Summer Reading List 2008

The Ogden School 5th Grade

(for Incoming Fifth Graders)

Welcome to the fifth grade at the OgdenSchool.The summer months offer a wonderful opportunity to do even more reading than you do during the school year. And by enjoying the books you choose from this list—and considering issues such as setting, character, conflict, and theme—you also help prepare yourself for the upcoming year. 

As part of your summer reading, we ask that you read any two of the following books that you have not read before. However, one must be a fiction book and one a non-fiction book.Using the Summer Reading Book Report Forms, answer the questions about each of the two books you read.There is a different form for fiction and non-fiction books. If there are any other books you would like to read that are not included on the reading list, you may get approval to read them from any fifth grade teacher BEFORE the summer vacation begins.You may also want to spend some time reading and having book discussions with your parents during the summer.For your convenience, the Fountas & Pinell levels are listed after the title, if available.

The OgdenSchool 5th Grade Teachers

FICTION
Aiken, Joan
Wolves of Willoughby Chase (V)J PB A
An orphan arriving at the mansion home of her cousins is protected from the wolf pack by a mysterious gentleman. 
Alexander, Lloyd
The Remarkable Journey of Prince Jen (V)J PB A // J FIC
Carrying six unusual gifts, young Prince Jen undertakes a perilous journey. Each chapter's cliffhanger ending follows the style of a Chinese novel of the period. 
Alexander, Lloyd
Time Cat (P)J LT FIC Alexander
Contrary to tradition, Jason's cat, Gareth, has only one life, but he does have the power to visit nine different lives in fascinating eras and he can take his fortunate owner with him. 
Avi
Poppy (and others in the series) (S)J FIC Avi//J PB A
A heroic mouse defends her community against an evil owl in an exciting story of adventure. 
Byars, Betsy
The Not Just Anybody Family series (O)J PB B // J FIC Byars
Junior's in the hospital with a broken arm after trying to fly off the roof; Pap's in jail; and Mom's on the rodeo circuit. This is definitely an unusual family but one with lots of love. 
Cleary, Beverly
The Ralph S. Mouse books (0)J PB C // J FIC Cleary
Stories of a young mouse who becomes friends with several boys and discovers the joys of motorcycling. 
Clements, Andrew
Frindle (R)J PB C
This is the story of a bright, imaginative boy who can usually control any classroom he enters, the teacher who challenges him, and the new word he creates. 
Clements, Andrew
The Landry News (R)J PB C // J FIC Clements
The creation of a school newspaper leads to conflicts within the school community. Will their teacher lose his job because his students have been too honest? 
Curtis, Christopher Paul
The Watsons Go to Birmingham (T)Y FIC Curtis
The world of a warm and happy Michigan family changes dramatically when they find themselves caught up in the dark days of protest in Birmingham, Alabama, during the civil rights movement. 
Dahl, Roald
Matilda (S)J PB D // J FIC Dahl
The adventures of a super-bright young girl who fights back against her pig-headed parents and her headmistress, an ex-Olympic hammer thrower named Miss Trunchbull. 
Dahl, Roald
The BFG (U)J PB D // J FIC Dahl
A very friendly giant has some very disgusting neighbors. How can Sophie and the BFG get rid of them? 
Dahl, Roald
The Witches (W)J Fic Dahl
A young orphan must go and live with his grandmother and accidentally comes upon the annual convocation of the witches of England, who are planning evil things for every child in the country. 
Eager, Edward
Half Magic (S)J PB E // J Fic Eager
Jane, one of four children unable to join her friends vacationing at the lakes or in the mountains, finds an ancient coin which sets off a week of unforgettable adventures. 
Estes, Eleanor
Ginger Pye (U)J PB E // J FIC Eager
Rachel and Jeremy solve the mystery of their puppy's disappearance from the village of Cranbury. 
Farmer, Nancy
The Warm Place (W)J PB F // JFic Farmer
When Ruva, a young giraffe, is captured and sent to a zoo in San Francisco, she seeks the aid of two rats, a street-smart chameleon, a runaway boy, and all the magical powers of the animal world. 
Feiffer, Jules
Man in the Ceiling (W)J PB F
Jimmy dreams of being a great cartoonist, but his family and friends get in the way. An interesting look at peer pressure. 
Fleischman, Sid
The Whipping Boy (R)J PB F // J Fic Fleischman
A bratty prince and his whipping boy have many adventures when they inadvertently trade places after becoming involved with dangerous outlaws. 
Greenberg, Jan and Jordan, Sandra
Frank O. Gehry: Outside In (No Level)INTERLOAN
A look at this very creative architect who has designed the addition to our own Corcoran Gallery. 
Hamilton, Virginia
The People Could Fly: American Black Folktales (W)J 398.0973 H
Annotated folktales with handsome illustrations by Leo and Diane Dillon. 
Horvath, Polly
Everything on a Waffle (V)J PB H // J FIC Horvath
Primrose Squarp is convinced that her parents did not perish at sea in a terrible storm. In the town of CoalHarbour, she is somewhat of an eccentric, but then most of the residents are. A story of strange meals and optimism in the face of adversity. 
Lindbergh, Anne
The People IN Pineapple Place (No Level) -INTERLOAN
Ten-year-old August Brown adjusts to his new home in Washington, D. C., with the help of the seven children of Pineapple Place, all from another time. 
McCloskey, Robert
Homer Price (Q)J PB P // J FIC McCloskey
Six hilarious stories about Homer Price, his aunt and uncles, and his neighbors, all of whom live in Centerburg. 
Mowat, Farley
Owls in the Family (P)J PB M
This is the author's true account of the family pets, Wol and Weep, two delightful but exasperating owls. 
Myers, Walter Dean
The Righteous Revenge of Artemis Bonner (U) Y FIC Myers//Y PB M
Move over Clint Eastwood! This is Myers' spoof on westerns. Fifteen-year-old Artemis journeys from New York City to Tombstone, Arizona, in 1882 to avenge the murder of his uncle. 
Namioka, Lensey
Yang the Youngest and His Terrible Ear (P)J PB N // J FIC Nam
What's a boy to do when his musical family expects him to play the violin and he really wants to play baseball instead? And how does he make himself understood in his new country? Several members of the family are highlighted in this series. 
Naylor, Phyllis Reynolds
Shiloh (R)J PB N // J FIC Naylor
Marty Preston wants a dog so badly that he's willing to lie to get one. The injury this causes the dog, Marty's family, and Marty himself is the basis of the first book in the series. 
Park, Linda Sue
The Kite Fighters (W)J PB P
In Korea in 1473, eleven-year-old Young-Sup overcomes his rivalry with his older brother Kee-Sup and both work together to win the New Year kite-fighting competition. 
Paterson, Katherine
The Great Gilly Hopkins (S)J PB P
A spunky eleven-year-old foster child schemes against everyone who tries to be friendly. 
Peck, Richard
Fair Weather (T)Y PB P // Y Fic Peck
The 1893 World's Columbian Exposition, held in Chicago, is one of the main characters in this story. Rosie Beckett, her sister, her brother and her eccentric grandfather leave their small country town to visit the fair and have many surprising adventures. 
Sachar, Louis
WaysideSchool Is Falling Down series (P)J PB S
Strange things happen at WaysideSchool to both the students and the teacher. Todd used to get into trouble every day until he got a magic dog; Paul's life was saved by Leslie's pigtails. Who knows what will happen next? 
Seidler, Tor
Mean Margaret (V)J FIC Seidler
Margaret is a very nasty little girl who is adopted by a sweet woodchuck family after her own siblings toss her out. Read about the havoc she creates. 
Selden, George
The Cricket in Times Square (S)J PB S
A country cricket lands in a Times Square subway station newsstand. His new friends--Tucker Mouse, Harry Cat, and the son of the newsstand owners--introduce him to life in bustling New York City. 
Slote, Alfred
Finding Buck McHenry (S)J PB S // S FicSlote
A story about baseball-card collecting, not making the team, secret identities, and friendship. Is Jason's new coach really Buck McHenry, the famous player from the Negro leagues? 
Snyder, ZilphaKeatley
The Egypt Game (U)J PB S // J Fic Snyder
When a group of imaginative children pretends an old storage yard is the land of Egypt, they unexpectedly become involved in a real murder. 
Spinelli, Jerry
Maniac Magee (V)Y PB S // Y FicSpinelli
This is the tall tale about a young orphan with incredible powers, who makes life different--and better--wherever he goes. 
St. George, Judith
So You Want to be President? (S)Q J 923 S
The winner of the 2001 Caldecott Award, this book is a whimsical and also informative look at this very powerful office and the people who have inhabited it. 
Stolz, Mary
The Bully of Barkham Street (R)INTERLOAN(oo)
Martin Hastings is a sixth-grade bully--the biggest and meanest boy in his class. Find out what makes him that way and what happens when he wants to change. 
Thurber, James
The 13 Clocks (No Level)INTERLOAN
This book has a little bit of everything, a mixture of parable, fairy story, and poem featuring the adventures of a prince, princess, and wicked duke. 
White, E. B.
Stuart Little (R)J PB W // J FIC White
A mouse-child born into an ordinary American family is bound to have very special adventures and friendships--sometimes amusing, sometimes scary--but young Stuart Little is always debonair and witty. 
White, E. B.
The Trumpet of the Swan (R)J PB W // J FIC WHITE
A mute trumpeter swan finds a voice in a story which blends fresh make-believe with a clear knowledge of wildlife. 
Wilder, Laura Ingalls
Farmer Boy (No Level)J PB W
Laura Ingalls Wilder chronicles the life of a New York farm boy. The story begins in 1868, when the boy is nine years old and anxious to be treated as a grown-up. 
Winthrop, Elizabeth
The Castle in the Attic series (R)J PB W // J FIC Winthrop
The gift of a toy castle, complete with a miniature knight, introduces William to an adventure involving magic and a personal quest. 
Wrede, Patricia
Dealing with Dragons series (No Level)Y FIC Wrede //Y PB W
Bored with traditional palace life, a princess goes off to live with a group of dragons and soon matches wits with some disreputable dragons who want to steal the kingdom. 
Yolen, Jane
Wizard's Hall (No Level)J PB Y
This book will be popular with Harry Potter fans. Young Henry is sent to Wizard's Hall against his will, and he doesn't seem to show signs of having any sort of magical power. But everyone expects great things of him. 


 

NON-FICTION

 
Busby, Peter
First to Fly: How Wilbur and Orville Wright Invented the Airplane (W)
Q JB Wright B
From their introduction to flight via a flying toy bought by their father, Orville and Wilbur Wright were destined for a place in history as the first to fly a powered heavier-than-air craft.
Crenson, Victoria
Horseshoe Crabs and Shorebirds: The Story of a Food Web (No Level)
J 577.16 C
Fabulous watercolors illustrate the predator-prey relationships described in this absorbing food web story. The author’s effective word choices enhance the tale of the horseshoe crabs’ cyclical journey from the depths of Delaware Bay to the sandy beaches and back as part of the crab life cycle.
Dewey, Jennifer Owings
Antarctic Journal: Four Months at the Bottom of the World (R)J 919.89 D
This eye-opening portrayal of an icy-cold adventure to one of the most forbidding, fascinating places on Earth carefully mixes amazing narratives, science facts, and colorful photographs that are sure to intrigue and inspire young explorers. A warm, thoughtful diary sharing the fears and wonders of the “last great wilderness on Earth.”
Hurst, Carol Otis
Rocks in His Head (K)E Hurst
The simple narrative and sensitive illustrations vividly portray how a childhood passion for rocks leads to a productive and satisfying career. This true story describes how study, commitment, and a love for learning overcome such obstacles as a lack of education, money, and formal training.
Jackson, Ellen
Looking for Life in the Universe (No Level)Q J 574.999 J
This inspirational book follows Jill Tartar of the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) Institute as she and her colleagues search for extraterrestrial intelligence. This book discusses the science involved in the search and the day-to-day efforts of the team as well as the dreams of the young girl who became an astrophysicist.
Kramer, Stephen
Hidden Worlds: Looking Through a Scientist’s Microscope (U) Q J 578 K
Stunning photos of microscopic images invite the reader to investigate the amazing hidden world that comes to life under a microscope. This captivating book discusses how a scientist becomes interested in microscopes, how he uses them in his work, and what he has discovered in his research.
Lasky, Kathryn
The Man Who Made Time Travel (S)JB Harrison L
In this fascinating, inspirational book, author Kathryn Lasky brilliantly retells the story of John Harrison, an eighteenth-century carpenter who spent his life designing a timepiece to be used by sailors. Harrison’s quest to win the Longitude Prize covered 35 years and five prototypes. Other than stating that the Moon traces a path across the sky every night, the facts in the book are accurate.
Lewin, Ted
Tooth and Claw: Animal Adventures in the Wild (No Level) J 590 L
This book shares the author’s experiences, many life-threatening, as he travels to countless exotic places worldwide. The reader shares the thrill of meeting a tiger or polar bear close up as the author details his experiences in journal format. Personal notations and pencil drawings give the expedition an authentic feel.
Logan, Claudia
The 5,000-Year-Old Puzzle: Solving a Mystery of Ancient Egypt (O)
Written in diary form, this engaging narrative captures the imagination while exciting young readers to revel in the "you are there" glimpse of an archaeological dig and learn that excavation can some-times uncover more than just treasure. This lively presentation of information and color photographs highlights the adventure, frustration, and mystery of an archaeological investigation.
Old, Wendie
To Fly: The Story of the Wright Brothers (S)JB WRIGHT O
From kite building and gliders to airplanes, the reader is introduced to the Wright brothers as they attempt to solve the problem of manned flight. Far from an ordinary biography, this book gives the reader insight into the inquiry strategies modeled by the Wright brothers. Colorful illustrations help the reader visualize the various stages in the process.
Salmansohn, Pete 
Saving Birds: Heros Around the World (No Level)J 333.958 S