JCDSRI SUMMER READING PROGRAM
GRADE 5

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Students entering the fifth grade are required to read 3 books over the summer. Hopefully you will read many more! One book has been selected. The other two books are to be chosen by you from the following list. Books not on the list cannot be selected. The list has books of varied levels. A * indicates the book is available on audiocassette or CD. Most of the listed books are available in public libraries.*

Time Cat. Alexander, Lloyd. Jason has a special talking, time-traveling cat, Gareth, who takes him on wonderful adventures throughout history. *

The Fighting Ground. Avi. The compelling story of thirteen-year-old Jonathan who goes off to fight in the Revolutionary War and discovers it is not at all what he had imagined.
The House with a Clock in Its Wall. Bellairs, John. Lewis is delighted to discover that his uncle is a wizard and lives in an old mansion with secret passageways and hidden rooms. However, an evil wizard has hidden a clock in the walls of the house that is marking off the minutes to the end of the world. Will they save the world? *

Wright 3. Balliett, Blue. Petra and Calder are drawn into another exciting mystery when
Unexplainable accidents and ghostly happenings throw a spotlight on Frank Lloyd Wright's Robie House. Sequel to Chasing Vermeer. *

Sahara Special. Codell, Esme Raji. Struggling with school and her feelings since her father left, Sahara gets a fresh start with a new and unique fifth grade teacher who supports her writing talents and the individuality of each of her classmates.
Chevrolet Saturdays. Boyd, Candy Dawson. School has just started and Joey Davis already has problems. He has to deal with a teacher who doesn’t like him, a class bully and a stepfather.

The Ballad of Lucy Whipple. Cushman, Karen. In 1849 Lucy’s mom moves the family from Massachusetts to a rough gold mining camp in the Sierras. How will Lucy adjust to such a strange new life? What was life like for women and children in the Old West? *

The Witches. Dahl, Roald. A boy discovers his Norwegian grandmother is able to help him with some wicked witches, who have put him under a spell.*

Because of Winn-Dixie. DiCamillo, Kate. Ten-year-old India Opal Buloni describes her first summer in Naomi, Florida, and all the good things that happen to her because of her big ugly dog Winn-Dixie. Newbery Honor *

For Your Paws Only. Frederick, Heather Vogel, In this very funny “James Bond”-styled story, Morning Glory Goldenleaf, spy master, has to save the world from rats.
Jim Ugly. Fleischman, Sid. Jake’s father disappears, leaving him nothing but Jim Ugly, a dog-wolf that Jake never liked. But Jim Ugly becomes valuable to Jake as they try to find his dad and some missing diamonds.*

Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key. Gantos, Jack. Like his father and grandfather, Joey was born “wired.” When his meds don’t work, he feels like he is on a roller coaster and can’t seem to do anything correctly. Newbery Honor *

God’s Mailbox: More Stories about Stories in the Bible. Gellman, Marc. A collection of short, funny stories about stories in the bible. Jewish

Everything on a Waffle. Horvath, Polly. Primrose’s parents have been lost at sea, but she firmly believes they are alive, somewhere. Her only refuge is a local restaurant where the owner, Miss Bowser serves everything on waffles. Newbery Honor *

Fablehaven: Rise of the Evening Star. Hull, Brandon. A grandfather keeps a haven- a safe place-for mythical creatures.

Once I Was a Plum Tree. Hurwitz, Johanna. The Flam family name was once Pflaumenbaum, which means plum tree. Gerry Flam researches her heritage to learn more about her family. Jewish

While Standing on One Foot. Jaffe, Nina. From medieval times to the Lower East Side, each story presents a puzzle to solve or predict. Jewish

About the B’nai Bagels. Konigsburg, E.L. Mark Setzer and his baseball teammates are a fun-loving group, who are pitched some tough problems concerning friendship, prejudice, and honesty. Jewish

Summer Ball. Lupica, Mike. Danny is going to summer basketball camp, where the he will face some of the country's best players in his age group. Can he do it?*

Afternoon of the Elves. Lisle, Janet. Have fairies really built a tiny village of sticks and leaves in Sam-Kate’s yard? Newbery Honor *

Black Star. O’Dell, Scott. Bight Dawn is an Alaskan Eskimo girl, who proves herself to be a strong, courageous heroine as she races along the vast tundra with her sled dogs, led by Black Star.

Tucket’s Gold. Paulsen, Gary. Francis Tucket is on the run keeping one step ahead of the Comancheros. He battles with the elements, finds a treasure, is captured by thieves and makes friends with Pueblo Indians. An exciting adventure of the Old West.

Olivia Kidney. Potter, Ellen. Olivia’s father is a superintendent of a NYC apartment building, where the apartments are not exactly normal or necessarily occupied by real people.*

The Best School Year Ever. Robinson, Barbara. A light-hearted tale of problem students who do the right thing when it matters. *

Maniac Magee. Spinelli, Jerry. Jeffrey Magee earned the nickname of "Maniac" because of the incredible sports feats he has performed. This story pursues his legend and searches for what is the truth and what is myth and how "Maniac" affected the lives of the kids of Two Mills. Newbery Medal *

Toliver's Secret. Brady, Esther Wood. During the revolutionary war, a ten year old girl, disguised as a boy, crosses enemy lines to deliver a loaf of bread containing a message for General George Washington.

Dealing with Dragons: The Enchanted Forest Chronicles, Book One. Wrede, Patricia. Cimorene is everything a princess is not supposed to be: headstrong, tomboyish, smart and bored. She is so bored that she runs away to live with a dragon and finds the family and excitement she has been looking for.*

This booklist is posted on this school’s web site: - Our School-Library

The Summer Reading Program is coordinated by Karolyn White, Librarian. You can contact Mrs. White at school 751-2470, voice mail 82, or kwhite@jcdsri.org

*This list has been sent to the following public libraries: Central and Rochambeau in Providence, Barrington, Cranston, and Pawtucket, and the following bookstores: Books on the Square, College Hill, Ye Ol’ Book Shoppe, Borders in Providence and Cranston, Barnes and Noble in Warwick, and Barrington Books.

BOOK ASSIGNMENTS-CHOOSE ONE (1)

1. BAG-a-BOOK

1. Get a large brown paper bag (supermarket kind).

2. Decorate your bag with the title, author, your name, characters, and scenes from the story. Be creative!

3. Choose five items that will represent several aspects of the book. The items can be real, handmade, poems, etc. The items will represent the main character, the setting (including the time period), the theme, the conflict and resolution, and an item of your choice to represent any aspect of the book. Enjoy and be creative!

4. On an index card, write 1-2 paragraphs explaining each item and how it relates to the story.

5. Put all items and descriptions in the bag.

6. At the beginning of the school year, you will present your Bag-a-Book

OR

2. CHARACTER INTERVIEW

You get to interview a character and be the character.

1. Choose a character from your book to interview.

2. Write at least 10 questions that will give the character the opportunity to discuss his/her thoughts and feelings about the events of the story. The questions need to relate to the story.

3. Pretend that you are the character and answer the questions as the character would.

4. It is up to you how you would like to present the interview. You can record yourself asking and answering the questions on a cassette tape, on a video, a live performance in class, or written down and handed in.

5. Be creative and really try to think like the character in the book. Remember you need to relate to the story.

6. At the beginning of the school year, you will present your Character Interview. Have fun!

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