Dear Students and Parents,
The Fulton County School System strongly believes in developing readers who
read both for information and for pleasure. Books on the Summer Reading List
vary in subject matter and level of difficulty. Our intent is to provide students and
their parents with a wide range of authors and styles of writing in both fiction and
non-fiction, and to allow students to select reading materials that match their
interests.
Lexile levels are indicated for most books, and they address vocabulary and
sentence structure. When vocabulary is repeated often and sentences are more
simply written, a text has a lower Lexile scores. Texts with less frequently-used
vocabulary and with complex sentence structures have higher Lexile scores.
However, Lexile levels do not address subject matter. While a text may have a
lower Lexile number, the contents could be more mature. Parents should be
actively involved in assisting with their children’s reading choices. The short
descriptions with each book title should assist you in your selections.
Enjoy your summer reading.
Fulton County Schools English/Language Arts Department
Fulton County Schools Media Services Department
2nd - 3rd Grade Fiction Chapter Books
Coleman, Evelyn The Cameo Necklace: A Cecile Mystery (American Girl Mystery Series)
(2012) Lexile N/A
Eleven year old Cecile Ray searches through many corners of 1854 New Orleans seeking a necklace
borrowed from her Tante Tay that disappeared as she was exiting a crowded showboat. Includes facts
about the 1850s.
Cronin, Doreen The Trouble With Chickens (2011) Lexile 570
A hard bitten former search and rescue dog helps solve a complicated missing chicken case.
Draper, Sharon Sassy, Dazzle Disaster Dinner Party (2010) Lexile 530
Sassy’s fancy dinner turns into a disaster, but with the help of the items in her handy sack and a little
ingenuity, Sassy manages to make the meal memorable.
Gutman, Dan Mr. Burke is Berserk (2012) Lexile N/A
After budget cuts threaten the art and music programs at Ella Mentry School, as well as some
services, groundskeeper Burke finds gold and “gilver” on the playground, causing a modern day gold
rush.
Jenkins, Emily Toys Come Home (2011) Lexile 680
When a little girl gets a plush stingray for her birthday, it makes friends with some of her other toys
as they all try to navigate in the world of real people.
Klise, Kate 43 Cemetery Road: Till Death Due us Bark (2011)Lexile 710
In this story, told mostly through letters, Noah Breth’s feuding children come to Ghastly, Illinois, to
follow a trail of limericks to their inheritance, while Seymour tries to convince Iggy and Olive to let
him keep Mr. Breth’s dog.
Lin, Grace Dumpling Days (2012) Lexile N/A
Pacy and her family go to Taiwan to celebrate Grandma’s sixtieth birthday, and Pacy is excited when
her parents sign her up for a Chinese painting class,, but she cannot speak the language and struggles
to make friends and understand the teacher’s instructions.
McDonald, Megan Stink and the Midnight Zombie Walk (2012) Lexile N/A
Stink and his friends try to earn money to buy the latest book in the Nightmare on Zombie Street
series and go to the book release party.
Osborne, Mary Pope Abe Lincoln At Last (Magic Tree House Series) (2011) Lexile 470
The Magic Tree House whisks Jack and Annie to Washington D.C. in the 1860’s where they meet
Abraham Lincoln and collect a feather that will help break a magic spell.
Pennypacker, Sara Clementine and the Family Meeting (2011) Lexile 630
Third-grader Clementine tries to adjust to the news that her perfect family of four is adding a new
brother or sister.
.
2nd-3rd Grade Non-Fiction Book
Engle, Margarita Summer Birds : the butterflies of Mara Merian (2010) Lexile N/A
A young girl goes against medieval beliefs that insects are evil and secretly observes caterpillars as
they form cocoons and are reborn as butterflies and moths.
Gourley, Robbin First Garden: The white house garden and how it grew (2011)
Lexile 1070
The current White House garden provides vegetables for the First Family and their guests. But it
wasn’t the first garden planted there.
Hartland, Jessie How the Dinosaur Got to the Museum (2011) Lexile N/A
Describes how the bones of a diplodocus ended up in the Smithsonian Institution, from their
discovery in Utah in 1923 to their assembly.
Offill, Jenny 11 Experiments that Failed (2011) Lexile N/A
Teaches readers how to conduct science experiments through step-by-step instructions for eleven
failed inquiries designed to test such hypotheses as whether it is possible to wash dishes in a washing
machine, and if it is possible to live through the winter eating nothing but ketchup-covered
snowballs.
Pinkney, Andrea David Sojourner Truth’s Step, Stomp, Stride (2009) Lexile 650
Text and illustrations tell the life story and describe the work of African-American abolitionist and
women’s rights activist Sojourner Truth.
Ramsey, Calvin Belle, the last mule at Gee’s Bend: A Civil Rights Story (2011) Lexile 710
In Gee’s Bend, Alabama, Miz Pettway tells young Alex about the historic role her mule played in the
struggle for civil rights led by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Includes factual information about the
community of Gee;s Bend and Martin Luther King, Jr.
Simon, Seymour Butterflies (2011) Lexile N/A
Provides information about the physical characteristics and behaviors of butterflies.
Sweet, Melissa Balloons Over Broadway (2011) Lexile 1000
Tells the story of puppeteer Tony Sarg, the man who first invented the helium balloons that have
become the trademark of the annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.
Thimmesh, Catherine Friends: The true story of animal Friendships (2011) Lexile N/A
Recounts the true stories of unlikely friendships between different animals.
Winter, Jonah Born and Bred in the Great Depression (2011) Lexile N/A
A boy remembers his father’s stories about life in East Texas during the Great Depression.
2nd – 3rd Grade Stories to Share Together
Arnold, Tedd Manners Mash Up :A Goofy Guide to Good Behavior (2011) Lexile 390
Simple text and color illustrations introduce young readers to proper etiquette, depicting various
setting sin which children often find themselves, and highlighting appropriate behaviors in these
settings.
Bridges, Shirin Yirn The Umbrella Queen (2008) Lexile N/A
In a village in Thailand where everyone makes umbrellas, young Noot dreams of painting the most
beautiful one and leading the annual parade as Umbrella Queen, but her unconventional designs
displease her parents.
Hall, Michael The Perfect Square (2011) Lexile 470
A perfect square that is perfectly happy is torn into pieces, punched with holes, crumpled and
otherwise changed but finds in each transformation that it can be something new, and just as happy.
Johnson, Angela Lily Brown’s Painting (2007) Lexile N/A
When Lily Brown paints, she imagines all sorts of fantastic things in the scenes that she sees
everyday.
Joy, N. The Secret Olivia Told Me (2007) Lexile 350
Two friends learn an important lesson about telling and keeping secrets.
McDonnell, Patrick Me – Jane (2011) Lexile 740
Holding her stuffed toy chimpanzee, young Jane Goodall observes nature, reads Tarzan books and
dreams of living in Africa and helping animals. Includes biographical information on the prominent
zoologist.
Rocco, John Blackout (2011) Lexile N/A
Neighbors gather on the roof after the power goes out on a hot night in the city and start having so
much fun not everyone is happy when the lights go back on.
Smith, Lane Grandpa Green (2011) Lexile 360
A child explores the ordinary life of his extraordinary great-grandfather, as expressed in his topiary
garden.
Vamos, Samantha The Cazuela that the farm maiden stirred (2011) Lexile N/A
A cumulative tale of a farm maiden who, aided by a group of animals, prepares “Arroz con Leche,”
or rice pudding. Includes recipe and glossary of the Spanish words that are woven throughout the
text.
Wardlaw, Lee Won-Ton—A Cat Tale Told in Haiku (2011) Lexile N/A A cat arrives at a shelter,
arranges to go home with a good family, and settles in with them, all the while letting them know
who is boss and, finally, sharing his real name.
4th to 5th Grade Fiction Chapter Book
Barnett, Mac Brixton Brothers: It happened on a train (2011) Lexile 620
Seventh-grader Steve Brixton finds himself pulled back into sleuthing when, during a train trip down
the California coast, he uncovers a mystery involving a fleet of priceless automobiles, an assassin,
and a private car.
Birdsall, Jean The Penderwicks at Point Mouette (2011) Lexile 940
Rosalind heads to the beach when summer arrives, and the rest of the Penderwick girls go to a cozy
cottage in Maine with Aunt Claire, leaving Skye feeling slightly overwhelmed with her new role as
the oldest available Penderwick.
Gantos, Jack Dead End in Norvelt (2011) Lexile 920
In the historic town of Norvelt, Pennsylvania, twelve-year old Jack Gantos spends the summer of
1962 grounded for various offenses until he is assigned to help an elderly neighbor with a most
unusual chore involving the newly dead, molten wax, twisted promises, Girl Scout cookies, underage
driving, lessons from history, typewriting, and countless bloody noses.
Lai, Thanhha Inside Out and Back Again (2011) Lexile 800
Through a series of poems, a young girl chronicles the life-changing year of 1975, when she, her
mother, and her brothers leave Vietnam and resettle in Alabama.
Nolen, Jerdine Eliza’s Freedom Road: An Underground Railroad Diary (2011)
Lexile 670
A twelve-year-old slave girl begins writing in a journal where she documents her journey via the
Underground Railroad from Alexandria, VA to freedom in St. Catherines, Canada.
Patron, Susan Lucky for Good (2011) Lexile 980
Eleven-year-old Lucky feels like the universe is conspiring against her as she faces troubles with her
father, the health inspector, her school principal, and middle school boys.
Peck, Richard Secrets at Sea (2011) Lexile 600
In 1887, the social-climbing Cranstons voyage from New York to London, where they hope to find a
husband for their awkward older daughter, secretly accompanied by Helena and her mouse siblings,
for whom the journey is both terrifying and wondrous as they meet an array of titled humans despite
their best efforts at remaining hidden.
Pinkney, Andrea Davis Bird in a Box (2011) Lexile 670
In 1936, three children meet at the Mercy Home for Negro Orphans in New York State, and while
not all three are orphans, they are all dealing with grief and loss which together, along with the help
of a sympathetic staff member and the boxing matches of Joe Louis, they manage to overcome.
Includes author’s notes.
Selznick, Brian Wonderstruck (2011) Lexile 830
Relates the stories of Twelve-year-old Bed, who loses his mother and his hearing in a short time
frame and decides to leave his home in 1977 to seek the father he has never known in New York
City: and Rose, who lives with her father but feels compelled to search for what is missing in her life.
Ben’s story is told in words; Rose’s in pictures.
Yelchin, Eugene Breaking Stalin’s Nose (2011) Lexile 670
In the Stalinist era of the Soviet Union, ten-year-old Sasha idolizes his father, a devoted communist,
but when police take his father away and leave Sasha homeless, he is forced to examine his own
perceptions, values, and beliefs.
4th to 5th Grade Non-Fiction
Davies, Nicola Talk, Talk, Squawk (2011) Lexile N/A
Explores ways in which animals communicate with each other using colors, patterns, smells,
movements, vibrations, sounds and electricity for a variety of messages.
Evans, Shane Underground (2011) Lexile N/A
Follow a family’s journey toward freedom as they travel along the Underground Railroad.
Gramling, Gary 1st and 10: Top 10 List of Everything in Football (2011) Lexile N/A
Presents top ten lists covering various topics in football, including touchdown leaders, fastest players,
football families, rivalries, nicknames, and more.
How Cool is this? (2011) Lexile N/A
Explains the scientific ideas and discoveries behind some of the world’s coolest inventions and
natural wonders.
Hurley, Michael The World’s Greatest Olympians (2012) Lexile 960
Photographs and text profile Olympians from around the world, describing the accomplishments of
Jesse Owens, Fanny Blankers-Koen, Abebe Bikila, Carl Lewis, Cathy Freeman, Michael Phelps,
Usain Bolt, and others.
Jurmain, Suzanne The Worst of Friends: Thomas Jefferson, John Adams and the true story of
an American Feud (2011) Lexile 920
Describes how their different political views caused friends Thomas Jefferson and John Adams to
become rivals, until they learned to set aside their differences for the sake of their friendship.
Levy, Joel Phobiapedia (2011) Lexile N/A
An encyclopedia with information on some of the things people are afraid of, listing everything from
the most common to the most bizarre phobias.
O’Connell, Caitlin The Elephant Scientist (2011) Lexile N/A
Caitlin O’Connell recognized the behavior from her studies of insects. Was it possible that elephants
“were talking and listening with their feet?”
Say, Allen Drawing from Memory (2011) Lexile 560
Caldecott medalist Allen Say chronicles his experiences as an artist during World War II, and
describes his relationship with his mentor Noro Shinpei, Japan’s leading cartoonist.
Tonatiuh, Duncan Diego Rivera: his world and ours (2011) Lexile N/A
Provides and overview of the life of Diego Rivera, discusses his work, and prompts readers to
imagine what he would paint in contemporary times.
4th 5th Grade Share Out Loud Together
McKissack, Pat Never Forgotten (2011) Lexile N/A
A lyrical story-in-verse that details the experiences of an African Boy who was kidnapped and sold
into slavery.
Nelson, Kadir Heart and Soul : The story of America and African Americans (2011) Lexile
1050
Examines the history of the United States, focusing on events that influenced African-Americans and
how they advanced liberty and justice in America.
Silverstein, Shel Every Thing On It: Poems and Drawings (2011) Lexile N/A A new poetry book
chock full of unpublished poems and artwork by the beloved Silverstein joins the ranks of the "New
York Times"-bestselling poetry collections "Where the Sidewalk Ends, A Light in the Attic," and
"Falling Up."
Uhlberg, Myron A Storm Called Katrina (2011) Lexile 480
When flood waters submerge their New Orleans neighborhood in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina,
a young cornet player and his parents evacuate their home and struggle to survive and stay together.
Walker, Sally Freedom Song : The story of Henry “Box” Brown (2012) Lexile N/A
Henry Brown copes with slavery by singing, but after his wife and children are sold away he is left
with only his freedom song, which gives him strength when friends put him in a box and mail him to
a free state.
PreK to 1st Grade Early Readers/Beginning Chapter Books
Arnold, Tedd Ride Fly Guy Ride (2012) Lexile 470
While riding in the car with Buzz and his father, Fly Guy gets blown out of the window and finds
himself riding in a truck, then a boat, a train, an airplane and maybe even a rocket.
Klassen, J. I Want My Hat Back (2011) Lexile 90
When bear loses his hat, he patiently asks the animals he comes across if they have seen it, and just
as he is about to give up his search, a deer helps him remember exactly were he left his beloved hat.
Manushkin, Fran Katie and the Class Pet (2012) Lexile 350
When Katie is chosen to take the class pet, Binky the guinea pig, home for the weekend, she runs
into a problem.
Meisel, Paul See Me Run (2011) Lexile N/A
A dog has a fun-filled day at the dog park, in this easy to read story.
Rylant, Cynthia Annie & Snowball and the Book Bugs Club (2011) Lexile N/A Annie and Henry
join the summer reading club at the library, and vow to be "Book Bugs" for life
Rylant, Cynthia Mr. Putter & Tabby Ring the Bell (2011) Lexile 370 While enjoying autumn
weather and activities, Mr. Putter, realizing how much he misses going to school, takes his cat
Tabby, their adventurous neighbor, Mrs. Teaberry, and her cake-loving dog Zeke to "Show and Tell."
Schneider, Josh Tales for Very Picky Eaters (2011) Lexile 500
A father tells outlandish stories while trying to get his young son, who is a very picky eater, to eat
foods he thinks he will not like.
Willems, Mo Cat the Cat, Who is That? (2010) Lexile 20
An exuberant cat introduces readers to her friends.
Willems, Mo I Broke My Trunk (2011) Lexile N/A
Gerald the elephant tells his best friend Piggie a long, crazy story about how he broke his trunk.
Yee, Wong A Brand- New Day with Mouse and Mole (2012) Lexile 350 As best friends Mole and
Mouse try to solve the problem of Mole's moth-eaten clothes, they also find new uses for old things.
.
PreK to 1st Grade Non-Fiction
Kalman, Bobbie How are they the same?(2011) Lexile N/A
Photographs and easy to follow text help students learn about the similarities between different types
of animals.
Sidman, Joyce Swirl by Swirl (2011) Lexile 330
An illustrated exploration of various examples of spiral appearing in nature, looking at snail shells,
flower petals, elephant tusks, crashing waves, and more.
Na, Il Sung Snow Rabbit, Spring Rabbit: A book of changing seasons (2011) Lexile
N/A
While other animals migrate, hibernate, or stay busy all winter, a little white rabbit watches.
Stockdale, Susan Bring on the Birds (2011) Lexile N/A
Rhyming text and illustrations provide an introduction to exotic and familiar birds.
Wadsworth, Ginger Up, Up and Away (2009) Lexile 940 Colorful illustrations follow the life of
one spider who hatches, eats, grows, and spins a line of silk that will carry her away to her new
home.
PreK to 1st Grade Share Out Loud
Banks, Kate Max’s Castle (2011) Lexile N/A
When Max finds a box of long-forgotten toys, he builds a kingdom filled with adventures for himself
and his two brothers.
Brown, Monica Marisol McDonald Doesn’t Match (2011) Lexile N/A
Marisol McDonald, a biracial, nonconformist, soccer-playing pirate-princess with brown skin and red
hair, celebrates her uniqueness.
DeRoo, Elena Rain Train (2011) Lexile N/A
A young boy watches and listens as the Rain Train takes him on a ride past city lights, over rivers,
and through tunnels one rainy night.
Henkes, Kevin Penny and Her Song (2012) Lexile N/A
Penny comes home from school eager to share her very own song, but must wait until the time is
right to teach it to her parents and the babies.
Hoberman, Mary Ann You Read to Me, I’ll Read to you; very short fairy tales to read together
(2004) Lexile N/A Presents short retellings of familiar fairy tales, each told in two voices designed
especially for young children and adults to read together.
Littlewood, Karin Immi’s Gift (2010) Lexile 560
Day after day in the frozen north, a young Innuit girl catches brightly colored objects while ice
fishing and uses them to decorate her igloo, until the ice begins to melt and she drops in a gift of her
own before leaving for the season.
Moore, Jodi When a Dragon Moves In (2011) Lexile N/A
A boy and his imaginary dragon have a wonderful time playing on the beach, braving the waves,
roasting marshmallows, and roaming the shore, but when the boy tries to tell his friends about his
dragon, no one will believe him.
Noll, Amanda I need my Monster (2009) Lexile 490
When Gabe, the monster that lives under Ethan’s bed, goes on vacation, Ethan finds that the
substitute monsters Gabe has sent just won’t do, and wonders how he will ever fall asleep.
Raschka, Christopher A Ball for Daisy (2011) Lexile N/A
Daisy the dog is heartbroken when her favorite toy ball is destroyed while she is playing with another
dog but she realizes she has gained something too.
Wilson, Karma Bear’s Loose Tooth (2011) Lexile 440
When Bear discovers he has a loose tooth, his friends try to help make it fall out.