2015 Elementary Summer Reading - Kearny School District
2017 Summer Reading: Incoming Grade 6
Fiction The Magician’s Elephant by Kate DiCamillo When a fortuneteller's tent appears in the market square of the city of Baltese, orphan Peter Augustus Duchene knows the questions that he needs to ask: Does his sister still live? And if so, how can he find her? The fortuneteller's mysterious answer (an elephant! An elephant will lead him there!) sets off a chain of events so remarkable, so impossible, that you will hardly dare to believe it’s true.
The City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau Many hundreds of years ago, the city of Ember was created by the Builders to contain everything needed for human survival. It worked…but now the storerooms are almost out of food, crops are devastated, corruption is spreading through the city and worst of all—the lights are failing. Soon Ember could be engulfed by darkness… But when two children, Lina and Doon, discover fragments of an ancient parchment, they begin to wonder if there could be a way out of Ember. Can they decipher the words from long ago and find a new future for everyone? Will the people of Ember listen to them?
Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key by Jack Gantos Joey Pigza can't sit still. He can't pay attention, he can't follow the rules, and he can't help it -especially when his meds aren't working. Joey's had problems ever since he was born, problems just like his dad and grandma have. And whether he's wreaking havoc on a class trip or swallowing his house key, Joey's problems are getting worse. In fact, his behavior is so off the wall that his teachers are threatening to send him to the special-ed center downtown. Joey knows he's really a good kid, but no matter how hard he tries to do the right thing, something always seems to go wrong. Will he ever get anything right?
The Island by Gary Paulsen Every day, 15 year old Wil Neuton gets up, brushes his teeth, leaves the house, and rows away from shore. He's discovered the island, a place where he can go to be alone and learn to know nature--and himself. Wil's only mission is to let go of the outside world. But the outside world refuses to let go of him. His family regards him as a puzzle. The town bully is determined to challenge him. And suddenly, even reporters know his name. He can confront them all, or he can embrace his solitude forever. Just one thing is certain now: Wil Neuton will no longer be relying on anybody but himself.
Crash by Jerry Spinelli Meet Crash Coogan. Crash seems to be all brawn and no brains, but he will need more than mere muscles to face the upcoming challenges in his life.
2017 Summer Reading: Incoming Grade 6
Nonfiction Exploring the Titanic: How the Greatest Ship Ever Lost- Was Found by Robert Ballard For the first time, the complete story of the sinking and discovery of the "Titanic" is available to young readers, written by the author of the bestseller "The Discovery of the Titanic". "Captures the drama of both the night of the sinking as well as . . . the discovery of the great ship. . . . Stunning.
Lost on a Mountain in Maine by Donn Fendler Based on the true account of a boy's harrowing journey through the vast wilderness of the Katahdin Mountains, Lost on a Mountain in Maine is a gripping survival story for all ages. Twelve-year-old Donn Fendler steps away from his Boy Scout troop for only a minute, but in the foggy mountains of Maine, a minute is all it takes. After hours of trying to find his way back, a nervous and tired Donn falls down an embankment, making it impossible for him to be found. One sleepless night goes by, followed by a second . . . and before Donn knows it, almost two weeks have passed, leaving him starving, scared, and delirious. With rainstorms, black bears, and his fear of being lost forever, Donn's journey is a physically, mentally, and emotionally charged story told from the point of view of the boy who lived it
Amelia Earhart: Young Aviator by Beatrice Gormley From her childhood years to her mysterious disappearance, this biography for middle readers provides an insightful telling of the life and accomplishments of this famous aviator. Illustrated throughout.
Hana’s Suitcase by Karen Levine In 2000, a suitcase arrived at a children's Holocaust education center in Tokyo, Japan, marked "Hana Brady, May 16, 1931." The center's curator searches for clues to young Hana and her family, whose happy life in a small Czech town was turned upside down by the invasion of the Nazis.
Stealing Home: The Story of Jackie Robinson by Barry Denenberg Jackie Robinson was a great athlete, but his destiny went far beyond the baseball diamond. As the first black man to play in the all-white baseball leagues, he was a symbol of courage, hope, and unity for all black and white Americans, and for people throughout the world. A fresh new biography of an American hero. Illustrated. May 2017
Fiction The Magician’s Elephant by Kate DiCamillo When a fortuneteller's tent appears in the market square of the city of Baltese, orphan Peter Augustus Duchene knows the questions that he needs to ask: Does his sister still live? And if so, how can he find her? The fortuneteller's mysterious answer (an elephant! An elephant will lead him there!) sets off a chain of events so remarkable, so impossible, that you will hardly dare to believe it’s true.
The City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau Many hundreds of years ago, the city of Ember was created by the Builders to contain everything needed for human survival. It worked…but now the storerooms are almost out of food, crops are devastated, corruption is spreading through the city and worst of all—the lights are failing. Soon Ember could be engulfed by darkness… But when two children, Lina and Doon, discover fragments of an ancient parchment, they begin to wonder if there could be a way out of Ember. Can they decipher the words from long ago and find a new future for everyone? Will the people of Ember listen to them?
Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key by Jack Gantos Joey Pigza can't sit still. He can't pay attention, he can't follow the rules, and he can't help it -especially when his meds aren't working. Joey's had problems ever since he was born, problems just like his dad and grandma have. And whether he's wreaking havoc on a class trip or swallowing his house key, Joey's problems are getting worse. In fact, his behavior is so off the wall that his teachers are threatening to send him to the special-ed center downtown. Joey knows he's really a good kid, but no matter how hard he tries to do the right thing, something always seems to go wrong. Will he ever get anything right?
The Island by Gary Paulsen Every day, 15 year old Wil Neuton gets up, brushes his teeth, leaves the house, and rows away from shore. He's discovered the island, a place where he can go to be alone and learn to know nature--and himself. Wil's only mission is to let go of the outside world. But the outside world refuses to let go of him. His family regards him as a puzzle. The town bully is determined to challenge him. And suddenly, even reporters know his name. He can confront them all, or he can embrace his solitude forever. Just one thing is certain now: Wil Neuton will no longer be relying on anybody but himself.
Crash by Jerry Spinelli Meet Crash Coogan. Crash seems to be all brawn and no brains, but he will need more than mere muscles to face the upcoming challenges in his life.
2017 Summer Reading: Incoming Grade 6
Nonfiction Exploring the Titanic: How the Greatest Ship Ever Lost- Was Found by Robert Ballard For the first time, the complete story of the sinking and discovery of the "Titanic" is available to young readers, written by the author of the bestseller "The Discovery of the Titanic". "Captures the drama of both the night of the sinking as well as . . . the discovery of the great ship. . . . Stunning.
Lost on a Mountain in Maine by Donn Fendler Based on the true account of a boy's harrowing journey through the vast wilderness of the Katahdin Mountains, Lost on a Mountain in Maine is a gripping survival story for all ages. Twelve-year-old Donn Fendler steps away from his Boy Scout troop for only a minute, but in the foggy mountains of Maine, a minute is all it takes. After hours of trying to find his way back, a nervous and tired Donn falls down an embankment, making it impossible for him to be found. One sleepless night goes by, followed by a second . . . and before Donn knows it, almost two weeks have passed, leaving him starving, scared, and delirious. With rainstorms, black bears, and his fear of being lost forever, Donn's journey is a physically, mentally, and emotionally charged story told from the point of view of the boy who lived it
Amelia Earhart: Young Aviator by Beatrice Gormley From her childhood years to her mysterious disappearance, this biography for middle readers provides an insightful telling of the life and accomplishments of this famous aviator. Illustrated throughout.
Hana’s Suitcase by Karen Levine In 2000, a suitcase arrived at a children's Holocaust education center in Tokyo, Japan, marked "Hana Brady, May 16, 1931." The center's curator searches for clues to young Hana and her family, whose happy life in a small Czech town was turned upside down by the invasion of the Nazis.
Stealing Home: The Story of Jackie Robinson by Barry Denenberg Jackie Robinson was a great athlete, but his destiny went far beyond the baseball diamond. As the first black man to play in the all-white baseball leagues, he was a symbol of courage, hope, and unity for all black and white Americans, and for people throughout the world. A fresh new biography of an American hero. Illustrated. May 2017
