2012-2013
On A Quest To Do Our Best!
Dear Parents/Guardians,
Studies have repeatedly shown that children who continue to read during the summer
months perform better when school resumes in the fall. It’s important for children to
engage in 20 minutes of daily reading to provide the practice necessary to maintain and
improve their reading skills.
For this reason, all students at PMS are required to read a minimum of three books this
summer. Our Summer Reading is a bit different than in the past. This year, your child will
be provided with the first book, The Boxcar Children by Gertrude Chandler Warner. The
other two books are student choice. Children must also complete a book report organizer
on The Boxcar Children. The Boxcar Children may be read independently or with a parent.
The whole fourth grade will share a common reading experience with this timeless classic.
In addition to completing the book report organizer, students will also be entering the
Governor’s Reading Challenge. We are encouraging students to go beyond the required
three books and read as many books as possible between June and the first day of school.
The student who reads the most books at each grade level will be given special recognition
by the Superintendent. All students must record the titles (minimum of three) on their
Governor’s Summer Reading Log, which must be signed by a parent/guardian and turned in
on the first day of school, August 28, 2012.
Every
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student…
MUST read The Boxcar Children plus 2 more books of their choice
Complete a book report organizer on The Boxcar Children
Fill out the Governor’s Summer Reading Log and turn it in to your teacher.
The book report form is included in the packet. Your child may choose to use the form
provided or they may opt to write or type their book report. Please be sure your child has
written the report neatly and has checked their work carefully.
Some recommended titles and authors are included on the other side of this letter. You
will also find some information about Nutmeg Award winning books.
We hope you and your family have an enjoyable summer filled with rest,
relaxation, and reading!
Sincerely,
Teachers of Plainfield Memorial School
****Special Note: Gertrude Chandler Warner, the author of The Boxcar Children, is from Putnam, CT. You
may wish to visit the Boxcar Museum in Putnam on Route 12 after reading the book. It is open Saturdays and
Sundays this summer between 11:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m.
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Suggested Summer Reading
These are only suggestions. Other options may be chosen according to personal interest at appropriate
reading level.
Series:
Boxcar Children Series
Encyclopedia Brown Series
Magic Treehouse Series
Shredderman Series
A Series of Unfortunate Events
Harry Potter Series
The Galaxies Series
A Picture Book Biography Series
G. C. Warner
D. Sobol
M. Pope Osborn
Van Draanen
Lemony Snicket
J. K. Rowling
Gregory Voyt
David Adler
Fiction:
Frindle
The Good Dog
The Secret School
Because of Winn Dixie
Tiger Rising
Half Magic
My Teacher Is An Alien
Amber Brown
Time Warp Trio: Summer Reading is Killing Me!
Stuart Little
Ralph S. Mouse
Strider
Hatchet
Esperanza Rising
Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes
Nory Ryan’s Song
Caleb’s Story
A. Clements
Avi
Avi
K. DiCamillo
K. DiCamillo
E. Eager
B. Coville
P. Danziger
J. Scieszka
E. B. White
B. Cleary
B. Cleary
G. Paulsen
P. Munoz Ryan
E. Coerr
P. Reilly Giff
P. MacLachlan
Non-Fiction:
From Path To Highway: The Story or the
Boston Post Road
D. Bushnell and His Turtle: The Story of
America’s First Submarine
Sybil Rides For Independence
Planets in Our Solar System
A River Ran Wild
One Day In The Woods
G. Gibbons
J. Swanson
D. Brown
F. M. Branley
L. Cherry
G. Jean
The Nutmeg Award
The Nutmeg Book Award encourages children in grades 4-8 to read quality
literature and to choose their favorite from a list of ten nominated titles.
Readers can vote in their school or public library for their favorite book to
determine the 2013 Nutmeg Children’s Book Award winner.
All books nominated for the award must be:
1. A work of fiction, with appeal for readers in grades 4-6; 7-8
respectively;
2. Copyrighted in the United States, and first published no more than
five years from the date of selection
3. Currently in print and available in paperback;
4. Well written, with strong characterization, a vivid setting, striking
language, a well-connected plot, and a plausible conclusion.
The 2013 nominees for Grade 4-6 are…
Baseball Great by Tim Green
Because of Mr. Terupt by Rob Buyea
Born To Fly by Michael Ferrai
The Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figg by Rodman Philbrick
My Life As A Book by Janet Tashjian
The Potato Chip Puzzles by Eric Berlin
Powerless by Matthew Cody
A Tale Dark & Grimm by Adam Gidwitz
Where The Mountain Meets The Moon by Grace Lin
The Wonder of Charlie Anne by Kimberly Fusco
You could be a part in choosing the winner in January 2013!
For more information, check out the brief summaries on back as well as the
website at nutmegaward.org
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Name: _________________________________ Date: _____________
The Boxcar Children
Main Characters:
Setting:
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Events
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Solution
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Ending
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The Boxcar Children
Final Thoughts: The theme of this story is courage, survival, responsibility, and selfreliance in the face of adversity or poverty. If you found yourself alone in a situation
like this and had to make a home for yourself, what kind of place would you look
for and how would you survive?
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Book Review: Would you recommend this book? Why or Why not?
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