Arlington Central School DistricT
Central Administration Offices
696 Dutchess Turnpike l Poughkeepsie, NY 12603
Voice 845-486-4460 l Fax 845- 486-4457
Middle School: Required Summer Reading
Dear Parents and Students:
The purposes of our summer reading requirement for middle school students are to promote continuous reading habits, to encourage reading for pleasure, and to establish a springboard for reflection in the fall. Summer provides the perfect opportunity for parents to continue to support their children’s development of lifelong reading habits by encouraging and helping them find many great books.
The list on the other side of this letter reflects a wide variety of reading levels and interests. We encourage parents to review the list with your child and consider his or her interests, individual reading level, and attitude toward reading when selecting just the right book. We have made every attempt to be sure the books on this list are readily available through the public library as well as local bookstores.
Here are some suggestions to help your child engage in summer reading on his/her own and make it fun for the family, too.
- Dig out your child’s library card or get one if s/he doesn’t already have one.
- Did you know that you can access the Mid Hudson Library System from your home computer and reserve books from the online catalog? The website is: http://gigcat.midhudson.org/
- Tips for helping your child select just the right book can be found at http://www.rif.org/parents/tips/tip.mspx?View=19
- Read along with your child and discuss the book together.
- Encourage your child to read more than one book.
- If your child is struggling with the selected book or isn’t enjoying it, stop and select another title from the list.
- During the first marking period, all students, under the direction of their Middle School teacher, are required to complete an assignment based on the book they have chosen from the summer reading list. Your child may want to take notes to help remember important details about the summer reading book as an aid in completing the assignment in the fall. Remember, the assignment will be completed in class. As an example, students may be asked to write a new chapter for the book, write a book review, or write an essay that connects the book to experiences from their own life, or to other books they have read in the past.
Ø Teacher-generated examples of this assignment may be found at http://www.arlingtonschools.org/Curriculum/english.html
Should you have any questions regarding summer reading, please contact your child’s middle school.
Boy at War: A Novel of Pearl Harbor by Harry Mazer (Historical Fiction 104 pages – A) Fourteen-year-old Adam Pelko, the son of a navy lieutenant, witnesses the sinking of his father’s battleship, the “Arizona,” during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.
A Family of Poems: My Favorite Poetry for Children by Caroline Kennedy ( Poetry 143 pages - A) An anthology of poems celebrating poetry's ability to connect us like family.
A Week in the Woods by Andrew Clements (Realistic Fiction 160 pages - E) The fifth grade's annual camping trip in the woods tests Mark's survival skills and his ability to relate to a teacher who seems out to get him.
A Year of No Rain by Alice Mead (Realistic Fiction 129 pages – E) Stephen, 11, lives with his mother and older sister in a poor, drought-stricken village in the southern Sudan. His father went off to fight with the rebels when the boy was an infant, and the family remains fearful of assaults by northern government soldiers.
Blackwater by Eve Bunting (Realistic Fiction 141 pages – A) Thirteen-year-old Brodie Lynch was ready for the perfect summer of adventure along the awesome Blackwater River. That was before everything changed forever. When a harmless prank goes too far, the unthinkable happens.
Chronicles of Darkness #1: Wolf Brother by Michelle Paver (Adventure 304 pages - C) Twelve-year old Torak and his wolf-cub companion must defeat the evil that stalks their land. Their journey takes them through the deep forest and into dangers they never dreamed of.
Crash by Jerry Spinelli (Realistic Fiction 176 pages– A) The hilarious and poignant story of a cocky seventh-grade super jock.
Danger on Midnight River:World of Adventure Series, Book 6 by Gary Paulsen (Adventure 80 pages – E) Slow learner Daniel Martin escapes peer teasing by spending most of his time outdoors. Daniel’s survival skills are put to a severe test when a van crash plunges into the river and Daniel must choose between saving himself and risking his life to save the passengers trapped in the van.
Dealing With Dragons by Patricia Wrede (Science Fiction/Fantasy 212 pages - C) Princess Cimorene moves into a dragon’s cave as a cook to avoid marrying an idiotic prince.
Everyone Else’s Parents Said Yes by Paula Danziger (Realistic Fiction 115 pages - E) Matthew Martin is an annoying soon-to-be eleven-year-old boy. He regularly insults his sister and plays embarrassing jokes on his classmates. He finds that he must face the consequences for his behavior when the sixth-grade girls declare war on him and it coincides with his party.
Heartlight by T.A. Baron (Science Fiction/Fantasy 242 pages - C) Kate’s grandfather has been working in his laboratory to uncover an unknown element in the heart of stars, called “Pure Concentrated Light”. He has succeeded in making a small amount of this magical substance which has the power to liberate your “Heartlight” so that you can travel to anyplace in space.
How Angel Peterson Got His Name by Gary Paulsen (Humor 128 pages - E) When you grow up in a small town in the north woods, you have to make your own excitement. High spirits, idiocy, and showing off for the girls inspire Gary Paulsen and his friends to attempt some “extreme sports” of their own invention.
Lily’s Crossing by Patricia Reilly Giff (Historical Fiction 200 pages - E) During a summer spent at the beach in 1944, Lily’s friendship with Albert, a young Hungarian refugee, causes her to see the war and her own world differently.
Locomotion by Jacqueline Woodson (Poetry 112 pages – E) Eleven-year-old Lonnie Collins Motion, affectionately dubbed Locomotion by his mother, deals with the loss of his parents and the separation from his sister, Lili, by writing poetry.
No More Dead Dogs by Gordon Korman (Realistic Fiction 180 pages - A) Eighth-grade football hero Wallace Wallace is sentenced to detention attending rehearsals of the school play where, in spite of himself, he becomes wrapped up in the production.
Sideways Stories from Wayside School by Louis Sachar (Humor 128 pages – E) Thirty stories centered on thirty different characters describe the strange things that happen at Wayside School, an architectural accident that was built sideways, thirty stories high with one classroom on each floor.
Skellig by David Almond (Science Fiction/Fantasy 182 pages - A) Michael met Skellig, the man-owl-angel who lies motionless behind the tea chests, in an abandoned garage behind Michael’s house. As disturbing as this discovery is, it is the least of Michael’s worries.
The Liberation of Gabriel King by Kelly Going (Realistic Fiction 192 pages - A) Gabe’s best friend, Frita, decides to use the summer to rid Gabe of all his fears (and there are many) as well as her own (a much shorter list) so that the two can face “the big kids” in the fall.
When the Soldiers Were Gone by Vera W. Propp (Historical Fiction 101 pages - A) At the end of WWII, in 1945, Henk is separated from the Dutch Christian family that has raised and protected him throughout the war and is taken back home by strangers.
Chasing Vermeer by Blue Balliett (Mystery 272 pages - A) When seemingly unrelated and strange events start to happen and a precious Vermeer painting disappears, eleven-year-olds Petra and Calder combine their talents to solve an international art scandal.
Emako Blue by Brenda Woods (Realistic Fiction 128 pages - E) From the moment she stands up in chorus auditions and her heavenly voice fills the room, Emako Blue profoundly affects anyone who meets her.
Escape From Fire Mountain by Gary Paulsen (Adventure 0 pages– E) The characters face danger at every turn in the great outdoors and learn to face their fears head on. From a forest fire to a raging river to a scary bull named Diablo, the action doesn’t stop
.
Heat by Mike Lupica (Realistic Fiction 240 pages – E) Michael's the best Little League pitcher in the district, and seems destined to lead his all-star team to the championship game, which will be held inside Yankee Stadium, with a trip to the Little League World Series on the line. But all that changes when a jealous rival coach challenges whether Michael is as young as he claims.
Make Lemonade by Virginia Euwer Wolff (Realistic Fiction 200 pages - A) Living in the projects but determined to be the first person in her family to go to college, LaVaughn takes a job babysitting for Jolly, the teenage mother of two-year-old Jeremy and baby Jilly, whose life is the epitome of disorganization.
Millions by Frank Boyce Cottrell (Adventure 272 pages - A) After their mother dies, two brothers find a huge amount of money which they must spend quickly before England switches to the new European currency, but they disagree on what to do with it
Mission: In Search of the Time and Space Machine (Spy Force) by Deborah Abela (Science Fiction/Fantasy 224 pages - A) Max Remy, 11, spends much of her time alone because her divorced parents are busy with their high-powered jobs. To pass the time she writes stories about super spy Alex Crane and the top-secret agency, Spy Force. Little does she dream that she will soon be involved in an adventure to rival those of her protagonist.
My Thirteenth Season by Kristi Roberts (Realistic Fiction 160 pages - A) Already downhearted due to the loss of her mother and her father's overwhelming grief, thirteen-year-old Fran decides to give up her dream of becoming the first female in professional baseball after a coach attacks her just for being a girl.
Old Yeller by Fred Gipson (Realistic Fiction 192 pages - A) The simple story of a boy and his dog in the Texas hill country of the 1860s. Yeller accompanies Travis everywhere, and as Travis grows up he learns something about love and responsibility, as well as the pain of life.
Pedro's Journal by Pam Conrad (Historical Fiction 96 pages - E) The cabin boy on the "Santa Maria" keeps a diary in which records his experiences when he sails with Columbus on his first voyage to the New World in 1492.
Phineas Gage: A Gruesome But True Story About Brain Science by John Fleischman (Non-Fiction 86 pages - A) The fascinating story of the construction foreman who survived for 10 years after a 13-pound iron rod shot through his brain.
Stanford Wong Flunks Big-time by Lisa Yee (Realistic Fiction 304 pages - A) After flunking sixth-grade basketball prodigy Stanford Wong must struggle to pass his summer-school class, keep his failure a secret from his friends, and satisfy his academically demanding father.
Surviving the Applewhites by Stephanie Tolan (Realistic Fiction 224 pages – A to C) Jake, a budding juvenile delinquent, is sent for home schooling to the arty and eccentric Applewhite family's Creative Academy, where he discovers talents and interests he never knew he had.
The View from Saturday by E.L. Konigsburg (Realistic Fiction 163 pages - A) Four hilariously different students develop a special friendship and attract the attention of their teacher, a paraplegic, who chooses them to represent their sixth grade class in the Academic Bowl competition.
Touching Spirit Bear by Ben Mikaelson (Realistic Fiction 256 pages - A) After his anger erupts into violence, Cole, in order to avoid going to prison, agrees to participate in a sentencing alternative based on the Native American Circle Justice, and he is sent to a remote Alaskan Island where an encounter with a huge Spirit Bear changes his life.
Tripping the Lunch Lady: And Other School Stories edited by Nancy E. Mercado
(Humor 192 pages– E) A collection of funny short stories about life in school.
A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry (Play 176 pages - C) Hansberry’s award-winning drama about the hopes and aspirations of a struggling, working-class family living on the South Side of Chicago connected profoundly with the psyche of black America--and changed American theater forever.
Al Capone Does My Shirts by Gennifer Choldenko (Realistic Fiction 228 pages - E) Moose moves to Alcatraz Island in 1935 when guards' families were housed there, and has to contend with his extraordinary new environment in addition to life with his autistic sister.
Bronx Masquerade by Nikki Grimes (Poetry 176 pages - A) When Wesley Boone writes a poem for his high school English class and reads it aloud, poetry-slam-style, he kicks off a revolution. Soon his classmates are clamoring to have weekly poetry sessions.
Bull Run by Paul Fleischman (Historical Fiction 104 pages – E) Northerners, Southerners, generals, couriers, dreaming boys, and worried sisters describe the glory, the horror, the thrill, and the disillusionment of the first battle of the Civil War.
Call of the Wild by Jack London (Historical Fiction 208 pages - A) Taken from a kindly owner, Buck is forced into the perilous life of a sled dog in the treacherous Yukon Territory during the Klondike gold rush.
Code Talker: A Novel About the Navajo Marines of World War Two by Joseph Bruchac ( 240 pages - A) Throughout World War II, in the conflict fought against Japan, Navajo code talkers were a crucial part of the U.S. effort, sending messages back and forth in an unbreakable code that used their native language.
Freak The Mighty by Rodman Philbrick (Realistic Fiction 179 pages - E) Max becomes Freak the Mighty when he befriends an extremely small, yet highly intelligent, boy named Kevin (a.k.a. Freak) who has a physical disability called Morquio's Syndrome.
Gathering Blue by Lois Lowry (Science Fiction/Fantasy 224 pages - A) Kira, an orphan with a twisted leg, lives in a world where the weak are cast aside. She fears for her future until she is spared by the all-powerful Council of Guardians.
Here in Harlem: Poems in Many Voices by Walter Dean Myers (Poetry 88 pages - E). In each poem here, a resident of Harlem speaks in a distinctive voice, offering a story, a thought, a reflection, or a memory.
Hitler Youth: Growing Up in Hitler’s Shadow by Susan Campbell Bartoletti (Non-Fiction 176 pages - C) What was it like to be a teenager in Germany under Hitler? The author draws on oral histories, diaries, letters, and her own extensive interviews with Holocaust survivors, Hitler Youth, resisters, and bystanders to tell the history from the viewpoints of people who were there. Most of the accounts and photos bring close the experiences of those who followed Hitler and fought for the Nazis, revealing why they joined, how Hitler used them, what it was like.
If A Tree Falls At Lunch Period by Gennifer Choldenko Realistic Fiction (224 pages – E) Kirsten’s parents are barely speaking to each other, and her best friend has fallen under the spell of the school's queen bee, Brianna. It seems like only Kirsten's younger science-geek sister is on her side.
It’s Not About the Bike: My Journey Back to Life by Lance Armstrong (288 pages - A) This is the story of Lance Armstrong, the world-famous cyclist, and his fight against cancer.
Johnny Hangtime by Dan Gutman (Historical Fiction 144 pages– E) Thirteen-year old Johnny Thyme is “Johnny Hangtime,” a stunt kid who fills in for Ricky Corvette during dangerous stunts that are done in Ricky’s action films.
Monster by Walter Dean Myers (Realistic Fiction 288 pages - C) Steve is accused of being an accomplice in the robbery and murder of a drug store owner. A teenager who dreams of being a filmmaker, he writes the story of his trial for felony murder in the form of a movie script, with journal entries after each day's action.
Shabanu, Daughter of the Wind by Suzanne Fisher Staples (Realistic Fiction 288 pages - A) When eleven-year old Shabanu, the daughter of a nomad in the Cholistan Desert of present-day Pakistan, is pledged in marriage to an older man whose money will bring prestige to the family, she must either accept the decision, as is the custom, or risk the consequences of defying her father's wishes.
The Greatest, Muhammed Ali by Walter Dean Myers (Non-Fiction 192 pages– A) This book traces the life and career of Muhammad Ali, the only boxer to be the heavyweight champion of the world three times. Ali’s life is placed in the context of historical events, such as the civil rights movement, the Vietnam War, and Watergate.
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams (Science Fiction/Fantasy 320 pages - C) Join Douglas Adams's hapless hero Arthur Dent as he travels the galaxy with his intrepid pal Ford Prefect, getting into horrible messes and generally wreaking hilarious havoc. Dent is grabbed from Earth moments before a cosmic construction team obliterates the planet to build a freeway.
The Hobbit: Or There and Back Again by J.R.R. Tolkien Science Fiction/Fantasy (320 pages - C) Bilbo Baggins was a hobbit who wanted to be left alone in quiet comfort. But the wizard Gandalf came along with a band of homeless dwarves. Soon Bilbo was drawn into their quest, facing evil orcs, savage wolves, giant spiders, and worse unknown dangers.