friends Jeff and Wiley are nickname addicts. It's only when a spunky red-haired
environmentalist named Cassandra enters their lives that they begin to doubt their nicknaming
expertise. No name seems to say it all. On top of everything, some of the nicknames that Jeff and
Wiley have invented are backfiring on them. Will the nicknamers be able to get it together before
it's too late?
Teal
Red Kayak by Priscilla Cummings
Brady loves life on the Chesapeake Bay with his friends J.T. and Digger. But developers and rich
families are moving into the area, and while Brady befriends some of them, like the DiAngelos,
his parents and friends are bitter about the changes. Tragedy strikes when the DiAngelos’ kayak
overturns in the bay, and Brady wonders if it was more than an accident. Soon, Brady discovers
the terrible truth behind the kayak’s sinking, and it will change the lives of those he loves
forever.
Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis
It's 1936, in Flint, Michigan. Times may be hard, and ten-year-old Bud may be a motherless boy
on the run, but Bud's got a few things going for him:
1. He has his own suitcase filled with his own important, secret things.
2. He's the author of Bud Caldwell's Rules and Things for Having a Funner Life and Making a
Better Liar Out of Yourself.
3. His momma never told him who his father was, but she left a clue: flyers of Herman E.
Calloway and his famous band, the Dusky Devastators of the Depression!!!!!!
Bud's got an idea that those flyers will lead him to his father. Once he decides to hit the road and
find this mystery man, nothing can stop him--not hunger, not fear, not vampires, not even
Herman E. Calloway himself.
Navy Blue
The Big Field by Mike Lupica
For Hutch, shortstop has always been home. It's where his father once played professionally,
before injuries consigned him to watching games on TV instead of playing them. And it's where
Hutch himself has always played and starred. Until now. The arrival of Darryl "D-Will"
Williams, the top shortstop prospect from Florida since A-Rod, means Hutch is displaced, in
more ways than one. Second base feels like second fiddle, and when he sees his father giving
fielding tips to D-Will--the same father who can't be bothered to show up to watch his son play-Hutch feels betrayed. With the summer league championship on the line, just how far is Hutch
willing to bend to be a good teammate?
Every Soul a Star by Wendy Mass
Three young teens witness a total solar eclipse and are changed forever. Ally, 13, is fascinated by
the scientific event, as are 1,000 other people from all over the world who come to view the Great
Eclipse at her family’s wilderness site. Glamorous teen Bree has an opposite view and is appalled
that her parents, both physics scholars, want to move to the site: how can she manage without
the mall? Then there is Jack, who loves art and science fiction but is a failure at science and is
brought to the site by his teacher. The anticipation building up to the great event brings thrilling
changes in all three young lives.
Violet
The Thief Lord by Cornelia Funke
Two orphaned brothers, Prosper and Bo, have run away to Venice, where crumbling canals and
misty alleyways shelter a secret community of street urchins. Leader of this motley crew of lost
children is a clever, charming boy with a dark history of his own: He calls himself the Thief Lord.
Prosper and Bo relish their new "family" and life of petty crime. But their cruel aunt and a
bumbling detective are on their trail. And posing an even greater threat to the boys' freedom is
something from a forgotten past: a beautiful magical treasure with the power to spin time itself.
Holes by Louis Sachar
Stanley Yelnats is a kid who is under a curse. A curse that began with his no-good-dirty-rottenpig-stealing-great-great-grandfather and has since followed generations of Yelnats. Now Stanley
has been unjustly sent to a boys' detention center, Camp Green Lake, where the warden makes
the boys "build character" by spending all day, every day, digging holes five feet wide and five
feet deep. It doesn't take long for Stanley to realize there's more than character improvement
going on at Camp Green Lake: the warden is looking for something. Stanley tries to dig up the
truth in this inventive and darkly humorous tale of crime and punishment—and redemption.
Bright Blue
Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech
Thirteen-year-old Salamanca Tree Hiddle's mother has disappeared. While tracing her steps on a
car trip from Ohio to Idaho with her grandparents, Salamanca tells a story to pass the time
about a friend named Phoebe Winterbottom whose mother vanished and who received secret
messages after her disappearance. One of them read, "Don't judge a man until you have walked
two moons in his moccasins." Despite her father's warning that she is "fishing in the air,"
Salamanca hopes to bring her home. By drawing strength from her Native American ancestry,
she is able to face the truth about her mother.
When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead
By sixth grade, Miranda and her best friend, Sal, know how to navigate their New York City
neighborhood. They know where it’s safe to go, like the local grocery store, and they know whom
to avoid, like the crazy guy on the corner.
But things start to unravel. Sal gets punched by a new kid for what seems like no reason, and he
shuts Miranda out of his life. The apartment key that Miranda’s mom keeps hidden for
emergencies is stolen. And then Miranda finds a mysterious note scrawled on a tiny slip of
paper:
I am coming to save your friend’s life, and my own.
I must ask two favors. First, you must write me a letter.
The notes keep coming, and Miranda slowly realizes that whoever is leaving them knows all
about her, including things that have not even happened yet. Each message brings her closer to
believing that only she can prevent a tragic death. Until the final note makes her think she’s too
late.
Peachy
Travel Team by Mike Lupica
Twelve-year-old Danny Walker may be the smallest kid on the basketball court -- but don't tell
him that. Because no one plays with more heart or court sense. But none of that matters when
he is cut from his local travel team, the very same team his father led to national fame as a boy.
Danny's father, still smarting from his own troubles, knows Danny isn't the only kid who was cut
for the wrong reason, and together, this washed-up former player and a bunch of never-say-die
kids prove that the heart simply cannot be measured.
Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life by Wendy Mass
Jeremy's summer takes an unexpected turn when a mysterious wooden box arrives in the mail.
According to the writing on the box, it holds the meaning of life! Jeremy is supposed to open it on
his thirteenth birthday. The problem is, the keys are missing, and the box is made so that only
the keys will open it without destroying what's inside.
Yellow
The Face on the Milk Carton by Caroline B. Cooney
No one ever really paid close attention to the faces of the missing children on the milk cartons.
But as Janie Johnson glanced at the face of the ordinary little girl with her hair in tight pigtails,
wearing a dress with a narrow white collar--a three-year-old who had been kidnapped twelve
years before from a shopping mall in New Jersey--she felt overcome with shock. She recognized
that little girl--it was she. How could it possibly be true?
Janie can't believe that her loving parents kidnapped her, but as she begins to piece things
together, nothing makes sense. Something is terribly wrong. Are Mr. and Mrs. Johnson really
Janie's parents? And if not, who is Janie Johnson, and what really happened?
Touching Spirit Bear by Ben Mikaelsen
Within Cole Matthews lie anger, rage and hate. Cole has been stealing and fighting for years.
Cole is in the biggest trouble of his life and is offered Circle Justice: a system based on Native
American traditions that attempts to provide healing for the criminal offender, the victim, and
the community. Cole receives a one-year banishment to a remote Alaskan island. To survive, he
must stop blaming others and take responsibility for his life.
Black
And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie
Ten people, each with something to hide and something to fear, are invited to a lonely mansion
on Indian Island by a host who, surprisingly, fails to appear. On the island they are cut off from
everything but each other and the inescapable shadows of their own past lives. One by one, the
guests share the darkest secrets of their wicked pasts. And one by one, they die…
The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman
Orphan, Lyra Belacqua, whose carefree life among the scholars at Oxford's Jordan College is
shattered by the arrival of two powerful visitors. First, her fearsome uncle, Lord Asriel, appears
with evidence of mystery and danger in the far North, including photographs of a mysterious
celestial phenomenon called Dust and the dim outline of a city suspended in the Aurora Borealis
that he suspects is part of an alternate universe. He leaves Lyra in the care of Mrs. Coulter, an
enigmatic scholar and explorer who offers to give Lyra the attention her uncle has long refused
her. In this multilayered narrative, however, "nothing is as it seems.” Lyra sets out for the top of
the world in search of her kidnapped playmate, Roger, bearing a rare truth-telling instrument,
the compass of the title. All around her children are disappearing — victims of so-called
"Gobblers" — and being used as subjects in terrible experiments that separate humans from
their daemons, creatures that reflect each person's inner being. And somehow, both Lord Asriel
and Mrs. Coulter are involved.