1. society
2. unrest and war

JC ELLIS ELEMENTARY SUMMER READING
Students entering 5th grade
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Read as many books as you can, but read a minimum of 3 books (2 literary/fiction and one
informational/biography/nonfiction book. Here is a list of suggestions, but others on a fifth grade level
will be accepted. When you return to school in August, you will take the Accelerated Reader test.
Informational/Biography/Nonfiction
Lost Star: The Story of Amelia Earhart – Lauber - Until the day her plane disappeared over the South Pacific in 1937, Amelia
Earhart claimed one primary goal in her life, and that was the advancement of the achievements of women. Her final
journey, a flight around the world which she almost completed, would have been a first for either a man or a woman, and
served as a clear example of how far Amelia Earhart was willing to go to prove the ability of women to be airplane pilots...or
whatever else they wanted to be.
Knots in My Yo Yo String – Spinelli - His autobiography that will delight his fans and provide food for thought for budding
writers. Spinelli grew up in Norristown, Pennsylvania, in the 1950s, and his memories give readers a clear picture of what
that world was like back then. Many of the situations are unremarkable, but they are appealing for just that reason. As in
Spinelli's many novels, ordinary situations are imbued with humor (and pathos) in the telling. And Spinelli is, first and
foremost, a storyteller. The way he describes winning a foot race, losing a family pet, getting his first kiss, and taking his first
trip to the principal's office sheds new light on each of these universal experiences.
Lincoln: A Photobiography – Freedman - Abraham Lincoln stood out in a crowd as much for his wit and rollicking humor as
for his height. Here is a warm, appealing biography of our Civil War president.
Russell Freedman begins with a lively account of Abraham Lincoln's boyhood, his career as a country lawyer, and his
courtship and marriage to Mary Todd. Then the author focuses on the presidential years (1861 to 1865), skillfully explaining
the many complex issues Lincoln grappled with as he led a deeply divided nation through the Civil War. He also reflects on
the latest scholarly thoughts about our Civil War president.
Small Steps: The Year I Got Polio – Kehret - In a riveting story of courage and hope, Peg Kehret writes about months spent
in a hospital when she was twelve, first struggling to survive a severe case of polio, then slowly learning to walk again.
Up Before Daybreak, Cotton and People in America – Hopkinson – It captures the voices of the forgotten men, women, and
children who worked in the cotton industry in America over the centuries. The voices of the slaves who toiled in the fields in
the South, the poor sharecroppers who barely got by, and the girls who gave their lives to the New England mills spring to
life through oral histories, archival photos, and Hopkinson's engaging narrative prose style. These stories are amazing and
often heartbreaking, and they are imbedded deep in our nation's history.
Mummies, Tombs and Treasure, Secrets of Ancient Europe – Perl - The ancient Egyptian way of death has left us a rich
legacy of information about a way of life of which there is no other record. This thoroughly documented account is as
fascinating as it is revealing.
Four Perfect Pebbles, A Holocaust Story – Lila Perl - Following Hitler's rise to power, the Blumenthal family was trapped in
Nazi Germany and, for over six years, was forced to live in refugee, transit, and prison camps. Their true story is one of
horror and hardship, but also one of courage, hope, and the will to survive. Includes photos and bibliography.
Amistad, A Long Road to Freedom – Walter Dean Myers - In 1839, the schooner Amistad set sail on a short voyage from
one end of Cuba to the other. During the journey, the illegally enslaved Africans she was carrying revolted against their
captors and seized control of the ship. They hoped to sail back to Africa, but instead they wound up in the United States,
where they were put on trial. Their case went all the way to the Supreme Court, where they were represented by former U.S.
president John Quincy Adams. Walter Dean Myers explores the issues surrounding the imprisonment and trial of the
Amistad captives and examines the feelings, both popular and political, that were shaping our young nation at that time.
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Tell Them We Remember – Susan D. Bachrach - Stories and photographs of young Jewish people who lived--and died-during World War II and suffered Nazi atrocities.
The First Farmers – Leonard Weisgard – The story of farming recreated through pictures and text of life in the new Stone
Age
Children of the Great Depression – Russell Freedman - As he did for frontier children in his enormously popular
Children of the Wild West, Russell Freedman illuminates the lives of the American children affected by the economic and
social changes of the Great Depression. Middle-class urban youth, migrant farm laborers, boxcar kids, children whose
families found themselves struggling for survival . . . all Depression-era young people faced challenges like unemployed and
demoralized parents, inadequate food and shelter, schools they couldn't attend because they had to go to work, schools that
simply closed their doors. Even so, life had its bright spots--like favorite games and radio shows--and many young people
remained upbeat and optimistic about the future.
The Holocaust, The Death Camps – Sean Sheehan - Using primary sources and eyewitness testimony, these volumes help
readers find their own answers. Maps of European Jewish population centers and concentration camps put events in
geographic perspective. A guide to resources points researchers to museums, books, and websites.
Realistic Fiction/Science Fiction/Fantasy/Historical Fiction
James and the Giant Peach – Roald Dahl - Young James Henry Trotter loses his parents and is forced to live with his evil
aunts. Luckily, he is given magic crystals, which he accidentally spills on his aunts' decrepit peach tree. One of the peaches
begins to grow, and grow, and grow. Finally, James climbs into the peach and it rolls away from his aunts' yard and his
miserably lonely life. With the giant peach, he begins a new life, making friends along the way with hilarious characters like
the Grasshopper and the Earthworm.
Frindle – Clements - Fifth grader Nick Allen knows just how to make school more cool . In third grade, he transformed Miss
Deaver's room into a tropical paradise with some paper palm trees and a sandy beach. In fourth grade, he taught his
classmates to mimic the high-pitched calls of blackbirds. But now, in fifth grade, he's come up with his most ingenious idea
yet. After learning about the origins of words, he decides to change the word pen to frindle . At first, it seems like a harmless
prank, a way to annoy his dictionary-obsessed teacher. Then the whole class starts using the new word, and the joke
spreads across town like wildfire. Suddenly Nick finds himself in the middle of a media frenzy over frindle. Will Nick emerge
from the controversy a troublemaker or a hero?
In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson – Lord - In 1947, the Year of the Boar, Sixth Cousin, also known as Bandit,
leaves China with her parents for a new beginning in America. Proud of the American name that she chose herself, Shirley
Temple Wong is optimistic that her new home will be the land of many opportunities. But it's harder than she expected.
Though her classmates in Brooklyn come from a variety of backgrounds, Shirley is the only one who doesn't speak English,
and she worries that she will never have a friend. Then she gets in a fight with Mabel, the tallest, scariest girl in the fifth
grade. Though Shirley winds up with two black eyes, she is faithful to the code of childhood and doesn't tell anyone what
happened. Her silence gains her the respect and friendship of Mabel, who gives her the gift that truly changes her life:
baseball.
The Computer Nut – Byars - Kate begins a communication exchange on her father's computer with someone claiming to be
from outer space. She is excited when he says he is going to pay a visit to Earth. But what will happen when she brings the
visitor home to meet her father?
A Dog Called Kitty – Wallace - Ricky has had a fear of dogs since, as a toddler, he was attacked by a rabid one. He
eventually overcomes his fear through a relationship with an abandoned puppy on an Oklahoma farm.
Sideways Stories from Wayside School - Louis Sachar - Wayside School was supposed to be 30 classrooms, one story
high; but by mistake it was built straight up 30 stories. And that's not all that's funny here.
Matilda – Roald Dahl - Poor, misunderstood Matilda fights back against an unappreciative world through a hidden talent:
Matilda is the world's greatest practical joker! Little effort is needed to put one over on her obnoxious parents, but can shy
little Matilda handle the formidable headmistress, Miss Trunchbull, and win the respect of every kid in school? Yes!
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The Secret of Platform 13 – Ibbotson - A forgotten door on an abandoned railway platform is the entrance to a magical
kingdom -- an island where humans live happily with feys, mermaids, ogres, and other wonderful creatures. Carefully hidden
from the world, the Island is only accessible when the door opens for nine days every nine years. A lot can go wrong in nine
days. When the beastly Mrs. Trottle kidnaps the prince of the Island, it's up to a strange band of rescuers to save him. But
can an ogre, a hag, a wizard, and a fey really troop around London unnoticed?
The Mouse and the Motorcycle – Cleary - Young Ralph lives in a knothole in room 215 of the Mountain View Inn, and in his
short life he's seen plenty of families come and go. The only difference, it seems, is that some are more generous with their
crumbs than other. Then Keith and his parents check in, and they've brought something new: a toy motorcycle that's just the
right size for an adventure-seeking mouse! Ralph has always dreamed of venturing beyond the second floor, and now is his
chance. Unfortunately, his first attempt at a ride lands him right at the bottom of the wastepaper basket, where he has to wait
for someone to find him. Luckily, Keith is sympathetic, and generously encourages Ralph to ride. He teaches him the secret
to starting the bike ("You have to make a noise...pb-pb-b-b-b") and the tiny mouse adventurer is on his way!
Holes – Sachar - Stanley Yelnats has had awful luck his whole life: He's overweight, kids tease him, his family is poor, and
now he's accused of a crime he didn't commit! Stanley blames his great-great grandfather, Elya Yelnats, who stole a pig
from a gypsy. According to legend, the gypsy put a curse on Elya and all his descendants.
Out of the Dust – Hesse - A poem cycle that reads as a novel tells the story of a girl named Billie Jo, who struggles to help
her family survive the dust-bowl years of the Depression. Fighting against the elements on her Oklahoma farm, Billie Jo
takes on even more responsibilities when her mother dies in a tragic accident.
Esperanza Rising – Ryan - When Esperanza and Mama are forced to flee to the bountiful region of Aguascalientes, Mexico,
to a Mexican farm labor camp in California, they must adjust to a life without fancy dresses and servants like they were
accustomed to on Rancho de las Rosas. Now they must confront the challenges of hard work, acceptance by their own
people, and economic difficulties brought on by the Great Depression.
Drums at Saratoga – Lisa Banim - Eleven-year-old Nathaniel Phillips, yearning for the glamorous life of the soldier, flees his
native Canada in 1777 and follows the British army into the Hudson Valley. At Saratoga, the British have a fateful meeting
with the smaller, yet more focused, American troops, and the rebel victory changes the course of the war. In the midst of this
action, Nathaniel befriends Ben Freeman, a young black servant to one of the British officers. Their subsequent capture by
the Americans gives Nathaniel a more complete picture of the issues at hand, and an understanding of why Ben is acting as
a spy for General Benedict Arnold. As bullets fly and men die, Nathaniel comes to see war as a necessary evil, not as the
romantic escape he had once envisioned. Readers see the harsh realities of colonial life, and of the camps of families and
followers who accompany the soldiers on their exploits.
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